Chapter 74: 074. Kids are really strange (first update)
Translator: 549690339
“Where did the child come from?” Su Liang’s knife tip was only half an inch away from the man’s eyes on the ground.
Cheng Yun whispered “Amitabha” and walked over, “Benefactor Su, let this poor monk talk to them.”
“Alright.” Su Liang nodded, “There are three more over there. You go talk to them.”
Cheng Yun really went.
Su Liang’s knife wobbled, the head bandit’s face turned pale, and he shouted,
“The child…we bought him! We don’t know whose family he’s from!” “Why would you buy a child? Are you infertile?” Su Liang asked coldly.
“Buying him and reselling him would make a profit!” The head bandit’s voice trembled.
Trafficker? Su Liang’s face turned even colder, “Who wants to buy the child?”
In this world, traffickers mostly abducted and sold girls, selling them to brothels or as maids.
Those who couldn’t have sons to carry on the family line would usually adopt a nephew from their own family. Even if they found someone else’s child to impersonate as their own, it had to be a child under one year old.
Moreover, the child had fair skin, delicate features, and finely embroidered
Datterns on his satin clothes, not lookinz like he came from an ordinarv familv. “No… We haven’t found a buyer yet…” The head bandit said.
“Really?” Su Liang’s voice hadn’t yet fallen when the sharp knife suddenly left the head bandit’s eyes. He let out a breath of relief, only to scream shrilly.
That was because Su Liang’s knife had pierced through his palm and nailed it to the ground.
Cheng Yun looked over at the sound, his face full of shock, “Benefactor Su, let’s talk peacefully!”
“I hope you can make those three give up their confessions before I fill him with bloody holes.” Su Liang snorted. What was the point of being polite to the traffickers?
Cheng Yun sighed, looking at the three men, and said earnestly, “You have done wrong, repent as soon as possible, and the little monk can beg Benefactor
Su to spare your lives.”
The three men looked at each other and then at their boss.
Su Liang pulled out the knife and stabbed through the boss’s other hand.
The three men shrank their necks, but still didn’t speak up.
Cheng Yun continued to persuade them, mentioning how the child’s parents must be very worried at this time.
The child was placed in the corner by Su Liang, and Ning Jing sat beside him, watching.
Suddenly, the child’s eyelashes trembled, and Ning Jing called out to Su Liang.
Su Liang put down the knife and went over, just as the child was waking up.
He glanced at Ning Jing and then at Su Liang, and a layer of mist rose in his dark eyes, almost crying, “Mom… I want my mom… wah wah wah…”
Su Liang said to Ning Jing, “You comfort him.”
Ning Jing shook her head, “I don’t know how.”
Su Liang squatted down, grasped the child’s small hands, and smiled, “Don’t be afraid, I’m the good guy.”
Feeling weird, he realized that those who claimed to be good guys were generally the bad guys…
The child cried even harder, “Mom…”
Su Liang picked up the child and placed him in Ning Jing’s arms, “You find a way to make him stop crying.” As soon as she finished speaking, she went back to pull the knife from the ground, ignored the head bandit, and walked towards the three men being persuaded by Cheng Yun.
“Move aside.” Su Liang said coldly, “They think they’re safe as long as their boss can take it. They’re not going to listen to you.”
“Benefactor Su, don’t commit a murderous deed!” Cheng Yun hurriedly said.
Su Liang nodded, “Alright, I won’t let them die, but I’ll make them wish they were dead. That’s cosmic retribution, not a murderous act.”
Cheng Yun wanted to say something but found himself at a loss for words.
By then, Su Liang had already chosen the weakest of the three, “I want to know what you do. Speak up or end up crippled like that man!”
“I’ll say…” Knowing that Su Liang meant business, the man confessed quickly and said the child was the grandson of the head of Li family, one of the four major business families.
Su Liang had heard from Yang Yu about the four major business families in Qian Country: Wan, Li, Ning, and Yan. They were involved in the businesses of food, ceramics, tea, and silk respectively.
Su Liang was acquainted with Ning Jing and Yang Yu but knew nothing about the Wan and Li families.
The man then told the story behind the incident.
Third Master Li was a notorious womanizer with many wives and concubines and even more children, but they were all daughters and not a single son.
Four years ago, Third Master Li caused a huge scandal when he divorced his wife for a new love. The wife he divorced was the daughter of the Wan family.
It was also rumored that Miss Wan could no longer bear Third Master Li’s philandering ways but had to endure it for the sake of face and business cooperation between the two families for a few years.
One wanted to divorce, and the other wanted to leave, so they soon severed ties. Miss Wan returned to her family, and Third Master Li married a new wife soon after.
The most interesting part of the story was that a few days after Miss Wan returned to her family, she remarried with a matchmaking ceremony! She and Third Master Li both chose the same day for their second weddings!
So many people said Miss Wan was not content either and had long been involved with someone else behind the scenes.
Eight months later, Miss Wan gave birth to a son. A little over a month later, Third Master Li’s new wife gave birth to a daughter.
The Wan family said Miss Wan had given birth prematurely.
But many people said the son was Third Master Li’s.
“In recent years, Third Master has been continually taking new concubines. They all give birth to daughters, but he never has a son. He consulted a master and was told that he was destined to have one son. So he thought the master meant that his only son in his life was actually born by his ex-wife. He wanted to get the child back, but the Wan family wouldn’t let him in the door.”
Su Liang was dumbfounded, “So that child is the one the Li family wants to take from the Wan family?”
The man nodded, “Third Master knows that if the Wan family loses the child, they’ll definitely come looking for him at Li family. So he asked us to take the child to Fourth Miss’s in-laws in Pingbei City and let her take care of him. Then figure out how to bring him back.”
Su Liang knew Pingbei City, which was the destination for her and Ning Jing.
“You…are from the Li family?” Su Liang asked coldly. They slipped up later on by calling Third Master and Fourth Miss, which outsiders wouldn’t do.
The man’s face stiffened, admitting it implicitly.
Their initial reluctance to admit it was because they were afraid the matter would become too big to handle since their most important task was to keep it a secret.
The four of them were on a secret mission, extremely cautious on the road. After obtaining the child successfully and in their moment of relaxation, they met the beautiful girl Su Liang during a heavy rain. Seeing the seemingly vulnerable Su Liang and Ning Jing, their lust and greed led them to have evil intentions, never expecting that they would stumble here after so much effort.
“Ladies, the child is a seed from the Li family! We’re just taking him back to acknowledge his ancestry! We’re not harming him! As long as you let us go, Third Master will give you as much money as you want!”
The boss on the ground gritted his teeth in anger. He was the most skilled in martial arts among them but clearly not the sharpest
The one chosen by Su Liang as seemingly the most timid was actually the most astute, knowing how to protect himself.
“Alright.” Su Liang nodded crisply, “You go back and find Third Master Li, have him pay the ransom. A month later, in Xunyang City.”
The group hadn’t expected the righteous Su Liang to suddenly turn into a kidnapper, so they asked her how much money she wanted.
“One hundred thousand taels.” Su Liang had no concept of the wealth of these big merchants, so she blurted out a number.
Seeing the expressions on the faces of the three people, it seemed to be within the acceptable range for the Li family.
“Why go to Xunyang City?” Someone asked, “Who are you?”
“Good question.” Su Liang smiled, “You don’t even recognize him? Take another look?”
All four of them looked in the direction Su Liang was pointing. Ning Jing was frowning, holding the crying child with a stiff body, mechanically patting the child’s back gently.
“He is the only legitimate son of the Ning Family, Ning Jing.” Su Liang said. “Wasn’t the seventh voung master of the Ninq familv expelled from the family?” Someone blurted out.
Su Liang nodded, “It was a temporary measure. Without Ning Jing, could the
Ning Family still be called the Ning Family? I was sent by the eldest son of the Ning Family, Ning Yao, to bring Seventh Young Master home. Afraid of any accidents on the road, we pretended to be siblings.”
“I heard that Seventh Young Master Ning was in Bei’an County for the Imperial
examination and even won the title of the best in the exam.” Someone said.
Su Liang nodded again, “It seems you all know. I finally persuaded Seventh Young Master to follow me back. I was about to escort him to Pingbei City for the examination, and then return to Xunyang City. The Li family and Ning family have a lot of business dealings, we won’t hurt the child. We just want money to see Third Master Li’s sincerity. My eldest young master Ning Yao will be waiting in Xunyang City for Third Master Li, if he doesn’t come then our Ning family can only negotiate with the Wan family.”
After talking, Su Liang threw all four of them out and told them to leave quickly.
The four of them helped each other walk into the rain.
“Is that really Ning Qi?”
“It must be! He was in Bei’an County before! Otherwise, it wouldn’t be such a coincidence!”
“That woman under Ning Yao is so powerful!”
“Otherwise, how would a bastard be in charge of the Ning family?”
“Quick, go back and report to Third Master! It’s the Ning Family from Xunyang who took Young Master Li hostage and are threatening Li Family!”
In the broken temple, Ning Jing still couldn’t calm the crying child.
Su Liang realized that she had forgotten to ask those people what the child’s name was.
Cheng Yun also tried to coax the child, and Ning Jing quickly handed the child over to him.
“Let him touch your bald head.” Su Liang suggested.
Cheng Yun bowed his head and caught the child’s little hand, placing it on his bald head.
The child touched it twice and blinked, finally stopped crying…
“Cheng Yun, you take him back to Wan Family.” Su Liang said.
Cheng Yun immediately shook his head, “This humble monk can live alone without any problem, but he is too young. It’s not OK.”
“I’ll give you money so that you won’t have to live on the streets.” Su Liang took out two banknotes, “Do you know Martial Arts?”
Cheng Yun nodded, “Yes.”
Su Liang snorted, “You were beaten in the street yesterday without even fighting back?”
“My master taught me that Martial Arts is meant to help others, not to hurt them. Yesterday’s incident, if Benefactor Su hadn’t intervened, they would have beaten me and let it go. The female benefactor would have been fine.” Cheng Yun said solemnly.
Su Liang didn’t want to argue more with Cheng Yun about yesterday’s right and wrong, “In that case, you can help this poor baby and send him back to his mother. I believe you can protect him.”
Since he was able to send Yan Shiba away, it meant his original task wasn’t urgent.
Su Liang asked Cheng Yun to hand the child over to Ning Jing while she tested his Martial Arts skills.
“I’ll do it.” Ning Jing obviously had some fear of the little crybaby, so he stood up and said that he would fight Cheng Yun, letting Su Liang hold the child.
So, Su Liang picked up the child and swayed gently, singing a nursery rhyme to him.
The child sensed Su Liang’s kindness, stopped crying and snuggled up to her
face.
“Call me Auntie.” Su Liang smiled softly.
“Auntie…” The child called her in a childish voice.
“Good boy.” Su Liang wiped the child’s tears and asked gently, “What’s your name?”
“Zhengzheng…” The child answered.
On the other side, Ning Jing and Cheng Yun were fighting, both unarmed.
Cheng Yun’s moves looked mild at first glance but were quite ingenious.
After a few dozen moves, there was still no winner.
“I didn’t expect you to be so powerful, Zhengzheng will definitely be fine with you.” Su Liang waved Zhengzheng’s little hand at Ning Jing and Cheng Yun.
Ning Jing looked at the child who had been crying heartbreakingly not long ago but was now grinning at him, raised his hand and waved twice at Zhengzheng. Feeling strange, he silently put his hand down.
“Su benefactor, what you said to those people just now…” Cheng Yun asked.
Su Liang snorted, “You don’t need to worry about that. This child may not be of Li family blood, but he’s definitely born of his mother and should be sent back to the Wan family. If the Li family discovers through a blood test or some other method that this is not his son, they may harm the child. Those people didn’t dare tell the truth at first because what Li’s planning to do is shady, and they didn’t dare to spread the word.”
Cheng Yun nodded, “What Benefactor Su said is reasonable.”
“When you see Zhengzheng’s mother, if she asks, just tell her everything that happened here today, but nothing else.” Su Liang said.
“If Third Master Li goes to the Ning family for an exchange in a month…”
Cheng Yun frowned.
Su Liang snorted, “I told you not to worry so much about it.”
Third Master Li will find Ning Yao to get the child. The Wan family will see Cheng Yun, and they will know about this incident.
Wouldn’t it be a beautiful scene if all three families come together in Xunyang City and start fighting?
Zhengzheng didn’t know what the adults were talking about, he laughed and leaned over, kissed Su Liang’s cheek, and sweetly called, “Auntie!”
Ning Jing spoke in a faint voice, “Kids are so strange..”
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