Chapter 216: Taken Away by Wild Monsters in the Mountains

Jiang Wei thought, and couldn't help but look at her own courtyard.

Inside, Jiang Xiaoxiao was talking to Shen Que enthusiastically, and a hint of a smile appeared on Shen Que's usually indifferent face.

Although she was very unwilling to admit it, she had to say that since there was one more person in the house, her daughter seemed to have found a new playmate and had become much more lively and cheerful than before.

It wasn't that she wasn't lively and cheerful before, but she could see that when her daughter was with little girls like Chunya, there was always a feeling of not being able to blend in, as if there was a generation gap between their ages...

However, when facing Shen Que, her daughter didn't have that generation gap; the two talked happily as if they were people of ordinary age.

Jiang Wei naturally knew her daughter's maturity and old-fashionedness, but she didn't expect that Shen Que wouldn't be suspicious at all about Jiang Xiaoxiao, who was only five years old but understood so much, and could even play with her...

Jiang Wei sighed in her heart, and then turned and went to Auntie Qiulian's house.

"... Ah, Lord Shen, so you like eating our family's ice cream so much?"

Jiang Xiaoxiao was chatting enthusiastically with Shen Que when the courtyard gate was knocked.

"The door isn't locked." Jiang Xiaoxiao thought it was her mother checking the soap workshop and returned subconsciously.

"Xiaoxiao, it's me..."

Chunya's voice came from outside the door.

As soon as Jiang Xiaoxiao heard it, she hurriedly pushed Shen Que, who was chatting halfway, into the room, "Ah, Sister Chunya, don't worry, I'll come open the door right away."

She gave Shen Que a look to hide, then hurriedly went to open the door.

Because of Shen Que being at home these past few days, besides letting Chunya feed the poultry at her house in the morning, she let Chunya go home when there was nothing to do during the day.

She didn't expect her to run over in broad daylight; she didn't know what urgent matter had happened.

As soon as the door opened, Jiang Xiaoxiao saw Chunya's distraught expression.

"What's wrong, Sister Chunya?" she asked hurriedly.

"Xiaoxiao, I'm scared..." Chunya choked, and suddenly burst into tears with a "wa" sound.

"Woo woo woo... Auntie Guihua said Er Niu is missing, Uncle Zhou's niece is also missing, and little Xiaoya is also missing... Everyone in the village is saying they were taken away by wild monsters in the mountains, specifically grabbing little girls who are young. I'm scared... I'm scared I'll be next..."

Jiang Xiaoxiao hurriedly pulled Chunya into the courtyard, closed the gate, and comforted her repeatedly: "Sister Chunya, don't be afraid. With me here, no one dares to grab you."

"Woo woo woo... Xiaoxiao, I'm really scared. Neither my mother nor my sister is at home, I'm really too scared, that's why I came to find you..." Chunya cried and explained the reason for coming here.

Jiang Xiaoxiao listened and couldn't help but frown.

Zhao Dasao had been sent by Jiang Wei to purchase pork, and even Chunmiao had followed. Now there was only Chunya at home, which was indeed dangerous.

She directly pulled Chunya into her main room and comforted her: "It's okay, Sister Chunya, just stay at my house with peace of mind until your mother comes back."

However...

When did so many children go missing in the village?

As for being taken away by wild monsters in the mountains? Jiang Xiaoxiao didn't believe it at all.

For some reason, she suddenly remembered what Cao Wanzhi said last time...

Shen Que, hiding behind a wall, saw his gaze sink gradually.

From some point on, a rumor began to spread in the village.

The villagers of Yuhe Village didn't respect the Mountain God, and the wild monsters in the mountains began to come out and make trouble, specifically kidnapping little girls at home who didn't listen...

At first, everyone didn't pay much attention, but as the little girls in the village went missing one after another, every household began to feel insecure and didn't dare to let their own children go out.

In the dead of night.

There were families who had lost children crying and howling all night, and there were families who couldn't sleep all night.

And in the east room of the Li family, a small oil lamp was also lit.

Yun Ying carefully stroked a pile of silver ingots, her face full of ecstasy.

While Li Shoude sat on the side with a sad face, watching Yun Ying collect all those silver ingots into a small cloth bag, he hesitated and said: "Yun Ying, are we doing this... not very well? Now that more and more families in the village have lost children, I'm afraid..."

Yun Ying paused, then said without changing her expression: "Afraid of what? These people were sent by the Huang family. We are at most acting as a connection, and we even left five taels of silver for the families who lost children. One little girl for five taels of silver, they are too happy to have it."

"But..."

Li Shoude wanted to speak again, but was gripped by Yun Ying. She comforted him softly: "Shoude, think about yourself. If we continue to grind away in this small mountain village, what about your career? Can you bear to waste your best years here? Don't worry, when you use this money to pass the exam and become an official, you can repay these families who lost children later."

"Sigh, Yun Ying, how could I not think so..." Li Shoude sighed, "It's just that so many children in the village are missing, my heart is always uneasy, uneasy..."

"Don't worry, we are doing this secretly, absolutely no one will find out it's us." Yun Ying promised confidently, "If you are really worried, we will leave tomorrow morning. As long as we go to the prefecture, the sky is high and the sea is wide, and whatever happens in Yuhe Village will have nothing to do with us anymore."

Li Shoude was immediately moved. He almost immediately wanted to pack his luggage and slip away.

He looked at the heavy small cloth bag in Yun Ying's hand, and the last bit of conscience in his heart gradually dissipated.

He closed his eyes and said in a low voice: "Pack the luggage tonight, I'll go tell Father and Mother tomorrow morning."

Time soon reached the next day.

Li Shoude got up early and came to find the two old Li people to say he wanted to go to Xuzhou early.

"Why are you leaving so suddenly?" Old Man Li was shocked, "I, I haven't saved enough money yet..."

"Father, I know the second brother is already very dissatisfied with this matter. I can't ask for money from the family anymore. This time I've decided not to take a single cent from the family to go to the prefecture." Li Shoude said.

"How can that be?" Old Man Li disagreed, "If you don't have money, how will you study when you go to the prefecture?"

"Father, don't worry, Yun Ying can embroider silk handkerchiefs. When we go to the prefecture, we can also earn some living expenses by relying on this skill."

"How come I don't know Yun Ying can embroider handkerchiefs?" Old Woman Li asked suspiciously just as Li Shoude finished speaking, "I saw her sewing a button crookedly last time. You say she can embroider handkerchiefs, isn't she deceiving you?"

The lie was exposed, and Li Shoude was a bit embarrassed.

He could only say: "Mother, don't say that about Yun Ying. She is also doing it for my own good. Even if she can't embroider handkerchiefs, I can sell calligraphy copybooks and earn money..."

"Hmph, you are a dignified scholar, a future official, how can you make a living by writing? I think that vixen is deliberately deceiving you into leaving because she wants to leave here!" ===== CHAPTER 217 =====