"Second Sister, what's wrong? Don't keep it to yourself, tell me," Qi Xuanxuan asked worriedly.
Qi Zhenzhen withdrew her thoughts, her expression returning to normal. This matter could only be discussed with Madam Yun and Hong Dou; no one else could know.
"I was just thinking about some past events, happy ones, joyful ones. I'm pregnant now, and my emotions are a bit volatile. It's nothing, you don't need to worry about me," Qi Zhenzhen smiled.
Qi Xuanxuan was still a little uneasy. "Second Sister, I'm not a child anymore."
"I know you're not a child, you're already betrothed, a grown young lady. But I'm really fine, don't worry. If anything truly happens, I won't hide it from you. Hmm, I'm a bit hungry now and I want to eat the double-skin milk you stewed, is that okay?"
"Of course, I'll go make it right away. If you're too hungry to wait, Second Sister, have some pastries to tide you over first."
Bai Su lounged lazily on the couch by the window. "Are you really not fooling us?"
"I'm not."
Seeing that she seemed normal now and didn't appear to be troubled, Bai Su stood up. "I want to eat double-skin milk too. I'll go tell Xuanxuan to make more."
Meanwhile, Qian Yuanbao and Hong Dou had already returned to the capital. He selected a group of people, and with Hong Dou leading the way, they headed straight for the small village where Qin Lang was hiding.
Qian Yuanbao had brought many men. They split into several groups, found hidden spots, and surrounded the village.
Additionally, those skilled in digging tunnels worked in pairs, beginning their excavation.
The village was quiet. Qian Yuanbao found no guards at the village entrance as Hong Dou had mentioned.
In fact, for half the day, no one came out or went in, which was quite strange.
"Are you sure it's in this village?"
Hong Dou nodded gently. "I've investigated. The vegetable gardens in the village are very well-tended. If this were just a temporary hideout, they wouldn't be maintained so well. Moreover, the villagers all seem very familiar with each other! I've roughly estimated that there are over sixty households in this village. Some families consist only of a young couple, while others have three generations living together. There are probably over two hundred people in this village."
Qian Yuanbao frowned. He had brought sixty men, and the numbers were vastly different.
"Do the people inside look like they know martial arts?"
"I estimate at least half of them are skilled."
"This makes things difficult. If we can't defeat them, won't we all perish here?" Qian Yuanbao muttered quietly. "No, this is too dangerous. I need to..."
Hong Dou thought he was going to retreat and became anxious. "Young Master Qian, you promised my lady, how can you go back on your word?"
Qian Yuanbao glared at her. "Who said I'm going back on my word? Am I that kind of person? I was just saying we need to think carefully to capture them all in one go! What were you thinking?"
Hong Dou breathed a sigh of relief. "I apologize, Young Master Qian. It's my fault for being too agitated."
Qian Yuanbao mumbled, "This little maid of yours is quite loyal and protective of her mistress."
Hong Dou remained silent. If your own mother were kidnapped, you'd probably be very worried too.
"I've got it," Qian Yuanbao's eyes lit up. He fumbled in his sleeve and took something out.
A white porcelain bottle, about the size of his palm.
"Use this."
"What is this?" Hong Dou asked, confused.
"This is a scent pill concocted by my Ah Nuan. It's originally meant to have a calming and sleep-inducing effect. Ah Nuan made a slight mistake during its preparation, which resulted in a very potent effect. Hmm, one pill dissolved in water can incapacitate dozens of people. There are over two hundred people in this village, right? This bottle is enough. I just checked, and there are no rivers nearby, so I'm completely certain they drink well water."