Exile with Storage Space: Family Fortunes in the Barren Lands-Chapter 576 - 537: Notify the Luo Family (1)

When Li Yuzhu’s carriage arrived at the back gate of the Liu Family, the entire Liu family ran over, and many villagers followed along.

Liu Da Niu was crying with tears all over her face, running the fastest, "Where’s the child? Where is the child?"

Li Yuzhu stopped the carriage and said with a smile, "He’s in the carriage. He might be hungry, you can feed him milk."

Liu Da Niu rushed to the carriage, pulled open the curtain and looked inside. Yes, her son was inside.

He was softly sobbing.

Liu Da Niu cried as she took the child out.

The Liu family gathered around to look.

Lady Liu squeezed through and said, "Quickly check if the child is hurt."

Li Yuzhu said, "He’s not hurt. On the way here, I checked him all over, not a scratch. He’s probably crying because he’s hungry or needs a change."

Only then did the Liu family breathe a sigh of relief.

Everyone thanked Li Yuzhu.

Li Yuzhu smiled and said, "We’re all from the same village, no need to thank me. Quickly take the child back home."

Liu Da Niu nodded gratefully and went home surrounded by the Liu family’s womenfolk.

Hu Shuangcheng bowed to Li Yuzhu and followed them back.

The village chief then asked, "Miss Li, where was the child found? And where is that skinny woman who took the child?"

Li Yuzhu said, "At the melon shed of the Chai family’s second house, and the main culprit who instructed that woman to take the child was also found and locked up there, watched over by Yuanxiu. Uncle Li Zheng, please quickly send someone to inform the Pavilion Chief so he can notify the county government’s people. That couple wandering from village to village abducting children might be habitual offenders!"

Capturing habitual offenders will earn rewards from the government office; the village chief was delighted and said to Li Yuzhu, "Rest assured, Miss Li, leave everything to me."

The following matters no longer needed Li Yuzhu’s concern.

She carried the two children out of the carriage.

Prince Luling, Princess Consort Luling, and Li Yu En also gathered around to see what was happening. Seeing the two children in the carriage, they asked in confusion what was going on.

The matter couldn’t be concealed.

Once reported to the authorities and interrogated, those two child-stealers and Miss Chai would fully confess.

Li Yuzhu could only say, "It’s a long story."

Princess Consort Luling didn’t understand, "What do you mean it’s a long story?"

Li Yuzhu ruffled Guoguo’s hair, "These two children went out to play and happened to bump into child traffickers taking a child from the Hu family’s mother and daughter. The traffickers took both children together. When I was looking for Da Niu’s child, I found them too."

Princess Consort Luling turned pale with fright, "What? The traffickers took Guoguo and Jingjing?" She looked the two children over from head to toe, "The traffickers didn’t do anything to them, did they?"

Guoguo shook his head, "No, Granny."

Li Jing also said, "But they scared us, saying they would dig out Guoguo’s eyes."

Prince Luling angrily swung his sleeve, "Those traffickers must be severely punished! I’ll find the village chief!"

He left in a huff.

Princess Consort Luling hugged the two children, both heartbroken and scolding with a warning, "Don’t ever run off again, got it?"

Li Yu En also said, "Guoguo, Jingjing, if your aunt hadn’t found you, you’d have lost your eyes."

Li Jing lowered his head sheepishly, fiddling with his fingers, "Got it, Second Aunt."

Only Guoguo blinked without saying a word.

"Guoguo, did you hear that?" Princess Consort Luling crouched down in front of Guoguo.

Guoguo smiled slightly, "Mm."

Princess Consort Luling pretended to be angry, "If you run off again, Granny won’t like you anymore."

Guoguo threw himself into Princess Consort Luling’s arms, hugging her, whining coquettishly.

Princess Consort Luling laughed despite herself, "Alright, alright, love you."

Li Yuzhu tied the carriage to a tree outside the Liu family’s back gate and returned to the Liu family with the two children and Princess Consort Luling, Li Yu En.

The Liu family’s courtyard was in an uproar.

The Hu family’s mother and daughter remained tied to the tree, surrounded by a circle of people pointing at them.

Having found the child, the Liu family felt emboldened.

Liu Laoda rolled up his sleeves, threatening to beat the Hu family mother and daughter to death.

The two, seeing the child had been found, felt relieved but were also scared to death. They stayed silent no matter how much Liu Laoda cursed at them.

Liu Laoda, infuriated, even kicked them a couple of times.

The village chief advised him, "Liu Da, how these two should be judged will be arranged by the government. I’ve already sent someone to notify the Pavilion Chief. He will notify the county government’s people to come. If you kill them, you’ll become a murderer instead."

This one sentence persuaded Liu Laoda.

Liu Laoda spat hatefully towards the Hu family mother and daughter, "It’s too easy on them!"

.

The people arranged by the village chief borrowed a horse and galloped to the county market to inform the Pavilion Chief.

Upon learning that Mu Yuanxiu was guarding the human traffickers alone, and fearing something might happen, the village chief gathered a few young men from the village to assist Mu Yuanxiu.

Liu Jinbao rolled up his sleeves and volunteered to go.

The four young men jogged all the way to the Chai Family’s melon shed.

The leopard was nowhere to be seen.

On an old wooden bench at the wooden house’s entrance, sat Mu Yuanxiu, chewing on a grass stem.

Inside the wooden house, four people were tied up.

"Yuanxiu, we’re here to relieve you," Liu Jinbao ran up and greeted Mu Yuanxiu, "Thank you very much today, Yuanxiu."

Mu Yuanxiu stood up and smiled faintly, "It’s a small matter."

Liu Jinbao walked to the entrance of the wooden house, spat when he saw the four people, "The village chief sent someone to report this to the authorities; these people are waiting to eat prison food, humph!"

Human traffickers live by taking risks; they are willing to eat but not willing to go to jail. The two of them were already numb, but Miss Chai shivered uncontrollably in fright, it was over, she would definitely be divorced by the Luo Family.

.

The Pavilion Chief, upon hearing that this was an incident from Taohua River Village, couldn’t help but pay more attention. When the messenger mentioned that the human traffickers had also kidnapped two young grandchildren of the Li Family, the Pavilion Chief’s back broke out in a cold sweat.

This is outrageous!

The Li Family is related to the Prefect by marriage!

If Second Miss Li complains to the Magistrate, let alone him, even Lord County Magistrate’s official hat might not be safe!

The Pavilion Chief was extremely alarmed and didn’t send a servant to pass the message but instead dispatched his youngest son on a fast horse to the county seat to report to County Magistrate Li.

County Magistrate Li was also furious upon hearing this matter.

The human traffickers were too rampant, daring to kidnap children from the Li Family!

By this time, it was already evening.

County Magistrate Li nonetheless summoned ten government officials and personally led his subordinates out of town on horseback.

The Pavilion Chief and his sons waited on the official road and saw the County Magistrate arrive in the first hour of the night. He immediately stepped forward to greet him.

County Magistrate Li was anxious to handle the kidnapping issue and did not dismount, only asking a few questions hastily before saying, "Let’s go to Taohua River Village together for a look."

"Yes, Lord County Magistrate!"

The group, holding torches, pressed on into the village under the cover of night.

On the way, they encountered Mu Yuanxiu waiting for them at the crossroads.

Mu Yuanxiu had accompanied Li Yuzhu and Li Xing’an to the magistrate’s home many times before, so County Magistrate Li was not unfamiliar with this young son-in-law of the Li Family.

He dismounted and said, "Yuanxiu? What are you doing here?"

"The human traffickers are locked in a wooden house ahead. I’ve been waiting here for you, my lord." Mu Yuanxiu bowed to County Magistrate Li.

"Good! Yuanxiu, you have worked hard." County Magistrate Li commended him by patting his shoulder, then said to the officials beside him, "Send six people and bring them over!"

"Yes, my lord!"

Six government officials, lifting their torches, entered the woods and followed Mu Yuanxiu to the wooden house, bringing out the human traffickers and both the maid and Miss Chai along with them.

County Magistrate Li did not recognize Miss Chai and said, "Aren’t the human traffickers a couple? Who are these two people?"

"They are the master and servant who bought the child." Mu Yuanxiu explained.

The Pavilion Chief recognized Miss Chai and was greatly astonished, "Aren’t you the Young Madam Luo? You..." He looked at Miss Chai’s deflated belly and suddenly understood, so Miss Chai hadn’t been pregnant. But as the due date approached, she couldn’t keep up the pretense and took the risk of buying a child.

In the past, the Pavilion Chief might be lenient on the second branch of the Chai Family and the Luo Family, but today, this matter involved the Li Family, so the Pavilion Chief automatically sidelined them both.

He said to one of his sons who had come along, "Erlang, go inform the Luo Family that their Young Madam has been caught for buying a child and tell them to go to the Liu Family in Taohua River Village to receive instructions. Also tell them that Lord County Magistrate is there!"

"Yes, Father." The Pavilion Chief’s second son turned and rode back.

Miss Chai was so frightened, her face went ashen, it was over, completely over!

The detainees were brought over, and County Magistrate Li waved to everyone, "Let’s continue on our way!"

The group once again marched mightily towards Taohua River Village.

From the Chai Family’s melon field to Taohua River Village is nearly ten miles. The two human traffickers and the maidservant of the second branch of the Chai Family didn’t feel much walking these ten miles, but Miss Chai, who had never endured hardship since childhood, was almost out of breath from being pushed by the officials for the ten-mile journey.

.

The Pavilion Chief’s second son knocked on the Luo Family’s door deep in the night.

He told the Luo Family’s servants that the Young Madam of the Luo Family, Chai Erniang, was caught colluding with the human traffickers to buy a child and instructed the Luo Family to immediately recognize the person.

The servant was dumbfounded, "This... How is this possible? Our Young Madam is staying at her parents’ home waiting to give birth."

The Pavilion Chief’s second son secretly chuckled, what kind of daughter-in-law did the Luo Family marry?

They didn’t marry the virtuous Miss Chai and instead married a barren chicken who couldn’t bear a child and wanted to pretend to be the Luo Family’s offspring. Was Luo Zikun’s head kicked by a donkey?