"I’ve already sent people to inquire everywhere in the village, searching all over, but still no news. It’s as if they vanished into thin air!"
Ruan Qingsong felt a pang in his heart, then slamd the table in furious anger.
"Why would the culprits not even spare the children! It’s absolutely outrageous!"
"I’m going to find Mr. Xue right now, even if it ans turning the entire village upside down to find the whereabouts of the children!"
At this mont, Ruan Mian did not stop him, letting Ruan Qingsong go to Mr. Xue and rally the other villagers.
In the room, aside from her, everyone else seed to have lost their backbone, like headless flies, not knowing what to do.
Even Mrs. Wang, usually calm and composed, was thrown into a panic by the loss of the children.
Ruan Mian steadied her mind, first asking Mrs. Wang to bring the clothes Lin usually wore.
For now, they could only send more spirit beasts out to search before taking the next steps.
anwhile, in a subterranean cave in the mountains, the overwhelming sll of clay coal filled the air, making anyone who inhaled it feel dizzy.
Nanny Shen was roused from this pungent sll.
As she surveyed the pitch-black surroundings, her consciousness gradually cleared. Recalling why she ca here, a surge of indescribable emotion overwheld her.
mories resurfaced.
She vividly rembered doing lessons in the courtyard with Lin and Rui, because Lin’s kite sohow ended up in the tree outside the yard, so they went to retrieve it.
She followed behind them.
However, she had just cautioned the children not to climb the tree when suddenly she felt a sharp pain in her neck. Before she could react, everything turned black as she fainted.
When she woke up, she was here.
Fully awake now, Nanny Shen fearfully tried to get up, only to discover her limbs were bound with rope.
She could only desperately shout, "Lin, Lin!! Where are you? It’s Nanny!"
But the surrounding silence only echoed her voice back at her.
It sent shivers down her spine, and her eyes widened involuntarily.
Is this a cave?
After a mont, light suddenly filled the space!
Terrified, she opened her eyes wide, carefully observing, only to see an old woman holding a candle walking towards her.
Upon closer inspection, she noticed several children lying behind the old woman!
Among those children were Lin and Rui! She would recognize these two children even if they turned to ash.
"Lin? Lin! Rui! Look at Nanny Shen!"
She called out urgently, but no matter how she shouted, the children remained unresponsive, lying motionless on the ground.
This scared Nanny Shen even more. She looked at the old woman standing in front of her and, in her horror, realized that the old woman’s face was strikingly familiar!!
After thinking carefully, she rembered that this was the aunt from the Yan Family in the village?
A while ago, her son and daughter-in-law nearly caused a scandal with Lady Hai to such an extent that to ensure the Yan family’s lineage, they devised a surrogate birth plan, becoming a laughing stock.
They t their demise due to their own actions, and she never expected this old woman to be just as sinister as her son and daughter-in-law!
"What do you want to do?!"
"These children are the cherished gems of their families; how can you bear to see them suffer? They’re so young! What is your intention, old woman?!"
Nanny Shen struggled, but the ropes binding her limbs were too tight, leaving her no room to break free.
The old woman rely let out a few cold laughs, showing no change in her expression, her dark eyes filled with nothing but resentnt.
"Yes, these children are the treasures of their families. I raised my son for so many years, and now look!"
Nanny Shen’s eyes tightened, speaking sharply: "Old woman, if it weren’t for your son and daughter-in-law committing such heinous acts, they wouldn’t have ended up like this?"
"Instead of acknowledging their sins, you’re intent on making innocent ones suffer..."
"Shut up!" The old woman interrupted Nanny Shen sharply, throwing the candlestick aside.
Only a faint fla still struggled.
The old woman’s expression changed drastically: "No matter what, my son is already gone! I want all those people to pay for my son’s death!"
"Old woman, you’re already in this state. Don’t think I’ll let you leave!"
"Look at these children; without my permission, they only have one way out here. However... if you agree to help with one thing, there might be a chance."
"Otherwise... not only will you not leave here, but not one of these children will leave here alive." At this, Nanny Shen’s face changed dramatically!
"What exactly do you want?! With so many people in the village, aren’t you afraid of being found and executed by the governnt?!"
"Death? I’m already at this age, what is there to live for. As Miss Wen said, I’ve long reached a dead end, and just seeing the glory of the Ruan Family, I can’t swallow that anger!!"
"If they had just spared my son, the Yan Family wouldn’t be without descendants! Would I have ended up like this? My son didn’t do anything to Mrs. Chen, so why did they have to act against us like this?"
"Is it just because they can grow so crops? Do they think nothing of people? They’re nothing but exiles like us! No matter how much they rehabilitate, they’re still exiles!"
The more the old woman spoke, the more agitated she beca, her bloodshot eyes like those of a wild beast.
She glared viciously at Nanny Shen: "You are under the protection of Mrs. Wang, without worries about food and clothing, with no children, so naturally, you know nothing!"
"But now, you and the Wang Family’s pri treasure have both disappeared. If you return alone while the child is a corpse, do you think Mrs. Wang will spare you?"
Nanny Shen trembled inside!
Though the mistress treated her well, it was because she cared for Lin so well.
She knew well how much Lin ant to the mistress, and she also knew the mistress wasn’t soone to ss with behind the scenes. If anything happened to Lin while she returned unhard, the mistress would never forgive her.
She certainly would not spare her.
Perhaps seeing the paleness on Nanny Shen’s face and the panic in her heart, the old woman gripped her hand tightly.
"I hit the nail on the head, didn’t I? You’re dead either way now, but if you help deal with the Ruan Family, there’s a chance you’ll live."
The old woman tossed her a bun: "Live or die, it’s all up to your choice."
Nanny Shen panted heavily, looking with difficulty at the children.
"What did you feed them!"
"They’re not dead yet, they have their use. But if our plan fails, they will also follow to the grave."
Nanny Shen’s body trembled, her gaze quivering, when the old woman slapped her!
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