Yu Shu and Yu Xiaoxiu were led to Ji Hyotani. Yu Shu took the initiative to tell him what had happened. Last night, she and Yu Xiaoxiu were having dinner on Changmenpu Street. They happened to see a suspicious person taking away the young master of the Liu family. They felt something was wrong and followed them. They wanted to save the young master, but they were knocked unconscious and taken away by the thief.
Later, when they woke up, they were put on the altar. Yu Shu thought that the evil Taoist wanted to kill Xue Wenzhe, so she interrupted him so that he couldn't succeed. Coincidentally, a decent Taoist passed by. After subduing the group of thieves, he left. She saw that Xue Wenzhe and others were still in a coma and couldn't be woken up. It was raining at night, so she and Yu Xiaoxiu went out to find a way to ask for help. They got lost in the forest and finally returned to the city.
Speaking of this, Yu Shu swallowed her saliva and said hurriedly, "Third Master, Mr. Xue is still in the suburbs. Please inform the Liu family and send someone to pick him up."
She just changed a few words, and the siblings became Xue Wenzhe's rescuers instead of two cowards who didn't save him and ran away. Yu Shu didn't feel guilty, but Yu Xiaoxiu secretly blushed because of her cheekiness. He lowered his head and listened to her nonsense.
Ji Hyotani's sharp eyes glanced at them. He was a shrewd businessman with a meticulous mind. How could he not notice many doubtful points in Yu Shu's words?
Yu Xiaoxiu lowered his head. Yu Shu only pretended to be anxious. She knew that Ji Hyotani would be suspicious, but she didn't worry. After all, it was the matter of the Liu family. The young master of the Liu family had nothing to do with the Ji family in terms of interests. Instead, he followed her lie, which could benefit the Ji family. As long as Ji Hyotani was not stupid, he would follow her words.
Sure enough, Ji Hyotani just looked at them a few times and then waved his hand to call a servant, "Inform the Liu family quickly. Tell them the whereabouts of Mr. Xue have been found."
After the servant left, Ji Hyotani then asked Yu Shu, "The Taoist priest who saved you, did he leave his name?"
Yu Shu pretended to think for a while and said uncertainly, "He said he came from Mount Longhu."
Ji Hyotani's expression changed. He leaned forward with a hint of eagerness, "Mount Longhu? Which sect did he belong to? "
Mount Longhu was a paradise. Most of the sects belonged to the Taoist sects. They usually didn't care about the secular world. It was rare for someone to enter the secular world. This was a big deal. If they could find this person and introduce him to the Ji family, even if he was a guest for a few days, they would benefit a lot.
Yu Shu originally didn't want to talk about Jing Chen. Seeing his eagerness, she made up her mind to mislead him. She said confusedly, "It was too chaotic at that time. I didn't hear it clearly. I only heard that he came from Mount Longhu."
She thought to herself, 'Tsk, how much saliva did I waste to hook up with him? Why would I introduce him to you for no reason?'
Ji Hyotani didn't give up. He asked again, "Did you see what he looked like and what he was wearing?"
"He was wearing a blue robe. He seemed to be a middle-aged man with a beard. It was too dark at night, so I couldn't see anything else." Yu Shu lied. She was deliberately misleading him. Hero Jing Chen was too conspicuous. She was afraid that if she mentioned a white robe, the Ji family would be able to find him in Yiyang City.
The Liu family wanted to send people to the suburbs to look for him. If they caught the thieves, they would interrogate them. They would definitely find out something. She said this to confuse them. Yu Shu had her own plans. Ji Hyotani also had his own plans. He sat up straight and reminded Yu Shu, "Regarding this Taoist priest, don't say anything when the Liu family asks about him."
Ji Hyotani thought that he would send someone to look for the Taoist priest who came down from Mount Longhu. He had to invite him to his home as a guest. He couldn't let others get ahead of him.
"Yes."
Ji Hyotani was in a good mood, so his attitude towards Yu Shu and her brother was gentle. "You two must have been hungry all night. There are snacks on the table. Eat first. When we find Master Xue, I will ask the kitchen to make a good meal for you."
Yu Shu and Yu Xiaoxiu thanked him together. They were also given a seat by Ji Hyotani. After waiting for a meal, the Liu family came impatiently.
***
The young master of the Xue family was found. He was in the wild forest outside the city. It was all thanks to Yu Shu's guidance.
Before this, they met four children who escaped from a run-down courtyard in the forest. They saved them one by one.
When Xue Wenzhe was found, he was lying on the bank of a small stream, half dead and half alive. He was wearing clothes that did not fit him, and it was unknown who had taken them from him. It was as if he had been fished out of the muddy water. Fortunately, he was still breathing, and he was alive.
The Liu family came out in a hurry, so they didn't bring many people with them. When they saw Xue Wenzhe in this state, they hurriedly took him home for treatment. They left a master to continue the search with the soldiers. Ji Hyotani personally went out and sat in the same car with Yu Shu. He asked her to lead the way into the forest to find the group of "human traffickers".
They only found the run-down courtyard after noon. Yu Shu gathered her courage and followed the constable inside. What she found was not only a group of wild Taoist priests who had their acupoints sealed and were lying in the rain for a whole night, but also the corpses of three children. The sight was chilling. The master of the Liu family, who was also Xue Wenzhe's second uncle, turned pale on the spot. He was terrified.
Ji Hyotani knew how to behave. He took the opportunity to comfort him. "Brother Jingtai, are you alright?"
Liu Jingtai sighed. "Xiaogu, thank you so much for your concern. Otherwise, how could I explain to my brother-in-law's family … Sigh."
On the way, the Liu family had already listened to Ji Hyotani's account of what happened. It was similar to what Yu Shu said.
"It's good that he is safe."
Liu Jingtai shook his head repeatedly. "You don't know this, but I was careless this time. Aunt had long since foreseen that Wenzhe would encounter a calamity. Just recently, she had prepared a great deal of good fortune in advance. She had even made three protective talismans for him to wear. Even when he went out to celebrate his birthday yesterday, I deliberately followed him and told him to wait outside for me to pick him up.
"'Fortune is hard to seek, disaster is hard to avoid.' We are all learning from the Yi family's descendants. Since young, we have been taught this saying. Now that the matter is over, no one will blame you. There is no need for you to worry about yourself. "
Ji Xiaogu consoled Liu Jingtai with a few words, and Liu Jingtai's complexion finally improved a little. He said: "Oh right, I still have to thank those two juniors of yours. If not for their quick wits, Wenzhe might not have been able to escape."
Ji Hyotani smiled casually. He wanted to call Yu Shu over to talk to him. Looking around, he did not see Yu Shu. He frowned and said, "You are too polite. Perhaps they are safe because of Wenzhe's good fortune."
Liu Jingtai smiled bitterly. He will not take his words seriously. In his heart, he owes the Ji family a debt of gratitude.
Where is Yu Shu now?
When no one is paying attention, she sneakily rummaged through the loot collected by the bailiffs at the entrance of the run-down courtyard. She found the unassuming 'ancient sword' and carried it to the outer wall of the courtyard. She hid it under a tree and covered it with grass. She made a mark and waited to pick it up the next day.
She clearly heard what the two young Taoist priests said last night. She knew that this sword had a significant background. Although she did not know whether it was real or not, she was indeed a money-grubber. If it was real, it would not be taken away by the yamen for no reason. She did not know whose hands it would end up in. It was better for her to hide it herself. When she had the ability, she could verify its authenticity. That way, this treasure would not be buried.
"What are you doing!" As she was patting the soil, a bailiff suddenly shouted in her direction. Yu Shu quickly stood up and turned around shyly. She said, "I-I want to urinate."
The bailiff awkwardly turned and left. Yu Shu stuck out her tongue and looked at the shapeless sword on the ground. She jogged back to the carriage and gulped down two cups of tea. Only then did her racing heart calm down.
Fortunately, she was not caught. Otherwise, she would not be able to explain herself.
***
After many twists and turns, they returned to the Ji residence. Ji Hyotani went to the East Courtyard to report to the Old Matriarch. When he returned to his room, he was very happy. He asked Aunt Cui to accompany him for dinner. He told her about how Yu Shu and her brother helped save the Liu family's Young Master. After dinner, he rewarded her and promised to spend the night in her room.
Aunt Cui was in a good mood after receiving a practical favor. She asked someone to bring the siblings to see her. She showed some concern for them and praised them. She even gave them two taels of silver each to spend. However, compared to Aunt Liu, who stayed up all night to cook and wash for them, Aunt Cui's superficial efforts were disappointing.
Yu Xiaoxiu was quick-witted and responded with a smile. Yu Shu was too lazy to put on an act in front of this woman, so she responded indifferently.
The two didn't stay long before they were sent away by Aunt Cui on the grounds that they needed to rest. In fact, she saw that it was getting late, so she was preparing to tidy up the room and wait on Third Master at night.
When the siblings came back in the morning, they were still talking and laughing. When they came out of the Little West Pavilion, they were not in a good mood.
Yu Shu found it hard to like Aunt Cui. She was not like a mother and had no means. She was stupid as a concubine and was easily framed. It was no wonder that her biological daughter was locked in the ancestral hall for several days and nights without even daring to plead for mercy. In the end, she was killed without knowing anything. She really didn't know how she survived in this deep house until now.
Aunt Cui had been in the Ji family for several years, but she didn't have anyone to order around. Her only loyal servant, Aunt Liu, was sent to the kitchen to do odd jobs. She didn't know how to take care of her children and only wanted to give birth to a child for Third Master of the Ji family. She didn't think about whether she would still be able to live a happy life when the child grew up.
The Yu Shu in the past had a hundred percent similar to her biological mother. As for a good seedling like Yu Xiaoxiu, he must have taken after his father, right?
Yu Shu thought about it and asked, "Xiaoxiu, do you still remember our father?" Yu Xiaoxiu shook his head with an indifferent expression. "I was only three years old when father died. How could I remember?"
Yu Shu thought about it. Aunt Cui remarried into the Ji family six years ago. Yu Xiaoxiu lost his father when he was three years old. In other words, when father Yu died, she was already seven years old. She should have an impression of him.
"What about mother?" Yu Shu asked tentatively. She didn't know the situation of their family of three before they were sent to the Ji family. But with Aunt Liu as a servant, they must not be poor.
"Mother?" Yu Xiaoxiu shook his head in confusion. "I don't know much about mother. She never talked about it. Aunt Liu doesn't like to talk about it either. You forgot that every time we asked her, she just brushed us off."
"Then I'll go back and ask Aunt Liu."
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