After Xue Erniu finished his studies, he planned to throw away the clothes that he couldn't sew.

As soon as he picked up the clothes, he discovered that the area that should have been mended was perfectly smooth, and without careful inspection, it was impossible to tell that it had been mended.

Seeing that Xue Erniu was standing still with the clothes in his hand, Xue Daniu put away his kitchen knife and wood-chopping knife and said, "That man just mended them for you."

Xue Erniu looked around the yard but didn't see anyone, so he walked out of the yard, wondering if they had really run away.

As a result, Xue Daniu said, "The person is inside the house."

Xue Erniu then turned back and said, "Who said I was looking for her? I just went to see who had just passed by."

Xue Daniu glanced at Xue Erniu with a half-smile and said, "I happen to have some things; you can take them to them."

Those two were the prince and the princess.

The gifts were sent by the Grand Tutor; they were quite ordinary, consisting of some fruit, rice, pastries, salt, and sugar.

Xue Erniu said in a serious tone, "Alright, I just finished reading the book I borrowed from them last time, I'll go return it to them."

Xue Daniu had already packed his things; there wasn't much. Even if he took it, he could say it was to thank them for lending him the books.

Xue Erniu could also discuss academic matters with the Crown Prince to see if he had fallen behind in his studies recently, which was perfect for both of them.

As Xue Erniu was carrying his things out, he said to Xue Daniu, "Then keep an eye on the yard."

Xue Daniu stared at Xue Erniu, whose face stiffened. What was he doing, acting like Xue Xiaoniu, afraid that the person would run away?

Xue Daniu stood up and looked into the room, where he found Ali lying on the bed, seemingly asleep.

Ahri clutched her stomach, lying on her side; it was her period.

She was experiencing sharp, intermittent abdominal pain, and her head was buzzing.

Xue Daniu didn't go inside. Instead, he found a worn-out bamboo basket and sat down in the yard to weave it.

Just then, a group of people strolled past the gate. They glanced at Xue Daniu's courtyard, found that only Xue Daniu was there, and then left.

Xue Daniu wasn't curious at all about who they were or what they were doing there, because it was obvious at a glance that they were all villagers who made a living by working in the fields.

However, why did that person hang their clothes to dry in the corner, right under the courtyard wall, which is not visible from the entrance?

Xue Daniu stood up and closed the courtyard gate.

Ahri didn't dare to move around. She had just taken something out of her spatial storage: wood ash and menstrual pads.

Things that are too ahead of their time are difficult to handle, and it's hard to explain them if others see them.

Fortunately, only two meals need to be prepared each day: one in the morning and one in the evening.

Ah Li thought to herself, "I need to get a good night's sleep now, and I'll feel better after a good night's sleep."

Not long after, the courtyard gate was pushed open. Xue Erniu seemed very anxious. He looked into the courtyard and saw Xue Daniu weaving straw sandals.

Xue Erniu closed and locked the courtyard gate. "Where is she?"

Xue Daniu looked into the room and said, "They're still asleep."

"oh."

Xue Erniu pulled up a chair and sat down, picking up some dry grass and rubbing it in his hands.

Xue Daniu noticed that Xue Erniu seemed to be lost in thought, but he didn't ask. He knew he would tell him when the time was right.

After some time, Xue Erniu asked Xue Daniu, "Did anyone see you carrying that person back that day?"

"Yes, but we said we bought it for three taels of silver."

"Did you see any people from our village today?"

"Yes, I saw it, it was peeking around."

"If I'm not mistaken, they came to see her."

Xue Daniu looked at Xue Erniu, whose expression was off; he was angry.

Xue Erniu said, "I just heard someone say that they are looking for their daughter and sister, but they know about their family situation. They said they want to keep her at home as their wife. That girl is deaf and mute. I wonder if they have taken advantage of her, which is why she is thinking of running away."

There's no need to say more; Xue Daniu understands.

When they met that person, she was trying to run away, not knowing where she was going. She was on the oxcart that time, probably because she was too tired, so she climbed up to hide and fell asleep.

Did they say what her name was?

"No, some say her name is Nizi, while others say she used to be called 'Dumb Girl' or 'Deaf Girl'."

"Don't you have a proper name?"

Xue Daniu knew how deeply ingrained the preference for sons was in these villages, and he had also heard of similar outdated customs in nearby villages. To avoid unnecessary trouble, he didn't want to meddle.

“If reporting to the authorities weren’t a waste of time, I would report it to the authorities.”

Xue Erniu tied many knots in the dry grass in his hand before he seemed to suppress his anger.

Xue Daniu continued weaving straw sandals, saying, "If they really come looking for us, we'll just give them some silver to get rid of them."

Xue Erniu almost yelled, "You want to give money to that kind of person?"

Xue Daniu looked at Xue Erniu with a meaningful expression.

Xue Erniu then realized what he was doing—sympathizing with that person and speaking out for him?

Before they knew it, it was getting dark, and the person still hadn't come out.

Xue Daniu wanted to go inside to take a look, but as soon as he got close to Ali, he smelled a faint smell of blood. He then looked at Ali lying on the bed.

It didn't seem like he was asleep; it seemed more like he had fainted from the pain.

When Xue Erniu saw Xue Daniu come out again, he asked, "Still not awake?"

"She's not feeling well, so we'll cook for ourselves tonight."

Are you sick?

When Xue Erniu entered the house, he found that Ali was half-sitting up, glancing at the sky, and then looking at him.

Even though her face was smeared with black, you could still notice that her lips were white.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!