Chapter 99 Who is Little Bell's daughter...?

Outside the courtyard, Fu Yunxiu listened to Yun Yin's evasive words and became even more certain that Little Bell was here.

What Shen Yan wanted was nothing more than for him to personally deliver his life into his hands; Xiao Lingdang suffered an undeserved misfortune.

"Let's go!" Fu Yunxiu grabbed Aman's hand tightly and, ignoring Yunyin's obstruction, charged straight in.

Yunyin understood her master's thoughts, so she didn't stop Fu Yunxiu too much. Soon, Fu Yunxiu found Shen Yan, who was leisurely sitting and enjoying tea in the main hall.

"Oh, a rare guest!" Shen Yan lazily glanced at Fu Yunxiu, then looked away. "What, you brought this Miss Lin along to show off to me?"

Fu Yunxiu didn't have time to waste with him. "Chen Yan, enough nonsense. I'm asking you, is Little Bell here with you?"

“A bell? I have gold and silver in this house, but I’ve never seen a bell before,” Chen Yan said.

"Stop playing dumb. The escort agency resigned the moment they left, and then Little Bell disappeared. You dare say it wasn't your doing?"

"General Shen, whatever you want, come at me. I beg you, release Xiaolingdang. She's still a child." Aman's voice was hoarse, her words filled with worry for her daughter, which made Fu Yunxiu's nose sting with tears. He was the one who had dragged them down.

This was the first time Shen Yan had met Aman. In his imagination, the person who could make Fu Yunxiu so infatuated must be extremely beautiful, or at the very least, bright and generous. But he never expected her to be such a gentle and elegant woman.

Her hair, styled in a traditional Chinese updo, and the worry she expressed for her daughter added a touch of maternal glow to her appearance.

Shen Yan's original purpose was to lure Fu Yunxiu here, so he didn't keep her in suspense any longer and admitted, "Yes, your daughter is with me. As for what I want, I'm sure Young Master Fu knows best."

Shen Yan gave Yun Yin a wink, and Yun Yin understood, taking out the dagger he had been carrying and tossing it to Fu Yunxiu.

“If you stab yourself, I’ll let you see your daughter, how about it?” Shen Yan said.

"no."

"good."

Fu Yunxiu and Aman spoke at the same time, but gave different answers.

"Young Master?"

Aman looked at Fu Yunxiu, but Fu Yunxiu smiled and shook his head at her, "It's alright, Aman. He came for me anyway. I'm the one who dragged you and your daughter into this."

“But…” Ah Man was still worried. When she saw Fu Yunxiu pick up the dagger, she instinctively tried to snatch it, but Fu Yunxiu dodged her.

"It's so good to see you worry about me." Fu Yunxiu smiled brightly, and then, with lightning speed, with a "plop" sound, the dagger plunged into his abdomen, and blood gushed out.

Fu Yunxiu immediately lost his strength and collapsed to the ground, leaning against Aman.

"Young master, young master." Aman frantically tried to cover his wound, but the blood still flowed out from between his fingers, staining her hands red. "Young master, how could you be so foolish?"

"It's alright, she won't die." Fu Yunxiu smiled and raised his hand to wipe away the tears from Aman's eyes. He turned to look at Chen Yan and said, "I've done as you said. Let the mother and daughter leave. Do whatever you want with them."

Watching this ill-fated couple stage their dramatic separation, Shen Yan felt little pleasure.

Hearing Fu Yunxiu's words, he sneered, "I only said that if you stab yourself, I will let you see that girl, but I didn't say that you can take her away."

“You…you’re despicable,” Fu Yunxiu said through gritted teeth.

“You forced me to be despicable, but I always keep my word,” he waved his hand, “Men, bring that girl out here.”

Yun Yin accepted the order and went to the woodshed in the backyard. He found the woodshed door wide open, the little girl lying on the ground, and Yun Zhi inside, with his back to the door, doing something unknown.

"What are you doing?" Yunyin roared.

"Master, something terrible has happened." Yun Yin rushed over from the backyard carrying Xiao Lingdang, while behind him, Yun Zhi looked even more guilty.

"Little Bell," when Aman saw the little bell twitching in Yunyin's arms, she no longer cared about Fu Yunxiu in her arms. She stood up and took the little bell from Yunyin in three quick steps.

"Little Bell, Little Bell, open your eyes, it's your mother, your mother is here." Aman checked on Little Bell's condition and pushed Yunyin, who was blocking her way, far away.

"Little Bell, Little Bell, it's alright, it's alright, your mother is here." As Aman spoke, she walked to the warmer spot by the brazier, placed Little Bell on the ground, patted her chest, and then took out a small porcelain bottle from her sleeve, took out a small pill, and fed it into her mouth.

"It's alright now, don't be afraid, don't be afraid, your mother is here."

Shen Yan was also frightened by the scene before him. The little girl's face was bluish-purple, as if she had choked on something, and she was having difficulty breathing.

He glared at Yun Zhi, who quickly shook his head.

He did nothing; he simply followed his master's orders and threw the little girl into the woodshed, at most to scare her and tell her that there were rats in the woodshed that would gnaw on her toes.

He closed the door not long before he heard strange noises inside, and then he saw the little girl like this.

After Xiaolingdang took the medicine, her breathing gradually stabilized. Only then did Aman have a moment to say, "Quickly, call a doctor, call Doctor Zhu from Shou'an Hall."

As she spoke, she loosened the little bell's collar to make it easier for her to breathe.

Shen Yan nodded slightly, instructing Yun Yin to do as A Man said. Then, her gaze swept across the room, but was drawn to the safety buckle around Xiao Lingdang's neck.

"What is this?" Shen Yan stepped forward quickly, subconsciously reaching for the safety buckle, but was pushed to the ground by Aman.

"What are you going to do?" Aman held Xiaolingdang tightly, afraid that he would hurt her.

Fu Yunxiu moved his injured body to protect the mother and daughter, glaring at him hatefully.

Chen Yan ignored him completely, staring blankly at the safety buckle. "Where did that safety buckle come from?"

"I don't understand what you're saying." Aman felt a moment of guilt and subconsciously looked away.

The sound of the bell confirming his suspicions made him want to examine the bell more closely. "Let me see that bell, just once."

His expression was slightly agitated, and he crawled forward to grab the safety amulet, but Fu Yunxiu pushed him away violently, saying, "What's wrong with you!"

"I... I just want to see that safety buckle." Shen Yan was pushed backwards, but she wasn't angry at all. She just kept repeating that she wanted to see the safety buckle, as if she had gone mad.

Just then, Yunyin also dragged Doctor Zhu along.

"Dr. Zhu, you're here! Quick, quick, take a look at Little Bell!" Aman hurriedly made way for him.

Over the years, Dr. Zhu has been taking care of Xiaolingdang's asthma, and even the emergency treatments and pills were provided by Dr. Zhu.

On the way here, Yunyin had already told Doctor Zhu about Xiaolingdang's condition.

"Don't crowd around anymore. If you all squeeze in here, the child will have trouble breathing." Dr. Zhu's words finally made the two people who had been keeping a close watch on Shen Yan move away.

Shen Yan finally caught a glimpse of the safety buckle, and the small flaw next to the red rope confirmed his suspicions.

This safety amulet is the one he gave to his stepmother all those years ago. Back then, he didn't have much money and could only afford this kind of quality. He happily took it home, wanting to surprise his stepmother, but unexpectedly, the safety amulet was chipped and damaged at some point.

But the stepmother was still very happy, saying that as long as the red string was tied to the gap, nothing would be visible. Even the patterns on the ends of the string were woven by the stepmother herself.

Where did the stepmother go? And why is this safety buckle on this little girl's neck?

With this question in mind, Chen Yan looked at Xiao Lingdang again and was shocked to find that the little girl's eyebrows and eyes were almost identical to his. Her lips, chin, and face shape were very similar to Wan Niang's.

Chen Yan frowned, seemingly lost in thought.

Who is Xiaolingdang's child? Why does she look so much like him and Wanniang? If she is his child, why is Lin Yuechu raising her? Where is Wanniang?

He had too many questions to ask, but he also knew that now was not the time.

Fortunately, Dr. Zhu's skills were superb, and Little Bell was soon fine.

"This girl's asthma was triggered by inhaling some dust. Fortunately, it was discovered early, and you helped her relieve it according to my method. I gave her acupuncture, and after she took two doses of medicine, she was fine."

"Thank you, Dr. Zhu." Upon hearing this, Aman finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"In that case, I'll go and prepare the medicine now."

As he was about to leave, Dr. Zhu was stopped by Aman. "Wait a minute."

Aman pointed to Fu Yunxiu, who was still bleeding profusely, and said, "There are other people here who need your help."

Doctor Zhu: "..."

Fu Yunxiu's injury was not very serious, but this wound overlapped with the previous one, and the wound was torn open, so it will probably leave a very ugly scar in the future.

Moreover, he has been injured and bleeding continuously, and his body is very weak. He will probably need to stay in bed and rest for a long time.

"Yunzhi, clean up the east wing for Young Master Fu to recuperate, and tidy up the warm pavilion for Miss Lin and Xiaolingdang to stay in."

"Are you going to imprison us?" Aman said.

"I just have some questions that I need Miss Lin to answer," Shen Yan said.

Little Bell is now comfortable and sleeping soundly. Aman is afraid that she will catch a cold and has no intention of arguing with Shen Yan, so he followed his arrangement and settled Little Bell in the warm pavilion.

After settling Xiaolingdang in, Aman went to the east wing to see Fu Yunxiu, and found Shen Yan there as well.

Aman ignored him and, seeing that Fu Yunzheng was asleep, reached out to feel his forehead. Fortunately, his temperature was normal and he did not have a fever.

The east wing was much colder than the warm pavilion. Aman helped Fu Yunxiu cover himself with the quilt, when Chen Yan suddenly spoke up, "Little Bell, you're not your biological daughter, are you!"

Aman paused in her action of covering herself with the blanket, then resumed normal movement. "Don't you understand what you're saying?"

“I just asked Doctor Zhu, and he said he has been treating Xiaolingdang’s asthma for three years, and Xiaolingdang is now four years old,” Chen Yan said.

"So what if it is?" Aman retorted.

Upon hearing this, Shen Yan said proudly, "The safety buckle that Xiao Lingdang wears around her neck was bought by me and given to her mother. The red string on it was also made by her mother herself."

Hearing this, Aman understood everything. She glared at Chen Yan and said hatefully, "So you're the one who betrayed Wan Niang."

Hearing the name "Alang" again, Shen Yan felt a lump in her throat and her eyes welled up with tears.

This is a title unique to stepmothers! He actually found a stepmother, and she even gave birth to such a lovely daughter for him!

Shen Yan's face lit up with joy. "It really is Wan Niang. Where is she? Please call her out. I was wrong about what happened back then, and I apologize to her. Tell her that family background and status don't matter anymore. As long as I can be with her, I'm willing to give up this generalship."

“He doesn’t like the capital, so we can stay in Bingzhou, fishing, woodcutting, farming, and studying, living the life he wants.”

Shen Yan spoke earnestly, but Aman felt a pang of sorrow in her heart.

Why did he only say this now? Why couldn't he let go of everything and accept his past, and accept his stepmother, back then?

In that case, the stepmother wouldn't have to suffer so much.

"It's too late, too late," Ah Man sighed, tears streaming down her face. "Wan Niang, she's already gone."

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Author's Note: The story is nearing completion, so I'm posting a pre-order link. Please subscribe to my author page.

"The Painted Lady Ming Zhao"

Ming Zhao, a working-class woman, transmigrates into the body of Jiu Niang, the youngest daughter of the Ming family in the Great Feng Dynasty.

The Ming family was a renowned lacquerware family, but unfortunately, they had few descendants. This branch even had three daughters in a row, and with no one to carry on the family line, the grandfather, Mingde, eventually died with regret.

Ming Zhao, who transmigrated from another era, received a favor from her grandfather. In order to repay her and carry on her last wish, she and her childhood sweetheart and fiancé, Zhou Yuanqing, searched through ancient books and studied diligently. Finally, they created a set of exquisite ancient lacquerware to use for the World Trade Conference.

Zhou Yuanqing said that the two of them would get married when he returned this time.

Mingzhao, awaiting marriage, received not the joyous news of her fiancé, but the news that he had been ambushed and killed on the way, and that the lacquerware had disappeared without a trace.

The newly appointed magistrate, Shen Tingsi, was in charge of investigating the matter and eventually discovered that the murderer was a Japanese.

*

Mingzhao said that at first, he just wanted to fulfill his grandfather's last wish and let him rest in peace. Later, he wanted to find a way out and pass on this skill.

Shen Tingsi: When I first met Mingzhao, I thought she was just a young lady living in the shadow of her parents. Later, I found that she was just like her name, wise and intelligent, and dazzling.

[The wise enlighten others with their own wisdom.]

It's probably the story of an inspirational young lady and her loyal magistrate.