"What!?"
Tao Lengshuang yanked open the door, staring at Shen Ershen in astonishment. "Have all the people sold by the Tao family returned, or just some of them?"
Shen Ershen said they had all returned, and they were all dressed quite well. "They look like they've struck it rich. Something feels very wrong."
Tao Lengshuang also felt something was very wrong. She narrowed her eyes in thought, then decided to go and see. "Shen Ershen, where are those people from the Tao family who have returned now?"
Shen Ershen wrung her hands, looking troubled. "They're all in A Qing's room, arguing fiercely with Tao Fangfang. I reckon they're about to start fighting."
Tao Lengshuang informed Mo Lingxi of her intentions and prepared to go out and assess the situation.
Mo Lingxi, not wanting her to go alone, followed her.
"Daddy, Mommy, I want to go out too," Xiao Feng scampered over, hugging Mo Lingxi's leg. "I haven't been out in such a long time, I'm going stir-crazy stuck at home."
Mo Lingxi considered for a moment, then took his hand and walked out. "You must be good when we're outside, and don't run off, understand?"
Xiao Feng obediently agreed, his face beaming with joy. "I get to go out, I get to go out!"
Zhu Zi and the others looked on enviously. They also wanted to go out and explore, but their parents had said the village was too chaotic right now and wouldn't let them.
Tao Lengshuang gave Shen Ershen a few instructions, telling them to lock their doors, and then went out with Mo Lingxi and their son.
The family of three walked at a leisurely pace towards A Qing's house. Along the way, they saw many outsiders.
Some stared at them like hungry wolves, some were knocking on doors of various houses, begging for food, and some were huddled under the eaves of houses.
Every outsider was dressed in rags, and many were gaunt and emaciated.
"Please, just give me a bite to eat."
A frail woman knelt before Tao Lengshuang and her companions, pleading desperately. "Please, just give me a bite to eat, even just one bite."
Tao Lengshuang noticed that the surrounding outsiders were all staring at their family of three. She knew she couldn't give anything, or these outsiders would pester them every day.
"No, our own lives are hard enough to manage, where would we have any extra food?"
With that, she was about to leave with Mo Lingxi and their son, but they were surrounded by even more outsiders.
"You all look so well-dressed and prosperous, please, spare us a bite to eat."
"Generous benefactors, please give us a bite to eat. My children are starving to death."
Xiao Feng looked distressed, but he also knew he couldn't give food. He clung to his father's leg.
"No!" Tao Lengshuang frowned and said coldly, "Get out of the way."
These outsiders were unwilling to move, continuously begging Tao Lengshuang and the other two. Some even tried to make a move.
Mo Lingxi's gaze sharpened. He kicked one of them away and said with a murderous aura, "Scram!"
The outsiders saw the person sent flying and unable to get up for a long time. Then, seeing Mo Lingxi's murderous glare, they were all frightened and retreated to the side.
This man would truly kill them.
Mo Lingxi swept his fierce, bloodthirsty gaze around, protecting Tao Lengshuang and her son as they walked forward.
Tao Lengshuang's brows furrowed into the shape of the character "川" (chuan). The situation was even more serious than Shen Ershen had described.
She feared that it wouldn't be long before riots broke out.
This was not a good thing.
She needed to make more arrangements to avoid being surrounded by a large group of people.
With these thoughts, she and Mo Lingxi arrived in front of A Qing's house with their son.
There wasn't a single villager watching. Only the Tao family members were engaged in a brawl, with only Tao Fangfang's husband and son not participating.
Upon closer inspection, all the Tao family members except Tao Fangfang were wearing cotton clothes, and the women's hair buns were adorned with silver ornaments.
Tao Lengshuang and Mo Lingxi exchanged a glance. The Tao family's affairs were likely not as simple as they seemed.
The two ignored the brawling Tao family members and listened to their words, hoping to find useful clues.
The fighting Tao family members didn't notice Mo Lingxi and the other two, only focused on beating each other up.
"Tao Fangfang, you scoundrel, how dare you sell us! I'll beat you to death today."
"Eldest brother, you sold my daughter, and today I'll make you pay."
"It was all of you who sold me. I didn't expect I'd be able to return! Now I have a patron, and I'll deal with all of you."
From the fighting Tao family members, Mo Lingxi and Tao Lengshuang gathered some information. Someone had bought these Tao family members and then had them return.
It was clear that this was a deliberate act by someone.
It was most likely aimed at them, otherwise, they wouldn't have specifically arranged for the Tao family members to return.
"I'll investigate which party is behind this," Mo Lingxi said quietly.
Tao Lengshuang nodded, her gaze towards the Tao family members shifting slightly. They definitely needed to investigate, and they couldn't let the other party use the Tao family to harm their own family.
Just as she was thinking about whether to go back, as standing here watching the show was too cold, she heard Tao Da Gou's exclamation.
"It's Tao Lengshuang's family!"
At this, the Tao family stopped fighting and all stared fiercely at Tao Lengshuang and the other two.
Tao Fangfang looked at Xiao Feng with particular intensity, her eyes filled with greed. What a handsome child, he could surely be sold for a high price.
"Tao Lengshuang, you're the one who caused us to become like this! Our family is done with you."
"Aunt, your heart is so wicked. Your family eats well and drinks heartily, yet you let me be sold by my family. Fortunately, a benefactor saved me. Now that I've returned, I won't let you off."
"Look at how raggedly Tao Lengshuang is dressed, I can't stand it. Tao Lengshuang, if you kneel down and kowtow to me three times, perhaps I'll show you some mercy."
"Tao Lengshuang, get down on your knees! I'll teach you a good lesson today."
Tao Lengshuang stopped Mo Lingxi with a look and shouted to the outsiders, "Look at this family, dressed in gold and silver, they're clearly rich people. Why aren't you begging them?"
Before her words had even fallen, she had already pulled Mo Lingxi and Xiao Feng back to the side.
As expected, they saw the hungry outsiders swarm towards the Tao family.
Some knelt and begged the Tao family for a bite to eat, while others were snatching from the Tao family.
"Generous benefactors, please give us a bite to eat, save us with a bite to eat."
"Give me your hairpin, quickly, or I'll kill you."
"Grab the clothes off him, they must be so warm."
The Tao family members were no match for so many fierce outsiders. Even their angry shouts and punches and kicks were useless. They could only watch as everything, including their clothes, was snatched away, and even their luggage inside the house wasn't spared.
In less than fifteen minutes, the Tao family members, who had returned in glory, were once again penniless.
Tao Lengshuang saw that the Tao family members were left with only their underclothes and were shivering uncontrollably in the cold wind. She smiled broadly. "Oh my, you truly are generous benefactors, doing such great deeds."
It was also foolish of the Tao family. Knowing that times were hard now and there were hungry people everywhere, this family was still so ostentatious and extravagant, as if they were afraid no one would come to rob them.