Old man

Three more days passed in a dull manner.

Bao Nian continued to travel back and forth between the noodle shop and Fuyuanfang. Cui Jianchun sat on the windowsill, reading the Book of Songs, as usual, as if nothing had happened. Tai Shi Zheng silently observed Chu Fanghua and Liu Yugeng's every move. Everything was proceeding according to plan. It seemed as if life would continue like this forever.

But when the morning light falls, they raise their eyes in different places and look at the same rising sun above their heads.

No one ever let down their guard.

This calm before the storm cannot disturb their steadfast hearts. Riding the wind and waves is what they want to do...

Returning home at dusk, the noodle shop was doing brisk business today, with everyone finishing their shopping early and leaving the area. Bao Nian made a special detour to An Ning Fang across the street and bought half a pound of lamb cheek, something she usually wouldn't buy. She planned to give it to the head of the Fang as a token of gratitude for her care for Xiao Bao over the past few days.

When paying, Bao Nian took out his heavy purse with a look of relief on his face.

She hoped the noodle shop would continue to thrive like this. She hoped Liu Yugeng would completely disappear from her life.

"My dear, take it. If you like it, have more—"

The shopkeeper handed over a packaged lamb head from the stall and presented it respectfully. Bao Nian had gradually assimilated into the customs of Bianjing. She lowered her eyes and said, "Thank you."

All the way to Fuyuanfang, Bao Nian carried the lamb's head for the neighborhood leader and the vegetables he was going to stir-fry tonight. He weaved through the small streets where the neighbors were setting up their stalls, smiling and greeting everyone he met. Everyone responded enthusiastically.

The deeper you go into the alley, the dimmer the light becomes.

Bao Nian thought about taking the vegetables home first, washing her face, and then going to the neighborhood head's house. But she had just stood outside the yard when two or three men, hiding in the shadows and looking menacing, jumped out. "Pretty lady, you've made us wait so long—"

Bao Nian was startled when she heard this, and she subconsciously stepped back.

The strong men pressed on, and Bao Nian sensed something was amiss. If she took out her key and retreated into the courtyard, she would likely put herself in even greater danger. So, Bao Nian stood still, gazing at the alleyway not far away, and summoning her courage, she angrily demanded, "Who are you?"

"Pretty lady, you have a bad temper. You ask who we are? If you don't even recognize me, then you can forget about living in Bianjing City." The man in the lead had a rough appearance and was short in stature. He looked like a rat that was afraid of the light. As he spoke, he grabbed Bao Nian's wrist fiercely and said, "Pretty lady, listen carefully. I am the overlord of this east city, nicknamed the mole. Don't recognize me the wrong way next time you see me."

The man was very strong, and the bundles of vegetables in his hands fell to the ground. Bao Nian began to struggle, "Heaven... under the feet of the emperor, what do you want to do? If you dare to do evil to me, I will call the police--"

Bao Nian didn't think about anything else at this time. She simply thought that these were hooligans who molested women.

Until, the man called the mole opened his mouth and said some frivolous words, "Hey, report to the police? Pretty lady, you are quite brave. If you want to report to the police, I will take you to report it. But how can such a lovely lady end up with such a useless man? Tsk tsk, what a lack of vision. Pretty lady, why don't you follow me? I am more caring than him. If you follow me, you can wear endless silks and satins, and eat endless delicacies from the mountains and the sea——"

Bao Nian then realized that all the people and things he encountered tonight were Liu Yugeng's conspiracy.

Her timidity disappeared in an instant, and what followed was endless anger.

Seeing this, the mole turned around and glanced. The younger brother behind him took out an IOU from his pocket and threw it in front of Bao Nian. The mole said, "Liu Yugeng is your husband, right? He borrowed fifty taels from me and agreed to return eighty taels within three days. It's already the third day, and I haven't seen a cent. He wrote it in black and white here. I can't find him, so I naturally came here to find you. You two are one. Pretty lady said that debts should be repaid. Isn't it natural? Why don't you make me happy? If you make me happy, I might not charge interest."

Bao Nian looked at the ugly face of the man in front of her and felt sick. She retorted, "What does it have to do with me if that bastard Liu Yugeng owes money? Every wrong has its perpetrator, every debt has its creditor. You couldn't find Liu Yugeng, so you came here to bully me. Who do you think you are? Let go of me."

Seeing this woman being so ungrateful, the mole's expression turned grim. He raised his other hand and threatened, "You stinky bitch, you're not going to take my toast. Do you really think you're that serious? Don't be so shameless."

The situation escalated, and Bao Nian was already panicking, but she could not show any sign of it in front of this ugly man.

She couldn't let him think she was scared. But how could Bao Nian, unarmed, escape these ferocious men? Could it be that she was going to die here today? If that were the case, she might as well just run into them and die...

Oh my god, oh my god...

Why are you always unwilling to give me light——

Despair spread, and all the confidence that Taishi Zheng had built up in her could not escape her fate.

But suddenly, a cold wind blew up.

A few hand-cranked bells rang out, jingling.

The sound came from deeper in the alley, approaching from afar. Each sound struck the cold wall, then bounced back, exploding into the pitch-black night. At this hour, such a sound was truly eerie. The people facing each other turned to look, only to hear the hawking amidst the ringing of the bell, a sound that made their scalps tingle even more.

"Selling rolling pins, kitchen knives, spatulas, oil bottles——"

A deep voice, with the unique charm of the Central Plains. Several strong men narrowed their eyes, full of hostility, but Bao Nian seemed to see hope. She was about to open her mouth to shout, but the mole covered her mouth, ordered someone to slam the door open, and prepared to drag the person in.

But the old man, carrying a shoulder pole and wearing a bamboo hat on a rainless day, stood outside the courtyard gate, in front of them, and asked in a deep voice, "Who of you is buying something?"

When the mole saw the vendor, he was furious and started to curse. "Damn it, why are you here to visit my house in the middle of the night? Get out of here, can't you see I'm doing something important? I'm not buying anything. Get out of here while I'm in a good mood—"

The mole shouted arrogantly.

But the old man stood there motionless, his presence making everything more subtle. The old man ignored the mole's words and slowly unloaded the shoulder pole, and the heavy cargo box fell to the ground with a thud.

The old man lowered his eyes, watching the dust rising at his feet, and said to himself, "Oh, so you want to buy something? Then, sir, do you prefer long or short? Sharp or blunt? Do you prefer one with a short handle or a long handle?"

"You old lunatic, don't you understand what I'm saying? Are you looking for a fight—"

The young man in front of the courtyard was arrogant. He waved his fist and attacked the old man. Bao Nian was soft-hearted and didn't want to implicate innocent people. In a hurry, she bit the mole's hand, endured his slap, and shouted, "The old man is in danger, run away."

Unexpectedly, before he could finish his words, Bao Nian saw with his own eyes that the old man nimbly dodged the punch from the man.

A pair of eagle-like eyes flashed under the bamboo hat.

Then a palm struck the man's jaw hard, and a wail echoed instantly. Everyone was stunned at the moment, but the old man continued to search calmly in the cargo box. Then the sound, like the clanging of weapons, suddenly stopped.

The old man straightened up and said excitedly, "I finally found it. It's what the guest wanted."

For some reason, the mole suddenly felt terrified. "Go...go! You can't even beat an old man? Are you being fed for free?"

The burly fellow beside him spat on his palm, and was about to step forward. However, the old man spotted his weakness at a glance, calmly responded, and with a few steps, he attacked his lower body, forcing the burly fellow to fall to the ground without even exerting any strength.

"You, you, who are you——"

This time the villain was frightened and gave up his thoughts, trying to escape.

The old man lowered his bamboo hat again, clutching a slender dagger, and silently approached the man. When the mole ran past him, the old man quickly and decisively grabbed the hand that had just been holding Bao Nian's, pressed it against the door, and whispered, "Tell me, is this the hand?"

The mole was so frightened that he could not speak. He trembled and tried to struggle, but was pinned down by the old man's bulging wrist.

This... this is not an ordinary person at all...

who is he--

As he thought, the old man raised and lowered his knife without any hesitation.

His technique was precise and swift, ruthless but not quite vicious. Blood trickled down the mole's palm. Overwhelmed by the overwhelming pressure from the man before him, he dared not speak a word. Bao Nian, standing at the gate, gasped.

After the old man finished, he let go of his wrist, took out a white cloth from his waist, and wiped the bloody dagger as if nothing had happened. "Boy, let me teach you a lesson. No matter what you do, bullying women, children, the elderly and the weak is shameful. If you have no moral integrity, you will capsize in the gutter sooner or later. I can break your bones today, but I can cripple you tomorrow. Go home and recuperate. The wound is not deep and will heal in about half a month. Take the medicine well and you won't get sick. Go away."

The old man tried to chase the mole away, but the mole just stood there in a daze, not moving at all.

The old man glanced at him and pretended to pick up the dagger again. "What? You don't want to leave? You want another stab? Got it, I'll satisfy you."

The old man's behavior is frightening.

The mole, who usually does evil things everywhere, was the first to suffer such treatment. Evil deeds will be punished. Look at him, holding his palms, kicking the people on the ground, making them run away in panic. Seeing this, the old man turned around and cursed: "What a bunch of rabble! When I went into battle, you guys were still hairless!"

But when he turned his head to look at Bao Nian who was still in shock, the old man actually raised his bamboo hat and asked with a smile: "Girl, did I scare you?"

"Master Taishi!?"

Bao Nian was startled when she saw the person under the bamboo hat. She asked in surprise, "Why are you here? Why are you here..."

"Selling goods?"

Taishi Zhengjiang made a hushing gesture. Seeing him glance around cautiously, he hurriedly explained to Bao Nian, "It was my daughter who asked me to protect you, but the little girl also told me not to be too blatant. So I thought of a way to pretend to be a peddler and stroll around your alley. But, you know what, I didn't expect this business to be so good! I actually sold four rolling pins today——"

The arrival of Taishi Zhengjiang made Bao Nian feel more at ease than ever before. She stared blankly, not knowing how to repay the Taishi family's kindness.

Seeing Bao Nian remained silent, the old man put away his dagger, returned to the cargo box, and tried to comfort her. "Don't be afraid, girl. These bastards haven't dared to come here lately. Don't worry. It's getting late, so I won't stay any longer. I'll go for a stroll down the street. If there's no business, I'll go home. You should get some rest too."

Bao Nian's mind was in a mess, and she responded with a dazed "ah".

Taishi Zhengjiang immediately picked up his shoulder pole and started selling goods again. But Baonian came to his senses and hurriedly said, "Master Taishi, please wait a moment."

"What's the matter, girl? Do you have anything else to do?" Tai Shi Zhengjiang retracted his forward steps.

Bao Nian stepped forward, suppressed his panic, and resolutely said to Tai Shi Zhengjiang in a deep voice: "Master Tai Shi, please help Bao Nian tell Madam Zheng that Liu Yugeng has taken action and it's time for us to set off."

Taishi Zhengjiang nodded. He didn't ask any more questions, only saying, "Okay, don't worry. I'll definitely pass on the message. I'll be leaving now."

Bao Nian lowered his eyes and said, "Please take your time on the road."

"Don't send me off, go back."

Taishi Zhengjiang lowered his bamboo hat with his hand and shook the box. Pretending nothing had happened, he shouted in his resonant voice, "Selling rolling pins, kitchen knives, spatulas, oil bottles—"

Bao Nian watched Tai Shi Zhengjiang's back, listened to his voice, and was drowned in the crowd. Then he turned around, closed the door, and left.

While walking, Tai Shi Zheng Jiang passed by a man in official uniform.

The chill cast from under the bamboo hat quickly dissipated. Taishi Zhengjiang gave him a meaningful look and hurried into the bright lights of Bianjing.

-

Boom boom boom——

Outside the courtyard gate, the crisp knocking sounds aroused Bao Nian's nervous nerves.

Liu Yugeng stared at the bundle of vegetables left at the door, lost in thought. He seemed to have calculated his timing and arrived prepared. Bao Nian was inside the door, holding up the wood-chopping knife and cautiously asking, "Who is it?"

Liu Yugeng remained silent. After knocking three more times, he replied impatiently, "It's me."

Bao Nian lowered his hatchet. He still had the nerve to come back...

Bao Nian didn't want to open the door for Liu Yugeng, but according to Taishi Zheng, she couldn't show too much decisiveness in front of Liu Yugeng right now. So she picked up the hatchet, picked the bolt, put on a terrified look, and looked helplessly at Liu Yugeng outside the door.

Liu Yugeng also pretended to be anxious and asked, "Have they been here?"

Both husband and wife are acting, yet only they know the truth. Facing each other, it's a battle between black and white.

“They’ve been here…”

"Liu Erlang, is it really you? What do you want? Why did you go to them to borrow all that money? How can I pay it back? Could it be... could it be that this is the fundamental reason why you are in such a hurry to go home? You, you, what else are you hiding from me—" Tears of sadness began to well up in Bao Nian's eyes the moment she saw Liu Yugeng. At this point, Bao Nian had given up hope in him. She felt sorry for herself.

He reached out and used his sleeve to wipe away the tears from the corners of his eyes. Even Bao Nian himself couldn't tell how much of it was real and how much was fake.

But in Liu Yugeng's eyes, everything was seen as evidence of her cowardice.

He privately thought that Baonian had fallen into a trap.

Liu Yugeng felt that this was an opportunity, so he decided to go with the flow. After turning around and carefully closing the door, Liu Yugeng came to Bao Nian, changed his irreconcilable attitude from that day, pretended to be insincere, and gently took the hatchet from Bao Nian's hand.

Bao Nian gripped the knife handle tightly, not wanting to relax at all.

But in order to prevent Liu Yugeng from noticing her hatred, she could only suppress her anger and reluctantly let go of her hand.

Liu Yugeng took the hatchet, which still held the warmth of her palm, and fiercely flung it aside, saying, "Yes, Bao Nian, I lied to you. Mother is actually fine. These are the things I said I would leave behind to deal with. But all of this is my own hardship. I'm new to officialdom, and I need money to manage social interactions and the Censorate. I come from a humble background, and I want to find a way out for myself. Is that wrong?"

"I lied to you because I didn't want you and your mother to know too much and get innocently implicated. So I had no choice but to tell you a lie and trick you into going home to avoid disaster. Am I wrong? I did this all for your own good. I hope you can understand me. But I didn't know that there wasn't even a shred of trust between you and me..."

Liu Yugeng shirked the responsibility again.

As he spoke, he subconsciously glanced up at Bao Nian's expression and continued, "But don't worry, I will find a way to solve the debt problem myself. However, you have seen their abilities today, and I am sure they will not give up. I am usually busy with official duties at the Censorate and can't take care of you and your daughter at all, so this capital city is really not a place for you to stay for long."

If it's not his fault, could it be her fault?

He is really cunning...

Bao Nian stared at the person in front of him. Liu Yugeng almost believed what he said.

But even though she had already seen through his hypocrisy, Bao Nian still wanted to play along with him. She heard a few flaws and opened her mouth to attack Liu Yugeng, "But that person said... you just borrowed the money three days ago? Liu Yugeng, you're not telling the truth. Don't lie to me again..."

Liu Yugeng was slightly startled. Bao Nian saw it clearly and a hint of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes.

With his words of defense turning over and over in his mind, Liu Yugeng said in a deep voice, "When... did I ever lie to you? This... is just one of the debts I owe. I don't want to rob Peter to pay Paul. And you still say... I lied to you? Bao Nian, do you know what kind of life I've been leading in Bianjing all these years?"

"The prosperity and splendor, the splendor and magnificence, all belong to them. I've worked so hard, but I can't even get a single result. You and I have been married for many years. Ask yourself, have you ever cared about me? Have you ever asked how I live?"

"You just focus on your stove and don't see anything outside."

What a joke, who is she circling around the stove for?

Liu Yugeng's words were half-truths, his penchant for rhetorical questions, even interrogations. His mouth was full of accusations. He only cared for himself, never considering others, never giving a thought to Bao Nian's grievances. For years, Bao Nian had shouldered the responsibility of caring for his parents, taking care of the Liu family, who were just as selfish as he was. But after being squeezed dry of everything, they seized her land and drove her away.

Look, at this moment, the usually aggressive Liu Yugeng was silent...

Bao Nian suddenly smiled. If she had heard these words in the past, she would have thought she was wrong. But now, after going through so much trouble to get out of the quagmire, she would not be easily dragged down by him again. Liu Yugeng always said that she only cared about money, but now it seemed that the person who valued money the most was him.

Deceiving oneself.

There was a tattered chair in the courtyard. Bao Nian lowered her eyes and slowly sat on it. The evening breeze ruffled her hair. The cherry tree in the corner had bloomed the day before, and scattered petals fell on her faded dress.

Bao Nian pretended to say, "Liu Erlang, if I leave, can you really handle these problems on your own?"

Liu Yugeng stood not far away, keeping a respectful distance from Bao Nian. His official uniform looked worn for ages, and the fuku on his head was stained with dust. Liu Yugeng was reluctant to take it off and put on the cloth clothes he had long since grown tired of.

Hearing the person in front of him give in, Liu Yugeng was secretly happy and felt that he was very smart.

"Of course, you will only become a bargaining chip for them to threaten me if you stay here. I am only worried about you all day long, so how can I fight against them? Bao Nian, you can go home and take shelter. I am not asking you to stay in Xingren Mansion forever. Once I have resolved this matter, I will bring you and your daughter back from Xingren Mansion. By then, everything will be safe and stable. I will do my best as an official, and I believe that the days ahead will be better and better."

Liu Yugeng continued to weave lies and paint a beautiful future.

If nothing unexpected happens and this matter develops according to their plan, the days will probably get better and better.

But he knew in his heart that she did not exist in these beautiful things.

Bao Nian raised her head. Her features had long since darkened with the wear and tear of time, but through the moonlight shining through the trees, one could still vaguely see that she had once been a girl who loved to smile. She stared at Liu Yugeng without blinking, but Liu Yugeng could not read the hidden meaning in her eyes.

Bao Nian seemed to be saying goodbye to him for the final time, and they were no longer related from now on.

She said, "Okay, Liu Erlang, even so, I will listen to you. Once everything is arranged, I will take Xiaobao back to Xingren Mansion."

The goal was achieved, and Liu Yugeng's expression gradually changed.

The clenched fists within his long sleeves symbolized his ambition. He kicked Bao Nian away like an obstacle, but he replied calmly, "That's right. How could I harm you? I will resolve this matter as soon as possible and not have you worry about me. It's getting late, and I have to go to the Censorate for my shift, so I won't stay any longer."

Bao Nian didn't get up after hearing this. She sat there quietly, watching Liu Yugeng push open the creaking door. She thought he was going to leave, but who would have thought that he would stop in front of the door, put on a bit of hypocritical kindness, and gently called her name for the last time.

"Baonian, the journey home is long, please take good care of yourself."

Liu Yugeng's words were filled with determination. He thought, they would never see each other again.

Bao Nian remained unmoved. She gradually closed in on that disgusting face until her vision was completely dark. No more burning tears fell for him. She thought, they will meet again, but when they do, she will curse him to her heart's content.

-

The moon shone brightly beneath the Jinliang Bridge. An old man, his carrying pole propped up on a cargo box, took off his bamboo hat and sat bored on a stone bench near the river. A girl walking with her dog approached behind him. Seeing the familiar figure, she excitedly ran forward.

"Cuocuo, call grandpa quickly——"

Tai Shi Zhengjiang turned around and saw his own little girl standing there grinning foolishly. He rolled his eyes and said, "Call me grandpa? Tai Shi Zheng, I wonder when you can give me a real grandson to make me happy. Just look at how handsome our son-in-law is. My grandson will definitely be no less handsome."

Upon hearing this, Zheng walked around her father and sat down on the stone bench. She retorted, "Dad, you're so greedy. You just had a grandson, and you're already thinking about your grandson?"

Taishi Zhengjiang snorted, and it seemed that he was still not very satisfied with his son's family.

Zheng was afraid of getting into trouble, so she quickly changed the subject. "Alright, Dad, let's not talk about irrelevant topics. You sent someone to the uncle's house to inform me to come here to see you. What's the matter? Did something happen at Fuyuanfang? And, I haven't even asked, why are you dressed like this today? You're not a cook anymore, what are you doing..."

"Are you a peddler?"

Taishi Zhengjiang, however, had a serious expression on his face. He turned his head and flipped the wooden box, but remained silent. He called Zheng for no apparent reason.

After a while, Taishi Zhengjiang pulled out several oil-paper bags from the cargo box and stuffed them into his daughter's arms. Zheng looked at the arms filled with oil-paper bags in confusion, sniffing the burnt aroma and asking, "What a nice smell, Dad! What are these?"

"Open it and take a look." Taishi Zhengjiang gestured while holding the water bag.

Zheng happily opened the oil-paper package, only to hear exclamations of "white fried chicken! Sugar cakes, Guanghan cakes!" As soon as the words fell, Taishi Zhengjiang opened the water bag and shook it in front of his daughter's nose. Zheng added, "And orange soup!"

Seeing his daughter's eyes sparkling with greed, the old man said in a voice full of accomplishment, "Eat, eat. You've spent all the money I earned from selling goods in three days on this meal. Life is really hard - but it's also my own choice, so eat it while it's hot."

Tai Shi Zhengjiang smiled slightly. He had worked hard and endured through hard times.

From the day he married, he vowed never to let his wife and children suffer the same hunger he endured as a child. He kept his word, but she never saw it coming. So, Taishi Zhengjiang devoted all his love to these two children.

Zheng was grateful for her father's kindness. She picked up a piece of fried chicken, smiled and said, "Dad is still the best to me~"

While the girl was eating happily, Tai Shi Zhengjiang opened his water bag and was ready to serve at any time.

He stared at the bustling Jinliang Bridge before speaking, "My daughter, I just came back from Fuyuanfang. That girl asked me to bring you a message. What did she say? Liu Yugeng has taken action, so it's time for you to leave too."

Zheng looked at her father. The aroma of fried chicken caught her attention. The puppy stood up and eagerly tugged at the hem of Taishi Zheng's skirt, while Zheng stared at her father in amazement. Taishi Zhengjiang turned and saw what had happened, and told her everything that had happened tonight, word for word.

After he finished speaking, a bone, which had been chewed clean, fell to the ground. Cuo Cuo finally let go of Zheng's skirt and happily began to chew it. Zheng turned her head and stared at the puppy gnawing on the bone. She thought for a while before saying to Tai Shi Zhengjiang, "Dad, I'm so grateful for you today. I thank you on Bao Nian's behalf, but I have one more thing to ask..."

Taishi Zhengjiang heard this and thought nothing of it. He said, "Tell me anything. What's there to worry about? Seeing injustice and helping others is a sign of loyalty and righteousness. As long as it can help those poor mother and daughter, I'm willing to do anything."

Zheng smiled knowingly when she heard this. She finally knew who she inherited this "meddlesome" nature from.

"Okay, since it's all about loyalty and righteousness, then, Dad, let's put our sales business aside tomorrow and work as grooms for a few days, okay?" Zheng said jokingly, but Taishi Zhengjiang didn't understand what his daughter meant. "What do you mean? Are you really planning to ask me to work in all kinds of businesses in the market?"

Zheng laughed heartily. She turned and picked up a piece of Guanghan cake. "What I mean is, I want you to pretend to be a groom and take Bao Nian back to Xingren Mansion. Dad is a martial arts expert, brave and resourceful. He is unparalleled in the world. I can only feel at ease when Dad is around."

Taishi Zhengjiang: "Me?"

Zheng nodded, looked around, and told Taishi Zhengjiang about her plan, "Dad, you take Yuanzi with you, and you two pretend to be father and daughter. Take Bao Nian with you. First do this... and then do this..."

Taishi Zhengjiang listened attentively to his daughter's instructions. He patted his chest and promised, "Okay, Dad will remember this. I will definitely take care of this for you. But we will go to Xingren Prefecture, what about you?"

Zheng reached out to take the water bag from Taishi Zhengjiang's hand. "Me? I have to stay in the Bo's Mansion. If Yuanzi disappears for a few days, no one will be suspicious. I'll just tell them that you sent her back home. But if I disappear for a few days, it will be a big problem. Besides, I have important things to do in the capital. My matter is the core of the whole thing. Whether it can be finally settled depends entirely on me."

Zheng's explanation was clear and coherent, and although Taishi Zhengjiang didn't understand, he didn't ask any more questions. He would just listen to his daughter's arrangements. Taishi Zhengjiang agreed, but when he leaned over and rubbed the puppy's head, he felt like something was missing.

He asked, "Where's my son-in-law?"

Zheng said, "Erlang, there's something going on at the Imperial Academy tonight, so you'll be back late."

Dad didn't pay attention. He asked again, "Where's Yuanzi?"

Zheng was stunned for a moment, "Yuanzi?"

Her question aroused the father, and he turned to look at his daughter. Zheng asked him in return, "When I first came, didn't Yuanzi come with me?"

Dad was confused. "Except you and the dog, there is no one else..."

Seeing this, Zheng began to recall the scene when she went out.

The two of them had gone out together, and Yuanzi said halfway through that he had forgotten to take something, and asked her to wait there. Unexpectedly, Cuo Cuo insisted on pulling the leash out, so she was led out by the dog, and then ended up here... So, Yuanzi was still in the mansion at this moment.

It's bad! Zheng pulled Cuo Cuo up and was about to get up when Fu Yuanzi's voice rang out from behind, "Madam, I've been looking around the Bo's Mansion, why didn't you wait for me?"

The father and daughter looked back at the sound.

Fu Yuanzi pouted and came in front of the two of them. The greedy girl subconsciously took the things in her arms, but was seen through by the greedy girl. She widened her eyes and asked angrily: "Madam, Master, you are so shameless! How can you eat here secretly——"