Chapter 71 - 71: I Think You Abducted Her

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Night fell, and a heavy snowfall began, which continued until the next morning. To replenish their stock, Qiao Mai gave the children a day off from their lessons today.

After breakfast, she let the children look after Ling’er and busied herself in the kitchen.

She did not need to steam the buns. The provisions given by Shopkeeper Lu would last quite a while.

After checking, Qiao Mai realized they needed to replenish some sunflower seeds, dried fruits, and sugar. Due to the continuous snowfall, some shops had closed early, and some vendors had stopped setting up their stalls, making it impossible to buy these items.

She took some chestnuts from her space, sliced them with a knife, and ignited the fire in the hearth.

She placed vegetable oil in the pot, added a spoonful of sugar, and poured in the chestnuts while stirring it. After about fifteen minutes, a pot of caramelized chestnuts was ready.

Just as Qiao Mai was about to start on the second batch, someone knocked on the courtyard door.

Frowning, Qiao Mai wiped her hands and opened the door. It was the mayor. After glancing behind him, she understood the situation.

“Mayor, is there something you need?”

The mayor’s expression didn’t look good. “The Yuan family’s granddaughter from Lihua Village has gone missing. They said she came to see you a few days

Qiao Mai glanced at Qiao Jiang and said, “I don’t want to talk about these people. They’ve lost all sense of shame. They severed our relationship and turned hostile, yet they kept coming to bother me. They stopped sending the adults but children instead. Can they be any more shameless?”

Qiao Jiang stayed silent. A guard held an umbrella for the mayor. Mayor Qian gave her a stern look.

“Did she come to see you or not?”

“She did come. She said she was hungry, so I gave her a big bun, and she left. So what?”

“She hasn’t returned, and they think she’s staying with you.”

“How’s that possible? Why would I keep someone from their family? That girl said if she didn’t get anything, her family wouldn’t let her return. After leaving here, she probably found a place to stay.”

Mayor Qian turned to Qiao Jiang. “Did you hear that? She came here and was given a bun, then left.”

“I don’t believe it. She must have hidden my daughter.”

“You guys are really something else. You made a young girl come out to beg for food on such a cold day. Is there nothing to eat at home? And there’s no one accompanying her. It’s possible she was abducted by human traffickers.” “I think you’re the one who abducted her.”

“If you dare to accuse me, do you believe I’ll report you to the authorities?” “Hmph, well, she came to find you.”

“Why would she come to see me? I don’t owe her anything. It’s your family’s absurdity that led her here. You should be responsible for that.”

Mayor Qian listened and rubbed his temples. “Did she really leave?”

“She left after eating the bun. If you want, send guards to ask around the town.

Someone must have seen her.”

“Fine, I’ll send the guards to inquire first.”

Qiao Jiang became anxious. “Mayor, my daughter must be at her house. Please have the guards search her place!”

The guard gave him a push in the belly. “Do you dare to obstruct the mayor’s orders? Are you willing to bear the false accusation charge? If they search and find nothing, you’ll end up in jail.”

Qiao Jiang held his stomach and glared at Qiao Mai, “You’re really heartless. I only asked a child to come here for some food, but you actually kept her from going home?”

Qiao Mai pointed to the sky and swore, “If I detained your daughter, may lightning strike me dead.”

“You!”

Qiao Mai rolled her eyes at him and immediately turned to the mayor with a smile, “The girl isn’t young anymore. The possibility of her being abducted is low. You can inquire at the shops on both sides of the main road.”

The mayor and his guards left. Qiao Jiang looked up at Qiao Mai.

“People should have a conscience, Sis.”

“Ugh, you have let dogs eat your consciences. How dare you have the nerve to talk about it with me? Get lost!”

Qiao Mai turned around and closed the courtyard gate, then returned to the kitchen to continue caramelizing chestnuts.

Just as she finished two batches, someone knocked on the door again, which annoyed her.

She opened the door in frustration, only to find that it was Yuan Jiaqi who had returned. She managed a faint smile and took the New Year’s supplies from his hands.

“Back already?”

“Yeah, close the door. I’ve bought almost everything.”

The two headed straight for the warehouse with the goods and stored them. After that, Yuan Jiaqi went to the kitchen to light the fire for her.

Smelling the sweet chestnuts, he couldn’t help but take one.

“You cook them so deliciously. The chestnuts are both chewy and sweet.”

“If they’re tasty, eat more.”

“About that Qiao girl’s matter, the guards found out that the dentist sold her to a wealthy household in the county. When her father heard that, he was happy and didn’t even ask about her condition. He only asked where the money from the sale was. The mayor got so angry that he ordered the guards to beat him up.”

“And then?”

“The dentist claimed the girl sold herself, so she has the money. Guess what Qiao Jiang did?”

“He probably inquired about the location of that household and urgently hired an ox cart, right?”

Yuan Jiaqi laughed and praised her, “You’re really clever.”

“It’s not that I’m clever. That family has no decency at all. They’re only focused on money. If that girl were clever, she’d keep the money for herself. If she weren’t, she’d give it to him.”

“Both of our families are like this. It’s hard for me to understand.

“It’s in their nature. No need to try to understand. Any person with a bit of conscience wouldn’t do something as despicable as sucking their child’s blood.”

As they spoke, the courtyard gate sounded again. Qiao Mai took a deep breath to console herself.

Seeing her troubled expression, Yuan Jiaqi immediately got up to open the door.

In front of them stood a plump girl accompanied by a maidservant. The girl was dressed in silk clothes and draped in a fur-collared cloak.

When the plump girl saw Yuan Jiaqi, her eyes lit up. “Brother Yuan, I’ve finally met you.”

‘I’m sorry, young lady. You should show some restraint. I don’t “know you.”

In the kitchen, Qiao Mai had been suppressing her anger for a while. She held a stick in her hand, gripping it tightly, struggling to control her frustration. “Brother Yuan, I’m from Tiannan Town. I’m the girl who’s supposed to marry you.”

“I have already married into the Qiao family. Please leave, Miss.”

The plump girl smiled, trying to enter the courtyard, but Qiao Mai rushed to the entrance. She reached out and pushed the girl, nearly causing her to fall.

Having lost the pretense of being a refined lady, the girl let out a cry, pointing at Qiao Mai and unleashing a torrent of curses.

“So you’re the one, huh? You stole my Brother Yuan, didn’t you?”

“You shameless wretch, how dare you come to my house and cause a scene? No wonder you’ve remained unmarried until now. You want to buy a husband with money, but your plans failed.”

“I’ll fight you! You stole my man and still dare to insult me?”

The commotion drew the attention of the neighbors. Despite the cold and heavy snow, they came out to witness the spectacle.

Qiao Mai threw aside her stick, lunging forward to grab the girl’s hair.

In a woman’s fight, there were few techniques, and victory was often determined by who managed to grab the other’s hair. The girl’s maidservant tried to intervene but was kicked aside by Qiao Mai, left lying on the ground, unable to get up.

Taking advantage of the situation, Qiao Mai yanked on the girl’s hair and confronted her.

Strands of hair fell to the ground as the plump girl cried out in pain. However, her foul mouth didn’t let up.

“Do you dare release my hair? I’ll beat you until your teeth are scattered on the ground.”

“You’re just a worthless nobody, unwanted on the street. You rely on your pathetic money, thinking you can buy my man. Who do you think you are? Let me tell you, I do not lack money. He’d rather be my live-in husband than take you. That just shows how pitiful you are.” “You’re the pitiful one!”

“Let’s see who’s the pitiful one today!”

Holding onto the girl’s hair, Qiao Mai freed one hand and slapped her several times. Smacks echoed through the air..