Chapter 612: Chapter 612: Nosy Questions
The freshly brewed tea was aromatic, not particularly high-quality, but sweet and quite refreshing.
Yet, Qin Yao couldn’t help but feel that there was something different about this new pot of tea compared to the one that had just been broken.
The broken pot had a stronger aroma, while the new one was milder.
Liu Ji suddenly leaned in and complained, "Darling, don’t you think the aroma of these two pots of tea is different? Could it be that the previous one was stale tea left overnight?"
Qin Yao raised an eyebrow; it was indeed possible.
Seeing his wife’s look of agreement, Liu Ji immediately turned to sneer at the elderly woman’s busy back and cursed under his breath, "That old hag with her petty tricks. If it weren’t for the fact that we’re in the middle of nowhere with nowhere else to go, I wouldn’t even bother with her lousy tea stall!"
Glancing around, they were the only ones in the shed, so he added, "No wonder there’s no business."
"You’re being noisy." Qin Yao warned Liu Ji with a glance. It was just some spilled tea, no need to go on and on.
Liu Ji: "..." Yes, yes, I’m disturbing your delicate ears!
Yin Le had checked the rice dumplings, finding no spoiled smell, and they were all fresh, though it was slightly disgusting that the elderly woman didn’t wash her hands while kneading them.
But that’s typical in the countryside, as seen often in Liu Family Village, so being pragmatic while traveling, Qin Yao didn’t mind much. Seeing the children enjoying the food, she let it be.
One must admit, despite their strange appearance, the savory rice dumplings tasted quite good, a hundred times better than the fish sashimi they had at the Peace Inn two days ago.
"Sir, where have you come from?"
The elderly woman suddenly appeared nearby, smiling as if making casual conversation.
Timing couldn’t have been worse; Liu Ji had just been told off by his wife and was holding back anger. He immediately rolled his eyes, "It’s none of your business where I’m coming from!"
Not expecting such crude words from someone with such a genteel appearance, the old lady looked visibly stunned, appearing a bit pathetic.
Liu Ji sneered without sympathy. It was self-inflicted. He thought to himself that the sensible thing was for her to walk away and mind her own business.
However, instead of leaving, the elderly woman bent low, apologizing, saying she was reminded of her deceased grandson by the lively atmosphere, which made her curious to ask.
Liu Ji: "Oh, well, now that you’ve asked, off you go."
Seeing the old lady’s eyes redden, Da Lang gently tugged his father’s sleeve, "Father, respect the elderly and be kind to the young. Be more polite to the granny."
Liu Ji, as if hearing the biggest joke, pointed to the red-eyed old lady and educated his silly son, speaking in a low yet audible voice:
"Da Lang, if someone makes you uncomfortable, it’s their problem. We don’t need to be polite."
Da Lang was speechless. His father seemed right, yet something felt off, so he waved to the old lady, "Granny, please go about your business."
"I’m not busy, just like the company," the elderly woman, her eyes reddened, forced a cheerful smile.
Liu Ji found it increasingly uncomfortable. If not for Qin Yao’s glare, he would have shouted at the oblivious old woman, "Scram!" Stop feigning misery.
Perhaps recognizing Liu Ji’s authority in the family, the old woman turned to speak to Qin Yao and Yin Le.
"Madam, you’ve married a good husband. Your children are all beautiful. In my lifetime, I’ve never seen such lovely and smart children."
"Good husband?" Qin Yao glanced at Liu Ji. A moment ago, he was grumpy with the old lady, but now he was smug with pride from her compliment, his eyebrows nearly flying off.
Qin Yao spoke frankly, "If you’re just talking about looks, then yes, he fits the word ’good’."
This was evidently not the response the old lady wanted, so she probed, "But the children don’t resemble you at all, ma’am."
Raising an eyebrow, Qin Yao thought it was obvious. She suddenly felt that Liu Ji’s rudeness towards the old lady was justified.
Yin Le, sensing her master’s impatience, waved her hand, "Granny, please step back."
Still, she didn’t leave, her eyes fixating on the dagger at Qin Yao’s waist, reaching out as if curious to touch it.
This was too presumptuous. Qin Yao’s gaze turned icy as she glared at her.
Only then did the old woman retract her hand, awkwardly saying, "Madam, carrying a dagger suggests you practice martial arts?"
Liu Ji couldn’t bear it any longer. Before Qin Yao could respond, he slammed the table and stood up, shouting, "You ask too many questions, old woman! Get lost! Stop bothering me!"
Now, the pitiful look on the old woman’s face couldn’t hold, showing some resentment, grumbling:
"Sir, no need to get angry at this old lady. Just asking out of kindness."
"By the way, a reminder to the madam and sir, there are some kidnappers frequenting this area. With four such attractive children, you’d best be cautious!"
Whether it was just his imagination, Liu Ji found the old woman’s final words "best be cautious" were spoken through gritted teeth, sounding more like a threat than a warning.
Fortunately, the old lady finally left.
Qin Yao, who planned to rest a bit longer, lost the mood, asking everyone, "Have you finished eating? Let’s go if you have."
Yin Le and the four children nodded; they had finished eating.
Liu Ji was even more eager to leave; he found the old woman annoying.
Plus, he knew if he continued to stay here with his harsh words, the old lady might just get angry enough to poison them with a dash of arsenic.
So, it was best to leave quickly.
"Such a downer!"
Even five miles from the tea stall, Liu Ji was still seething. A perfectly good rest disrupted by a nosy old lady, the more he thought about it, the angrier he got.
"Help!"
A child’s cry for help suddenly emerged from the woods by the road.
Qin Yao immediately raised her hand, prompting Yin Le to halt the carriage.
Liu Ji looked around nervously, "Who? Who’s calling for help?"
"Save me, please help me—"
The voice grew closer, and suddenly, a young boy burst out of the forest, his clothes in disarray, covered in dirt, as if he had fallen and scrambled to his feet during a frantic escape.
Seeing people by the roadside, the boy’s eyes lit up with a fierce will to survive. He hurried towards Qin Yao and Liu Ji, shouting as he ran, "Madam, help me! Some kidnappers are trying to take me back!"
The couple was startled; the tea stall’s old woman had just mentioned kidnappers in the area, and now only five miles out, they encountered this?
But a burly man wielding a rope emerged from the forest, leaving them no time to consider further.
Qin Yao dismounted quickly, grabbing the fleeing child and pulling him behind her.
Liu Ji followed with a loud shout: "You human trafficker, scram! Come any closer, and I’ll have you arrested and your gang dismantled!"
