PDLP Chapter 46 Uncovering Meng Linlang's Secret
Chapter 46 Uncovering Meng Linlang's Secret
Meng Fuqing's words brought a rare liveliness to the peaceful Mengjia Village. After the villagers left, she discussed matters with Shan Qiyu and Yao Shanyun.
Yao Shanyun couldn't understand, "Why is that old woman from the Shan family like a bloodsucker, trying to drain all your blood?"
If she had relatives like that, she would risk everything and cause trouble every few days until they dared not provoke her again.
Shan Qiyu shook her head. "It's probably a grudge. When we went to town before..."
She recounted her encounter with the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law in town, which made Yao Shanyun clap her hands in delight.
"That's how it should be. If they have no shame, then trample their shame into the ground and make them afraid!"
Meng Fuqing, who was standing to the side, suddenly spoke up, "Mother, is my cousin still studying in Qingping County?"
Meng Fuqing sat aside and thought about her maternal great-aunt's family situation for a long time. In the original owner's memory, her maternal great-uncle Shan Chong and Wu had two sons and three daughters. Rong was the eldest daughter-in-law of the Shan family. She gave birth to Shan Ziyi, the eldest grandson of the Shan family, in just one year after entering the family.
Among the younger generation, Shan Wushi's favorite was Shan Ziyi. Before receiving her maternal grandfather's inheritance, the family was not poor, but if they wanted to support a student, the whole family would have to tighten their belts. After receiving her maternal grandfather's inheritance, Shan Ziyi went to study in the county.
Meng Fuqing speculated that this was the main reason why Shan Chong and the Wu family seized the inheritance.
If you want revenge, you have to find the other person's sore spot and beat them so badly that their knees are buried in the ground and they can never stand up again. Otherwise, they'll keep jumping around and it'll be annoying.
Shan Qiyu nodded. "At your father's funeral, your maternal aunt mentioned that your cousin would be taking the imperial examination next year, saying that he was very good at his studies and often received praise from his teacher."
Yao Shanyun curled her lips and said, "I knew that old woman had ulterior motives. She loves to show off just like her granddaughter."
"Mother, do you still have feelings for your maternal uncle and aunt's family?" Meng Fuqing asked.
Busy dealing with matters concerning his own family and the Lin family, Meng Fuqing almost forgot about the Shan family.
Shan Qiyu shook her head. "Back when I was worrying about your maternal grandfather's funeral arrangements, his family secretly sold off all of your maternal grandfather's belongings. I secretly kept a few of your maternal grandparents' items, but your uncle's family only had a wooden horse that your cousin had played with left. I was too angry to care about anything else."
Meng Fuqing nodded. "Understood."
Dan Qiyu was taken aback. He was about to ask something, but then he opened his mouth and closed it again.
Based on her understanding of Qingqing, she knew that if she asked, she wouldn't just sit idly by. She wanted to ask, but with outsiders present, if she asked too many questions, it might involve the Fairy Goddess, and she wouldn't be able to explain it clearly.
Actually, she wanted to settle this matter herself; the two families should have broken off relations long ago. She was more worried about the Li family than this.
Yao Shanyun also noticed this and said, "Auntie knows you have big ideas, but I still have to say something. You're a girl, you can't come up with any methods that would ruin your reputation or your life. If anything happens, just call your mother and me, and we'll help you come up with a solution. Don't let your mother worry."
That makes sense, and Shan Qiyu nodded in agreement.
Meng Fuqing was afraid that revealing what he wanted to do would frighten people, so he just smiled and said, "I haven't thought about it yet. The village chief also told me to behave myself recently."
"Qingqing, is the Li family related to the Lin family? Is it the Lin family's doing?" Shan Qiyu asked worriedly.
Meng Fuqing shook his head. "I don't know. I heard that the old master of the Lin family passed away, and the family storeroom was also robbed. I wonder if they're taking their anger out on someone. We should just avoid going to town for a while."
Shan Qiyu and Yao Shanyun also felt that way.
For the next two days, Meng Fuqing behaved herself as she had said, and no one from the town came to Mengjia Village.
During this time, Meng Linlang came to see Meng Fuqing twice, but Meng Fuqing avoided her.
Meng Fuqing didn't show up until the third time.
"Did my cousin need something?"
Having been rejected twice, Meng Linlang's anger burned even more fiercely. This time, upon seeing her, she said directly, "I can tell you some things that you might be interested in. Would you like to walk with me?"
A hint of curiosity flickered across Meng Fuqing's calm face; she had a premonition that she could glean something from this conversation.
Despite thinking this, she still had no intention of leaving with Meng Linlang.
Do you know what I'm interested in?
Meng Linlang leaned closer and whispered, "I know who the man who spoke to you at Doctor Zheng's door that day is."
Upon hearing this, Meng Fuqing raised an eyebrow slightly.
No matter how well Meng Linlang was raised, she was still just a little girl from a remote village. How could she possibly know the Xie family, who lived two hundred miles away? Not to mention that Xie Jin had disguised himself, and even Doctor Zheng didn't recognize him at first.
She had always thought Meng Linlang was strange, but now it seemed that Meng Linlang was prejudiced against many things, like a student who went to an exam with the answers already in mind. Even though the exam content had changed, she still insisted on her own answers.
In short, Meng Linlang is a reborn person.
She relented, "Let's go."
The two stood one in front of the other, neither of them speaking first.
Meng Fuqing followed her for a while, and seeing that she was heading towards the river, he asked, "Didn't you say you knew that person's identity? Tell me."
“I know his surname is Xie, and he’s a wanted man by the government,” Meng Linlang said.
She had been to the county town a couple of days ago, and sure enough, just like in her dream, she saw Xie Jin's wanted poster. However, in her dream, Doctor Zheng had passed away, and Xie Jin hadn't been to Mengjia Village. That's why she was shocked when she saw Xie Jin's back.
Meng Fuqing naturally understood that Meng Linlang was threatening her, but she didn't care much. "Wanted? You saw the portrait at the entrance of the county town?"
Meng Linlang turned to look at her, her lips, which used to always curve into a smile, were now tightly pursed. "So you saw it too. You have dealings with wanted criminals. Aren't you afraid of being arrested by the authorities?"
Upon hearing this, Meng Fuqing felt more at ease.
The two stopped by the river. Meng Linlang's tense body suddenly relaxed. She was afraid of falling into the water, especially in such cold weather. She remembered the feeling of suffocation after falling into the water in her dream very clearly. Despite her great fear, she had no choice but to do so.
She turned to look at Meng Fuqing, her smile as charming as ever, "Cousin, you've been making quite a splash lately, one thing after another, it's like you've become a completely different person. Are you happy, cousin?"
Meng Fuqing stared at her, then suddenly smiled, “That person is not wanted by the government.”
Meng Linlang was taken aback, not understanding what Meng Fuqing meant.
Meng Fuqing moved closer to her, "If you recognized him as a wanted criminal based on the portrait, have you ever seen his face? That face doesn't resemble the three portraits at all."
Meng Linlang took a step back, feeling as if she had fallen into an ice cave. At the time, there were overgrown branches blocking her view, so she hadn't seen Xie Jin's face clearly; she only saw his back when he entered the courtyard.
She never saw Xie Jin in the village again, and thought that Xie Jin was worried that someone would recognize his face and report him to the authorities.
Meng Fuqing continued, "Why did you say he was a wanted criminal? Why did you assume my mother and Sun Dacheng were having an affair? Why are you hostile towards me? Did I do something to you that I myself don't know about?"
"Meng Linlang, what exactly do you know?"
Meng Fuqing's words kept echoing in Meng Linlang's ears, leaving her mind blank.
The secret she had been hiding from outsiders was so easily revealed by Meng Fuqing, which she found unacceptable.
A moment later, her eyes moved, filled with a desperate determination. She suddenly grabbed Meng Fuqing's hand and pressed it against her body, while simultaneously falling into the river behind her.