Chapter 126. Iron ore 2
Qiu Yongkang thought for a moment before he said,
“Grandpa, I don’t think so. Since Qiu Yue used Xiaoying as a shield, aunt Li and aunt Jiang’s attitude toward her has changed. I think it’s better to marry Qiu Yue out. If they don’t know about Qiu Yue’s past, they’ll treat her better,”
Old master Qiu was stunned. This was not the first time he had fled from a famine. When he was young, he fled from his hometown with his parents. His parents had married his sister to a local along the way, saying it was for her to survive.
But since then, he had never seen his sister again. Once they parted, it was forever.
He was still a little reluctant, afraid that Qiu Yue would have no family to rely on when she was bullied.
“Grandpa, I will help Qiu Yue find a good family to marry into when we get to Su Zhou. Don’t worry.”
Qiu Yongkang saw that his grandfather was hesitating, so he gave his word. Old master Qiu valued his grandson very much, and he would usually agree with his opinion. But he sighed when he thought about being separated from his granddaughter forever.
“Alright, we’ll do as you say!”
Qiu Yue saw her brother talking to her grandfather, and her grandfather looked in her direction and sighed. She felt that something was wrong, and she had a bad feeling.
Ji Shuisheng took Xiaoying away and asked her to lead him to the place where she found the stone. When the siblings returned, Ji Shuisheng was carrying a colorful pheasant. This made Xiaoying quite nervous.
Everyone thought that he had gone hunting. Qiu Yue called Xiaoying over. “Xiao Ying, where did you go?”
“I went to the toilet!”
Xiaoying remembered her brother’s warning. She could not tell anyone about the stone, but she could lie and say she was going to the toilet.
“How are you going to the toilet with your brother?”
Qiu Yue pretended not to understand and asked Xiaoying. Ji Xiao Ying frowned and looked at her.
“Didn’t you also go to the toilet with brother Yongkang? What’s wrong with me asking my brother to protect me?”
Seeing that Xiaoying was unhappy, Qiu Yue quickly said,
“There’s nothing wrong with that. I’m just concerned about you. If I weren’t injured, I would go with you.”
“No need; I’ll ask sister Su Qing to accompany me.”
Since Qiu Yue had used Ji Xiaoying to block an attack, she had distanced herself from her and could no longer feel the closeness she once felt.
Looking at Ji Xiaoying’s distant back view, Qiu Yue clenched her fists tightly, and tears flowed down from the corner of her eyes.
Why? Why did they all treat her like this?
“Everyone should have rested well. Let’s get ready for the journey.”
After Qiu Yongkang received his grandfather’s confirmation, he saw that Ji Shuisheng and Xiaoying had returned. He stood up and shouted. He wanted to take everyone from Peach Blossom Cove away so that it would be more convenient for Ji Shuisheng to stay and do things.
The villagers started to pack their things. After packing, they realized that Ji Shuisheng had disappeared along with Zhong Yong. Su Qing also followed suit.
The team had been moving forward for a day, but Ji Shuisheng and Zhong Yong had not returned. Madam Li began to worry and kept asking where Zhong Yong had gone.
Qiu Yue also noticed that Ji Shuisheng was missing, and she asked her mother,
“I didn’t know there would be thieves in the city!”
“You!”
“Mother, where did brother Shuisheng and Zhong Yong go?”
“I don’t know!”
Aunt Qiu shook her head. She was also curious about what Ji Shuisheng had gone to do.
Old master Qiu called his grandson over and asked,
“Yongkang, where did Shuisheng go?”
“We lost the money in the city, and Shuisheng returned to look for it.”
Qiu Yongkang used the excuse he had discussed with Ji Shuisheng in the forest to tell his grandfather. The villagers became nervous when they heard that they had lost their money. Without money, they would have to starve.
“Aiya, how could you be so careless? Aren’t you the one in charge of the money?”
Qiu Yongkang smiled bitterly.
“I didn’t know there would be thieves in the city!”
“You!”
Old master Qiu shook his head and sighed. Ji Shuisheng earned money and felt guilty that his grandson had lost it.
Qiu Yue still felt that something was amiss. Why didn’t big brother tell them that he had lost his money when they just came back? If they lost the money, would they still have the heart to look for it after dinner?
But if brother Shuisheng didn’t go to look for money, then what was he doing? Could it be related to the black stone that Xiaoying had brought back?
Ji Shuisheng really could not chase Zhong Yong away. This brat walked step by step as if he was stuck to his side.
However, he just came in handy and let Zhong Yong do the hard work.
The two of them stayed in the mountains for four days before leaving. Zhong Yong still couldn’t understand why his big brother had asked him to carry those large rocks. He didn’t say anything even after he asked and didn’t allow him to tell anyone, including his mother.
Even though Zhong Yong didn’t understand why his big brother was doing this? He couldn’t even say it to his mother. However, he had to obey his big brother’s words.
When Ji Shuisheng and Zhong Yong left the mountain, they met a group of people. They were dressed in commoner’s clothes, but from how they walked, the heroic spirit in their eyes, and the sinister aura unique to soldiers on their bodies, Ji Shuisheng was sure that this group of people were from the military.
“Brother, do you live here?”
The leader of the group was a man in his forties. He had a red face, thick eyebrows, and big eyes. His gaze was sharp. When he spoke to Ji Shuisheng, his attitude was very kind, and he even cupped his fists.
“Yes, I am.”
Ji Shuisheng replied calmly. Big brother had lied. Zhong Yong blinked.
“Are you familiar with this mountain?”
When that person heard that Ji Shuisheng was a person who lived on the mountain, he smiled even more affably.
“It’s familiar,”
Ji Shuisheng nodded.
“It’s like this; an evil spirit suddenly possessed my daughter. I asked a master to help take a look, and he said the evil spirit was on this mountain. I wonder if brother has seen any black or dark green stones?”
The man asked Ji Shuisheng with a smile on his face. After Ji Shuisheng heard this, he frowned and pondered, looking as if he was in deep thought.
That person was also patient. He just smiled and waited at the side without urging him. His eyes were filled with anticipation. Ji Shuisheng suddenly replied,
“I think I’ve seen it before.”
“Oh? Where is it?”
That man’s eyes instantly lit up as he asked Ji Shuisheng excitedly.
“I can take you there, but do I get paid?”
Ji Shuisheng had a profiteering look and would not do anything if he was not paid.
Seeing him like this, the man was even more at ease. He took out a silver ingot from his pocket,
“Of course. Please take this money. It’s a merit to save my daughter. I’ll thank you when I find her.
Ji Shuisheng took the silver and put it in his pocket. He said to the man,
“Keep your word, or I’ll get my brother to beat you up.”
“Haha, good. I’ll keep my word.”
Upon hearing Ji Shuisheng’s words, the man laughed out loud. His eyes were filled with contempt for him. He was unbearably vulgar and the easiest to deceive. This was just a village man from the mountains.
Let him be smug for a while. When he found it, he would take their little lives.
Ji Shuisheng saw the killing intent that flashed in the man’s eyes and sneered in his heart. He turned around and led them into the mountain.
The man waved his hand at the people behind him. The smile on his face had long disappeared, replaced by a cold expression.
Ji Shuisheng led them deep into the mountains. This place was hell for them, and they could forget about leaving.
The source of this c𝐨ntent is fre𝒆w(e)bn(o)vel