Chapter 213: Little Munchkins’ Whereabouts
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Shadow Six rushed to the Yan Manor as quickly as possible. He grabbed a pageboy guarding the door and said, “Where’s Yan Ruyu?”
The pageboy was stunned by him. “Who are you? Why are you looking for my young miss?”
Among Yan Jiuchao’s subordinates, only Shadow Thirteen had been to the Yan Manor. The pageboy did not know Shadow Six.
Shadow Six clenched his fists. “If you continue to talk nonsense, I’ll kill you! Hurry up and tell me where Yan Ruyu went!”
The pageboy had never seen such a fierce person before. He trembled and said, “My young miss went out before dawn and hasn’t returned yet.”!!
It was already late in the morning, but Yan Ruyu still hadn’t returned? It couldn’t be that she had gone to the Young Master Manor. If she used the Young Master’s name to take the children away, Young Master would definitely be furious if he found out. She wouldn’t be unable to understand such simple logic. Then where did this detestable woman go? What did she do to their little masters!
On a pleasure boat docked by the lake, Yan Ruyu was sitting in a room dressed in plain clothes. Outside the room was the flowing lake. The spring sun was bright, and the wind was warm. It was a comfortable place.
Yan Ruyu closed her eyes in enjoyment. Opposite her sat three little munchkins with drooping heads.
“You guys don’t want to eat.” Yan Ruyu looked at them gently. “Aren’t you hungry?”
The three of them said nothing.
Yan Ruyu reached out and rubbed their heads. “Or are you guys angry with me?”
The three of them were silent.
Yan Ruyu’s eyes were gentle. “I’m sorry. I was too rough last time and scared you, but I didn’t do it on purpose. I won’t do it again. I’ll treat you well.”
The three of them remained silent. She was their mother, but their mother had never liked them.
Yan Ruyu was extremely patient this time. Seeing that they did not react, not only was she not angry, but she became even more gentle. “It’s true. Believe me again. I will definitely dote on you guys. I’m your biological mother. Only I treat you sincerely. Alright, there’s no evidence of it yet. You’ll know in the future that I’ve really made up my mind to be a good mother.”
The three of them looked at her skeptically.
She smiled dotingly. “Come, eat something. I made these buns myself. You like them.”
The three little lads looked at the pig buns on the table and suddenly started to think of Wanwan. Their hearts ached.
“Miss.” Aunt Lin stood at the door and looked in.
Yan Ruyu understood and pushed a plate of pig buns in front of the three of them. She said gently, “I’ll go out for a while. Take your time to eat. I’ll come and accompany you after I’m done.”
Yan Ruyu left the room and walked to the deck not far away with Aunt Lin. A few maidservants were left in the room to take care of them.
Aunt Lin asked worriedly, “Miss, we picked him up just like that. What if Young Master finds out and blames us?”
Yan Ruyu said indifferently, “I’m the mother of his children. So what if he blames me? Is he really willing to do anything to me?”
“But…” Aunt Lin hesitated. “Didn’t Miss say that Young Master Yan might have already discovered the truth?”
Yan Ruyu curled her lips in disdain. “I’m just guessing. Besides, even if he finds out, he won’t find the evidence so quickly. What can that woman use to prove her identity? She even pawned Young Master Yan’s jade pendant. What else can make Young Master Yan recognize her?”
“I keep feeling that things aren’t that simple,” Aunt Lin said.
Yan Ruyu smiled. “Of course it won’t be simple, but it’s not as complicated as you think. Have you given it away?”
Aunt Lin nodded. “I gave it away.”
Yan Ruyu’s gaze landed on the sparkling lake. “Then we’ll wait for the fish to take the bait.”
… .
“Ah Wan, bring this along.” In Lotus Flower Village, after the Yu family had breakfast, Aunt stuffed a steaming bag into Yu Wan’s hand. Yu Wan was going to deliver goods to the Drunken Immortal Pavilion today and had also got paid for this month’s goods. She was worried that Yu Wan would be hungry on the way and steamed a few cornbread.
“Thank you, Aunt.” Yu Wan accepted the cornbread.
Yu Song curled his lips. “Can the Drunken Immortal Pavilion starve her?”
Aunt glared at her son. “What if she’s hungry on the way?”
It was no wonder that Aunt was so worried. It was really because everyone in the family, including her, was a big eater. She would get hungry quickly, so she was worried that Ah Wan would also be hungry quickly.
Yu Wan smiled. “I ate a little breakfast. I can eat cornbread on the way.”
“Isn’t that so?” Aunt happily sent Yu Wan onto the ox cart and instructed Shuanzi to take good care of Yu Wan.
The construction site was too busy for the Yu brothers to leave. Shuanzi followed Yu Wan into the Capital. The two of them first went to the carriage shop in town. They had rented a carriage many times and were familiar with the carriage shop. Yu Wan placed the ox cart in the carriage shop and rented their carriage instead. She brought Shuanzi and ten jars of sour bamboo shoots to the Drunken Immortal Pavilion.
“Aiya! My sour bamboo shoots are here! My sour bamboo shoots are here!” Master Qin finally saw the sour bamboo shoots he had dreamed of. Before the shop assistant could do anything, he moved them himself.
Yu Wan had been here a few times, and the waiters recognized her. They all greeted her politely. “Second Boss!”
Yu Wan introduced Shuanzi.
This was the first time Shuanzi came to such a high-end place, just the imposing plaque stunned him. He was simply flattered when he saw so many waiters respectfully walk up to him and greet Ah Wan!
Ah Wan was actually so great. But she had never put on airs in the village before.
“Brother Shuanzi, go upstairs and have a seat.” Yu Wan brought Shuanzi to her accountant’s room. Since it was an accountant’s room, it was a place to work and meet guests. It did not matter if they were men or not, they could enter.
Shuanzi had never seen such a luxurious room. He was so nervous that he did not dare to put his foot down.
“Brother Shuanzi, have some tea.” Yu Wan brewed a pot of tea for Shuanzi. She didn’t know much about tea and only brewed it casually. Fortunately, villagers didn’t care about this.
Shuanzi did not drink much tea, but he was stuffed by the snacks on the table. The yam cake made by the chef of the Drunken Immortal Pavilion was sweet and soft, so delicious that he almost swallowed his tongue.
“Second Boss, there’s someone downstairs looking for you,” a shop assistant said as he went upstairs.
Yu Wan’s lips curled up slightly. “Brother Shuanzi, I’ll be back soon.”
Shuanzi ate the snacks and nodded vaguely.
Yu Wan and the shop assistant went downstairs. Beside the counter stood an ordinary-looking man in his early thirties. He was tall and carried a bag.
“That’s him.” The shop assistant pointed at the man. “He said that you know him, and it was you who asked him to come.”
Yu Wan narrowed her eyes suspiciously. She did not know this man, let alone have an appointment with him.
When the man saw Yu Wan, he smiled and walked over steadily. He cupped his hands and bowed. “Miss Yu, my master wants to see you.”
“Who’s your master?” Yu Wan looked at him and asked.
The waiters around looked at the man strangely. He kept saying that Second Master was an old acquaintance of hers, but from the looks of it, that didn’t seem to be the case!
The man was not in a hurry to answer Yu Wan, nor did he show any abnormalities under everyone’s questioning gazes. He only smiled and handed the bag in his hand to Yu Wan. “Miss Yu, you will understand after you see it.”
Who knew if the bag was a trap? Yu Wan looked at him warily.
The man smiled, as if he was not surprised at all. He took the initiative to open the bag. “Miss Yu.”
Yu Wan took a closer look. There was a half-eaten pig bun and a cat, no, tiger shoes. These were… the shoes she made for the little munchkins! The small teeth marks on the pig buns also looked like the teeth marks of a two-year-old child. He gave her shoes that the little munchkins had worn and food that they had eaten… What did this person want?
A cold glint flashed across Yu Wan’s eyes.
The man took in Yu Wan’s reaction and smiled in satisfaction. “My master invites you.”
“Who’s your master?” Yu Wan asked warily.
The man smiled and said, “You’ll know when you get there.”
Yu Wan was surprised. Weren’t the little munchkins in the Xiao Manor? She hadn’t heard that the children of the Xiao Manor had gone missing, but if they hadn’t, where did this person get the little munchkins’ things?
Yu Wan asked calmly, “How do I know if your news is true? What if you just stole a shoe and forged a bun to trick me?”
The man smiled. “Then you can only take a gamble. How much does the little masters mean to you?”
Yu Wan looked at him suspiciously and said, “Your words are very strange. I’m not related to the little masters. Why would the little masters have any weight in my heart?”
The man had long expected her to say this. He replied unhurriedly, “Didn’t Miss Yu curry favor with the Young Master Manor because you saved the Little Masters’ lives? If people find out that Miss Yu didn’t help them, I wonder if you still have a chance to marry into the Young Master Manor?”
This reason was completely reasonable, but Yu Wan had a feeling that it was not what he said. However, no matter what, she had to make a trip.
Yu Wan lowered her eyes and did a calculation in her heart.
The man seemed to have seen through her thoughts. He smiled and said, “Miss Yu, don’t think of informing anyone. If you really anger my master, my master might do something to the little masters.”
Yu Wan smiled. “I won’t tell anyone. I’m just hungry. Can I bring some food along?”