Chapter Seventy-Three: Forced Move

  The sudden knock on the door in this drizzly spring rain brings a kind of inexplicable anxiety.

  Lu Yun furrowed her brow and walked quickly over.

  When she opened the door, she found that the people standing outside were some of her maternal relatives from the Ping family. Standing in front was her maternal grandmother, Old Lady Ping, followed by her third aunt and uncle, and fourth aunt, etc. Leaning against the right side was Huang Shu (Huang's wife).

  Behind them, there were over a dozen servants and maidservants, who, although holding umbrellas, still got their outer garments and shoes soaked by the rain blown about by the wind. This made these people, who were used to swaggering through the streets of Handan, look somewhat bedraggled. Not far away, several ox carts and donkey carts were parked.

  It's actually them!

  Lu Xuan's pupils contracted subconsciously at first, and she secretly thought it was bad. However, after a moment, she relaxed again.

  Lu Xuan's expression changed, but these people didn't notice. Old Lady Ping walked in with the support of her maid, and she looked around the small house with a frown, saying: "You're so pleased just because you have this small room? You live here so happily? Not even going to your maternal grandparents' home?" When she said this, Old Lady Ping turned her head, stared at Lu Xuan for a moment, then ignored her. "Go, pack up everything in the house, remember those books are precious, if anything is lost, be careful with your lives!"

  Old Mrs. Ping gave the order and the servants immediately responded with "Yes." Then they turned around in unison and rushed into the room.

  Lu Xuan's face turned black as she stared at Old Lady Ping and said coldly: "May I ask, madam, what does this mean? Are you here to search our house?"

  As soon as she spoke, Old Lady Ping burst into a fit of coughing. Under the repeated pats of the maidservants, she finally managed to catch her breath.

  After catching her breath, Old Lady Ping turned to look at Lu Xuan. Her eyes held disappointment and a hint of sighing, "Ah Xuan, is this how your mother taught you?"

  Before Lu Xiang could respond, Huang Shu walked up and said with a smile: "Ah Xiang, you've misunderstood your aunt. She's worried that you two siblings are too lonely living here. Look at you, a young woman coming and going all day, without even anyone to guard the door. What if you run into some rascal?"

  In the dark, icy gaze of Lu Yu, Huang's smile became more and more forced. She secretly wiped the sweat from her palm and smiled: "This, your paternal grandmother is worried about the safety of you siblings, specially came to take you to live in Pingfu."

  Did you go to Pingfu especially to pick them up?

  Luoyue understood. It seemed that the news of her meeting with the noble person had been leaked out after all. The Pingfu, who was at a dead end, had made up their mind to tightly grasp her and climb up to that noble person through her. Luoyue had become the last straw for them to cling to!

  Even to thoroughly grasp her, master her, they couldn't care less about detours or Lu Xing's thoughts. They had made up their minds that no matter what, they would first get the person back before saying anything else. As long as they returned to Pingfu, they had all sorts of methods to make these two parentless children thoroughly serve them.

  It was a great honor for her that Madam Ping personally came forward, so even if someone mentioned it, the reason would be entirely on the side of the Ping Mansion.

  Lu Xuan coldly smiled and thought: As expected, you still don't give up!

  Seeing the coldness on Lu Ying's face, Old Lady Ping felt an inexplicable disgust. Suppressing the hatred and dislike that surged up in her heart, she said kindly: "Child, what's with this expression? Aren't we your family? Family coming to take you back home to enjoy good fortune, isn't this a matter of course?" She sighed disappointedly as she spoke: "You child, just because of the matter of breaking off the engagement, you still hold a grudge against your great aunt until now? Alas, Great Aunt thought your anger had dissipated long ago."

  As soon as the old lady finished speaking, Third Aunt on one side said: "A Xue, what's wrong with you? Your maternal grandmother has come to pick you up herself, and you still want to disobey?"

  On the other side, the fourth aunt also smiled and said: "Alright, alright, it's a good day, let's not talk about these things. Ah Yue, we came in a hurry, isn't this because we want you to have a good life? Ah Yue, women, living in the world, can't be too stubborn, can't be too fierce, if they are too stubborn, even the closest relationships will be neglected, and even family members won't be wanted. Later on, even if one climbs up to wealth and nobility, it still can't be kept."

  Three seniors, from three different angles, persuaded Lu Yue, either with a serious tone or with warnings.

  As soon as they finished speaking, Huang Shu also held Lu Yue's hand and said intimately: "Ah Yue, you're standing here like this, not saying a word or showing any gratitude, it's not right. Your grandmother is here to take you back home to enjoy good fortune. You don't know, she's been thinking of you all the time, always worrying that you and your siblings are having a hard time outside, being bullied by others."

  Lu Yue still looked unimpressed and unconvinced, so Ping's third uncle stepped forward.

  He came to Lu Xuan's side, looked at her kindly and said: "A Xuan, A Yun he..."

  Lu Xuan raised her head.

  Ping's third uncle looked up at Lu Yun with a sigh and said, "It's like this, your aunt is just an ordinary housewife, there are some things she can't explain clearly. Ah Yun, the reason we came to pick you up this time is because it's really not safe for you here. Your younger brother Ah Yan has been kidnapped!"

  Looking at the gradually narrowing eyes of Shang Lu, Ping Shi's third uncle said in a very gentle and amiable manner: "Those who kidnapped your younger brother are some notorious thieves. If they hadn't sent someone to ask me for money, I wouldn't have known about this matter, let alone come to see you personally. Child, don't be anxious, just follow me back home first, and then we'll discuss it further?"

  Ping's third uncle said this with a very sincere tone, and his eyes looking at Lu Xuan were kind but also carried a hint of reprimand for her disobedient behavior.

  As soon as Ping's third uncle finished speaking, the corner of Old Mrs. Ping's mouth curled up into a smile. The third and fourth aunt on one side also smiled at the same time.

  After Mrs. Ping laughed, she gave a wink to one of the servants beside her and ordered him to act according to Mr. Ping's third uncle's words: that is, to immediately take Lu Yun away!

  In a flash, she took in the gaze of everyone present. She was on high alert: He's deceiving me! This is bad, Ah Yun is about to be in danger. Yes, my attitude has alerted them, and from now on they will likely keep Ah Yun under their control until I obey them.

  Ping's uncle's words were obviously just a flash of inspiration, but this flash of inspiration really and truly inspired Lu to murderous intentions!

  Lu Xuan took a deep breath, glanced at the servant who was walking towards the gate, and then turned to look at Ping Shisan. In a clear voice, she said: "Third Uncle is joking, right? Ah Yun didn't go to school today!" As soon as she finished speaking, the servant who had just stepped out of the gate stopped in his tracks and turned around to look at Old Lady Ping.

  One sentence made the man stop in his tracks, and Luyu was still staring at Ping Shi's third uncle, saying: "Ayun went to Wang Shi Shanglang's mansion today. Uncle may not know that Wang Shang is friends with our neighbor Yin Shi Chenlang, and they also pointed out Ayun's studies together. Before Ayun left, he told me that he would have dinner at the Wang Mansion before returning home." After a pause, Luyu said: "Third uncle should know that the Wang family has a great background. How dare those thieves get close to such a family?"

  Wang Shangjia and Yin Chengjia were also new to Hanyang. Although they usually kept a low profile, even the local snakeheads like Ping Shi knew that these two families had some background.

  The three uncles of the Ping family had a narrow escape.

  He didn't think that such a perfect excuse he had thought of would actually have such a big loophole.

  However, he knew that at this time, he could only persevere to the end. At this moment, Ping's third uncle frowned, suddenly turned around, and slapped a servant behind him to the ground with a loud slap, shouting: "What's going on? Didn't you say that A Yun fell into the hands of those thieves? Explain it clearly to me immediately!"

  That guy was slapped in the face for no reason, half his face swelled up, and he fell heavily to the ground. However, he seemed to be a very agile and slick person, immediately following Ping Shi's uncle's tone: "It's unjust! I clearly saw those people and even saw them hand over Ah Yun's personal belongings." When he said this, he carefully asked: "Could it be that something has changed? Although Ah Yun went to the Wang Mansion, did she go out halfway to do some spring outing?"

  Good excuse, really good excuse!

  Just as Ping's third uncle's eyes lit up, ready to take over the conversation, Lu Xuan suddenly asked on one side: "Personal belongings? What kind of personal belongings?"

  As soon as the question came out, the servant was stunned again. He immediately rolled his eyes and shouted: "This clothing is not recognized by me, but it is recognized by Ah Qing of the third house." He knew that Ah Qing had a good relationship with the sister and brother, so he found this excuse. After that, the servant shouted again: "The matter is urgent, Tabi, we can't waste any more time here!"

  "This is the right time. The third aunt immediately shouted at the crowd of servants: 'What are you still dawdling for? Haven't you seen that the old lady is still standing in the rain? Hurry up, hurry up.'"

  As soon as the voice fell, the servants moved even more quickly. Seeing the furniture of their own home being moved into the courtyard one by one, Lu Yue suddenly said in a low and mournful tone: "That noble..." As soon as these four words came out, everyone looked at her with rapt attention.

  Lu Xuan lowered her head, a bit shy and also a bit unable to express the confusion and unease, saying: "He, he has always had someone watching me," she paused for a while before adding, "My brother too."

  At this point, Lu Xuan tilted her head and looked at Ping Shi's third uncle with a puzzled expression. "Third Uncle, that noble person clearly said those words, so why did my brother still get kidnapped? Third Uncle, are you deceiving me?"

  Once again, she made the servant who had just stepped out of the gate stop in his tracks. Lu Ying quietly looked at Ping Shi's third uncle, watching as he became increasingly flustered under her gaze.

  If Lu Xuan's words are true, it means that what they did today will be known to that noble person. Lu Xuan is still young and can be deceived, but when that noble person hears their conversation, how could he not know that they are blackmailing Lu Xuan? How could he not know the plan that Ping Shi has in mind?

  At this moment, Ping's three uncles' backs were covered in cold sweat.