206 Missing
After Su Xiaoxiao finished drawing the blueprint, Liu Ping returned from town.
“Are you used to living in the shop?” Su Xiaoxiao asked.
Liu Ping scratched his head. “I’m used to it! The house is very big, and there’s no wind or rain. The children are all sleeping soundly.”
Su Xiaoxiao said, “Then, you can live there in the future.”
“Huh?” Liu Ping was stunned.
Su Xiaoxiao asked, “Are you unwilling?”
Liu Ping hurriedly waved his hand. “No, no! It’s just… that… Ah…”
Su Xiaoxiao continued, “I’m not letting you stay for nothing.”
Liu Ping nodded repeatedly. “Yes, yes, I should pay some rent…”
Su Xiaoxiao said, “I’ll give you money.”
“Huh?” Liu Ping was shocked.
Su Xiaoxiao said, “Someone has to watch the shop.”
“But this… I…” Liu Ping would occasionally become incoherent.
What he wanted to say was that they would be living in such a good house for nothing and should pay rent. How could they still be paid?
It was convenient to watch the shop. No, it was his job.
Su Xiaoxiao was a strange person. She seemed very calculative most of the time, but to say she was stingy, she was even more generous than those men in terms of salary.
Su Xiaoxiao said, “That’s settled. You guys stay upstairs first. After the room in the backyard is renovated, you can move over and continue renovating upstairs. I’ll leave the supervision to you.”
Liu Ping instantly felt a sense of mission. “Daya, don’t worry. I’ll definitely do a good job!”
Wei Ting had stayed outside for a long time these few days. Sometimes, when Father Su returned, he would still work alone in the fields.
Su Xiaoxiao didn’t know if he was really working.
However, for a man to keep returning late, something was up.
Today, the person plowing the ground was still Yuchi Xiu, but there was another person with them.
It was a white-robed man wearing a bamboo hat and veiled hat.
“Young Master, the Old Madam knows that you left the capital. She’s very angry and wants you to return to the capital immediately. In addition, on the way here, I heard another piece of news. The Third Prince has already set off secretly.”
Yuchi Xiu exploded. “What? Xiao Zhonghua left just like that? He’s not coming to snatch the Commander’s Seal anymore? Didn’t he come to Qingzhou for the Commander’s Seal? What trick is this?”
The man in white said, “Young Master… has been exposed?”
Yuchi Xiu snorted. “He’s long been exposed. Xiao Zhonghua even tried to poison your young master. Fortunately, I was smart and sensed something wrong in time!”
The white-robed man said, “In that case, Young Master shouldn’t continue to stay here.”
Yuchi Xiu chuckled and said, “That’s right. If Xiao Zhonghua returns to the capital earlier than your young master, he will definitely expose your young master’s absence from the Dragon Temple to the wretched emperor. At that time, your young master’s head will probably be lost!”
Wei Ting’s cultivation under the decree was a huge mistake.
Princess Hui An was deeply in love with Wei Ting and wanted to marry him. The emperor also agreed. Who would have thought that Wei Ting would resist the decree in the throne room?
Emperor Lei was furious. “You don’t even like my princess. Who else in the world do you like? Could it be that you want to be a monk!”
“As you command.”
The emperor almost fell off the dragon throne.
Yuchi Xiu continued to gloat. “Aiyaya, I’m afraid your young master won’t be able to leave. He became someone else’s live-in son-in-law and was eaten clean. He’s no longer innocent!”
The white-robed man looked at Yuchi Xiu coldly. Even through the veiled hat, one could feel his confusion, as if he was saying, “Is this guy really an assassin? Did he use his mouth to overwhelm the mission target with so much noise that he died?”
Wei Ting said, “Wait for me at the docks at noon tomorrow.”
Yuchi Xiu staggered. “What?”
Wei Ting continued, “Prepare some children’s clothes.”
The man in white was silent for a moment before understanding. “Yes!”
After the white-robed man left, Wei Ting turned around and saw the three little fellows on the field looking at him.
He opened his mouth.
The three of them turned around and ran home aggrievedly.
That night, the three little fellows disappeared.
The three of them had always been sensible and never took the initiative to leave the adults’ sight. If they did not say anything, they usually went next door to look for Niudan. The furthest they went was to the village entrance and would never exceed the ancient well.
Today, they grabbed a few small pancakes and left through the back door.
The family thought that they had gone to look for Niudan to show off their pancakes again.
Unexpectedly, when Su Ergou went to call them home for dinner, Niudan said that Dahu, Erhu, and Xiaohu had never been to his house.
The family went to the village to look for them. They also went to the Li family, the village head’s family, Auntie Liu’s family, and even the Liu family’s fish pond, but there was no sign of the three of them.
Su Ergou said, “Last time, they hid behind the Su family. I’ll go there to look!”
Father Su said, “I’ll go up to the forest behind to take a look.”
Su Yuniang also wanted to look for them.
Su Xiaoxiao said, “Someone has to stay at home. Yuniang, wait at home.”
“Alright.” Su Yuniang prayed that the three of them were just playful and would come back after playing enough.
However, after interacting with the three little fellows for so long, how could she not know their habits?
“Could it be… by someone…”
Su Yuniang did not continue.
Wei Ting’s expression was cold.
He clenched his fists, and a complicated look flashed across his eyes. He turned around and disappeared into the endless night.
When the villagers heard that the little fellow was missing, they all helped to look for him.
Someone muttered, “Could they have been captured by the Su family?”
This guess was not unreasonable. The Su family had stolen Su Cheng’s jade pendant back then. Now that the truth was out, the Su family had collapsed overnight. Needless to say, they hated the Su family.
It was not impossible for them to capture the children and take revenge on the Su family.
The villagers rushed into the Su family.
This time, no matter how tightly the Su family closed the door, the villagers raised their hammers and smashed it.
Mdm Fang’s expression changed. “What are you doing?”
“Hand over the children!”
Su Dalang walked out and stood in front of Mdm Fang. “What children? What are you talking about!”
“Stop pretending! Hurry up and hand over Dahu, Erhu, and Xiaohu! Otherwise, you’ll have it coming to you!”
The Su family was wronged.
They had been hiding at home for the past few days and only dared to sneak out in the middle of the night to pick vegetables. Not to mention catching children, they had not even seen a child!
The villagers’ feces were thrown just like that. They had finally tasted what had happened to the Su family back then.
The Su family was smashed to pieces by the villagers, but they did not find Dahu, Erhu, and Xiaohu.
Yuchi Xiu had gone to investigate Xiao Zhonghua’s whereabouts and was not in the village.
Wei Ting and Su Xiaoxiao entered the mountain.
“Dahu! Erhu! Xiaohu!”
Su Xiaoxiao shouted the three little ones’ names.
In the past, no matter how tightly they hid and played, they would definitely run out and stick out their heads for her to pat as long as they heard her voice.