Chapter 309: Following the Clues to Find the Melon
The angry maid scolded the little girl and left angrily.
The little girl sobbed and sobbed, not daring to cry loudly, yet unable to stop. Xia Daohua couldn't help feeling a little upset.
She was still worried about the whereabouts of her people and had no time to care about these trivial matters. But this little girl just happened to bump into her, and she felt a little reluctant to ignore her.
The little girl cried for a while, then suddenly stopped. She raised her sleeves to wipe her tears, and walked inside with her head down, occasionally hiccuping or sniffling.
Xia Daohua didn't know what happened to her, but she followed him as if possessed by some mysterious force.
Following the little girl through the huge courtyard, walking east and west, after several months, they arrived at the entrance of a locked garden. The little girl cried and called out to the old woman guarding the gate: "Second Aunt..."
The gatekeeper hurriedly uttered "hush", looked around, and when she saw that no one was following, she took the little girl's hand, took out a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped her face:
"Third girl, where did you get upset? Why did you cry so hard? Didn't your second sister help you?"
The little girl sniffed twice and said:
"Sister Yuzhan, the head maidservant beside our Third Madam, just lectured me, saying that I couldn't tell the difference between inside and outside, and didn't know who was the master... But I'm not our Third Madam's maidservant! Sister Yuzhan also said that she was best friends with my Second Sister, so she gave me some advice... I just can't figure it out..."
"Yuzhan and your second sister have been in the same boat since they were young. Although she has a bad temper and speaks harshly, she really doesn't have any bad intentions.
If you don't want to listen, go back and ask your second sister and see what she says.
Don't cry in front of people like this!
If someone sees this, and then tells the Third Madam about something, not only will you be in trouble, but even your Second Sister and Sister Yuzhan will suffer the consequences!"
Xia Daohua saw that the little girl obviously had a lot of relatives and friends, and it was not a big deal if she made a mistake and was criticized a few times, so she put it aside and planned to leave.
However, before she could turn around, she heard the conversation between the gatekeeper and the little girl, which suddenly tripped her legs and made it impossible for her to move.
The gatekeeper said, "This garden has been abandoned for a long time. Normally, there is no need to take care of it. The Third Madam suddenly said she wanted to use it and sent me to guard it. You should not wander over here casually. If you are seen by the Third Madam's people, it will be bad for you."
The little girl said, "The Third Madam is too overbearing! In order to punish the cousin's people, she even wants to interfere with other people's good deeds. Isn't she afraid of retribution?"
The gatekeeper was startled, and looked around hurriedly for several times. She raised her hand and slapped the little girl hard on the back twice before saying to her:
"You have really been spoiled by the young lady! You can really say such things?
Are you willing to die just to satisfy your anger?
From now on you must control your mouth, otherwise you will suffer!
If I just suffer a little, it's fine, but I'm afraid that because of this worthless thing, not only will I lose my life, but I will also implicate my entire family!"
The little girl's big eyes were filled with tears, and she stubbornly stiffened her neck.
“I wasn’t wrong!
In order to pray for the young master, the steward of the young master's family did good deeds every day and took in many homeless women and children! However, the third wife tricked them into coming and locked them all in this garden...
With so many eyes watching from the whole family, who wouldn’t know?
I heard from the young lady that the third wife has contacted people outside to sell them to that shameful place! Isn't she so wicked and smoky?"
The gatekeeper was anxious and quickly raised her hand to cover the little girl's mouth:
"Hey, my little ancestor!
Is that what you said?
The same thing, if the lady says it and tells you, can it be the same?
No matter what the young lady says, the master and the old lady are standing behind her, so it doesn't matter even if she makes up some lies.
And you?
You are such a slave, why can't you learn to shut up?
Oh my, I’m so worried!
I should not have given you this task and let you enter this mansion to broaden your horizons!
You should be allowed to run wild outside!
Have fun with them for a few years, and when you get old enough and get married, you'll be someone else's. You won't have to talk too much and bring trouble to your family every day!"
The conversation between the gatekeeper and the little girl completely stumped Xia Daohua.
She never dreamed that her vague suspicion would actually come true!
But, with so many people in his village, how could he deceive them so cleanly just by cheating?
Xia Daohua was too lazy to guess any further.
She manipulated the space and passed directly through the garden gate.
This garden has probably not been tended for a long time. The vegetation is too lush and it looks quite desolate.
The Murong family was a wealthy family in Jixiang County, so their house naturally covered a large area. However, this desolate garden that looked like it had been abandoned was somewhat out of place.
Xia Daohua frowned and walked along the path covered with weeds. She found that there were a few houses inside. They were built in the style of bamboo huts and were barely habitable. But she didn't know whether they were designed like this on purpose or because they were in disrepair. The roofs and walls were damaged.
Xia Daohua went in and took a look, and immediately understood.
There were many people lying in a mess, on the kang and on the floor, all tied up with ropes and their mouths stuffed. Regardless of whether they were adults or children, all were treated the same.
In each room, there were two beggar-like men guarding it.
It seems that the third wife of the Murong family has most likely teamed up with the Beggars' Gang in Jixiang County.
This is also why the old beggar got the news in the middle of the night and ran to the slum to knock on the door to inform himself.
The third wife of the Murong family chose the best time.
If the old beggar had not informed me, given my casual nature, it would have taken at least half a month for me to remember to come to the manor to take a look.
By then, even if there were witnesses telling me that these people were taken away by the Murong family, I would probably have no chance to get them back.
Xia Daohua's heart was more than half filled with joy.
If I hadn't been soft-hearted for a moment, fearing that the little girl would be upset, and had followed her with a heavy heart, I would never have been able to find this garden so quickly.
Xia Daohua took all these people into the space. As soon as she finished cleaning the first room, she felt a throbbing sensation all over her body, as if she had been electrocuted, a bit like the experience of hypoglycemia.
She hurriedly drank several bottles of sports drinks and ate a lot of chocolate and braised beef, which made her feel a little nauseous. She stopped only when she couldn't swallow any more, which alleviated the dizziness.
Good night and sweet dreams.
(End of this chapter)
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