"Master, that, that child, he is our Jun'er, he is him!" Inside the carriage, Xia Shi, who had just fainted from excitement and had just been revived by pinching her philtrum, was already sobbing uncontrollably with tears streaming down her face.
The moment she saw that child, her heart pounded like a war drum.
"Jinyu, Jinyu, calm down, calm down." Ye Ren'an pressed down on his agitated wife with one hand and gently patted her back with the other, softly advising her.
The couple hadn't slept a wink last night. The person they had sent to find them reported back that they had located the young woman and her group, so he ordered his men to keep an eye on them.
I was thinking of learning more about this group before deciding what to do, but my wife couldn't wait a moment longer and insisted on going to see them.
Helpless, he had no choice but to accompany them instead of even going to the government office.
Luckily, the other party actually brought a child out for a stroll. At first, even though he didn't know which child was the second brother the young lady was talking about, he didn't really need to know. Just one glance at the child's face made his throat tighten and his breath catch in his throat.
His appearance was beyond simple resemblance; he looked almost exactly like his third son, Xian'er. Of the three sons, the eldest and second eldest resembled a combination of both his and his wife's features, but only the third son looked most like him.
In that instant, he forgot all the words he had used to persuade his wife.
It's not uncommon for people to look alike; just that one glance almost made him jump out of the car and rush over to recognize his son.
“This can’t be rushed. We know nothing about their situation. What if we rush over and scare the child? What if they take the child and run away?” Ye Ren’an hurriedly tried to persuade his wife.
However, his words were very effective. Xia listened to them and gradually quieted down, saying in a very soft voice, "Then, sir, please find more people to keep an eye on them."
"Call the officials from the yamen, and we'll pay you extra."
"Alright, alright, don't worry, I'll arrange everything properly." Ye Huai'an breathed a sigh of relief.
Watching his wife wipe away her tears and carefully open the car window a crack to look outside, Ye Huai'an thought for a moment, then quietly called to the servant outside the car and instructed him to go to the government office and have Tan Nan bring a few people in plain clothes to keep watch.
This was truly the first time in his many years as an official that he had abused his power for personal gain, using government officials to handle private matters.
Since their child went missing, the couple has been praying to Guanyin Bodhisattva to protect their son and keep him safe, but they always think the worst.
I can't help but think the worst; it's not that I don't want my child to be okay.
However, the person who broke into the mansion, killed the wet nurse, and kidnapped the child back then was definitely not a slave trader. Slaves would only be after money and wouldn't dare to harm people, nor would they have the guts to target the child of an official of the imperial court.
Everyone guessed that it must be someone Ye Ren'an had offended while handling the case.
If someone targets a child to vent their anger or seek revenge, how can the child possibly escape unscathed while in the other party's hands?
They imagined their children starving to death, being beaten until they were crippled, being sold to opera troupes, being sold to brothels, being sold to farmers without sons, and having to work in the fields and chop firewood in the mountains at a young age...
I never imagined I would see my son again, and he looked healthy and well-dressed.
Seeing the child chatting and laughing with the two young women, it's clear that the child wasn't being abused.
Yes, after only a few glances from the carriage, Ye Ren'an and his wife were convinced that the child was their lost son, Ye Liangjun.
Ye Ren'an has served as an official for many years and has always been steady in his work. He has never been so arbitrary as he is now.
He always handled cases meticulously, and only convicted criminals after the evidence was conclusive.
However, Ye Ren'an's reaction reassured his wife, Xia.
Facing the child so close, she was no longer as excited and impulsive as before. Instead, she cautiously and greedily peered at the child through the narrow gap.
"How about we get out of the car and pretend to be strolling around?" Seeing his wife like this, Ye Ren'an felt very sorry for her and spoke after a moment of consideration.
Upon hearing this, Xia's eyes lit up at first, but she quickly shook her head and refused: "I'd better not. I'm afraid I won't be able to control my emotions and scare them away again."
"Sir, if you have official business at the government office, you can go ahead. I'll stay and watch for a while longer. I promise I won't act impulsively."
“There’s nothing particularly urgent on official business, so it’s fine if I don’t go today. After working so diligently for so many years, who can say anything if I slack off once in a while?” Ye Ren’an said with a smile.
After saying that, he moved closer to the window again and looked out through a crack on the other side.
The child had already bought the fish, and a servant-like man came over and carried it over.
Xia's gaze remained fixed on her son, while Ye Ren'an carefully examined the group of people several times.
The three men were dressed like adults, and two of them looked like江湖人士 (jianghu figures, people from the martial arts world). Judging from his years of experience as an official and his experience in solving countless cases, these three men did not look like evil people at all.
On the contrary, it also carries a chivalrous spirit.
Therefore, they cannot be the ones who broke into the house and took the child back then.
As for how the child ended up with them, he had no idea.
Before long, Hong Xiaoduo noticed that there were a few more people watching them, and their behavior was obviously much more natural than the previous ones.
Considering that person's identity, Hong Xiaoduo guessed that the later ones must be government officials working in the government office.
Goodness, he really is a prefect; he's quite cautious in his actions.
Looking up, she saw a shop next to the carriage that sold grain. Hong Xiaoduo thought for a moment and called to Tianxuan, "Didn't you say you learned how to make red bean rolls? Come on, let's see if they have any red beans and buy some."
Tianxuan is now not only learning to cook the major cuisines, but also various kinds of noodles and desserts.
Hearing her call, Tianxuan didn't think much of it and followed Hong Xiaoduo toward the shop. Hong Xiaoduo deliberately let him walk on the side next to the carriage, and when they were almost at the carriage, she smiled and said to him, "Tonight we're slaughtering a sheep for barbecue skewers, so there's no need to cook any dishes. Just make some flatbreads as the main course."
"How about making thin pancakes? Rolling up roasted meat?" Tianxuan wanted to confirm with her.
“Okay, do we have enough sesame salt? If not, we’ll need to buy some more sesame seeds,” Hong Xiaoduo said, remembering something else.
Following closely behind the two, Yao Guang said to Tian Xuan in a coquettish tone, "Second brother, second brother, I want to eat roasted chicken legs."
"Okay, let's go buy a few chickens later." Tianxuan replied, taking her little sister's hand as they entered the grain shop.
Inside the carriage, with their son just outside the window, the couple's hearts were pounding, and they dared not breathe. Xia pressed her hand to her chest. She looked at her husband, wondering why they were telling their son what they wanted to eat...
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