It's hard for my elder sister. I rely on the mountains to farm and pay off my debts.

Zhou Yu had just ordered his men to inspect the arrows when someone came hurriedly to report from outside.

Sir, there are many people kneeling on the ground outside Zhuangzi. Please help them and bring back their abducted families.

Zhou Yu didn't bother to rest, he got up and went out the door.

The villagers in the village were frightened all night last night. Early in the morning, some brave people came to the village to look for it.

He saw the officers in official uniforms at a glance, so he ran back to discuss with the villagers and asked the officers to help him get back his family members who had been abducted.

Muramasa, who was kneeling in the front row, saw Zhou Yu stepping out and kowtowed and begged, "Sir, sir, our family members have been kidnapped..."

Before he could finish his words, Zhou Yu interrupted him, saying, "I already know everything you said, and I have found the person."

"Everyone, please be patient. I will send someone to call them out."

When the villagers heard Zhou Yu say this, they kowtowed to him happily and kept thanking him.

Soon the officers brought out the twelve people. When the abducted children saw their parents, they could no longer suppress their fear and panic after days of crying.

When the parents saw their abducted child, they finally felt relieved after being worried for many days. They kept comforting their crying and trembling child, "It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back!"

After sending the farmers away, Zhou Yu turned around and asked his subordinates, "Have you found out where the victims are from? And why were they abducted here?"

"Reporting to the Lord, most of these people were unable to pay the high rent like Tianjiagou, and were subsequently forcibly abducted."

"A small number of women were sold to the Chen family. When I asked them where they lived, they remained silent and refused to answer."

Zhou Yu couldn't help but frown. He nodded and signaled his men, "Take me to see them."

Zhou Yu took a step forward and walked to the temporary resettlement yard.

He stopped in the yard and signaled his men to go and notify people.

The subordinate quickly followed the order and knocked on the door, "The county magistrate has something to ask you. Come out and answer immediately."

Rescued by the officers last night, the women stayed awake all night, wondering when the master would let them go home.

When they heard that the county magistrate had arrived, the people who had been abducted left the house one after another.

The women did not recognize the county magistrate, and now they saw a young man standing at the door with his hands behind his back and an imposing manner.

Everyone subconsciously knelt down in Zhou Yu's direction, "Sir, please make a decision for us and let us go home!"

Zhou Yu looked at the thin women and children kneeling in the yard and said softly, "Don't worry, I will have the officers notify your families and come here to take you home."

After hearing Zhou Yu's words, most of the women kowtowed happily and thanked him repeatedly, "Thank you, sir, thank you, sir..."

"Okay, you guys register with the officer first." After saying that, he turned his head and instructed his subordinates to take the person to the clerk's office for registration, and then sent a team of people to go at full speed to notify each household to come and pick up the person with their household registration.

After a while, the women who were going home happily followed the officers.

In the courtyard, there were still twenty or thirty women and half-grown girls kneeling.

"Why, your home is not here? Or you don't want to go home?" Zhou Yu asked the group of people who were still kneeling and unwilling to get up.

A haggard woman shed tears and said, "Sir, we have no home. The world is so big, and there is no place for us to stay. Please don't send us back!"

As soon as someone spoke, someone burst into tears and said:

"Sir, if you let us go, it will only mean we will be sold again. My husband and children are all dead, my in-laws don't want me, and I can't go back to my parents' home. Please show me mercy, even if it means going to a temple in the mountains. I don't want to go back."

Zhou Yu's gaze swept over a thin girl, "What about you? You also lost your parents? Lost your family?"

When the girl heard Zhou Yu's question, tears fell from her eyes like beads strung together on a string.

"Sir, I don't want to go home either. Although I have a father, he listens to my stepmother about all family matters. My stepmother doesn't like me and beats and scolds me at every turn. If I am sent back, I will still be sold as a human being. I beg you to show mercy and give me a chance to live."

After saying that, she kept kowtowed to Zhou Yu.

Seeing her skinny figure, Zhou Yu sighed and hurriedly asked someone to stop the child from kowtow.

He glanced at the crowd again, with mixed emotions surging in his heart.

At this time, he also realized that simply sending these people back home would not really solve their plight, but might instead cause them to fall into deeper despair again.

"Forget it," he finally said. "Since you have nowhere else to go, come back to the county with me. I will arrange for you to stay in the orphanage. You will help take care of the children there first. Later, the county will establish you as daughter households. I hope you can support each other and become self-reliant."

When the women heard this, they were stunned at first, then they burst into exclamations, and the light of hope rekindled in their eyes.

They all kowtowed and expressed their gratitude, "Thank you so much, sir, for your grace, thank you so much, sir, for your grace!"

When Song Zhi got up and washed, she heard cheers coming from the yard next door.

Seeing Cui Liu coming out of the courtyard with food in her arms, Song Zhi asked curiously, "What happened? It sounds like a happy event!"

Cui Liu respected Song Zhi very much because she risked her life to protect her young lady.

Hearing her curiosity about what was happening outside, she smiled and explained, "I just came over from over there and heard that the county magistrate was going to send the captives home."

Song Zhi suddenly understood and nodded, saying, "This is indeed something worth being happy about!"

Cui Liu continued as if presenting a treasure, "There's far more than that. I just went over there to deliver food, and I heard there were 20 or 30 people who didn't want to go home. They said even if they were sent home, they'd be sold again!"

When she said this, Cui Liu sighed, not knowing whether she was thinking of herself or not.

"They are all miserable people. Either their husbands are gone and they are not welcomed by their parents-in-law when they return home, or they are tortured by their stepmothers. I think it is better for you to arrange it this way!"

Song Zhi asked curiously, "Where did the county magistrate arrange for them to go?"

Cui Liu nodded repeatedly, "Not only that, the adults said that they should be arranged in Yuyou Hall first, and then a daughter household will be established for them. They can make their own decisions. Even if life is hard, there is hope, right?"

"My Lord, this is really giving them a chance to live!"

Song Zhi touched her chin thoughtfully. She could actually give them some work to support themselves.

There is no need to rush this matter. It will not be too late to discuss it after they are settled.