Chapter 181: She Was the One Who Said It!
Everyone gasped when they heard her words. They did not expect the Chief's wife to be involved.
That woman must be crazy. What did An Jiuyue do to provoke her? Why does she have to sell her son?
"So it was Aunt Kang!"
An Jiuyue blinked at Aunt Wang as if she had just discovered this.
"Do you want me to call Aunt Kang over so you can discuss whose child to sell? There are so many children in this village. You can feel free to discuss this.
"I'm sure you've been discussing whose children to sell to help with your family's expenses, right?"
An Jiuyue's words were spot on in exposing her inner thoughts. She quickly denied it guiltily.
"You… No, no! Don't spout nonsense! I've only chatted with Aunt Kang. I'm not selling anyone's children!"
Her words left everyone around speechless.
It seems like these two women really dared to target the children in the village! How absurd!
They hated Aunt Kang immediately, and their impression of the Chief worsened.
As the most respected elder in their village, the Chief should be considerate and kind to everyone. How could he have a woman who schemed to sell other people's children?
An old woman in her fifties walked over from afar and spoke faintly, "Aunt Wang, don't talk about Aunt Kang anymore. I was just there and heard the Chief is divorcing his wife. It must be because of you, right?"
Aunt Wang was shocked. She wanted to make use of Aunt Kang, but…
How can this be? Isn't Aunt Kang doing well? She keeps boasting about her high status in the family.
Why is the Chief divorcing her over such a small matter?
"No way, no way! I heard everything from Aunt Kang. She was the one who said it!"
She shook her head and continued muttering.
An Jiuyue did not look at Old An's family anymore. She turned to look at Qian Jiyun.
"Let's go."
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"Alright, let's go." Qian Jiyun led her away.
The onlookers watched their backs before looking at Old An's family.
Although they said Old An's family only had themselves to blame, humans always sympathized with the weak. Old An's family saw their child taken away today.
Moreover, An Da was injured and had four fingers cut off. His life was over.
Everyone found their family quite pitiful, so they did not say anything else. They turned around and left.
"What should we do? What should we do?"
Aunt Wang ignored them. She was still muttering and thinking about how to snatch her grandson back.
After a while, she turned to look at Old An and asked him for an idea.
"What should we do? They captured Heizhuang. What should we do?"
However, what ideas could he come up with? Ministry Councilor He was not someone he could afford to offend.
Although they were in An Clan Village, he had brought so many thugs and servants with him, and Old An could only be beaten up.
Now that they had left and returned to their territory, there was nothing more he could do unless he could find the 50 taels of silver!
Chapter 182: Bleeding Again
He looked at Aunt Wang, who had been sitting on the ground helplessly, then at his son, who laid in a pool of blood, and his daughter-in-law, who seemed to make things difficult for them deliberately.
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He thought that even though his grandson might have been taken away, he was still alive. However, he had to save his son.
His son would bleed to death if he did not find a physician soon. He gritted his teeth and rushed out to look for the village physician.
However, to his surprise, the village physician refused to go to them when he heard something happened at Old An's home. He did not even open the door for him.
He even told him to find some herbs on the mountain and apply medicine to An Da's wounds. As for the fingers, he claimed to be incapable of treating them—An Da would be fine after he bled for some time.
Old An almost vomited blood when he heard this.
He knew An Tu had looked after the village physician in the past. As a physician, he often had to go up the mountain to pick herbs. An Tu would always save him if he encountered troubles.
Now that their family had set their sights on An Tu's only daughter, it was not surprising that the physician disliked them.
Actually, there was another reason—the epidemic. Old An's family dared to wander out of the village. Although the physician was not very capable, he was the one who understood the gravity of diseases best here.
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Was he supposed to wait until he contracted the disease to start distancing himself from it?
Since he could not treat such a lethal disease, he had to avoid coming into contact with it as much as possible.
Old An had no choice. He did not know any of the medicinal herbs on the mountain, so he begged at the physician's door.
In the end, the physician threw a bag of medicine out. Old An left happily and went home to treat his son.
Since they delayed treating An Da, the wounds on his body had long stopped bleeding.
The machete was not sharp, to begin with, so it could not cut deep. It could cut off all four fingers neatly because Qian Jiyun was skilled.
However, Old An did not know that. He was in a hurry to apply medicine to his son and pulled his clothes off with force.
The wound that was already clotted tore, and blood gushed out again.
"Ah!"
An Da, who was unconscious, woke up from the pain and screamed.
His wild shrieks and howls woke Heizhuang's mother, who had been unconscious in the courtyard. She sat up and started crying again at the thought of her son being taken away.
She first blamed An Jiuyue for being heartless and refusing to give up her son in exchange for hers.
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Then, she began to blame Aunt Wang. They would not have caused such a big problem if she had not been greedy and determined to sell An Jiuyue's son. Now, Ministry Councilor He had even taken her son away.
Finally, she blamed An Da again. She wailed and criticized An Da for failing to protect his son as a grown man and that he deserved to die without a son.
In short, she blamed everyone she could think of. She even cursed Aunt Kang too.
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Old An's neighbors listened to her cries and curses, which only stopped after lunch. It was finally quiet.
Then, someone saw Heizhuang's mother carry a bag and leave the village while Old An and his family were busy.
Someone greeted her from afar, and she told them An Da's family was unreliable. She was returning to her parents' house and would never come back to suffer hardships here.
Chapter 183: In Severe Condition
She knew her son could not return after Ministry Councilor He took him away, so she gave up on trying to get him back.
She could still marry someone else after she left the An family. There was no need for her to suffer here. Besides, given that she had injured An Da so terribly, she knew very well how he would treat her in the future.
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She could not afford to provoke him, but she could hide.
Heizhuang's mother had always been a very realistic person. She had only become even more realistic after she married An Da.
She would have left this disgusting family long ago if it were not for her son.
Why should she stay now that her son was gone?
When the people who greeted her heard that, they sighed internally and found Old An's family pitiful.
"How pitiful," a man sighed and remarked.
"I agree. A good family is ruined just like that. Life will be difficult for them in the future."
Another woman chimed in, "People should know their place. You'll end up in a bad state sooner or later if you're like Old An and his family. But we all live together in the same village, so I feel sorry to see them like this."
A more rational man snorted and said, "What's there to pity? They deserved it. They scheme against other people's children all day long. Do these children deserve to be sold off by them?"
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They deserved to be punished for harming someone—especially An Jiuyue, who had rescued them.
"Perhaps the heavens can't stand it anymore, and this is their retribution! Are they not afraid their hands will rot and their guts will spill if they spend the money earned from selling other people's children?" he cursed ruthlessly.
He had many children at home. He itched to chase them away every time he recalled what Aunt Wang said.
…
An Jiuyue did not care about what happened after.
She prepared a large spread of delicious food for lunch. She planned to enter the mountains again after eating.
The situation with Old An's family progressed quite smoothly. If she predicted correctly, they would go to town and cause a scene outside Ministry Councilor He's residence.
However, nobody could guarantee their return home.
Meanwhile, Wang Xing'er had been living in the straw shed and could not escape no matter what. Her face was sickly green—she had contracted the epidemic disease and was in severe condition.
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It was important for the sick to have a good mentality.
Her father, who had also contracted the disease, had held on for so many days. He still had energy and could eat, drink, and talk.
Wang Xing'er scolded everyone and criticized everything in the straw shed after discovering she had contracted the disease. She even blamed her entire family countless times. She was now in bed, unable to get up.
She had talked Mr Wang and his wife's ears off. They could not do anything about their ungrateful daughter.
To avoid listening to Wang Xing'er's nonsense, their son and daughter-in-law sent her to live in another straw shed. They only went over occasionally to ask her what she needed.
It was not that they did not think of her as their daughter and sister, but Wang Xing'er really dared to do whatever she wanted. They had no choice.
She did not dare fight her father and brother, but she dared to raise her fist against her sister-in-law.
Chapter 184: Oh No!
Wang Xing'er suddenly went crazy and hit her sister-in-law before her brother reacted and beat her up. They sent her out to live separately after that.
"Sigh, this is a family misfortune! Why did I give birth to a daughter like this?" Xing'er's mother wiped her tears and said faintly.
"I don't even know what she wants."
Wang Xing'er's sister-in-law still had a bruise on her face after Wang Xing'er's hit her. Although she spoke calmly, it was obvious she no longer treated Wang Xing'er as her sister-in-law.
"I heard many people died outside. I wonder if this illness can be treated?"
"I don't care what happens to her. If she can be treated, sure. But if not, forget it."
Old Wang was aged and had become indifferent to death. His worrisome daughter only annoyed him, and he was no longer patient when he spoke about her.
"How is she? Is she still scolding and criticizing?" he looked up at his son and asked.
His son nodded.
He would hear Wang Xing'er's cursing every time he went over. He wondered where she learned all this vocabulary to berate for so long.
Or rather, she could criticize using the same word without exasperation.
"Father, I heard Xing'er scolding that lady named An Jiuyue. Do you think she'll…"
"She can't even get up now. What can she do? Just ignore her."
Old Wang shook his head, feeling tired.
He was quite touched that his daughter took the risk to find them when the epidemic occurred.
He had thought she was his daughter, after all. He did not raise her in vain for she remembered them when the epidemic started.
However, who would have thought that a person's true disposition would be exposed in just a few days?
Xing'er's mother thought for a moment and said, "Let's keep an eye on her. Our family is already in this state. We shouldn't cause any more trouble for others."
Their inhumane child was already giving them a headache. If she caused more trouble outside, they would not be able to find a place to cry even if they wanted to.
"Go and check on her again, Son."
"Okay." He nodded.
He stood up and walked out of the straw shed to check on Wang Xing'er.
Wang Xing'er is already so sick she cannot get up. Going over again is unnecessary, but I'll check on her since Mother said so. At least I've done my part.
However, he did not see Wang Xing'er, who was supposed to be lying on the bed.
He quickly looked at the woman on the other wooden bed and asked, "Excuse me, may I know where is the person lying on this bed?"
"She said she was going to move to her parents' straw shed and left long ago," the woman pouted and replied.
She did not have a good impression of Wang Xing'er. Her constant criticisms gave her a headache. She would have slapped Wang Xing'er's face if they were not in the straw shed. Everyone here was not allowed to cause trouble. They would not be given food if they did.
"Aren't you her brother? Didn't you see her?"
His expression darkened when he heard this.
"Oh no!"
After uttering that, he turned around and ran back to his straw shed.
No matter how stupid he was, he figured Wang Xing'er was not so sick to the extent of being bedridden—she had been pretending.
Chapter 185: Chase Her Back!
She deliberately convinced everyone that she was too sick to get out of bed, so they would stop checking on her and give her a chance to escape.
"Father, Mother! Wang Xing'er ran away!"
"What?!"
Old Wang stood up from the bed in shock and coughed violently.
Why is Wang Xing'er so good at causing trouble? She's so sick that she's about to die, yet she ran out! What is she trying to do?
"Don't be anxious, old man."
Xing'er's mother saw his face turned red from coughing and quickly patted his back to calm him down.
She turned and looked at her son.
"Hurry and tell the physician that Xing'er has been scolding the villagers from An Clan Village every day. She must have gone there. Get someone to chase her back!"
She had heard that An Clan Village was the only village in this area without any cases of the epidemic disease.
They would be in big trouble if Wang Xing'er spread the disease to that village. She would not be able to rest easy for the rest of her life!
"Okay, okay. I'll go now." Her son agreed and went to look for the physician.
Their family had been quite lucky. Apart from Old Wang, only Wang Xing'er contracted the disease. Everyone else, including their children, was not infected.
Therefore, when he found the physician, the physician pondered for a moment and allowed him to go to An Clan Village. They did not have enough manpower to send someone there.
He did not have to enter the village either. They would have done their best if he could call out to someone from a distance and inform them that Wang Xing'er had escaped.
They did not know how much chaos there was outside, but they could not care less.
He quickly went back to inform his parents before running towards An Clan Village.
…
An Clan Village was very lively.
After Old An and his wife settled their son, they realized their daughter-in-law had disappeared. They went out to ask around and discovered she had run away without caring about her husband.
The couple was furious. What had they been doing?
They thought it was a good thing they could earn money by selling An Jiuyue's son. They did not expect to lose the money and have their son badly injured while their daughter-in-law fled.
An Er returned home. After understanding the situation, he said angrily, "Father, we can't let this matter rest. We have to find that woman and have her come back to take care of Big Brother!"
He knew something was wrong when he saw Ministry Councilor He coming over angrily with a group of people from afar. He quickly found a place to hide.
He only returned sometime after Ministry Councilor He and his companions left. Then, he found out his brother was severely injured, and his nephew had been taken away.
While all these had nothing to do with him, his sister-in-law should not be allowed to run away!
Who will take care of my brother if she's gone? Not my father. He will only order everyone else around. And as for my mother…
He glanced at his mother. Her face was swollen, and she limped. He would struggle to even take care of her.
Will I have to take care of my brother in the end too? I can't do that.
"What's the point in finding her?" Old An shouted at An Er.
They had to get her back, but now was not the right time for it.
Chapter 186: Get Him Back!
One and a half people in their family were now bedridden, and Heizhuang was taken away by Ministry Councilor He. These were the critical matters.
"Son, stay at home and take care of your brother. Your mother and I will go to town. We must get Heizhuang back," he said fiercely to An Er.
An Er pursed his lips and did not reply.
He could seize Heizhuang from our home, let alone in town—that's his territory. It will be strange if they can get him back. They might even be beaten up and thrown out.
Can they even leave the village in the first place? Even if they can, it will be difficult for them to return. The Chief and the Junior Officer don't exist for a show.
However, he knew his father would not listen to him. He had no choice but to shut up.
"Damn old woman, have you found the money?!"
Old An saw that An Er had no objections and remembered Aunt Wang, who had been looking for money in her room.
"You can't even hide money properly. What's the point of me marrying you? You stupid woman! Hurry up and search! If you can't find it, I'll kill you!"
Aunt Wang, who had been rummaging through the room in search of the money, gasped when she heard Old An's words.
How could she have known that the money she had hidden so well would disappear just like that? She had always hidden her money there, but it had never gone missing before. How could 50 taels of silver disappear like that?
She wanted to cry. Her biological grandson was captured, and she wanted him back.
Aunt Wang searched the room for a long time. She almost overturned the entire room, but she could not find a single copper coin. She knew the money was probably stolen by a thief.
She was also sure of the thief's identity, but now was not the time to argue with anyone.
She came to the courtyard with a long face and asked Old An softly, "I can't find the money. What should we do now?"
Old An took a deep breath.
He also knew it was impossible to find the money. He got Aunt Wang to search again because he wanted to be hopeful and try again.
However, he could not do anything about the money since she really could not find it.
"Forget about the money. Let's go to town and get Heizhuang back first."
"Then…"
Aunt Wang opened her mouth, wanting to ask if they could get their grandson back without the money.
When has Ministry Councilor He ever agreed to a losing deal? It won't benefit us to go to town.
"Why are you still dawdling? Hurry up, let's get him back before it gets dark!" Old An had already planned how to retrieve Heizhuang.
However, it was not so simple. Aunt Wang and her son had left the village secretly previously and were not seen by anyone. Would they be able to leave so openly this time?
A few men on patrol stopped the couple. They had been informed not to get too close to Old An's family, so they did not approach them to dissuade them.
Instead, they chased the couple away with sticks and did not allow them to leave the village.
However, the couple wanted to find their grandson and insisted on leaving. Aunt Wang cried and yelled, using all the common techniques women used.
The Chief and Junior Officer came when they caused a larger commotion.
"Let them go."
There was a look in the Chief's eyes. He waved at the men stopping Old An and his wife, gesturing for them to let them go.
Chapter 187: Stay In the Straw Shed
Upon hearing the Chief's words, the Junior Officer glanced at the couple with a knowing look.
The meaning behind the Chief's words was clear—he did not want this family to stay in the village. It was impossible to snatch Heizhuang back. But even if they succeeded, they would not be able to return to the village.
This family was so troublesome. They would only cause a ruckus if they continued staying in the village.
The couple did not think much about what the Chief said. They left happily and quickly.
"Chief, how can you let them leave?" one of the men asked, not understanding why.
Everyone knew how serious the epidemic was. It was dangerous to allow Old An's family to roam around outside.
They were not worried that Old An's family would be at risk. This family disgusted them, and they did not care about their lives.
They were only worried that other people in the village would be at risk. They might contract the disease if they lived with those dangerous people every day.
"Since they want to leave, let them leave. Tighten the security, you lot. Then, gather a few young people and build a straw shed some distance from our village," the Chief instructed as he watched the couple leave.
"Since they want to leave the village so badly, we'll let them stay outside. They also have two sons, right? Chase them out to stay in the straw shed too."
The men were delighted and agreed. "Yes, Chief. I'll get them now."
They should send rowdy people like them to the straw shed so the villagers would not have to live in fear every day.
A few men walked into Old An's house and carried An Da, along with his bed, out of the courtyard. They also grabbed An Er by his collar and dragged him out. An Er did not understand what was going on.
"I didn't leave the village. How is this my problem?"
He was anxious.
Why must I stay in a straw shed? Isn't it better to stay at home, where there are food and drinks?
However, he had no choice but to go. He had to stay in the straw shed no matter how much he resisted. His belongings were also packed and sent to the straw shed.
An Da woke up in pain and stared at the ceiling in the straw shed.
He should not have been so greedy. What was wrong with drinking some fish soup and eating wild vegetables? It was fine as long as they could survive.
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But now, the villagers chased them to live in this straw shed. Their future was uncertain.
When Old An and Aunt Wang, beaten black and blue by the servants in Ministry Councilor He's residence, returned, they realized they could not even enter the village. They sat on the ground and cried after they were told to stay in the straw shed outside.
They wondered why they were so unlucky. Their grandson was snatched away, their daughter-in-law ran away, and they did not even have a home now. They could only stay in the straw shed.
…
On the mountain…
An Jiuyue and Qian Jiyun went into the forest to gather more medicinal herbs.
However, for some reason, An Jiuyue felt disinterested even when she found a high-quality herb. She even felt a little on edge.
She held a herb she had just dug out in one hand and patted her chest with the other. She took a deep breath.
"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Qian Jiyun had been digging up a few medicinal herbs that could be used to treat injuries. He did not know much about other types of herbs, so he could only dig for these.
Chapter 188: Could Not Find Rong'er
He approached her and saw that she did not look well. He quickly placed the herbs into the bamboo basket and rushed over to ask if she was alright.
An Jiuyue shook her head.
"I don't know why, but I feel a little on edge. I've never felt like this before."
She had never felt so panicked in her two lifetimes. It was as if something was about to happen. However, she could not put her finger on it.
She had settled her business with Old An. There was nothing else, right?
"Let's not dig for herbs anymore. Let's go back."
Qian Jiyun made a prompt decision and carried the small bamboo basket on his back. He bent down and carried An Jiuyue in his arms before heading home.
Still feeling panicked, An Jiuyue did not bicker with him.
Her intuition told her that something was about to happen, but she really could not put her finger on it.
On the other side, Zhou'er and Xing'er were sleeping soundly in the cradle under the treehouse. Qian Yiyun was carrying Lu'er and playing hide-and-seek with Qian Yizheng and Qian Yirong.
Yan Nuo had been coming over during the day and going elsewhere to rest at night.
However, it was dangerous outside, and An Jiuyue could not put up with this arrangement anymore. Hence, she asked him to arrange two long benches together while they ate so that he had somewhere to sleep.
Therefore, Yan Nuo was also around to accompany the children and do some housework.
"Rong'er? Rong'er?"
After playing hide-and-seek for a while, Qian Yiyun found Zheng'er, but she could not find Rong'er.
She called out a few times, but no one answered.
Oh no!
"Yan Nuo, stop doing that for a while. Hurry up and look for Rong'er. He's missing."
Qian Yizheng and Qian Yirong were very sensible and obedient. They would not ignore her calls.
When she noticed Rong'er had disappeared, she even asked Zheng'er to call out to him together. However, no one responded.
She knew Rong'er was not close by.
"Missing? How can that be?" Yan Nuo asked.
He had been cutting open a fish. Without waiting for Qian Yiyun to reply, he washed his hands and prepared to look for him.
Just as he was about to leave, he remembered the other children at home.
He turned around and instructed Qian Yiyun, "Miss, take Zheng'er and the others back to the house. I'll go look for Rong'er."
"Alright, hurry up and go," Qian Yiyun quickly replied.
Beside her, Qian Yizheng stared at Yan Nuo with his big eyes.
He wanted to look for his younger brother too, but he knew he was still a child. They needed the adults to look for Rong'er—not him. He would only cause trouble if he went.
"Uncle Yan Nuo, you must find Rong'er."
"Alright, Zheng'er. Be good. I'll definitely find Rong'er," Yan Nuo replied and turned to leave.
…
In the forest, Wang Xing'er carried Rong'er with an arm and covered his mouth with another hand to prevent him from making a sound.
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She felt she had been dragging the little boy with her for a long time. Although she was exhausted, panting, and about to collapse, she still thought they were not far enough.
She continued walking and walking.
Rong'er struggled in her arms. He wanted to bite the hand that was covering his mouth.
However, he recalled that she looked sickly green.
His mother had told him to stay away from people who looked unwell. He must not get close to them because they might have contracted the epidemic disease.
He was already in close contact with her in this situation. However, he knew not to bite through her skin—it would put him in more danger.
Chapter 189: Too Restricted
There was no way he could escape. He was just a child and obviously could not defeat an adult.
There was only one way now.
Qian Yirong secretly reached into his pocket and took out a handful of melon seeds. His mother gave them to him as a snack. They came in handy now.
…
Yan Nuo searched in the vicinity but could not find anyone, so he went further away.
An Jiuyue and Qian Jiyun also returned home. When An Jiuyue heard from Qian Yiyun that Qian Yirong had disappeared, she was shocked.
She was no longer anxious. Her face was completely pale.
"You…"
She wanted to ask Qian Yiyun why she played hide-and-seek with the two children.
Does she not know that there are a lot of people in the mountains now? We often bump into groups of people gathering wild vegetables. The issue with Old An's family just ended. How can Qian Yiyun…
However, she could not bring herself to reprimand her.
In the end, she could only snap bitterly, "I shouldn't have gone to the forest!"
She turned around and left without looking at the siblings.
She raised these two children and understood their personalities very well. They would not hide if there was nothing wrong.
Unless…
She thought of Old An and his family. She wondered how they were doing. Could they have captured Rong'er?
With that in mind, she strode down the mountain.
"Big Brother, she…"
Qian Yiyun was also panicking. Although An Jiuyue did not blame her, she understood what she meant.
Is my sister-in-law blaming me for not taking good care of Rong'er?
"Stay here."
Qian Jiyun was in no mood to comfort his sister. They had not found the child yet.
Although Yan Nuo had gone to look for him, he would have returned long ago if he had found him. Since Yan Nuo did not return yet, he was even more worried that Rong'er had been kidnapped.
Qian Yiyun felt frustrated as she watched her brother leave.
The two boys were obediently playing with An Yilu in the treehouse. She felt they were too restricted and suggested they play hide-and-seek nearby.
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She would not have suggested it if she had known. It was good to stay at home.
"It's all my fault." She stomped her feet before heading upstairs.
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Before An Jiuyue even arrived at the village, she was greeted by Aunt Ju, who was in a hurry.
"Jiuyue, are you descending the mountain?" Aunt Ju stopped and asked her.
Without exchanging greetings, An Jiuyue asked directly, "Aunt Ju, where is Old An's family?"
"That family?"
The disdain in Aunt Ju's eyes was obvious when she mentioned them.
"Old An and his wife refused to listen to us and went to town. Their daughter-in-law ran away, and we chased their two sons out of the village to live in a straw shed. What's wrong? Did they cause trouble for you again?"
That's not possible, right? They can't do anything now, right?
Upon hearing that, An Jiuyue knew it was not Old An and his family.
But who can it be? Is it Ministry Councilor He upset that I subdued him? Impossible. He bullies the weak and fears the strong. He won't even fart in front of someone stronger than him.
She looked at Aunt Ju and asked, "Aunt Ju, are you here for me?"
"Oh, right."
Aunt Ju finally remembered why she was looking for An Jiuyue.
Chapter 190: Yan Nuo, Where Is He?
"Wang Xing'er's relative came by the village just now. He said she contracted the epidemic disease and ran away from the straw shed at Wang Clan Village. They think she might come to our village for revenge."
Wang Xing'er was also an ingrate. Aunt Ju felt that An Jiuyue should have allowed the floodwaters to sweep her away and not rescue her.
"Wang Xing'er!"
Upon hearing this name, An Jiuyue was sure she had taken Rong'er away.
"I understand. Aunt Ju, you can go back first. I have something to do."
Since the culprit was Wang Xing'er, An Jiuyue would not need to go to the village. Wang Xing'er would definitely be wandering around the mountains, unable to leave.
Wang Xing'er must have thought that her death was definite since she had contracted the disease. She probably only wanted to find someone to die with her.
An Jiuyue did not know why Wang Xing'er hated her. However, it was not as if she could do anything about it since that woman insisted on hating her.
She reckoned Wang Xing'er would come looking for her again!
"Jiuyue, Jiuyue, where are you going?"
Aunt Ju watched as An Jiuyue hurried back. She called out to her a few times, but she did not respond.
However, she did not dwell on it. She knew An Jiuyue was a busy person who roamed around the forest all day.
Hence, she did not follow her but turned and left.
Qian Jiyun immediately went up to An Jiuyue when he saw her turn around and walk towards him.
At this moment, one should not expect to see a smile on An Jiuyue's face. How could she now that her son was captured?
If she had known this would happen, she would not have allowed Qian Jiyun and the others to stay. She could have coaxed her little children and put them into her microcosmic space. That would be the safest.
"Jiuyue…"
Qian Jiyun was about to speak when An Jiuyue walked right past him, only glancing at him briefly.
He opened his mouth and followed her helplessly.
It was his fault. He did not think that two adults would fail to take care of a few children, and one of them could even go missing under their watch.
An Jiuyue ignored Qian Jiyun and asked Wei Na in her mind, "Wei Na, did you sense anyone nearby?"
Wei Na scanned the surroundings and replied, "Master, there's Rong'er's aura and a pungent smell in the south. That should be it."
Wei Na also sighed.
Why can't they stay in the treehouse and read the storybook Master gave them? Why must they play hide-and-seek?
See, Rong'er is missing, and he's in the hands of someone who has the epidemic disease! Nobody will want to talk to these irresponsible people.
An Jiuyue rushed south without hesitation, and Qian Jiyun naturally followed her.
Not long after, they bumped into Yan Nuo. He was squatting on the ground and looking at something.
Qian Jiyun immediately went forward and asked, "Yan Nuo, where is he?"
"Master!" Yan Nuo was shocked when he saw them.
He stood up and looked at An Jiuyue. As expected, An Jiuyue did not look good, and he felt even more guilty.
He had wanted to find him before An Jiuyue found out—it would at least reduce her anger.
Before An Jiuyue and Qian Jiyun left, he had planned to bring the two boys out with him. However, Qian Yiyun repeatedly promised she would take good care of them. He also made sure she did.
Chapter 191: Are You Scared?
He did not think too much because he wanted his master and An Jiuyue to be alone together.
He did not expect to lose the child so quickly.
"Miss An…"
He opened his mouth, ready to tell An Jiuyue he had discovered something.
However, An Jiuyue did not even look at him. She looked down and scanned the melon seeds on the ground.
That was the snack she had bought for Zheng'er and Rong'er not long ago. Rong'er must have left it for her so that she could find him easily.
"Wei Na, direct me."
"The aura is stronger towards the south. Rong'er must have just passed by here," Wei Na replied.
An Jiuyue did not say anything else and continued running forward.
"Master…"
Yan Nuo felt even more upset when he saw An Jiuyue walk past him. He knew he messed up.
"Find him first."
Qian Jiyun did not have the time to care about him either since they had yet to find Rong'er.
If what Aunt Ju said was true, Wang Xing'er might have kidnapped Rong'er. He took a deep breath, and a murderous look flashed across his eyes.
"I'll settle the score with the both of you when we return!"
Yan Nuo did not dare to say anything else and followed them.
…
Wang Xing'er dragged Rong'er and traveled a short distance.
However, she believed she had walked a lot and thought An Jiuyue would definitely not be able to catch up. She could hide the boy and use him to threaten An Jiuyue.
Since I'm down with this disease, An Jiuyue shouldn't have an easy life! I must let her have a taste of this disease.
She tied Qian Yirong's hands and feet with two pieces of straw rope and threw him into a bush.
"Hehe, hehehe, don't be afraid, little guy. I'll bring your mother here to accompany you later, okay?" She smiled happily at Qian Yirong, her mind a little crazy.
She had been living in the straw shed in fear of the epidemic disease for the past few days and could not eat or sleep well.
In the end, she still contracted the disease. She had had enough!
Why did my mother, brother, and the others not catch the disease, but I'm the one who is infected? They were with my father every day! Do the heavens think I'm easy to bully?
I'm not doing well, so the others don't deserve to be well too! Especially An Jiuyue!
"Why aren't you talking? Are you afraid?"
She noticed that Rong'er was silent and grabbed him, staring at him fiercely.
Qian Yirong did not dare to speak. No matter how afraid he was and how much he wanted to cry, he knew not to make a sound. Who knew what this crazy woman would do if she was alarmed?
He had heard her curse and curse several times along the way. He was afraid that he might say something to agitate the woman and hurt him.
He knew his mother would be very anxious if she knew he was missing. She might be even more worried if she found him injured. He did not want to cause too much trouble for her—although things were already very troublesome right now.
"Say something. Do you want to die?"
Wang Xing'er was agitated by the boy's calm expression and slapped his chubby face.
"Ah!" Qian Yirong shrieked.
His face burned with pain, and tears welled up in his eyes. He held his tears back fiercely.
"If you don't speak, I'll kill you!"
Wang Xing'er was furious. She grabbed Qian Yirong by his shoulder and shook him hard.
Chapter 192: Let You Leave This Place Safely
"Anyway, I have you in my hands now. Your black-hearted mother won't know even if I kill you. I can still use you to threaten her!"
So what if I kill Qian Yirong? Will An Jiuyue know? I'll bury the little boy's body. How will An Jiuyue find him? She'll have to listen to me obediently and do whatever I want her to do!
She took a dagger out of her pocket as she thought to herself happily.
In truth, it was not really a dagger but a very small knife. It probably belonged to one of the physicians, and Wang Xing'er had somehow stolen it.
When An Jiuyue found this place, she heard Wang Xing'er's last sentence. She watched as Wang Xing'er took out a small knife from her pocket.
She took a deep breath and hid behind a big tree quickly without alerting Wang Xing'er.
Rong'er was too close to Wang Xing'er now, and she had a weapon in her hand. She had to hide from Wang Xing'er else she held Rong'er hostage.
She wanted to catch Wang Xing'er off guard and overpower her instead.
However, her plans were too naive. Before she could do anything, Qian Jiyun and Yan Nuo arrived.
Qian Jiyun was smart enough to remain silent. However, when Yan Nuo saw Wang Xing'er and Qian Yirong, he called out, "Rong'er!"
Qian Jiyun was speechless.
An Jiuyue was extremely shocked.
She took a deep breath. If not for the inappropriate timing, she would have rushed over and kicked Yan Nuo to vent her anger.
Did you forget to bring your brain out? Are you trying to notify her by shouting like that?
As expected, when Wang Xing'er heard the sound, she immediately grabbed Rong'er and positioned him in front of her. Then, she pressed the knife against his neck.
"Don't… Don't come over! Don't come over!"
She did not expect Yan Nuo to find her so quickly. Qian Jiyun was beside him too.
She knew she could not defeat either of them. She only wanted to deal with An Jiuyue and did not intend to become enemies with them.
"Go away! Go away! I want to kill An Jiuyue! It has nothing to do with you! Go away! Go away! Otherwise, I'll kill this little thing!"
She did not see An Jiuyue as she stayed behind the tree even though Yan Nuo shouted.
An Jiuyue wanted to rescue Rong'er from Wang Xing'er's hands safely, and not be like Yan Nuo, who was so silly he could not differentiate between friend and foe.
Yan Nuo realized he had done something wrong again and almost slapped himself.
If he had not said anything, he and his master would have been able to save Rong'er from Wang Xing'er. Now, she held a knife by Rong'er's neck.
They were really helpless.
"Let him go, and I'll let you leave this place safely," Qian Jiyun said coldly to Wang Xing'er.
He would have charged forward long ago if the person held hostage before him was not Rong'er, the person An Jiuyue cared about the most.
He did not dare to attack and had no choice but to take a step back.
However, Wang Xing'er sneered, "Leave? How can I leave?"
Where can I go? I'm already infected. I have nowhere to go. I'll die no matter what.
If An Jiuyue didn't suggest to the villagers to ban outsiders from entering, I could've brought my family to live comfortably in my in-laws' house. I wouldn't have contracted the disease.
Chapter 193: Live in Pain
This is all An Jiuyue's fault! I must make An Jiuyue die with me!
"Where's An Jiuyue? Why didn't she come? Is she too afraid to come? She doesn't even dare to save her son. That black-hearted woman! I knew she was a wicked person!"
Wang Xing'er criticized her happily and even began giggling.
She was not afraid of anything—she had Qian Yirong! They would have to do whatever she wanted them to do!
"Go and call An Jiuyue here. I want her to watch as I cut her son into pieces! Thrilling, right?"
An Jiuyue, still hiding behind the tree, clenched her fists and gritted her teeth.
"Master, what do we do now?" Wei Na was worried too.
That woman is a lunatic! Who knows when she'll really start attacking Rong'er?
"I can't cut her into pieces, but I can let her bleed to death." An Jiuyue closed her eyes and retrieved a silver handgun from her space.
So what if she transmigrated to this world? She still had the things she had prepared in her previous life. She could still snatch Rong'er back from a weak woman.
"Master, Qian Jiyun and his servant are still here!" Wei Na reminded.
But did An Jiuyue care? Sure, she did not want anyone else to know about the things in her space.
But so what? That was not nearly as important as Rong'er. She did not care as long as she could rescue Rong'er from Wang Xing'er safely.
"Hehehehe." Wang Xing'er was still laughing happily.
She looked down at the obedient Qian Yirong, who had not been struggling, and smiled even more happily.
"Don't blame me, little thing. If you want to blame someone, blame your nosy mother. She was the one who harmed you. I wouldn't kill you if not for her, right?
"Be good. It won't hurt. You'll die soon!"
Just as she said the last three words, she moved the knife and was ready to slash Qian Yirong's arm.
Suddenly, An Jiuyue's voice rang out nearby. "Wang Xing'er!"
Wang Xing'er paused and looked up at the source of the voice, only to see An Jiuyue pointing a silver object at her.
Whoosh!
"An— Ah!"
Wang Xing'er heard a weak sound before suddenly feeling a sharp pain in her arm, causing her to scream. She lost her grip on the knife, and it fell to the ground.
Qian Jiyun quickly charged forward and kicked her away. He picked up Qian Yirong, who was too stunned and afraid to move.
"Ah… Argh!" Wang Xing'er screamed again and curled up.
She watched An Jiuyue walk slowly towards Qian Yirong with a cold expression. Her eyes were filled with indignation.
"An Jiuyue!"
How can I let An Jiuyue save that little thing? I should've killed him earlier! Then, even if I can't kill An Jiuyue, I can make her live in pain for the rest of her life!
Yan Nuo quickly walked over and offered to carry Qian Yirong.
"Master, let me carry him."
However, An Jiuyue was one step ahead of him. She opened her arms, and the child fell into her arms. She carried him and pat his back with the gun still in her hands.
Chapter 194: I Can Handle It Myself
The boy leaned on his mother's shoulder and rubbed his face against it. Then, he closed his eyes and kept quiet.
Yan Nuo looked at An Jiuyue and Qian Yirong, then Qian Jiyun. He raised his hand and touched his nose.
He knew he was wrong. He would never listen to Qian Yiyun and allow her to bring the two boys to play hide-and-seek again.
However, it was clear An Jiuyue no longer trusted him. Carrying her own son was safer than handing him to someone else.
"An Jiuyue, return him to me!"
1
Wang Xing'er regained her composure and glared fiercely at An Jiuyue, almost drilling a hole through her.
I caught him, so he should stay with me. How can An Jiuyue have him?
"I'm going to kill that little thing and make you— Ah!"
Not wanting to hear any more of Wang Xing'er's filthy words, An Jiuyue shot her other elbow. The wounds on her arms were now symmetrical.
An Jiuyue's gun was equipped with a silencer, so it would not make too much noise.
"I was really too kind!"
If she had killed this woman that day, Rong'er would not have been frightened today.
However, there were too many people that day, and it was inappropriate to attack her then.
Yet, not only did Wang Xing'er not stay in the straw shed after contracting the disease, but she also wanted to harm more people! She did not expect this woman to be so crazy.
She looked at Wang Xing'er's legs and pointed the gun at her left foot.
Doesn't Wang Xing like cutting people into pieces? I may not have that hobby, but I can torture people slowly too.
Qian Jiyun held her wrist and said softly, "Jiuyue, bring Rong'er back first. Leave this to me."
He felt he should be the one to do the killing. There was no need for his wife to do it.
"No need." An Jiuyue shook her head coldly and shook off his hand.
She realized she could not trust anyone but herself. Otherwise, something bad might really happen one day! She did not want to do something like this to happen again.
"I can handle it myself."
She shot Wang Xing'er fatally as she spoke. There was no need to keep a person like her until the new year.
Turning around, she looked at Yan Nuo and asked, "Burn this corpse, will you?"
"Uh…" Yan Nuo was stunned.
I know my mistake. Does she have to be so sarcastic?
"I know I was wrong, Master. Next time, I won't—"
"There won't be a next time." An Jiuyue did not give him a chance to continue. She turned around and left.
Next time? Why would I put Zheng'er and Rong'er in Qian Yiyun and Yan Nuo's care again? I'll bring them with me wherever I go from now on.
I have a microcosmic space. Will bringing a few children along be difficult for me?
She put the gun back into her space and left with Qian Yirong. She did not want to stay here any longer.
"Master…" Yan Nuo looked at Qian Jiyun.
"Clean up this place," Qian Jiyun said simply and followed An Jiuyue.
…
Qian Yizheng leaned against the window and looked out of the treehouse.
His eyes lit up when he saw his mother carrying his brother home. He got off the stool swiftly and went to the stairs, waiting for his mother to bring his brother upstairs.
Qian Yiyun saw them too. She stood behind Qian Yizheng and waited for them.
Chapter 195: Bring You Along Wherever I Go
After An Jiuyue carried Qian Yirong up, Qian Yiyun quickly reached out, wanting to hold him in her arms. She wanted to comfort him to atone for not watching over him carefully.
"Sister-in-law, let me carry Rong'er."
An Jiuyue looked up and glanced at her. She dodged her hand while hugging her son.
"No need for that."
I can't go overboard because she's their biological auntie, but I still don't want her to touch Rong'er.
"I'll carry him myself. Zheng'er, come and accompany Rong'er back to the room."
She held Qian Yizheng's hand with one hand and carried Qian Yirong with the other arm. She reached the top of the stairs and walked by Qian Yiyun before returning to the two children's room.
"Sister-in-law…"
Qian Yiyun turned around and looked at An Jiuyue's back. There were thousands of words in her heart, but she could not utter a single of them.
An Jiuyue had repeatedly instructed her to stay in the treehouse before she went to the forest with her brother. However, she insisted on bringing the two little ones to play hide-and-seek in the forest.
She felt she deserved to be taught a lesson—An Jiuyue must have thought so too.
If I'm not their aunt, I might be chased away!
"Big Brother, I…"
"Go boil some water. Rong'er needs a bath."
Qian Jiyun knew very well that An Jiuyue would not allow him to touch Qian Yirong, let alone anyone else.
Hence, he gave his sister some things to do so she would not disturb An Jiuyue and the two children.
…
"Mother…"
After returning to his room, Qian Yirong could no longer hold back his emotions and started crying.
After all, he was still a child. He had never encountered a situation like that before. He had been frightened and thought he would not survive.
Qian Yizheng started crying as well. The two brothers sat on An Jiuyue's left and right and hugged each other as they cried.
An Jiuyue did not look well either. She hugged the two children tightly.
Countless thoughts crossed her mind. She knew she had to be held most accountable for this matter. She should not have confidently left the children at home.
If she had not gone into the forest, the two boys would definitely be around her. Wang Xing'er would not have the opportunity to capture them.
She patted their backs and coaxed them, "Be good. I'll bring you along wherever I go in the future. Don't cry. Don't cry."
It took a while to coax them.
After that, she thought about how Qian Yirong came into contact with Wang Xing'er, who was infected with the disease. Everyone in the family would be implicated.
Her head hurt at the thought of this. This was really troublesome.
"Wei Na, what do you think I should do now?"
Things at home were a mess. It was difficult for her to do anything with five children around.
But it was impossible to revolve her whole life around the five children and not do anything else, right?
"Master, you can unlock a courtyard house in the microcosmic space and use your points to exchange for a few attendants to serve you," Wei Na suggested.
An Jiuyue's eyes lit up.
It was necessary to buy a house, and she had considered this before. She could even rest inside her microcosmic space when she went out in the future.
However, she had never considered exchanging points for a few attendants to serve her.
Chapter 196: Buying a House With Four Courtyards?
"I'll take a look first."
She nodded and looked down at the two children, who sat obediently in her arms.
"Zheng'er, Rong'er, sit on the bed. I've made a mechanical bird toy for you. Can you find a way to make it fly?
After placing the two boys on the bed, she took a mechanical bird toy out of her microcosmic space and gave it to them.
The two little ones were also brave. When they saw the toy, they immediately forgot what had happened and began discussing it softly.
An Jiuyue looked at them and chuckled before sinking her consciousness into the Points Mall.
The Points Mall sold everything she could and could not think of. There were also many types of houses sold.
For example, a house resembling a warehouse could be bought with 1,000 Points. It was as big as a piece of jade land.
However, a regular residence required more than that.
At least 3,500 points were required for a residence with two courtyards. Yet, the house did not have much, only having a master bedroom, east and west wing rooms, a guest room, a kitchen, and a bathroom.
They could still make do with living in this house since the children were still young. However, they would not be able to do so in a few years when they grow up.
While the house could be sold back to the Points Mall, the number of points recovered had to be halved. An Jiuyue would only receive 1,750 points if she sold a house worth 3,500 points.
She shifted her attention to the residence with three courtyards without hesitation.
Although this one only had a few more rooms than the other, there would be enough rooms for the children. She would even have space for more children.
However, it also required an additional 1,000 points. She might have to sell everything she had to gather 4,500 points.
And if she wanted two attendants to watch over her children, she would definitely have to sell everything she had. She might not even have a single point left after that.
But did An Jiuyue care about that? Not at all.
1
She could earn more points, but she would not tolerate anything happening to her children again.
Wei Na sensed what she was thinking and suggested, "Master, you will have over 1,000 points remaining after you buy a residence with three courtyards.
"You can buy three attendants to keep the children company for half a year. These attendants require fewer points—only 200 each."
In reality, these attendants were paper effigies without a mind of their own. They were crafted by people from other planes and sold in the Points Mall.
Those people could craft batches of these things without much effort. Hence, these paper effigies did not require as many points.
An Jiuyue raised her hand and knocked her forehead with her clenched fist.
She did not care about the points since could sell another wild boar if necessary. She had to buy a bigger house to plan for the future. She did not want to buy a house only to sell it soon after. That would be quite troublesome.
"I'll sell a wild boar," she said.
"Master, are you buying a house with four courtyards?"
Wei Na was a little astonished, but An Jiuyue's actions were not completely unexpected.
The number of points required for a house with four courtyards was 7,000. It was not that they could not afford it at all.
Besides, a house like that would be more spacious. They could even plant a few fruit trees inside.
A wild boar disappeared before Wei Na's eyes as it spoke.
Chapter 197: Five Male Servants
The points accumulated in the Points Mall immediately increased, but 7,000 points disappeared altogether at lightning speed right after.
Wei Na was startled. It could not help feeling heartache for the points.
7,000 points! It'll be enough to unlock half a pasture! Yet, she spent it all just like that!
An Jiuyue nodded in satisfaction as a residence appeared in front of her. She then chose three regular male servants from the Points Mall.
These paper effigies were only differentiated by gender. Otherwise, they all had the same disposition.
She spent 600 points on the three male servants. Then, she directed her attention to another servant.
"Warrior-servant." As its name suggested, these servants were skilled in combat.
She would not have to worry that her children would be kidnapped if she had a servant like that around them.
She bought two warrior-servants without hesitation, with the plans of having them accompany Zheng'er and Rong'er every day.
"Master…" Wei Na was very stunned.
She actually bought two warrior-servants at once!
Each warrior-servant costs 1,000 points, and buying two means spending 2,000 points! She spent a total of 2,600 points on the servants alone. The Points Mall sure is stingy with discounts.
Is she preparing to stop having those people outside look after her children? But it makes sense. It'd be strange if she trusts them with her children again.
An Jiuyue raised her eyebrows and asked, "Do you have a problem with that?"
Wei Na was speechless.
Why would I have a problem with that? You're the one who earned the points, so you have the right to spend them. They are nothing but a string of numbers to me.
"I have no problems with that. None whatsoever," it said quickly, making its point.
Wei Na knew she was in a bad mood today. It did not want to provoke her either.
"Master, the Points Mall also sells Spirit-Cleansing Pills. Do you want to buy one? You'll be protected from the epidemic disease if you dissolve the pill in water and drink it," Wei Na suggested.
An Jiuyue's eyes lit up when she heard that. She selected the medicinal pills and elixirs section and searched for the Spirit-Cleansing Pills. Every pill cost 700 points. It was passable.
She bought one decisively and planned to dissolve it in the water while cooking later to rid all the viruses everyone might be carrying.
Soon, there were five servants in the newly purchased residence. All of them were male.
An Jiuyue did not enter the residence to take a look.
"Zheng'er, Rong'er, I bought a big house. Let's move in now, okay?"
The two boys looked away from the mechanical bird toy and at their mother.
"Really?"
They did not care about big houses. As long as they could live together with their mother, they did not care where they lived.
However, after what happened with Wang Xing'er, they also felt that safety was the most important.
"Yes. Nobody will bully you after we move into the big house." An Jiuyue reached out and patted their heads lovingly.
She did not waste any time and picked them up. They arrived at the residence in the Microcosm in a flash.
The five servants were already on standby. They bowed respectfully when they saw An Jiuyue enter with the two children.
Chapter 198: Why Are All the Children Gone?
"Greetings, Master. Greetings, Young Masters."
An Jiuyue set the children down so they could stand.
"Zheng'er, Rong'er, I bought these people to take care of you. You can look for them if you need anything in the future. I'll also bring Lu'er, Zhou'er, and Xing'er home later. You can play together," she said.
"Okay, Mother!"
Qian Yizheng held Qian Yirong's small hand. They proceed to study the residence hand-in-hand.
They had been living on the mountain for as long as they could remember. They had never seen such a large residence and were so happy they were at a loss of what to do.
"Servant One, Servant Two, boil some water and bathe Zheng'er and Rong'er."
An Jiuyue settled Zheng'er and Rong'er into the residence. She watched them familiarize themselves with the five servants.
After comforting them a little more, she exited the microcosmic space.
Qian Jiyun had been standing outside the room, waiting for An Jiuyue to come out.
He could sense that An Jiuyue and the children in the room had disappeared. He waited outside for a long time.
However, by the time Qian Yiyun came to tell him that the hot water was ready, An Jiuyue still did not appear.
He sent Qian Yiyun away and continued to wait outside the door.
After a long time, he detected An Jiuyue's vital energy again, but there was no sign of the two children.
"Jiuyue, Zheng'er and Rong'er…"
An Jiuyue opened the door and saw Qian Jiyun. She took a deep breath.
"I'll have someone take care of them in the future. You don't have to worry."
She sidestepped the man and went to Qian Yiyun's room. Inside, Yan Nuo held Lu'er, while the two babies slept soundly on the bed.
"Master, you…"
Yan Nuo wanted to say something, but An Jiuyue did not give him a chance.
She took Lu'er into her arms and glanced at Qian Jiyun, who had followed her.
Given the situation, Qian Jiyun went along with her naturally. He took Lu'er in his arms and said to her, "You carry the two babies. I'll carry Lu'er."
An Jiuyue nodded and picked up the two babies before returning to her room.
It was easy coaxing the three children.
The two babies were handed over to the servants directly. There was no need to explain the situation to the babies since they did not know how to talk anyway.
Lu'er was also very obedient. He was fine with anything as long as there was someone to hug him, play with him, and feed him.
An Jiuyue felt relaxed when she came out of her microcosmic space again.
However, she was not fully relaxed. She still had things to do.
The residence was a mere building. There were no food, clothes, or other daily necessities. She had to prepare everything.
She allowed the five servants to pick vegetables in the vegetable fields outside the residence as they pleased. Then, she took some firewood from her pile in the treehouse and placed them in the residence inside the Microcosm.
…
When Qian Yiyun came out of the kitchen again, she was shocked to see that the five children were gone.
"Big Brother, where are Zheng'er and the others?"
It's only been a while. Why are all the children gone?
Qian Jiyun did not say anything. He only glanced at her sternly, implying that she was not allowed to ask anymore.
Qian Yiyun kept quiet and looked at An Jiuyue, who was brewing tea. She did not dare to speak to her sister-in-law.
Chapter 199: Not Letting Qian Jiyun See Her
She guessed that An Jiuyue must have arranged for her children to live somewhere.
Though none of them knew where the children were, they knew it would definitely be a place they could not find.
She might be too afraid to provoke the furious An Jiuyue, but she had indeed done her wrong. She had to apologize. She took a deep breath and slowly walked towards An Jiuyue.
"Sister-in-law—"
"Drink your tea."
Before she could say anything, An Jiuyue handed her a cup of tea.
Qian Yiyun was speechless.
This is definitely not the time to drink tea. Is this farewell tea? Will she chase us away after we drink this cup of tea?
If that's the case, then I won't drink this cup of tea! I refuse!
However, her hands did not obey her thoughts. She took the teacup and took a small sip.
"Mmm."
What a strong medicinal smell!
She almost vomited. Is this tea? Or medicine?
"Qian Jiyun, come and drink too. Yan Nuo, you too."
An Jiuyue looked at Qian Jiyun after she saw Qian Yiyun drink it. Yan Nuo had also returned after settling Wang Xing'er's corpse. He had set a large fire, which burned Wang Xing'er to ashes.
After the four of them drank the medicinal tea, An Jiuyue took out a large porcelain bottle and handed it to Yan Nuo.
"Scatter this all over the paths we've taken before, especially the one Wang Xing'er took. Don't miss a single corner," she instructed.
"Yes, Master."
Yan Nuo obeyed and went to do it happily.
He was relieved she was willing to send him on an errand. It meant she did not treat him as an outsider.
Qian Yiyun heaved a sigh of relief as she watched Yan Nuo leave. She was also thankful her sister-in-law did not treat them as outsiders.
…
After dinner, An Jiuyue dragged Qian Jiyun out the door after some thought.
Although she had raised Qian Yizheng and Qian Yirong, they were still Qian Jiyun's sons. She could not hide them from him, right?
2
"Let's go. I'll take you to them."
After walking for a while, An Jiuyue stopped and turned around to speak to Qian Jiyun.
Qian Jiyun stopped in his tracks and looked at An Jiuyue in surprise. He thought she would not let anyone learn her secret. He did not expect her to reveal it to him so easily.
Although he was very happy, he still frowned slightly.
The young lady is too honest. She might suffer in the future. I'm a soldier and can't protect her all the time.
"Jiuyue…"
An Jiuyue did not have the time to listen to him. She brought him into the residence in the Microcosm.
"Greetings, Master."
Servant One bowed and greeted them when he saw them enter.
"This is Young Master Qian."
An Jiuyue looked at Qian Jiyun and introduced him to the servant.
"Greetings, Young Master Qian." Servant One bowed to Qian Jiyun.
"Jiuyue, they are…"
Qian Jiyun was surprised to see a male servant beside An Jiuyue.
"They're—"
"Mother, Uncle Qian."
Qian Yizheng and Qian Yirong were studying the mechanical bird toy their mother had given them in the courtyard. They turned around when they heard the commotion and ran over immediately when they saw them.
An Jiuyue was interrupted and squatted down to pick up Qian Yirong.
Chapter 200: The Present Situation
"Be careful. Don't fall."
Qian Jiyun picked up Qian Yizheng and shelved his questions regarding the male servant temporarily.
They coaxed the two children for a while before Servant Three arrived carrying Lu'er.
Zheng'er and Rong'er could not keep still in their arms any longer and wriggled down to play with Lu'er.
They were still playing with the mechanical bird toy as they had yet to figure out how it could fly.
An Jiuyue knew what Qian Jiyun wanted to ask, so she explained, "They're not humans. They're paper effigies I got at the Points Mall. I can't explain it to you in a short time, so I won't."
In ancient times, no one would question a man if he had thousands of female attendants.
However, people would not accept a woman with a male attendant. They would point fingers and say bad things about her.
That was the present situation.
Fortunately, her servants stayed within the microcosmic space. Only the warrior-servants could leave and accompany Zheng'er and Rong'er.
But then again, she was not afraid of what people would say. It was not like she would lose anything because someone said something.
Qian Jiyun understood. He was not surprised because An Jiuyue had many strange things.
"You can raise the two deer in this residence. That way, Zheng'er and Rong'er won't feel bored," he suggested.
An Jiuyue was planning to raise not only the deer but also a nest of long-haired rabbits and a few pheasants in the courtyard. Her small children could raise small animals.
"I will." She took a deep breath and exhaled heavily. "I didn't expect Wang Xing'er to really do such a heinous thing. I was too careless."
She was the one who rescued Wang Xing'er from the flood. Back then, she did not know this woman was so vicious.
Wang Xing'er even thanked her sincerely. Who would have known she deemed An Jiuyue a hateful woman in her heart?
Indeed, one should not judge a book by its cover or judge another by an incident.
Any incident could change someone and change them beyond recognition. The selfishness and viciousness within Wang Xing'er were instantly unveiled during the epidemic.
"It's not your fault." Qian Jiyun did not know what to say.
They were not at fault. No one would have expected someone to boldly drag her unwell body to seek revenge from someone who had never offended her!
He parted his thin lips. He wanted to say that arranging for the children to live here was not a long-term solution.
However, he could not say it out loud.
Even he was a little afraid after what had happened this time, let alone An Jiuyue, who had been with the children all day and night. It was safest to keep the children here.
Of course, An Jiuyue knew keeping the children here was not a long-term solution.
But she had no choice. Given the raging epidemic, she would not be able to find a house and buy it.
An Yilu, An Yizhou, and An Yixing were still young and could be raised in the Microcosm for a few years.
Meanwhile, Zheng'er and Rong'er could be allowed to leave the Microcosm every day. She could rest assured as long as Warrior-Servant One and Warrior-Servant Two accompanied them. Their combat abilities were beyond the people of this era.