Chapter 233: Chapter 229: Dung Beetle (Request for Monthly Ticket)_1

Translator: 549690339

Upon hearing her baseless accusations, all the villagers were furious.

Someone exclaimed: “My lord, don’t listen to her nonsense! All the golden mushrooms in our village come from the Jiang family, not a single one is poisonous!”

“Indeed! We sell our mushrooms to Steward Zhou of the county town, and have never heard of any issues. Yet only her mushrooms are toxic, who knows what rubbish she’s using to deceive people with.”

“Humph! Some people truly have no conscience, she might even be selling mouldy mushrooms to the unsuspecting!”

“Exactly! Didn’t Han Miaoniang cheat Steward Zhou last year by passing inferior goods as quality ones, but he was smart enough not to fall for her tricks!”

“Han Miaoniang, you deserve to die, you commit evils and dare to slander others, how dare you?”

Seeing everyone univocally turned against her, Han from the Han family couldn’t help but yell: “You know nothing…”

Chen Jiazhen, who was in the cage, saw his wife rambling again, and hurriedly covered her mouth, whispering: “Shut up!”

Xiao Mo swept a cold glance over the crowd, ignoring them, he said to Jiang Sanlang:

“Jiang Village’s head, no matter what, your villagers selling poisonous mushrooms has harmed people’s lives, for which you cannot evade responsibility. I don’t want to involve too many people, I’m merely informing you that if anything happens to her, the whole village will pay with their lives.”

Upon hearing these words, everyone drew a sharp breath, all eyes were on Jiang Sanlang.

Xiao Mo continued: “However, in view of the fact that your daughter saved my younger brother, I offer you a chance to atone for your past deeds—if you cure her, we will let bygones be bygones.”

Having said this, he turned his gaze to the little girl standing behind Jiang Sanlang. “Yingbao, you can decide.”

Yingbao remained silent, her face grim.

It was clear what Xiao Mo meant. If she couldn’t cure the person he referred to, there would most likely be no turning back— she might be executed on the spot.

She glared at Han Miaoniang in the cage, thinking that the women of the Han family were just a bunch of dung beetles, always attracted to all sort of troubles.

Jiang Sanlang tried to hide his daughter behind him, and said to Xiao Mo, “Commander Xiao, my daughter is just a child of few years old, what does she know? How about you….”

“Silence!” Xiao Mo coldly said, “Let your daughter respond!” His commanding presence suddenly pressed down,

Seeing him like this, Yingbao couldn’t help but worry about her father’s safety, so she immediately stepped forward and said, “Alright, I’ll go!”

Xiao Mo showed a satisfied smile, “Good, there’s no time to waste, let’s go now.”

Jiang Sanlang was anxious, he grabbed his daughter and said to Xiao Mo, “No!”

Yingbao was afraid that her father would anger Xiao Mo, she pulled his sleeve and whispered, “Dad, don’t worry. I’ll be back soon.”

It was just a trip to the Prefecture City, after all, she had made this journey before. After getting to the city, she might even get to see her master and sister Wen.

Xiao Mo adjusted his sleeves and said, “Jiang Village’s Head, this matter is not up to you or me to decide. Don’t delay any further, quickly pack some things for your daughter, and we will set off immediately. If we’re late, every single life in your village will have to pay the price. I never mince my words.”

Jiang Sanlang: …..

Yingbao pulled her father towards home, whispering, “Dad, he’s not bluffing.” The Wen family from her previous life was victimized by a nobleman, and now, history was repeating itself.

Jiang Sanlang seeing the situation as it was, had no choice but to go home and pack things for his daughter. He also packed some clothes and silver taels for himself as well.

Upon learning that her daughter was to be taken away, Chunniang was distraught, “Sanlang, Baobao is still so young, how can I rest easy?”

“I will take care of her.” Jiang Sanlang, while packing their belongings, said, “You stay at home and take care of Xiaowu, don’t let him run around.”

Chunniang put her husband’s belongings back, saying, “Let me go. Baobao is already six years old. If you go too, it will be inconvenient.”

Jiang Sanlang thought about it and agreed.

But he was a bit worried, “Chunniang, how about we both go?”

“No need.” Chunniang refused outright and proceeded to pack her own stuff. “I can go alone. Since that Officer Xiao wants Baobao to treat someone, he will surely safely send us to the destination, there is no need to worry.”

You shouldn’t put all your eggs in one basket, she mustn’t let her husband take such a risk with her.

Jiang Sanlang remained silent for a long time before agreeing, “Alright.”

Chunniang packed some clothes for herself, along with some comfortable cloth shoes for long walks. She then took to packing for her daughter.

However, her daughter had already packed two oversized bundles by herself. Chunniang had no idea what was inside them.

Having sent his wife and daughter onto the carriage brought by Xiao Mo, Jiang Sanlang was filled with worry. “Baobao, be careful during the journey with your mother and make sure to return as soon as the patient is cured.”

“Hmm! I’ll be back soon!” Yingbao leaned out of the carriage window and shouted, “Dad, take care of yourself at home.”

Tears welled up in Jiang Sanlang’s eyes. He hurriedly turned around to hide his reddish eyes from the others.

The big team reached the town. Cao Can and a group of soldiers took two prisoner carts toward the County Government, while Xiao Mo, after picking up Dr. Li, headed in another direction.

Yingbao, sitting in the carriage, noticed something was amiss.

This was not the way to Prefecture City.

She leaned out the window of the carriage, desperately calling for Xiao Mo’s attention: “Hey! Where are you taking us?”

Xiao Mo glanced at her dismissively, ignoring her rudeness. He said, “We’re going to Beijing.”

“What?” Yingbao was surprised, “How far is Beijing? Will we be able to reach in time?”

The unspoken question was whether they could arrive in time to treat a person who was dying of poison.

Xiao Mo seemed to understand her meaning. He responded indifferently, “If the person is already gone when we reach, don’t blame Xiao for being unable to save him.”

Yingbao was so angry she wanted to curse. She pointed to another carriage with her small chubby hand, “Why are you stalling? You’ve even loaded two more burdens.”

She had seen it earlier. Xiao Mo had taken on Dr. Li and his grandson in one carriage, and had also taken Chen Tiantian and Chen Zhao in another carriage.

Yingbao couldn’t understand why Xiao Mo had chosen to bring along Chen Tiantian and her sister.

Chunniang was scared by her daughter’s rude remarks. She quickly pulled Yingbao back and whispered, “Baobao, what are you saying? Quickly lower the curtain.”

“How dare you disrespect the Commander!” a trusted aide rebuked Yingbao.

Xiao Mo waved to the aide to zip it and seriously replied to Yingbao, “Xiao didn’t dawdle. There’s a reason to bring them.”

Yingbao snorted and lowered the curtain.

Chunniang was terrified. She reprimanded Yingbao, tapping her forehead, “They all have swords. You can’t behave like this in the future.”

Yingbao nodded, lay down on her mother’s lap, pretending to sleep while thinking: Something is strange about Chen Tiantian, how come everywhere I go, I run into her?

And just a few days ago she was at South Slope, and in a blink of an eye she was back in Dr. Li’s pharmacy, and coincidentally joined Xiao Mo’s convoy.

If you said there’s nothing fishy about this, Yingbao wouldn’t believe it.

In the story the character from the book she read never had such a plot twist, the female protagonist never went to the capital city before the selection.

Yingbao scratched her head, trying hard to recall things from her past life, attempting to find some connection with the current situation.

But she couldn’t.

In her previous life, she met Chen Tiantian when she was nine years old. At that time, Chen Tiantian was thirteen and was exceptionally beautiful.

It was said that many young masters admired her and gave her all kinds of gifts.

But this was based on the fact that her father was still a leader in the County Government.

Presently, Chen Tiantian is an orphan girl with no one to rely on.

In the book, her chance to participate in the selection came through the help of her stepfather, and of course, the assistance of his master’s family.

And the master of Chen Tiantian’s stepfather seems to be Xiao Mo’s father, Luzhou Surveillance Commissioner Xiao Weizhong, the Empress Xiao’s biological younger brother.