Hu Laifu raised his head and saw that her complexion looked very unpleasant.
“What’s wrong?”
“I said back then that we shouldn’t have our courtyard connected to the Jiang family’s courtyard. Sure enough, that Third Brother Jiang is crouching on our wall every day like he’s a thief. It’s the same now. He’s just sitting on the wall staring at us. Even if we want to leave, we can’t leave anymore.”
Hearing this, Hu Laifu’s heart jumped in alarm. He stretched his head out to look outside, and sure enough, he saw Third Brother Jiang staring over here gloomily, his whole face filled with malice.
He looked as though the moment they stepped out the door, he could immediately call out to the villagers to surround and attack them.
Hu Laifu had originally still been somewhat hesitant, but now his mind became firm instead, “You’re right. We have to leave. We must leave. We can’t stay in this village anymore. Let’s go to your mother’s family home, we’ll set out when it gets dark.”
“No. When the villagers discover that we’re not here, the first place they’ll think of is my mother’s family home.”
There was still one thing Madam Zheng did not say. The people in her mother’s family knew Zhaozhao, and they also knew what intentions they had toward Zhaozhao. Her parents had never valued her to begin with. With something like this happening, who knew what they would do?
What a pity. Before Zhaozhao left, she took those few rings and the anklet and jade pendant with her. They didn’t have much money in their hands now…
Wait. Perhaps they could still make a trip to her mother’s family home.
“Fine. We’ll leave when it gets dark.” For now, they would first pack their things.
Hu Laifu and Madam Zheng hurried to make use of the time while continuing to keep an eye on the outside. They also had to pay attention to any movement outside the courtyard at all times, afraid that the villagers might barge in at any moment.
Fortunately, there was movement on the Sky Screen again, and everyone’s attention shifted once more.
Jian Yunsang had already arrived at the residential complex’s parking lot. She turned her head to look at Zhaozhao and, seeing that the latter was sleeping soundly, hesitated a little, unable to bear waking her.
She simply sat in the car and started shopping on her phone. Now that the child was back, there were always things she was lacking.
Just after she placed three orders in a row, a faint rumbling sound suddenly came from the back seat.
Jian Yunsang froze and turned her head, at the same time seeing Zhaozhao open her eyes.
She immediately put away her phone and smiled, “Awake?”
Zhaozhao had been awakened by hunger, but she was too embarrassed to say so. She lightly nodded her head, only then noticing that the surroundings were very dark.
“We… arrived home?”
“Yes ah, we’re home. If you’re still sleepy, we’ll go upstairs and sleep some more.”
Jian Yunsang got out of the car and unfastened her seat belt for her, still holding the little girl in her arms.
Zhaozhao curiously looked around. Their home… was it like this?
Of course it was not like this. Jian Yunsang carried her to the elevator. Her home was on the ninth floor, right in the middle, with a wide view and a nice environment.
Everything she saw here was strange and novel. Zhaozhao did not understand why they had to walk into a box and then be shut inside it, and she was somewhat afraid. But staying in the warm embrace, she also felt very reassured.
As soon as they reached the ninth floor, the elevator doors opened.
Then Zhaozhao widened her eyes. What was going on? When they came in just now, it wasn’t like this outside. How did the scenery outside the door change in the blink of an eye?
It seemed… it really was like an immortal technique.
“What’s wrong?” Seeing that her expression was somewhat frightened, Jian Yunsang hurriedly asked, “Are you afraid of riding the elevator?”
Zhaozhao two years ago certainly would not have been. But no one knew what she had experienced during these two years, so it was possible that she was afraid of riding the elevator now.
Zhaozhao hurriedly shook her head, “No.” She wasn’t afraid. She was just… shocked. Yes, shocked.
Jian Yunsang made sure that she really was not afraid before stepping out of the elevator. The apartments here had two elevators serving two households, and after going out and walking a few steps forward, they would reach the door of her home.
She freed one hand. Just when Zhaozhao thought she was going to take out a key to open the door, Jian Yunsang pressed one of her thumbs against the door lock. A short ringing sound came from it, followed by a voice saying, ‘Welcome home,’ and just like that… the door opened.
“Immortal technique. This is definitely an immortal technique.” The common people beneath the Sky Screen could not help but cry out in astonishment.
“In the blink of an eye, the scenery changed. With a stretch of the hand, the door opened. If this isn’t an immortal technique, then what is?”
Someone finally could not restrain themselves and knelt down. They firmly believed that ordinary mortals simply could not do this.
Emperor Jingxuan also narrowed his eyes, his fingers tightly gripping the armrest of his seat as he stared motionlessly at that door.
The door opened, and a wave of warmth rushed toward them. Zhaozhao was extremely surprised, “It’s so warm inside the house oh.”
Jian Yunsang took off her down jacket and changed into slippers. Seeing this, Zhaozhao could not help but curl up her toes.
Her shoes were tattered, with all her toes exposed outside, and they were dirty too. But the floor in front of her was so clean that it was shiny enough to reflect light, leaving her with nowhere to put her feet.
Jian Yunsang rubbed her head and took out a pair of fluffy little slippers, “Wear these. These were originally your slippers.”
She placed Zhaozhao on the shoe-changing bench. Without giving Zhaozhao time to react, she took off her shoes. The next moment, her hand stopped, and began to tremble slightly. Just now, she had only seen her toes sticking out, but she had not expected that after taking off her shoes, Zhaozhao’s feet would be even more unbearable to look at.
A trace of ruthlessness uncontrollably flashed through Jian Yunsang’s eyes.
Seeing that those beautiful, warm slippers were about to be put on her feet, Zhaozhao hurriedly pulled both feet back, “No, they’re dirty.”
Jian Yunsang did not force her. She secretly took a deep breath, “Okay. Then sit here for a while. I’ll get some water to wipe them for you.”
She quickly brought over a basin of hot water. Zhaozhao was still looking at the slippers in front of her, her little hands wanting to touch them but not daring to. The next moment, her feet were surrounded by warm water.
“I’ll do it myself.”
But Jian Yunsang held her little feet, looking at the scabbed marks on them, as well as her little toes that were visibly red, swollen, and puffy. Her heart felt as though it were soaking in bitter water. She was afraid that the moment she opened her mouth, she would cry, so she could only lower her head and bite her lips, gently massaging them for her.
As if she sensed something, Zhaozhao asked hesitantly in a low voice, “You… are you crying? It doesn’t hurt me, really. It just looks a little scary, that’s all. Don’t be sad.” Although she said that, her small feet subconsciously shrank back slightly.
Jian Yunsang raised her head and looked at the little girl anxiously trying to comfort her, then smiled, “I’m fine. Come, let’s dry your feet first. Later, I’ll buy some ointment and put it on them. They’ll get better very soon.”
“Okay.”
After putting on the warm and cozy slippers, Zhaozhao carefully took two steps and felt extremely comfortable. She raised her head and looked at Jian Yunsang, “Can I wear them all the time from now on?”
“Of course you can. These are your slippers. You can even hug them while you sleep if you want.”
Zhaozhao gave a shy smile. Who would hug slippers while sleeping? En, actually, it was fine to hug such pretty slippers while sleeping too. Compared with hugging straw while sleeping, they were much cleaner.
Jian Yunsang held her hand and turned past the entrance hall. The next moment, her field of vision suddenly became much wider.
Zhaozhao had just raised her head when she widened her eyes in surprise, “So beautiful.”
The spacious and bright living room had a beige fabric sofa, while the coffee table held teacups and a fruit platter, along with a potted narcissus. At this moment, two narcissus flowers had just bloomed on it, as if proclaiming that the peace and safety the household had prayed for had already arrived.