After breakfast, Yun Jiao saw the cold weather and lit a brazier.
While reading, Gu Chuan suddenly ran in with a strange expression, saying, "Sister, Uncle and Mother are here, looking for Sister next door."
"I just heard Uncle asking next door if it’s the Zhao Family that Gu Mei married into?"
He paused, and his voice suddenly lowered, "Uncle drove the cart, Mother is sitting in the carriage, I hid behind the tree, they didn’t see me."
Yun Jiao chuckled helplessly, "What are you hiding for?"
Gu Chuan suddenly hugged Yun Jiao’s arm, "I don’t want to go back with Mother."
Soon, Gu Mei was heard outside shouting, "Yun Jiao, come out!"
Yun Jiao put down the book in her hand and led Gu Chuan out.
Gu Mei stood at the door, subtly glanced towards the west wing before turning her gaze to the siblings.
Yun Jiao went out and saw a carriage parked outside the yard, a man who resembled the Li family somewhat sat on the carriage beam, Yun Jiao bowed, "Uncle—"
Li Xi frowned slightly, sneering, "You sisters are really interesting."
"Your father is gone, and both of you only care about marrying, leaving your mother unattended like this?"
Yun Jiao tightly held Gu Chuan’s hand and glanced at the carriage with the curtains down.
Li Shi must be inside; she’s a ruthless person, having gone for two months, she doesn’t seem to miss her seven-year-old son at all.
She didn’t even lift the curtain for a look.
Li Xi’s face remained cold, "All of you get in the carriage, go home and discuss your mother’s matter."
Yun Jiao thought for a moment, "Uncle wait a bit, I have to inform my mother-in-law."
She turned around into the house and informed Mrs. Chen, then came out with Gu Chuan and got into the carriage.
Li Shi sat inside the carriage, looking haggard.
She wore a dull gray cotton jacket, her head was bare, without a piece of jewelry.
Yun Jiao glanced at her earlobes.
Her father once gave Li Shi a pair of gold earrings, which Li Shi loved very much, rarely taking them off even while sleeping.
Now there was nothing on her ears.
Noticing Yun Jiao’s gaze, Li Shi shrank back, full of discomfort.
After a while, Gu Mei also got on the carriage.
She looked Li Shi up and down, then inconspicuously curled her lips.
After a moment, Gu Mei pretended to affectionately smile at Li Shi, "Mother, you haven’t been gone long, why are you back?"
Li Shi pursed her lips, seemingly on the verge of tears, "I spent all the silver, what else could I do but come back?"
Gu Mei said in surprise, "Mother, more than twenty taels of silver are gone?"
"More than twenty taels of silver, if spent frugally, could last years!"
Li Shi said wronged, "What do you know, on the way, spending on food and lodging requires silver."
"I dared not go out too, still had to spend silver to ask people about your father’s whereabouts."
"Is it easy for me?"
Gu Mei quickly caught the crucial information in Li Shi’s words, "You went to the Prefecture City, staying in an inn every day, then spent silver to ask people about father’s news?"
Li Shi said wronged, "What else could I do?"
"I am a weak woman, there are many bad people outside, of course, I cannot go around randomly, what if someone abducts me, then you would have no mother?"
Yun Jiao couldn’t help but complain inwardly, having a mother like you might be better off without.
Gu Mei held her forehead, "So, you went to the Prefecture City for what?"
"You may as well stay at home, give the silver to a reliable person, and have them go to Prefecture City to find father!"