Chapter 31: Kidnapped
Today, Qin Wanwan did not wait for Daddy.
She was still waiting for Daddy to return and eat boiled tofu and scallion-mixed tofu together when a soldier under her father reported the news.
“The Tartars have been spotted in several villages. General Xie has taken people to investigate, and they may not return for five days.”
Qin Wanwan’s entire milk ball instantly became dispirited.
“Oh, I see.”
Not seeing Daddy for five days, that’s as many as the fingers on my hand.
While eating, Lu He tried to coax her because she was in low spirits.
“Five days will pass quickly. General Xie is so powerful, he might return early.”
Qin Wanwan frowned: “Will it be dangerous?”
“No, those Tartars are no match for the General.”
The greatest enemies of the Tianqi Dynasty in the north are the nomadic Tartars.
Even though Xie Chong had dealt them a heavy blow before, their ambition to rule the Central Plains had not diminished at all.
How long has it been since Tartar traces were discovered again?
When sleeping at night, Qin Wanwan would subconsciously look for Daddy, rolling around on the bed but not finding him.
She woke up in the middle of the night feeling wronged.
“Keke, I miss Daddy.”
She sat up hugging her small pillow, her lips puckered, and her big eyes blinked, tears falling.
Her voice was spoiled, and she herself was spoiled.
Keke felt heartbroken too, but what else could it do besides comfort her?
Fortunately, after crying for about two minutes, Qin Wanwan yawned, hugged her pillow, and crawled back into the covers to sleep.
And when she woke up, she didn’t remember waking up and crying in the middle of the night at all.
“Did it rain last night?”
Looking at the dewdrops on the green grass, Qin Wanwan mumbled, holding a bowl of soy milk.
“I want a swing, I want a lounge chair…”
Her mumbling was unclear, and Lu He couldn’t hear clearly.
However, Lang Ya, who was standing beside them like a piece of wood, heard her clearly.
He couldn’t speak, but his vision and hearing were far superior to ordinary people.
After a silent night rain, the pasture grass in the front yard grew twice as tall as before.
Even the patch of grass that had been gnawed bare by horses had grown back.
“This grass looks really good, so tender like vegetable leaves.”
Aunt Zhang then plucked a blade of grass and chewed it.
Upon eating it, she was amazed.
“Miss, what kind of grass is this? It’s even sweeter than vegetable leaves.”
Qin Wanwan’s little face showed confusion: “I don’t know, it’s just a weed.”
Aunt Zhang’s words made her eager to try.
Not only did the pasture grass look fresh and tender, but it also came off with a pinch of her finger.
She chewed it in her mouth, and it did have a slightly sweet taste.
However, this grass still had some fiber.
“I’ll pinch some tender grass tips to add to some tofu pudding.”
Aunt Zhang had a sudden idea; she truly felt that this tender grass was more suitable for tofu pudding than yesterday’s bok choy.
So, she got to work.
She picked only the tenderest grass cores, which basically had no fiber.
Thus, for breakfast today, everyone ate grass core tofu pudding.
To be honest, the cauliflower with sweetness and grassy aroma was quite delicious.
Daddy wasn’t here, so Qin Wanwan was happiest only when eating.
After three days of doing nothing, Qin Wanwan got bored.
“Where did Lang Ya go?”
Lu He washed her face clean.
“Lang Ya has been going out a lot lately, and I don’t know what he’s doing. In the morning, he goes to the military camp to practice martial arts and no one bothers him, but in the afternoon, he disappears.”
As they spoke, Qin Wanwan’s hair was also tied up.
She had bangs and pigtails with bells.
However, the little bells were ornaments and didn’t actually ring.
Otherwise, one ring at every step would be too noisy.
“Miss, the wheat and soybean sprouts in the backyard have also grown. Would you like to go see them?”
Qin Wanwan nodded her head with reserved dignity.
The backyard was quite large and had been bare before.
The sown wheat seedlings had already sprouted green shoots, reaching about two finger joints in height.
The soybeans had also timidly sprouted tender buds with two small leaves.
Qin Wanwan’s eyes curved. Once the wheat here was harvested, she could make many delicious foods!
“Sister Lu He, I want to go out and play. I’m so bored staying at home.”
Qin Wanwan grabbed Lu He’s hand, her voice soft and lingering as she acted spoiled.
Like a honey ball, it made one’s heart feel sweet and softened.
Lu He, her mind clouded, agreed without a second thought.
“No problem. Today happens to be market day. Miss, I’ll take you out.”
Qin Wanwan happily went to prepare.
She brought the pocket money Daddy left for her and a big goose egg.
The goose egg also had a small pouch, which Sister Lu He had sewn for her, to hang on her chest.
Xiao Hei Snake voluntarily coiled around her wrist.
Now Qin Wanwan didn’t need to feed it; Xiao Hei Snake had already learned to catch mice.
It caught the mice in the General’s Mansion.
After getting ready, Qin Wanwan and Lu He set off together.
Qin Wanwan went out proudly, her mind already planning to buy candied hawthorns, fruits, all sorts of delicious food, and even shoes for Daddy.
But she didn’t expect that before she could buy anything, she herself would be kidnapped.
On her Great General’s territory, Qin Wanwan was so tenderly kidnapped!
The cause was seeing acrobatics on the street. Qin Wanwan curiously crowded in to watch the fun.
Then, she was spotted by the acrobat, who needed her to cooperate with the performance.
Qin Wanwan was sometimes very bold; as long as it wasn’t a fight with her, she wasn’t afraid.
Then… then the acrobatics show featured a little baby disappearing act.
When Qin Wanwan woke up, she was in a swaying carriage.
Also with her was Keke, the bird.
Although Keke was the spirit of the book of fate, it couldn’t read fortunes.
It only saw fortunes when it wanted to look at someone’s fate; normally, it wouldn’t randomly look at everyone it met.
Seeing Qin Wanwan having fun, Keke also rejoiced foolishly and didn’t realize that the acrobats’ true identities were kidnappers.
“Kidnapping children at the border pass, what are these guys thinking!”
Keke was furious, but it didn’t dare to speak loudly.
It was afraid that the people outside would hear and come to investigate, and then it would be plucked and stewed.
Qin Wanwan hugged Keke. In this dilapidated carriage, besides her, there were two other children.
However, those two children were not as well-dressed as Qin Wanwan, and they were so thin they were skin and bones.
Their ragged, dirty clothes looked more like those of beggars.
The two children had not yet woken up.
“I didn’t expect to find such good goods in Shahe City. This trip is not a loss.”
“Why do you think that person wants so many Tianqi children? He’s quite picky, only wanting good-looking ones. Could he have some special fetish? That would be too perverted.”
“Shut up. We take the money and mind our own business. Otherwise, you won’t even know how you lost your life.”
“Alright, alright, why so serious? I’m only saying this to you.”
Qin Wanwan wanted to see the situation outside, but the carriage compartment was sealed shut, with no windows at all, only a small door at the front.
Once this door was opened, she would be face-to-face with the two kidnappers driving the carriage, which would be no different from seeking death.
