CHAPTER 210: CHAPTER 209 THE CHILDREN HAVE RETURNED

When Old Cao and his family entered the yard with hoes and sticks, Zhuangzi’s mother had already defeated Sun.

Sun sat in the corner of the yard, crying non-stop. Her clothes were torn, and her meticulously done hair had turned into a bird’s nest, hanging messily over her head, her face, her hands, all covered with wounds of varying sizes.

Zhuangzi’s mother, with a face full of pride, declared her victory, "Smelly woman, there’s no one in Dahuo Village who can match old me. Remember this, you heartless ones, sooner or later you’ll suffer retribution, together with that lazy Mu Zhenzhen."

"Zhuangzi’s mother, what’s going on here? Why did you beat up my wife?"

Seeing his wife beaten like this, Old Cao’s first instinct was to demand answers from Zhuangzi’s mother.

Zhuangzi’s mother, unyielding, put her hands on her hips, "Why are you asking me? You know full well the good deeds you’ve been up to."

Old Cao had a sinking feeling. When his granddaughter, Niu Niu, went to the field, he felt something was amiss, and now he’d sent his eldest son, Cao Damu, to check if the hidden children were still there.

As long as the children were still there, he could adamantly deny everything.

"How would I know anything, Zhuangzi’s mother? Don’t think Old Cao is afraid of you. Bullying can’t be done like this. Though our Cao family is from outside the village, we have fields in Dahuo Village now, so we’re part of Dahuo Village."

Old Cao decided that Zhuangzi’s mother was deliberately causing trouble, and his tone showed increasing contempt for her.

"Pah! People like you are not worthy. Hand over my grandson quickly, or I’ll tear down your house and strip your skin!" Zhuangzi’s mother jumped up and unleashed a tirade at Old Cao, saliva flying everywhere.

"I don’t know what you’re talking about. Our Niu Niu is missing too. Why don’t you say it was your family who did it?"

The argument between the two was going nowhere, so Mu Shuangshuang stepped forward.

"Old Sir Cao, wasn’t it your family who first mentioned seeing a child trafficker when the children went missing? And wasn’t it your family who claimed a bearded trafficker ran out of the village entrance?"

Mu Shuangshuang spoke leisurely, but her sharp gaze was fixed on Old Cao.

Old Cao was momentarily stunned, feeling a bit panicked inside. The girl before him had such a strong presence, he felt like a clown in a show, with everything under her control.

He snorted internally at himself, wondering how a young girl could have such capabilities.

"Yes, it was our Damu who saw it. He even chased them and was nearly harmed by those traffickers." Old Cao explained.

"Then why not report it to the government?" Mu Shuangshuang continued.

"Who said we didn’t? We reported it."

Old Cao was already feeling guilty, his broad sleeves starting to sweat, and his heart pounding.

"If you reported it, why didn’t the authorities come? Don’t tell me a missing child isn’t important to the government."

"This..."

Old Cao’s voice started to falter as his second son, Cao Ermu, raised his hoe, ready to strike Mu Shuangshuang.

Mu Shuangshuang sneered, "Has your brain been clouded by greed, daring to even commit murder? Aren’t you afraid of causing a disturbance with the authorities?

Or do you want the whole of Dahuo Village to know about your deeds and be driven out, losing the land you currently have?"

Cao Ermu’s hand halted instantly, struggling as he looked at his father.

The plan was his father’s idea; he just wanted a better life for their family.

As the standoff continued, a ruckus suddenly erupted in the village, followed by the sound of gongs and drums.

"The children... the children are back!"

"Come quick, the children are back!"

The village was in an uproar, and Old Cao was so shocked he nearly fainted.

Fortunately, someone beside him caught him in time. It wasn’t just him in shock; the other Cao family members were equally astonished.

How could the children return so soon after Damu just left?

Zhuangzi’s mother was beside herself with excitement. After fighting with Sun and seeing Fengzi missing, she saw Shuang standing confidently nearby and knew this girl was up to something. Who could have guessed it would bring such a big surprise...

"My grandson is back, my grandson is back..."

Joyful tears welled up in Zhuangzi’s mother’s heart as she let out a long sigh, her right hand clutching her pounding heart.

In contrast, the Cao family wore pale faces, with no joy of having their children back.

Being the head of his family, Old Cao realized everything was exposed, and he could only think of seeking forgiveness.

To move to Dahuo Village, they had exhausted their savings. After years, they managed to save some silver, hoping to cultivate more land, but the villagers preferred renting land to outsiders rather than selling it to them.

"How did you know... that I did those things?"

At this point, sacrificing a car to save the queen was the best choice. If the villagers were angry, it should be directed solely at him, so Old Cao claimed everything was his doing.

"Dad, stop saying that. It wasn’t just your idea."

Suddenly, a voice interrupted. From outside the yard, Cao Damu, drenched in sweat, ran back with his son Cao Niu Niu in hand.

Old Cao, already surprised by the children’s return, was even more stunned when his eldest son returned.

"Damu, did you release those children?"

"It was me!" Lu Yuanfeng emerged from behind Cao Damu. He walked up to Mu Shuangshuang and said softly, "Shuangshuang, the children were hidden by the Cao family in their old residence, not in this village but not far from here either.

They said Cao Niu Niu bought them lots of delicious food with a promise that as long as they didn’t return, they could eat good food every day.

Besides, for the past few days, the families were busy, and no one was playing with them. With food and play, they temporarily forgot about coming back."

Lu Yuanfeng’s words made it clear to everyone present that the Cao family’s deeds were fully exposed.

Old Cao suddenly started to sob, a man in his fifties crying sorrowfully.

He said, "I know, since we arrived, you haven’t liked us, but we just wanted to survive. We wanted to earn more silver for the children. We have so many hands to work, yet not enough land..."

"Dad, stop it. We’ll face this together. If necessary, we’ll move out of Dahuo Village!"

Cao Damu, apparently having gone through something, tearfully held his aged father.

The two held each other and cried bitterly, as did the remaining Cao family members, with Sun kneeling before Mu Shuangshuang and Zhuangzi’s mother, disregarding her pain.

"We beg you, don’t tell the villagers that it was our Cao family. We sold our land to come to Dahuo Village.

Returning means having no land to farm. Zhuangzi’s mother, you... you can beat me to death, but give the children a chance to live!"

(Passed midnight, update 50,000 words, the specific time, should be around 12:15 when the update is complete~)