Old Wang nodded, no longer thinking about it. After all, no matter how skilled Qin San Niang was, she couldn't possibly surpass him in building houses! This was a family heirloom craft!
"The children in Madam Qin's family are all good. The boys are diligent and capable, and the girls are good too! They seem much more generous than my daughters," Old Man Wang said with a smile. He has many grandchildren and loves children very much.
"However, this place will become a bit dangerous in the future. Try to keep the girls away from here. If they get hit by a brick, it won't be a joke."
Qin San Niang nodded quickly. Liu Shi had reminded her last night that Azhi and Anan were now half-grown children and it would be better for them not to go to the construction site! Although the villagers were all simple and honest, they couldn't be without some ulterior motives!
Liao Hongying was willing to look after the girl; she was good at needlework and could teach the children how to make knots later.
Wu Chunhua and her son, Pangya, are currently burdened with many responsibilities, leaving them little time to care for the girls. Liao Hongying spends most of her time at home looking after Xiaohu, and her patience and meticulous care reassure everyone.
But before Qin San Niang could tell the children about this, something terrible happened!
Fatty came running up, panting, followed by Da Wa, whose face was grim. "Third Aunt, have you seen Xiao Er and A Nan?"
Qin San Niang looked around and asked in a deep voice, "What's wrong, Fatty? Tell me slowly!"
"Mother, they're gone! Just now, Xiao Er, Ming Zhe, A Nan, and A Zhi were planning to go to the stream to catch fish. I scolded them, saying it wasn't safe by the stream and told them to go home and study! But when we got back, Grandma said they didn't go back at all!" Da Wa's voice was clearly trembling with tears. Those were his brothers and sisters; what would he do if something happened to them?!
Ah Zhi was inside too; she wasn't an impulsive child. He Mingzhe was also a composed person. Although Xiao Er was lively, he was sensible; if he couldn't find him, something was definitely wrong! He'd been set up!
The thought of the children being held hostage clenched Qin Sanniang's heart. This was a physical reflex from the original owner of the body, but it was also her own genuine feeling! After spending so much time together, these children were practically her own! No matter what, the children had to be found!
Trying to calm herself down, Qin Sanniang instructed, "Da Wa, go find Uncle Qingshan and ask him to go to the ancestral hall. Pang Ya, go find your Uncle He; he's at the private school. Ask him to find the village head and get everyone to search for them. I'll go back and ride after them! Also, take good care of the rest of the family; make sure nothing else happens to you!"
After saying that, Qin San Niang rushed home.
Liu and the others were like ants on a hot pan, having already searched the stream. The water in the stream was very shallow, and it was impossible for the child to drown. Qin San Niang was relieved and told Liu and Liao Hongying that they should go to the construction site immediately and ask everyone to help with the search. Today would be considered a full day's work, and if anyone helped them find clues, they would give them a reward of ten taels of silver!
A generous reward will surely attract brave men; we can't let people work for nothing!
The two women, who were already in a state of near panic, quickly followed Qin San Niang's instructions and put them to work. At this point, they no longer had time to cry!
Qin San Niang went to the backyard to get the horse, and also brought Xiao Bai, who was tied up at home!
Perhaps sensing that its little master was in a critical situation, Xiao Bai was also very agitated, circling around on the ground. As soon as it was freed from its restraints, it ran away.
She mounted her horse and followed Xiaobai. Qin San Niang believed that Xiaobai was no ordinary dog. It was usually fed by A Nan and her children, so there must be some kind of connection between them. Besides, dogs have an innate sense of smell, and she hoped that it could find clues about the children.
Gu Qingshan rushed to the ancestral hall, only to find it deserted! A chilling aura emanated from him! He clenched his fist tightly, slamming it against the doorframe, and abruptly turned around. Soon after, a crack gradually appeared in the doorpost…
The eldest son, having somehow returned home, retrieved his horse, and slung Gu Qingshan's bow and arrows over his shoulder, handed them to him with a resolute expression.
"Uncle, we must find them! Also, it seems Ah Zhi has gone out with her bow and arrows!"
Da Wa, being meticulous, glanced at A Zhi's table as he went to get the bow and arrows. The bow and arrows that A Zhi usually treasured were gone; she must have taken them! This meant that A Zhi was already on guard, but it was hard to tell whether it was a good thing or a bad thing.
Gu Qingshan nodded, took his bow and arrows, mounted his horse, and said, "Da Wa, take good care of the family."
"Qingshan, wait a minute." He Yingyuan rushed over, and Luo Huan was leading his horse towards them from not far away.
"Where are you going to search if you go out like this? Are you going to Chen Guang'an's house to kidnap his family?"
"I..." Gu Qingshan truly thought so.
"Even if you take down his family, where will you find him?" He Yingyuan asked, leaving Gu Qingshan speechless. But thinking of the danger his children might be in, he felt as if he were being slowly tortured, wishing he could take their place.
He Yingyuan was also very anxious. He couldn't bear the thought of his son leaving him again, repeating the mistakes of his previous life!
However, having held a high position for many years, composure is a basic requirement for him, and he can remain unmoved even in the face of a sudden crisis.
"Qingshan, listen to me. Madam Qin has already taken Xiaobai to track down the child; you must trust her abilities! Besides, Chen Guang'an, having kidnapped the child, will definitely not take the main road; he'll enter the city via a side road!"
Luo Huan said, "There's a shady business at the city's docks that specializes in buying and selling women; that's the most likely place they'd go!"
He Yingyuan quickly analyzed the situation and concluded that Chen Guang'an and his group had no blood on their hands. If they had kidnapped the child, they would most likely not kill him. Having witnessed the fighting prowess of Qin Sanniang and her group, and not daring to demand money, the safest method was naturally to sell him to the black market and resell him elsewhere. This way, he could earn a considerable amount of money and also vent his anger.
When Luo Huan was mentioned by his master, he stepped forward and said, "Master Gu, I have been to that place before, and I can take you there! The slave traders there specialize in selling slaves, and most of them are young children."
The children treated him very well, never regarding him as a servant. They even pitied his pitiful background and would save some of the good food and toys for themselves.
Luo Huan was also very anxious. He knew the methods of those brokers. They would not show any mercy just because the child was a child. If he encountered those with bad intentions, they might even commit acts of forced abduction and mutilation. It was truly extremely cruel!
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