225: Chapter 5 Li Qingluo Calls for People

"My dear Aunt, do you still think you can go down with me?"

Hearing Meng Li's teasing words, Li Qingluo opened her mouth but found it hard to refute.

Because upon careful thought, she realized what Meng Li said was basically the truth.

She was love-struck and cruel, but not stupid. Regarding using people as flower fertilizer, she naturally knew it would draw hatred. So, over the years, she used the Secret Manuals from the Langhuan Jade Cave to train some sturdy women as guards and thugs.

These people had mostly achieved some success, but their achievements were limited; they weren't experts and could only handle ordinary Jianghu people.

First was the issue of Aptitude.

Second was that she held back to make them easier to control.

Relying on these people alone, Li Qingluo could throw her weight around, but she couldn't stop true experts.

Those experts didn't come looking for trouble with her, firstly because she rarely provoked them, and secondly because the Wang Family and the Murong Family were closely related.

As for herself...

She was unwilling to endure hardship, and her Martial Arts were inferior even to those of her subordinates.

If she were truly expelled from the Wang Family, her situation would be hard to say.

Thinking of this, Li Qingluo felt a bit panicked. She wanted to use her status as an elder to suppress Meng Li, but thinking about her affair with Duan Zhengchun, she felt it wouldn't work. So she changed her strategy and brought up Wang Yuyan: "Yu Yan has always called you Cousin, I didn't expect your heart to be so ruthless."

"It truly wastes her sincere heart!"

Meng Li was amused, not surprised that Li Qingluo used Wang Yuyan as a bargaining chip.

Perhaps because of her own experience of being abandoned by her mother Li Qiu Shui, Li Qingluo didn't care much for her daughter Wang Yuyan either.

The fact that Granny E dared to shout at Wang Yuyan before was proof.

It was also shown in the original story; when Wang Yuyan went to rescue the imprisoned A Zhu and A Bi, the sturdy woman in charge of guarding saw through her lie and tied her up directly.

From this, it can be seen that although Wang Yuyan is the Young Lord of Manda Mountain Villa, her status is not that high.

Part of the reason was Wang Yuyan's own weakness, but more of it likely stemmed from Li Qingluo's lack of regard for her.

Not just Wang Yuyan, but Duan Zhengchun's other named daughters were also not very well-regarded.

Or rather, compared to their children, his lovers valued themselves and their paramour more.

A typical example is Ruan Xingzhu; she gave away her two daughters, A Zhu and A Zi, one after another. It wasn't because she couldn't afford to raise them, but because she was afraid of being discovered for her premarital pregnancy. For the next ten-plus years, she ignored both of them.

Even after A Zhu died later, Ruan Xingzhu didn't grieve for long.

In comparison, Li Qingluo was relatively good to Wang Yuyan, but only to a limited extent.

His thoughts flashed, but Meng Li's outward response was not slow: "You remember Yu Yan at a time like this?"

"It is precisely because she treats me as her Cousin and is sincere to me that I want to teach her Martial Arts."

"This is also out of my good intentions, but if you don't agree..."

"I agree!" Seeing the topic return to the main track, Li Qingluo thought for a moment and chose to compromise.

"Is that so? That's for the best. Yu Yan will definitely be very happy when she finds out." Meng Li said with a smile, then as if thinking of something, he reminded her: "I hope you don't go back on your word, Aunt. Otherwise, I don't mind using this matter to hold over you for the rest of your life."

Li Qingluo's face stiffened, then she said angrily: "You dare?!"

Meng Li said with a half-smile: "You can try."

After saying that, he turned and left.

Li Qingluo stood there, watching his back, so angry she crushed the Silk Fan in her hand, a cold light flickering in her eyes.

Shortly after, she turned and went to the Study.

Being manipulated by a junior like Meng Li, she couldn't swallow this insult. She had to let him know how formidable she could be!

She couldn't achieve this relying on herself and her subordinates.

So, Li Qingluo planned to call for backup.

"Hold it over me for the rest of my life?"

"We'll have to see if your teeth are hard enough."

"Do you really think this old lady has no backing?"

In the Study, Li Qingluo muttered while writing a letter.

When the letter was finished, Wang Yuyan came looking for her.

As soon as she entered, the young girl asked expectantly: "Mother, Cousin said you agreed to let me learn Martial Arts from him. Is it true?"

Li Qingluo really wanted to deny it, but thinking of Meng Li's threat, she still chose to follow her heart: "That's right."

"That's great!" Wang Yuyan looked happy and excited.

Seeing this, Li Qingluo felt her teeth itch with annoyance, so she said: "Learning Martial Arts is very tiring and bitter. Are you sure you want to learn?"

Wang Yuyan nodded, her face firm: "I'll learn!"

After saying that, she added: "As long as Cousin teaches me, I'm not afraid of any hardship or exhaustion."

Li Qingluo: "..."

She wanted to hit someone!

...

The next day, Wang Yuyan came to Canhe Village.

Meng Li saw at a glance that something was wrong with her and couldn't help asking: "Yu Yan, what's wrong?"

Wang Yuyan's pretty face collapsed, and she said pitifully: "My mother hit me."

Meng Li was stunned.

A Zhu and A Bi beside him were equally surprised.

Li Qingluo hit Wang Yuyan? This had never happened before.

Even when Wang Yuyan was disobedient and snuck out to find Meng Li, she was only grounded.

A Zhu couldn't help her curiosity and asked: "Cousin Miss, what did you do wrong to make your mother so Life Qi?"

Wang Yuyan said aggrievedly: "I don't know either. Yesterday Cousin told me my mother allowed me to learn Martial Arts from him. I ran to ask her if it was true. It turned out to be true, but after just a few words, she suddenly hit me."

"Where did she hit you? Is it serious?" A Bi asked with concern.

Wang Yuyan lowered her small head, hesitating and refusing to say.

Meng Li understood after a moment's thought and said with a smile: "Did she spank you?"

Wang Yuyan's face instantly turned red, and she chided: "Cousin~~"

She was shy.

A Zhu and A Bi covered their mouths and chuckled.

Wang Yuyan's small face immediately turned even redder.

Meng Li smiled and said: "Alright, let's stop there."

"Now, class officially begins. I'll tell you some basic knowledge of Martial Arts."

"Listen carefully, and feel free to ask if there's anything you don't understand."

A Zhu and A Bi immediately straightened their expressions.

Wang Yuyan also forgot her shyness and found a suitable place to sit.

As for teaching Martial Arts to beginners, Meng Li had experienced it many times in his previous two lives. He was quite experienced and had even summarized a set of unique methods. When put into practice, the teaching process was not only far from boring but actually quite interesting, enough to make most people willing to listen, understand, and learn.

Wang Yuyan, A Zhu, and A Bi were all not stupid.

Especially Wang Yuyan, who in the original story could be called a walking Martial Arts Encyclopedia, able to understand things thoroughly rather than just superficially.

From this, it can be seen that her Martial Arts talent is extremely high. It's just that she had no interest or motivation to practice. Otherwise, the Two Cheats would likely have become Three Cheats.

Although Wang Yuyan was young now and hadn't yet read many Martial Arts books, her talent was already showing.

After she understood what Meng Li taught, she could infer other things from it.

This made Meng Li secretly praise her.

A Zhu and A Bi, who were listening to the lesson together, felt inferior.

There was nothing they could do; talent is determined by the heavens, and one cannot reason with it.

During the teaching process, time passed silently.

A few days later, two guests arrived at Manda Mountain Villa...