Upon hearing this, Qiao Lian'er stopped and looked at him with a mocking gaze.

"Oh, well, that depends on whether you have the ability."

That contempt and disdain sent a chill down Song Ruier's spine.

The determination, mixed with resentment, became even stronger.

He will give it his all, unleash all his potential, and fight to the death against Qiao Lian'er.

——————

“Grandpa, Grandma, if Lian’er doesn’t come back by nightfall, we’ll go look for her,” Qiao Dayong said.

As the food was set on the table, the Qiao family members, preoccupied with worrying about Qiao Lian'er, had no appetite.

Generally speaking, they wouldn't worry too much if Qiao Lian stayed out overnight, because it was common for him to go to the county town to do business or trade.

But this is a long trip, almost two nights away, and we're going to see someone as vicious as Song Laosan.

"Alright, you and Xiao Meng go together." Old Mrs. Qiao snorted, a fierce glint flashing in her eyes: "If Song Laosan dares to touch my Lian'er, I'll skin him alive, throw him into boiling water to cook, and then feed him to the dogs."

Da Shun barked twice in protest; it didn't want to eat someone like Song Laosan, it thought he was dirty.

Actually, Grandma Qiao felt that Lian'er would be fine. This girl had endless ideas and was very resourceful; who could do anything to her?

Grandma Qiao's peace of mind stemmed from Qiao Lian'er's confidence in his abilities.

But what if something unexpected happens? Thinking of this, she chanted Amitabha Buddha in her heart and pinched her palm hard. This stubborn brain of hers only thinks in a bad direction and doesn't even know how to avoid prophecy.

The Qiao family shared this view. As for Lian'er, there was basically no need to worry, but without seeing him, no one could say for sure.

"I'm back."

Just then, a heart-stopping sound was heard, and a familiar figure appeared. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Smiles appeared on their faces.

Whether Song Laosan is found or not doesn't matter, whether there are clues or not doesn't matter either. As long as Lian'er is safe and sound, that's more important than anything else.

Qiao Dacheng: "Just in time to set out the food, it's piping hot, I guarantee it hasn't been reheated before."

"Come on, here's some mint-fried pork ribs that Lian'er loves. They're the best ribs." Grandma Qiao placed the plate of fried ribs in front of Qiao Lian'er.

When the ribs are fried, sprinkle a handful of mint leaves into the pot, stir-fry a couple of times, and the hot oil will bring out the aroma. This is a delicious and easy-to-make home-style dish.

"And there's braised chicken. We have chickens in our yard, and we can eat them in all sorts of ways. We can never finish them all," said Madam Lü as she put a chicken leg into Qiao Lian'er's bowl.

Qiao Lian'er was out running around in the cool breeze, but as soon as she entered the house, she was enveloped in warmth, and the corners of her mouth turned up in a smile.

It feels so good to have a home here, with so many people waiting for her and praying for her.

Perhaps, that is her motivation.

He sat down, shoveling rice into his mouth while talking to everyone.

It all started when they met Gao Shuying, the owner of the big red car.

"So the owner of the big red thing had been looking for you. She's quite a capable person. You even became friends, and she was asked by you to go find Song Laosan." Boss Qiao was amazed by this extraordinary encounter.

"Yes, that's why I went out this time to find her. As the most capable constable, the detention officer, I'm most confident in entrusting the task of finding people to her. If she can't find them, then it's hard to say."

“That’s true. Yesterday morning, the garrison sent out a lot of people. Your second uncle, third uncle, and your brother Meng are all out looking for people, but there’s no news at all.” Boss Qiao shook his head.

Qiao Lian'er then noticed that her second uncle and the other two were not there.