Chapter 91: Wait for a Moment
An Jiuyue left early the next day. She carried a large basket of mushrooms and went to the village.
The villagers had cleaned up the village pretty well.
There was a family that purchased an old bull and a cart from town. She came to borrow the cart today as she could not possibly drag such a big wild boar into town on her own.
Although she had a spatial ability, she had to carry the boar in town. She did not have a large built. She would be crushed if she had to carry the wild boar that weighed about 250 kilograms!
Hence, she had to borrow a cart.
She was able to borrow it easily since she was regarded as the village's savior now.
She placed the wild boar in the cart and headed for the town.
When she arrived at the restaurant's side door, she saw Brother Xiao Si keeping watch. Nobody sold their prey at the restaurant these days. Of course, they knew it was because of the flood. There was a lack of food—nobody would sell their animals.
"Oh, is that you, Jiuyue? You're here again! What did you bring this time?"
Brother Xiao Si was delighted to see An Jiuyue. He craned his neck, saw the big, furry wild boar on the cart and gasped.
"Wait, Sister Jiuyue! Wait for a moment!"
He turned around hastily, shouting for the manager as he ran.
An Jiuyue was silent.
He seemed very happy. She knew that everyone had been tidying up their houses recently and no one was in the mood to go hunting in the mountains.
However, it would not be long before more people started doing so. They would start worrying about their livelihoods once they tidied their houses, and the first thing that the hunters would think of would be to hunt.
Regardless, the prey sold would be worth a lot of money. After all, meat and vegetables were not readily available after the flood.
Soon, Uncle Lin rushed over. His eyes lit up when he saw the big animal on the cart behind An Jiuyue.
"Hurry up! What are you waiting for? Load it off!"
There were many passers-by staring. It was rare to see such a big animal.
"Jiuyue, you're so amazing! How did you hunt such a big guy?" he asked with a chuckle.
An Jiuyue smiled and replied, "It was a coincidence. It happened to step on my hunting trap. It's not because I'm capable or anything. Uncle Lin, how much do you pay for wild boars nowadays?"
"We are paying more because there aren't many people selling their prey these days. We offer 200 copper coins per gross half a kilogram and 215 copper coins per nett half a kilogram. Most people opt for the first payment rate," Uncle Lin explained.
However, he did not mention that it was not a matter of gross or nett weight here—there was simply nobody selling wild boars!
Otherwise, no matter how expensive they were, the restaurant would not be paying 200 copper coins per half a kilogram! They still had to sell them to customers to make a profit.
"You can weigh it first, Uncle. Then we'll calculate how much—"
Before she could finish speaking, a worker interrupted, "Manager, this wild boar is too big. We can't weigh it here."
Uncle Lin was silent.
It was true that the boar was too big. It seemed like it was about 250 kilograms. There was no way to weigh it unless they chopped it into pieces.
He looked at An Jiuyue and asked, "Jiuyue, why don't we calculate payment by gross weight instead?"
Chapter 92: Whose Child Is This?
"I'll do as you say, Uncle Lin." An Jiuyue nodded.
"Okay." Uncle Lin was delighted and immediately instructed the person next to him, "Go to the counter and fetch 100 taels of silver. I want ready money."
"Yes, Manager," the worker replied and turned around to run inside.
"Jiuyue, I think this wild boar is really big. I'll pay you 100 taels of silver."
He was offering a lot. A wild boar would usually be sold for a quarter of the price—25 taels of silver was already considered very good.
However, the situation was different now. A flood had just occurred, and there was no food to eat.
An Jiuyue nodded without hesitation.
"I'll listen to you, Uncle Lin. I also have a few baskets of mushrooms here. Do you want to buy some?"
"Mushrooms? That's good stuff. Given our current situation, I'll pay 100 copper coins per half a kilogram. You probably have over… 50 kilograms of mushrooms here."
Uncle Lin nodded and looked at the mushrooms in the bamboo baskets. They were not only big but also white and tender.
Although the mushrooms could not be stored freely, this was a restaurant! The mushrooms weighing over fifty kilograms could be sold out in less than two days. Customers might not be able to eat them anymore if they came a few days later.
Moreover, such good quality mushrooms would be sold for even more money on the streets.
…
An Jiuyue received a total of 110 taels of silver after selling the wild boar and mushrooms. She put the basket on the ox cart and prepared to go to the market to buy something before returning home.
The vegetables sold in the market were extremely expensive due to the recent flood. One cabbage cost 30 copper coins!
She stopped the ox cart and bought ten sweet potatoes, with the intention to plant them in her space. She also bought some potatoes and corn.
She spent almost a tael of silver on these.
Then, she bought four cabbages. It cost her 100 copper coins even after haggling over the price. It was really too expensive.
However, she was in for a shock when she placed the four cabbages into her basket.
"This is…"
She placed the cabbage on the cart and picked up a child from the basket.
"Whose child is this? Who placed this child in my basket?"
What kind of luck do I have? Have the heavens sent me another child?
The child did not look as young as the other two and seemed only a little over a year old. He blinked his large, lively eyes at her and did not cry even though he was lifted up by a stranger.
"Uncle, did you see anyone passing by? There is a child in my basket," she grabbed the old man selling cabbages and asked, carrying the child in an arm.
"Sigh." The old man glanced at An Jiuyue. "Why don't you bring this child back with you, Miss? You can just give him some food and raise him like a brute."
"What?!"
An Jiuyue thought she had misheard.
Raise him like a brute? I didn't pick up a mere chicken or duck! This is a living human!
"Uncle, how can you say that? Someone just lost their child. His parents must be so worried. I have to find an official. Otherwise, I'll go to the county."
Although she was not keen to go to the county to meet that person surnamed Lan, this child…
"Miss, you shouldn't go. The officials don't care about this," the old man said helplessly.
Chapter 93: A Cart Full of Children!
"This isn't the first time something like this happened here. This has been happening every day these days. Families cannot raise their children, so they want to throw their child to someone who doesn't seem to be poor.
"You found the child in your basket. That's not the worst. Some would stuff their child into another person's arms and run away. This happened a few times yesterday. There was even a child who fell and hit his head. His parents didn't even turn their heads."
An Jiuyue was silent.
Is the world in chaos? How can such a thing happen?
"But this is a boy," she said.
Aren't boys more important than girls in this day and age? It may be normal to abandon girls, but that's not normal for boys. Aren't boys supposed to carry on the family line?
2
The old man replied, "Precisely because he's a boy! If you give a girl away, no one will say anything if they starved her to death. But if you give a boy away, they will at least give him some food so he won't die. The people receiving the child will be afraid that their parents will come looking for them if the child dies!"
An Jiuyue was extremely shocked.
Please forgive me for not being able to adapt to this situation.
Sighing deeply, she looked at the quiet streets.
Alright, I'll take care of this child from now on. There's no other option. Let's just pretend I'm grazing sheep—a flock of five sheep!
However, if his parents dare to appear again, I'll refuse to return him to them. Why should I do his birth parents a favor? I raised this boy.
"I'd better go."
She was afraid that she would find a cart full of children if she did not leave now.
6
"Wei Na, did you see who placed this child on my ox cart?" she questioned Wei Na while driving the ox cart.
She did not think that Wei Na was unaware. Was it trying to rebel against her by not alerting her about this?
However, Wei Na was not to blame. It wanted to alert her, but the man, who had left the child behind, fled so quickly that it did not have time to react.
"Master, I was stunned too!"
It had no idea that such a thing would happen in ancient times. Abandoning one's children and fleeing at top speed… It was stunned for a long time before it regained its composure too.
By the time it regained its composure, An Jiuyue had already noticed the child on the ox cart.
"I think this child is quite pitiful. Master, why don't you raise him too? You're already raising four anyway. One more isn't a big deal, right?"
An Jiuyue was silent.
Did I transmigrate to this ancient era to raise children? How is one more child not a big deal?
"Forget it. I can't return him anyway. I'll just raise him."
What else could she do? She had just earned over 100 taels of silver. It was not like she could not afford to feed this child.
…
"What… Sister Jiuyue, what's going on?"
Qian Yiyun's eyes widened as she looked at the child in An Jiuyue's arms. Her eyes looked like they were about to pop out.
Why did she return with a child after making a trip to town?
"I bought him for a hundred copper coins," An Jiuyue replied.
1
Qian Yiyun's mouth fell open as her large eyes seemed to roll around in their sockets. "Huh?"
You can buy a child with 100 copper coins? That's too cheap!
No, this is not about price. My sister-in-law already has four children, but she bought one more! What is she trying to do?
"Sister Jiuyue, don't you have too many children?"
Chapter 94: Another Younger Brother!
She's not raising carrots. She's raising children! Can a person raise that many children?
An Jiuyue shrugged helplessly.
"I didn't have a choice either. I spent 100 copper coins and bought four cabbages. When I turned around, there was a child in the basket. I didn't know who put him there, so I couldn't send him back. What was I supposed to do?"
Throw him away? Of course not!
I am a dignified special agent who has transmigrated to ancient times. I should be able to do something great, right?
But having five children right off the bat? What is going on?
Having five boys in my previous life means preparing five houses and five betrothal gifts. Just thinking about this tires me. Luckily, this is ancient times!
Qian Yiyun was speechless.
So this is how she spent 100 copper coins! She picked up this child for no reason… No, someone gave her this child because they didn't want him anymore.
She patted her chest and muttered to herself, "It's fine. It's fine. We can still afford this."
My brother is a great general, and his business is doing pretty well. There are only five children! He can still afford to raise them, right?
"Sister Jiuyue, you won't be going to town anymore these days, right?" she asked.
Upon hearing this, An Jiuyue looked at the child in her arms with a dark expression.
"I won't be going!"
She had intended to deliver mushrooms to Uncle Lin's restaurant every few days, but now…
I might find another child if I go there again. Why am I here? Am I really here to raise children? This can't be happening, right?
"Mother, is this a girl?" Zheng'er and Rong'er walked over and asked.
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It did not matter to them if their mother picked up new children or not. After all, they could help to take care of their younger siblings. The most important thing was to find out if the new child was a younger brother or sister.
"It's a boy," An Jiuyue replied.
Other people would adopt five daughters and have five sons-in-law to offer birthday felicitations. However, she adopted five sons instead.
Thankfully, she was capable of earning money. Otherwise, they would only be able to sit around and eat!
"Sigh. Zheng'er, Rong'er, this boy can walk. You have to watch over him carefully. I'll cook for you."
She placed the child on the bed and instructed the other two before heading off to cook. She was not in the mood to chat and laugh with the children because she could not even bring herself to smile.
"Another younger brother!" Zheng'er looked at Rong'er, and they looked at the child on the bed with disdain.
1
Qian Yiyun followed An Jiuyue into the kitchen, stood beside her and said, "Sister Jiuyue, that child is quite obedient."
He did not cry or make a fuss as he was placed on the unfamiliar bed. He merely looked around with widened eyes. He was rather cute.
"He never cried on the way back," An Jiuyue replied helplessly, glancing at her indifferently.
How will I be able to raise them if they are troublemakers? I have five children! Although the older children are already four years old, they are still children!
"I don't know if he is a little dizzy from hunger or if he is genuinely obedient and sensible. I hope it's the latter."
"He's probably hungry," Qian Yiyun said after some thought.
Only those who were poor would give their children away. How could someone put their own child in a basket like that? Has it not occurred to them that the person receiving the child might not like them and throw them away?
In that case, the child would be dead for sure. How could such a young child take care of himself?
Chapter 95: It's So Hard to Earn Points
"However, that child has intelligent eyes. Sister Jiuyue, he might become a capable person if you raise him well! Then he'll look after you well in your—"
Look after her well in her old age? Let's not talk about that for now. She has my brother! They'll definitely have their own children in the future.
"Sister Jiuyue, is there anything you need help with? If not, I'll go and look after the child," she said.
"Go on, dinner will be ready soon," An Jiuyue replied, waving at her.
She did not have to watch over the two babies as they did not know how to turn around yet. She also did not have to watch over Zheng'er and Rong'er because they were very obedient.
However, she had to keep an eye on the boy that was just brought home. He could already crawl and walk. He could move even if he was starving. What if he fell off the bed?
She sighed and muttered to herself helplessly, "Why is my life like this? I'm just living to raise children!"
However, she continued cooking. She would think about it after feeding the five children.
"Oh no!"
At the thought of feeding her children, she suddenly recalled that she had intended to buy a female sheep or a female cow after selling the wild boar.
Xiao Zhou and Xiao Xing were still so young. They should not be eating rice paste all the time. It would be bad for their weak stomachs.
"My brain… Seriously…"
However, she should not be blamed for this. She was suddenly given a child, and that took all her attention!
"I'll go again next time. Otherwise, I'll go to the mountain to see if I can catch any female goats."
"Master, we have the Points Mall," Wei Na reminded.
She had access to the Points Mall. She could purchase anything she wanted from her previous life. She would definitely be able to find milk powder.
"You can exchange points for all kinds of milk powder in the Points Mall."
An Jiuyue rolled her eyes.
I know that there is milk powder in the Points Mall, and there are all kinds of them. But how am I going to get them?
Moreover…
"Wei Na, do you know how many points a can of milk powder costs?"
Wei Na almost choked when it was reminded of the points. "Uh…"
Master only has 200 points now. How many cans of milk powder can she get?
"The things in the Points Mall are too expensive. Seriously!" It could not help but grumble after checking.
50 points for a can of milk powder? This is daylight robbery!
Wei Na was about to say something when it heard An Jiuyue mumble.
"Never mind. I'll exchange the points for a can first. I can't let the two babies go hungry."
Wei Na was speechless.
It is so hard to earn points, right?
…
"Eat slowly. There's still plenty."
Xiao Zhou and Xiao Xing laid on the bed obediently. As there were many children that needed to be taken care of at home, An Jiuyue moved the table next to the bed.
She looked at the child she had just picked up. He saw the bowl of porridge in front of him and began eating spoonfuls of it, not caring that it was hot. In the end, he even picked up the bowl to eat faster.
"Sister Jiuyue, this child knows how to eat on his own. That'll save you some trouble," Qian Yiyun joked as she looked at the child.
Chapter 96: Settle This Early for Peace of Mind
It would really save An Jiuyue a lot of trouble if the child knew how to eat on his own. She would not have to be in a rush to feed three children three times a day.
If this was winter, the food would have frozen by the time she was ready to eat.
"He must be starving." An Jiuyue shook her head, feeling helpless.
She wondered what would have happened to the child if he had not met her. He was lucky to have met her. Her heart softened as she watched the child's cheeks puff up with food.
"Come, have some vegetables. There's meat too. Eat slowly. There's no rush."
She picked up some vegetables and meat for the child and Zheng'er and Rong'er. She watched them eat happily.
"Jiuyue! Jiuyue, are you home?"
Someone was shouting from below the treehouse. Qian Yiyun looked up and raised her eyebrows at An Jiuyue.
"Jiuyue, it's Aunt Ju! Are you home?"
There was another shout. An Jiuyue placed her chopsticks down.
"It's the Junior Officer and Aunt Ju. Continue eating. I'll go downstairs to take a look." She got up and headed downstairs.
The Junior Officer and Aunt Ju were waiting downstairs under the big tree. They hurriedly rushed towards her with a smile when they saw her coming down.
"Junior Officer, Aunt Ju, why are you looking for me at this time?"
"Ahem." The Junior Officer coughed uncomfortably and looked at his wife.
Aunt Ju saw that he was looking at her and rolled her eyes at him. It was not as if she had expected him to ask the questions clearly in the first place, so she took a step forward and spoke.
"Jiuyue, although so many days have passed, no one came to ask about the two babies. The Chief came to look for the Junior Officer this morning. We want to ask you if you're really going to adopt the two babies as your sons.
"You should get this settled quickly if you've made up your mind. Let the Chief register the children under your name when everyone in the village is still immensely grateful to you."
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Although Old Tu was not an outsider, An Jiuyue was an unwed woman, so these children would be considered outsiders.
When Old Tu registered Zheng'er and Rong'er in the genealogy, he spent taels of silver building a path for the village. If An Jiuyue wanted to register the two babies under her name, she would have to spend another sum of money.
As it had not been long since An Jiuyue saved the villagers, the Chief could still use that reason to contain any discontentment about allowing her to register the babies without spending money.
That way, the Chief would still be able to remain accountable to the clan. Otherwise, there would be malicious gossip if he helped An Jiuyue to register the children without payment in the future. By then, the Chief would not be able to contain the villagers either.
She should seize the chance and register the two babies quickly so she would not have to spend money.
An Jiuyue glanced at Aunt Ju and said, "Let me think about it again."
She had a problem—she had three children that had to be registered. She could not possibly register the two babies and exclude the child she picked up today.
"Jiuyue, you have to settle this as soon as possible. Don't think about it anymore. Settle this early for peace of mind," Aunt Ju reminded her.
"I heard you brought your children to town today, Jiuyue. Why were you only carrying one child when you returned?" the Junior Officer asked after some thought.
Chapter 97: She Had to Take Him In
Rumors were going around the village that An Jiuyue had sold a child for food.
An Jiuyue was silent.
When did I carry my children to town? I was driving an ox cart!
"Uncle, I didn't bring the children with me today. I brought a child back from town," she explained.
"Huh?" The Junior Officer did not seem to understand her and was bewildered. "Is there a difference?"
An Jiuyue sighed and looked at the two of them helplessly.
"I went to town today to buy some grain. I placed my basket on an ox cow cart and wanted to buy some cabbage. When I turned around, there was a child in my basket.
"I couldn't find his parents. I had no choice, I couldn't abandon him so I brought him back. "
The Junior Officer was stunned. "Huh? Can something like that happen?"
So someone handed their child to An Jiuyue for her to raise? Is this what the town is like now?
On the other hand, Aunt Ju was not too surprised. "Of course." She sighed.
"I went to town the day before yesterday too. I heard from the people there that many have been stuffing their children into strangers' arms on the streets because they can't raise them anymore," she explained.
"This… This… Sigh, how can this be?"
The Junior Officer was speechless. He sighed deeply.
He grew concerned after some thought. There was a flood recently, and An Jiuyue might not have enough food for herself. He wondered how she could possibly provide for another child.
"The grain store in town is sold out of grain. The brokers took in some of the children initially, but the children were too young and immature. They kicked up a fuss, and the brokers don't want to take in any more of them.
"Those penniless have no choice but to send their children away. I think the child's parents saw you driving an ox cart and could afford cabbages, so they felt that their child wouldn't starve if they gave him to you," Aunt Ju guessed.
She had been to town and knew what was happening. "Jiuyue, do you intend to raise that child too?" she asked.
"What else can I do? Aunt Ju, I can't just abandon him. This is a human life," An Jiuyue said helplessly.
The child would have nowhere to go if An Jiuyue chose not to raise him. He could not find his parents anymore, and the authorities would not care about that. An Jiuyue's biological father might even sell him to a broker to earn a few taels of silver!
1
She had to take him in.
"I'll have to trouble you with this, Junior Officer. Can you ask the Chief if he can register all three children in the genealogy?" she asked.
"Alright, I'll ask him," the Junior Officer agreed swiftly.
"However, Jiuyue, this might not be easy. Everyone saw the two babies, so registering them without payment might be okay. But as for the one you brought back today… You might have to fork out some money."
He wanted to be honest with An Jiuyue first so that she would not be upset later.
"Alright, I understand," An Jiuyue replied.
Old Tu had spent five taels of silver to register Zheng'er and Rong'er in the genealogy then. She reckoned that spending another five taels this time should be enough.
Regardless, if money could resolve something, it would not be a problem for her. She could sell another wild boar if needed.
There were a couple more boars in her space anyway. She was not afraid of not having enough money.
Chapter 98: Big News!
Several days passed. An Jiuyue named the three children and registered them in the genealogy book. She felt relieved that this matter was finally settled.
However, she was still speechless by Qian Yiyun, who was still staying at her house.
Half a month had passed, yet her brother never came to look for her.
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However, there were some benefits to Qian Yiyun staying with her.
Although Zheng'er and Rong'er could take care of themselves, there were three younger children. With Qian Yiyun around, she could at least take care of them.
Hence, she could not complain. She was not letting Qian Yiyun live off her for nothing.
One day, An Jiuyue went into the mountains again and brought Zheng'er and Rong'er with her, leaving Qian Yiyun to stay at home with the other three children.
After coaxing the three children to sleep in the afternoon, Qian Yiyun sat by the window and looked at the scenery.
Suddenly, she noticed two approaching figures and was surprised.
"My brother! You're finally here!"
She stood up immediately and glanced at the three children on the bed. When she saw that they were still sound asleep, she rushed downstairs immediately.
"Yan Yan—"
"Yan Nuo, go upstairs and look after the children. I have something to say to my brother."
Without waiting for Qian Jiyun to speak, she pulled him away, leaving Yan Nuo standing alone. He looked up towards the treehouse.
The general is right! Miss Qian has been staying in Miss An's house and even looking after her children! Whatever. I should go watch over the children now.
"Yan Yan, what are you doing?"
When they walked far away until they could no longer see the treehouse, Qian Jiyun frowned and looked at his younger sister.
"I know that Xue Ling sabotaged you, but don't worry. I will take revenge for you sooner or later. Although now is not the time," he said.
He had wondered if someone was backing Xue Ling. If there was no one behind her, she would not have been so bold as to harm his sister, much less stay by his side for so long despite his hostility towards her. However, he was sure now.
"Oh, Big Brother!" Qian Yiyun cried out. She had not thought about Xue Ling at all for days.
She would have forgotten about Xue Ling if he had not mentioned her. Besides, it was not the time to talk about her.
"We don't have time to talk about Xue Ling now! I have big news to tell you! Big news!"
"What is it?" Qian Jiyun asked calmly.
What is making her so startled? I thought she is past the age for this.
"Brother, Brother, Big Brother! Do you know who exactly An Jiuyue is?" Qian Yiyun raised her eyebrows and looked at her brother teasingly.
"Who is she? Is she a big shot?" Qian Jiyun asked with amusement.
Miss An's skills are not bad, but that's all. Her movements looked disorganized. It's clear she trained herself in the forest.
Qian Yiyun was stunned by her brother's words.
"You're absolutely right, Brother. Sister Jiuyue is a big shot. In fact, the name An Jiuyue is not her original name. Do you want to know her original name?"
Chapter 99: Don't Go Weak at the Knees
Qian Jiyun replied directly, "No."
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He was never interested in prying into others' personal lives. Besides, he thought that it was clear that An Jiuyue wanted to keep her identity hidden since she was living in seclusion on the mountain. Why would he pry?
Qian Yiyun was speechless.
Big Brother, can you not be so boring? She's your precious wife. Don't you want to know? Don't regret it when the time comes!
"Alright, let's not talk about Sister Jiuyue's past. Then do you want to know Zheng'er and Rong'er's full names? That should be fine with you, right? I'll tell you about it!"
"What are their names?"
Qian Jiyun was honestly a little curious as to why An Jiuyue was raising those two children.
They were clearly not her biological sons. However, he saw that she had treated them very well.
"Ahem, listen up, Big Brother. Don't go weak at the knees!"
Qian Yiyun coughed lightly before she revealed, "Zheng'er's name is Qian Yizheng, while Rong'er's name is Qian Yirong."
"What did you say?!" Qian Jiyun exclaimed, almost shocked stiff.
1
"Those two boys call me auntie every day, Big Brother. I didn't think I'd really be their aunt." Not their biological aunt though.
She did not mention that last part. Her sister-in-law's sons were her nephews regardless!
"What… is Miss An's original name?" Qian Jiyun asked, enunciating every word in his question.
Qian Yiyun explained, "I've been asking around discreetly. Sister Jiuyue came here four years ago with two children and has lived here ever since. Everyone in the village calls her An Jiuyue. They say she is Old Tu's daughter, but he had never met her earlier because she was taken away by his ex-wife."
"But that's not true. I found Sister Jiuyue very familiar and kind. I wanted to get closer, but I couldn't remember where I had seen her.
"I realized that she looks like my sister-in-law after I discovered Zheng'er and Rong'er's names!"
"Back when we were living together, Sister Jiuyue had on makeup, wore gorgeous clothes, and was quiet and demure. Now, she is dressed simply and is surrounded by wild beasts in the forest every day, so she feels different."
A person could change drastically when their aura changes. Moreover, four years had passed, and she had grown. Change should be expected.
That explained why Qian Yiyun could not recognize An Jiuyue at first.
Her words made Qian Jiyun recall how An Jiuyue had reacted when she heard his name when they were together in the forest.
He did not think much about it because he assumed she was worried about the livelihoods of all the villagers affected by the flood.
In other words, she already knew about their relationship back then. However, she chose to hide it and pretended not to know him.
"What about the two children?"
"They are so lucky," Qian Yiyun replied.
"When Sister Jiuyue was chased out of the house, she probably didn't know where to go and wandered around outside the back door. She probably saw that old woman send people to abandon the two children in the deep mountains.
"Sister Jiuyue must have followed them secretly and rescued the children."
This was a combination of information she discretely inquired from An Jiuyue and her own guesses.
Chapter 100: Heartache
Of course, she only inquired An Jiuyue's past indirectly. For example, she would remark, "These two children are so obedient. Sister Jiuyue, you're so lucky." The next day, she would mention, "These two children are so fortunate to have met you, Sister Jiuyue."
Just like that, she gathered the pieces of information and completed the rough story.
Qian Jiyun took a deep breath.
He had been continuously searching for Lan Zhitong. He had searched many villages and towns but to no avail.
He had never considered that she would change her name, live on a mountain, become a hunter's daughter, and even become a hunter herself.
He sighed heavily, heartache in his eyes.
"It's my fault. I implicated her."
"How is any of this your fault, Big Brother?" Qian Yiyun gritted her teeth and spat hatefully, "It's all that old woman's fault! She couldn't give birth to a child, yet she wanted to seize the family fortune! Has she ever considered that she isn't worth any of it?
"By the way, Big Brother, what do you plan to do now that we found her?"
My sister-in-law does not seem like she plans to reunite with Big Brother. Besides, she's living quite an enjoyable life here. This is much better than all the scheming and strife outside.
If I were in her shoes, I won't want to leave this place either.
"I've handled matters back there, so I can stay here for a while," Qian Jiyun replied.
Qian Yiyun was surprised. She looked up at her brother.
"You want to stay here? Are you kidding me? Will she let you stay? Where are you going to stay? Are you going to share a room with her?"
How is that possible? My sister-in-law will definitely kick him down the treehouse!
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"You don't have to worry about that. I'll handle it. Is she home? Let's go back together," Qian Jiyun said.
"No, she went into the mountains," Qian Yiyun replied.
She hoped that her brother would not be startled after finding another child in An Jiuyue's home.
To be honest, Qian Jiyun was never startled. He did not even react much when someone latched onto him and claimed that her two sons were his. As long as he knew that the children were not his, nothing else mattered.
However, there was someone dumbfounded by the three children on the bed.
Why are there more children in Miss An's home? Where does she get these children from? The flood has already receded. Where would she rescue another child from?
Yan Nuo noticed Qian Jiyun's entrance and pointed at the three children on the bed. "General, these three children…"
"Fewer words, more action. Go up the mountain and chop up more firewood," Qian Jiyun instructed him.
"Yes, General," Yan Nuo instinctively responded and headed downstairs.
However, he soon realized that he only had a sword. He looked up at the treehouse with a long face, then back down at his sword.
He wants me to chop firewood, but what am I supposed to use to chop it? This sword in my hand? How is this possible?
But I have to make the impossible possible! If I don't chop firewood, he might send me somewhere to train! I'll be crying then!
…
Meanwhile, An Jiuyue shuttled through the forest, the scenery flying by.