I Got Rich in Period Fiction
Chapter 221 Thunderclap Rolls

Chapter 221: Chapter 221 Thunderclap Rolls

Qiao Qingyu stared unblinkingly at Second Aunt Qiao, remembering that this woman had always been selfish and fond of stirring up trouble. If it weren’t for the elders keeping watch, there’s no telling what mischief she might have caused.

Fortunately, Uncle Qiao was a reasonable man, so even with some minor frictions, they would often turn a blind eye and let it pass.

Qiao Qingyu’s face turned cold, "Second Aunt, tell me the truth, did my mother’s knot really get lost?"

"Why would I lie to you? It’s really gone."

Beside her, Uncle Qiao could not help but interject, "Then you should search again. Qingyu is waiting to return to the provincial city."

"Where can I search? It’s gone, it’s gone. I’ve searched for several days now. Are you trying to drive me to my death..." As she spoke, Wang Mei even began to cry, appearing extremely aggrieved, "Qingyu, it’s just a knot. You can’t press me like this. If it’s truly lost, I can compensate you with money. Just say how much you want, and I’ll give it to you..." She began to gesture toward her pocket.

Qiao Qingyu frowned, her gaze heavy as she fixed it on the Second Aunt before her.

After a moment of silence, she exhaled slowly, "The house isn’t that big, just search carefully again. I’m heading back to the provincial city now..."

Hearing this, Wang Mei’s face visibly relaxed with a sigh of relief.

Qiao Qingyu turned and left.

Wang Mei called out from behind, "Qingyu, at least finish your meal before you go."

"No need, there’s a carriage available now. Otherwise, I’d have to wait until tomorrow."

As she said this, Qiao Qingyu had already left the Qiao Family’s courtyard.

Uncle Qiao followed her, "Qingyu, are you able to catch the coach now? Stay with us for the night and leave tomorrow."

Qiao Qingyu shook her head.

If it weren’t for a glimmer of hope, she wouldn’t have come home at this time.

She boarded the horse-drawn carriage, and Qiao Zhiyuan hastened toward the outskirts of the village.

Unknowingly, the sky had darkened, and with the gloom, the wind began to rise.

Uncle Qiao glanced at the weather, frowning, "Are we expecting rain?"

Rain in autumn was not a welcome sign.

As they spoke, the clouds above became denser, and Uncle Qiao, who was driving the carriage, stopped because raindrops had begun to fall. He hurriedly turned the carriage around, "Qingyu, we can’t leave today. Let’s go back home."

Though anxious, Qiao Qingyu knew it wasn’t possible to travel in this kind of weather.

Qiao Zhiyuan whipped the horses quickly, and the carriage clattered swiftly back to the front gate of Qiao Qingyu’s house. Qiao Qingyu alighted from the carriage and stood under the archway. Qiao Zhiyuan urged Qiao Qingyu, "Don’t worry, I’ve already sent your elder cousin to the provincial city. Once I’ve taken care of things here, I will go with you tomorrow."

After saying this, he hurried home to get a raincoat and then went to the experimental fields where Sun Dazhang and his team were.

Qiao Qingyu stood dazed at the doorway.

At that moment, suddenly, a flash of lightning streaked across the sky, followed by a loud crack of thunder which startled Qiao Qingyu.

Thunder rumbled incessantly, as if the very earth and heavens were trembling.

Qiao Qingyu hadn’t expected the weather to change so swiftly.

She turned and began to knock on the door. It was opened by her sister-in-law, Niu Guili, who was startled to see Qiao Qingyu. However, her reaction was different from Second Aunt Qiao’s; she seized hold of Qiao Qingyu, her voice trembling, "Qingyu, how is our mother? Has she gotten better? Have you come back with her?" She looked past toward the doorway.

Qiao Qingyu felt a warmth in her heart, pulled her sister-in-law into the house, and then spoke, "I came back for a bit of business. Our mother is still under observation at the hospital."

Niu Guili’s eyes reddened, but she also knew this was not the time for tears, as it would be inauspicious. She quickly said, "You probably haven’t had lunch yet. I’ll go roll the noodles for you right now..."

"Sister-in-law, there’s no need; I’ll eat with Feifei and Doudou tonight."

Then she glanced at the room to the east, "Sister-in-law, where’s Mu Bao?"

"He still doesn’t know about mom’s illness. He’s going to have his college entrance exam next year, and the school said they only allow him a leave once every half month."

After Niu Guili finished speaking, she went to boil water for Qiao Qingyu to wash her face and hands.

Then she went to the kitchen to get busy cooking.

After Qiao Qingyu had tidied herself up and lay on the soft bedding, she finally felt her tense nerves gradually easing, but scenes from her time at the Han Family kept flashing through her mind.

Han Lishi, Han Liuya, what exactly did they want to do?

Was it really for the sake of mom’s illness, or was their actual target herself?

If their real target was indeed herself, then was her mom suffering because of her?

A glint of ruthlessness flashed in Qiao Qingyu’s eyes. If that was the case, she wouldn’t let them off.

Immediately after, she became anxious and worried, also not knowing how her mom was doing now?

Qiao Qingyu could no longer sit still; she got up.

Outside, the sky was overcast as if it were night, followed by the muffled sound of thunder after each flash of lightning.

Heavy rain poured down, and the fierce autumn wind howled outside the window.

Unable to sit still any longer, she put on her raincoat and rain boots and was about to run outside when her sister-in-law grabbed her, asking anxiously, "Qingyu, where are you going?"

"I want to go to the brigade headquarters to make a call and ask how mom is doing."

Niu Guili let go of her hand. She couldn’t stop her, but she still advised, "It’s raining so heavily outside, be careful."

Qiao Qingyu nodded hurriedly and then ran outside.

It would take only three to four minutes to reach the brigade headquarters from the Qiao Family’s house at a quick pace. Along the way, many people were rushing hurriedly toward their homes.

Since she was wearing a raincoat, nobody recognized her.

Upon reaching the brigade headquarters, to her surprise, there were dozens of people taking shelter from the rain.

Then she heard Sun Dazhang’s loud voice shouting inside, "I was just about to call the commune. At such a critical time, how could the phone lines be cut off by the wind?"

"Who knows? It’s just been cut off, and with such strong winds now, who dares to climb up the telephone poles, not to mention in this heavy rain?"

"Yeah, today’s rain came too suddenly. By rights, it shouldn’t have rained today."

"And there shouldn’t be thunder either. It’s not summer. The thunder is frightening, with that cracking sound..."

"Maybe it’s a punishment from the heavens for some unscrupulous deed somebody did..."

"Could be..."

Disappointed, Qiao Qingyu turned around and ran home through the heavy rain.

After returning, there was another commotion.

Fortunately, when Feifei finished school, the heavy rain had stopped.

As the saying goes, "An autumn rain brings the cold"; indeed, the temperature outside had suddenly dropped.

In her heart, Qiao Qingyu thought, Su Yunyao, this reborn main female character, why is all her attention on He Xiuyu’s scientific research results? Why can’t she develop in the direction of electronic technology instead, and create mobile phones in advance, developing our own country’s system and chips? It’s only the eighties now, seizing the information network so early, the future is unimaginable.