Chapter 52: Rescuing Yu'er "Sister Liu." Little Yu'er sniffed...

In the backyard of the general's mansion, the stove crackled, its flames licking the bottom of the pot, making a gentle sizzling sound. In the stew pot, a rich mutton soup was steaming. On a small stove nearby, Liu Yeshu was stir-frying juicy seasonal vegetables.

A young servant hurried in, looking nervous. "Miss Liu, there's a woman at the back door who wants to see you. It seems urgent. She said her last name is Wang."

Widow Wang was usually a reserved woman, never coming here without a matter of urgency. She suppressed her anxiety, quickly finished her work, and said to Chun Xing, "Chun Xing, please help me with the cooking for a while. The mutton soup will only need to simmer for another quarter of an hour. When it's cooked, serve the vegetables. Stir-fry the vegetables a few more times and add some salt. I'll go see what's going on outside."

Chun Xing nodded in agreement and took the spatula from her hand: "Don't worry, Sister Liu, I've remembered everything."

Liu Yeshu quickly took off her apron, wiped the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve, and quietly went around to the back door.

Widow Wang was standing at the back door, her face pale and her eyes red. As soon as she saw her, she spoke anxiously, her voice choking with sobs, "Miss Liu, Yu'er was kidnapped by my in-laws! They also said that I have to pay alimony, and if I don't, they won't return my daughter to me!"

After hearing this, Liu Yeshu frowned and her face darkened. She took Widow Wang's hand, patted it gently, and whispered, "Don't be impatient. Take your time and tell me the details of what happened first."

Widow Wang trembled as she recounted how her husband's family had forcibly taken Xiao Yu'er away, and how they had broken into her home while she was away. Tears streamed down her face as she spoke of the emotional part.

After hearing this, Liu Yeshu's eyes flashed with anger, but she quickly regained her composure. She thought for a moment and then soothed him softly, "Don't panic. If they want money, they have a weakness. In that case, we might as well take this opportunity to deal with them."

She leaned close to Widow Wang's ear and said in a low voice, "Don't act rashly now. I'll find a way. Don't worry."

Widow Wang felt a little relieved after hearing this. Although she was still a little worried, she felt a glimmer of hope. She wiped her tears and said with a sob, "Miss Liu, I'm so grateful for you. Otherwise, I really don't know what I would do."

Liu Yeshu held Widow Wang's hand and looked her firmly in the eye. "The more panicked you are, the more they feel they have you under control. For now, just keep everything as normal. They are using Xiao Yu'er as a bargaining chip and will definitely not dare to treat her harshly."

She paused and added, "When you go back, act anxious but don't get too excited. If they come to you, just say you need time to raise the money. I'll find a way as soon as possible. You have to trust me."

Widow Wang nodded heavily: "I understand, I will listen to you." After grabbing Liu Yeshu's hand heavily, she turned and left.

Liu Yeshu didn't have time to watch her go away, so she turned back to the kitchen. Chun Xing had already served the food. She took it and brought it to Qi Yu's study.

Qi Yu was sitting at his desk, which was piled with paperwork. He looked up and saw Liu Yeshu approaching with food. A smile appeared on his face. But when he picked up his chopsticks and took a bite of the food, his brows furrowed slightly and he put down his chopsticks.

"Did anything happen today? This dish is not made by you."

Seeing Qi Yu's unhappy expression, Liu Yeshu quickly put down the tray in her hand, stood aside politely, and whispered, "General, I'm at fault. I encountered an urgent matter and was afraid of delaying the meal, so I asked Chun Xing to do it for me. I am willing to accept the punishment."

"Urgent? Tell me about it."

Liu Yeshu didn't want Qi Yu to know that he opened a restaurant outside, so he said a few vague words.

"Oh." Qi Yu took a sip of tea, "I see."

Liu Yeshu bowed and admitted his mistake: "I was inconsiderate. This happened suddenly, and I was afraid of missing the general's meal time, so I asked Chun Xing to help. I will definitely not do this again in the future. I will go and do it again now."

Upon hearing this, Qi Yu slowly shifted his gaze away from Liu Yeshu.

"No need." He didn't say anything else, just waved his hand, signaling Liu Yeshu to leave. Liu Yeshu bowed slightly and quietly left the study.

After Liu Yeshu left, Qi Yu remained seated at his desk, looking up at the cold food and shaking his head. He had to go to such lengths to conceal even the smallest of matters.

After a while, he suppressed his irritation and called Butler Zhao.

"Go check what kind of trouble Miss Liu encountered today."

When Butler Zhao heard this, he immediately understood what Qi Yu meant. After bowing respectfully, he turned around and went to do his work.

In the afternoon, Liu Yeshu came to Qi Yu's study, holding a bowl of freshly cooked sugar water. She knocked on the door and walked in cautiously. Inside the study, a warm charcoal fire was burning brightly. Qi Yu was working at his desk, his expression as cold and serious as ever.

Liu Yeshu placed the dessert on the table and said respectfully, "General, this is the glutinous rice balls I made myself. They are sweet and delicious. Please try them."

Qi Yu glanced down at the glutinous rice balls on the table. They were white and round, floating in a bowl of clear, sweet broth. A few shreds of orange peel floated in the bottom of the broth, giving off a light fragrance. It was sweet but not greasy, and very tempting. Despite this, Qi Yu didn't seem very interested and said calmly, "Leave it there."

Liu Yeshu hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "I made these dumplings with a special blend of rice flour and glutinous rice flour. The filling is also black sesame seeds I chopped myself, and I added a little osmanthus honey when cooking..."

Seeing that she was sincere, Qi Yu could not refuse any longer. He picked up the spoon and gently placed it on a round glutinous rice ball. The surface of the glutinous rice ball was shiny and soft and cute.

He suddenly remembered how Liu Yeshu had been running around in the military camp, trying to come up with a plague cure. She hadn't rested for three days straight, and finally, exhausted, she'd fallen asleep on the table during the day. Sunlight streamed through the curtains onto her face. Her cheek, where her arms had pressed against it, had a small lump of flesh, also soft and radiant with a lustrous white glow.

He couldn't help it at that time, and reached out to pinch the small lump of flesh, but was almost caught by Doctor Du who lifted the curtain and came in. Fortunately, he withdrew his hand in time.

Qi Yu's lips curled up slightly involuntarily. The nameless dissatisfaction and anger that had been in his heart seemed to dissipate at once. His eyes softened, and when he looked at Liu Yeshu again, there was a bit more warmth in them.

A faint blush quietly appeared on Liu Yeshu's cheeks, and she touched her face uncomfortably: "General, is there something on my face?"

Why did she feel that Qi Yu looked at her as if he was looking at a big dumpling?

Qi Yu cleared his throat and said, "It's a little dusty. Go down and wash it yourself."

*

On a winter night, the night sky of Ning'an County was exceptionally silent, with only the cold wind whispering softly across the eaves. Liu Yeshu stood in the yard, taking a deep breath of the icy air to keep herself awake.

She called in two servants, a tall and strong one and a short and fat one, for help, and carefully explained to them the details of the operation. She also checked the tools she was bringing: several ropes, a small knife, and some powder that could be used in an emergency.

"Put on these cloth clothes," Liu Yeshu whispered, handing the two men some coarse black clothes, "We have to try not to attract attention."

The three of them quickly changed their clothes, and Liu Yeshu reminded them again: "Remember, wait for my signal before taking action. Safety is the most important thing. If the situation is not right, retreat immediately.

"We must be careful and never cause trouble for the General's Mansion." Liu Yeshu whispered.

The three of them tiptoed through the narrow alleyway, using the faint moonlight as they cautiously approached the courtyard of Widow Wang's in-laws' house. The air was filled with a tense atmosphere, and even the sound of breathing was particularly clear.

"What's going on? Why are the lights still on so late?" Liu Yeshu frowned slightly, feeling a little uneasy. She gestured to the two servants to wait behind and moved closer, carefully observing the movements in the courtyard.

Not far away, she saw several people who looked like villagers coming and going in the courtyard of Widow Wang's in-laws' house. A wrinkled, thin but energetic old man stood in the courtyard, directing several people to search each house one by one.

The short and fat servant exclaimed, "Huh?" and said, "This old man is the village chief."

"Why is the village chief here?" Liu Yeshu was puzzled. She turned to the two servants and whispered, "Things seem to have changed. We must be careful."

A moment later, she heard the village chief's voice: "Something important was lost in my house tonight. We must search every house and make sure to find it! Don't be lazy, search every corner carefully!"

The village chief stood at the gate of the courtyard with sharp eyes, and it was obvious that he did not intend to miss any suspicious place.

"We have to take advantage of this opportunity." Liu Yeshu's eyes turned, and she quickly thought of a solution. She turned back and said to the two of them in a low voice, "While they are concentrating on searching for something, it's a good time for us to rescue them."

The two servants quietly circled to the backyard, preparing to break out from there. Liu Yeshu stayed in the front yard, lingering for a moment outside the village chief's sight. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of the village chief and his men concentrating on searching through several houses. Meanwhile, the people from Widow Wang's in-laws' family were all in the front yard, too nervous to move.

Meanwhile, Tall and Strong and Short and Fat quietly climbed over the wall in the backyard. Luckily, the backyard of Widow Wang's in-laws' house was unguarded, and the two servants quickly found the woodshed where Xiao Yu'er was imprisoned. The room was dimly lit, and Xiao Yu'er could be vaguely seen curled up in a corner, her face covered in tears and a look of fear.

"Don't be afraid, Yu'er. It's your sister Liu who sent us to pick you up," the short and fat servant coaxed, carefully picking her up. Little Yu'er was a little panicked at first, but after hearing the words "Sister Liu," she gradually calmed down and obediently leaned on the servant's shoulder.

The two quickly took her outside the courtyard and met up with Liu Yeshu. Taking advantage of the chaotic moment when the villagers were still busy searching the front yard, the tall and strong servant and Liu Yeshu quietly took Xiao Yu'er away.

Only after leaving the village did Liu Yeshu breathe a sigh of relief.

"Sister Liu." Xiao Yu'er sniffed and stretched out her hand for Liu Yeshu to hug her.

"It's okay, it's okay." Liu Yeshu gently patted Xiao Yu'er's back, soothing her convulsed body. Her voice was soft but firm. She looked at the tall and strong servant who had followed her and whispered, "Send Xiao Yu'er to my parents' house first. It's not appropriate to go back to Sister Wang's house tonight. We have to wait until the storm has died down."

The servant nodded, and without a word, he carefully picked up Xiao Yu'er and walked towards Liu Yeshu's parents' residence. Although the Liu family's house was simple, it was the safest haven. In this turbulent time, Liu Yeshu knew that the villagers were numerous and gossipy, and only by letting Xiao Yu'er hide at home temporarily could she avoid the current crisis.

When Father and Mother Liu saw Xiao Yu'er being carried into the house, they couldn't help but be slightly startled, especially when they saw her tear-stained face. They suddenly felt suspicious, but they soon realized the urgency of the matter. Without saying a word, Mother Liu stepped forward and hugged Xiao Yu'er in her arms, coaxing her softly, "Don't cry, don't cry, Xiao Yu'er, be good. Come into the house with grandma and rest first. Don't be afraid."

Although Father Liu didn't say much, his face showed worry. He didn't ask too many questions, but instead helped Mother Liu close the door to ensure Xiao Yu'er's safety. While comforting Xiao Yu'er, Mother Liu whispered, "Shu'er, how did you bring her back?"

"Don't ask, as long as she can be brought back. Don't let outsiders know her whereabouts for the time being." Father Liu didn't look at Liu Yeshu, but spoke for Liu Yeshu.

After settling Xiao Yu'er, Liu Yeshu turned around and hurried back to Widow Wang's home. At this moment, Widow Wang was already running around the house in a panic, her eyes red and swollen, obviously she had just cried. When she saw Liu Yeshu, she immediately rushed over, nervously grabbed her hand, and said in a trembling voice: "Where's Yu'er? How is Yu'er? Is she okay?"

Liu Yeshu patted her shoulder soothingly and said softly, "Yu'er is safe now. I sent her to my parents' house. They will take care of her for a while. Don't worry, no one will hurt her."

Hearing this, the heavy weight that had been hanging over Widow Wang's heart finally fell to the ground. She could no longer hold back her tears, and instantly burst out. She choked with sobs, holding Liu Yeshu's hand, and was so grateful that she couldn't speak. "Miss Liu, thank you so much! If it weren't for you, I... I really don't know what I would do!"

At this moment, a short and fat servant ran in from outside, panting and saying, "Miss Liu, the village chief's lost thing has been found! It was found in Sister Wang's in-laws' house, in the room of the eldest son!"

Liu Yeshu frowned slightly and asked, "What was lost?"

"A jade bracelet," the short, fat servant continued. "The village chief said it was a family heirloom, kept at home until they discovered it was missing today. The villagers are clamoring to report it to the police! It's been so chaotic that no one noticed Xiao Yu'er was missing."

Liu Yeshu nodded. The timing of this incident was a bit of a coincidence, but she didn't say anything. She just said softly, "Luckily, we brought Xiao Yu'er back today. Otherwise, if we report her to the authorities, that family would have demanded an exorbitant amount of money to redeem her."

Widow Wang nodded, wiped her tears, and felt a little relieved. She walked to the opposite door and saw Xiao Yu'er in Liu Mu's arms, already asleep, and Liu Mu was gently patting her back.

She felt a pang of sadness. For so many years, she had been cautious in making a living, not daring to offend anyone in order to support her daughter. But even so, just as her life was getting better, her in-laws bullied her.

I can't tolerate this any longer. Widow Wang gritted her teeth, her eyes hardening.

"Miss Liu," she said firmly, looking at Liu Yeshu who was busy in the kitchen, "Thanks to you this time, I was able to rescue Xiao Yu'er. However, I can't always rely on you. I have to go and settle this matter myself."