Night fell.
No one had come to interrogate the Fu Family all day, nor had anyone brought them food or drink.
The children weren’t too hungry thanks to Pang Fu’s roast chicken, but the adults hadn’t had a single drop of water.
“Do they want to starve us to death?” Old Madam Fu sighed. She had lived a life of luxury, never imagining she would suffer such hardship in her old age.
Fourth Brother Fu sneered coldly: “It’s just a tactic to wear us down and break our defenses.” Once he regained his composure, Fourth Brother Fu was undoubtedly the smartest member of the Fu Family, and also the most cunning and ruthless.
“I don’t know what happened to Hui Wu that day, or whether he’s been discharged from the hospital yet. But judging by his attitude, he won’t let us leave easily.
Then again, the Fu Family has been an established clan for a century. Anyone with half a brain knows that a starved camel is still bigger than a horse. They won’t let us go until they’ve squeezed enough benefits from us.
But it’s fine. Where there are people, there are connections. Before this incident, I investigated and found that there are two leaders in the G department. One is surnamed Li, who has no scruples and acts without principles. The other is surnamed Zhou, who only cares about money, not lives. Once he takes the money, he gets things done.
I don’t know whose side Hui Wu is on, but the one surnamed Zhou has already accepted my money and will handle things properly. If he goes back on his word, it doesn’t matter either. I have evidence against him and have entrusted it to someone I trust.
Within three days, we will definitely be able to leave this place.” Once they reached their destination, it would be fine. The sky is high and the emperor far away—no matter how long their reach, they wouldn’t be able to touch them.
The Fu Family also needed this opportunity to lay low. Perhaps the Fu Family had been too prosperous for too long, accumulating too much filth that needed to be cleaned out.
So this calamity for the Fu Family was both anticipated and prepared for.
Old Master Fu nodded: “I trust you to handle things. It’s just that these past few days, the adults can endure, but the children are suffering too much.
Especially Fufu. Since coming to the Fu Family, she hasn’t had a single good day. She finally returned, only to encounter such a situation. We owe her.”
Fourth Brother Fu glanced at the chubby baby sleeping in Qingqing Yin’s arms, her little belly rising and falling. She had fallen asleep while listening to the story earlier and hadn’t woken up yet.
“I will make sure she lives a good life.”
Old Master Fu patted Fourth Brother Fu’s shoulder and said nothing more.
Pang Fu was awakened by the little greedy worms in her tummy. She grabbed Fanfan and took a couple of sips: “Hungry, need to find Fanfan.”
In the mountains, when hungry, you had to go find Fanfan. Pang Fu was already used to this way of life.
Rubbing her eyes, she sleepily walked out, forgetting that she was now a little cutie with a father, mother, and family to take care of her.
“Fufu, where are you going? There’s still roast chicken. Come here, Father will feed you.”
Pang Fu’s big eyes widened: “Yummy?”
Seeing her greedy little expression, Fourth Brother Fu couldn’t help but laugh: “Yes, yummy. Come quickly.”
Pang Fu ran over on her short little legs, opening her small mouth to wait for the yummy food.
Fourth Brother Fu tore the remaining roast chicken into small pieces and fed them into the little dumpling’s mouth.
Among the seven grandchildren of the Fu Family, the oldest was nineteen, and the youngest was two and a half years old.
A roast chicken weighed about two or three pounds. The oldest, Fu Yu’an, didn’t share with his younger siblings, so the six younger ones divided it, each getting a small piece.
The others had finished theirs at noon, leaving only Pang Fu with a little left—not much, just over an ounce.
After eating, Pang Fu’s tummy was still empty. She looked at Fourth Brother Fu with longing eyes: “Tummy still wants yummy.”
Fourth Brother Fu’s heart tightened, and he felt so distressed he couldn’t speak. Just moments ago, he had vowed to give his daughter a good life, yet now he couldn’t even fill her belly.
【Little Master, there’s nothing left. Your family can’t go out, and no one is sending food. There’s not a scrap to eat here. Your father, mother, grandparents, uncles, and aunts are all still hungry.】
Pang Fu blinked in confusion. “Hungry tummy?”
【Yes, everyone’s tummy is hungry.】
Fourth Brother Fu hugged his daughter, his heart aching. “Be good, Fufu. Let’s bear with it for now. Tomorrow, Father will find you something delicious, okay?”
“Baby find yummy.” Pang Fu pushed Fourth Brother Fu away and ran outside.
“You can’t go,” Fourth Brother Fu scooped his chubby daughter back. Things had gone missing from the kitchen just yesterday. If something disappeared again tonight, they’d be easily discovered.
“Go, go!” Pang Fu anxiously patted Fourth Brother Fu’s hands, but he refused to let go, making the little dumpling pout and nearly cry.
Qingqing Yin angrily slapped Fourth Brother Fu’s hand away. Her strength was far greater than Pang Fu’s, and with one slap, the back of Fourth Brother Fu’s hand immediately swelled red.
Fourth Brother Fu gasped in pain and released his chubby daughter.
Qingqing Yin huffed and helped her daughter slip through the hole to escape.
Fourth Brother Fu… She truly was his dear wife, always opposing him.
The rest of the Fu Family looked everywhere but at them, avoiding involvement in the family of three’s squabble.
Pang Fu crawled out of the hole, sniffing with her little nose. No yummy smells. She toddled around aimlessly on her short legs.
Baba also checked. There were no leftovers in the kitchen tonight—likely the fat cook was angry and refused to leave anything for those ungrateful people.
No food in the kitchen—what would his little master do?
“Yummy!” The little dumpling spotted her target, fixed her direction, and scurried off on her short legs.
【Where? Where?】
Baba sometimes felt his scanning function wasn’t as useful as his little master’s nose.
The little dumpling didn’t answer Baba, charging headlong out of the backyard and into the front courtyard.
Baba’s data heart skipped a beat. There were bad people ahead.
【Little Master, slow down. Let’s check carefully before running, so we don’t bump into bad people.】
Though it was nighttime, there were people on night watch here.
Pang Fu wasn’t worried at all. “No big bad people.”
【But there are small bad people.】
Pang Fu???
“Baby not small bad person. Baba bad.”
Baba… Believe him, he wasn’t being sarcastic toward his little master.
While Baba was still figuring out how to soothe his little master, Pang Fu had already generously forgotten the matter. She slipped into a room with a bed and a wardrobe—it looked like a lounge.
Pang Fu’s target was clear: the bottom drawer of the large wardrobe.
The drawer was locked, but no matter. Pang Fu found a mouse hole nearby.
Baba was in awe of his little master’s Fortune Path.
Canned meat, canned fruit, beef jerky, biscuits, peach shortbread, milk candies, and finally, a large mesh bag solved the problem of how the chubby dumpling would carry everything.
The large bag was too heavy for Pang Fu to lift, so she dragged it along, creating a clattering noise as it bumped against the ground.
Baba’s data heart thumped along with the noise, nearly scared out of its wits.
【Little ancestor, be gentle. If someone discovers us, your little bottom will really be in trouble.】
Pang Fu’s rebellious streak flared. She hopped, making the mesh bag thump against the ground several times with loud clatters.
“Is little master, not little ancestor.”
Baba clutched his chest. 【Yes, yes, little master. Baba was wrong. Please stop hopping. Let’s hurry back—your mother must be worried.】
“Mother misses Baby.” Pang Fu had a special fondness for Mother that surpassed everyone else, becoming particularly well-behaved whenever Mother was mentioned.
[Yes, yes, yes, Mother misses Baby so much she could cry. Let’s hurry back.]
“Go back.” Her chubby little legs churned into a blur as she dragged the net bag clattering back the way they came.
Baba… can’t hear, can’t hear, can’t hear.
“You bastard, I’ll make you tough it out, make you tough it out—talk or not, talk or not…”
Pang Fu screeched to a halt, turned around, and dashed toward a side path.
[Hey, hey, hey…] Baba felt utterly exhausted. When would his little master ever outgrow this habit of rushing toward any commotion?