Chapter 12

“It’s the carpenter’s shop on the town’s east main street,” Meng Yao said.

There were many people in the Hundred Herb Hall. The doctor was kind-hearted and would not keep this matter to himself.

“Your son worked at that shop?! I needed some furniture for my house and planned to go there, but now that I know what happened, I will not give him my money!” The doctor continued, “Don’t worry, Ma’am. I will tell everyone about the carpenter’s crimes!”

It was only a minor punishment for the carpenter. Meng Yao asked the doctor to treat Zhao Xiaoshu’s external injuries and told Zhao Dahe to look after Zhao Xiaoshu before leaving for the carpenter’s shop.

When Meng Yao sent Zhao Xiaoshu there, she had to sign an agreement before Zhao Xiaoshu could become an apprentice. Although Meng Yao did not know what was on the document, she would feel more at ease if the document were invalid.

The shop’s door was open when Meng Yao arrived.

A man with an unkempt beard, drinking wine from a gourd, saw Meng Yao enter, so he put the gourd down and greeted her smilingly, “Hello, Ma’am. Are you here to buy ready-made furniture or custom ones?”

The carpenter did not recognize Meng Yao.

“I’m from the Meng family of Shanghua Village. I’ve been here once and want to see my son, Zhao Xiaoshua.” Meng Yao went straight to the point.

The carpenter wiped the smile off his face and picked up the wine gourd again. “Oh, you’re Xiaoshu’s mother! Didn’t I tell you he is under my care until he finishes his apprenticeship?”

“Yes, but I miss my son, so I came to visit him. Isn’t that normal?” Meng Yao said without changing her expression.

“Sure, I’ll call him for you.” The carpenter acted and shouted toward the back of the shop, “Xiaoshu, come out quickly! Your mother is here to see you! Didn’t you tell me you miss her?”

How would Zhao Xiaoshu appear if he weren’t there? Of course, Meng Yao knew the carpenter was just acting.

The carpenter shouted toward the back again, and someone came jogging over. The person stood far from the carpenter and asked lowly, “Did you call me, Father?”

“Is Xiaoshu slacking off elsewhere again?” The carpenter asked.

Ya’er glanced at Meng Yao and hurriedly looked away. “I didn’t see Xiaoshu around today, father. I still have clothes to wash, so I will go and do that.” Ya’er then ran off in a hurry.

Meng Yao gritted her teeth. The carpenter was pure evil and even hinted that Zhao Xiaoshu would often sneak out. Meng Yao might have believed him if Zhao Xiaoshu weren’t so battered and bruised.

It was usual for children at that age to be playful. However, the carpenter had beaten Zhao Xiaoshu so severely that he would never dare to sneak out and slack off.

“Why don’t I go and look for him?” The carpenter said smilingly.

The carpenter was genuinely evil. Meng Yao didn’t blame Zhao Xiaoshu for torturing his mentor in the dream she had. The carpenter threw Zhao Xiaoshu into a graveyard. He did not look guilty and smiled when faced with Meng Yao.

“All right, I’ll go with you,” Meng Yao said.

“Then I’ll go back and let my family know, just in case they can’t find me and get worried.” The carpenter hung the wine gourd on his waist and walked away.

He returned after a while with a fresh set of clothes. He even tidied his hair and beard. “Let’s go, Ma’am,” the carpenter said. “Xiaoshu likes to hang out in alleys, so I’m afraid we might not be able to find him so soon.”

Meng Yao didn’t say anything and just followed behind the carpenter. The carpenter indeed led Meng Yao to an alley.

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“Your husband hasn’t been around for a few years now, right, Ma’am? I know it can’t be easy to raise a child alone. I cherish Xiaoshu so much and even treat him as my own. I will entrust my shop to him in the future.” The carpenter started slowing down.

‘You treat Xiaoshu as your own? Lies!’

Meng Yao recalled the last time she saw Ya’er. The little girl looked frightened. Meng Yao assumed all kinds of scars on the little girl’s body, hidden under her clothes.

“Would you?” Meng Yao casually replied.

“You must be very lonely these past few years, right?” The carpenter asked.

When they arrived at an empty alley, the carpenter stopped and turned around to face Meng Yao. He gazed at Meng Yao with a disgusting look in his eyes.

Meng Yao looked at him coldly and asked, “Why aren’t you moving?”

“That sickly man of mine doesn’t have many days to live. I’ll ensure you have a good life if you’re willing to come with me, Ma’am.” The carpenter leaned forward, baring his yellow teeth. There was a piece of vegetable stuck between his teeth.

Meng Yao was so disgusted that she almost vomited her dinner from the night before. Meng Yao laughed coldly and elbowed the carpenter’s chest. The original Meng Yao was not a weak and delicate person. On the contrary, she possessed great strength even when she was a child. She could rival an adult male.

Ying Luo had learned close-quarters combat for several years. Her technique was decent, but she lacked strength. However, her predecessor’s body made up for that. One could only imagine the power of her elbow strike.

The carpenter arched his back and flew two meters away, landing heavily on the ground.

Meng Yao unhurriedly walked over, tore a piece of cloth from the carpenter’s clothes, and stuffed it into his mouth. Although they were in a hidden alley, if the commotion were too loud, it would alarm others.

Meng Yao was kind and could not bear to see innocent people get frightened. After a series of attacks, the carpenter almost fell unconscious.

“You were after my son, and now you’re after me? Don’t think I don’t know what you did to my son. You should thank my son that you’re still alive!” Meng Yao said condescendingly.

“I’m bringing Xiaoshu home with me today. I don’t care if he’s your apprentice or not. You better consider the consequences of your actions if you’re unwilling and want to do something bad. I won’t be so light-handed the next time you offend me!”

Meng Yao had stuffed a piece of cloth in the carpenter’s mouth, so he could only whimper lowly.

“I’ll go to your shop and take the document I signed when I sent Xiaoshu to you,” Meng Yao said. “You can stay in this dark alley and reflect on yourself.”

Meng Yao felt a lot better after beating the carpenter up. Zhao Xiaoshu was already awake when she returned to the Hundred Herb Hall. Zhao Dahe and Zhao Xiaoshu stared at each other with widened eyes.

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“Mother, you’ve finally returned.” Zhao Dahe felt a sense of relief when he saw Meng Yao. “This rascal didn’t even call out to me after he woke up. I asked him what happened, but he didn’t say a word.”

“Does your body still hurt, Xiaoshu?” Meng Yao asked gently.

Although she had seen Zhao Xiaoshu’s appearance in her predecessor’s memory, it could not compare to seeing Zhao Xiaoshu in person. Even though Zhao Xiaoshu was battered and bruised, it could not hide his exquisite facial features.

Meng Yao had only seen the grown-up Zhao Xiaoshu in her dreams. Since Zhao Xiaoshu had a ruthless expression in Meng Yao’s dream, which affected his looks, Meng Yao thought he was not good-looking.

However, Zhao Xiaoshu’s aggrieved expression didn’t affect his looks. Instead, it aroused Meng Yao’s maternal love, and she wanted to give him a better life.