That’s right. How did she forget about Ma Fenghuo?
Jiang Hua could not help patting her own forehead. She quickened her steps and walked toward Li Qingran. “Is Ma Fenghuo at home?”
After the conflict from some time ago, Li Qingran originally did not want to give her a good attitude. But knowing that Jiang Hua was looking for the two children, she thought for a moment and still answered awkwardly, “He’s at home.”
Jiang Hua asked, “He didn’t go out at all today?”
As soon as Li Qingran heard that, she became unhappy. “What do you mean by that? Are you suspecting that my Ma Fenghuo lost your two children? Why don’t you blame yourself for not watching your kids properly?”
Jiang Hua had no intention of arguing with her. “That’s not what I mean. I just thought the three children usually play together. Is it possible that Ma Fenghuo knows where they went?”
Auntie Chen also said, “Yes. Why don’t we go ask Ma Fenghuo? Maybe he knows.”
Li Qingran, however, did not agree. In her eyes, Ma Fenghuo had stayed at home all morning. Although that was indeed a bit abnormal compared to usual, once she thought of the friction between herself and Jiang Hua, she could not bring herself to examine Ma Fenghuo’s oddness more closely.
“Ma Fenghuo didn’t go out at all. What could he possibly know?” Li Qingran said. In short, everything she said expressed her disagreement with them going to ask Ma Fenghuo.
Jiang Hua did not care. No matter what Li Qingran said, she had already made up her mind to go find Ma Fenghuo.
She had a very strong intuition that Ma Fenghuo definitely knew something.
Jiang Hua glanced at Li Qingran, said nothing further, and lifted her foot to walk straight toward Li Qingran’s house.
Li Qingran was startled at first. When she reacted, her expression suddenly changed. She hurried after her and reached out to grab Jiang Hua. “What are you doing? I already said Ma Fenghuo doesn’t know anything.”
Jiang Hua dodged her hand expressionlessly. “We’ll know whether he really doesn’t know once we ask.”
The sentence was extremely roundabout. Li Qingran took a few seconds to react. Seeing that Jiang Hua’s steps did not slow at all, her expression turned even uglier. “Stop right there!”
As she spoke, she reached out again to try to stop Jiang Hua.
No matter how one looked at it, this reaction was strange.
Jiang Hua’s expression completely cooled. She stopped, narrowed her eyes at the other woman, and said in a flat tone, “I’m just going to ask Ma Fenghuo. Why are you stopping me? Or is there something shameful in your house?”
Her gaze seemed to carry a sharpness that was hard to face directly. Li Qingran was caught off guard. Panic flashed across her face instinctively, though only for an instant, before she quickly returned to normal.
“What nonsense are you talking about?” Li Qingran retorted. One could see that she was forcing herself to appear calm and indifferent. “Who do you think you are? Is my Ma Fenghuo someone you can just question whenever you want?”
Her words were extremely targeted and full of disdain. It was a direct tearing of faces, even a tearing of faces with the Xu family.
Although the people in the compound looked down on Jiang Hua, no one dared to show it so bluntly. After all, Jiang Hua did not only represent herself. She also represented her husband, Comrade Xu Chenghuai.
What Li Qingran said at this moment made Auntie Chen, who had chased after them, suck in a breath. Was she completely disregarding Xu Chenghuai?
“Xiao Li, what kind of talk is that? We all live in the same compound. We see each other every day. Even if you don’t think of yourself, you should think of Xiao Ma,” Auntie Chen tried to smooth things over.
Li Qingran snorted. Although she did not say anything more, the emotionless look in her eyes clearly showed that she did not even take Auntie Chen seriously.
Jiang Hua’s meaningful gaze fell on Li Qingran’s face.
Something was wrong. Very wrong.
However, the most urgent priority right now was to find the two children. No matter how strange Li Qingran was, it had to be put aside for now. No matter how Li Qingran tried to block her, Jiang Hua eventually still reached the Ma family.
There was never a lack of people who liked to watch the excitement in the compound. Because of Li Qingran’s repeated obstruction, many onlookers followed behind, and Song Jin was among them.
Li Qingran did not expect things to backfire like this. Her face was as dark as the bottom of a pot, yet she did not dare to stop them again, afraid that even more people would follow.
“Did they run out to play? If they were in the compound, how could they not be found?”
“Now that you mention it, I remember. This morning, when I went to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy groceries, I think I saw Ma Fenghuo running and jumping together with Yunkai and Yunshu,” the one speaking was Song Jin.
Li Qingran nearly jumped in anger when she heard that. “Don’t talk nonsense. Who doesn’t know you’re close with Jiang Hua? You’re trying to drag my Ma Fenghuo into this. I’ll say it again. Ma Fenghuo did not go out today. Yunkai and Yunshu going missing has nothing at all to do with him!”
Ma Fenghuo really had been frightened. After coming back from Guihua Alley, he hid in his room and did not dare come out. At this moment, he also heard the noise outside the courtyard.
Listening more carefully, he realized that Yunkai and Yunshu were actually missing!
Ma Fenghuo’s dark little face turned pale in an instant. Could it be that Yunkai and Yunshu had secretly crawled into the haunted house and been eaten by ghosts?
The scene he had seen after crawling inside the courtyard flashed through his mind again.
Ma Fenghuo shuddered immediately. His face was filled with panic and helplessness. He wiped away his tears and sniffed. As if he had made some kind of decision, his eyes vigilantly scanned his surroundings. He carefully got out of bed and put on his shoes, then fixed his gaze tightly on the direction of the door and rushed out in one go.
Jiang Hua had just walked into the Ma family’s courtyard when she lifted her eyes and saw a small figure charge over like a cannonball.
“Auntie Jiang, hurry and go save Xu Yunkai and Xu Yunshu!”
It was Ma Fenghuo’s urgent voice, choked with tears.
The moment the words left his mouth, the people standing at the entrance of the Ma family’s courtyard immediately stirred.
Jiang Hua steadied herself and looked closely. The little brat was crying with snot and tears all over his face. No one knew how long he had been crying. Both eyelids were swollen like walnuts.
Her entire focus was on what he had said. She only glanced once before anxiously reaching out to grab his shoulders. “What happened to Yunkai and Yunshu? Do you know where they are?”
Li Qingran had not expected Ma Fenghuo to actually know something, and that the first thing out of his mouth would be “save them.” It instantly pushed her into a position of being sharp-tongued and cold-hearted. Her expression had already gone beyond merely ugly.
After all, he was only a four- or five-year-old child. Facing so many adults’ gazes, and knowing very well that if it were not for his suggestion, Yunkai and Yunshu would not have gone to the “haunted house,” the psychological pressure on Ma Fenghuo was enormous. But choosing to confess gave him an outlet all at once.
The emotions he had been holding back for a long time burst out. With a loud wail, he cried, “We went to the haunted house in Guihua Alley to explore. They must have run into ghosts too!”
As soon as those words were spoken, everyone present changed expressions. Who did not know that the old woman in that courtyard had a strange temper and was extremely fierce?
Jiang Hua’s breathing stopped abruptly. An overwhelming wave of terror surged up and drowned her in an instant. Her body nearly failed her and trembled.
She did not think at all. Almost the moment Ma Fenghuo finished speaking, she turned and ran. Her face was frighteningly pale, her hands trembling uncontrollably. Her heart thundered violently in her chest, as if it would jump out the next second. Her legs felt weak, and every step felt difficult.
Jiang Hua’s mind was almost completely blank now. She could only hear the thunderous heartbeat in her chest.
It was only after hearing Ma Fenghuo mention the haunted house that she suddenly remembered a major incident from her previous life that had shocked the entire city of Qinhai. The old woman from the haunted house had been murdered. At the time, it was said to be committed by someone she knew, and the murderer was hidden among the people of Qinhai City, causing widespread panic.
Jiang Hua could not remember exactly when it happened, but what if it was now?
She did not dare to imagine it. Anxiety made her head feel like it was about to explode.
Finally, she arrived in front of that courtyard. Looking at the tightly shut vermilion-red door, she rushed forward and pounded on it without thinking. However, there was no response from inside.
Seeing this, Ma Fenghuo hurriedly wiped away his tears, pointed toward a hole not far away, and panted heavily as he cried. “We crawled in through that hole.”
Jiang Hua looked over. Her gaze froze abruptly, and she immediately looked away.
Everyone else: …
Auntie Chen thought Jiang Hua was simply anxious about the children. After thinking for a moment, she suggested, “Xiao Jiang, don’t panic yet. I’ll go back and get a ladder.”
How could Jiang Hua wait? Her almond eyes blinked as she quickly scanned the surroundings. Her gaze landed on a pile of stones not far away.
She looked at Song Jin and the others. “Please help me. I’m worried that Yunkai and Yunshu might have had an accident inside.”
Although the people in the compound were usually sharp-tongued and looked down on others, they did not drop the ball at critical moments. In no time, several people helped send her up onto the wall.
The wall was not low. Jiang Hua’s heart pounded for a moment, but reality did not allow her to hesitate.
She jumped down quickly.
Perhaps her landing posture was wrong. A sharp pain suddenly shot through her left ankle.
Jiang Hua paused for a brief moment, then immediately broke into a quick jog toward the door. Fortunately, opening it from the inside did not require a key. She swiftly opened the door, then sincerely said to everyone, “I don’t know what the situation inside the courtyard is like. If you don’t want to come in, please help watch whether Yunkai and Yunshu might come out on their own.”
Originally, no one thought much of it. But now, infected by her tension, they all became nervous.
Li Qingran had followed over just to watch the excitement. Under Jiang Hua’s sweeping gaze, she could not help but step back.
Song Jin, on the other hand, stepped over the threshold. “I’ll go in with you to look.”
Auntie Chen also said, “Yes. More people will make the search faster,” and followed them inside.
Jiang Hua nodded gratefully to them. The three of them quickly moved inward together.
“Yunkai, Yunshu,” Jiang Hua called out loudly.
In a hall with a half-open door, an eight-immortals table stood against the wall. Two worn long benches sat nearby. A folding screen with a missing corner separated the front hall, revealing another space beyond.
The space was not large. Three walls were covered with hanging paintings. Wind blew in through a propped-open window, causing the hanging scrolls on the walls to sway slightly.
At this moment, Yunkai was holding a brush, writing and drawing on the table. Yunshu sat obediently to one side with a red date in hand, eating while watching him draw.
Beside the two children sat an elderly grandmother wearing a qipao, her hair slightly graying, her expression stern.
Yunkai’s wrist had gone sore. He paused briefly and shook his wrist.
The old grandmother’s gaze immediately swept over. “Don’t think about slacking off.”
Yunkai: …
He knew he was very much in the wrong. He held back, but still could not stop himself from looking at his sister with jealousy. With grievance, he said, “Why doesn’t my sister have to draw?”
Grandma Qian glanced at Yunshu. The little girl was fair and tender, with round almond eyes that seemed to glow. Sitting properly on a small stool, she looked especially obedient. Grandma Qian immediately looked away. “Oh, no reason. I feel like it.”
Yunkai’s eyes reddened, and he nearly cried.
Yunshu gave her brother a sympathetic look and quietly let out a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Grandma did not make her draw too. When she and her brother had crawled in, they had accidentally stepped on Grandma’s flowers.
Although they had also saved Grandma, Grandma said that the flowers were more valuable than her life, so they had to stay and work to repay the debt.
Just as Yunkai and Grandma Qian were at a stalemate, a voice suddenly came from outside.
“Yunkai…”
“Yunshu…”
The little girl immediately stood up and looked at Grandma Qian in delight. “Grandma, I think it’s my mother.”
Yunkai’s eyes lit up as well. He set down the brush in relief. Grandma Qian was very stern, and he had been quite scared. He did not dare act cool and arrogant as he did in front of Jiang Hua. With an awkward expression, he tried to negotiate. “My mother has money. How much are the flowers my sister and I stepped on? I’ll have my mother pay you.”
Grandma Qian said, “Who cares about your money! Go, go, go. Get out quickly. Since when did my courtyard become a place anyone can just enter?”
She suddenly began driving them out. The two children had no time to react and were instantly pushed outside.
When Jiang Hua walked over, she happened to see the two children being driven out. Before she could look closely, the door closed again. She only vaguely caught sight of a corner of blue and pink fabric.
“Mommy!”
Yunshu’s joyful voice rang out. The little girl charged over like a small firecracker.
Jiang Hua withdrew her gaze. The tightly wound string in her mind snapped loose. Tears suddenly poured out like a spring.
The two children immediately stopped in their tracks. Their young faces stiffened, their expressions flustered and at a loss.
Yunshu looked at her timidly and called softly, “Mommy.”
Yunkai’s little face scrunched up.
Seeing this, Song Jin quickly wrapped an arm around Jiang Hua’s shoulders. “It’s fine now. As long as the children are found.”
Auntie Chen also stepped forward and took the children by the hand. “Let’s go, let’s go. We’ll talk about it at home.”
The Qian family courtyard was very large but extremely empty. Many stones were piled up in the corners, and dry leaves that had not been cleaned for a long time covered the ground.
A light breeze swept through, lifting scattered fallen leaves. The leaves slipped mischievously through the gaps of windows and doors, like a naughty child secretly flipping the papers laid out on the table. Beneath them, a portrait was revealed at one corner.
It was a pair of eyes, half hidden. The smiling gaze shimmered with moist brightness. Even without seeing the full face, one could still glimpse the innocence and naivety within.