Chapter 5, That Child Can Shine
"Father, isn't the person we're looking for our little sister? Where is Butterfly Valley?" Xia Hu, the eldest son of Prime Minister Xia, asked, his face full of doubt.
"Brother, don't worry. I remember reading about Butterfly Valley in a travelogue."
The second brother, Xia Qingmo, patted his head as he spoke and began searching on a bookshelf in the study.
It took half an hour to find the travelogue.
"According to the description in this book, Butterfly Valley should be a desolate place on the eastern battlefield, where poisonous miasma pervades year-round!"
The three masters looked somewhat solemn, while only Xia Laosan looked overjoyed.
"If Butterfly Valley really exists, then my sister must still be alive! That's wonderful!"
"This could also be a trap..." Xia Lao Er worried.
"Regardless of the situation, since we're so close to the eastern battlefield, whether it's true or not, let's send someone to look for it!" Prime Minister Xia had also considered this, but what if it was true or not?
We must not give up as long as there is even the slightest clue.
"Father, the book says that the poisonous barrier in Butterfly Valley can cause hallucinations and make people lose their way in the forest. Our people need to prepare in advance and make pills to remove the toxins before going in. Who knows, my sister might be trapped by the poisonous barrier and unable to get out."
Seeing that her father had made up his mind, Xia Qingmo stopped trying to persuade him and only offered suggestions.
“That’s right, boss. You should arrange for someone to find a doctor who is good at antidotes to go with you and prepare the antidote before you go in.”
"This matter must be handled with utmost care. Your mother has fallen seriously ill, and our Xia family cannot afford any further disruption!"
"Yes!" Xia Hu replied seriously. Their mother was their little sister's aunt and doted on her.
Lady Xia had been in poor health since childhood. She had not conceived in the year after her marriage, so she arranged for her younger sister to become Prime Minister Xia's concubine, where she gave birth to three sons and one daughter.
Xia Yurou was born ten years after the former Madam Xia's marriage. Unfortunately, Madam Xia's health deteriorated after childbirth, and she passed away within a year. Xia Yurou was raised by her aunt from a young age.
Xia Yurou had an accident, and Madam Xia has been bedridden for over a month.
"Xiao Hu, arrange two teams. One team goes in to find the person, and the other team stays outside Butterfly Valley to provide backup."
The father and son discussed countermeasures.
"Father, I want to go too. Butterfly Valley is hard to find. I'm worried about my eldest brother going alone. The longer we delay, the more dangerous it will be for my little sister. Why don't I take another team and go with him to look for it?" Xia Qingmo, the second son, suggested.
"Alright, you're more attentive. Since you're on leave from work, you can take a few more days off."
Prime Minister Xia sighed. More than a month had passed, and the chances of his daughter surviving were slim.
The Jiang family was about to hold a funeral, and he thought that if his daughter was still alive, the news of the funeral would make her a little safer and mislead potential enemies.
Unexpectedly, the Jiang family was in such a hurry to take a new bride.
Moreover, he married a new wife under the title of a second wife. If his daughter hadn't died, how heartbroken she would be when she returned.
"This must be done secretly, without attracting attention, understand?"
“Yes, Father…” the eldest and second sons replied repeatedly.
"What about me? What should I do?" Xia Youkang, the third brother, asked expectantly.
"Go back to the Imperial Academy and study hard. The imperial examination is waiting for you next year. Don't cause me any more trouble this year!" The prime minister sneered at his youngest son.
The eldest and second eldest brothers patted their youngest brother on the shoulder, their faces full of sympathy.
This child has been smart since he was little, it's just a pity he's too mischievous.
Last year, I got into a fight for Princess Qingmei and injured my hand. I couldn't write for more than a month and missed the exam.
From family glory to family filth.
For over a year, his father, the Prime Minister, hadn't given him the slightest kindness. From his beloved little one to that stinking thing, the difference was immense.
"Alright, alright, Father, you're really something. I want to go find someone but you won't let me. What about Ruan Ruan? I want to bring her back, but why won't you let me?"
"What kind of life is Ruan Ruan living in the Jiang family? They've driven a perfectly good child crazy!" Xia Youkang pouted, his face full of dissatisfaction.
"What are you saying? Ruan Ruan is the legitimate daughter of the Jiang family. No one in the Jiang family dares to bully her."
"And what happened? Well, as soon as the stepmother came in, Ruan Ruan was so hungry that she started eating shit, and she even fainted from hunger today!"
"What!" the father and his two sons exclaimed in unison.
Xia Youkang then recounted what he had heard from his classmates that day.
That's truly as pitiful as can be.
They said that the child was so hungry he was skin and bones, but he still remembered to be filial to his father.
As a result, her father didn't care about her at all. After this incident, he not only didn't punish his stepmother, but also defended his new wife. He didn't even care when his child fainted from hunger.
"Good, good, very good indeed. This Zhang family, I'm glad I thought we were relatives, at least they won't treat Ruan Ruan too badly."
"I never expected this, they're going to shit and piss on the heads of my Xia family."
"I will be attending court tomorrow to ask him properly what the reasoning behind this is!"
Morning, at the Marquis's residence.
"My lord, the news was delivered to the third young master of the Prime Minister's residence yesterday."
"Very good. Have you found out where that flying arrow came from last night?"
The boy's cold face revealed no emotion until his gaze fell on a rooftop, at which point a slight smile appeared on his lips.
"Not yet!" Leng Dong followed his master's gaze.
Then, there lay the little madwoman Jiang Ruanruan on the roof.
The roof was covered with rose vines, and the pink roses were in full bloom. Several butterflies were fluttering around. Jiang Ruanruan had a rose in her mouth and was leisurely enjoying the warm sunshine with her legs crossed.
It feels so damn good to be alive, the sunshine is so nice, and the flowers smell so sweet.
A kitten also came over to join in the fun.
"Little Meow, let me give you a hug!"
Jiang Ruanruan reached out to hug them, then looked at the two people who had suddenly appeared in her business, as if sensing something.
His eyes widened instantly. Around the young boy, golden, snake-like rays of merit were constantly converging towards the top of his head.
But the moment it got close to his head, it vanished without a trace.
Jiang Ruanruan even wondered if she had seen it wrong.
Good heavens, that's merit! So much merit! Who is this little boy? How could so much merit light gather around him?
Without noticing for a moment, my foot slipped.
"Oh no! Help! Help!"
The boy was staring in disbelief when he reached out to take it, but the guard beside him caught it first.
Cold winter...
He felt as if his master was looking at him with disdain. It was just his imagination, it must be his imagination.
"Uh, I'm fine, hahaha..." Jiang Ruanruan laughed heartily while holding the kitten in her hand.
"Still laughing? How come you didn't fall and die... If that had hit my master on the head, you wouldn't have enough lives to pay for it!"
Leng Dong snorted coldly and shoved the person directly to the ground.
"Your master? Thank you for saving me, young man. Who are you, and why are you in my house?"
Jiang Ruanruan put down the struggling kitten in her arms and asked in confusion.
In the cold winter, who actually rescued people? Was he invisible?
"No need to thank me. My name is Li Yunzhi. I am 10 years old. I am a distant relative of Old Madam Jiang. I am staying at the Marquis's residence!" The little boy showed his eight white teeth with a warm smile. He looked clean and cute.
It was shown to Jiang Ruanruan, and it warmed her heart. She really is a sucker for good looks, and she couldn't help but smile too.
"Oh, I know, you're the new playmate Grandma was talking about, here to play with Ruanruan?" Jiang Ruanruan grinned foolishly.
[Ding-dong, the system has detected merit light nearby. Absorbing it will grant you merit power, which can be exchanged for special items.]
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