Chapter 261: Acknowledging Ah Man as a Stepsister

Except for Ye Chutang, everyone looked at Ah Man in shock.

Qi Hean even suspected that she was retreating in order to advance.

He wanted to make Ye Chutang let down her guard and then give her a fatal blow!

He approached Ye Chutang and whispered his guess to her.

"Second sister-in-law, you can't be careless."

Ye Chutang knocked on Qi Hean's head and said, "Your martial arts skills are improving, but why hasn't your brain improved at all?"

Sun Chu chuckled and gave Ye Chutang a thumbs up.

"If you want to hurt others, look to Madam Qi!"

Madam Qi quickly took a step forward, blocking Sun Chu's view of Ye Chutang.

She always felt that this boy had bad intentions towards her daughter-in-law.

Sun Chu was not angry and looked towards the third floor again.

He asked on behalf of everyone, "Miss Ah Man, were you serious or were you joking?"

No one believed that A'man would give up Qi Yanzhou.

I don't even believe that she will bless Qi Yanzhou and Ye Chutang.

After all, during these three days, she had been sticking to Qi Yanzhou all the time, wishing she could have him for herself.

Ah Man did not answer Sun Chu.

She walked down the stairs and came in front of Ye Chutang.

"Do you believe what I just said?"

Ye Chutang nodded affirmatively, "I believe it, but I'm a little curious about how Qi Yanzhou convinced you."

Ah Man smiled mysteriously, "If you want to know, go with me to the street after dinner."

"Okay, whatever you want to eat or buy, I'll treat you."

"It's a deal. I'll go back to my room and rest for a while. Call me when it's time to eat."

After saying this, Ah Man went upstairs to his room.

Old Madam Qi didn't want to think badly of Ah Man, but she always felt that something was wrong.

She looked at Ye Chutang in confusion and asked, "Tang'er, why do you believe what Miss Ah Man said?"

Ye Chutang smiled and said, "I don't believe her, I believe Ah Zhou."

The fact that she no longer called him by his name meant that she had let go of the fact that Qi Yanzhou had lied to her.

Of course, this is only one chance to forgive!

If Qi Yanzhou does it again next time, she will throw the divorce letter in his face and leave with the child.

Old Madam Qi was well aware of her son's abilities and nodded in agreement.

"Yes, the fact that Miss Ah Man could say that means Zhou Er helped her give up her unrealistic thoughts."

After saying this, she was so happy that she couldn't stop smiling.

"Tang'er, give Aunt Xu some more money and add a few more delicious dishes tonight."

Ye Chutang was in a good mood and gave another ten taels of silver to Aunt Xu.

"Auntie, after you order the dishes, just ask the waiter to bring them to you. Don't carry them yourself. They're quite heavy."

Aunt Xu looked at the considerate Ye Chutang and nodded with a smile.

"Okay, Madam, you are kind-hearted. You will surely have many blessings and peace and prosperity in the future."

After saying that, she called her son and went to the restaurant.

She had so much silver in her hands that she felt a little nervous, afraid of losing it or being robbed.

She didn't know at the moment that her worries would soon come true!

After Aunt Xu left, Old Madam Qi gently pushed Ye Chutang.

"Tang'er, you and Zhou'er haven't seen each other for several days, go meet them."

As soon as he finished speaking, Qi Yanzhou came out of the room and went downstairs.

After three days of lying in bed, he has recovered a lot thanks to the medicinal diet and baths.

It's just that his body was too weak and he needs some time to recover.

It only took others a few breaths to go downstairs, but it took him half an incense stick.

Not only was he panting heavily, but his face was also flushed.

Old Master Qi hurried to help Qi Yanzhou.

"Zhou'er, you are still very weak, why are you going downstairs?"

After Qi Yanzhou came out of the room, his eyes never left Ye Chutang.

"I miss Atang. Let's go downstairs and talk to her."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone tactfully left the hall to give the two some space to be alone.

Qi Yanzhou sat down next to Ye Chutang and stared at her without blinking, as if he could never see enough of her.

"Ah Tang, I have given Ah Man the best arrangements to complete the task successfully."

Ye Chutang listened to Qi Yanzhou's slightly hoarse voice and poured her a cup of iced fruit tea.

"Three days, and you've done what you said. Not bad."

"What about the things I lied to you about?"

"It's over, but there won't be a next time. You know my character. I always keep my word."

When Qi Yanzhou heard the news that he had passed the test, his heart, which had been hanging for three days, finally settled down.

He smiled and teased: "My lady is so powerful, I dare not."

After saying that, he took Ye Chutang's hand and placed it against his heart.

"Atang, I miss you so much."

Ye Chutang felt a little uncomfortable with his sentimentality.

I tried to pull my hand back, but it pressed even tighter.

Under her palm was the man's steady heartbeat, beating against her heart again and again.

She glared at Qi Yanzhou and asked, "Do you know where you went wrong?"

Qi Yanzhou leaned closer and kissed Ye Chutang on the forehead.

"I know. I shouldn't have lied to you, nor should I have gambled with my life."

If you lose your life, you lose everything.

Seeing that Qi Yanzhou realized his real mistake, Ye Chutang nodded with satisfaction.

"You don't have a second chance to make the same mistake again, do you understand?"

"Understand, only when husband and wife are of one mind can they achieve success."

After Qi Yanzhou finished speaking, he moved Ye Chutang's hand to his thin face, his deep eyes filled with affection.

He turned his neck and rubbed his face greedily against her palm.

Like a cat wanting to be pampered.

"Atang, would you like to go back to your room and rest tonight?"

Ye Chutang looked at the sick and pitiful Qi Yanzhou and her heart softened.

"Maybe tomorrow. Ah Man and I will go out for a walk tonight and we should be back very late."

"Okay, tomorrow then."

After the discussion, Ye Chutang remembered something.

She moved the stool, got closer to Qi Yanzhou, and whispered in his ear: "Xize and Ah Man are not on the list of exiles, so it is not appropriate for them to follow us. How about letting them go to Tianshan County first?"

As she spoke, she grabbed Qi Yanzhou's hand and quietly placed it on her slightly protruding belly.

Qi Yanzhou immediately understood Ye Chutang's concerns.

"Okay, once I publicly acknowledge Ah Man as my adopted sister, I will have Caesar take her to Tianshan County. We need to arrive before winter so that she won't suffer from the snow and cold."

Ye Chutang thought so too.

"That's settled then."

Just as she was about to move away, Qi Yanzhou hugged her slender waist and his warm breath sprayed into her ears.

"Atang, although I don't want to be separated from you, I also don't want you to suffer.

Now that the emperor is no longer chasing the Qi family, how about you take a carriage to Tianshan County first? ”

The further north you go, the poorer the land becomes and the greater the distances between states, counties, and towns.

They often spend several days in a row outdoors overnight.

When the weather is warm, there's nothing wrong with sleeping outdoors.

Just prepare enough food so you won’t starve.

But when winter comes, the weather is cold and freezing.

If you can't find a suitable sheltered place to rest, sleeping outside at night would be like torture.

He didn't want Ye Chutang to suffer like this.

After thinking for a moment, Ye Chutang rejected Qi Yanzhou's proposal.

“Although the emperor will not take any action against the Qi family for the time being, if there is an opportunity to fight back, he will definitely not let it go.

If I take a carriage to Tianshan County first, you must send someone to escort me. Too many people will easily expose me and bring danger.

The further north you go, the worse the road conditions become. Even if you take the official road, it is very bumpy. Not only will you feel tired, but you will also be unable to drive fast. ”

Qi Yanzhou thought about these questions.

He was absolutely sure to ensure Ye Chutang's safety.

Even if she is exposed, she can be protected.

But he really had no way to solve both the bumps and the speed at the same time.

Ye Chutang was pregnant, so she naturally couldn't stand the bumpy ride.

The only option was to put thick cushions in the carriage and slow down the speed of the carriage.

But in this case, there would be no need to go separately.

Thinking of this, Qi Yanzhou scratched Ye Chutang's nose lovingly.

"Then let's not separate and go to Tianshan County together."

Ye Chutang nodded, "Let's take it one step at a time. If you need to take a carriage, I will tell you in advance."

After she finished speaking, she was about to move the stool back to its original place when Aunt Xu rushed into the inn.

She was panting, sweating, and her hair was messy.

When she saw Qi Yanzhou and Ye Chutang, her tears immediately flowed down.

"Second Master, Madam, the money for buying food was robbed, and He'er went after him. I'm worried that he might be in trouble. Can you send someone to look for him?"

She spoke so quickly and hastily that she accidentally choked on the air and started coughing.

Ye Chutang immediately shouted loudly: "Master Han!"

Han Chong in the backyard appeared immediately.

"Mrs. Qi, what's wrong?"

Qi Yanzhou poured a cup of tea for Aunt Xu and gently stroked her back to help her calm down.

"Aunt, please explain the situation clearly so that Master Han can go find my third brother."

Aunt Xu knew that worrying was useless and tried to calm herself down.

After she finished drinking the water Ye Chutang handed over, she briefly recounted what had happened.

On the way to Baiweizhai, Aunt Xu and Qi Hean discussed what dishes to order.

It was getting dark and there were many people on the road.

Suddenly a drunk man bumped into them.

Qi Hean hurriedly protected Aunt Xu and scolded the drunk man.

The man immediately came into conflict with Qi Hean.

Aunt Xu thought that the drunkard didn't touch her, so she didn't want to waste time. After all, it was difficult to argue with a drunkard.

She advised: "He'er, mother is fine, everyone is waiting for dinner, let's go."

In the end, she let the drunk man go, but he continued to act recklessly.

"You stole my money and you still want to leave? No way!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the mother and son knew that the drunkard was after the more than twenty taels of silver.

Qi Hean laughed angrily.

There are actually people who rob money in broad daylight. What kind of world is this?

He shouted angrily: "Do you know who I am? You dare to grab me openly, you are looking for death!"

As he said this, he went to catch the drunkard and wanted to hand him over to the authorities.

The drunkard is skilled in martial arts and is equally matched with Qi Hean.

The people didn't know what was going on, but seeing that there was something exciting to watch, more and more people gathered to watch.

Aunt Xu was worried that her son might be injured, so she quickly asked the people for help.

I wanted them to help me report to the prefectural government.

Before she could finish her words, her sleeve was cut by a sharp blade.

The purse in the sleeve pocket was snatched away before it even fell to the ground.

When the drunk saw his companion succeed, he stopped pestering him and quickly fled.

Qi Hean's anger surged upward and he chased after him.

After Aunt Xu finished speaking, she anxiously grabbed Han Chong's arm.

"Master Han, He'er is chasing the drunkard to the north of the city. Please take people to find him quickly."

The north of the city is a mixed crowd with all kinds of people, and she was worried that something might happen to her son.

Han Chong immediately gathered people and left the inn to find Qi Hean.

Ye Chutang said: "We don't have enough manpower, and the efficiency of finding people is too low. We have to report to the authorities and ask them to help us find them."

When Aunt Xu heard this, she quickly said, "I'll report to the authorities right away."

"Auntie, you are slow, I will let Sun Chu run for you."

Sun Chu was standing where the lobby and the backyard were connected.

After hearing this, he took action immediately.

Aunt Xu was still worried. Besides worrying about her son, she was also worried that everyone would not have enough dinner.

"Madam, I don't know if the money can be recovered. What about dinner?"

Ye Chutang patted Aunt Xu's shoulder.

"Don't worry, Auntie. With money, we can have food. Let's wait for Third Brother to come back first."

After saying that, she looked at Qi Yanzhou, her eyebrows slightly frowned.

"Isn't Jizhou City well managed by the three adults? How could someone rob silver in broad daylight?"

Even if you really want to rob, you should do it at night when it is dark and there are few people.

When Aunt Xu thought of a possibility, her face turned pale.

"Are those two people coming for He'er?"

Mr. Qi walked over to Aunt Xu and held her in his arms, although she was in a state of anxiety.

"Don't scare yourself, it must be a coincidence."

Qi Yanzhou thought so too.

"If the other party came for my third brother, they wouldn't rob money in the downtown area."

These words made Aunt Xu feel a little relieved.

"Second Master is right. The target of those two people is the silver, not He'er."

"Just wait, there should be results soon."

Jizhou City is not big. Among the four areas of east, west, south and north, the north of the city has the smallest area.

Although the population is the most densely populated.

But if the prefecture governor comes forward, it will be easy to investigate.

Half an hour later.

Qi Hean, with a bruised face and nose, was brought back by Han Chong.

When Aunt Xu saw this, she was so angry that she rushed up and slapped him in the face.

"Don't you know your own weight? If you follow the other party without knowing their background, what if you die? What if it's a trap and the other party wants to use you to control the Qi family?"

After questioning, she slapped Qi Hean in the face with anger.

The finger marks on Qi Hean's face were clearly visible and it was burning with pain.

He neither dodged nor refuted, but just endured it obediently.

"Mom, I was wrong. I have no complaints if you want to hit me or scold me. Just don't get yourself hurt by being so angry."

After he encountered danger, he realized that he had been reckless.

Fortunately, he did not act too bravely, and Han Chong arrived in time, so he was able to escape danger.

When Mr. Qi saw that Aunt Xu was still about to take action, he immediately stopped her.

"He'er has realized his mistake and will never be so reckless again. Don't hit him. If he gets hurt, you will be the one who will feel hurt in the end."

After saying that, he let go of Aunt Xu's hand and looked at Han Chong.

"Master Han, have you caught the person who stole the silver?"

"I'm not sure. I thought everyone must be worried about the safety of Mr. Qi San, so I brought him back first."

Everyone's eyes were on Qi Hean, wanting to know what had happened.

In fact, Qi Hean knew nothing either.

He chased the drunk to the north of the city.

The north of the city is home to many people, densely populated houses and intricate alleys.

He nearly got himself into trouble several times.

Later, the drunk found that he could not get rid of him, so he joined forces with his friends to attack him.

He realized something was wrong and ran away immediately.

After several dangerous situations, he was found by Han Chong and brought back.

Qi Yanzhou didn't hear any valuable information, so he said, "If the prefecture goes out, they will definitely find the person. Let's wait for the news."

After saying that, he looked at Ye Chutang.

"Atang, give Lord Han two hundred taels of silver notes and ask him to order a few tables of wine and food. Everyone, please help find my third brother. Thank you for your hard work."

He gave all his money to Ye Chutang and is now penniless.

Ye Chutang took out a stack of banknotes from his sleeve pocket and gave Han Chong two hundred taels.

"Master Han, after you order the food, use the remaining silver to buy some good wine."

Han Chong took the banknote and said, "Yes, Madam Qi."

After he left, Ye Chutang looked at the miserable Qi Hean.

"Third brother, come here, I'll take your pulse."

"You're welcome, sister-in-law. I just have some minor injuries. I'll be fine in two days."

Qi Hean's face was badly swollen and he grimaced in pain when he spoke.

Aunt Xu pushed him and said, "Madam's medical skills are so good, it's an honor for you to be willing to feel your pulse, don't be shy."

She was worried that her son had internal injuries, so it would be safer to take his pulse.

Ye Chutang took Qi Hean's pulse and confirmed that it was only a superficial wound, then gave him some medicine for external injuries.

"This is an external compress. Apply it to the injured area morning and night. The bruise will disappear in three days at most."

"Thank you, Sister-in-law. I'll go take a shower first and then apply the medicine."

Not long after he left, the National Defense Army led by Han Chong returned.

When they saw that Han Chong was not there, they reported to Qi Yanzhou.

"Master Qi, the ones who robbed the silver were hunters who had just become bandits. There were about ten of them. They had been roaming the streets committing crimes since yesterday. Now they have been controlled by the prefect."

After hearing this, Qi Yanzhou's brows furrowed into the shape of the Chinese character "川".

"Do you know why the hunters became bandits?"

"It's unclear at the moment, but the prefect may be able to find out through interrogation."

"You've worked hard. You can go down and rest first. We'll have dinner later."

The National Protection Army saluted and withdrew.

Ye Chutang raised his hand to smooth out the wrinkles between Qi Yanzhou's brows.

"If the prefect has found out anything, he will definitely send someone to the inn to let us know. Just wait."

Qi Yanzhou held Ye Chutang's hand and nodded.

"Jizhou City is not peaceful right now. Will you go out with Ah Man later?"

"The prefect just took away a group of people. Even if there are remnants, no one will show up. Tonight is the safest night."

This is true. Qi Yanzhou warned: "Be careful in everything and don't be careless."

"Don't worry, Ah Man's poisonous insects are not vegetarians."

As soon as Ye Chutang finished speaking, Ah Man's voice came from the second floor.

She smiled and teased, "How did my Gu worm offend Madam Qi to make you so worried?"

"If I remember correctly, when I first met Miss Ah Man, you wanted to use the poisonous insect to control me."

These words made Ah Man cough.

As she walked downstairs, she said, "We don't know each other until we fight!"

After saying that, she walked up to Ye Chutang and winked coquettishly.

"Sister-in-law, please take care of me in the future."

Ye Chutang looked at the outgoing Ah Man and became even more curious about how Qi Yanzhou made her change her mind and become the adopted daughter of the Qi family.

"If they were my own family, I would certainly take better care of them."

Hearing this, Ah Man looked at Old Madam Qi.

"Stepmother, please acknowledge me as your daughter now."

Madam Qi had already had this idea, so she smiled and said, "Okay, I'll arrange it right away."

Generally speaking, adopting a daughter is a big deal, and there are many etiquette and procedures.

But now that I am on the road of exile, I have to keep things simple.

Just forget about matching birth dates and choosing an auspicious time.

Old Madam Qi quickly prepared the things needed to adopt a daughter.

She and Mr. Qi sat in the main seats.

Ah Man handed the words of his birth date to the two elders.

"If they want to establish a relationship, parents should know their daughter's birthday."

For witch doctors in southern Xinjiang, birth data is very important and rarely revealed.

She told him her birthday to show her sincerity.

Madam Qi took the engagement letter and said with a smile, "My dear daughter, I accept it."

Ah Man knelt down, kowtowed three times to the two elders of the Qi family, and then offered them tea.

The two elders each gave Ah Man a red envelope.

Old Madam Qi took out a golden hairpin from her sleeve pocket and handed it to Ah Man.

"Ah Man, this golden hairpin is not a valuable thing, it is a token of my mother's love. I will give you the proper gift when we get to Tianshan County."

"Thank you, mother. I like it very much. This gift is enough, nothing else is needed."

After saying that, she summoned four white poisonous insects from the longevity lock, two large and two small.

"Dad and Mom, this is the mother and child Gu that my daughter raised. After taking the child Gu, not only can you gain vitality from the mother Gu, but it can also eat away at the diseased areas in your body, which has the effect of prolonging your life and is beneficial to your body. This is a gift from your daughter to you."

These poisonous insects are not easy to raise. She has only raised less than ten pairs in all these years.

The two elders of the Qi family were a little afraid of the poisonous insects, so they gritted their teeth and politely refused.

"This gift is too precious. We..."

Before Madam Qi finished her words, Ah Man placed two smaller poisonous insects on the backs of their hands.

There was a slight stinging pain and the insect disappeared.

Ah Man stood up and said with a smile: "Well, my foster father and foster mother will surely live a long life."

The two elders of the Qi family found it difficult to laugh, and their mouth corners twitched.

"Ah Man is thoughtful."

Qi Yanzhou, Ye Chutang, and Qi Qingyu all gave gifts to A'man.

From then on, the Qi family had a daughter with a different surname.

The crisis that Ah Man brought to Qi Yanzhou was completely resolved.

As soon as the recognition ceremony was over, Baiweizhai brought over food and drinks.

Today's dinner was particularly lively.

There is no man who will not get drunk if he holds a glass of wine.

Even the steady and alert Nan Xiao had drunken eyes.

Due to health reasons, Qi Yanzhou not only did not drink, but also went back to his room early to rest.

Ah Man's drinking capacity was beyond everyone's expectations.

After drinking two or three kilograms of wine, her eyes were still as clear as if she was drinking water.

After seeing the clue, Ye Chutang lowered his voice and said with a smile: "You are bullying me a bit."

Ah Man winked playfully, "It's all thanks to my destiny Gu."

Not to mention alcohol, even if what she drank was poison, she would be fine.

Ye Chutang pulled Ah Man up.

"Come on, let's go out for a walk."

The two left the inn and went to the busiest main street in Jizhou City.

There weren't many people on the street, and it was bustling with activity.

It should be that the prefecture sent out officers and soldiers to conduct a thorough investigation of the north of the city, which caused too much noise.

When the people learned about this, they feared disaster and hid in their homes.

Ah Man was not affected by the deserted street.

Just like last time, she shopped as she walked, with a smile on her face all the time.

Ye Chutang followed Ah Man and paid the bill for her.

Ah Man bought some small gadgets and snacks, which were not worth much.

She stopped reluctantly until she couldn't take any more.

"I wish I had three heads and six arms."

Ye Chutang teased, "Three mouths eating their own food, what flavor can they taste?"

Ah Man thought about the scene seriously and laughed.

She felt that not having met Ye Chutang earlier was a great regret in her life.

Fortunately, it’s not too late now.