"This dried fruit is really delicious, it's quite different from what you get in dried fruit shops!"
With a bite of sweet dried fruit, the little girl suddenly felt that her mood was no longer as bad as before.
My heart, which had been hanging in suspense, gradually calmed down!
No wonder women in later generations crave sweets when they're feeling down!
This sweet taste can indeed soothe the soul.
"Knock knock knock!"
Just as Lin Xue was finishing preparing the meal, she heard a knocking sound coming from outside the courtyard gate!
"Sister-in-law?"
Upon hearing the sound, Lin Xue quickly opened the door and saw Dong Wu leading two younger constables to her house.
"Where is the little girl?"
Dong Wu led his men into the courtyard, then looked around and asked Lin Xue.
"She's in the kitchen, I'll go get her right now!"
Lin Xue led Liu Xiaoyu to the living room and adjusted the light fixture in the main room to make the room brighter.
"Brother Dong, you guys go ahead and ask, I'm going to get busy in the kitchen!"
Seeing that Dong Wu and the others had questions, Lin Xue decided not to stay in the main room any longer and went to the kitchen.
Pack the food box out. Those yamen runners probably won't stay here for dinner later, since there are only women in the house.
She'll let them know later, and if they don't want her to stay for dinner, she'll pack up the food and have them take it with them.
The yamen runners who came along were also willing to cover up for the young girl because she knew Dong Wu.
Thinking this, Lin Xue cooked two more side dishes. Not long after she finished, she saw movement coming from the main room.
"Sister-in-law, let her stay here with you for now. Her family will come to pick her up tomorrow morning!"
"If there's nothing else, we'll head back now. If you need anything, just come find me in that courtyard we were in before; I live there!"
Dong Wu told Lin Xue what was going on and then tried to leave with his men.
"Brother Dong, you must be working late into the night interrogating prisoners, right? I've prepared some food here, take some back with you!"
Since there were other men present, Lin Xue couldn't bring herself to ask them to stay for dinner, so she simply brought out the food box she had prepared in advance.
"Thank you very much, sister-in-law!"
Dong Wu thought to himself that if he didn't accept Lin Xue's kindness, it might cause his two brothers to have some reservations.
If he accepts the gift, it will actually make people think that he has a good relationship with this family.
After all, only close friends and family would prepare these things.
Carrying the food box, Lin Xue and the others returned to the government office with two brothers. After they left, Lin Xue closed the gate and prepared to eat with Liu Xiaoyu.
After tonight's events, Liu Xiaoyu thought she wouldn't be able to eat, but unexpectedly, Lin Xue's cooking was so delicious.
The tangy, spicy, and pungent shredded potatoes are so delicious that you can't stop eating them.
The cold bean sprout salad was a delicacy she had never tasted before.
And there's also pork stew with vermicelli, with quite a few spare ribs mixed in!
After being stewed for so long, they are already soft and flavorful, but the glass noodles haven't soaked properly because they were added later.
It's chewy and smooth when you eat it.
Dong Xiaoyu actually broke her historical eating record, eating three steamed buns and then taking over half of the dishes.
After dinner, Lin Xue took Liu Xiaoyu for a walk in the yard to digest her food before taking her back to her room to sleep.
The guest room hadn't been cleaned at all. Since Lin Xue was sleeping alone anyway, she let Liu Xiaoyu sleep in the same room with her.
"Knock knock knock~"
Nothing happened that night. The next morning, before the two of them had even gotten out of bed, someone knocked on the courtyard gate.
Lin Xue put on her clothes and opened the courtyard gate, only to find a group of strangers.
"Is this Mrs. Lin?"
"My Xiaoyu has really caused you trouble. I never expected that we would be so destined to become your older sister after only meeting for the first time!"
"I don't know what's wrong with this girl, she's become so close to you! Last night she insisted on staying here with you overnight, oh dear, she's really bothering you so much, Mrs. Lin!"
The speaker was a woman with a dignified appearance, who bore a striking resemblance to Liu Xiaoyu.
"What's the big deal? Xiaoyu and I hit it off immediately. This is the first time she's staying here overnight. What's there for you to worry about, Madam?"
"Xiaoyu just got up, please come and sit in the courtyard!"
Lin Xue knew that these must be Liu Xiaoyu's parents and servants.
These words were probably meant for the servants, to prevent them from spreading any bad rumors.
"Xiaoyu, your parents have come to pick you up!"
"Look how much your parents love you. They only stayed here for one night, and they were already in a hurry to take you back!"
Lin Xue knew that Liu Xiaoyu hadn't gotten up yet, so she knocked on the door and said a few words inside.
Then they started making tea, and took out candied fruit, preserved fruit, and other pastries to serve to the people in the main room.
Only a middle-aged man and the poised woman who had just spoken were sitting in the chairs; presumably, these two were the owners.
"Please try our dried fruit and pastries, and this is Yunwu tea from the tea mountains of Donglin County. Xiaoyu needs to wash up, so please wait a moment!"
After serving the tea and snacks, Lin Xue sat down to the side and chatted with the two of them casually.
Finally, when Liu Xiaoyu finished washing up and came out, the magnanimous woman couldn't help but tear up when she turned her back to her servants, but she still managed to hold back her tears.
He spoke a few words to Liu Xiaoyu with a normal expression, thanked Lin Xue, and then left with his men.
After seeing the group off, Lin Xue returned to the main room to pack her things. She saw the spot where the woman had been sitting earlier, with two silver notes under a plate on the table.
Lin Xue took them out and saw that one note was for 200 taels and the other for 300 taels, totaling 500 taels of silver.
"It seems Liu Xiaoyu is no ordinary person; she actually gave such a generous gift as a token of her gratitude!"
Presumably, they were afraid of being found out by outsiders and dared not openly send her things, so they repaid this kindness with silver notes!
Lin Xue carefully put away the silver notes; these would be her capital for the future.
Lin Xue thought the matter was over, but unexpectedly, Liu Xiaoyu came to Lin Xue's courtyard again that afternoon with her head maid.
"Sister, I thought you might not be familiar with Linzhou City. Luckily, I've been born and raised here since I was a child. I can take you to see some of the more interesting places in Linzhou City!"
Lin Xue was surprised that the Liu family released the girl so quickly.
She couldn't help but secretly ask Liu Xiaoyu why, behind the back of the little maid.
"My mother said that if I stay indoors all the time, people will become suspicious. Only if I'm open and honest will no one suspect me!"
If people were to recall that Liu Xiaoyu was once kidnapped by a womanizer, then her life would truly be ruined.
The Liu couple loved their child dearly and naturally didn't want their daughter to go down that path of no return.
Even if they were willing to support Liu Xiaoyu for the rest of their lives, they couldn't silence the gossip.
Even the spittle of outsiders could drown Liu Xiaoyu.
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