Xiao Qiao'er went missing. Zhang Liang dove into the water several times, but couldn't find her. The boatman also helped search, but couldn't find her either. They only found a broken hole under the deck.
Zhang Liang immediately realized that this was done on purpose. After sending the wet lotus home, he went directly to the Star-Picking Tower.
"Sister Tao, something's happened! Xiao Qiao'er has been taken away!" Zhang Liang said urgently and solemnly upon seeing Tao Wanniang.
"What do you mean?" Tao Wanniang's heart sank. "What do you mean by being taken away?"
Zhang Liang recounted what happened on the moat, and also mentioned the hole under the boat planks.
"The boat was smashed from below and deliberately capsized. When Master Shen and Xiao Qiao fell into the water, I immediately jumped in and first tried to rescue Master Shen, who was nearby. But Master Shen said she could swim, so I immediately went to save Xiao Qiao, but there was no sign of her underwater."
Tao Wanniang's heart clenched, but she still forced herself to remain calm and asked, "Has the boatman asked him if he is a suspect?"
“The boatman was just picked randomly on the shore. He also went into the water to find someone. Judging from his appearance, he should be fine,” Zhang Liang said after thinking for a moment.
"Were there any other boats on the river at that time?" Tao Wanniang asked again.
Zhang Liang thought for a moment, nodded, and then asked with a puzzled look, "Sister Tao, do you suspect that Xiao Qiao'er is on another ship?"
“Since you can’t find anyone underwater, and Qiao’er doesn’t just disappear into thin air, and people tend to drift downstream, it’s easy for someone to deliberately and quickly bring Qiao’er onto the boat without you noticing,” Tao Wan’s mother analyzed. She lost her appetite for cooking and, after giving some instructions to Zhao Yongsheng in the kitchen, prepared to go home.
"Mother, how about we..." Wang Hongyu listened from the side, her heart filled with panic. A little girl had disappeared... how terrible that would be!
Tao Wanniang clenched her fists. She couldn't panic. If she panicked, the family would lose its backbone!
"No need, you and Da Hu keep working, I'm going home to check," Tao Wanniang said with a stern face. "It's good news that we didn't find her in the river. We can just assume that Qiao'er was kidnapped. What kidnappers want is money, right? I have money!"
When Wang Hongyu heard Tao Wanniang say this, she didn't insist, but she was still flustered inside.
Tao Wanniang only told Lu Neng that she had something to do at home before leaving with Zhang Liang.
Back home, Chen Lian had changed her clothes, but looked anxious. When she saw Tao Wanniang and Zhang Liang return, she immediately went up to them and asked, "Where is Qiao'er? Is there any news about Qiao'er?"
"Did you receive any news while you were at home?" Tao Wanniang asked calmly.
Shen Lian shook her head. Gao Su Niang, who was taking care of the child, also learned about this and immediately suggested, "Master Tao, why don't we inform the General's Mansion and find someone together faster?"
Tao Wanniang nodded. She could be less resistant to Ling Yunzhou when it came to finding Xiao Qiao'er.
Gao Cuiniang immediately released a signal arrow into the air. Tao Wanniang glanced at it and realized that this was to contact the people in the General's Mansion!
"Let's all calm down first. This isn't anyone's fault," Tao Wanniang said calmly to the remorseful Shen Lian and Zhang Liang. "Xiao Qiao'er is only an eleven-year-old girl, so she wouldn't have any enemies. If she does have any enemies, they're mine!"
"I suspect a few people, but none of them would do anything to harm Xiao Qiao. Let's wait and see. Whether they're after money or something else, news will come eventually."
Tao Wanniang's calmness and composure also inspired Shen Lian and Zhang Liang, who temporarily regained their composure.
"Go back and rest first, Master Shen. You've been frightened too. Get some rest so you'll have the energy to face what's to come!" Tao Wanniang said. Whoever kidnapped Xiao Qiao'er, she would make them pay the price!
Instead of receiving any news from Xiao Qiao'er, Ling Yunzhou arrived at their door with his men.
"Wan Niang, what happened?" He couldn't help but ask when he saw Tao Wan Niang as he entered the room.
"Someone kidnapped Xiao Qiao'er," Tao Wanniang said directly, then called Zhang Liang over and asked him to recount what had happened.
"General, could you lend me your men to help me find Qiao'er?"
Upon hearing this, Ling Yunzhou immediately agreed. He couldn't tolerate them harming a child!
"Which section of the moat is it? I'll send people to search along the river and ask the people along the riverbank if they've seen anything strange," Ling Yunzhou said immediately.
"Zhang Liang, you go with General Ling. I'll wait for news at home," Tao Wanniang instructed.
At this moment, Zhang Liang no longer cared about the difference between officials and bandits, and immediately went with Ling Yunzhou to the section of the river where the incident occurred.
At this moment, Xiao Qiao'er was brought to the inn that Liang Laifu had booked in advance. Because she had fallen into the water and was frightened, Xiao Qiao'er had not yet woken up.
Liang Laifu asked the innkeeper's wife to change Xiao Qiao'er's wet clothes and also made her some ginger soup.
"This is my daughter. She fell into the water while playing, but luckily I was there and rescued her," Liang Laifu said to the shopkeeper's wife.
"Sir, you've been here for a few days now, but I haven't seen this young lady before!" the innkeeper's wife asked curiously, with a hint of probing.
“My wife and I have divorced, and my daughter lives with her. I can only see her from afar every day,” Liang Laifu said bitterly. “When she wakes up, I will have to send her back.”
This explanation reassured the shopkeeper's wife, and after Xiao Qiao'er woke up, Liang Laifu asked her to feed her the ginger soup instead.
"Father?" Xiao Qiao'er called out instinctively when she saw Liang Laifu.
"Qiao'er, it's me. You fell into the water. I saw you by the river and pulled you out," Liang Laifu said patiently. "Don't worry, once you're feeling better, I'll take you back to your mother's."
Xiao Qiao frowned. After falling into the water, she had swallowed several mouthfuls and felt dizzy. For a moment, she couldn't tell whether what Liang Laifu said was true or false.
Seeing this, the shopkeeper's wife stuffed the ginger soup into Liang Laifu's hand.
"The child has caught a cold, so you, as the father, should feed him yourself!" The shopkeeper's wife believed everything Liang Laifu said and imagined a scene of deep father-daughter affection. She took the initiative to give up her seat and even closed the door for the two of them when she left.
Xiao Qiao'er was clearly reserved in front of Liang Laifu. When she saw Liang Laifu sit on the edge of the bed, she subconsciously moved further away.
"Qiao'er, have we, father and daughter, become so estranged? If you don't want your father to come near you, then drink this ginger soup yourself. You caught a chill after falling into the water; you can't be willful." As Liang Laifu spoke, he handed her the ginger soup.
Xiao Qiao'er thought it made sense, so she took the ginger soup herself, endured the spiciness, and drank it all.
"Here, have a glass of water to dilute the ginger soup flavor." Liang Laifu brought over another glass of water.
"Father, will you take me back in a little while?" Xiao Qiao asked timidly after drinking the water Liang Laifu handed her. "Mother will be worried if she finds out I fell into the water."
"Yes, I'll take you back," Liang Laifu said calmly, looking at Xiao Qiao'er's heavy eyelids. She had just drunk the water laced with medicine and was about to fall asleep. "As long as your mother is willing to pay the price."
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