"Sister-in-law Sun, what do you say?" The young men conducting the investigation narrowed their eyes and waved to Jin.
Jin strode forward, avoiding the crowd, "This old woman is trying to fool you! That brat didn't come back at all last night, don't be fooled by them!"
Upon hearing this, the group quickly sent men to bring Grandma Sun back, and they surrounded the grandmother and granddaughter.
"Grandma Sun, tell us honestly, where did your granddaughter go last night?" The group pressed her for answers, but Grandma Sun avoided answering.
Old Mrs. Sun told herself not to lose her composure. Sure enough, the second son's family always had to meddle in everything. "Young men, please don't make things difficult for your wife. I'm old, and Miao'er isn't a child anymore. How would I know where she is?"
"I'm afraid she's off having an affair!" Madam Jin interjected irritably from the side.
Grandma Sun was so angry she felt dizzy and yelled, "Shut up!"
Jin smiled smugly, cracking open a handful of melon seeds, looking like a petty person who had achieved her goal.
"How's the interrogation going, you guys?" Village Chief Li, sensing something was amiss, hurried over to check.
The young men reported truthfully, "Village chief, the Sun family girl wasn't home last night."
"In the village, I heard Wu Dali went out last night and hasn't returned this morning..."
Village Chief Li nodded thoughtfully, "Alright, let's go to the Wu family first and ask about Wu Dali. The Sun family's daughter is just a girl; she can't cause any trouble!"
Inside the medicine hut.
Sun Miao'er felt she had recovered quite a bit, and her fever had subsided, though her face was still flushed red and had a delicate pinkish hue. "Thank you, Master."
"No need to thank me." Fu Yuchi stepped aside to block her at the door, exhaled a warm breath, and said in a low, husky, and magnetic voice, "Listen to your teacher more in the future. If I want to give you a ride, don't refuse."
Sun Miao'er had a strange feeling about Fu Yuchi in front of her. He used to be gentle but distant, but now he was a little cloying. Although she was not used to it, he was easier to get close to than before.
"I understand, Master." Sun Miao'er's face flushed even more from the heat, and she lowered her head, trying her best to hide her embarrassment. "I want to go back and see them first. Grandma and the others must be very worried."
Fu Yuchi smiled maliciously, her voice alluring, "Go back now. Let me be clear, everyone outside is looking for you. The fire last night was quite bad, Xiao Miao'er, be careful."
Before Sun Miao'er could even reach the Sun family home, she was stopped by the villagers on the way.
"Sun family girl!" Several young men surrounded her, their tone menacing. "Where did you go last night!"
Sun Miao'er saw Grandma Sun sitting on a bench with Xiaoman not far away. Grandma Sun frequently gave her meaningful glances, signaling her to be careful what she said.
Sun Miao'er smiled innocently, "What's wrong? Brothers, last night I went to the mountains to collect herbs, and it drizzled, so I waited until dawn to come down the mountain."
"You went alone?" One of them raised his eyelids and looked Sun Miao'er up and down. She didn't seem like someone who could go into the mountains alone.
Sun Miao'er shook her head and quickly retorted, "Of course not, how could a weak woman like me have the ability? My master took me there."
"Your master?" the man asked incredulously, raising his voice.
A clear, melodious voice came from behind, “Yes, young man, I took Miao’er up the mountain to gather herbs yesterday afternoon, but who knew the weather in the mountains could change so suddenly.”
Fu Yuchi walked over from a short distance away, carrying a medicine box on his back. When he reached Sun Miao'er's side, he blocked her way. "Look at you, you even forgot the medicine for Grandma Sun."
"Oh dear!" Sun Miao'er exclaimed, "Master, look at my slow brain, I've troubled you to make this trip!"
The group was immediately confused. How did Doctor Fu get involved with the Sun family? Besides, a man and a woman alone together on the mountain—it was all so ambiguous.
Seeing this, Old Lady Sun came over with her cane and said, "Young men, Doctor Fu is a disciple of my old man. What's wrong with Miao'er and Xiaoman calling him master? This family-inherited skill can't be lost, can it?"
“Yes, brothers.” Sun Miao’er pretended to rub her eyes. “My younger brother is still young and has lost his parents. If our family hadn’t been so poor that we couldn’t even afford to eat, I, an unmarried girl, would never have had to take on this responsibility!”
Rather than saying Sun Miao'er's acting skills were superb, it would be more accurate to say that she had exceptional physical attributes. Her ordinary yet charming words were delivered with such grace that the young people were immediately overwhelmed.
All doubts were put aside, and all eyes were on the poor, well-behaved girl who was forced to learn a trade to make a living. "Hey, Miao'er, don't be sad. Luckily, you were born in our Fushui Village. If you really can't get enough to eat, we will all help you!"
Sun Miao'er then smiled, her eyebrows relaxed, and she smiled sweetly, "Thank you, brothers."
One of them turned around and shouted into the distance, "Village chief, the Sun family girl is back!"
Old Li came over when he heard the noise. When he saw Sun Miao'er, he didn't say much. He turned to the man and asked, "Where's Wu Dali? Hasn't he come back yet?"
"No……"
Old Li stroked his beard and muttered to himself, "How strange. Wasn't this kid usually the best at flattering people, practically living in my house? Where did he go..."
Just then, a woman's cries suddenly came from the riverbank, and everyone immediately gathered around.
Sun Miao'er followed. Ever since Fu Yuchi started dealing with the village lads, her face had been gloomy. Although she had a gentle and harmless face, she exuded an aura of "keep away".
"What happened?" Village Chief Li couldn't help but feel annoyed when he saw the woman crying.
The wailing woman was Wu Dali's mother, Wu Zhangshi, clutching a broken piece of cloth in her hand. "This is Dali's belt, which I sewed for him myself! Dali is gone!"
Sun Miao'er caught a glimpse of the belt, the very same piece she had grabbed last night. But hadn't it fallen into the water? How could it be on the shore? Had Wu Dali swum back to shore? But why hadn't he gone home?
Where did Wu Dali go? She didn't say anything, just stood there quietly watching. After falling into the water last night, she lost consciousness and could only vaguely remember some fragments of her master taking care of her. As for the whereabouts of the culprit, she had no clue.
Village Chief Li feigned composure and reassured him, "Don't worry, let's find a few good swimmers to search downstream. I remember Dali can swim, it shouldn't be that bad."
Fushui Village is currently in complete chaos. First, Granny Li's wheat field was inexplicably burned, causing heavy losses. Then, Wu Dali disappeared near the river and his whereabouts are unknown.
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