The villagers had long instructed them not to tell the truth if they encountered people looking for them, as kidnapping might occur for the sake of ten thousand taels of silver.
To avoid complications, they did not object when the villagers claimed the two were their relatives. Before being kidnapped, they could still be recognized as prominent figures from town. After days of living in the mountains, their clothes and faces were dirty, and they were dizzy with hunger, indistinguishable from the villagers. They were a far cry from the young ladies and gentlemen from the city who could spend ten thousand taels at a whim.
After much hardship, when the two appeared before Wu Caiwei, a great weight lifted from their hearts. They couldn't help but shed tears, collapsing into Wu Caiwei's embrace, venting their emotions freely.
Once they had calmed down, Wu Caiwei inquired how they had returned. Upon learning of the villagers' actions, she appraised the villager with appreciative eyes.
It was the first time the villager had been looked at in such a manner, and he was touched. He considered himself smarter than the average country folk but knew he couldn't compare to city dwellers, having limited experience. He always felt that if given a chance, he would achieve more than he currently had.
As Wu Caiwei sized him up, he unconsciously straightened his back, feeling somewhat nervous but trying to appear composed. Seeing his calm demeanor in a crisis, Wu Caiwei nodded and handed him the ten thousand tael bank notes she had prepared, then asked about his future plans.
Learning that he intended to spend around a thousand taels on a courtyard in the city and the rest on shops, she was impressed. For a hunter born in the mountains to think so long-term was exceptional. Fearing he might be taken advantage of in the city, she sent someone with him to find an intermediary.
After seeing him off, Wu Caiwei finally had time to ask the two how they ended up in Sun Wenlin's hands. Bao Ge's situation was simple: he was studying at a school outside town, and Liu Changhe was running a business. Bao Ge went missing, and he had no idea. Sister Ling, however, couldn't stop shedding tears. Wu Caiwei knew there must be more to the story. She looked at her, remaining silent, questioning with her eyes.
"Mother, what should I do? You don't know how awful they were. They heard I offended Miss Sun and quickly backed away from me, as if I were a plague. When Miss Sun came to demand my return, they pushed me out without hesitation." Her voice grew softer as she spoke, eventually breaking down in sobs.
"He didn't object?" Although her mother didn't name names, Sister Ling knew she was referring to her husband. It was better not to mention him, but bringing him up only made Sister Ling sadder.
She had initially believed he married her out of true love, and they had overcome many hardships to be together. After marriage, he was supportive at first. Then, his mother and sister conspired to frame her. Seeing the constant chaos at home, he slowly began to look at her with suspicion.
Their affection dwindled amidst the family disputes. When Miss Sun came to take her away, there was struggle and reluctance on his face, but under his mother's threatening gaze, he never uttered a word of retention.
Seeing her state, Wu Caiwei understood everything. She had thought that after going to such lengths to marry her daughter, they would treat her well. To her surprise, because they did business in the city and feared offending the magistrate, they pushed her daughter out. It was simply because she was from the countryside with no background; even if she died, the Liu family could do nothing to them.
When she had finished crying, Wu Caiwei calmly looked at her. "If you want my opinion, I will tell you my true feelings. I think since he couldn't stand up for you then, your fate together has run its course. Since you don't have children yet, get a divorce quickly. If you feel you can't stay in this small town, come with me to Yucheng. No one knows you there, and you can start anew."
She had loved him once. Even though Sister Ling hated him to death recently, the thought of leaving him still filled her with reluctance.
"Listen to Mother. He's not worth it." The siblings spent all day together, and Bao Ge knew everything about her situation. He had initially worried that his sister couldn't bear the gossip if she divorced, so he dared not voice this suggestion. Now that her mother offered a chance to start anew elsewhere, he was immediately moved and looked at his sister with anticipation.
"Will they agree?" Even knowing her mother owned many shops in the prefectural city, Sister Ling felt a sense of inferiority when facing that family.
"As long as you make up your mind, I will handle everything else," Wu Caiwei encouraged her.
"If... if he regrets it, then it's all forgotten," Sister Ling hesitantly said to her mother, her head bowed, not daring to meet her gaze.
"Alright, I promise," Wu Caiwei said. Seeing her say this, the younger woman visibly relaxed, as if a great burden had been lifted. She unconsciously shook her head.
She arranged for them to stay comfortably in the prefectural city and returned to the county town to find Miss Sun.
Sun Wenlin had just alighted from her carriage, intending to enter a shop to buy some jewelry, when she saw someone who filled her with dread. After a moment, she adopted a fawning expression. "Oh, it's Shopkeeper Zhou. I heard your son and daughter have been found. We should be even now, shouldn't we?"
"Does Miss Sun truly believe so?" Wu Caiwei looked at her with a half-smile.
Sun Wenlin instinctively took a few steps back, smiling nervously. "What do you want?"
"Miss Sun, would you do a few things for me?"
"What things? Tell me," Sun Wenlin replied.
Upon hearing that she wasn't there to cause trouble, Sun Wenlin's spirits lifted. As long as it wasn't too difficult, she was prepared to agree.
"Since Miss Sun was able to bring my daughter back from her in-laws' home, you must have a way to arrange a divorce for them and get her dowry back, right?"
"Yes, yes," Sun Wenlin quickly responded before Wu Caiwei finished speaking.
In her eyes, Wu Caiwei was a dangerous individual. To distance herself, she quickly made an excuse. "I'll arrange it now. I've disliked them for a long time. You weren't there and don't know how any daughter married into that family suffers. They knew it wouldn't end well for them if I got involved, yet when they heard my intentions, they handed your daughter over to me without hesitation. Don't worry, I'll not only get her dowry back, but I'll also give that ungrateful wretch a beating."
Wu Caiwei watched the retreating figure flee and found an inn to stay in, confident that news would arrive soon.
Indeed, in the afternoon, although she didn't see Sun Wenlin, the dowry and divorce papers were delivered to her. Beside them stood someone she was meeting for the first time.