C23

Time slowly passed. The sun was getting hotter and hotter. It was almost noon. Qi Mu was lying on the bed. Ever since Yang Lili left, she had been feeling more and more uneasy. She had a feeling that something was about to happen.

Her hunch had always been accurate.

Usually, at this time of day, Ye Dazhuang and Yang Lili, who went to the fields in the morning, would return home. Because the sun at noon was the hottest poison, after staying in the fields for so long, no one could bear it anymore.

No matter how hardworking the peasants were, they would not be able to land in the afternoon.

However, at this time, Ye Dazhuang and Yang Yang did not come back. Yang Lili, who went to the main house to do some work, also did not come back.

Yang Lili should have returned earlier than Ye Dazhuang. Firstly, she was close to him, and secondly, they also had to eat at the main house, so it was impossible for them to let Yang Lili eat. thirdly, with her cheap mother's personality, how could they leave her alone for lunch?

The house was frighteningly empty. After thinking about it again and again, Qi Mu was worried about Yang Lili. He couldn't wait any longer. He couldn't care less about the big and small wounds on his body, so he struggled to get off the bed.

"Ah …"

As soon as his feet touched the ground, Qi Mu cried out in pain.

His legs and feet were soft and painful everywhere, and the aftereffects from his climb up the mountain were menacing.

With great difficulty, Qi Mu bit her lips and put on her shoes. Her usual simple actions still took a while, and her forehead was dripping with sweat.

Along the way, Qi Mo walked and stopped. Her steps were messy, and the sun's rays caused her to feel dizzy and her body felt extremely uncomfortable.

Outside the main house.

Qi Mu leaned against the door and stood outside. He felt as if he had entered another world, a world that was very lively, very warm, and very ironic.

All three generations of people sat around a table, eating and drinking, chatting and laughing merrily.

Madame Li and her grandfather, Ye Guangzong, were seated in the main seat. Next to Madame Li were Li Zhiqing and his wife, and beside them were Zhang Chunji and his wife. Their respective children were sitting next to each other.

Looking at the dishes on the table, a large plate of fried tofu, a large plate of stir-fried cabbage, a plate of farm stewed fish, an egg-flower soup, and even a plate of greasy red-braised pork, two bowls for one person, a bowl of dried rice, and a hot soup, they were all extremely tasty.

"Father, mother, eat more meat." Father, mother, eat more meat.

Li Zhiqing was kind with her words and had a virtuous look on her face. She picked up the biggest two pieces of Red Braised Meat and placed them into the bowls of the Li family and Ye Guangzong.

"Sigh, I didn't love this wife for nothing. This third wife is sensible and has rules. She knows how to love others."

Madame Li did not eat the meat in the bowl. Instead, she turned her head and smiled as she said to Ye Guangzong. She was very satisfied with Li Zhiqing's filial piety and understanding.

"Mhmm, our Old Ye family is blessed."

He had thought about this meat for a very long time. Normally, even if he had some spare money, he would rarely be willing to buy it twice a year, and today, he had lost Third Brother by going to the town and actually bought some. His Third Brother's wife's culinary skills were good, so it was not easy for the peasants to eat the meat once.

Ye Zong looked at his third son in satisfaction. Ye Yiming could feel his father's gaze on him. Smiling faintly, his clean white face was full of pride.

Li Zhiqing, who was at the side, spat out the soup from her mouth, drank the rest of the soup as if nothing had happened, and then used a cloth to wipe the table. Her actions were extremely quick and natural, and none of the people at the table felt that anything was amiss.

Qi Mu remained calm and collected as he took in the sight before him. He suppressed the emotions on his face and slowly stepped into the hall.

The first to notice her was, on the other hand, Zhang Chunshi, who had been eating his meal quietly with his head down, as she spoke in a strange tone:

"Oh, which gust of wind brought the second floor's little girl here?"

She emphasized the two words, "Second house". Which person in the village didn't know that the second house of the Ye family didn't have food in their house?

Just like her parents, she would come wailing like ghosts and howling like wolves when it got dark. She had given them all the food she could get this month, so who was she trying to cheat this time?

The others had just noticed Qi Mu's tiny body. A child that was about ten years old did not seem like a seven or eight-year-old child from the village.

"Little Mu, you've come. What's the matter?"

Li Zhiqing smiled without changing his expression and said politely.

Madame Li, on the other hand, impatiently looked at her granddaughter, a little girl, and spouted too much. Just like her mother, when she thought of the money her family gave to Qi Mu for a doctor, her heart ached.

It wasn't like she was seriously ill, what kind of doctor was she to ask for? That Yang Lili had caused such a ruckus, and people who didn't know it would think that she was a strict grandmother.

"Greetings grandma, grandpa, uncle, aunt, third uncle, third aunt, and sister Qiao, sister Li, and brother Zong."

Sister Qiao was the eldest daughter of the eldest son, while Sister Li was the third daughter of the eldest son. The eldest son, Ye Yaozu, was sent to the small academy in the town to study because he was the only son of the eldest son.

On the other hand, Zong brother was the son of the Third Branch, who was carried by Madame Li that day.

Qi Mu seemed to be well-behaved as he greeted everyone in the room. Then, he said:

"My mother still hasn't returned yet, so I came over to find out from my grandma. I thought maybe she left me with a mother."

"What? She hasn't gone back yet?"

Madame Li said unhappily. This was what she disliked the most about her daughter-in-law. She never did proper business properly, and always wanted to stir up trouble at home.

"Yes, father and brother haven't come back yet."

Qi Mu added faintly, "You guys are already happily eating here, but her parents and brother haven't come back yet, and no one asked about it." She was slightly annoyed in her heart.

"Where did number two go? Didn't you guys come back?"

Her tone was still not very good, but it carried some obvious concern. After all, the one Qi Mu mentioned this time was not his unfilial wife, but her son.

"Mother, when Father, Young Madam and I left, Dazhuang said that Second Sister-in-Law did not go to the fields this time. He stayed behind for a while longer to plant the seedlings."

Seeing Madame Li looking at him, Ye Da Teng straightforwardly explained.

Qi Mu had a good impression of this uncle of hers. He was a straightforward and upright person, but the key was that these words were indeed said by her cheap father. It was unknown if that Spring Grass was lucky enough to get married.

"Right."

At that time, he had also heard that his second son was a very good person and was actually willing to do it.

When Madame Li saw this, her expression eased up. Her son only came back a bit later, it was good that he was fine. As long as the other things didn't bother her, her days would be better.

Seeing that Madame Li didn't have anything else to say, Qi Mo's heart turned cold. If this person who hadn't returned was the treasured son of the Li family, Ye Yiming, would the Li family still be able to sit and eat? If he didn't go to the door to look around, that would be wrong …

Ye Yiming and his wife had never been to the fields before, but their lives were always balanced. Some people's comfort must have been earned by someone else's early rising in the morning.

"Aunt, you usually take care of the household chores, do you know where my mother is now?"

Where was Yang Lili now? This was the most important thing for her to do at the main house.

"Second Sister-in-law, this morning was just to cut the grass, feed the pigs, clean the yard, and do some light work. Where else can I let her go?"

Zhang Chunji saw Qi Mu staring at her and asked. Thinking back to what happened last night, she felt weak. Her small eyes looked left and right and her voice became more shrill as she replied.

Before Qi Mu could say anything, Madame Li frowned, waved her hand, and said:

"Alright, little girl Mu. Your eldest aunt can still eat your mother. She might just be sitting there lazily, trying to cool her down!"

As she said this, Madame Li thought of her past. With a snort, she continued:

"Your father and Yang Yang will be going back soon. Why don't you go cook first, otherwise, why would they come back for food? This is a girl's house, stop imitating your mother and running outside, hurry up and go back."

Madame Li wanted to chase him away.

When Qi Mu heard this, he did not say anything. He just stood there by himself with his chest out and a smile as he looked at the big family.

After a long time, everyone's eyes and nose were focused on the scene. Madame Li's expression became even darker, and no one spoke a word.

Qi Mu turned around and left, accompanied by a soft and mocking "Ha!"

Forget it, her mother, she'll just find it for herself.

From the main house behind them came Lady Li's curses, Zhang Chunghua's echoing, Li Zhiqing's "persuasion", and the clamor of children … The room was noisy, but Qi Mu no longer paid any attention to it. She limped slowly, searching for Yang Lili's figure on the floor of the Ye family mansion.

"..."

The Ye Clan wasn't big, so she had already seen almost all of the Seven Mushrooms and shouted at them. However, there was no reply. She thought to herself, could it be that Yang Lili had already left?

Thinking of this, Qi Mu sighed. He planned to go back and have a look. He didn't want the two of them to walk around blindly and make a joke of themselves.

But suddenly she stopped and remembered that she had not been to a place yet.

At the back of the main house of the Ye Family, there was a special pigsty that was specially built to house three or four pigs. At the back of the main house of the Ye Family, there was a pigsty that was specially built to house three or four pigs.

Thinking of this, Qi Mu turned around and walked towards the pigsty. Since he had already searched for it, he didn't need to look for a place like this.

Before Qi Mu got close, she could smell a stench from far away. She didn't mind it and didn't have the strength to turn her back on it. She slowly walked closer and carefully looked at the pigsty.

Slowly approaching...

When that person's figure appeared, the terrible sight that entered her eyes caused a burning hot tear to slide down her cheek without any warning. She tightly pursed her lips, and her face was filled with grief and indignation.

"Mother …"