Chapter 177

Chapter 177

The Li family didn't come directly; they first went to the Marquis's mansion to demand the child. Unexpectedly, the usually timid Mrs. Luo, for the first time, showed resistance and didn't even let them in.

Initially, they considered ordering their servants to force entry. But then, a thought struck them: as Li Qing'er's nominal grandmother, why should she need permission from a mere concubine? They turned around and headed straight to the Chen family. Ever since the smallpox incident, she had thoroughly investigated the Chen family and knew Qing'er was staying with Lin Sui. She believed dealing with a widower would be even simpler than dealing with Mrs. Luo.

Upon arriving at the Chen residence, Mrs. Li didn't even alight from the carriage. She instructed her maids and two servants to go in and retrieve the child. To her surprise, Lin Sui, oblivious to their status, dared to block their way, preventing the servants from taking the child.

With no other choice, Mrs. Li had to step down herself. Fuming, she pointed at Lin Sui and demanded, "Who do you think you are, daring to stop me from taking her?"

"Madam, please show some respect. I am Qing'er's godfather. The Marquis personally entrusted the child to me, so I have every right to keep her here!"

Mrs. Li sneered, "Hmph, godfather? I am her biological grandmother! Even Li Mu would have to listen to me, let alone an unknown widower like you."

Lin Sui's face flushed crimson, but he had no retort. He could only stand his ground, blocking their path.

"Go, bring Qing'er out!" Mrs. Li waved her hand, ordering the servants to enter.

Lin Sui panicked. "Last time you took Qing'er, she contracted smallpox within a day. If not for Taoist Master Qingxu's treatment, the child might not have survived. Don't even think about taking her away again!"

"Who dares?!" Wang Ying's voice suddenly boomed from outside the gate.

Hearing the voice, Lin Sui seemed to find his anchor. "Brother-in-law!"

Wang Ying hurried to the entrance. "Chen Fang, Tian Ju, Er Shun—where are they? How dare they cause such a ruckus at our doorstep!"

"Brother-in-law, don't worry. Er Shun went to take Qingyun home. Xiao Fang and Tian Ju haven't returned from shopping yet."

Wang Ying turned and glared furiously at Mrs. Li and her entourage. "And who do you think you are, making such a scene in broad daylight at my doorstep?"

"I'm here to pick up my granddaughter. Why are you blocking me?"

"You say your granddaughter is here? We sent her back to the Marquis's mansion yesterday. Go there if you want her!"

Mrs. Li was so enraged she nearly toppled over. "We just came from the Marquis's mansion. The child is right here in your house!"

"Then go report it to the authorities. Let the yamen officers come and search. If anyone dares to force their way into a private residence, I'll chop them down with a knife!"

Mrs. Li was intimidated by his fierce demeanor. She had long heard that this Wang was not to be trifled with, but she hadn't expected him to be so ruthless and reckless. Although her son was a sixth-rank official, the Chen family had a provincial graduate and a fourth-rank prefectural governor. If things escalated, she might not gain the upper hand.

She could only feign composure. "Let's go to the yamen. I refuse to believe I can't get my own granddaughter back!"

Wang Ying spat. "Shameless old hag! How dare you harm a child? You'll get your comeuppance sooner or later!"

These words struck a nerve. Remembering her young grandson who passed away yesterday, Mrs. Li trembled with rage. She turned and glared hatefully at Wang Ying, her eyes filled with venom.

After they left, Wang Ying pulled Lin Sui into the courtyard. "Be careful these next few days. Judging by her expression, she won't let this go easily."

"Sigh..."

During dinner, Mrs. Li inquired, "I heard someone talking at the door earlier. Who was it?"

Wang Ying replied, "The Li family came again to ask for Qing'er."

Qing'er, upon hearing this, was so frightened she dropped her chopsticks and clung to Lin Sui's arm.

"Don't be afraid. Your father has already driven them away. We won't send you to them."

Qing'er gestured that the Li family was bad and she didn't want to go.

Mrs. Li said sympathetically, "This family is truly something. Qing'er hasn't provoked them at all. Why are they fixated on such a young child?"

"She wants the Marquis's inheritance, so she must get Qing'er into her hands. Otherwise, how would she dare to openly seize the property?" After saying this, Wang Ying realized it was inappropriate and quickly glanced at Qing'er. Fortunately, the child was too young to understand.

"Sui, you don't need to go to the shop these next few days. Business isn't busy anyway. Stay home and keep Qing'er company. If the Li family comes again, have Er Shun and the others go to the army barracks to find General Zheng."

"Alright, I understand."

*

For the next seven or eight days, there was no movement from the Li family. Wang Ying thought they had given up after being turned away.

Taking advantage of the good weather, he decided to make up for the missed outing from last time. Once it got hotter, it would be less convenient to go out.

He brought it up during dinner, and the children were overjoyed, dancing around. Although Lin Sui was a little worried, he didn't want to spoil the mood and nodded with a smile.

Wang Ying picked some fresh fruit from the experimental field, had Aunt Chen boil some eggs and bake some flatbread to take with them the next day.

The next morning, Yuanbao woke up even earlier than him, scrambling out of bed to wake him. "Father, get up quickly! If we don't go soon, it'll be too late!"

Wang Ying couldn't resist teasing him, pretending to sleep with his eyes closed.

Yuanbao grew anxious, fidgeting impatiently, then leaned in and shouted right into his ear, "Father, wake up!"

"Ouch, not so loud! You'll deafen me."

"Didn't you say we were going on a picnic today?"

Wang Ying pinched his nose. "You little rascal. Usually, I can't get you out of bed, but the moment there's fun to be had, you're up earlier than the rooster."

The little one giggled bashfully. Father and son joked around for a while before changing clothes and washing up.

In the west courtyard, Qing'er had also woken up early. The thoughtful little girl didn't wake Lin Sui. Instead, she put on the clothes she had picked out the day before, washed her face, and sat quietly on a stool waiting for him to wake up.

Lin Sui had another nightmare. In his dream, he couldn't find Qing'er anywhere. Anxious and sweating profusely, he jerked awake abruptly. Seeing the familiar bed curtains, he sighed in relief—it was just a dream.

He reached out to feel the space beside him but found no one. Alarmed, he sat up quickly. "Qing'er?!"

Hearing his voice, Qing'er hurried over and took his hand.

"Why are you up so early?" Only then did Lin Sui's heart settle back down.

Qing'er tugged at her clothes and brought over the bamboo basket.

"Eager to go on the picnic?"

Qing'er nodded vigorously.

Lin Sui smiled. "I'm getting up right now!"

Once everything was ready, they had breakfast and invited Mrs. Li along. The group boarded the carriage, with Old Chen driving, and headed for the outskirts of the city.

Outside the city, there was a moat with a natural grassy area along its edge. It was a common spot for women and men from the city to bring their children for relaxation and fun.

Wang Ying wanted to take them out mainly to ease everyone's anxiety, especially Lin Sui's. Because of the matters concerning the Marquis and the Li family, he had grown much thinner recently.

His mother-in-law also often worried about Qingyan. Since he couldn't tell her the news of his passing the imperial exams, he thought taking everyone out for some fun would be the best way to lift their spirits.

The carriage headed straight for the riverside after leaving the city. On the way, they encountered several families with children out enjoying the day. The weather was clear, with large clouds drifting across the azure sky; it was refreshing to see.

Upon reaching the riverbank, they found a shady spot. Wang Ying laid out the mat he had prepared in advance, securing its four corners with nails. The two children took off their shoes and sat on it, playing and laughing.

Lin Sui unloaded the snacks from the carriage. The fruits had been washed and could be eaten directly. Mrs. Li kept the two children laughing heartily. It was clear that being outdoors felt different from staying at home.

Seeing the children playing happily, Wang Ying invited Lin Sui to walk together along the riverbank. He wasn't good at comforting words—some things could only be resolved by oneself, as no amount of persuasion from others could truly help.

Walking along the stones, Lin Sui said, "I'm thinking of hiring a tutor (lang-fuzi) for Qing'er in a while to teach her how to read and write. Otherwise, since she can't speak or write, she'll never be able to communicate with others in her life."

A lang-fuzi was someone specially hired to teach women and young masters of wealthy households to read and write, commonly employed by such families.

Wang Ying replied, "That's a good idea. Qing'er is old enough to start learning. Once she learns to write, she'll be able to express her thoughts, and she can also read to pass the time in her leisure."

Lin Sui nodded with a smile, "That's what I thought too. That child is bright and quick to learn—she should learn fast."

The two stopped to look at the sparkling river. "When she grows up, we'll find her a husband right here in the city. Only by keeping her close will I feel at ease."

Wang Ying turned to look at his cousin. This young man seemed to have matured suddenly, like a true father devoted to his daughter.

"Help! Someone, help! A child has been taken!"

A sudden cry came from not far away. Wang Ying and Lin Sui were stunned for a moment before turning and running back. Not far off, Mrs. Li was holding Yuanbao, pacing anxiously.

"Where's Qing'er?"

"Two masked men just took her! Old Chen chased after them!"

Wang Ying knew immediately that it must be the work of the Li family. Regret was pointless now—he quickly had Mrs. Li take Yuanbao into the carriage, and together with Lin Sui, they hastily pulled the carriage onto the main road.

On the way, they encountered Old Chen, who was panting heavily. Wang Ying hurriedly called out to him, "What happened?"

"I failed; I couldn't catch up with those two bandits."

"Hurry, get the carriage moving! Let's see if we can catch up with them!"

Old Chen took the reins while Wang Ying and Lin Sui got back into the carriage. "It's all my fault. I shouldn't have brought us out today."

Lin Sui said, "How can it be your fault? Clearly, the Li family had this planned for a long time. You can't guard against thieves every single day."

At this point, talking wouldn't help. The most important thing was to find the child as quickly as possible!

Old Chen whipped the horses, driving the carriage as fast as possible, but they found no trace of the two men along the way. It seemed the plan had been well-orchestrated, with someone waiting ahead to receive them.

Once back in the city, they first took Mrs. Li and Yuanbao home. Yuanbao had been crying the whole way out of fear, and Mrs. Li was also terrified, holding her grandson tightly.

Upon returning home, Wang Ying immediately had Er Shun take them to the military camp to find General Zheng. Going to the officials would be useless—the government couldn't handle this matter.

They rushed to the military camp and found Zheng Guang. After explaining the situation, Zheng Guang, without hesitation, called two men over.

"Young Master Lin, these two were left by the Marquis before he departed. If news of his misfortune spreads, they will stay by your and Miss Qing'er's side to protect you."

The two men knelt and bowed deeply. Lin Sui quickly helped them up. "No need for formalities. Please help find Qing'er!"

The two saluted, mounted their horses, and left immediately.

Wang Ying asked, "Where are they going?"

Zheng Guang explained, "These two are no ordinary men—they are personal guards raised by the Marquis, loyal only to him and those he entrusts. With their help, Miss Qing'er should be found soon."

"What if they can't find her? What if the Li family harms Qing'er?"

"Young Master Lin, rest assured. If they dare harm Miss Qing'er, the personal guards will make them pay."

-----------------------

Author's Note: The matter with the Li family will conclude in the next chapter.

The professional journeys for the two are about to begin!