Chapter 256: Putting on a Show for Others

ad to toe, a satisfied smile spreading across her face: “Isn’t this the dress I gifted you last year The pale pink really suits you. Dressed like this, you look like a little beauty.”Having been prais..."Village Chief Liu" Xiao Yuge was still woken up by them, so she rubbed her eyes and walked out from inside.

"Were you yelling" Qian Tingxuan strode to her side, not forgetting to put his cloak over her.

Xiao Yuge shook her head, seeming to have woken up a bit: “It’s fine, Village Chief Liu, is there something”

The village head told the story again. Xiao Yuge listened and, without saying a word, slung her medicine box over her shoulder and hurried to the village head's home.

"I'll come." Qian Tingxuan took the medicine box from her shoulder. Afraid she couldn't see the stone on the ground and would fall, he held her hand tightly.

Upon arriving at the village head's home, they saw an elderly woman, her hair completely white from age and illness, convulsing on the bed. She muttered incessantly.

Xiao Yu Ge took a quick look and immediately started treating the old woman. After some time, the old woman finally calmed down. However, when she opened her eyes and saw Xiao Yu Ge, she became excited again, muttering "Lan'er, little Lan'er..."

"Mother, she's not Xiaolan..." The village elder hurriedly stepped forward to comfort her.

But the old woman wouldn't listen, she kept pointing at Xiao Yuge and Xiaolan'er, and her emotions were extremely agitated. Xiao Yuge had no choice but to use silver needles to temporarily put her to sleep.

"Village Head Liu, I wonder who the 'Lan'er' mentioned by the old grandmother is" She felt that the person who tied the bell should be the one to untie it. This old woman was already frail and elderly. If her mind continued to be so troubled, she feared she wouldn't live long. She didn't know how to explain things to Village Head Liu.

The village elder sighed deeply, his face, etched with the passage of time, was full of sorrow. His deep-set eyes were shrouded in a heavy sadness. It turned out he had a son, but due to years of working in seawater, both his son and daughter-in-law passed away before they reached forty, leaving behind a young granddaughter named Lan'er. She was betrothed to Ah Niu from the village, and their wedding was just around the corner. However, a while back, Lan’er suddenly disappeared. He had people search for her for a long time but couldn't find her. To this day, he didn't know if she was alive or dead. The old woman had always loved her granddaughter Lan'er dearly. She had been keeping the truth from everyone. However, in these past few days, the old lady found out the truth and, heartbroken, fell ill.

"Actually, Lan'er isn't the first girl from our village to disappear. This month alone, five girls have gone missing. Adding last month, over ten children from our village have disappeared. They are all girls between sixteen and seventeen years old."

"What Ten or so, that's a lot!" Xiao Yuge and Qian Tingxuan looked at each other: "Didn't you report to the authorities"

“It's been reported, but in our remote mountain village, even if we report it, what use is there In the end, most of them are just swept under the rug.” Village Head Liu thought of his granddaughter and couldn't help but feel grief: "Poor old Liu family, there's only Lan'er left. I wonder if our old mother can make it through. Doctor, tell me the truth, how long...can my old mother last"

Xiao Yuge pursed her lips and lowered her eyes. Although she was sad, she had to tell the truth: "Grandma's spirit is deeply wounded, and she also has old age diseases. She can't hold on for long. You need to be mentally prepared."

"My mother!" The old village head couldn't help but shed tears. He had experienced the pain of seeing his hair turn white, losing his granddaughter, and now his beloved mother was leaving him. At his age, he aged ten years overnight, with even more white hairs appearing on his head.

"Village Chief Liu, please don't be too sad. I will do my best to prolong Granny's life. As for Lan'er girl, my cousin has some friends in this Yan state. My cousin can ask them to investigate and see if they can find any trace of Lan'er."

Upon hearing this, the village headman's eyes, previously filled with despair, lit up with renewed hope: "Thank you so much, sir!"

"You're welcome, I'm glad to be of help." Qian Tingxuan didn't speak much, but his words always seemed to bring a sense of comfort.

After returning from Elder Liu's home, Xiao Yuge couldn't fall asleep. She tossed and turned on her bed, feeling that the private salt case was somehow connected to the missing girls.

"Can't sleep"

At that moment, Qian Tingxuan's voice came. She looked up, and he was already at her bedside.

"You, you, you, what are you doing Didn't we agree, you sleep outside, I sleep inside, we don't interfere with each other, right" Xiao Yuge jumped up in fright and instinctively moved inward.

"Why are you so surprised This isn't the first time we've shared a room, and it's not the first time we've slept in the same bed. Besides, there are only the two of us in this whole house. If I wanted to do something, could you really stop me" Qian Tingxuan looked at her startled expression and couldn't help but feel both annoyed and amused. If he wanted to do something, could she possibly escape

"Just speak, if you have something to say. Why did you come in I could hear what you were saying outside." For some reason, Xiao Yu Ge just felt that his eyes looked at her strangely now, making her a little scared.

"I feel like it's going to rain, so I came in to keep you company." Qian Tingxuan also unceremoniously sat down on her bed.

“I'm not afraid of thunder.”

"I'm afraid."

As soon as Qian Tingxuan's words fell, a deafening roar echoed from outside!

Xiao Yuge subconsciously burrowed into the covers. In an instant, thunder and lightning came one after another, Xiao Yuge cried out in surprise, covering her head with the quilt, but she was held by Qian Tingxuan along with the quilt in his arms.

"He's still here, not quite acting convincingly..." he whispered in her ear.

Xiao Yu's song poked her head out from under the covers, blinked at him, then shouted to the outside: "Cousin, I'm so scared!"

"Don't be afraid, cousin, your cousin is here."

It seems both of you were just putting on a show for everyone else.

Not until the outsiders had quietly departed did they smile at each other.

"Shall we sleep some more" Qiansheng asked.

"Couldn't sleep, wanna chat I think I have an idea where those things are hidden, but I need to find time to check it out." Xiao Yuge snuggled into his arms.

"Tomorrow you come to Nancun, I happen to be letting the kids out of school, and then I'll take you for a walk. This cousin and cousin going out on a date or something, no one is likely to say anything, right"

"Mhm." Xiao Yuge raised an eyebrow, agreeing with his idea.

The next morning, Qian Tingxuan went to teach at Nanzhuang, while Xiao Yuge continued to see patients from the village as usual. However, there weren't many villagers coming for treatment today; most of them came back to report their condition after taking the medicine and feeling some relief.

As everyone else was leaving, Xiao Yuge tidied up her medicine box and decided to check on Qian Tingxuan.

At that moment, a familiar voice rang out: "Doctor!"

Xiao Yu Ge abruptly raised her eyes, a look of immense joy on her face: "Wind Sister!" She never expected Feng Yan Niang to be here, and even more so with Lin Lang by her side. With no one around, she quickly led them back into the room.e pursed her lips and lowered her eyes. Although she was sad, she had to tell the truth: "Grandma's spirit is deeply wounded, and she also has old age diseases. She can't hold on for long. You need to...