And seeing the look on her mother-in-law's face, Yu'er was afraid that if her own mother stayed here, she too would have to move in. That was precisely the kind of thing her mother-in-law would do. Furthermore, if Zhao Yu came back and her mother-in-law told him everything, Zhao Yu would be in an impossible position. They had finally managed to separate the households; if everything got tangled up again, life would revert to how it was before, and Yu'er truly did not want to live like that anymore.

However, Yu'er also knew that her father hadn't suggested her mother return, and her mother was unwilling to go back just like that. She couldn't go to her eldest brother's house either; her sister-in-law likely wouldn't welcome her. If her mother couldn't even stay here, she genuinely had nowhere to go, which left Yu'er in a terrible bind.

He Shi, after arguing with Zhao Yu's mother, sat in the courtyard for a long time, contemplating the situation. Noticing Yu'er's distress, she finally spoke, "Yu'er, don't trouble yourself. I'll leave this afternoon."

"Mother, what are you saying? Where can you possibly go?" Yu'er asked, worriedly.

Although He Shi was usually sharp-tongued, she deeply cared for her children. Seeing Yu'er’s concern, she deliberately forced a smile and said, "What nonsense are you speaking, you foolish child? Of course, I'm going home—back to your father's place. That is my home."

Yu'er looked at her mother, still suspecting she was only trying to placate her. Just yesterday, her mother had loudly declared that unless her father personally came to fetch her, she would rather be left adrift than return to that house. For her attitude to shift so drastically today made Yu'er truly skeptical.

He Shi sensed Yu'er's doubt and pretended to be at ease, saying lightly, "We've been husband and wife for decades; he won't drive me away if I return. Besides, you know your father; his words are harsh, but his heart is soft. It will be the New Year soon, and I need to go back to prepare things. Your father can't manage everything alone. But since I won't be here, you must take good care of yourself. When the New Year comes, I'll tell your father to come pick you up early so you can stay at my house for a few extra days."

Seeing how casually He Shi spoke, Yu'er thought it was best if her mother had come to her senses. After all, that was her home. Staying at her eldest brother’s or her own house indefinitely wouldn't work in the long run. And given her mother's temperament, conflicts were inevitable if she stayed too long. Yu'er nodded and said, "Then Mother, I will go back with you tomorrow. If Father disagrees, I can put in a good word for you. He might be a bit softer considering the child I'm carrying."

"No need for that. You are heavily pregnant, and it's such a long journey; I wouldn't feel at ease. Moreover, if you come, I’ll have to send you back again, which is too much unnecessary trouble. Don't worry, I will definitely be back tomorrow. Where else would I go if I didn't go back?" He Shi's expression dimmed slightly as she spoke.

Yu'er considered this and said no more. She went to the room to pack some clothes for He Shi into a bundle. In the afternoon, He Shi gave Yu'er a few instructions and left. As she passed Zhao Yu's mother's courtyard, Zhao Yu's mother said a few unpleasant things. Yu'er persuaded He Shi not to argue, and He Shi left quietly by herself.

When the family heard Zhao Shi recount this, they roughly understood what had happened. Since He Shi hadn't returned by then, they presumed she had merely placated Yu'er to spare her difficulty. Zhao Shi herself hadn't known until she overheard a familiar acquaintance in Huayu Town a few days prior.

According to that person, He Shi had left Yu'er's home four or five days ago, but she hadn't shown up anywhere since. Da Jiang grew even more anxious upon hearing this, saying, "What should we do? When she left, she only packed a few clothes and didn't take any money. We thought she was just going to Qingshan’s place for a few days before returning, not expecting all this trouble."

Er Niu looked at Da Jiang's anxiety and advised, "Big Brother, try not to worry yet. Sister-in-law might have gone to her maiden home. Doesn't her family still have people there? It's possible she's staying there for a few days. Why don't you go over this afternoon and check?"

"Her family members are all scoundrels. When we ran the shop in town years ago, her elder brother and sister-in-law constantly used the excuse of buying things to visit our shop but never paid. They were friendly to us back then. Later, when Qingshan had his trouble, He Shi borrowed money twice. The last time, her parents intended to secretly borrow some money for her, but her elder brother and sister-in-law found out, threw her out, and told her not to visit their home again, lest they be tainted by our family's poverty. For years, He Shi only visited her parents during the New Year and never even stayed for a meal. She couldn't possibly have been there for four or five days; her elder brother and sister-in-law wouldn't tolerate her." Da Jiang spoke urgently.

"Then could Sister-in-law have gone to some other relative's house?" Hong Yun asked from the side.

The others in the courtyard nodded, all looking at Da Jiang. Da Jiang didn't speak, but he knew it was unlikely. His wife was usually sharp and difficult, and she hadn't gotten along well with other relatives. Even if they did, they wouldn't take her in.

Seeing Da Jiang's expression, the others recalled He Shi’s usual behavior and realized the situation was probably as bad as suspected. Finally, Zhao Shi spoke up, "Alright then. Er Niu, Da Jiang, let's search around this vicinity. He Shi is probably unfamiliar with other places and couldn't have gone far. She must be hiding somewhere. We'll figure everything out after we find her."

Everyone in the family nodded and rushed out to search near the village. The whole large family, including the children, searched all day but found absolutely no trace. Everyone grew increasingly worried. The weather had suddenly turned much colder these past few days, and many people sensitive to the cold were staying indoors. In the eleventh or twelfth lunar month, many poor people froze to death. He Shi had no money and hadn't brought thick clothes. If she froze somewhere, no one would even know.

They searched until evening, finding no sign of He Shi. Da Jiang told everyone to return and rest, saying he would search again tomorrow. The weather was cold, and he didn't want to trouble everyone anymore. Besides, He Shi had done many wrong things to the family over the years, and he felt too ashamed to ask for help again. He only said that tomorrow he would ask Qingshan to search with him.

Although He Shi had indeed done many wrong things in the past, no one held it against her now. The next day, those who had work went to work, while the children searched near the village for another whole day, yet still, there was no news. They were at a loss. This area was neither vast nor small, but hiding a person made it difficult to search thoroughly.