"What's serious?" Tuoba Yan clearly noticed that Ah Jiu was angry and quickened his pace.
"You... you killed someone yourself, and you're still investigating? Even if you investigate, don't talk nonsense. Do you know what Yun Hao does?"
Ah Jiu lowered her voice and cursed him.
"What does he do? Isn't he just a yamen runner within the yamen?"
"It seems you do know. If you're found out, you'll be locked up, and maybe even lose your head."
Ah Jiu sometimes found Tuoba Yan quite smart, yet also quite naive. But when it came to things like this, he wasn't just naive; he was mentally deficient, what the older generation would call a simpleton.
"Cut off my head? That won't be easy. Besides, I only killed bad people, not good ones. And even more importantly, does killing someone always mean getting caught?"
"You... I'm not talking to you anymore."
Ah Jiu couldn't understand this ghost's logic.
"Ah Jiu, don't be angry. I'll listen to you, okay? From now on, if you tell me to shut up, I'll shut up. Ah Jiu, slow down..."
Tuoba Yan followed Ah Jiu closely, "I have more good news I haven't told you yet."
"Your good news might not be good news. It's better not to tell me."
Ah Jiu had a headache now. If it weren't for him looking after her all this way, Ah Jiu wouldn't bother with this simpleton Tuoba Yan.
It took about four or five hours to travel from the county town to the village of Heba.
Cai Lihua was so weak from diarrhea that Meng Shaode, carrying her, kept saying, "Even though I'm not capable now, I will be in the future. All the money I earn will be yours, okay?"
"You don't know how to manage money coming in and going out. If not me, who else would you give it to?"
This remark already offended the woman. Meng Shaode was better off saying less.
"Jiu'er, Brother Meng..."
At the village entrance, from afar, Mao Junlan, holding one child and pulling another, ran towards them:
"You're finally back. Aunt has been waiting every day and has finally seen you."
"Sister Ah Jiu, Sister Ah Jiu..."
The two children cheered and swirled around Ah Jiu.
"Aunt, Tiedan..." Ah Jiu went forward to greet them.
Zhao Kun followed closely, "Did you find the master?"
Tuoba Yan glanced at Jiu'er. He had upset her today, and he needed to try and correct himself. He pulled Zhao Kun aside and whispered, "Zhao Kun, I've found subordinates number 714 and 911."
"Really, boss? 714 is from our team. Where is he?"
Zhao Kun's face lit up with hidden joy.
"He's on duty at the prefectural yamen. 911 is with the patrol team," Tuoba Yan said, then looked back at Ah Jiu.
He had said that they would part ways once they reached Nanming City. Once his subordinates were found, there would be no more contact. "Zhao Kun, don't let this matter spread, and don't let Ah Jiu know."
"Understood, boss." Zhao Kun naturally complied.
As Ah Jiu walked, she recounted the events that had occurred in Heba Village while her parents were away.
Mao Junlan nodded, "But Grandpa Niu hasn't returned yet."
Upon hearing this, Ah Jiu paused, "He should have returned by now from Nan Province County, which is a two-day round trip. Why hasn't he come back?"
"I always thought he stayed with you in the city," Mao Junlan couldn't understand it either, "Perhaps his granddaughter needs comforting, especially after being lost for so long."
"That's the most likely scenario," Ah Jiu chimed in.
"Speaking of which, this Niu Dasheng is truly a good person, willing to take in our daughter." Meng Shaode listened intently.
"Indeed, he's a good person." Cai Lihua slid off her husband's back and said with a pained expression, clutching her stomach,
"Shaode, I... I need to go again."
After Aunt Li finished speaking, they had already arrived at Niu's doorstep.
Aunt Li had gotten used to living there over the past few days. She pushed open the door and said, "I was idle and cleaned up the yard and rooms with Zhao Kun."
"The latrine, where is the latrine?"
Cai Lihua's face was beaded with sweat from the strain. Mao Junlan quickly pointed to the area fenced with bamboo planks by the cow shed:
"Sister-in-law, it's over there."
"Oh, it hurts so much. Shaode, get something!"
Cai Lihua clutched her stomach and rushed towards the latrine. Meng Shaode looked around, couldn't find a bucket, and simply grabbed a sack and chased after her:
"Go here, go here..."