dtnovels Chapter 49 The Officials Suddenly Arrive at the Door
Chapter 49 The Officials Suddenly Arrive at the Door
Anping County, Weijia
Ma Yiyi sat by the window, looking up at the sky. It was already past noon, so why hadn't Young Master Wei returned yet?
As Ma Yiyi thought of Xia Mo's appearance and the original fate of Xia Mo and Wei San Gongzi, her heart sank little by little.
No, she can't wait!
She knew that certain functions provided by the system would only be most effective when used at the most appropriate time.
But right now...
Ma Yiyi reached out with trembling hands and touched the light screen in front of her.
As long as she presses the "Execute" button on the screen, she can bring an unexpected disaster upon the Xia family!
* * * * * * *
Anjia Village, deep in the mountains and forests—
In the late summer, I leisurely searched for wild ginseng or lingzhi mushrooms and stored them in my soul space.
In late summer, we passed through the territory inhabited by wolves.
The wolves didn't chase after Xia Mo; instead, they helped him find ginseng.
...Those young ginseng roots were dug up by wolves and carried to Xia Mo.
If Gao Lizheng and his men saw the wolves' behavior, their eyes would probably pop out of their sockets. They firmly believed that wolves could never obey humans!
The alpha wolf carried a ginseng root that was less than a hundred years old to Xia Mo.
Summer's End: "..."
It would be a waste to eat ginseng that is less than a hundred years old directly.
"Replant it," Xia Mo casually found a hole dug by the wolf pack and buried the ginseng back in the ground.
“The ginseng won’t do,” Xia Mo knew that the wolf wouldn’t understand if she said too much, so she pointed to the ginseng and gave the simplest explanation.
The alpha wolf nodded in a human-like manner, indicating that it understood.
Xia Mo was having a great time searching for treasure in the mountains and forests. However, Wei Zhishu couldn't find Xia Mo again in Anjia Village and was unwilling to leave.
He simply let Xia's father and the others take him for a stroll around the village. He didn't believe that Xia Mo could really stay hidden in the house forever!
Just after noon, people from the yamen (government office) arrived.
Officer Chen, armed with a knife, arrived at the Xia family's residence with four constables carrying sticks.
Xia's father and elder brother were strolling leisurely through the village with Wei Zhishu.
When Xia's mother, Xia's second brother, and Xia's third brother saw the constable and the yamen runners, their faces turned pale with nervousness.
"Please come in, gentlemen," said Xia Erge, his limbs were ice-cold from nervousness and fear, but as the eldest man in the family, he had to step forward.
Officer Chen had a stern face, exuding a chilling aura.
"Where are Xia Kaoshan and Xia Shenggen?!" Head Constable Chen's voice boomed as he demanded of Xia Erge.
When Xia Erge heard the names of Xia's father and Xia Dage, his heart skipped a beat, and he felt as if lightning had struck his ear, causing him to shrink back in fright.
“We have distinguished guests at home today. Father and eldest brother are entertaining them while they stroll around the village. I’ll have my third brother go and call them back now,” Xia Erge heard the thunderous pounding of his heart.
Xia Erge's mind was filled with questions: Why did the officials specifically mention his father and eldest brother?!
"Could it be that he fled to avoid punishment?!" said Officer A deliberately to Constable Chen.
Constable Chen's eyes sharpened, glaring at Xia's mother like knives, and he demanded, "Speak, where are Xia Kaoshan and Xia Shenggen?!"
Xia's mother was so frightened that she shrank back.
“No, no, no… We really are entertaining distinguished guests. If you don’t believe me… ask the villagers who are watching. They know too,” Xia’s mother’s voice trembled.
No matter the time, the people were always afraid of the officials, especially when the officials looked like they were arresting people, which made Xia's mother and the others even more terrified.
"Yes...they have distinguished guests today..."
Liu, who was being watched by Constable Chen, hurriedly returned, her hands and feet also turning cold with cold sweat on her palms.
The villagers gathered outside the Xia family compound were also feeling uneasy.
Could it be... that the Xia family committed some kind of crime?!
"Go, bring him here!" Chief Constable Chen ordered, pointing at the youngest member, Xia Sange.
Xia Shengqiu gritted his teeth, suppressing his fear, and asked in a trembling voice, "Officer, can you tell us what happened to our family?"
Officer Chen and the others all had cold faces.
The constable A said rudely, "If I tell you to go and call someone, then go and call someone. Why are you talking so much nonsense?"
The constable deliberately said to Constable Chen, "They want to find out the details so that Xia Kaoshan and Xia Shenggen can escape!"
When Constable Chen heard the yamen runner B's instigation, his face turned so black it seemed like ink could drip from it. He looked as if he would draw his sword and chop Xia San Ge up if Xia San Ge didn't comply.
"Go and call him now," Xia's mother said, pushing Xia's third brother out the door.
Xia's mother thought that their family hadn't done anything wrong. No matter how scary the officials were, they were just asking a few questions. What could they possibly do to an owl?
Xia Sange nodded.
"You two, keep up!"
Head Constable Chen seemed genuinely afraid that Xia Sange would tip him off and let him escape, so he sent two constables, Bing and Ding, ostensibly to search for someone, but more accurately to arrest him.
The villagers gathered outside the Xia family compound dared not whisper in front of Constable Chen and his men, but they couldn't help exchanging knowing glances, asking each other if they knew what had happened to the Xia family this time.
Xia's father and elder brother were introducing the fields near the village to Wei Zhishu and Huangfu Qian.
The main point is, there's not much else to introduce. You can't exactly lead people into the mountains, can you?
Behind Xia Sange, there was a constable on each side. He arrived with two constables in that manner, which startled Xia's father and eldest brother.
Xia's father and eldest brother thought that Xia's third brother had gotten into trouble with the authorities and been arrested, and their hearts tightened.
When the two constables saw the distinguished-looking Wei Zhishu and Huangfu Qian, their fierce expressions immediately disappeared, and they became somewhat more friendly.
Xia's father bowed to Wei Zhishu and said, "I have other matters to attend to, so I will take my leave first."
After Xia's father finished speaking, he and Xia's eldest brother went out to greet him and asked Xia's third brother.
Xia's father asked anxiously, "What happened?"
After exchanging glances, Officer C stepped forward and asked, "Are you Xia Kaoshan? Are you Xia Shenggen?"
Xia's father and elder brother were taken aback.
Are the two constables looking for them?
“Yes, I am Xia Kaoshan, and this is my eldest son, Xia Shenggen,” Xia’s father swallowed nervously, his body stiffening.
“Come with us,” said Officer Bing, beckoning.
The two constables glanced at Wei Zhishu and Huangfu Qian again and decided to continue to maintain a friendly attitude.
"Yes, I'll let the distinguished guest know first, and I'll be right there," Xia's father said. His head was spinning, and his heart was pounding. He felt like he was hanging over a cliff, neither head nor feet touching the ground, and he didn't know how deep the bottom of the cliff was. He was filled with fear and unease.
The two constables were worried that the person Xia's father was entertaining was someone of extraordinary status, so they did not stop him. However, their eyes were fixed on Xia's father and Xia Shenggen, and they gripped their sticks tightly.
"We don't know what happened at home, so we must go home first. We apologize for not being able to entertain our two distinguished guests well," Xia's father bowed to Wei Zhishu, and couldn't help but steal a glance at Huangfu Qian.
Wei Zhishu's eyes flickered. With something happening at home, Xia Mo couldn't possibly not come out, could she? He said, "Perfect, we're going the same way."