A moment later, the bun shop assistant and the beggar carried a basket of meat buns in front, and Hong Xiaoduo followed behind at a leisurely pace. They wandered around and arrived at a dilapidated house on the edge of town.
There were several beggars in the courtyard. The oldest was probably in his sixties or seventies, and the youngest was only seven or eight years old.
"Uncle Zhou, she's here." The beggar who had led the way brought Hong Xiaoduo to an old man sitting in a reclining chair and said softly.
The other beggars were all staring at the basket of buns, but the old beggar, Uncle Zhou, kept his eyes on Hong Xiaoduo.
"Make room for them with the baskets first, we still have to go back to work," Hong Xiaoduo said.
Upon hearing this, Uncle Zhou waved his hand, and the beggars immediately went to find a worn-out wooden basin and a bamboo tray, and hurriedly took the buns out of the basket.
"You believed him as soon as he said that and actually bought the steamed buns? Aren't you afraid that I'll use false clues to deceive you?" Uncle Zhou asked, his gaze falling on Hong Xiaoduo's waist, where there was a soft whip on one side and a sword on the other. She looked like someone who had practiced martial arts, but she didn't seem to be a martial artist.
Hong Xiaoduo was also sizing up the old beggar in front of her. His cotton robe was patched in many places, some of the patches overlapping. His hair and beard were gray, and he was very thin, but his eyes were clear and bright.
Hong Xiaoduo also noticed that although the old beggar's hands were so thin that the skin was wrinkled and had age spots, they were very clean.
The beggars' reaction upon seeing the meat buns was one of delight and a desire to eat, but none of them took one and ate it, and their gazes toward the beggar leader were not those of fear.
This shows that they have rules, but this beggar leader is probably not as ruthless to them as the villain who controlled Tian Shu and the others.
"What's there to be afraid of? It's just a hundred steamed buns. Besides, how would I know if it's true or not if I don't come and see for myself? What if it is?" Hong Xiaoduo chuckled.
Hearing her say that, the old beggar Uncle Zhou sat up straight. With a glance, another beggar brought Hong Xiaoduo a chair. It was a very old chair. Hong Xiaoduo said thank you and sat down.
The beggar who moved the chair looked at her with surprise, then looked at the old beggar.
How could they, as beggars, hear others say thank you to them?
At this moment, all the buns in the basket were taken out, and the bun shop assistant picked up the empty basket and left. Although he was very curious about what this young lady was doing buying so many buns in this beggar's den, he was afraid of being scolded if he went back late.
"May I ask why you, young lady, are inquiring about the Nie family, mother and daughter? Are you related to them?" Uncle Zhou asked directly.
"I have no kinship or acquaintance with anyone; I was just asked to do this." Hong Xiaoduo spoke truthfully, and at the same time, from the beggar's words and attitude, she sensed that he genuinely knew something.
Upon hearing this, Uncle Zhou nodded and said, "I see." Without further ado, he told her everything he knew without hiding anything.
"What? You said you rescued them, mother and daughter? Where are they now? Can I see them?" Hong Xiaoduo breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing about the Nie family's plight, and felt fortunate for the mother and daughter as well.
If it weren't for the fact that the Shen family was kind-hearted and treated the beggars who came to their door with kindness, thus forming good karma, they wouldn't have been saved by the beggars when they encountered danger.
"They're hiding in this courtyard right now," Uncle Zhou said, then ordered someone to bring Hong Xiaoduo over.
The person was in the storeroom at the very back of the house. Pushing open the door, one was greeted by a jumble of clutter, but after the beggar who had led the way moved aside a few boards, the interior was revealed.
A bed, and a young girl is applying medicine to a woman lying on the bed.
Hearing the noise, the girl looked over and became a little nervous when she saw that Hong Xiaoduo was a stranger.
“Don’t be afraid, young lady. Your brother’s name is Nie Qing, right? I’ve come to check on you all at his request.” Hong Xiaoduo spoke first.
The beggar who had led the way didn't leave; he stood to the side, and Hong Xiaoduo didn't ask him to leave.
Upon hearing Hong Xiaoduo's words, the girl was taken aback. Before she could speak, the woman lying on the bed struggled to get up, and the girl quickly went forward to help her.
"Young lady, are you talking about my son Nie Qing? Where did you see him? Is he alright?" The woman was pale, with a cotton bandage wrapped around her forehead, which was stained with blood.
There's still a wound on my neck, and it hasn't scabbed over yet.
This is Nie Qing's mother. Worried about her son, Hong Xiaoduo didn't hide anything and told Shen Shi what she had seen that day.
"My poor son!" Madam Shen was heartbroken and covered her chest, tears streaming down her face.
"Please sit down, sister." The girl quickly moved a chair over and stood by the bedside, her eyes also filled with tears.
Unexpectedly, my brother confessed that day because someone threatened his and my mother's lives. My mother even guessed that the officials in charge of the government had their hands grabbed and their fingerprints pressed on them while my brother was being tortured and unconscious.
Ms. Shen was heartbroken, but she dared not cry out loud. The beggars had risked their lives to save her and her daughter. No matter how sad and heartbroken she was, she was still rational and dared not implicate her saviors.
"Our family has never done anything wrong, why is God treating us like this?" Madam Shen clutched her clothes and wept softly in despair.
Hong Xiaoduo, who was sitting to the side, was also in a bad mood and was also in a bit of a dilemma.
She had only promised Nie Yuan that she would come and check on her mother and younger sister to see if they were still safe and alive.
Now I see, the mother and daughter are alive, but their situation is dire. If I just leave like this, go to Dawuguan and tell Nie Qing the truth, will that be fulfilling my promise?
Encouraging the mother and daughter to report to the authorities? Even the beggar leader guessed that the official in the yamen was probably in cahoots with the person who framed Nie Qing, otherwise he would have sent the mother and daughter to the yamen to report to the authorities when he rescued them.
Moreover, the reason why the mother and daughter were stopped and buried alive by the people sent by the eldest son's family was because Nie Qing's mother, Shen Shi, said that there would be a place to seek justice when she was being driven away by the eldest son's family. That's why they had the intention to kill her!
"Don't you have any relatives you can rely on?" Hong Xiaoduo asked.
Madam Shen shook her head in despair: "I do have an older brother, but my sister-in-law is mean and fierce, and my brother is weak and incompetent. My parents have also passed away long ago, so I can't go back to my family home."
"Mother, otherwise, I'll marry that Liu family. They're wealthy and powerful; maybe they can help my brother overturn his case and clear his name?" the girl suddenly said, looking up.
Upon hearing this, Madam Shen shook her head: "Let's not even talk about that Master Liu. He's nearly sixty years old and doesn't have a good reputation. Even if you marry him and become his second wife, he has a close relationship with your uncle and the others. How could he offend your uncle and the others to help your brother overturn the case?"
Even if he's willing to help, given your brother's temperament, if he knew you jumped into the fire to save him, just imagine how heartbroken he would be.
Even if I were to die with you, I would never let you jump into that fire pit.
Hearing what the mother and daughter said made Hong Xiaoduo even more upset; she had to get involved in this matter…
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