Chapter 428: Chapter 403: Quick as a Hare_1
With three younger sisters and Yan Wenyi around, Yan Wentao and Yan Wenkai couldn’t directly pursue the matter and investigate, so after exchanging glances, they silently withdrew their gaze.
After taking a few steps, Yan Wenkai suddenly bent over, clutching his belly and cried out, “Ouch, my stomach hurts so much, I need to go to the privy. Big sister, let third brother take you girls ho.”
Those few people clearly looked like they had martial training, yet they were oddly disguised as farrs. There must be sothing fishy going on.
Now that their father was the Magistrate of Ningn Prefecture, he had the responsibility to investigate suspicious individuals appearing in the area.
Watching Yan Wenkai hurry off towards the privy, Yan Wenyi shouted, “Wenkai, don’t rush, we’ll wait for you.”
Yan Wentao smiled and said, “Don’t wait for him, he knows his way back after he’s done. Let’s go, I’ll escort you girls ho first.”
Daohua glanced at her fourth brother running off, clutching his stomach, and then at her third brother, who seed unfazed. She didn’t say anything and took Yan Yunxi with her, heading towards the area where all the families were gathering.
After delivering the four of them to the Yan Family elders, Yan Wentao found an excuse to leave again. However, before he got very far, Daohua blocked his way.
“Third brother, what are you and fourth brother up to?”
Facing the concern on Daohua’s face, Yan Wentao hesitated for a mont but still said, “Those people just now were a bit off, Wenkai and I need to check it out. Uncle is the Magistrate of Ningn Prefecture, and if sothing happens on his watch, he could be held accountable.”
The more she heard, the more worried Daohua beca, “Then we must tell father imdiately. It’s only you and fourth brother chasing after them; what if sothing happens?” As she spoke, she turned to walk back.
Yan Wentao imdiately grabbed hold of her, “We don’t know anything for certain yet. Isn’t it inappropriate to rashly inform uncle?”
Daohua replied, “What’s wrong with that? Even if it turns out to be a wild goose chase, it’s better than the two of you pursuing danger.”
Having said that, without waiting for Yan Wentao to respond, she turned and ran off.
Seeing this, Yan Wentao had no choice. Worried that Wenkai was waiting for him to join the pursuit alone, after so thought, he quickly turned and went to find him.
By the ti Daohua and Yan Zhigao arrived in haste, Yan Wentao was nowhere to be seen.
“Third brother must have gone to find fourth brother. Let’s hurry and catch up to see.”
Yan Zhigao was both anxious and frustrated at this mont. The two children were too bold; confronting suspicious people without notifying him and instead chasing after them themselves… what if sothing were to happen? How would he explain to their mother, his wife, and his younger brother and sister-in-law?
Nevertheless, this was not the ti to chase after these matters. The priority was to find the young n.
Watching his eldest daughter leading the way, Yan Zhigao sighed and hurriedly followed.
“Miss, the master is catching up.”
“Don’t look back and don’t mind him. All we need to do is keep running,” she responded.
As long as they weren’t caught up by their uncle, he couldn’t order them to return. After all, they were in the suburban area outside the city, where there weren’t many people around to watch.
Thus, a curious scene unfolded.
Daohua, leading Wang Manman, was far ahead, leaving behind the bodyguards brought by Yan Zhigao by a good stretch.
The bodyguards’ physical strength certainly wasn’t inferior to that of Daohua and the other girl, but when it ca to running, they might not have been a match. Moreover, they had to be mindful of Yan Zhigao. The scholar was not athletic; after a short run, he was already panting.
Watching his daughter running off into the distance, Yan Zhigao said between breaths to his bodyguard Qin Wu, “Don’t worry about . Go take care of that girl, don’t let her run off wildly.”
Qin Wu nodded, “Then master, you take it slow.”
Only after Qin Wu caught up with Daohua did Yan Zhigao switch from running to walking, “Huff—huff—huff—, when I get back, I’ll have to have Wenxiu… follow Wenkai… and Wentao… to get so exercise. Otherwise, in case of ergencies… they’ll be unable to run.”
Looking at his oldest daughter ahead, who was running like a darted rabbit, not falling behind Qin Wu, Yan Zhigao inwardly marveled at his daughter’s good health—quite unlike other sheltered young ladies who would complain of tiredness after a re stroll.
Before long, Daohua and Qin Wu arrived at the privy where Yan Wenkai had his bout of stomach trouble, but by that ti, there was no one to be found.
“What should we do? Third brother and fourth brother must have gone after them on their own,” Daohua wondered.
Qin Wu didn’t know what to do and thought it best to wait for Yan Zhigao to arrive before deciding.
Daohua didn’t want to wait idly and waste ti, she prepared to move forward with Wang Manman in pursuit.
Qin Wu didn’t dare let her leave and directly blocked her path, “Miss, I know you’re worried about the third and fourth young masters, but we don’t know what the situation up ahead is like, it’s really not easy for a young lady to continue chasing.”
Daohua was defiant, “What’s wrong with being a young lady? I won’t be a drag. Uncle Qin Wu, tell , am I slower than you?”
Qin Wu had no choice but to say, “I didn’t an that. What I an is, if we chase until nightfall and still haven’t found the third and fourth young masters, Miss, do you plan to spend the night outside?”
At his words, Daohua suddenly fell silent. After a mont, she asked, “Then what should we do?”
Qin Wu replied, “Let’s wait for the patriarch’s decision.”
Daohua saw that her stepfather was still a good distance away and, having no choice, turned back with Wang Manman and Qin Wu.
“Father, the third brother and fourth brother have gone chasing after soone by themselves.”
Yan Zhigao was breathing heavily, waved at Qin Wu, then pointed at the bodyguard behind him, “You all… go… go find people.”
Qin Wu looked hesitant, “Patriarch, if we all leave, what about you?”
Daohua imdiately said, “I’m here!”
With these words, Yan Zhigao and the others all looked towards Daohua.
Daohua, thinking they didn’t believe her, took the whip handed by Wang Manman, and with a ‘crack’, she brought down a swath of shrubs by the road.
Watching the downed shrubs, Yan Zhigao’s eyelids twitched. Not only was his eldest daughter fast on her feet, but she was also good with the whip. He said to Qin Wu, “All of you, go chase after them quickly, I’ll be fine here.”
After Qin Wu and the bodyguards left, Daohua looked at Yan Zhigao, “Father, what do we do now?”
Yan Zhigao replied, “Return to the estate. If Qin Wu and the others don’t co back after a long ti, I will send governnt officials to search for them.”
The father and daughter started to head back.
“Father, you should exercise more. I think if grandmother were here, you might not even be able to outpace her.”
“How could that be? I might be a bit weakened, but I can still run faster than your grandmother.”
“Father, if you don’t believe , when you have ti, why not challenge grandmother to a race and you’ll see.”
“…”
“Father, let’s not tell grandmother and mother about the third and fourth brothers chasing soone, so they don’t worry.”
“I know that without a young girl needing to remind .”
After eting with Madam Yan and Madam Li, Yan Zhigao explained that Yan Wentao and Yan Wenkai were called away on so urgent business by Dong Yuanxuan and a few others. No one doubted this and they started their journey back to the estate.
When Daohua was about to get on the carriage, Yan Wenxiu stopped her.
Yan Wenxiu pulled Daohua aside and asked in a low voice, “Big sister, tell the truth, did sothing happen?”
Daohua blinked, “Nothing happened.”
Yan Wenxiu pressed, “… Where did Qin Wu and the family’s bodyguards go?”
Daohua sighed; her eldest brother was still very attentive. She looked around to make sure no one was paying attention to them before whispering, “They’ve gone to chase after so suspicious individuals.”
Yan Wenxiu frowned, “Those two guys…”
Daohua thought for a bit, “Big brother, don’t bla the third and fourth brothers. Although they acted rashly, they will encounter these kinds of situations in the future. Now that father has sent Uncle Qin Wu and so others, there probably won’t be any trouble.”
Yan Wenxiu nodded, “Alright.” He then glanced at Daohua’s temples soaked with sweat, “Okay, you go back and rest in the carriage.”
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