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Chapter 4
Qiu Shui looked at Li Xia in confusion, not understanding what instructions Auntie Qiu had given her. Li Xia did not answer Qiu Shui's doubts and led her on. But Qiu Shui's obvious discomfort was very different from the joyful mood of the people around her. Afraid that Qiu Shui's appearance would draw attention, Li Xia pulled her into a roadside noodle stand, "Boss, one bowl of chicken noodle soup."
"Alright, one bowl of chicken noodle soup," the boss repeated and went downstairs.
"Miss, can you still eat?" Qiu Shui looked at Li Xia's stomach in disbelief. She just said she was full, but after walking a few steps, she was hungry again. Her digestion was too fast!
Li Xia pressed Qiu Shui onto the long bench and whispered in Qiu Shui's ear, "I ordered the noodles for you, sit here slowly and eat while waiting for Auntie Qiu to come back." At the same time, she told Qiu Shui about the markings she would make. Then, without waiting for Qiu Shui's reaction, Li Xia had already disappeared into the crowd.
Qiu Shui hurriedly stood up to chase after her.
"Miss, your chicken noodle soup is ready," the boss's shout made Qiu Shui turn back to look at the noodles. And thinking of Li Xia's instructions not to run around recklessly, she could only anxiously wait.
Without the burden of Qiu Shui, the excitement in Li Xia's eyes could not be concealed. Li Xia seemed to be strolling leisurely but was steadily following the father and son ahead. All the way, she left markings and followed the people to a secluded alley. She saw the father and son enter a house deep in the alley. Today was the spring plowing festival, so there was no one around this alley.
Li Xia came to the corner of the backyard along the wall of the courtyard, looked around and found no abnormalities. She lightly exerted force with her feet to easily leap over the wall into the yard. She landed silently and came to the back window of the house. Through the cracks in the window, she saw more than a dozen children lying horizontally and vertically inside the house.
There were only children inside the house without any adults. Li Xia pushed open the window and jumped in, first checking these children who had all been drugged unconscious. During the inspection, Li Xia noticed some children still had new injuries on them. The injuries were new, probably from when the child traffickers had beaten the children who resisted capture.
Seeing this, Li Xia felt distressed. She had originally planned to wait for Li Hui to bring people to deal with these child traffickers. Now Li Xia decided to first teach these child traffickers a lesson.
Coming to the front yard, the voices of the child traffickers could be heard from the room.
"I caught three good ones today!"
"Eldest Brother Wang is impressive!" someone flattered.
"What's that? I caught four!" someone was not convinced.
"Jia Er, the ones you caught are obviously children of poor families, ugly things. Unlike the ones I caught, they are all good-looking with delicate skin and tender flesh. Only these kinds can sell for a high price," Eldest Brother Wang refuted.
"Wang Laosan, don't be complacent. Let's compare again in the next county. I will definitely catch better ones than you," Jia Er challenged, unwilling to admit defeat.
"Fine, let's compete. Wang Laosan is not afraid of anyone..."
...
Li Xia stood outside the window listening to the people inside boasting about the children they had caught, discussing how to transport these children away. It was clear that these people were an organized, planned large-scale criminal gang.
Hearing these human traffickers say they would send the abducted girls and good-looking boys to the brothel, and break the legs of the ugly ones to beg for money, the corners of Li Xia's mouth curled up in a faint smile. Break their legs? What a good suggestion.
Li Xia sealed off the other doors and windows, leaving no way for the human traffickers to escape. Then she came to the unsealed window, raised her hand with a miniature tornado appearing in it. She gently pushed open the window to send the tornado inside. Standing outside, she listened to the screams from within. Li Xia felt happy as she stretched her wrists, took out a handkerchief to cover her face, opened the window and jumped in. Without showing mercy, Li Xia beat up these people violently.
Li Hui was drinking tea upstairs in a teahouse when Qing Zhu pushed open the door and Qiu Ju walked in. The originally calm expression vanished the moment she saw Li Hui, replaced by panic.
"Eldest Young Master, hurry and save the young lady!" Qiu Ju told what had happened.
Li Hui couldn't help but slap the table and scolded "Fooling around!"
Qiu Ju knelt on the ground, feeling more and more regretful and afraid. If anything happened to Li Xia, she would only be able to apologize to Auntie Mei with death. "Eldest Young Master, it's all this slave's fault, please go and save the second young lady!"
Li Hui stood up and ordered Wen Zhu, "Wen Zhu, go inform my father. Qing Zhu, you go find the local catchpoles and guards." Then Li Hui looked at Qiu Ju, "You get up and lead the way." Now was not the time to investigate Qiu Ju's mistakes.
Qiu Ju hurriedly got up and wiped her tears, walking ahead to lead the way. When they arrived at the place where they had parted ways, neither Li Xia nor Qiu Shui was there. Qiu Ju looked around. Li Hui was also surveying the surroundings. Sitting at the noodle stand, eating tastelessly, Qiu Shui saw Qiu Ju and Li Hui and quickly ran over, "Eldest Young Master!"
"Where's my second sister?" Not seeing Li Xia, Li Hui was worried that something might have happened to her.
"The young lady asked me to wait here. She said she would leave markings for the Eldest Young Master," Qiu Shui showed Li Hui the markings left by Li Xia. Li Hui noticed it was a cloud-like pattern. Looking around, Li Hui saw this marking on the table of a nearby stall. Having determined the direction Li Xia went, Li Hui ordered Shan Zhu, "Shan Zhu, take them back. Others come with me."
Qiu Shui and Qiu Ju wanted to follow along, but seeing Li Hui's expression, they swallowed their unspoken words and let Shan Zhu take them away.
Qing Zhu had also brought the local catchpoles led by Zhang the Chief Constable. Seeing it was Zhang, Li Hui went up to greet him, "Chief Constable Zhang, I'll have to trouble you."
"What are you saying, Eldest Young Master. This is my duty," Zhang bowed and then led his men to pursue. Li Hui and his men followed behind.
Afraid of being discovered, there weren't many markings left by Li Xia, but the direction was clear. Led by Zhang, they soon arrived near the alley. Not far away, Li Hui saw Li Xia squatting by the roadside, her eyes darting left and right, looking just like a rogue. The veins on Li Hui's forehead popped up, where was the manner of a young lady in how Li Xia looked!
He quickly went up and pulled Li Xia to her feet, checking that she was unharmed.
"Big brother, I'm fine," Li Xia even turned around in a circle to prove she was perfectly alright.
Li Hui felt relieved, but still reprimanded her, "Too reckless! If anything happened to you, how could I face Auntie Mei!" Usually it wasn't obvious, but Li Xia's courage was clearly too big. To actually dare to throw off her maidservants and tail the human traffickers alone. If discovered by the traffickers she could have been abducted as well.
"Big brother, I was wrong. Hurry inside and catch those bad guys. I saw them enter the last house in the alley," Li Xia honestly admitted her mistake, but was determined not to change her behavior - next time she encountered this, she would still take action.
"Stay put," Li Hui knew the situation was urgent so rushed inside with Zhang to capture them. Li Xia wanted to follow along but Qing Zhu, who Li Hui had left to guard her, certainly did not dare let Li Xia go in. His master had ordered him to watch the second young lady.
Seeing Qing Zhu guarding her like a thief, Li Xia was a little speechless. "Qing Zhu, do you really need to be like this?"
"Sorry Second Young Lady, but the Young Master ordered me to watch over you," Qing Zhu apologized with his mouth, but his eyes stared at Li Xia to stop her from going forward.
Li Xia humphed, and took a step back to show she would not go forward.