This situation was heartbreaking, and Xiao Lan's eyes welled up with tears.
The woman first took a good look at Xiao Lan. Seeing that she was unharmed and her skin was even more radiant and fair, as if she had not suffered any hardship, she had a look of relief on her face.
She looked at Qiao Lian'er again, and was stunned by the rare air about her.
It seems that this girl holds many things in her hands, things that are unimaginable and unattainable.
But the girl had a detached demeanor, completely lacking the arrogance that a young man should have.
She seemed genuinely protective of Ye Qiao, but one can never be too careful, and the woman remained vigilant.
"There are chairs in the room, please make yourself at home," the woman said.
Qiao Lian'er sat down.
"What illness has afflicted Auntie? Has the doctor made a diagnosis?"
The woman shook her head with a bitter smile: "My lungs are weak. I developed a cough early on, and I've worked hard all my life. I'm just old and my life is coming to an end. There's no cure."
"I can tell that you are a capable person. I am very grateful to you for protecting my daughter and bringing her back."
"Miss Ye and I are friends, so please don't stand on ceremony with me, Auntie."
Xiao Lan sat down by the bed, held her mother's hand, and said guiltily.
"With my mother like this, I shouldn't have left home."
"Nonsense." The woman said unhappily, "I told you long ago that if you don't go to the capital, you'll never have a future. That's where you belong."
She hesitated for a moment, as if she wanted to say something.
Seeing this, Qiao Lian'er got up and said she was going outside for some fresh air.
She only came in to see what Xiao Lan's mother looked like, to exchange a brief glance. If she stayed in the room, there were some things the woman couldn't say.
"The villagers are a bit tough, so it's best if our distinguished guests stay in the courtyard and don't go out," the woman kindly advised.
Qiao Lian'er came out of her room, making an excuse to go to the outhouse, and Ye Liang pointed her in a direction in the yard.
She went into the outhouse, locked the door, and then used her stealth to locate the room.
"Xiao Lan, the guest you brought back doesn't seem like a simple person. Is he from the Jiang family?"
“Mother, her surname is Qiao, and she comes from a prominent family in the capital.”
"If you're not a member of the Jiang family, why did you go to the capital and come back with the Qiao family?" the woman asked in surprise.
"I got to know the Qiao family because of some things, and they have taken good care of me. Don't worry, Mom, the Qiao family is very kind."
"I can also tell that Miss Qiao is a good person." The woman asked somewhat eagerly, "How is the situation at the Jiang family? Have you and Madam reunited? Has Madam accepted you?"
The woman felt uneasy. If she accepted the daughter, why would it be someone else accompanying her back instead of a special escort team from the Chiang family?
As Qiao Lian'er instructed, Xiao Lan was to remain silent or use ambiguous language to elicit answers to questions she didn't know how to answer.
"Madam, she—I'm worried—"
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