"Miss, this is a note from a little girl." Qiu Ling hurried in, holding a yellowed piece of paper in one hand and a thin girl of four or five years old in the other.
Xu Wen gestured to Qiu Ling to open the note, and then Qiu Ling read out the words on it: "Back mountain at 1:05 pm." After reading it, she unfolded the note in front of Xu Wen.
Mother Cui stepped forward and pulled the girl over to ask, "Who gave you the note?"
The little girl's confused expression when she came in faded away, but when Mother Cui asked her a question, she burst into tears. Mother Cui pulled her into the yard to question her.
Lin Jiaoniang took the paper and read it over and over again, then raised her head and asked, "Awen, are we going to the back mountain now?"
Xu Wen looked towards the yard, her eyes drifting away. After a moment, she said, "Wait."
The little girl in the yard finally stopped crying after being tempted by the sweet osmanthus candy. Her thin voice spoke incoherently, "Wrap it in a head cloth. I'll give it to you in copper coins."
Mother Cui asked several times and got the same answer. In desperation, Mother Cui replied to Xu Wen: "Madam, the little girl seems to be still ignorant. What do you think she meant?"
Xu Wen, with her eyes on her jaw, explained, "A woman with a cloth wrapped on her head gave the little girl copper coins and asked her to bring a letter to us." Mother Cui saw the little girl she was holding nodded repeatedly and understood what the little girl meant.
Xu Wen was in a panic. The worst had happened. It was all because of her momentary weakness that Chun Yi Niang had the opportunity to harm others. Xu Wen asked the little girl, "Did the woman who gave you the letter say anything?"
The little girl shook her head and said, "Point you to me."
Now Xu Wen was sure that the person who was afraid to see anyone was Aunt Chun. There were arrest warrants everywhere, so she thought of a way to hide.
The village head quickly brought Old Zhou and Zhao Si, and said with an uneasy look on his face, "Master, Zhao Si's wife said she went into the mountains today, and she hasn't come back yet."
Xu Wen winked at Mother Cui, who stepped forward and asked, "Who is Zhao Si? Tell me about your wife first."
The unruly young man kneeling on the ground bowed and replied, "I am Zhao Si. I picked up my wife from the town. She is mute. She won't hurt anyone. She doesn't even dare to kill a chicken."
The village head glared at Zhao Si and reminded him, "Stop talking nonsense and explain everything about your wife clearly."
Zhao Si stroked his chin with one hand and said, "My wife must have been an embroiderer. The flowers she embroidered wouldn't fetch any money if they were sent to the shops in town. As for her appearance, there's a big scar on her face, like a burn." Then he added, "Oh, my wife can read."
As soon as he finished speaking, the guards and the servants came to report: "Madam, everyone in the mansion has arrived. Please give the orders."
Qiu Ling helped Xu Wen stand up. Xu Wen said solemnly, "Leave two servants and two maids in the yard. The rest of you should go to the back mountain."
After saying that, Xu Wen was about to lead the way. Lin Jiaoniang called out to her, and Xu Wen turned around and ordered, "Two maids, keep a good eye on Madam Yu. No matter what happens, don't leave her side." Then, regardless of Lin Jiaoniang's shouting, he went out, mounted his horse, and hurried towards the back mountain.
Xu Wen rode ahead, followed by several of the leader's guards, and the rest of the group hurried behind. As the horses sped forward, Xu Wen silently prayed, "Please don't let anything happen." "Shu Ge'er, wait for your mother!"
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