So what if I traveled through time? I'll continue to roll in another place

After all, Zhou Yao was not found, and there was no system in ancient times that a person could be declared dead after a period of disappearance. He could only rely on Zhou Qitai's face to submit a petition to the Censorate, hoping to stay in his position temporarily without taking his salary, and look for Zhou Yao. Fortunately, Lord Zhao, the Right Assistant Censor, had a good relationship with Zhou Yao and agreed to stay for a while while the Zhou family continued to look for him.

"Don't worry, Yueshan. Your father will send more people to look for Yao'er. I hope that the ancestors will protect him and he will be safe." Zhou Qitai comforted, "Your father also wrote to you recently, saying that he is an old friend of Mr. Xie, the governor of Huainan Prefecture. If Yao'er got into trouble in his territory, he will definitely do his best to find clues. It won't be like now..." At this point, Zhou Qitai swallowed the words "no one found alive or dead", and changed to a more euphemistic way of saying "it won't be as unclear as it is now."

"Thank you, father, and mother. I am sorry for your trouble." Xiao Yueshan stood up and bowed again.

After they chatted for a while, the eldest young master Zhou Han and the second young master and his wife came to the hall. Zhou Han bowed and said, "Father and mother, I have arranged for people to search for you in places where flood refugees are concentrated, as your third brother's wife said. You will be safe and sound, and you just need to wait a little longer."

Zhou Qitai nodded slightly, and Xiao Yueshan quickly stood up and bowed to Zhou Han and Chu Jingyun and his wife: "Thank you, big brother and sister-in-law. Big sister-in-law is pregnant and still troubles big brother to run around for me. Yueshan really has no way to repay you." Zhou Han and his wife quickly signaled to the maid to help Xiao Yueshan up. "Third brother's wife is too polite. There is no need to thank you as a family. We are also happy to find Brother Yao," Zhou Han said politely.

Xu Duanmin saw that Xiao Yueshan had reserved a seat for her and wanted to say something to her, but her husband Zhou Xuan had already anticipated her temper and quickly pulled her sleeve to persuade her to forget it. Xu Duanmin pouted in anger, but finally gave up.

The meal was silent, Xiao Yueshan thought that people didn't talk when eating, so she didn't bring up the topic. The first time she went out to eat, she became the Lin Daiyu who entered the Jia Mansion, carefully watching what others did and then following their example, and the meal was not very enjoyable.

Ten days passed like this, and every day was spent visiting each other in the morning and evening, and asking how things were going. Lord Zhou was busy with official duties and was often not at home for meals. The two brothers had to prepare for exams, and they were looking for Zhou Yao, so they could not see him all day. Most of the women in the inner house were also listless. Chu Jingyun was resting in peace to take care of her pregnancy, and Xu Duanmin felt bored without Xiao Yueshan to play tricks on her.

To be fair, Mrs. Zhou was a good mother-in-law. It was hot in the summer and her eldest daughter-in-law was pregnant, so she always said that she was not in good spirits and wanted to rest for a while, and she forgot most of the greetings. Xiao Yueshan was happy and free, and she spent all day in Zhou Yao's study looking for books to read. Others just thought she was missing her husband, and no one disturbed her.

It has to be said that the Xiao family is indeed a family of scholars. The maid Shu Tong who came with the dowry was well-read and had read a lot of poems and articles. She also had beautiful handwriting, which was enough to help Xiao Yueshan complete his enlightenment as soon as possible.

One day, Xiao Yueshan dragged Shutong to the study room again. As a modern intellectual woman, she couldn't stand being a blind and semi-illiterate person who couldn't read or write. Mr. Zhou also sent someone to deliver Xiao's father's letter. Most of the pages were words she didn't recognize. Relying on the operating guide of "reading half of the Chinese characters, you won't make a mistake", she stuttered to finish reading the whole letter. Shutong's expression of jaw dropping to the ground was an insult to her.

The master and servant came back from studying day and night. After a day of teaching, Shu Tong felt dry mouth, sore hands and weak feet, but the young lady was like chicken blood. When she got tired of learning words, she practiced calligraphy. In short, she didn't stop for a quarter of an hour. She massaged her shoulders with one hand and rubbed Xiao Yueshan's shoulders with the other hand: "Young lady, your knowledge was taught by the adults themselves. Have you really forgotten it all now?"

"Yes, yes, didn't I tell you, I was so busy kowtowing that I forgot everything," Xiao Yueshan laughed. "Can kowtowing make you lose your knowledge?" Shu Tong was puzzled. "Are you stupid?" The little girl exclaimed, then realized she had said something wrong and quickly shut up. Xiao Yueshan didn't feel offended and joked casually, "I'm not stupid, but it's hard for you to teach me more, young master."

The master and servant walked into the yard chatting and laughing, but unexpectedly Xu Duanmin was sitting in the yard waiting for her.

"Your husband has not been found for a month, but your third sister-in-law has the leisure to go to the study every day, making people think you are going to take the imperial examination." Xu Duanmin felt a little sorry for her sister-in-law. Brother Xuan came back and told her that Brother Yao might really be lost. Now that more than a month has passed, the subordinates have become a little lax. No matter how much they are asked to speed up the search, it is still too much work. Even her father felt that there was little hope, but he still wanted to do something to comfort her mother. But when the words came to her lips, she remembered the past sister-in-law's wife who relied on her husband's status and only followed her own wishes without considering others, so she suddenly said something to her.

"If I could take the imperial examination, I would probably pass it before my second brother." Xiao Yueshan responded to Xu Duanmin without even thinking. "It's just that the weather is hot. Second sister-in-law has been waiting for me for so long, are you here to quarrel with me?" She smiled and tried to pull Xu Duanmin's hand, but she was not annoyed when Xu Duanmin, who was angry and blushed, shook her off.

After half a month of contact, Xiao Yueshan had already figured out the character of the second sister-in-law. The second sister-in-law was not a bad person, but she had some quarrels with the original owner. The idea of ​​forcing him to death to seize his property was something that she could not think of with her intelligence and personality. It was terrible that he was immersed in the big dye vat of society.

Think about it, Xu Duanmin and the original owner are only seventeen or eighteen years old now, which is the age for modern people to just go to college. They are both veterans in the workplace, so there is no need to be angry with the young girl. Just treat it as a joke with her.

"Hmph, who wants to argue with you? My mother asked me to come find you, let's go together." Xu Duanmin stood up angrily, pulled Xiao Yueshan over and walked out, leaving both of their personal maids behind.

"I'm telling you in secret, don't be angry or upset. I'm afraid we can't find Yao'er, so you have to plan for yourself. The Zhou family is willing to let the widow go home and remarry, but your family has strict family traditions and I'm afraid they won't allow you. This time, mother is coming to you to adopt a son from a branch of the clan for you, so that you won't be alone and lonely in your old age." Xu Duanmin said in a low voice.

Xiao Yueshan was shocked. She was so young and didn't want to have an unknown child, so she became a mother without knowing why. But she had asked Shutong before. The ancestral precepts of the Xiao family were very old-fashioned, "No daughters marry twice, no men commit bigamy", so it would be difficult for her to go back to her parents' home. Adopting a family is a better way. If she really didn't choose this option and didn't commit suicide, she could only go to the ancestral temple to worship the Buddha and end her life.

"But I, but I really think Zhou Yao can be found," Xiao Yueshan blurted out, "Ah, I usually think you are knowledgeable, smart, and sharp-tongued, but now you are so stubborn about this big matter? It's a waste of my efforts to help you!" Xu Duanmin was so angry that he pinched Xiao Yueshan.

"Good sister-in-law, I know you care about me. Even though we quarrel a lot, I am the best to you in my heart. We can just regard our daily quarrels as a way for sisters to have fun and relieve boredom." Xiao Yueshan has been hanging around with smart people for 8 years. She can say sweet words as well as harsh words. It is natural for her to say such words according to the occasion. Besides, she has no grudge against Xu Duanmin, so she has no psychological burden to say such disgusting words at this moment.

Xu Duanmin took it seriously and said hurriedly, "Who is your sister? I am your sister-in-law!" After shouting, he lowered his voice and said hurriedly, "The ancestral temple is far away and in the countryside. It is inhabited by lonely old widows from distant branches of the clan in previous generations. Anyone with any means would not go there. A newcomer like you will inevitably suffer if you go there. Not only do you have to kneel from morning to night to chant scriptures and pray for blessings, but you also have to work hard. Don't be so stubborn as to jump into the fire pit!"

"Thank you for your reminder, sister-in-law. Please say a few good words for me when you get to mother. Let me think about it carefully for a few days." Xiao Yueshan decided to use the strategy of procrastination to buy a moment of respite. On the first day after waking up, she asked Shu Tong to go to her mother's house and informed the original owner's father of the search range and search method, hoping to find Zhou Yao as soon as possible and break the current unfavorable situation.

Xiao Yueshan knew that women in ancient times had a hard life, but she didn't expect that her own experience was even more heartbreaking. If she lost her husband, she would have no place to live. She could only remarry, be adopted, or practice Buddhism. She had to rely on her father, husband, son, and clan members to make a living. Each path was very bumpy. It was too difficult to seek a future on her own. This system had long blocked any path for women to be independent and self-reliant, forcing women to become vassals of men. In a short period of time, Xiao Yueshan really had no idea how to fight against the dragnet it had woven.

At present, Xiao Yueshan can only delay for a few more days, delay the decision of where to go, delay the decision of whose child to adopt, and finally delay packing up and going to the ancestral temple. It would be great if God would grant one's wish.