The princess was ordained by Heaven.

Chapter 249 She... is a burden

Wu Zongyu stiffly turned his head to look at Xiaozhu: "You know?"

"Of course, otherwise we wouldn't have moved you to this location."

How do you know he'll jump?

"That's what my great-grandmother said. She said he was too kind and had a strong personality, so he would definitely want to die."

She picked up all the dead branches, and there were hardly any pebbles left on the ground, so he had no choice but to jump.

Wu Zongyu's lips twitched slightly: Isn't this girl a little too clever?

He leaned out and looked down at Fugui: "Who are you?"

Fugui: Has the adult gone mad?

"My lord! It is I, Fugui!"

"Fugui? Fugui has already committed suicide. I don't know you."

Wu Zongyu pulled his head back and looked at Xiaozhu beside him: "Let's go. There will be several aftershocks tonight. Dawn doesn't mean it's safe. We still need to persuade them to stay here."

Fu Gui touched his swollen ankle, and the pain made him gasp instantly.

Despite the pain, a smile involuntarily crept onto his face.

So, sir, you've decided to let him go?

However, despite being relieved that it was over, he couldn't help but feel worried.

Could this have an impact on adults?

He wasn't very knowledgeable, and thinking about this, he felt a sense of unease that he couldn't help but feel.

But he was lucky to escape with his life. If he were to try to kill himself again, wouldn't that be a betrayal of Xiaozhu and the adults' good intentions?

He moved to the side and slowly stood up, supporting himself against the cliff face.

Perhaps he doesn't need a clear answer; he just needs to live well, and all the questions will become clear.

As the aftershocks of the earthquake grew smaller, some relatives down the mountain couldn't sit still any longer.

They insisted on going down the mountain.

Tingzhou has not experienced an earthquake or sea overflow for a long time, and those who live closest to the sea do not know whether the receding of the disaster will be permanent or temporary.

An elderly person offered a few words of advice, but was then called "heartless" by some emotionally charged people.

Wu Zongyu sighed.

"Whether there will be further dangers, no one can guarantee, not even me. If you insist on going, you will have to bear the consequences yourself."

He looked up at the dark sky.

What he fears most is rain. There has just been an earthquake, and if it rains, there is a high possibility of landslides.

At that time, the mountains and places near mountains would also become fraught with danger.

But where is safe?

The Great Yong was vast, but they were like trapped islands, with nowhere to go and nowhere to escape.

Fugui finally climbed up from the bottom.

Wu Zongyu glanced at him indifferently: "I will lead people down the mountain to rescue them. Keep an eye on them and don't let them cause trouble."

"Sir!" Xiao Zhu said anxiously, "You said it would be very dangerous, you said you wouldn't care about them!"

Fu Gui straightened his back instantly: "I'll go! My lord, I'll go!"

Wu Zongyu's gaze silently shifted to his swollen leg.

After a moment of silence, Fu Gui decisively changed his words: "But adults cannot go down the mountain either."

"why?"

"At your age, it's difficult for you to come back up after going down the mountain."

This time, Wu Zongyu was speechless.

He didn't like hearing this, but he had to admit that it made sense.

Fu Gui said softly, "My lord, none of us will go down the mountain."

Wu Zongyu looked at Xiaozhu, whose face was full of anxiety, and was about to say something when a woman hurriedly ran towards them.

"Xiaozhu! Something has happened to your great-grandmother!"

Xiao Zhu gradually loosened her grip on Wu Zongyu's hand.

Wu Zongyu tentatively called out, "Xiao Zhu?"

Xiao Zhu seemed to snap out of her daze and started running wildly.

Back at the place, my great-grandmother lay on a tattered cloth, her eyes closed, her breathing so faint it was almost nonexistent.

Wu Zongyu and the others caught up, and the woman who brought the news whispered, "Your great-grandmother mistakenly ate some useful fruit. She's so old, it's probably too late to save her. Xiaozhu, you... don't be sad."

Xiaozhu wasn't too upset.

Did you accidentally eat a poisonous fruit?

how can that be possible?

My great-grandmother has eaten more salt than she has eaten rice. She knows every plant on the mountain like the back of her hand. How could she not recognize the poisonous fruit?

Does she really not recognize her?

Xiao Zhu didn't know.

Great-grandmother opened her eyes, glanced at Xiaozhu, and then her gaze fell on Wu Zongyu.

"Lord Wu... Lord Wu..."

Her voice was so weak that Wu Zongyu had to put his ear close to hear it.

“My little Zhu has had a hard life, I… I’m entrusting her to you.”

After saying those words, she glanced at Xiaozhu one last time, and finally slowly closed her eyes.

Little Pearl...

Everyone says boys are better, and she also likes baby boys.

Little Pearl received no attention when she was born.

Xiaozhu's family didn't treat her well; she was sometimes hungry and sometimes full, just barely enough to keep her from starving.

They didn't have time to take care of Xiaozhu, so they left her with this old lady who was also unable to work.

Although Xiaozhu doesn't remember, and although she can't recall the details either, they did spend several years together.

However, when she decided to flee, only Xiaozhu packed her bags.

She knows her family and her children; they won't take her along.

Xiaozhu is still too young to see through people's hearts.

Sure enough, after Xiaozhu tidied everything up, she woke up the next day to find the courtyard completely empty.

They took Xiaozhu's bundle, but not the others.

She wasn't surprised at all; what surprised her was that Xiaozhu wasn't particularly upset.

For the first time, she realized that her great-granddaughter might be much smarter than she had thought.

Actually, she didn't intend to escape.

She is getting old and can no longer endure the constant travel.

Like most of the elderly in the village, she preferred to die in her own home.

They are so old that they can hardly move anymore, and they are no longer of any use. They are... a burden.

But Xiaozhu never thought of abandoning her.

From this perspective, Xiaozhu isn't that smart; she seems more like a silly girl.

She can't go on living.

She is well aware of this.

Perhaps because she was about to die, she wanted to find a way out for Xiaozhu, this silly child.

Lord Wu is a good man...

That would be best.

Good people are the easiest to manipulate; how could he bear to refuse an old man's dying request?

How could he abandon a helpless and lonely little girl?

She cannot live. As long as she lives, Xiaozhu will not go with Lord Wu. If she lives, Xiaozhu will not be pitiful enough.

She couldn't possibly expect Lord Wu to take her away with him, could she? There was no need.

Throughout her life, she has adhered to the principle of not meddling in other people's business, and she has lived long enough to reach this age.

What she did for Xiaozhu was probably the only good deed she ever did in her life.

Fu Gui patted Xiao Zhu on the shoulder: "Please accept my condolences."

Xiaozhu wasn't actually that sad.

It wasn't that she didn't understand the meaning of death, but rather that her great-grandmother had passed away peacefully, and she didn't really have any feelings for the old woman.

She was just very confused as to why her grandmother had been poisoned by the fruit.

Why did she leave behind only this one instruction?

Wu Zongyu said worriedly, "Xiaozhu, if you're sad, just cry."

Xiaozhu hesitated for a moment before deciding whether to squeeze out a few tears.

If she didn't cry at this moment, it would seem that she was very cold-hearted.

But she couldn't cry; she could only stare blankly into the void, pretending not to have reacted.