Chapter 72: Destroying the Carriage

"What do you want to do!"

Seeing Captain Sun and the others leave, Chen Yi and the others breathed a sigh of relief, but they saw other prisoners taking advantage of the situation and approaching, instantly becoming vigilant.

"What do we want to do?" one bald man sneered, "Guess what we want to do!"

"Your Chen family is so impressive, huh? Even after being exiled, you can still have a carriage? You can still live well, with the yamen protecting you, right?"

"Now I want to see who else can protect you!"

"Why should you be able to live so freely while we suffer, getting beaten, scolded, and starved? It's not fair at all..."

The man turned to the others, "What do you think, isn't this unfair?"

"Exactly, unfair!"

The other prisoners roared angrily, clearly envious of the Chen family, even though Chen Xue and the others didn't openly flaunt their privileges.

But just sitting in the carriage was enough to irk them.

They used to be high-ranking officials themselves, maybe not as high as Chen Yuan's position, but still much higher than the yamen runners.

In the past, even someone like Captain Sun would never have caught their attention. Now they had to consider their feelings and act accordingly.

If everyone had been treated the same, they wouldn't have minded. But the fact that the Chen family could afford a carriage, even if they bought it themselves, while they couldn't, and the yamen runners embezzled their money, claimed it wasn't enough, and then said they couldn't find one, made them feel bitter.

No matter what, they were extremely jealous of the Chen family and wished they could destroy their carriage.

Now that they finally had the opportunity, how could they not seize it?

"Attack!"

The bald man leading them shouted, and they all rushed towards the Chen family's carriage.

The first target was the carriage containing supplies, as it was closer to them. They pulled back the curtains and started pulling out the contents.

Bread, nuts, and other food items fell to the ground.

The prisoners, who had never had enough to eat, and had only been given hard bread, now saw these provisions and their eyes lit up, scrambling to grab them.

"Bastards!"

"Stop it!"

The Chen family's servants, enraged, rushed forward to stop them. These were supplies that the master and the young miss had worked hard to bring back from the city. There was no way they would allow them to be wasted.

"Get lost!"

"Wish for death and I'll grant it to you!"

The prisoners directly started beating the Chen family's servants, then began grabbing the supplies.

They even took everything out of the carriage, throwing clothes and other items onto the ground and trampling them like garbage.

The Chen family's servants were furious, but they ended up on the ground, unable to get up for a while.

Although Chen Yi was angry, he didn't leave. He had to protect the carriage behind him, as the master and young miss were still inside. He had to keep them safe.

"There's still that one!"

"Set fire to that one!"

One of the men suddenly shouted, and everyone looked at the carriage behind Chen Yi. They immediately became determined to burn it down.

"Chirp!"

As the man with the torch ran towards Chen Xue's carriage, there suddenly came a cry from the sky. Then, they saw a shadow flash by.

Next, they heard screams and saw the man with the torch fall to the ground, with claw marks on his arm, blood flowing out.

"Hiss!"

The prisoners couldn't help but gasp in horror because they hadn't seen what had attacked them.

The unknown is terrifying.

"Don't be afraid, it's just an eagle!"

Zhang Yiquan shouted loudly, obviously aware that Chen Xue had a pet eagle.

After all, they had been close by and he had been paying close attention to the Chen family's actions, so he knew very well.

Aside from the Chen family's peculiarities!

The prisoners breathed a sigh of relief when they heard it was an eagle.

But the bald man snorted, "Let's attack together. There are so many of us, and it's just an animal. It can't stop us all. As long as one person sets fire to the carriage, we'll succeed!"

The others' eyes lit up at his words.

That's right, no matter how smart an animal was, with so many of them, it couldn't stop them.

So they all rushed forward, grabbed a burning stick from the bonfire, and prepared to charge at the Chen family's carriage.

Zhang Yiquan also joined them, holding a torch, his eyes full of ferocity, gritting his teeth.

Chen Yuan, oh Chen Yuan!

You refused to sell me the carriage, so don't think you can use it either.

Swish!

Before they could take more than a few steps, they felt a blur in front of them, and the flames on their sticks were extinguished. Then they felt a sharp pain in their arms, and when they looked down, they were already injured.

Zhang Yiquan was in the same situation, with claw marks on his arm, blood flowing.

They were scared out of their wits.

"Hiss!"

The prisoners couldn't help but gasp when they saw this, covering their arms and quickly retreating.

Too painful!

Too amazing!

Chen Yi, who had been worried about how to deal with them, praised Xiaoqing's actions in his heart.

"Damn it!"

The bald man was very smart, directing from the crowd but not taking action himself, so he wasn't injured.

But seeing others fail, he became angry.

"Let's attack together. The more people, the better. There's only one animal. We can't be stopped by it, no matter how many people..."

"Chirp!"

Before the bald man could finish his sentence, he heard a cry and instinctively crouched down.

The next moment, he felt a chill on his scalp!

He was relieved that he had dodged quickly, or his head would have been split open.

But soon, he felt something was wrong. His head was wet, and when he reached out and touched it, he saw blood.

Clearly, Xiaoqing hadn't split his head open, but had turned his bald head into a cracked melon.

"Ah!"

The bald man screamed in pain, feeling the pain only now, then covered his head and ran away in panic, obviously afraid of Xiaoqing's attacks.

Seeing the prisoners run away, the Chen family breathed a sigh of relief, but then worriedly looked at the carriage.

With such a commotion, even if the masters was asleep, he should have woken up. But there was no sound coming from the carriage.

They were worried if something had happened to the masters.

Next Chapter▶▶

  Chapter 71 Humiliation

After hearing Captain Sun's words, many people began to waver. After all, what he said made a lot of sense. Escaping from the exile convoy meant certain death.

Although they had endured the bullying of the bailiffs while in the convoy, they knew that the bailiffs wouldn't easily kill them, and in some cases, they even needed to protect them. After all, the number of people in the exile convoy was limited. If too few people were sent to the southern barbarians, the bailiffs would be punished.

So, staying in the convoy meant they could still survive. Leaving the convoy would make them wanted throughout the country, and unless they hid deep in the mountains, they would be captured as soon as they entered a city.

But just as Captain Sun had said, hiding in the mountains like wild animals wasn't much different from being true criminals.

For a moment, many people put down their weapons.

However, some saw this scene and panicked. They had had enough and didn't want to experience this anymore.

"Are you crazy? Do you really think they will spare you? They're just deceiving you. After this is over, they will come after you sooner or later."

"And we've already come this far. Are you really going to give up? This is your only chance. If you miss it, there won't be another."

The people who had been swayed by Captain Sun's words were swayed once again. Many of them picked up their weapons again.

But there were still some who remained hesitant.

"Kill!"

Seeing this, those who were still hesitant stopped talking and rushed towards Captain Sun and the others.

"Captain!"

The bailiffs were afraid, and Captain Sun didn't have time to check whether the Chen family had really escaped. Their priority was to save their lives.

"Let's retreat!"

Retreat? Where could they retreat to? These prisoners were simply insane. Didn't they know the consequences of escaping?

If it weren't for someone inciting and deceiving them, this wouldn't have escalated to such a degree.

"It must be the Chen family!"

Captain Sun gritted his teeth. "It must be them. After they escaped, they left their servants behind to confuse us and even incited these prisoners to revolt, all to delay us and create an opportunity for themselves to escape."

The others nodded, finding this explanation very plausible.

They cursed at the Chen family while backing away. Faced with the rioting prisoners, their small group couldn't stop them.

"Kill!"

"Kill the leader!"

A man pointed at Captain Sun and shouted. Everyone knew who Captain Sun was and understood the principle of 'capture the ringleader first'.

Upon hearing this, Captain Sun narrowed his eyes and stared fiercely at the man. If looks could kill, that man would have died countless times.

"Get lost!"

Although the prisoners were shackled, there were many of them. They picked up stones and threw them at Captain Sun and the others.

Bang! A bailiff was hit in the head by a stone, and blood gushed out. He quickly covered his head with his hands, giving up the attack.

Seeing this, the prisoners surged forward and beat the bailiff with sticks. Caught off guard, the bailiff was struck in the head again and fell to the ground.

The prisoners were inflamed with bloodlust, and their targets shifted to the other bailiffs. The bailiffs, seeing their comrade die before them, felt both shocked and angry, and a sense of despair crept over them.

"What should we do?"

"Captain, we can't hold them back!"

The bailiffs retreated to Captain Sun's side, watching the densely packed crowd in front of them, feeling powerless.

Captain Sun also felt some fear, not of the prisoners, but of their numbers.

A multitude of ants can kill an elephant!

Captain Sun fled first, followed closely by the others.

But the prisoners pursued relentlessly. Seeing the bailiffs who had once bullied and dominated them now running like frightened mice, they felt extremely pleased and even joyful.

Compared to their joy, Captain Sun and the others looked very grim. They had nowhere to hide.

There were prisoners everywhere.

"Are we going to be killed like this?"

A timid bailiff swallowed hard, his voice trembling.

"Nonsense!"

Other bailiffs became anxious and angry. "We are bailiffs, and they are prisoners. Just like we are cats, and they are mice..."

But they couldn't finish their words.

After all, even if there were too many mice, they could still kill a cat.

"Captain, what should we do?"

The bailiffs looked at Captain Sun, hoping he could come up with a way to save their lives.

Who should I ask when everyone is looking at me?

At this moment, Captain Sun was sweating profusely. Although he had experienced prisoner riots before, it had never been this serious. In the past, he could easily calm them down and suppress the riot, but this time was different. They were surrounded by the prisoners.

He thought of various ways to escape, but none seemed feasible to get them out of this predicament. He felt a sense of despair creeping over him.

Am I going to die here?

Damn it!

If he could survive this, he would never let the Chen family off the hook. He would make them pay, make them suffer, and not let them die easily.

"Hahaha, you can't escape now!"

The prisoners surrounded the bailiffs, very happy, but they didn't attack immediately. The man who seemed to be their leader stepped forward and taunted Captain Sun.

"Didn't expect this, did you? Fortune favors the bold!"

"As long as you kneel down and beg for mercy, maybe we'll let you go." The man turned to the others. "What do you think?"

"That's right!"

"Yeah, kneel down and beg for mercy, and we'll let you go!"

Seeing the opportunity to humiliate and retaliate against these bailiffs, the prisoners naturally wouldn't miss it and began to mock them.

"Tsk tsk, that's not enough. Let them crawl between our legs, and we'll let them go."

"Hahaha!"

Everyone laughed loudly.

The bailiffs dared not speak out, their hands tightly gripping their swords. If any prisoners dared to charge at them, they would kill without mercy.

"What's your decision?" The leading man squinted at Captain Sun, thinking to himself that the master should have escaped by now, and he had delayed enough time. Once he dealt with these bailiffs, he could go find the master and regroup.

Thinking of this, a cruel smile appeared on his face. "I'll count to ten. If you haven't made a decision by then, don't blame us for being ruthless."

"Ten!"

"Nine!"

"Eight!"

...

"Three!"

"Two!"

Before the last word fell, everyone felt the ground shaking, as if an earthquake had occurred, and their faces changed drastically.

"What's going on?"

"What happened?"

"Oh no, look over there!"

A prisoner pointed to the distance, and everyone was shocked and frightened. Even their legs trembled.

Meanwhile, Captain Sun and the others showed joy on their faces.

Next Chapter▶▶

 Chapter 120: Relying on Mountains

Next Chapter ▶▶

 Chapter 532: Concern

"Dad, did Mom have lunch? And you, did you eat?" Chu Jin asked boldly.

Chu Ziluo, knowing that Chu Heng wasn't that harsh, also dared to look at him boldly now.

Chu Heng suddenly looked up at Chu Ziluo and instructed, "Your mother had lunch and drank ginger soup."

"Ziluo, your mother is sick and needs to rest. Today, you help take care of your little brother."

Chu Jin wanted to argue that he was already grown up and didn't need anyone to take care of him but seeing Chu Heng's stern profile, the residual authority of his father made him hesitate to speak.

"Dad, if Mom has any issues, you must tell me." Seeing her father's natural expression, Chu Ziluo could tell that her mother wasn't seriously ill, so she nodded and took on the task of taking care of Chu Jin.

Chu Heng just grunted in response, not wanting to say much.

"Oh, and don't go to your mother's room."

Chu Ziluo didn't understand but still nodded in agreement. Then she pulled Chu Jin back to the study.

As soon as they entered the study, Chu Jin felt somewhat unwilling, "Sis, why did you pull me back? I wanted to sneak into Mom's room to check on her."

"In the past, even if Mom was sick, she wouldn't stay in her room unless it was like last time, when I spilled water..."

Chu Ziluo lightly patted his head, "Nonsense, last time when Mom was sick, Dad was very anxious and stayed by her side, not leaving for a moment."

"This time it's not like that which means Mom isn't seriously ill."

"Really?" Chu Jin still didn't quite believe it.

Seeing him like this, Chu Ziluo pursed her lips, "If you dare, go ask Dad again."

"Hmph, I don't believe I can't find a chance to sneak into Mom's room."

"Are you silly?" Watching her stubborn brother, Chu Ziluo couldn't help but knock on his head, "When the doctor comes later and checks on Mom, we can ask the doctor secretly."

"Yeah."

"When is the doctor coming?"

"Soon." Chu Ziluo was actually worried too but she still trusted their father, so she didn't feel as uneasy as Chu Jin.

Chu Jin, on the other hand was still affected by the shadow left by Ye Muyu's incident last time and couldn't shake it off in a short time.

Not long after.

The doctor arrived.

The person who came was none other than Lu Sangqi, using the alias Qisang.

Seeing him appear, Chu Heng wasn't surprised at all.

But he frowned, not wanting him to get too close to Ah Yu but considering Ah Yu's health was the priority.

Before entering, he warned, "Don't say anything unnecessary, just check the pulse."

"Mr. Chu, you're wrong. I am a doctor, so naturally I need to observe, smell, ask, and touch..." Lu Sangqi hadn't finished his words when he met Chu Heng's cold eyes.

Lu Sangqi shuddered instantly, feeling a chill in his heart. Clearly, the other party was just an ordinary scholar but he felt a sense of superiority from him.

He was very puzzled.

Then he heard Chu Heng say, "If you want to end our cooperation, just challenge my bottom line."

Lu Sangqi had intentionally opposed Chu Heng, although he sought Chu Heng's help because of family matters, but during this time, whether it was in the capital or in the village, he always felt like he was losing to Chu Heng.

Now that he finally caught Chu Heng's handle, he naturally wanted to 'repay' him.

But, obviously this black-hearted man Chu Heng wouldn't be so easy to deal with.

Lu Sangqi felt extremely frustrated, but in the end, he gave up his rebellious thoughts. In an instant, he smiled naturally "Of course I was just joking earlier, Mr. Chu, don't be angry."

Next Chapter ▶▶

Chapter 531: Clearly, It Was You Who Brought It Up

"How can you say I'm important then?" Ye Muyu reprimanded, "We're both going to separate, aren't you implying that, in the future, when you marry a new wife, you will listen to her and not treat the two children well?"

"Are you forcing me to take the two children away?"

"???" Even though Chu Heng had a lifetime of experience, he never thought that Ye Muyu would interpret his heartfelt confession and implied words as meaning he wanted to harm his own children.

"Ah Yu, you've misunderstood." Chu Heng looked at her with those cold eyes, a rare hint of helplessness and grievance appearing on his usually stern face.

A chill ran down Ye Muyu's heart as she continued to ask, "How? Where did I misunderstand?"

Seeing the guarded look in Ye Muyu's eyes, Chu Heng really wished he could knock on her head to see how she could misunderstand him, even though it annoyed him that she would misunderstand him about the children.

Chu Heng encouraged a hint of anger on his face "Ah Yu, how could you suspect me."

"I said you're important to me, not that other women are important!" 

"But we're both going to separate." Ye Muyu realized she might have been wrong, feeling both embarrassed and nervous but her lack of confidence in her feelings made her unable to think in the direction of Chu Heng's true intentions.

Chu Heng looked at her faintly "You want to separate, not me."

"You... you're too much, clearly it was you who said it." Ye Muyu widened her eyes, slowly becoming incredulous and accusing as she looked at him.

But she didn't realize that the words she spoke were actually her true thoughts.

Hearing this, Chu Heng was not angry at all, but rather unusually delighted!

He looked at her blinking eyes, feeling a bit timid, yet having to act like a turtle in matters of the heart. His heart skipped a beat and he quickly softened his tone, coaxing gently "Ah Yu, you're right. Although I suggested the separation, I really don't want to let go, but if you want to leave me, how can I bear to hold you back?"

"If you don't want to separate from me, how can I bear it?"

At this moment, Ye Muyu felt as if she had been struck by lightning, standing there dazed, feeling both confused and incredulous.

Chu Heng... doesn't want to separate from her...

Why...?

Gripping her clothes lightly, Ye Muyu suddenly lay down, covering herself with a blanket, feeling as if she had retreated into a turtle shell.

Chu Heng was startled, reaching out to pull the thin blanket open, "Ah Yu, what's wrong?"

"Don't cover yourself even if you're angry, it's still summer now even though it's raining you'll feel uncomfortable like this."

Ye Muyu's muffled voice came from under the thin blanket, "You go to the study first, I want to be alone for a while."

"Ah Yu..." Chu Heng called out worriedly.

But Ye Muyu didn't pay any attention to him anymore.

It took a long time for Chu Heng to sigh lightly, telling himself rationally that he needed to give her time to think it over.

After all, he deliberately brought up the separation to force her to face her feelings for him.

In the end, Chu Heng quietly left.

But he didn't go back to the study, instead he sat in the front hall, with only two small windows open, paying attention to Ye Muyu's condition.

Just as Chu Heng had settled down.

Worried, Chu Ziluo and Chu Jin came over.

The two stood in front of him separately.

Chu Ziluo spoke first, "Dad, is Mom okay? Did she catch a cold?"

"It's okay, the doctor will come soon." Chu Heng was full of concern about whether Ah Yu would come to her senses and he had no desire to speak to the two children.

Next Chapter ▶▶

  Chapter 40: The Scam

Qing Shui's face seemed to offer a sense of security. The little girl, her eyes red from crying, looked up at Qing Shui's sincere eyes, hesitated for a moment, and then nodded. "I live on Nan Yi Lane."

Feng Xuanrui: ?

He had never heard of it.

After all, they were unfamiliar with this town.

Suisui was even less aware. She only knew the name of her own village and was clueless about anything beyond that.

Fortunately, Qing Shan, being older, had heard of the name of the lane, though he wasn’t familiar with it. He smiled and asked a passerby for directions.

After inquiring about the direction, a few of them escorted the little girl back.

Due to the crowded conditions, they took a slightly more remote alley.

Despite the town’s bustle, the alley was still reasonably well-lit, with lanterns hanging here and there, making it easier for them to navigate.

When it was darker, Suisui felt a bit scared and gently tugged at Feng Xuanrui’s sleeve.

Feng Xuanrui, though kindly helping, didn’t forget about Suisui. Sensing his sister's fear, he promptly took her hand. "Don’t be afraid, sister. Brother is here."

Suisui nodded obediently.

Unbeknownst to them, Prince Qing and Zhan Gao were watching from a short distance with complex expressions.

After watching them walk for a while, the two quietly followed, unsure whether they should intervene and rescue the Sixth Young Master and the young lady.

Yes, rescue!

The naive youth and the innocent girl had no idea that in this world...

There were scams using children as a guise.

These scams often targeted women and children because they were more easily deceived and, once in trouble, were easier to handle.

It required minimal effort to achieve significant gains.

Earlier, the crowd had pushed Prince Qing and Zhan Gao away from the others.

They had initially planned to return and find Physician Liu.

But when they looked around, they noticed Feng Xuanrui and Suisui talking to a little girl.

If it had been just normal helping, Prince Qing would not have stopped them.

However, the little girl being helped by Feng Xuanrui was under the scrutiny of at least six pairs of eyes.

This was clearly abnormal.

Prince Qing, with his keen senses, could already identify several individuals covertly observing the girl. He could see their appraising, scrutinizing, and malicious looks from a closer distance.

Realizing this, Prince Qing understood.

This was most likely a scam!

He considered whether to expose it directly.

But the world of children was too simple.

Sometimes, when Feng Xuanrui's rebellious streak flared up, he might not listen to explanations.

Rather than spending time lecturing, it was better to let them experience firsthand...

The horror of a scam.

With Prince Qing and Zhan Gao present, they were not afraid of the scoundrels using any underhanded tactics to harm the children.

The two followed discreetly, maintaining a distance that would not arouse suspicion but was close enough to monitor.

At this moment, Feng Xuanrui was unaware of the danger ahead.

Seeing the little girl with her tear-red eyes, occasionally glancing nervously at them, and Suisui, who obediently held his hand, Feng Xuanrui thought: his sister was still the cuter one!

Feng Xuanrui wasn’t a greedy person.

He thought having one sister was enough!

So, having Suisui was enough.

Although the little girl seemed pitiful and quite cute when she cried, Feng Xuanrui never considered taking her home to adopt her as a sister.

Feng Xuanrui didn’t understand attraction.

But he trusted his instincts.

He felt that Suisui was the best sister.

That was enough, and nothing else mattered.

Suisui didn’t really understand what helping others meant.

She just followed along obediently because her brother was helping the girl.

Nobody had taught her these life lessons, and the system only provided guidance when specific situations arose.

Otherwise, the system intended for the world’s complexity to gradually color her blank slate.

The system had suspected this might be a scam.

It had tried to explain to Suisui the possibility of it being a scam.

But...

Suisui didn’t even know what a scam was.

Explaining what a scam was and its various forms took quite a bit of time.

Feng Xuanrui and the others escorted the little girl to Nan Yi Lane.

Her home was on the corner of the street, and it was a standalone courtyard with a decent appearance.

After knocking on the door, they were greeted by a kindly old woman. The little girl cried out, “Grandma!”

Feng Xuanrui and the others didn’t join in the call but explained the situation and prepared to leave.

They had been out for a while, and if they didn’t return soon, Uncle Wang and the others would be worried.

Seeing them about to leave, the old woman hurriedly said, “Thank you for bringing Si Niang back. I’m very grateful. We don’t have much to offer, but why not come in for a drink of water to refresh yourselves?”

Feng Xuanrui wasn’t interested in water, but the woman’s enthusiasm made him eventually agree.

The four of them entered the courtyard, while Zhan Gao, who was following at a distance, began to cover his eyes.

He thought: Sixth Young Master, what happened to your pride and vigilance?

Entering someone’s home so casually?

This isn’t the capital!

In the capital, you could walk around freely, but outside, you must be cautious!

Unfortunately, he couldn’t say anything, and Feng Xuanrui didn’t think of this.

Inside, the old lady warmly invited them to drink water.

...READ THE REST OF THE CHAPTER ON PATREON...

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 Chapter 258: The First Heartbeat - Zhen'er’s Request (Part 2)

---

At this moment, Xiao Ruiyuan was thoroughly enjoying teasing the little furball. However, in a few years, he would deeply regret his actions today.

When Mo Yan walked into the hall with a tray of tea, she was struck by the man’s smile, everything else fading into the background. Only his breathtakingly beautiful smile remained.

“Aowu—” The little furball, seeing its gentle owner, scratched at the air, seeking rescue. However, its owner, entranced by beauty, didn’t notice it at all.

Xiao Ruiyuan looked up to find Mo Yan staring at him in a daze.

Why was she looking at him like this? Didn’t she not want to see him? Would she think he was childish and mock him in her heart?

His mind was a mess, and he didn’t notice the struggling furball in his hand. As his grip loosened, the furball fell to the ground with a thud, landing face first.

The little furball, feeling wronged, got up and whimpered as it walked toward Mo Yan, seeking the comfort of its owner’s embrace.

Mo Yan snapped out of her daze, quickly set the tray on the table, and gently picked up the furball, softly comforting it. Throughout the process, she didn’t dare to look at Xiao Ruiyuan, suppressing the sudden flutter in her heart.

Both were afraid of being looked down upon by the other, yet their thoughts were on completely different wavelengths. The atmosphere became awkward once again, the room silent except for the soft mewling of the furball.

As the tension eased, Xiao Ruiyuan looked up to see the woman tenderly soothing the frightened tiger cub, her serene profile like a lively painting. His gaze softened, and his previously restless heart calmed.

Mo Yan’s initial flutter gradually subsided. Seeing the little tiger cub asleep in her arms, she smiled and finally dared to meet Xiao Ruiyuan’s eyes, missing the tenderness in his.

“Lord Xiao, did you come here specifically about the moldy rice issue?”

Xiao Ruiyuan’s gentleness vanished, and he nodded expressionlessly. He wouldn’t tell her that he came just to see her.

Mo Yan, noticing this, casually asked, “Lord Xiao, what are your thoughts on the moldy rice issue?”

Xiao Ruiyuan’s expression changed slightly. “Are you very concerned about this matter?”

Being experienced in officialdom, he could sense the careful probing beneath her words. He didn’t mind, but her excessive caution annoyed him.

“Yes.”

Mo Yan looked at him seriously, openly admitting her concern, though the slight tremor in her hand betrayed her nervousness.

Xiao Ruiyuan stared deeply at Mo Yan, as if trying to see into her heart through her eyes. “Why?”

From what he knew of her, if she was just worried about buying moldy rice, she wouldn’t have written to him asking for an investigation. That letter was likely a form of test as well.

Mo Yan’s face showed a bitter smile. She pointed to her own face and said, “If I told you that my current sickly appearance is due to the moldy rice, would you believe me, Lord Xiao?”

Xiao Ruiyuan’s heart tightened, sensing the conversation was about to get complicated. “I believe you.”

Hearing this, Mo Yan smiled. But that wasn’t enough for her to reveal everything. “Then, what are your thoughts on the moldy rice issue, Lord Xiao?”

Seeing how nervous she was, Xiao Ruiyuan understood the importance of this question to her. He answered earnestly, without any perfunctory tone, “I neither support nor interfere.”

Mo Yan secretly breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a bit more relaxed. “If consuming moldy rice could have very serious consequences, would you expose those who secretly sell it, Lord Xiao?”

---

(End of Chapter)

Next Chapter▶▶

 Chapter 1030: Moving to the New Home

Li Shi glanced at Zhou Qiao, what should she say now? What else could she say?

Just then, Lu Dasong was calling out to her, "Child's mother..."

Li Shi glared at Zhou Qiao again, then put on a smiling face and quickly walked up. "What's the matter?"

"Hurry up and pack up. We're going to the county with mother later."

Li Shi was stunned. "Going to the county? What for?"

Lu Dasong smiled happily, exuding joy. "Didn't Shu Yu's new house in Fenghuai Street get renovated? Tomorrow is the auspicious day for moving, so we're going to lend a hand and move together, to celebrate."

They called it moving, but they weren't actually needed.

The Lu family had plenty of manpower and not much stuff. They were just going to take a look at the house and have a celebratory meal together.

Li Shi's eyes lit up when she heard this.

She hadn't been to that big house yet. She had originally wanted to go and see it when she went to the county last time. But because of the fight with Liang Shi and the fact that Ah Yu overheard it, she had forgotten about it.

Her older brother and his wife's husband had returned a few days ago, and they had helped the second brother's family renovate their house in the county for a couple of months. They knew exactly what the big house looked like.

They came back and said how good, how big, and how exquisite the house was, which made her eager to see it.

Now that Lu Dasong mentioned it, Li Shi couldn't think of anything else. She immediately agreed, "Great, I'll go and pack right away."

In fact, there wasn't much to pack. They were just going to stay for a day or two. The main thing was to deal with the chickens, ducks, and the pig at home, ask the neighbors to feed them, and lock up the cabinets and rooms.

After Li Shi finished her preparations, she went to Lu Erbai's house, where they loaded some of their belongings onto a mule cart to be moved to the new house later.

Then the Lu family set off from Shishi Village, and the people in the village watched as the several carriages passed by, feeling more and more emotional.

Who could have imagined that the Lu family, who couldn't even eat enough a year ago and was struggling to make ends meet, would now become the most respectable people in the whole village?

In the county, Lu Dasong and his wife temporarily stayed in the backyard of the shop.

The next morning, everyone busily loaded their belongings onto the carts and headed for Fenghuai Street.

When they arrived at the gate, everyone got off the carts, and each person carried something in their hands.

The larger furniture, such as beds and cabinets, had been newly made during the renovation of the house and were already inside. There weren't many other things left, just some clothes, utensils, pots, and pans, with more than enough for each person to carry something.

Firecrackers crackled as Lu Erbai, with a flushed face, pushed open the front door and lit the brazier that had been placed inside.

One by one, everyone carried their belongings into the house, and the once empty house suddenly came alive.

After the children put down their things, they hopped and jumped around the big house, exploring every nook and cranny.

Except for Da Niu and his wife, who had been here before, everyone else in the main branch of the family was seeing the house for the first time. They stared wide-eyed at the grand house in front of them, momentarily unable to move.

Not only them, but Lu Sanzhu and Lu Sixing's families had also seen the house when they came to visit last time. It was still dilapidated and desolate at the time, but now that it was completely renovated, it was completely different, fresh and exquisite.

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