Chapter 1576: Targeted
Chapter 1576: Chapter 1576: Targeted
With so many people around, Gu Jinli couldn’t speak the truth, so she smiled and saluted her: "Junior greets Granny Lei, please don’t worry, it’s just a common pox on junior’s face, it can be treated."
Ji Zhenniang sneered, throwing cold water on her: "You’ve been saying this for months, yet there’s little improvement on your face? Your disfigurement is permanent, resign yourself to it."
Ji Zhenniang had escaped in the middle of the night, traveling all night, so her mood was foul and her words were blunt. However, her words offended Ms. Gao Lei.
Ms. Gao Lei, being the protective type, although seeing Gu Jinli for the first time, had heard many stories of the Gu Family and Qin Family from the Luotian area, considering Gu Jinli as her own grandchild. Seeing Ji Zhenniang speak this way, how could she tolerate it? She pointed at Ji Zhenniang and asked, "Who are you?"
Ji Zhenniang, upon hearing she was Elder Lei Wu’s sister, greeted warmly with a smile: "Junior Xie Ji, wife of Company Commander Xie from Yujiang County’s Military Department, my family is the affluent Ji Family of Linhe Prefecture."
Ms. Gao Lei laughed, instructing the nearby nanny: "Gui Zhi, take Ms. Xie to the woodshed for a few days and let her out once she learns some manners."
"Yes." Nanny Gui Zhi responded, pulling Ji Zhenniang directly.
Ji Zhenniang was bewildered, looking at Ms. Gao Lei, she asked: "Granny Lei, what do you mean by this? Have I offended you?"
Ms. Gao Lei did not answer Ji Zhenniang, instead, turned to scold Gu Jinli: "I thought you were smart and decisive, but seeing you today, you’re just mediocre! This Ms. Ji has traveled with you for months, being the Company Commander’s wife for the expedition against the Rong, she has such an unbearable attitude. Have you never thought of correcting her? With the current chaos in the Northwest, letting her continue ignorantly, do you want her to bring disaster upon you all?!"
Gu Jinli quickly responded: "It’s junior’s fault, Granny Lei, please don’t be angry, junior will..."
Ms. Gao Lei interrupted Gu Jinli, saying: "Enough, no need to explain, I understand you are both Company Commander’s wives, and you’re younger, making it hard to be harsh on her. Since she’s called me Granny Lei, as her elder, I’ll properly teach her for a few days."
Ji Zhenniang: "..."
Just calling her granny brought trouble? Could she take it back?!
However, she couldn’t.
Ms. Gao Lei further told Gu Jinli: "Consider it my gift to you."
Ji Zhenniang cried out, mournfully asking: "What do you mean by this? What exactly do you want to do?"
How did disciplining her become a gift to Gu Jinli?
Ms. Gao Lei didn’t answer, instead comlaining to Nanny Gui Zhi: "Gui Zhi, aren’t you taking Ms. Xie to the woodshed? The rats are waiting for her."
Rats!
Ji Zhenniang almost fainted, clinging tightly to Xie Huaihua’s hand, pleading to Gu Jinli: "Save me!"
Ms. Gao Lei: "We’re saving you now, don’t waste words, and don’t cry. If you dare to cry, your meal will be withheld today, and you’ll go hungry."
She added: "You’ve been spoiled. Enduring some hardship will help you grow, otherwise, you’ll remain like this, forgetting the pain once the wound heals, and you’ll continue dragging everyone down."
Ji Zhenniang was aggrieved, but she didn’t dare cry, fearing she’d go hungry, but she argued: "I’ve already endured so much hardship, traveling for months through wind and frost."
Ms. Gao Lei replied curtly: "Not enough."
With that, she gestured for Nanny Gui Zhi to drag Ji Zhenniang to the woodshed.
Xie Huaihua knelt down, pleading: "Old Madam, please let this maidservant be locked up with my mistress. I won’t side with her but she’s a woman, she shouldn’t be left alone in another’s woodshed for days, it could damage her reputation if known."
Ms. Gao Lei assured: "Rest assured, the Lei family’s manor is not a hornet’s nest, this won’t get out."
Still, Ms. Gao Lei found Xie Huaihua’s words reasonable, instructing the maid to accompany Xie Huaihua to the woodshed to prevent any resentment from Company Commander Xie.
"Thank you, Old Madam." Xie Huaihua expressed her gratitude and followed the maid to the woodshed to join Ms. Ji.
Gu Jinli was taken aback... Granny Lei, you truly have the demeanor of a female general, decisive in your actions, actually imprisoning Ji Zhenniang.
Ms. Gao Lei glanced at her, saying: "What are you standing there for? Quickly bring everyone inside, you all must be exhausted from traveling overnight."
"Oh." Gu Jinli agreed, ushering everyone into the Lei Family’s manor.
After getting everyone settled, she reported to Ms. Gao Lei about the Rong people’s infiltration of villages in Xing’an Prefecture and their possible attack on the Prefecture.
Ms. Gao Lei, alarmed, having suffered greatly at the hands of the Rong in her life, completely believed this, especially after learning of their tunneling in Beicang Prefecture.
Soon, with a jolt, she stood up urgently and instructed the recently returned Nanny Gui Zhi: "Quickly, summon the village chief and Little Peng Wen!"
"Yes, I’ll do it right away." Nanny Gui Zhi responded, soon bringing the village chief and Little Peng Wen over.
Ms. Gao Lei wasted no words, explaining the possible attack on Xing’an Prefecture by the infiltrating Rong and concluded: "Think about the wolf footprints near the manor recently and how it ties to the Rong infiltration. Our manor might be targeted too."
The village chief and Peng Wen were shocked, not expecting a few wolf prints to mask such a significant threat.
Peng Wen commented: "Old Madam, we can’t stay here, we must go to Xing’an Prefecture immediately. The city is the safest place; staying here, if the infiltrating Rong need supplies, our manor will be the first to suffer."
Ms. Gao Lei nodded in agreement, turning to Gu Jinli: "Gu family’s daughter, you’ve come to the wrong place. We’re leaving too. You should come with us to Xing’an Prefecture; this manor isn’t safe to stay."
Ms. Gao Lei recounted the Rong men’s tendency to raid villages and manors, kill all men, abduct the women, then set everything ablaze.
Gu Jinli hastily agreed: "I’ll follow your lead, we’ll retreat immediately!"
The Lei Family’s manor was under surveillance. Staying there would be foolish; they must leave at once.
Ms. Gao Lei advised: "Having just arrived, leaving immediately might raise suspicion. Stay the night, we’ll depart for Xing’an Prefecture at dawn."
As for notifying the other Company Commanders’ wives and Chief Commanders’ wives, Ms. Gao Lei left it to Gu Jinli, believing only through such experiences could juniors truly learn.
Gu Jinli acknowledged: "Understood, I’ll handle it properly."
Ms. Gao Lei, satisfied, instructed the village chief and Peng Wen to prepare for their departure.
Once they left, she pointed at Gu Jinli’s face, lamenting: "Why so many pox marks? And this stench... Girl, this won’t do. The boy from the Qin family might tolerate you for a few months out of past fondness, but he certainly won’t endure it for a lifetime."
Gu Jinli, warmed by her concern, assured Ms. Gao Lei: "Granny Lei, don’t worry, the pox and odor are fake, purposely done for safe travel."