Liu Cuirong quietly gnawed on the mutton, completely unaware of the chilling gaze of her mother-in-law.
Gu Shi had been feeling puzzled. She went to the east wing to check and found that Xiao Bao was nowhere to be seen.
When she asked Jinshan and Jinhe, they hadn't seen him either.
"Old woman, why aren't you eating?" Yun Laotou asked.
Gu Shi put down her chopsticks, stood up, and walked towards Liu Cuirong.
Xiao Xitian, seeing her mother's uncertain expression, felt a bad premonition.
"Second daughter-in-law!" Gu Shi called out, frowning.
Liu Cuirong, busy eating meat, replied without looking up, "Mm! What is it, Mother?"
Gu Shi asked her coldly, "Where is Xiao Bao?"
The child was only three months old and couldn't crawl yet.
He couldn't go anywhere unless someone carried him.
Liu Cuirong dropped a piece of mutton rib, licked her lips, and said, "Xiao Bao is at my mother's place. I'll go pick him up later!"
Gu Shi's heart skipped a beat.
From her understanding of Lu Shi and Liu Cuijin, the child would be in grave danger in their hands.
Gu Shi let out a long sigh, suppressing the urge to strangle Liu Cuirong, and urged her, "Stop eating. Go and bring the child back to me now!"
Liu Cuirong didn't move, feeling quite displeased. "Mother, what are you doing?"
Look at her anxious demeanor.
It's as if my mother would do something to the child.
Yun Erman heard the commotion and quickly walked over.
He had drunk quite a bit, his face flushed, and he reeked of alcohol.
"Mother, what's wrong?" Yun Erman asked.
Before Gu Shi could speak, Liu Cuirong complained aggrievedly, "Mother is always suspicious and unreasonable!"
Gu Shi narrowed her eyes. "Don't beat around the bush. Tell me, when did you take Xiao Bao over there?"
"Xiao Bao?" Yun Erman was startled and looked at Liu Cuirong. "Where did you take Xiao Bao?"
"Oh, stop asking. I'll go get him back, alright!"
So annoying!
Liu Cuirong stood up indignantly, muttering to herself as she walked towards the door.
Gu Shi, worried, instructed Yun Erman, "Go with her!"
"Got it, Mother!"
When the couple arrived at the dilapidated temple at the east end of the village, they found the door locked.
Looking through the cracks in the window, they saw that the house was empty. Xiao Bao was nowhere to be seen.
Yun Erman was furious. Leaning on his drunken state, he slapped Liu Cuirong, sending her sprawling.
"Stupid woman, where is my son? Where did you take my son?"
Yun Erman clenched his fists, veins bulging on his forehead.
If Liu Cuirong didn't give a satisfactory answer, he would beat her to death today!
"Wuwuwu, why are you hitting me? I gave birth to the child, don't I care about him?"
Liu Cuirong cried, half of her face swollen.
She blamed her mother repeatedly in her heart.
Why did Xiao Bao go missing for no reason?
He must have been taken out for a walk.
Yun Erman kicked open the door and strode in angrily.
The house reeked. Apart from bedding and cooking utensils, nothing else was found.
Liu Cuirong followed in dejectedly, cautiously saying, "Er... Erman, why don't we just wait here? Mother and Cuijin will definitely come back!"
"Wait for what!" Yun Erman's brows furrowed, and he strode out.
By the time that mother and daughter returned, the child would have already changed his name and become someone else's.
Yun Erman ran back to the Yun family.
The banquet was nearing its end. Most of the workers were drunk and sleeping in the shade.
Kong Xingzhuo returned to the east wing to pack his luggage.
He planned to leave for the capital with the workers later, when it was cooler.
"Why hasn't that person returned yet?"
Gu Shi and Yun Laotou stood at the main entrance, their faces filled with anxiety and impatience.
Zhao Cuihua comforted them, "Father, Mother, although Lu Hongxia likes money and possessions, Xiao Bao is her grandson after all. Lu Hongxia wouldn't dare to do anything to him!"
Gu Shi shook her head. "You don't understand her. For money and to show off, she dared to sell her own daughter!"
Let alone her grandson.
At this moment, Yun Erman ran back. "Mother, Mother, Xiao Bao is gone!"
"What?" Gu Shi swayed, almost fainting.
The village chief learned of the matter and immediately arranged for villagers to search.
Even Kong Xingzhuo dispatched his subordinates to search house by house in Dashui Village.
The Yun family erupted in chaos, and even the drunkards sobered up halfway.
Xue Ling ran to the village entrance and started barking.
It knew where Xiao Bao was.
But no one paid attention.
Helpless, Xue Ling ran home to find Xiao Xitian.
"Woof woof!" Xue Ling nudged her with its large head.
"Xue, Xue Ling Ling, knows knows..." Xiao Xitian tugged at Gu Shi's pant leg, saying in a milky voice.
A dog's sense of smell is twelve hundred times that of a human's.
By scent, it would be easy to find Xiao Bao.
Gu Shi came back to her senses.
How could she have forgotten that she had an omnipotent little daughter?
"Daughter, you know where Xiao Bao is, don't you?" Gu Shi asked excitedly.
"Mm!~" Xiao Xitian rubbed Xue Ling's fluffy dog head.
Gu Shi choked up. "Can you take Mother to find him?"
"Mother, don't cry!~"
Xiao Xitian, hand in hand with Gu Shi, went to the carriage.
Gu Shi understood and quickly called out to Yun Laotou, "Old man, hurry and hitch the carriage!"
The family got into the carriage and followed Xue Ling, unknowingly arriving at the county town.
Zhao Guihua stayed behind to guard the house, while Kong Xingzhuo and two subordinates also followed.
Liu Cuirong huddled in the corner of the carriage, her face full of grievance.
The child wasn't lost on purpose, so why was the whole family angry with her?
Besides, if the child was gone, they could just have another one!
Why make such a fuss and cause such a commotion.
Fortunately, she didn't say these words out loud.
Otherwise, the whole family would have skinned her alive, if not beaten her to death!
Xiao Xitian leaned out of the carriage window, her little head sticking out and looking around.
Seeing Xue Ling stop in front of a mansion, Xiao Xitian giggled.
Found it!
"We're, we're here!~" Xiao Xitian waved her little hands.
The whole family got out of the carriage and looked forward.
They saw two red lacquered doors.
Above the lintel hung a plaque with two golden characters – Chen Mansion.
Such a grand residence clearly belonged to a wealthy and influential family.
Yun Laotou was surprised and looked at Xiao Xitian. "Daughter, are you sure Xiao Bao was brought here?"
"Mm!~"
Xiao Xitian believed Xue Ling wouldn't be wrong.
"In that case, I'll go knock on the door!" Kong Xingzhuo volunteered.
He was a man of the world and wouldn't be intimidated.
Gu Shi picked up her daughter and smiled. "Let me do it!"
It was their family matter, and she didn't want to trouble outsiders.
"Dong dong dong!" The door was knocked.
A moment later, a man who looked like a servant peeked out.
Seeing a group of people standing outside the door, the servant asked curiously, "Who are you looking for?"
Gu Shi didn't directly inquire about Xiao Bao's whereabouts but changed the subject. "We are from Dashui Village. May I ask if your master is at home?"
Before the servant could answer, a middle-aged man in a blue brocade robe walked out.
He sized up Gu Shi and the others and asked with a raised eyebrow, "Do you all need something from me?"