Before the house was raided, the maidservant of the Prime Minister's residence absconded with t

Ayan leaned on Xiao Yi's shoulder, his snot and tears soaking Xiao Yi's collar.

Tao'er stood in the courtyard watching, a slight smile on her face.

This child hasn't laughed so heartily since his parents moved north.

Xiao Yi spent about five days recuperating before his injuries were almost completely healed.

She only allowed Ayan to see Xiao Yi because the little guy would inevitably worry if he saw Xiao Yi injured.

This little guy is thoughtful, and she didn't want to make him sad.

"Fifth Uncle, you're lying," Ayan said, sobbing. "You said you went to the North with Uncle Chen, why are you back?"

Xiao Yi took the little guy off his shoulder, lifted him up under his armpits and spun him around. Ayan stopped crying and started laughing.

"Your fifth uncle missed you, so he came back!"

Xiao Yi's voice was tinged with laughter.

"Fifth Uncle, you're just lying to kids. You probably miss Sister Tao'er, don't you?"

Ayan blinked his bright, beautiful phoenix eyes and looked mischievously at Tao'er standing not far away.

Tao'er was taken aback: What is this brat saying!

Is this still a five-year-old child?

How come you know everything?

Xiao Yi was visibly stunned for a moment, then secretly glanced at Tao'er before coughing twice, "I want them all, I want them all..."

Ah Yan covered his mouth and chuckled, then shouted loudly, "Fifth Uncle, why are your ears red?"

"I...it's so hot, so incredibly hot!"

Then he quickly changed the subject, "Ayan, your parents will be back soon, and you'll be reunited with them soon."

Sure enough, Ayan's attention was quickly diverted upon hearing this, "Really?"

Fifth Uncle!

My parents are going back to Beijing?

When was that?

Ayan's face was full of smiles.

Xiao Yi put Ayan down, patted his head, and nodded. "It's true. When has Fifth Uncle ever lied to you!"

Huanhuan ran over from somewhere, grabbed Ayan's hand, and looked up to ask, "Brother Yan, if your parents go back to the capital, will you go back too?"

Ayan looked at Huanhuan, and after a long while, nodded. "Yes, it's true!"

"Aren't you going to stay with me?"

Huanhuan lowered her head and fiddled with her fingers, her voice low.

"Huanhuan, if I go back to Beijing, your grandfather, who is my teacher, will go with me."

So you don't need to worry, I won't leave you.

"I will not only take you all back to the capital, but also Sister Tao'er and the others."

Ayan said earnestly.

"Yay!"

I don't need to leave Brother Yan anymore.

Huanhuan clapped her hands and smiled brightly.

Tao'er didn't interrupt the two children's conversation, nor did Xiao Yi. The two looked at each other and smiled.

Ayan is right, they are also going back to the capital, just not now.

To celebrate Ayan's reunion with his family.

The table was laden with lunch.

When Liu Daniu's wife brought out the last dish of braised pork, Mr. Xu raised his wine glass and solemnly gestured to Xiao Yi.

"Young Master Xiao, I have been looking for an opportunity to thank you."

Huanhuan told me that you were the one who saved her on the street back then.

Mr. Xu's white beard trembled slightly.

Xiao Yi paused for a moment, holding his wine glass, then smiled and said, "You flatter me, sir. It was nothing."

"That year, the whole capital was abuzz with the news that the young master of General Xiao's mansion, a sixteen-year-old hero, had personally beheaded the prince of the Northern Di."

Old Xu took a sip of wine, his gaze intense. "Later I heard about you..."

"But I don't understand, since you're alive, why don't you return to the capital?"

"Old Xu..."

Xiao Yi interrupted, his smile fading slightly, "This matter is complicated and it's not convenient to say more right now."

Mr. Xu looked into Xiao Yi's eyes, nodded, and didn't ask any more questions.

The two clinked glasses and drank their wine in one gulp.

Tao'er sat next to Ayan, serving the little guy food, but her eyes kept glancing at Xiao Yi out of the corner of her eye.

She noticed his Adam's apple bob as he tilted his head back to drink, and she noticed his thumb unconsciously rubbing the rim of the glass as he put it down.

This person carries a mountain in their heart, yet insists on appearing nonchalant and indifferent.

After the meal, Old Xu called Xiao Yi to his study.

Tao'er thought to herself that this Mr. Xu was probably no ordinary person.

However, these things had nothing to do with her; she didn't care and wouldn't deliberately inquire about them.

About half an hour later, the study door opened.

Tao'er looked up and saw Xiao Yi walk out with his shoulders relaxed and the melancholy in his eyes dissipated.

He noticed Tao'er looking over, and even raised his chin at her with a slight smile on his lips.

Tao wondered to herself, what exactly did Mr. Xu say to him that made him so relaxed?

But she didn't ask.

Xiao Yi then settled down at Tao'er's house.

During the day, he taught Ayan martial arts, and in the evening he helped Liu Daniu chop firewood. Occasionally, he would play chess with Mr. Xu in the courtyard.

A few days passed peacefully, and Tao'er almost thought that things would continue like this.

Until that morning.

Just as dawn was breaking, Tao'er was awakened by a piercing gong sound.

She got out of bed, put on her clothes, and pushed open the courtyard gate. She saw Liu Jiaojiao standing at the crossroads with her hands on her hips, followed by seven or eight burly men and three or four village women pointing and whispering among themselves.

Village head Grandpa Chen was half-pulled and half-invited over by two old women, still holding a pipe in his hand, his brows furrowed.

"Everyone, come and take a look!"

Liu Jiaojiao shouted at the top of her lungs, and the gong mallet banged twice more.

"Our Xinghua Village has produced a shameless person!"

Liu Tao'er, an unmarried young woman, was keeping a man in her house!

"You'll ruin our village's reputation. How will the young girls in the village get married in the future?"

More and more villagers gathered around. Tao'er stood at the gate of the courtyard and saw that the faces of several of her neighboring elderly women had turned pale.

Liu Jiaojiao spoke with great enthusiasm: "I saw it with my own eyes!"

That man has been staying at her house for several days. A man and a woman alone together, who knows what kind of shady things they do at night!

She's completely disgraced our Xinghua Village! In my opinion, she should be arrested and drowned in a pig cage!

Village head Grandpa Chen tapped his pipe on the sole of his shoe and said in a deep voice, "Jiaojiao, what nonsense are you spouting?"

Everyone in the village knows what kind of person Tao'er is.

She's not that kind of person.

You're already married, why are you running back to your parents' village to cause trouble?

Go back right now, and I'll pretend I didn't hear anything.

Upon hearing this, Liu Jiaojiao's face turned bright red: "Village head, you can't be biased!"

I'm telling the truth. If you don't believe me, bring your own people in and search!

There's definitely a man hiding in her house!

Tao'er leaned against the door frame, watching Liu Jiaojiao's wild and unruly appearance in the morning light.

She had lost a lot of weight, her cheekbones were prominent, and there were still bruises on her wrists.

Tao sighed inwardly. The life this person lived in the Zhang family must have been worse than that of pigs and dogs.

Several burly men started making a fuss behind Liu Jiaojiao. One of them, shirtless and revealing half of a blue dragon tattoo, shouted in a rough voice, "If you're so capable, let us search you!"

"Find it and let's see what you have to say now!"

The villagers who were watching looked at each other in disbelief. Some muttered in disbelief, while others peered suspiciously into Tao'er's yard.