Chapter 41 – Concubine Duan is Dead, and Shen Qian Takes Her Place?

Mud mixed with accumulated rainwater from the mountain rushed forward with a loud roar.

Jiang Wan reacted quickly. Before running, she pulled Song Jiuchi and Song Jiuli aside.

The others weren’t as lucky. Some who ran fast were fine, but those who lagged behind were swept away by the rushing mud.

Song Jiuli and Song Jiuchi stared at the people being washed away in front of them, their faces pale with fright and lingering fear.

Not just them—even Song Jiuyuan and Madam Song nearby were trembling with fear. Fortunately, the people they cared about were unharmed.

“Third! Third!”

Old Madam Song, who had been standing to the side, now stumbled forward, trembling.

The scene was momentarily chaotic. Jiang Wan stared at Shen Qian, who was just a few steps away, eyes full of disgust.

Because she had clearly seen earlier that, in order to save herself, Shen Qian had pushed Concubine Duan down the slope.

At this point, the woman was likely beyond saving. Shen Qian’s face was ghostly pale, clearly terrified and at a loss for what to do.

“Husband! Husband!”

Third Madam Song broke down in tears. Aside from Concubine Duan, the Song family had also lost the third son, Song Laosan.

This was the result of not trusting Jiang Wan. Of the few who didn’t run when she warned them, none were spared.

Ironically, the constables and Chen Ce, who did trust her, all emerged safely from danger.

Except for Concubine Duan’s lover—those two really did become a pair of doomed lovers.

Jiang Wan stood there silently, eyes dark. Ren Bang walked over, his face filled with deep regret.

“It’s my fault for not listening to you earlier. This whole disaster could’ve been avoided.”

He had lost a brother. Ren Bang’s heart ached beyond words, his eyes full of sorrow.

Jiang Wan didn’t know what to say. She sighed. “I only offered a reasonable suggestion. I couldn’t have predicted it would actually happen.”

All she could do was protect those around her. As for the others, she was powerless.

“Sigh…”

Ren Bang shook his head in regret. Without further delay, he began organizing people to rescue the others.

Worried about another potential landslide, Jiang Wan stood to the side, observing the situation. Song Jiuli took a deep breath.

“Sister-in-law, thank you for saving me.”

Tears still hung at the corners of her eyes—tears of someone who had narrowly escaped death.

Song Jiuchi, recovering from his shock, also whispered his thanks. “Thank you, sister-in-law.”

This was heartfelt gratitude—and the first time he had called her “sister-in-law”—a sign of his recognition and acceptance of her.

Jiang Wan didn’t pay much attention to that. Her gaze, full of sympathy, fell on the muddy landslide. Several precious lives had been lost there.

If only she had insisted a bit more, perhaps it could’ve been avoided. Ultimately, she too had held onto a sliver of wishful thinking.

Old Madam Song and Third Madam Song were frantically digging through the mud. This time, even the constables had no time to deal with them.

Only now did Song Chen realize someone else was missing. He looked around. “Where’s Concubine Duan?”

“P-Probably buried too,” Shen Qian stammered.

Her face was completely bloodless, her eyes dull, kneeling on the ground in a daze, clearly scared out of her wits.

“It was you! It must’ve been you who killed her!”

Second Madam Song suddenly rushed forward and began punching and kicking Shen Qian in a fit of rage, shouting angrily:

“You killed her! What are we supposed to do now? What are we going to eat?”

Jiang Wan found it utterly ironic. Just a moment ago, she thought Second Madam Song might have had a shred of humanity. Turns out, she was only afraid that with Concubine Duan gone, no one would barter for food on their behalf anymore.

If Concubine Duan knew the cruel truth, would she still have been willing to sacrifice herself?

Even the man she loved only asked a single question—he didn’t show the slightest grief.

“Stop!”

Xu Wei pulled away the frenzied Second Madam Song and shielded Shen Qian. He had been standing a bit far earlier; otherwise, he would’ve saved Shen Qian too.

“This is our family’s business! Stay out of it!”

Song Chen gritted his teeth, anger blazing in his eyes. One of his women had caused the death of another, and now some other man was stepping in to protect his wife.

“You had no right to hit her.”

Xu Wei narrowed his eyes. “What just happened was an accident. It had nothing to do with her.”

“We decide what’s an accident! Mind your own business!”

Song Chen clenched his fists tightly and glared at Shen Qian so fiercely that she trembled uncontrollably.

“Everyone, shut up! Anyone who causes trouble again—I’ll kill them myself!”

Ren Bang waved a whip in his hand, furious. He was in a foul mood and ready to beat anyone who stepped out of line.

Under his angry glare, no one dared make another sound. They quietly resumed clearing the road.

Once the work was done, Ren Bang, his expression gloomy, recorded the names of the deceased and the cause of death. This time, eight people had died.

One was a constable, the other seven were prisoners. A few others had minor injuries. After making his notes, Ren Bang and the constables buried the dead on the spot.

Standing there, Jiang Wan felt heavy-hearted. Suddenly, Song Jiuyuan spoke.

“Don’t blame yourself… Their deaths weren’t your fault.”

In fact, Jiang Wan’s earlier warnings had unknowingly saved many lives.

He was worried she might dwell on it, so he tried to offer some comfort.

Jiang Wan shook her head, her expression complicated. “I’m not blaming myself. I just think… life is so fragile.”

In the face of natural disasters, life was like a porcelain doll—delicate and easily shattered.

Song Jiuyuan didn’t refute her words. He simply looked at her with a complicated gaze.

“Mother, I was so scared just now.”

Song Jiuli clung to Madam Song, bawling her eyes out. The earlier shock had completely overwhelmed her; she had even forgotten to grieve.

Now, seeing the fresh mounds of graves, she began sobbing again, haunted by what she’d witnessed.

“Don’t be scared, I’m here.”

Madam Song gently patted Song Jiuli’s back to comfort her. They weren’t the only ones crying—others with dead relatives were weeping too.

Some people quietly resented Ren Bang, believing that his insistence on moving forward caused this. But they dared not speak, swallowing their anger in silence.

After dealing with the bodies, the journey had to continue. The road was now clear, and everyone moved on.

But the ground was still muddy. The group stumbled and slipped along the way, and the atmosphere was somber.

Jiang Wan noticed something: Shen Qian, sobbing, was walking beside Xu Wei. He occasionally comforted her gently.

Meanwhile, Song Chen said nothing. He just watched them with dark, brooding eyes.

Jiang Wan: …

Well, well… So Concubine Duan dies, and Shen Qian takes her place?

Jiang Wan felt a mix of emotions. Song Jiuli looked over with curiosity, “Sister-in-law, why is Shen Qian acting so familiar with an outsider?”

She disliked Shen Qian, so naturally, she kept a close eye on her behavior—just like Jiang Wan.

“You really want to know?”

Jiang Wan raised an eyebrow and replied mercilessly, “I’m afraid once you find out, you’ll want to throw up.”

Song Jiuli: …

She blinked at Madam Song, who let out a long sigh.

“Li’er, don’t ask so many questions. Let’s just mind our own business.”

“…Alright.”

Only then did Song Jiuli fall silent. But after that terrifying ordeal, everyone was still shaken.

They walked cautiously every few steps. The village wasn’t far now, and Ren Bang planned to lead everyone there for some rest.

Jiang Wan, sharp-eyed as always, noticed that Xu Wei seemed… off.