Shen Xingmian waited until the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, but there was still no movement from the Northern Di. She couldn't wait any longer and decided to ride her snow-covered horse over to take a look.
When she told her grandfather about her decision, Shen Zhiheng was somewhat disagreeing.
"It's too far. If you ride a snowball there, it will take more than an hour to go there and back. No matter what clothes you wear, the wind will blow you through."
Besides, they haven't taken any action for so long, so they probably aren't coming. It's not worth your trip.
Shen Xingmian knew this was the case; otherwise, she would have gone to see it long ago instead of waiting until now.
Seeing that she was still worried, Shen Zhiheng comforted her, "In previous years, when we lacked food and clothing and weapons, Grandpa still managed to defend the area with his men. There's no reason why we should be afraid of those Northern Di brats now that we have everything we need."
Shen Xingmian was amused by her grandfather and thought it made sense, so she nodded and said, "I was overthinking it. Okay, then I'll take them home tonight. Such a big general's mansion shouldn't be left empty."
"Okay, with you here at home, Grandpa is at ease. Your eldest uncle will stay here with your cousin, and the rest of the family will be in your care. I'll also remind your mother."
Shen Xingmian nodded emphatically: "Okay!"
Although my mother is brave, she doesn't seem to be particularly smart, and she can be quite impulsive at times. I guess my grandfather should give her a few words of advice, hehe.
If her mother knew she dared to think of her like that, she would definitely pick her up and beat her, haha, but she dared not let her know.
When they left, the mother and daughter made no attempt to hide their presence as they got into their electric car and sped away.
It wasn't until the next day that someone asked the person next to them in confusion, "Hey, I think I only saw the young general leave with the goddess, where is everyone else?"
The other person scratched his head and said, "It seems so. Yeah, where are the others? Did they leave when we weren't looking?"
His companion scoffed, "You're just focusing on useless things. When someone wants to leave, do you expect them to come over and say goodbye? They can just leave whenever they want."
"Ah...that's true."
*
After Shen Xingmian and the others arrived home, the first thing they did was to do a thorough cleaning.
No, the first thing to do is to observe whether there are any signs that anyone has been at the door, and to find out what kind of people have come and gone during the days they were away.
This Shen Yunting is very experienced.
She first jumped onto the wall to check if the snow had been trampled on, and in the backyard, she actually found two such marks.
It seems someone couldn't contain themselves and has already come to investigate.
As for outside the gate, there were also traces of people walking by, looking like they had been there many times, because the shoe prints were all the same.
After checking that no one was hiding in the dark, preparing to commit a crime, everyone started cleaning.
When the winds are strong in the North, there's a lot of dust, but now that the ground is covered in snow, there's only a thin layer of dust in the house, which isn't difficult to clean.
Shen Xingmian had been paying attention to the footprints at the door. Although she had no experience in trace evidence, it was hard not to notice that a woman, who appeared to be alone, had come to their house several times by herself.
She felt that the General's Mansion shouldn't have any old acquaintances like this. It seemed more like someone who had come to see Xiao Yanyue. The only person who probably knew he was in the General's Mansion was the woman she had seen at the market before.
Thinking of this, Shen Xingmian couldn't help but run to Xiao Yanyue's room. After hearing a response, she slipped inside and told him about her doubts.
She didn't speculate much, only stating the most basic findings. She believed that with Dao Dao's intelligence, she would definitely be able to deduce the rest herself.
After saying that, she prepared to leave, not intending to get involved in his family affairs any further.
Unless there is a need for her help, she will not take the initiative to intervene.
Shen Xingmian knew very well that even if she kept asking, Xiao Yanyue wouldn't think she was being nosy, but she was a very tactful person and didn't like to do things that would annoy others.
But as soon as she turned around, her arm was suddenly grabbed.
She turned around and saw that Xiao Yanyue looked helpless and panicked. Her heart softened, and she turned around and sat back down next to him. She asked reassuringly, "If you have no one to talk to, you can selectively tell me some of the information. I should be able to help."
That's a very subtle way of putting it; she can help with most kinds of things in the world right now.
"It's my maternal grandmother..."
After Xiao Yanyue finished speaking, he fell silent. Shen Xingmian didn't urge him, but patiently stared at him as he organized his thoughts.
"The woman I saw at the market last time was my maternal grandmother's personal maid. I was afraid of bringing them danger, so I didn't think about meeting her. I'm afraid my maternal grandmother was really worried about her, so she urged me to come and see her."
Those people in the capital know I'm with you, they'll definitely send people to watch the General's Mansion. If they discover my maternal grandmother, the consequences will be unimaginable.
My maternal grandfather, father, and mother have all passed away. I only have my maternal grandmother left as a blood relative, and I really can't let anything happen to her.
He held Shen Xingmian's hand, which was trembling slightly, making Shen Xingmian feel a pang of heartache.
At such a young age, she has experienced so many bad things, and her only relative doesn't even dare to see her. It's really too difficult for her.
"Who was your maternal grandmother with? Besides that woman, was there anyone else?"
Xiao Yanyue's attention was diverted by her question, and after thinking for a moment, she replied:
“I’m not quite sure. My grandfather was very wary of his maternal relatives, so my maternal grandmother was not allowed to visit. After my grandfather passed away, she left the capital and has not contacted us since. I suppose she was afraid of implicating my father.”
Shen Xingmian nodded knowingly.
Most parents who love their children are the same in this world: they want to give all the good things to their children, and they hope to keep all the bad things away from their children.
Of course, there are also many parents who only give birth but don't care about raising their children.
"Do you know roughly where they live? If so, shall we go and check on them tonight? Your grandmother is not young, and it must have been a difficult journey for her to get here. I'll go and check on her health so that if there are any problems, she can get treatment as soon as possible."
This was the first thing Shen Xingmian thought of. Older people are easily worn out by the journey, the long and tiring travel, and the worry and anxiety in their hearts. It's impossible for them to be very healthy.
Those were Xiao Yanyue's only remaining relatives in the world; she wouldn't abandon them.
Xiao Yanyue's eyes brightened for a moment, but then dimmed again.
“I don’t know how many people are secretly watching us. If we meet, they might be in danger. Right now, I don’t have enough power to protect them.”
Shen Xingmian patted his arm and said boldly, "What's the big deal? We can just bring your grandmother over and let her live with us."
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