Transmigrating to ancient times with a kitchen

by Usui Takumii

not mine, all novel updates.

4. 61 to 80

61 Buying Cattle

After moving into the new house, there was good news from Uncle Ox. There was a new batch of cattle in the ox market, and there were healthy breeds there.

Hearing this, Jian Qingqing immediately rushed to the ox market with Uncle Ox.

A small manager in the ox market was familiar with Uncle Ox. When they went there, Manager Zhang immediately took them to see the cattle.

"There are many people watching this cattle. Those landlords all want it, but they can't bear to spend so much money. Oh, rich people like to ask for a lot of discounts on them. They don't want to spend a penny more, but they are very generous with other things. I heard that Master Huang and Master Ding's sons fought in Red Garden for a girl, and in the end, Master Huang spent a lot of money to win the heart of a beauty…"

Jian Qingqing listened to Manager Zhang ramble on about the gossip of these rich people. When she sold the braised meat, she realized that although Shifeng County had suffered a serious disaster. This drought did not seem to have any effect on the rich people. Instead, they had become even richer, the ones who suffered and lost their families were only the ordinary people at the bottom.

They were all a group of profiteers and capitalists who preyed on the less fortunate.

"Oh right, Young Lady, if you decide to buy it, hurry up and pay the money to lead the oxen away. Otherwise, if those big landlords find out, I'm afraid there will be trouble."

"Okay."

There were twenty oxen in this batch of oxen in the ox market. There were three high-grade oxen, and all three of them were very well-built. Uncle Ox and Manager Zhang recommended buying the largest one, as it had great strength and could do heavy work.

Jian Qingqing, on the other hand, had her eyes set on the middle-grade one. She felt that the largest one had a rather big temper, and the middle-grade one was the most docile. It would not lose its temper even if it was being prodded by other oxen. She was going to drive the ox cart to the county town every day. If its temper was too big and difficult to control, she did not dare to use it.

Uncle Ox pried open its teeth and looked at it carefully. He patted its back and finally said, "This one will do as well. They are all high-grade oxen. However, this one is a cow, so it might not have the strength to do the work."

Jian Qingqing felt that it did not matter if it was a male or a female. The most important thing was to get along with them.

"It doesn't matter. It's fine if it's a cow. In the future, when I buy a bull, I can have a baby. Then I'll make a profit."

Uncle Ox choked up. It was already the highest that an ordinary family could buy a cow. Who would buy two oxen for no reason? Only Jian Qingqing made a lot of money and was rich.

He waved his hand and said, "Buy it, buy it."

"Hehe."

Jian Qingqing paid nine taels of silver. She registered the cow and was about to leave.

However, at this moment, an accident happened.

A group of people walked towards them. On the left was a man wearing a butler's uniform. He was nodding and bowing to the man in the middle.

"Butler Wang, the three high-quality cattle are all here. They are all good cattle. If you want all of them, you can give me a discount of two taels of silver."

The man in the middle, who was Butler Wang, raised his head high and looked very arrogant.

Jian Qingqing accidentally bumped into them. She led the cattle to the side and wanted to wait for them to go over.

However, the manager of the ox market still saw her. He frowned and scolded, "Who are you? Why are you holding a high-grade cow!"

Jian Qingqing frowned and suppressed her dissatisfaction. "This is already my cow. I spent money to buy it."

When he heard this, not only did the manager not let her go, he was even more aggressive. "Who sold it to you? How can you buy this cow? You poor country bumpkins have the nerve to buy a high-grade cow?"

Jian Qingqing was furious. If she had not paid the money, she might have let the cow go. She could have bought something else. After all, she did not have any background, so she did not need to fight with these people over a cow. However, the cow was now hers, and this manager's attitude was really annoying.

62 Bullying Others

She sneered, "Then who are you? With such big words, could it be that you are a relative of the royal family? But that's strange, which royal relative would bow down to a butler? I'm afraid you are also a poor country bumpkin!"

"You!" The steward was extremely angry.

"What a sharp-tongued girl!" Butler Wang said with a strange tone, "Do you know who I am? I am the butler of the Huang Residence. Be sensible and leave the cow behind. Otherwise, if you offend our Huang Residence, you will not be able to bear the consequences!"

Jian Qingqing also imitated his sarcastic tone. "Oh, so it is the Huang Residence. Is it the emperor's in-laws? However, with such a rich and noble identity, why would you fight with me for a cow? I am afraid that you have gone mad from poverty, right?"

Butler Wang was furious. "Men, take this wretched girl down for me!"

Jian Qingqing was not afraid of him. She reached into her pocket and took out a dagger from the Spatial Kitchen. "Come on! Let's see who dies faster today!"

The servants who had followed Butler Wang were all unarmed. Seeing her take out her weapon, they were afraid to step forward.

Butler Wang was exasperated. "There are so many of you! What are you afraid of! Hurry up and catch her!"

At this moment, Manager Zhang and Uncle Ox, who had been chatting in the backyard, hurried over.

"Butler Wang, I sold this cow to her. If you want the cow, please allow me to take it back for you!"

"Yes, Master Wang. This girl is my granddaughter. She's not sensible. Please don't lower yourself to her level. We'll give this cow to you."

The Huang Family was a big family in Shifeng County. They were all commoners without power and influence. They could not win against others, so they could only give up money to survive.

Jian Qingqing could not bear to see them bow and scrape like this. Seeing that they were forced to bow to such a despicable person because of her, she was so angry that her eyes were red. She went forward and pulled them to the side.

Uncle Ox and Manager Zhang could not dissuade her, so they could only follow her strength and stand up.

The butler who followed behind Butler Wang had never been on good terms with Manager Zhang. It was rare to see him so humble, they could not help but laugh strangely. "Oh, Manager Zhang, this really tells us one thing. Never make friends with poor country bumpkins. Those people have cheap lives and are easy to offend. They don't even know when they get themselves in trouble!"

Jian Qingqing could not be bothered with such a villain. She glared fiercely at Butler Wang. She said coldly, "I will never let you have my cow. If you dare to snatch it, try it. Your Huang family doesn't authority in Shifeng County. If you dare to snatch it, I dare to report it to the officials. Let's see if the County Magistrate is on your side or mine!"

After saying that, she pulled Uncle Ox and led him away.

Butler Wang and the others were stunned by her words. They did not dare to stop her for a moment and just let her go.

If it was the previous county magistrate, Butler Wang would definitely snatch it. Even if he killed this little girl, nothing would happen. But now, Shifeng County was clearly aware that County Magistrate Ming was ruthless. He had killed the largest scholar clan in Shifeng County to establish his authority, if he committed a crime in his hands, he would definitely not be let off lightly.

In a flustered mood, he kicked the lackey butler and said sinisterly, "Go, find out what identity that little girl has!"

The butler suppressed the resentment in his heart and said meekly, "Yes."

After leaving the cattle market, Jian Qingqing and the others continued to walk further. They only stopped when they walked out of this street.

Manger Zhang shook his head and disagreed, "Miss Jian, you were too impulsive just now. The Huang family is a big force in Shifeng County. They will not let you off."

63 Reporting to the Authorities

Jian Qingqing nodded. "I know, Uncle Zhang, but it's not that they will let me go if I give in. People like them never take human lives seriously. If I don't do anything, they will find fault with me. And I'm not blindly impulsive. The new County Magistrate is an extremely decent person. He won't ignore these matters. I'm sorry, Uncle Zhang. I've implicated you."

Manager Zhang sighed. "Sigh, it's good that you know what to do. I'm fine. I'm from Bull City. A small butler like him can't do anything to me. Then I'll leave first. You have to take care of your own safety."

Jian Qingqing nodded obediently. "Okay, goodbye, Uncle Zhang."

After watching Manager Zhang leave, Jian Qingqing was silent for a moment. She said to Uncle Ox, who was worried about her, "Uncle, please find a food stall and wait for me. I'll go to the county office to look for the officials."

Uncle Ox looked at her worriedly. "Is that okay? Aren't those bailiffs in cahoots with those landlords?"

He had never seen any bailiffs who would care about these things. Many commoners were unwilling to look for bailiffs even if they had nowhere else to go. Sometimes, if they did not look for bailiffs, there was still a way to survive. If they looked for bailiffs, there would be nothing left.

Jian Qingqing comforted him. "The situation now is different from before. This County Magistrate is a good person. I know him. He will help me."

Although Uncle Ox did not know how she knew a County Magistrate, he was still relieved. "That's fine. I will wait for you at the tea shop in front. I will take good care of your cow. Don't worry."

"Thank you, Uncle."

…

When Jian Qingqing arrived at the county office, the officer on duty at the door recognized her.

One of them went in to report, and the other went up to greet her with a smile. "Miss Jian, why are you here?"

Jian Qingqing smiled and said, "I'm here to report to the officials."

The official was stunned for a moment and then said, "Oh, oh. Then, then you come with me."

The official led the way in front and was amazed. This Miss Jian was really different from ordinary people. Other people would only hide from the officials, but she came to report to the officials if she had something to do.

He brought Jian Qingqing to the office of the County Magistrate, Ming Zhiyan was already waiting there.

Seeing that she had arrived, he looked up at her, stood up, and said, "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

Jian Qingqing told him everything that had happened in the cattle market.

Ming Zhiyan did not have any expression after listening to her, it was impossible to tell whether he was happy or angry. He pondered for a moment and said, "Don't worry. I will take care of this matter. I won't let anything happen to you."

Jian Qingqing knew that she could rest assured of his character. The corners of her mouth curled up into a brilliant smile. "Thank you. Sorry for the trouble."

Ming Zhiyan replied, "Mm, it's fine. This is what I should do."

After saying this, Jian Qingqing also felt relieved. She left the county office and returned home.

After Jian Qingqing left, Ming Zhiyan's face darkened. He said coldly, "Move faster. The Huang family must die tomorrow!"

Wang Li replied firmly, "Yes!"

The Huang family was the family of a concubine of Prefect Song. Song Yuancheng's ordinary wealth was managed by the Huang family. They were also acting arrogantly in Shifeng County.

Not a single member of their family was clean. Ming Zhiyan planned to get rid of them on the first day he came here and cut off one of Song Yuancheng's arms. They had done enough to lay the groundwork. The Huang family was going to be destroyed sooner or later.

However, they had made a move on Jian Qingqing, they had only sped up their death.

Wang Li knew that his Master was very concerned about Jian Qingqing. However, she had saved his Master's life before, so Wang Li was also very concerned about Jian Qingqing.

64 A Feast for the Cattle

Jian Qingqing led the cattle home and caused a commotion among the villagers. Cattle held a very high and sacred status in the hearts of the farmers. No one in Jian village had ever raised cattle before. Not only did Jian Qingqing's family build a large brick house, but they also bought cattle, it seemed that they had really made a fortune.

However, this time, no one was envious. They were all happy for them because Jian Qingqing had taught them about the Dendrobium. That thing had made them a huge profit.

Jian Qingqing's cow had just arrived home when wave after wave of villagers came. Everyone wanted to take a look and touch it. There was even someone who proposed to hold a banquet for the cow, winning the approval of the villagers.

Jian Qingqing was speechless. "This… There's no need for that."

The person who suggested pushed her away. "What do you know? I shouldn't be discussing this with you anyway."

Then, he said to Old Man Jian, "Uncle Zong Quan, what do you think? If we hold a banquet for the cow, it will be happy. If it is happy, it will work even harder."

Old Man Jian was currently caressing the cow's body. When he heard this, he pondered for a moment and said, "Alright. Big Sister, go and prepare. We will treat the villagers to a meal tomorrow. Be happy!"

Jian Qingqing sighed. "Alright."

It was her first time seeing a banquet for the cow. However, when she thought about how there were people in modern times who invited relatives and friends for a meal after having a new car, the cow's status in the hearts of these people was even higher than the car's status among the modern people. With this in mind, she did not find it strange.

Jian Qingqing gloated at the main character of tomorrow's banquet. This cow's temper was really good. It did not lose its temper even after being touched by others. It stood there meekly and let others touch it.

Before the sky turned dark, Jian Qingqing put the cow on the cart and rushed to the county town to buy the dishes for tomorrow's banquet.

The next day, Jian Qingqing woke up early to cook. She saw that the cow was being wrapped in red silk by Mother Jian. One of the silk was tied to the cow's body and the other was tied to the cow's head.

The cow stood there obediently as Mother Jian tied the silk on it. Jian Qingqing looked at it and found that it was quite humorous.

She shook her head and went into the kitchen to cook. Forget it, let them have their fun. The cow was bought for fun anyway.

Today's banquet was much simpler than the previous one in the new house. However, everyone was still very happy. Everyone who came brought a basket of fodder. The main character of the banquet was wearing red silk and eating very happily. There was a circle of people watching it eat. If there were cameras in this era, she believed that everyone would take a photo with it and post it on social media.

After the banquet, she had to continue working hard. After all, one ox cost her nine taels of silver and another three taels of silver for the banquet.

Now that she had a pot and a mode of transport, Jian Qingqing decided to do a big job. She directly stewed 200 catties of stewed meat and sold it.

When she entered the county, she heard that the Huang family had been exiled.

Jian Qingqing listened carefully. It turned out that the matter of trafficking in human beings in Huang's family had been exposed.

That person was the lady from Hong Yuan whom Master Huang had spent a lot of money on. She heard that just as this lady entered the door, she was beaten into the woodshed by Madam Huang.

That lady overheard the matter and felt resentful, so she reported it to the County Magistrate. The County Magistrate acted quickly, and all the men involved were locked up in prison, waiting to be executed. The elderly, the young, women, and children were exiled.

Jian Qingqing knew that this kind of family dirty business would not be rare, but she did not expect it to be such a disgusting thing. How many families would be destroyed by this? Even though Ming Zhiyan was fast, she did not know whether it was because she had found out about her trap early in the morning or because it had really been exposed at the last minute.

However, Jian Qingqing was very happy that the hidden danger had been eliminated.

65 Jian Rong

Jian Qingqing was not so busy after spring. Occasionally, Mother Jian would help her go to the stall, so she had some free time.

Usually, she would go learn to read from Xiao Hu and the others how to read. She had not learned many words yet.

Jian Qingqing realized that Xiao Ye was more talented than Xiao Hu when it came to reading. Every time Xiao Hu came back from school and was asked about what he had learned, he would scratch his ears and cheeks. "Teacher told me about it, but I just can't remember it clearly."

As for Xiao Ye, his memory was really good. He could remember everything that his teacher had said clearly. After all, Xiao Ye was only five years old, and Xiao Hu was three years older than him.

Therefore, Xiao Ye became Jian Qingqing's little teacher, holding a book and shaking his head as he taught her. He was very proud.

The words and poems in this era were completely different from the era in her previous life. Jian Qingqing had a very hard time learning them. She could only follow the interpretation of the words taught by Xiao Ye and mark them in modern Chinese. She practiced them more than ten times a day, which reminded her of her ten years of studying in the modern world.

Alas, it was painful. She had graduated from university many years ago. Why did she have to study all over again?

She looked at Xiao Ye with envy. Why was his brain so good? He could recognize and write the words after see them once, even though they were still crooked.

Xiao Ye also did not understand why his sister was so stupid. She could not learn a word after teaching it many times, but he did not dare to say it out loud. He could only crouch in the corner and sigh silently.

Apart from learning to read, Jian Qingqing also remembered to take care of her treasures. She fertilized the crops and weeded them. The sweet potatoes had already grown many vines. She cut them off and planted them on the newly reclaimed sand.

The Jian Family was suspicious of this new crop. However, Jian Qingqing had earned quite a lot of money now. They did not need to rely on this little bit of land. Therefore, they did not care about Jian Qingqing planting these things.

One day, when Jian Rong came to the Jian Family's house. Jian Qingqing was practicing her calligraphy. Xiao Ye stood by the side and stared at her. When she saw Jian Rong, her eyes lit up and she threw down her pen, she flew out happily and asked, "Xiao Rong, why are you here? Are you looking for us to go out and play?"

Jian Rong said awkwardly, "No… Sister Qingqing, I have something to ask you."

Jian Qingqing was disappointed for a moment, then she asked, "Oh, tell me what it is."

Jian Rong said embarrassedly, "It's just… um…"

Jian Qingqing saw that he could not say anything for a long time, so she said with a smile, "Is there anything I can help you with? I will help you if I can."

Jian Rong closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Sister Qingqing, do you know where the county is recruiting workers? I can do anything!"

Jian Qingqing was stunned for a moment. Why did he have to look for her when he could find a job himself? Then she realized that he must have already looked, and they did not want him. So, he came to find her to see if she had any acquaintances who would help him.

Jian Qingqing thought for a moment. Jian Rong was a few months younger than her. He was only eight years old, so no one would want him as a worker. Although she went to the county every day, she really did not know many people. Although there were many wealthy customers, they would not talk about their own family matters. No one knew which family would want to hire a male servant.

Moreover, she was only the owner of a stall. They did not have much of a relationship with her, so she was in a difficult situation.

Suddenly, she had an idea.

If no one wanted to hire her, she could hire them!

She looked at Jian Rong with a sinister smile. "Xiao Rong, do you want to do business with me?"

66 Jian's Braised Meat

"Ah?" Jian Rong looked at her in a daze. "What business?"

"Selling meat!"

Jian Rong was puzzled. "But aren't you the one selling meat? Do you want me to sell it for you?"

"No, I want to franchise. I want to wholesale stewed meat. Then you can buy it from me and sell it in the county or other counties."

Jian Rong did not understand what 'franchise' and 'wholesale' meant, but he understood the latter part of the explanation.

His eyes lit up. "Is that okay? Does that mean I can buy meat from you and sell it in other counties?"

Jian Qingqing nodded. "That's right, that's what I mean. But in order to let people know that I'm selling this stewed meat at a glance, and to make my stewed meat a brand that everyone knows, I want to make a… logo."

She had wanted to say logo, however, it was difficult to explain what it was.

The more she thought about it, the more excited she became. Jian Qingqing waved her arm and said, "Xiao Ye, write down our family name!"

Xiao Ye was helpless. He had already taught them their family name two days ago. At that time, his sister said that she already knew it. How could she forget it after only two days?

Xiao Ye had no choice but to grind the ink and write a tender 'Jian' character on the rough paper.

Jian Qingqing took out the Four Treasures of the Study that Ming Zhiyan had given her and used the good ink and paper inside to draw a vivid logo based on the 'Jian' character.

In her previous life, she studied art and worked in an art design company. She had designed logos for many companies, so she was very good at this.

The logo was transformed from 'Jian' into a large piece of braised meat. It was very fat and cute.

Jian Qingqing thought for a moment and drew a tiger and a wolf on top, one on the left and one on the right, with their mouths wide open, fighting for the piece of meat. Then, at the bottom, there was an endless prairie.

Just like that, a vivid and cute logo of the 'Jian's Braised Meat' was done.

The three children looked at the drawing with their mouths wide open. They were amazed.

"Wow! Sister, you are so awesome!"

"Sister, your painting is really beautiful!"

Seeing Xiao Ye's look of admiration, Jian Qingqing smiled smugly. "Now you know how amazing your sister is! Do you still dislike me in the future?"

He thought that she did not know, every time she asked a question, this kid would look at her as if she was an idiot.

Xiao ye chuckled embarrassedly. He thought that his sister did not know. "Sister, I won't do it again in the future. You're the best!"

Jian Rong asked curiously, "Sister Qingqing, what's this for?"

"This will be the symbol of our Jian family's stewed meat in the future. Later, I'll paint this symbol on my big cloth. In the future, when we go out to the stalls, we'll hang this cloth. This way, people will know that it's our stewed meat with one look, and they won't be afraid of being imitated."

Jian Rong praised, "Sister Qingqing, you're really smart!"

"Hehe."

The next day, Jian Qingqing sold 30 catties of stewed meat to Jian Rong so that he could bring it to the neighboring county to test the waters. She would give him a profit of 20 wen per catty of stewed meat, and the price of the stewed meat would be fixed.

At the same time, she also told this news to the villagers, but no one cared about her. Business was not that easy to do. No family had the spare money to wholesale. What if they could not sell it and wasted the meat? The meat was so expensive.

Jian Rong could do it because he was the only man in his family. In the future, he would be the breadwinner of the entire family. Therefore, his grandmother and mother listened to him very much. Previously, he had also earned a lot of money by selling mushrooms, honeysuckle, and Iron-skinned Dendrobium.

Now, many people in the village said that he was bold. He had put all his family's assets into it. If he could not do it, it would be terrible.

Jian Rong and Jian Qingqing did not care about these words at all. There was no such thing as free business. The greater the risk, the greater the return.

67 Xiao Hu and Xiao Ye Disappeared

The neighboring County of Shifeng County was Pushan County. The distance from Jian Family Village to Pushan County was about the same as going to Shifeng County, so Jian Rong pushed a small cart and walked there early in the morning.

When Jian Qingqing returned from the county, Jian Rong had already returned to the village.

Seeing her, Jian Rong ran over excitedly. "Sister Qingqing! This stewed meat is very popular in Pushan County!"

Jian Qingqing was happy for him. "Is that so? Tell me about the situation there."

Jian Rong excitedly told her about his situation in Pushan County. "When I went there, I found a crowded market. When I lifted the lid, all those people gathered around. However, they only asked about the price and refused to buy it because they thought it was too expensive. Some people wanted to try it, but I refused. How expensive is this meat? I won't let them eat it for free!"

"Sister Qingqing, do you know what I did in the end?" Jian Rong asked.

Jian Qingqing also asked curiously, "How did you do it?"

Jian Rong said exaggeratedly, "Didn't I take three buns for lunch? They didn't buy it, and I was hungry again, so I took out the bun and dipped it in the gravy. Sister Qingqing, your gravy is so delicious. I only dipped it in the gravy and had two buns in a row. Then I was so engrossed in it that when I looked up, all the people were staring at my bun. Some of them even drooled!"

"Then, when I came up with the idea, I picked up a piece of braised meat and ate it happily. They couldn't stand it anymore. They all paid me for the braised meat. None of them bargained with me!"

Jian Qingqing gave him a look of praise. She did not expect this kid to know how to broadcast his eating process! In her previous life, she often watched the live stream broadcast late at night and ordered a lot of things passionately. Watching other people eat really made created an appetite.

"Then you can take 50 catties to try it tomorrow. There should be more people buying it tomorrow."

"Okay! Thank you, Sister Qingqing!"

…

Xiao Hu and Xiao Ye were in school at the Detian Academy. Jian Qingqing had to send them lunch every afternoon.

In summer, the weather was as hot as a stove. The moment one moved, one would be covered in sweat. It was so sticky that it was hard to bear.

Jian Qingqing stood under a big tree outside the academy, waiting for her brothers. The cicadas on the branches chirped non-stop.

She picked up a cicada molt and played with it in her hand. She vaguely remembered that this cicada molt seemed to be a medicinal herb. There were many children in the village, and no one watched them play frequently. If she found a task for them to do, she could earn some pocket money.

Yes, she could ask Wei Wusheng if he would accept this.

After waiting for a quarter of an hour, no one came out. The other students had already finished their lunch and returned to the academy. What was going on?

Jian Qingqing glanced around and saw an acquaintance from a food stall. Her eyes lit up and she walked over.

"Student Sun, have you seen Xiao Hu and Xiao Ye?" Jian Qingqing asked with a smile.

This student was Xiao Hu's classmate and was also a very good friend. He often ate with them, and Jian Qingqing had also sent him food a few times.

When Sun Shaoning saw Jian Qingqing, his eyes lit up. "Sister Qingqing, what delicious food did you make today? Xiao Hu? He came out long ago to wait for you. He came out earlier than me. Why? Didn't you see them?"

Jian Qingqing frowned. "I've been waiting for them under that big tree for almost 15 minutes, but no one came out."

Sun Shaoning put down his food and said, "Sister Qingqing, don't worry. They might not have come out. I'll go in and look for them."

Jian Qingqing nodded. "Okay, sorry to trouble you."

"It's okay, it's okay. We're all friends."

68 Looking For Them

Jian Qingqing waited outside the door for quite a while before she saw Sun Shaoning walk out with a troubled expression.

She subconsciously felt that something was wrong and her heart panicked. She quickly went forward and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Sister Qingqing, I didn't find them. I've asked my classmates. They haven't seen Xiao Hu since they finished eating. Did they go out to eat?"

Jian Qingqing denied, "Impossible. If they went out to eat, they would have told me. They wouldn't have disappeared for no reason. Something must have happened to them."

Sun Shaoning comforted her, "It can't be. They are already familiar with the county. Perhaps they forgot to tell you when they went home for some urgent matter."

Jian Qingqing still felt very uneasy. Xiao Hu and Xiao Ye were both very sensible children. Xiao Hu was carefree and Xiao Ye was careful. They were not children who would make their families worry. They knew that she was waiting for them. They would definitely tell her wherever they went.

She said to Sun Shaoning, "Can you take me to see your teacher? I want to ask him some questions."

Sun Shaoning hesitated for a moment, but still agreed, "Then you can follow me in."

The guards of the academy saw that she was brought in by Sun Shaoning, so they did not stop her. They went all the way to the courtyard where the gentlemen were working.

The teacher who taught Xiao Hu and the others was an old gentleman with white hair, beard, and eyebrows. When he saw Sun Shaoning bring a woman in, he asked in surprise, "Shaoning, who is this lady?"

Jian Qingqing stepped forward and said anxiously, "Hello, Sir. I Am Jian Hu and Jian Ye's sister. I have been waiting for them for a long time today, but I haven't seen them. Student Sun also said that they haven't seen them since class ended. I want to ask if there were any abnormalities in class today?"

Mr. Liang was shocked. Xiao Hu and Xiao Ye were both his students. Especially Xiao Ye, who was very smart. He had been specially trained in the academy, and now that he heard that they had disappeared, he was also very anxious.

He thought for a moment and said, "I didn't see anything unusual in the class. Don't be anxious. I'll ask the people of the academy to look for them."

Jian Qingqing said gratefully, "Thank you, Sir!"

Although the people of the academy helped her to look for them, she could not sit still and wait. She decided to report to the authorities. The missing child was at a crucial time within three hours. It would be much more difficult to find him after that time.

When the bailiff saw her, he subconsciously asked, "Miss Jian, are you reporting it to the officials again?"

Jian Qingqing nodded and quickly said, "My two younger brothers are missing. Can you send people to help me find them?"

Hearing that the child was missing, the bailiff's face turned cold and he said seriously, "Miss Jian, don't worry. I will report it to the officials and send people to find them!"

"Thank you. My brothers are studying at Detian Academy. I waited outside the academy after school today and did not see them. Later, I asked his classmates and teacher, and they also had not seen them. So, they probably disappeared outside the academy at noon."

"Yes, I understand. We will go and look for them now!"

After reporting to the officials, Jian Qingqing went to look for the workers who had built her house before. They had already settled down in Shifeng County with the help of the officials and were now building their own house.

Their settlement was in the outskirts of the county town, not far from the county town. Jian Qingqing rode the horse carriage and ran there quickly.

Ma Jiacai saw her and asked in surprise, "Miss Jian, why are you here? Is there something you need help with?"

Jian Qingqing was already very familiar with them. She hurriedly said, "Uncle Jiacai! Xiao Hu and Xiao Ye are missing. Can you help me return to Jian village to see if they have gone back? Regardless of whether they are here or not, please go to the Detian Academy and inform me."

69 Looking For Them (2)

Ma Jiacai said nervously, "Don't worry, I will find them as soon as possible. As for these people, you can just order them around!"

"Sorry to trouble you."

Jian Qingqing handed the ox-cart to him so that it would be faster.

Ma Jiacai quickly took it and rushed towards Jian Family village.

Their conversation was also seen by the villagers at the side. Many of them who had worked as workers in her house said, "Miss Jian, if you need our help, let us know. We will do our best to help!"

Jian Qingqing nodded and shouted, "This time, I will give a reward to anyone who goes with me to look for them. If anyone finds them, I will reward them heavily!"

When they heard that there was a reward, they all replied, "We will go with you!"

Jian Qingqing roughly arranged for them to go in teams of ten. They were led by workers who knew Xiao Hu and the others to look for people in the county town and the surrounding areas.

After giving them the task, Jian Qingqing could not care less about the sweat all over her body. She ran to the academy under the scorching sun.

Where did Xiao Hu and Xiao Ye go? Did they leave by themselves or were they taken away?

If they were taken away, were they captured by human traffickers or kidnapped by enemies?

Her family had always been friendly in the Jian Family Village and should not have made enemies with others. She only had an argument with the housekeeper of the Huang family when she bought the cow. Could it be them?

However, it had been so long since that incident, and Butler Wang was only a small housekeeper. The dispute between her and him was not that important. The Huang family had been exiled, so it should not be them.

Could it be that they were jealous of their family's income? There were such people. She had been in and out of the county every day, so she had no way of knowing.

She ran all the way to the academy, but she could not think of anything.

When Mr. Liang saw her, he quickly poured her a glass of water. "We have looked everywhere in the academy, but we did not find anyone. The guards at the door said that they had not come back after school, and we have not seen anyone arguing around."

Jian Qingqing gulped down mouthfuls of water. "Sorry to trouble you, Mr. Liang. I will go and look again."

There were some vendors selling food around the academy, mainly for the students in the academy. Now, someone from the government office was questioning them.

Jian Qingqing walked over and listened.

The official saw her and said, "We've asked these vendors. They all said that they didn't notice anyone, but we haven't seen anything strange. No one has been caught or anything."

Jian Qingqing panted heavily. "We haven't found them anywhere. Something must have happened to them. Please look for them again."

The officer promised, "That's what we ought to do."

At this time, Ming Zhiyan was riding a horse, he hurriedly rushed over. He pulled the reins and let out a "woosh' before jumping off the horse.

"How is it? Tell me about the situation."

Jian Qingqing told him all the information, from the time she noticed their disappearance up until now. "Those vendors and guards all said that there was nothing unusual in the vicinity. Then they might have taken the initiative to go with someone or not met with an accident here. But Xiao Hu and the others know their limits. They wouldn't go with someone or go to other places for no reason."

Ming Zhiyan had followed her to the tree where they met every day and did not find anything unusual. They continued to walk along the road. The academy was the last house on this street, and the back was blocked by the wall. Peddlers set up their stalls in front.

Seeing that he was walking back, Jian Qingqing asked in puzzlement, "There's nothing back there. What are you looking for?"

70 Traces

Ming Zhiyan lightly gestured, "Look at the shadow under the wall."

"Huh?" Jian Qingqing was puzzled and followed his gaze.

It was still early, and the shadow of the house was slightly facing east, forming a small shadow under the wall.

There was nothing wrong with it.

No, why was there a shadow under the house?

Jian Qingqing walked over quickly and found a slightly dented ditch between the house and the wall. The shadow of the house fell into the ditch, and from afar, one would not be able to see it.

This ditch was very narrow and could only accommodate one person. At this moment, a few messy footsteps appeared on the wet mud surface of the ditch!

Ming Zhiyan looked down at the footsteps on the ground and slightly raised his head to take a few pieces off the rough wall.

Jian Qingqing asked with a trembling mouth, "Are… are these the footprints of Xiao Hu and Xiao Ye?"

Ming Zhiyan glanced at her, she said, "These footprints are still very fresh. It looks like they haven't been formed for long. There are also a few on the wall. It is speculated that someone climbed over the wall from here. The largest of these footprints is that of an adult man. It weighs about 100 catties. The remaining two are around 70 catties and 50 catties respectively."

It matched Xiao Hu and Xiao Ye's weight. They had measured their weight a few days ago.

However, who was that adult male? Why would Xiao Hu and Xiao Ye climb the wall with him?

Ming Zhiyan was slightly pumped up, he quickly climbed up the wall with both hands and extended a hand towards Jian Qingqing. "Let's go. What happened? Let's go and investigate."

Jian Qingqing looked at him in a daze. How could he climb up such a tall wall so easily?

She collected her thoughts and placed her hand in his. The next second, she felt her wrist being grabbed and her entire body being lifted up.

Before she could react, she was standing on top of the wall.

Jian Qingqing silently struggled her hand out and secretly swore that she would eat more to grow taller and fatter!

Ming Zhiyan did not care. He jumped down from the wall alone. "Let's go. They shouldn't have gone far."

Jian Qingqing also jumped down. The ground here was much higher than the other side, so she could easily jump down.

This should be the outskirts of the county. The ground was full of weeds. At this moment, they could see some traces where the grass had been stepped on. Jian Qingqing and Ming Zhiyan followed this path and chased after them.

…

In a dark and shabby thatched cottage in the countryside, two men were cursing. Xiao Hu endured the pain and tried to open his eyes from the darkness. Unexpectedly, he was kicked. He grunted.

The two men did not realize that he had woken up. The man who kicked Xiao Hu had a sharp mouth and monkey cheeks, he spat angrily. "Ergou, what do you think we should do now that we've captured them? There are people looking for them everywhere outside. Who knew that wretched girl would react so quickly? If we hadn't taken the small path, we would have long been discovered by them!"

The man known as Ergou had a sinister look on his face. After a moment of silence, he said, "Brother, go and contact someone. We'll sell them as soon as possible."

Hearing this, the Dagou was shocked. "Are we really going to sell them? Didn't we say that we captured these two boys and threatened that wretched girl to hand over the recipe? If we sell them, we won't be able to sell them for much money."

Ergou kicked the stool fiercely, and the originally broken stool immediately shattered into pieces.

He roared angrily, "Then what do you think we should do!? That wretched girl realized that they had disappeared and called so many people to look for them. She even called the officials. Sooner or later, they would find us here. If we don't get them out as soon as possible, we would be the ones who will die! If there's no one here, so what if they find this place? No one will know that we caught them."

71 Being Sold Off

Chen Dagou was shocked by his roar. He stammered, "I, I'll go right now."

After Chen Dagou left, Chen Ergou angrily kicked the two people on the ground. "Bah! Unlucky things!"

Xiao Hu clenched his fists and resisted the urge to say anything. What should he do? If he was really being sold off, it would be difficult for him to escape. Right now, her sister was looking for them. She must be very worried.

As he thought about this, he could not help but cry.

At that moment, Chen Ergou pushed open the door and walked out.

After the door closed, Xiao Hu quietly opened his eyes and looked around the room.

His limbs were all tied up. Xiao Ye was lying beside him and had yet to wake up.

Xiao Hu turned his head and whispered, "Xiao Ye, wake up! Xiao Ye!"

Xiao Ye did not respond. He tried to struggle, but the hemp rope was tied tightly. He could not break free at all.

What should he do?

…

On the other side, Ming Zhiyan brought Jian Qingqing to the end of the grass patch. The trail had disappeared here.

This was a fork in the road, a former county town. The other two roads should lead to a certain village.

"What should we do? Which road should we take?" Jian Qingqing asked worriedly.

She was rubbish at solving cases. In her previous life, she had read detective novels because she liked the mysterious atmosphere. However, it was only after the answer was finally announced did she know who the murderer was.

Ming Zhiyan did not answer her, he squatted down and carefully observed the messy footsteps on the road.

After a long while, he stood up and pointed at the road in the middle. "This way."

"Okay." Jian Qingqing trusted him without hesitation. The two of them walked down this road together.

…

Just as Xiao Hu was about to struggle out of the door with one hand, the door opened again. He quickly closed his eyes and did not move.

"Master Li, it's these two kids. They are eight and five years old. They are both literate and handsome."

Master Li turned their heads and looked at them carefully. He nodded in satisfaction. "Yes, they are not bad."

Chen Dagou and Chen Ergou were overjoyed. They grinned and asked, "Then, Master Li, the money…"

Master Li looked up and said, "1 tael each."

When they heard that, the two brothers' faces turned ugly. "Master Li, look at these two kids. They can even read and write. You will definitely be able to sell them for a high price…"

Master Li sneered. "How much I can sell them is my business. Go out and ask around. This price is definitely too high for me. If it's someone else, I can give them 500 wen at most. If you don't like it, go find someone else." After Master Li said that, he pretended to leave.

Chen Ergou quickly stopped him. He gritted his teeth and said with a bad expression, "1 tael, then."

Master Li nodded in satisfaction. He gave 2 taels of silver to Chen Ergou and was about to go over and lift the two people up.

At this moment, Xiao Hu had already taken advantage of the time they were talking to free his hand. When he felt someone grab his collar, he panicked and opened his mouth to bite the person's arm.

Master Li felt the pain and flung the person in his hand away.

"Bastard, how dare you bite me!"

Xiao Hu was thrown down. His internal organs were in pain as he spat out a mouthful of blood.

When Chen Ergou saw that the kid had already woken up, and he even bit Master Li, he was furious. "Motherf*cker, I'm going to beat you to death!"

As he said this, he started punching and kicking Xiao Hu.

Xiao Hu was beaten until his entire body was in pain. He held back his tears and shouted loudly, "Let me go! Otherwise, my sister will not let you go!"

In Xiao Hu's heart, his sister was the most powerful person. She was even more powerful than his grandfather. When he was in danger, he used his sister to intimidate the bad guys.

72 Beaten Up

It would have been fine if Jian Qingqing had not been mentioned. When Chen Ergou heard Jian Qingqing, he became even angrier. He increased his strength and beat Xiao Hu up.

If that wretched girl had not stolen their business, he, Chen Ergou, would have been the one who would be earning a lot of money from buying a cow in a big brick house!

At this moment, Xiao Ye woke up amidst the noise. When he opened his eyes, he saw the scene of Xiao Hu being beaten up. Before he could understand what had happened, he cried out in fear, "Brother! Who are you people?! Quickly let go of Brother!"

No one paid him any attention. All of them looked on coldly as they watched Chen Ergou beat Xiao Hu.

When Master Li saw that the beating was almost over, he went over and said, "Alright, alright. How can I do anything if you break him?"

Chen Ergou suppressed the anger in his heart and spat, "Yes, yes. I'll tie him tighter. I definitely won't let him break free again."

He untied the rope on Xiao Hu's body and tied him tightly again.

After tying him up, he held Xiao Hu's collar and said, "Let's go. Master Li, I'll send him out for you."

Master Li ignored Xiao Ye's struggle and ruthlessly knocked him with his hand. Xiao Ye fainted again.

…

Jian Qingqing and Ming Zhiyan followed the road and arrived in front of a village. This village was very small. There were more than a dozen households in the village, and it gave off a strange smell.

Jian Qingqing asked, "Should we search here?"

"Wait a moment."

Ming Zhiyan's eyes swept across the village like torches and said, "Let's search here first."

It was very easy to search here. Most of the houses were thatched cottages. There would be gaps in the houses. If one took a careful look, they could see inside.

At this time, the villagers were all working. Only one or two families had children. The rest were empty, making it more convenient for them to search.

After looking for ten families, Jian Qingqing could not help but feel a little anxious.

"Could they be here?"

"No, there is no village down here. Behind this village is a big mountain with countless ferocious beasts, so they must have taken this road to settle down here."

Jian Qingqing looked at him in surprise. "How do you know there is a big mountain behind? What if it is just a small hill? Maybe after crossing this hill, there is another village."

Ming Zhiyan coughed lightly and said gently, "I've seen the map of Shifeng County and calculated the distance from the county to here. The mountain behind us is almost Weihu Mountain. If we want to go to the other side, we have to take another path. It's impossible to go over from here."

Jian Qingqing gave him a thumbs up. impressive.

Ming Zhiyan did not know what her gesture meant. He looked up at the sky and said, "Let's hurry and find it."

Jian Qingqing looked at the remaining five households and shook her head. "I have a feeling that they are not here."

"Why?"

"Intuition. Do you understand a woman's sixth sense?"

Ming Zhiyan shook his head helplessly. What nonsense. He also guessed that the person should not be among the five households. He did not rely on his intuition, but a reasonable guess. He knew that the person must have come in this direction, but it was not necessarily in the village.

"Then tell me where to look."

Jian Qingqing rolled her eyes. "Why don't we find someone to ask?"

"Yes."

Jian Qingqing came to the house with the children and asked softly, "Brothers and sisters, can I ask you something?"

There were two six or seven-year-old girls in the house with their two-year-old brothers. When they heard this, they looked at them warily.

Jian Qingqing took out a handful of candy from her pocket and showed it to them. "Just a little question. Whether you know it or not, this candy is yours. Do you want to tell us?"

73 Village

The eldest girl looked at the candy in her palm, then at the two of them. She pushed her brother and sister into the house and said warily, "Ask away."

Jian Qingqing heaved a sigh of relief. "Did you see an adult bringing two strange boys here? The two boys are eight and five years old."

Hearing this, the little girl immediately turned hostile. She jumped into the house and closed the door. A muffled voice came from inside the house. "I haven't seen them!"

Seeing her reaction, Jian Qingqing was sure that the person who had captured Xiao Hu was in the village, and it was a villager.

The reason she asked the child was that the child was not as guarded as the adult. Usually, when she coaxed them, they would tell her. Even if they did not tell her, they would still give themselves away because of their subconscious reaction.

If she asked the adults and the victims were from the same village, they would choose to hide it. They might even do something to hurt them.

In the past, she had often seen the news of women being trafficked in the mountains. In some places, there might only be one or two houses that were bought, but the entire village would help cover it up. Even when the kidnapped women were about to escape, they would help the snitch chase them back.

Jian Qingqing asked with a bad expression, "How are we going to find them? Should we wait for people to come and search?"

At this moment, a little boy's voice sounded, "I've seen them, I've seen them!"

Jian Qingqing followed the voice and looked over. It turned out that there was a boy in the house next door leaning on the little girl's low mud wall and looking over.

Jian Qingqing asked in surprise, "Who is it? Have you really seen them?"

The little boy left the mud wall and ran towards their gate.

Jian Qingqing guessed that he was coming to see them and also went to their house.

The boy opened the gate and looked at the candy in Jian Qingqing's hand with envy. He swallowed his saliva and said, "I'll tell you if you give me all your candy."

Jian Qingqing gave him the candy in her hand and then took out all the candy from her pocket. "I'll give you the rest after you tell me."

The boy eagerly put a piece of candy into his mouth and said vaguely, "I saw Uncle Dagou and Uncle Ergou carrying two children into the village in the afternoon. I've never seen those two children before. They should be the people you're looking for."

Jian Qingqing gave him the rest of the candy and asked anxiously, "Where is their home? Are they still in the village?"

The boy put the precious candy in his pocket and looked up at her. He then looked at Ming Zhiyan who was standing quietly behind her. Seeing that he did not react, he said with relief, "You need to pay more for that information."

Jian Qingqing was speechless. This spoiled child.

"Alright, if you can lead me to the person, I will give you half a tael of silver."

"Deal!"

The boy brought Jian Qingqing and Ming Zhiyan around the village and came to a small road. They took many turns on the small road and arrived in front of a stone mountain.

There was a gap in front of the mountain that could accommodate the two of them. It was about two meters tall and seemed very hidden on the black-gray Stone Mountain. If it was not for the boy who brought them here, it might have been a little difficult to find this place.

After passing through this gap, what appeared in front of them was a valley that was surrounded by mountains. The valley was flat and open, and there were hundreds of families and connected fields. This was the real-life version of the story of the peach blossom.

No wonder the village outside was so small. There were only a dozen families. It turned out that the real village was here, and it was naturally hidden by a stone mountain.

The farmers here were all working in the fields. They did not even raise their heads, so no one noticed them.

Jian Qingqing heaved a sigh of relief. She was still afraid that the criminal who had kidnapped Xiao Hu might be noticed among them and need to inform others.

74 Found Them

The boy led them around the field. A breeze blew past, and Ming Zhiyan stopped.

"What's wrong?" Jian Qing Qing asked curiously.

"There's a bloody smell."

Ming Zhiyan closed his eyes and carefully searched for the source of the smell. After a while, he suddenly opened her eyes and ran. "This way."

Jian Qingqing quickly reacted and ran behind him, leaving the boy behind.

"Hey! Where are you going?! Their house isn't over there! Do you not want to give me money?!"

Jian Qingqing did not have time to bother with him. She ran as fast as she could behind Ming Zhiyan, but she realized that the distance between them was getting farther and farther.

She saw Ming Zhiyan suddenly stop and wait for her. She shouted, "Don't wait for me! Go and save them!"

Hearing that, Ming Zhiyan ran quickly and soon disappeared.

The smell of blood was getting closer and closer. From Afar, Ming Zhiyan could see three people walking on a small path on the hillside. Two of them were carrying a child each.

He sped up and ran over. In a blink of an eye, he had covered a large distance.

"Chen Ergou, what the hell are you doing? Why are you taking this broken path? Isn't the road outside fine?" Master Li was panting as he cursed.

Chen Ergou, who was walking with his head lowered, seemed to sense something. He suddenly turned his head and found Ming Zhiyan, who was running closer and closer to them.

He shouted in panic, "Run!"

Before Master Li could understand what had happened, Chen Ergou and Chen Ergou were carrying the two children as they fled in panic.

Ming Zhiyan casually picked up a few pebbles and threw them with force.

In an instant, the pebbles hit Chen Dagou and Chen Ergou's calves. They immediately knelt down.

Without any time to think, the two abandoned the children they were carrying and ran away.

Ming Zhiyan looked at them indifferently, but he did not pursue them. He took out his whistle and blew on it. Then, he lowered his head to check on Xiao Hu and Xiao Ye.

Xiao Ye was fine. He had only been knocked unconscious, but Xiao Hu was seriously injured. His body was bruised, as if his lungs had been injured.

Without further delay, he picked up the two children and prepared to bring them to the clinic. Before he left, he glanced at Master Li, who had fallen to the ground.

Master Li's heart shrank when he saw the cold and fierce look in his eyes. He panted in fear.

With his many years of living in the underworld, he was definitely a ruthless character.

What kind of person did Chen Dagou offend?! Master Li hated the Chen Brothers to death. He did not know who the two brats they captured were, but they had actually offended such a big shot.

If he had known earlier, he would not have gotten involved. It was too late to regret now, thinking back to the look in the man's eyes before he left, he had to think carefully about how he could escape.

Jian Qingqing saw Ming Zhiyan carrying Xiao Hu and Xiao Ye. Her heart trembled as she quickly ran over. "Xiao Hu! Xiao Ye!"

Seeing the two brothers unconscious in Ming Zhiyan's arms, with Xiao Hu's face still covered in blood, she was heartbroken. SHe asked in a trembling voice, "How are the two of them?"

Ming Zhiyan said as she walked, "Xiao Ye is fine. Xiao Hu must have injured his internal organs."

"Is… Is it serious?"

Xiao Hu was the younger brother. He usually listened to her and was usually cheerful and active. Now that he was injured to this extent, she was sad and angry.

"It can be treated."

Hearing that it could be treated, Jian Qingqing heaved a sigh of relief and hurriedly followed Ming Zhiyan.

At this moment, the boy they had just left behind finally chased after them.

"Hey, eh? You found them? Then what about the money you promised me? Although I didn't lead you to him, I brought you here."

75 Treatment

Jian Qingqing did not have time to pay attention to him. She hurriedly took out a handful of silver and stuffed it into his hand without even counting it.

The boy finally stopped following them after receiving the silver.

He squatted down and counted it. There were seven coins. Not bad!

However, after receiving the silver, his mind calmed down a little.

What did Uncle Dagou and Uncle Ergou do?

The two little brothers that that scary man carried seemed to be seriously injured. Could it be that Uncle Dagou and Uncle Ergou had injured them?

That was the end. He had even brought those two people to look for them. If they were found out, Uncle Dagou and Uncle Ergou would definitely take revenge on his family. They were so fierce, and when the time came, he would definitely beat his parents up.

Thinking of this, he shivered. He had to hide the money well. If he was beaten up, he could still use the money to buy delicious food to nourish his body.

He should have asked that sister for more. It was a huge loss.

…

As soon as he left the village, he saw people from the county office rushing over. Ming Zhiyan had left some instructions, and he handed Xiao Ye to an official. He took his horse and carried Xiao Hu up.

Looking down, he said to Jian Qingqing, "Miss Jian, do you want to ride or walk?"

Jian Qingqing was worried about Xiao Hu's injuries and said, "I will ride a horse. I can ride by myself."

It was very important for men and women to guard against each other now. She was already eight years old, so it was not appropriate for an official to take her. Riding a horse should be similar to riding an ox.

Ming Zhiyan nodded and gestured for the official to give the horse to her. She only rode the horse away after she stumbled into the saddle.

The official with Xiao Ye followed behind Jian Qingqing and taught her how to ride. At first, she only dared to let the horse walk slowly. Gradually, she began to run. Later, she was able to follow Ming Zhiyan from afar.

The group of people rushed towards the horse to the Ji Shan Hall. The doctor sitting in front of the hall was not surprised. He looked at the child in his arms and said, "Leave him to me."

Ming Zhiyan placed Xiao Hu on the bed where the doctor was seeing him and said solemnly, "I'll have to trouble you."

The doctor examined him and frowned. "Why are you injured like this?"

As he said that, he shouted loudly to the person lying on the counter, "Young Master, don't sleep anymore! It's time to come to work! Quickly bring that silver needle over!"

Wei Wusheng was dazed for a moment and closed his eyes to look for the needle packet that was placed in the medicine cabinet.

Very soon, he took out the needle packet and threw it to the doctor who was waiting at the side, "Take it."

The doctor took the needle packet and when he saw him lying down in a daze again, he shook his head helplessly.

At this moment, Jian Qingqing finally rushed over. She hurriedly dismounted, took Xiao Ye, and ran in.

"Doctor, how is my younger brother?"

The doctor was treating him and answered without turning his head, "Don't worry, he won't die."

Jian Qingqing heaved a sigh of relief and adjusted her rapidly beating heart.

Wei Wusheng, who was sleeping on his stomach, heard a familiar voice. He raised his head and slightly opened his eyes. When he saw that it was Jian Qingqing, he said in surprise, "Aiya, Sister, why are you here?"

He immediately reacted, "Oh, that injured kid is your younger brother."

Jian Qingqing nodded her head casually and stared at the doctor who was performing the acupuncture. She wanted to wait for him to finish performing the acupuncture on Xiao Hu before showing it to Xiao Ye.

Wei Wusheng went over to take a look and said, "Since he's your younger brother, then he's my younger brother. I'll perform the acupuncture."

Jian Qingqing looked at him suspiciously, "Can you do it? Don't make trouble if you don't know how to do it."

Ming Zhiyan also looked at him, that gaze made Wei Wusheng angry.

After being suspected by two people in a row, he was about to argue with them when the old doctor said happily, "Then Young Master is the most suitable person. He is the best in terms of external injuries and pathology."

76 Xiao Ye Wakes Up

Upon hearing this, Jian Qingqing looked at him in surprise, "Ah? You really know how to treat patients?"

Wei Wusheng snorted proudly, "You're looking down on me!"

He checked Xiao Hu's pulse and took the silver needles to prick his acupuncture points.

Jian Qingqing saw that he looked very skilled and that he was also very good at scaring people with needles. She touched her nose guiltily. She thought that he was just an old man who did not have much ability and was just a medicine boy in her own shop, she did not expect him to have some real ability.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have underestimated you."

Wei Wusheng snorted and quickly put up the needles. "It's nothing serious. I'll be fine after recuperating for a while."

Then, he checked Xiao Ye's pulse and said, "It's okay. He was just knocked out."

As he said that, he used his hands to press on the acupuncture points behind Xiao Ye.

Slowly, Xiao Ye opened his eyes.

When he saw Jian Qingqing, he cried out loud, "Wah! Sister! Brother… Brother was beaten up! Let's go and save him!"

Jian Qingqing hugged him and comforted him with heartache, "It's alright, it's alright. Brother has been rescued. Look over there, brother is lying there, treating his injuries."

Xiao Ye turned his head to look at Xiao Hu who was lying on the bed and sobbed, "Brother, sob sob sob…"

Jian Qingqing wiped his tears pitifully and comforted him, "It's okay. Brother will be fine after a sleep. Don't cry anymore."

Xiao Ye slowly stopped sobbing. Jian Qingqing kept stroking his back to help him breathe.

After he calmed down, Jian Qingqing asked, "Xiao Ye, tell me why you were captured."

Hearing this question, Xiao Ye seemed to have thought of something terrifying, and his tears fell out.

"Alright, alright, it's alright. Don't think about it if you're scared. Sister is here." Jian Qingqing regretted asking him so urgently.

Xiao Ye lay in her arms, he sobbed and said, "That bad man said that sister was injured and couldn't come to find us. We were very anxious when we heard it and wanted to go home to see you. Then, that bad man said that it would be faster to climb over the wall behind the academy and go home, so we followed him. After we went out, that bad man knocked me and my brother unconscious. In a dark house, there was a bad man who kept hitting my brother, sob sob sob…"

Jian Qingqing could not suppress the anger in her heart. She could not blame the two children for leaving with strangers. After all, they had been too worried about her that they had fallen into someone else's trap. The ones who deserved to die were the bad guys who had committed evil deeds.

However, she still had to educate them. She said slowly, "In the future, don't panic when you hear any bad news, okay? You have to calm down. Like that bad guy, do you know him? You don't know him, right? Then he shouldn't know you either."

"So why would your sister find someone you don't know to look for you when she's injured? Even if you know him, don't believe him. You can only trust family members or people you're willing to trust, okay?"

Xiao Ye put his hands around Jian Qingqing's neck and nodded obediently. "Okay."

"Mm, such a good boy!" Jian Qingqing kissed his cheek. Xiao Ye nestled shyly in her arms.

At this moment, an official walked in and bowed to Ming Zhiyan.

"Sir, the person has been captured."

Ming Zhiyan nodded and motioned for him to leave. Then, he looked at Jian Qingqing and said, "Miss Jian, do you want to go to the interrogation?"

Jian Qingqing shook her head. Xiao Hu was still not awake, so she was not in the mood to deal with other matters.

"I'm not going. Just let me know when you have the results."

Ming Zhiyan nodded and turned to leave.

77 Truth

In the solemn county office, Chen Dagou, Chen Ergou, and Master Li were trembling as they knelt on the ground.

Ming Zhiyan Yan was sitting above them. He said coldly, "Criminals Chen Dagou, Chen Ergou, and Li Yong, quickly tell us the truth about the matter of you kidnapping the Jian Brothers."

Li Yong's heart trembled. He shrank back for a moment. He was someone who knew how to adapt to the situation, he immediately said, "Sir, there's been a mistake! I didn't kidnap those two boys! Chen Daguo was the one who came to me. He said that his family had two boys to sell. I've been married for many years and haven't had any children. The doctor said that I couldn't have children, so I thought of raising them. At least, in the future, when I die, at least, I have family who would visit me at my grave."

"Chen Dagou also said that those two children are their children. That's why I bought them. If I knew that they were kidnapped, I would definitely report it to the authorities!"

Chen Dagou was furious when he saw Li Yong push all the blame onto him. He cursed, "You son of a b*tch! You are a human trafficker, to begin with. Why are you pretending to be a good person?! When did I say that those two boys are my children?! Yes, you and your wife indeed don't have children, but those concubines you raised outside must have had at least ten children! Didn't you buy those two children just to sell them off?!"

Chen Dagou often went to the casino, so he recognized 'Big shots' like Li Yong, but Li Yong did not know them.

His biggest goal was to raise a few concubines outside like Li Yong, drink a little wine every day, and play gambling.

Li Yong did not expect Chen Dagou to know so many things about him. He said angrily, "Nonsense! I bought them because they were smart. Who knows that you kidnapped them?"

Ming Zhiyan was sitting at the head of the table and listening to them fight. He had already investigated their situation. The things they had done could not be covered up with just a few words.

When they were done arguing, he snapped out of his daze. "That's enough. I'm not here to listen to your argument."

He looked at Chen Ergou, who was kneeling at the side, and said, "Chen Ergou, tell me. Don't you know these things the best? If you don't tell me… Well, it has been a long time since the torture instruments in my office saw blood."

Chen Ergou was shocked when his name was called by that unfathomable man. The expression on his face changed several times before he finally said with a trembling face, "If I tell you, will you give me a light sentence?"

Ming Zhiyan snorted coldly. "This is not a place where you can bargain."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ergou's face quickly turned ashen. He knew that he could not escape this time. At least, if he confessed earlier, he might escape the torture.

He said in despair, "I saw that b*tch… Miss Jian. She is very good at the stewed meat business, so I learned from her to make stewed meat. However, I never expected that the taste of the stewed meat we made was completely different from hers. Other than the first day when many people bought it from us, there was basically no one else who bought it. Now that we have a gambling debt and need a large sum of money to pay it off, we thought of kidnapping her brothers and asking her to hand over the recipe for the stewed meat."

He glanced at Li Yong and said sinisterly, "That Li Yong is the casino owner's brother-in-law. He is in the human trafficking business. Not only will he kidnap those children, he will also buy them from us."

When Li Yong saw Chen Ergou dragging him down, he cursed, "Chen Ergou, you bastard! Stop spewing nonsense! When did I become the casino owner's brother-in-law? I'm innocent…"

Ming Zhiyan looked at their guilty plea on the paper. Everything was basically the same as what he had found. He did not know the motive behind Chen Ergou's kidnapping of the Jian Brothers.

He handed the guilty plea to County Wei. "Get their signatures."

Then, he patted his head and said in a dignified manner, "Chen Dagou, Chen Ergou, kidnapped a child and is sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment. Li Yong, convicted for multiple human trafficking cases!"

78 Bright Future

Xiao Hu had yet to wake up, and Jian Qingqing still had a lot of follow-up matters to deal with. She had not had the time to go to the academy yet, and those workers also needed to pay the bill.

So she asked Wei Wusheng to help her look after Xiao Hu before carrying Xiao Ye to the academy. Originally, she did not want to bring Xiao Ye there, but he had just suffered a shock, and she was unwilling to leave him. Jian Qingqing's heart ached, so she decided to bring him along.

When they arrived at the academy, the guard at the entrance saw them. He saw that Xiao Ye was holding her hand tightly, and he said in surprise, "Oh! The little guy has been found!"

Today, two little boys had disappeared. Many people from the academy had gone to look for them. He was the guard at the gate and could not leave his post, so he did not follow them. However, he knew that Jian Qingqing was the sister of the two missing little boys.

Jian Qingqing smiled and nodded. "Yes, I found them. Sorry to trouble you today, Brother Guard."

Xiao Ye also said in a soft voice, "Thank you, Brother Guard."

The guard was very happy for them. He smiled and shook his head. "It's okay, it's okay. It's good that you found them."

In the academy, Mr. Liang was still teaching. Jian Qingqing did not dare to disturb him. She stood outside and waited for him.

Sun Shaoning was drawing little turtles in the textbook out of boredom when he suddenly saw Jian Qingqing and her brother standing under the tree. He waved at her excitedly.

Suddenly, Mr. Liang knocked a book down and said, "Pay attention to the lecture."

Sun Shaoning pursed his lips in grievance and said with an embarrassed smile, "Sir, Xiao Ye is back!"

Mr. Liang followed his line of sight and also saw the sister and brother standing under the tree with a smile. He gave the students homework and quickly went out.

Sun Shaoning looked at Mr. Liang's back and pursed his lips. He also wanted to go out and play!

Mr. Liang looked at Xiao Ye and said with concern, "Xiao Ye, are you okay? Where's your brother?"

Xiao Ye bowed with a serious expression and said solemnly, "I am fine. Thank you for your concern, Sir."

"Yes, it's good that you're fine." The teacher nodded and said to Jian Qingqing, "What's going on? Where's student Jian Hu?"

Jian Qingqing explained everything to him and said, "Thank you again for your help. I've troubled you with today's matter."

Mr. Liang smiled and stroked his white beard. He shook his head and said, "This is what a teacher should do. It's not considered troublesome. As for Xiao Hu, let him rest at home. There's no need to rush to class."

After saying that, he patted Xiao Ye's head. "Remember, don't be so reckless next time."

Xiao Ye nodded shyly. "Understood, Sir."

Jian Qingqing bowed to Mr. Liang. "Then, Sir, we'll be leaving first."

Mr. Liang nodded. "Be careful."

He looked at the back of the siblings as they slowly walked away. He sighed in his heart. The future of the Jian Family would definitely be bright. He heard that before the new year, the Jian Family was still as flat as a pancake. They were so poor that they could not even eat.

After the New Year, the eldest daughter of the Jian Family managed to make a living. In such a short period of time, they built a house and sent two younger brothers to school. He thought that the Jian Family was just a little lucky, but now that he saw Jian Qingqing, he did not think so.

The eldest daughter of the Jian Family had a clear look in her eyes. There was a sense of determination. She knew how to be polite and righteous. She was not an ordinary person.

Although Jian Hu was dumber than Jian Ye, he was open-minded and curious. He had a clear mind and was very talented in mathematics. Jian Ye was still young. Although he was a little shy, he was very smart. He was also a genius that was hard to come by in a hundred years.

With these three siblings in the Jian Family, their future was bound to be limitless.

It was said that they had a younger brother, but he did not know how the youngest one was doing. If he could be like his older brother and sister, the Jian Family would definitely make a mark in history within 15 years.

79 Thank You to Everyone

When Jian Qingqing returned, she was seen by many workers and villagers who had gone out to look for her. Therefore, when they saw that she had returned, they did not continue looking and all returned to the village.

When Jian Qingqing arrived, they were busy clearing the land. Ma Jiacai was worried about her, so he had been waiting for her at the village entrance.

When he saw that she had come, he quickly went forward and asked, "Miss Jian, are you alright?"

Jian Qingqing smiled and nodded. "I'm fine. Thank you for your concern, Uncle Ma."

Ma Jiacai chuckled and said, "It's good that you're alright."

Seeing that everyone was busy, Jian Qingqing did not want to make a big fuss and called them over.

She took out six taels of silver and handed it over to Ma Jiacai, she said, "Uncle Ma, this is six taels of silver. The people who went out to search together with you today will each have 30 wen. As for the rest, you can make some delicious food and have a good meal."

Today, under her call, there were about 100 people who went out to help search for them. This amount of money was enough to split among everyone.

Ma Jiacai refused to accept it. "How can that be? We didn't help much."

Jian Qingqing forcefully stuffed the money bag into his hands, she said, "Uncle Ma, listen to me. This money is not only for you. I have long promised to give the villagers money. When they go out to look for them, I will give them the money. It will have delayed their efforts and used up their time even if they don't find them. It is only right and proper to receive some money. Just take it. Otherwise, I won't dare to ask you for help next time."

Since Jian Qingqing had already said so, Ma Jiacai had no choice but to agree.

"Alright, I'll accept it on their behalf this time. The next time you come to us for help, you can't give us money."

"Okay, thank you, Uncle Ma. Help me thank them properly."

Jian Qingqing drove the ox-cart away. When she returned to Ji Shan Hall, Xiao Hu was already awake. Seeing that she had returned, he looked at her with a sour expression. "Sister!"

Although Jian Qingqing felt sorry for him, she still wanted to teach him a lesson. She looked at him with a sour expression. "Let's see if you dare to be reckless in the future. Do you know your mistake?"

Xiao Hu nodded his head with a wronged expression. "I know my mistake."

Jian Qingqing touched his bruised face and sighed. "Rest well."

At this moment, Jian Qingqing noticed Ming Zhiyan who was standing at the side. She said in surprise, "Lord Ming, have you finished investigating the case?"

Ming Zhiyan nodded and explained the situation of the case to her.

After listening to it, Jian Qingqing was extremely angry. She tried to suppress her anger a few times, but she still could not suppress it.

She said angrily, "Bah! What the hell! They don't know how to make money, but they could think of such unscrupulous methods! I can smell the stench of their braised meat from afar. Dogs won't even eat it! Lazy and stupid trash!"

She was always relaxed in front of Ming Zhiyan. This was the first time he saw her so angry. No matter how he looked at it, he felt a sense of joy when a small person said something that did not fit her image, he could not help but stifle his laughter.

When Wei Wusheng saw it, she complained, "Sister, he is laughing at you."

Wei Wusheng did not like Ming Zhiyan at first sight and felt that he was very good at acting. The evil in his eyes was about to spill out, but he pretended to be a gentleman and lied to a young lady. He was full of hypocrisy!

Jian Qingqing noticed that she actually lost control and cursed in front of so many people. She said awkwardly, "I'm sorry, I couldn't hold it in."

Ming Zhiyan tried to cover it up by coughing lightly. "It's nothing. Then I'll take my leave first."

"Okay, see you next time." Jian Qingqing waved at him.

Turning around, she saw Xiao Ye and Xiao Hu looking at her in a daze. She raised her eyebrows and said, "What's wrong?"

The two brothers hurriedly lowered their heads and stammered, "Nothing. It's just that this is the first time I've seen Sister cursing. It's quite scary, like a monster."

Jian Qingqing pretended to wave her fist. "Then do you want to see my first time beating someone up?"

"No, no! My sister is the best!"

80 Lecturing Him

Jian Qingqing first went to the market to retrieve the stewed meat and barrels that had been deposited with the owner of the pork stall. Then, she drove the two brothers back in the ox-cart.

When they returned to the village, it was already slightly dark. It was time for the farmer to return home.

Jian Qingqing drove the cart along the road. There was no way to avoid it.

Someone saw Xiao Hu lying on the cart with a bruised and swollen face. He asked in surprise, "Xiao Hu, what happened to you?"

Xiao Hu was embarrassed to say it out loud, but Jian Qingqing answered for him, "He was kidnapped by a criminal. Uncle, aunt, you have to take good care of your children. Don't let them talk to strangers."

The villagers were shocked. "How could he be kidnapped! Aiyo, are kidnappers so rampant these days? When I go back, I will definitely remind my kid to watch out for strangers."

The villagers discussed animatedly. Jian Qingqing took the opportunity to quickly drive the ox-cart away.

When she returned home, Mother Jian was carrying water to clean the ox-cart. When she saw the severely injured Xiao Hu, she was so scared that the bucket fell and the water flowed all over the ground.

She cried out in fear, "Xiao Hu! What happened to you! What happened! Why are you injured so badly?"

Jian Dalang and Old Man Jian were shocked by her words. "What happened? What happened? Who was injured?"

When they saw Xiao Hu lying on the carriage, unable to move, they were also shocked. "What happened? Xiao Hu, why are you injured so badly?"

Xiao Hu looked at his sister for help. Jian Qingqing spread her hands and said helplessly, "I can't help you with my love."

Xiao Hu could only explain in a low voice with a bitter face.

After listening, if it were not for the fact that he was still injured, the three adults would have wanted to give him two dusters.

Jian Dalang said angrily, "How many times have I told you not to leave with strangers? Did you remember?! It's fine that you were captured, but why are you still trying to show off? Breaking free from the rope, you will obviously get beaten up! If you want to escape, can't you find a time when there's no one around before you move?!"

Mother Jian was usually a gentle person, but she also wanted to give him a few lessons. "You're already so old, yet you can still be fooled by these bad people. Do you have a brain? It's fine if you were deceived, but you still brought Xiao Ye with you. If anything were to happen to him, how are we going to explain it to your uncle? Xiao Ye is still so young, you should have taken good care of him."

Xiao Ye shrunk to the side in guilt, reducing his presence. He usually remembered that he could not casually follow strangers, but when the bad guy mentioned that his sister was injured, he was very anxious and forgot about it.

This was the first time Jian Qingqing heard about the details of Xiao Hu's injury. Previously, she only knew how they were tied up, and she also felt that he was too impulsive, she could not help but lecture him, "If you encounter any danger in the future, if it is not too urgent, can you wait for your sister to save you? Even if you want to save yourself, you have to consider the outcome before you act. Like today, Xiao Ye is still unconscious there. What is the use of you escaping alone? How far can you run if you need to carry Xiao Ye? Even if you want to run, you have to wait for Xiao Ye to wake up before you run."

Xiao Hu lowered his head guiltily and listened to their lecture. After a long while, he raised his head and said firmly, "I know I'm wrong. I'll definitely learn from today's lesson in the future. I'll act more steadily and not be so impulsive."

Seeing that he had really come to his senses, Old Man Jian said, "Just remember today's lesson. Alright, let's go eat."

Xiao Hu was the eldest boy in their family, but he always looked like he was not growing up. Even Jian Rong, who was younger than him, was much more sensible. He was already earning money to care for the entire family. If Xiao Hu was still so naive, how could he protect his brothers and sisters? Jian Qinging hoped that after experiencing this, he could grow up a little.