"Old Fourth, tell me, where’s my Jiaojiao?"
"You idiot, it’s only the second day since we split the family, and you’ve lost Jiaojiao. Why couldn’t you have lost yourself instead?"
Mrs. Zeng looked at Yuan Zhaodi standing there with a humble look, and started pounding him mercilessly.
"Mom, I, I..."
Yuan Zhaodi feels like he’s eating bitterness in silence now, unable to express his suffering.
Earlier, Mrs. Xiao Li took Yuan Shouhu out to find Yuan Bao, hoping Yuan Bao would catch sparrows for Yuan Shouhu, but couldn’t find him. Mrs. Xiao Li said Yuan Bao was hiding to avoid a scolding, and he believed it.
Later, when he was missing at lunch, he searched around but couldn’t find him, again was convinced by Mrs. Xiao Li, saying Yuan Bao shouldn’t be spoiled with this bad habit, and this time he must learn a lesson.
Yuan Zhaodi believed his wife’s words once more.
But now, it’s dark, and the child still hasn’t returned!
"Mom, could it be hiding in plain sight?"
Yuan Pandi suddenly spoke up, "Could Jiaojiao be hiding in our yard?"
"Right, it’s possible!"
As soon as Yuan Pandi finished speaking, Yuan Zhaodi responded immediately.
So, a group of people turned the Yuan Family upside down to search, but still didn’t find her.
"Old Fourth, give me back my Jiaojiao!"
Mrs. Zeng didn’t target Mrs. Xiao Li, the daughter-in-law, but held onto Yuan Zhaodi relentlessly.
Although in this matter, Mrs. Xiao Li, as the mother, made a big mistake and bears main responsibility, Yuan Zhaodi is her son, the head of their family, yet was controlled by a woman. In Mrs. Zeng’s eyes, this was her son’s fault.
Just as Mrs. Zeng wished she could beat Yuan Zhaodi to death, Jiang Zhengqin, the village leader from Beishan Village, came with a new message.
Not only is Yuan Bao missing, but Beishan Village’s Er Gouzi is missing too.
"Who’s Er Gouzi?"
Upon hearing Jiang Zhengqin’s words, Yuan Zhaodi’s eyes immediately reddened.
"Er Gouzi is an orphan in the village." ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ NoveI-Fire.ɴet
Jiang Zhengqin didn’t hide the facts and explained Jiang Er’s situation clearly.
Yuan Shoucheng also chimed in, recounting what he knew about Jiang Er.
Listening to Jiang Zhengqin and Yuan Shoucheng, Yuan Zhaodi suddenly recalled what happened at noon.
"I know now!"
"When I went to find Jiaojiao at noon, I saw that rotten kid running towards the village outskirts!"
"Could it be that Jiaojiao also..."
Mrs. Li didn’t finish her sentence, but everyone thought of the same possibility.
"Old Fourth, tell me, from yesterday’s family division until today, how have you treated Jiaojiao?"
Old Yuan gently tapped the table, drawing everyone’s attention back to Yuan Zhaodi.
"Just like before!"
Yuan Zhaodi’s gaze flickered slightly.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Xiao Li lowered her head even more.
"Shouhu, you come!"
Seeing the strange reactions from his fourth son and daughter-in-law, Mrs. Zeng looked at the little grandson Yuan Shouhu sitting on the kang.
Adults may lie, but children never do.
With just a few words, Mrs. Zeng asked what she wanted to know.
"You two, really good, really capable!"
Knowing the truth, Mrs. Zeng pointed her finger at Mrs. Xiao Li and Yuan Zhaodi, "Since you don’t care for Jiaojiao, why didn’t you send Jiaojiao to us, the old couple?"
"Old Fourth’s wife, I’ve always thought you were good!"
"In the past, you cared for Jiaojiao so lovingly, but it turns out you were just acting for us, the old couple?"
"Mom, I’m not, I was doing it for Jiaojiao’s own good!"
Mrs. Xiao Li hurriedly explained, "We’re spoiling her at home, but she’s going to be married off and be someone else’s daughter-in-law. No one will coddle her then!"
"I’m doing it for her own good, I gave birth to her, would I really hurt her?"