He Xuewen walked slowly behind, and after observing for dozens of minutes, he could tell that the Tian Family doted on their daughter dearly and had raised her well. Should he claim her back? Should he let his daughter undergo the life of displacement with him? The ecstatic joy He Xuewen felt at finding his daughter had faded slightly. He was still a man who couldn’t show his face in public, and those people were still relentlessly searching for him!
Would he put his daughter in danger too? No, He Xuewen firmly rejected this idea. He absolutely did not want to see Little Treasure exposed to even the slightest risk. He decided to let her continue living happily and carefree in this small mountain village. Besides, Mr. Tian seemed to have a military background, and during these turbulent times, Mr. Tian’s identity could better protect his daughter. With this in mind, He Xuewen painfully made a decision that was in his daughter’s best interest.
Jianguo didn’t go to the mountain to gather firewood today; he followed Tian Xinhua and the others to work in the fields. At this moment, he came running over, panting heavily. Seeing Tian Sisi lying on Tian Xinhua’s back, he was greatly startled. Tian Sisi quickly gestured with her hand to show she was okay, telling Jianguo not to worry.
Just as Jianguo was about to ask his cousin what exactly happened, he suddenly caught sight of He Xuewen following behind. His heart tightened. What is this man here for? Could it be that this abductor has been following them the whole time? Jianguo couldn’t even bother to ask Tian Sisi anymore; he dashed up to He Xuewen and demanded loudly, "What are you following us for? I knew you were no good."
He Chengsi was furious. They had done a good deed with daddy only to be talked about , truly no good deed goes unpunished. He immediately retorted loudly: "Who is following you? My daddy and I were invited by your family elders, don’t be ungracious."
"Jianguo, you must not be impolite; they are guests invited by Grandfather," reprimanded the Old Man. Although surprised at Jianguo’s uncharacteristic reaction, he still scolded and made Jianguo back down. Although this He Xuewen seemed suspicious, the old man was assured by his many years of experience that this person bore no malice.
"Grandfather, you don’t know...he..." Jianguo was anxious. These two were kidnappers, surely planning to infiltrate grandfather’s house and abduct his cousin. He heard that kidnappers targeted pretty young girls and sold them to unsavory places. The thought that his cousin could be sold made Jianguo’s eyes turn red.
"The old gentleman’s grandson may have some misunderstandings about us. A couple of days ago, we hitched a ride on Zhong Fugao’s tractor from your village and happened to chat a bit, probably causing the young brother to be overly concerned. Rest assured, old gentleman, that we are by no means bad people," He Xuewen said, somewhat vexed. He hadn’t expected this young boy to be so sensitive.
"Don’t mind it, Mr. He. My grandson is just overly worried about his cousin. Come, come, let’s go inside and talk. What brings Mr. He to Moon Spring Village this time? Your accent doesn’t sound local, does it? Sounds more like you’re from Shanghai?" the Old Man smiled and laughed it off, making small talk with He Xuewen while leading them father and son into the house. Jianguo, although reluctant, had to hold back his anger as Grandfather had spoken. He glared at He Chengsi who glared right back at Jianguo, both staring each other down.
The rest of the Tian Family had also returned from work, and hearing about the dangerous incident Tian Sisi had gone through in the afternoon, they were all shocked. Tian Bajin took a puff from his water pipe, frowned and said, "A crooked beam leads to a crooked wall; Zhong Liangcai is no good, and it seems his daughter is even worse. Remember this, everyone, stay far away from Zhong Liangcai’s family; they are all venomous snakes, who knows when they might bite you."
Tian Bajin’s last comment was aimed at the younger members of the Tian Family. Similarly, many families in Yuequan Village also warned their children. They were all honest farmers, and faced with Zhong Yuying’s ruthlessness, all they could think of was to keep her at arm’s length.
Tian Xinhua, Jianguo, and the others all obediently agreed on the surface, but in their hearts, they were determined to teach Zhong Yuying a good lesson, letting her know what happens when she messes with the Tian Family.
Since there were guests that night, Tian Bajin, Tian Mantu, Tian Manmu, and a few other men of the Tian Family stayed to entertain the guests, while the women naturally went to help in the kitchen. Granny Zhao prepared all the best dishes in the house: fish, meat, eggs, chicken—a grand twin-table feast. She separately arranged a table in another room for the women and children to eat, while one table was set in the hall, where Tian Sisi was also kept by the Old Man to eat together. It had become a custom at the Tian Family: no matter when guests arrived, Ah Nan was always allowed to join them at the table.