The kilns in Dejing Town are still the old wood-fired kilns. Several brick bungalows stand side by side, next to a huge shed, where layers of firewood cut into roughly the same size are stacked, which looks quite spectacular from a distance.
Upon seeing the group of people, the villager guarding the gate quickly put down the book he was reading and got up to walk towards the three.
He recognized the elderly man at the front, and his expression softened slightly. "What are you doing here?"
The old man pointed into the wood-fired kiln, "They are Ruizhu's friends, they've come to see her!"
The gatekeeper sized up Nan Xian and her companion, noticing that one was stunningly beautiful while the other was plain-looking and haggard. They seemed to come from completely different worlds, and he couldn't help but look suspicious. "Friends?"
Nan Xian stepped forward, "Yes, when we were at her house earlier, someone said there was some problem with the wood-fired kiln and asked Ruizhu to go check it out. We ended up waiting for over two hours, and we felt something was wrong, worried something might have happened to her, so—"
Before she could finish speaking, the villager's eyes widened in surprise, his expression one of insult and anger. He interrupted her angrily, "Impossible! Our kiln is the best in the whole town, how could there be a problem! Absolutely not!"
The old man was the first to react. He slapped his thigh and said urgently, "Hey, then tell me, have you seen Ruizhu girl?"
The gatekeeper was startled. He scratched his head and said, "I just took over the shift. Wait a minute, I'll go ask." With that, he turned and ran into one of the houses in the row of bungalows behind him.
A short while later, he came running back, panting. Nan Xian immediately went to greet him, "How are you?"
He waved his hand, "No, I haven't seen her. I asked several people, but I haven't seen her today!"
Nan Xian pressed further, "Are you sure?"
"I'm sure, how could I not be! There's only one door to the Chai kiln, how could she possibly fly in!"
Oh no! Nan Xian's expression changed drastically, and her hands, hanging at her sides, clenched tightly.
Diao Yu described the appearance of the person who had called Ruizhu away, but the gatekeeper still shook his head after hearing it, saying, "There are hundreds of people in Chai Kiln, I know them all."
The old man was also taken aback upon hearing this. "Oh dear! Who was that person who called Ruizhu away... What if they were a bad person!"
He was so anxious that he paced around in circles, and despite the cold weather, a layer of sweat appeared on his forehead.
Nan Xian pondered for a moment, then turned to comfort her, "Uncle, don't worry. Ruizhu isn't impulsive. Since she went with that person, it means she probably knows him. Let's look for her first; maybe she's just somewhere else."
Upon hearing this, the gatekeeper quickly brought over his chair. "Please rest! At your age, you can't rush things!"
"Hey, hey, no rush, I'm not in a hurry," the old man said, but his brows furrowed more and more, and his fingers began to tremble.
The gatekeeper went to call for help, while Nan Xian and Diao Yu exchanged a glance and tacitly walked to the side.
"Are you sure the one who called Ruizhu away was really human, and not a demon in disguise?"
Diao Yu opened her mouth, about to say yes with certainty, but then suddenly remembered what Sheng Zhicheng had done before, and she became dejected, shaking her head.
Speaking of Sheng Zhicheng, Diao Yu felt a surge of anger.
The money-grubbers had truly mastered the art of concealing their presence; even he couldn't discern Sheng Zhicheng's true form and almost managed to trick him into revealing information. If Nan Xian hadn't mentioned it by chance, Diao Yu would probably still be in the dark.
Hmph, you little money-grubber, just wait until I get my hands on your five million, then I'll teach you a lesson...
Diao Yu silently added another note to Sheng Zhicheng's grudge notebook.
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