Rebirth of a Farming Wife

Chapter 478: Chapter Four Hundred and Eighty-Five: Sincere Admiration
 

It was precisely because of this that Su Wenyue dared to make such a risky decision. She was certain she could ensure the safety of her children. She was prepared to sacrifice her own life, but would not gamble with her children’s safety. It was also for this reason that Mr. and Mrs. Su so readily believed in their daughter’s strategy, knowing how much their daughter cared for her children.

Qi Luo and the others were surprised to hear Su Wenyue’s words, but as her confidants, each of them had exceptional abilities. That’s why they were chosen to stay by Su Wenyue’s side at such a critical moment. Therefore, their surprise only lasted for a flash, and they quickly regained their composure, even when a man in black suddenly appeared before them, as if out of thin air.

“Qi Shen pays his respects to Madam.”

“Qi Shen, when Han Yu assigned you here, he must have ordered you to follow my commands from this moment on!” Su Wenyue left no room for negotiation, her tone one of absolute authority, bearing a striking resemblance to Han Yu’s manner.

“Yes, as you command, Madam,” Qi Shen naturally understood Su Wenyue’s intention. In such a critical situation, he dared not be ambiguous; indeed, he had been ordered by his master to protect the Mistress and follow her orders, although, at the time, he had been somewhat unwilling in his heart.

Su Wenyue nodded, satisfied with Qi Shen’s attitude. She knew that Han Yu had capable people under him, and perhaps they had their own personalities. Moreover, Han Yu’s usual care and valuation of her, in an era dominated by men, didn’t sit well with many, as they found her not virtuous enough. Not only did she get jealous easily, but some even believed she was a burden to Han Yu, and there were those who thought that a man in charge of important affairs should not be sentimental. As a result, inevitably there were a few who were loyal to Han Yu but disapproving of her.

On regular days, Su Wenyue also had interactions with Zhai Mo and his group. These people had such backgrounds; subjugated by Han Yu, they were fiercely loyal to him but not necessarily to her. A woman’s intuition is often direct, and even though Zhai Mo and his group didn’t show it, Su Wenyue could still sense their disregard for her as the Mistress. Therefore, regardless of what Qi Shen thought internally, as long as he showed such an attitude on the surface, Su Wenyue was pleased.

“Mother!” Brother Xing, although a child, had a mature mind and had long noticed that there was something amiss with his mother’s behaviour. Seeing Su Wenyue like this, he became uneasily anxious, tugging at her hand and calling out to her with concern.

When Su Wenyue saw Brother Xing reacting this way, and then looked at the other two children who were staring at her with similarly dark eyes, her heart soured. She thought of a possible scenario, and an overwhelming sense of reluctance washed over her. But no matter how reluctant, she could not standby and see her father and mother take risks for her, possibly even losing their lives in the process.

She was not the ignorant Su Wenyue of her previous life, and would not naively believe her parents’ words. Under such circumstances, the Imperial Court would have undoubtedly sent many people to capture her and her children. This was utterly different from the previous time when they were conducting trade outside; it was not so easy to escape unscathed. Her parents’ reassurances were to put her at ease, yet they likely harboured a readiness to die, all to protect their unfilial daughter and grandson’s safety.

“Brother Xing, you’re the most understanding. Please take good care of your younger brother and sister, and listen to Uncle Qi Shen and Aunt Qi Luo,” she said.

“Brother Chen, Sister Yu, you must also listen to your elder brother and refrain from causing trouble, understand?” Su Wenyue said, her eyes brimming with tears, as she sternly restrained herself from showing her sadness and instead tenderly instructed them.

“Mother, what are you going to do? Are you not staying with us?” Brother Xing, feeling a certain anticipated dread, realized that his mother might have made a decision he couldn’t accept, and he asked eagerly.

“There are bad people targeting us. Your grandparents are in grave danger now because they want to protect us. Mother must go and save your grandparents. You all behave; Uncle Qi Yun and Aunt Qi Luo will take you to a safe place, and Mother will meet with you after rescuing your grandparents,” Su Wenyue explained with a smile.

From Su Wenyue’s actions, Qi Shen and Qi Luo had already anticipated something. After hearing what Su Wenyue said, they were all worried and astonished. They had originally thought that the Madam had made Mr. and Mrs. Su take risks because of the children, but they didn’t expect that the Madam had another plan in mind. Being smart people, they could almost guess Su Wenyue’s intentions and the actions she was going to take.

“Mother!” Not only were the adults present distraught, but Brother Xing too understood his mother’s decision after hearing her words. Tears filled his eyes; he wanted to stop his mother from taking the risk but knew that it involved his grandparents, his mother’s own parents, and she was doing what she as a daughter ought to do. How could he prevent her? Besides, these matters weren’t something a child could understand. He was utterly powerless to stop anything, and even if he sobbed and disagreed, it would merely bother his mother.

“Mother, rest assured, I will take good care of myself and my younger siblings. You must come back safely, we are all waiting for you,” Brother Xing said, wiping away tears, at this point all he could do was to take care of himself and his younger siblings to ease his mother’s worries.

Su Wenyue looked at Brother Xing with gratification; having a son like him, even if she really… would put her at ease. However, this was not the time for sentimentality. Even though they had not been discovered by enemies, danger could strike at any moment, and more importantly, her parents were constantly in peril. She had to act swiftly.

Hardening her heart, she chose not to look at the three children, but turned to Qi Shen and Qi Luo instead: “Qi Shen, Qi Luo, you are the people I trust the most. The safety of the three children is now in your hands; you must ensure their safety at all costs.”

“Madam, rest assured, even if we lose our own lives, we will not let anything happen to both Young Masters and the Miss,” Qi Luo solemnly promised.

Qi Shen did not immediately respond. Knowing Su Wenyue’s plan, he was even more aware of the dangers it entailed. No one understood more than them how much the Master cared for the Madam. In his heart, perhaps even the three children were not as important as Madam. If something happened to her, he could not imagine how the Master would react.

“Madam, you cannot be without protection. The two Young Masters and Miss will be protected by Qi Luo and the others. With you luring those people away, they should be safe from harm. I should stay by your side; the Master has commanded that we must ensure your…”

Su Wenyue cut Qi Shen off before he could finish: “Don’t try to persuade me, I’ve already made my decision. You just need to follow it. My children are my life; I can’t risk even the slightest danger to them, one person is not enough to protect them!”

“But Madam, your safety?” Qi Luo actually agreed with Qi Shen’s idea. The Madam’s actions were exceedingly dangerous to begin with, and if she were to be without protection