Lock and secure

Swindler A: "Everyone, please be patient. The situation is this: my son has come from far away to Zhejiang Province and opened a shop and a new residence in the county. He is short of staff. While doing business in Qinlin County, he accidentally rescued these abducted children. Because the thieves wanted to kill him, he fled here with the children. To ensure the safety of the children and everyone in Hualin Village, he can only temporarily place the children in Hualin Village and ask everyone to take care of them."

Swindler B: "We finally managed to escape the pursuit and are now returning to take these children home. You are short of staff in your inn and in your newly built mansion. I know it's not easy for everyone in Hualin Village. If you are willing, you can send these children down the mountain together. We will send them to the city together. The older ones can help with the business in the inn, and the younger ones can help with some chores in the mansion. We provide food and accommodation, and a daily salary. They can probably earn a few hundred yuan a month..."

Hualin Village is remote and the people there have basically no ways to make money. They have to be self-sufficient all year round and even getting salt has become a problem.

When they heard that food and accommodation were provided and they could earn money, many people's eyes showed a glint of hope.

However, there were still a few people in the crowd who looked worried.

"How can we help you with your business if our children can't even read?"

"Yes, my child has only learned to write his own name these days with the two nobles. If he goes to the city, he will cause trouble for the nobles!"

"Besides, what can an eight or nine-year-old do?"

……

Swindler A showed an unhappy expression on his face. "My fellow villagers, an eight or nine-year-old really can't do anything big. My young master is kind-hearted, so he's willing to let an eight or nine-year-old go. The children in the village, eight or nine years old, all help their grandparents with firewood and cooking, and they're much better off than the children in the city. The servants in the mansion are just washing dishes, sweeping the yard, running errands, and so on. If you think your children can't do it, then we won't force them."

The villagers heard the displeasure in his tone and felt that their words had chilled the hearts of the two nobles, so they hurriedly explained: "Don't be upset, nobles, we are also worried that the little boy will cause trouble for you!"

Swindler B: "Here's the opportunity. If you are willing, you can send your children down the mountain tomorrow. My master will send a few carriages to pick them up."

"Bullshit, this is a scam! Two big liars!" Luo Yao whispered angrily, and was pulled by Li Er to prevent him from rushing out and beating up the two human traffickers.

The secret guards around witnessed the whole scam and were all stunned.

The atmosphere at the fire club was not good because of a word. The villagers originally thought that their eight or nine-year-old children would cause trouble to others, but after being PUA-ed by the two scammers, they all showed expressions of guilt.

"Your Excellency is so kindhearted, and we have disappointed you!"

"Who said it wasn't true? People don't mind us eight or nine-year-old kids causing trouble. Mrs. Li, you are so confused!"

Mrs. Li was the woman who had just questioned what an eight or nine-year-old child could do.

At this time, the villagers had been persuaded, and she herself was full of guilt. Unable to bear the condemnation of her conscience, she walked out of the team, knelt on the ground and kowtowed to the nobleman on the stage.

"It is I, Li Po, who have disappointed you, my lord. I hope you will not take offense against a village woman like me."

Scammer B quickly stepped forward to help her up. "Aunt Li, please don't be like this. It's understandable that you're worried about causing trouble for us. Please get up quickly."

The atmosphere relaxed and the fire party became lively again.

The villagers were chattering about sending their children to the city to broaden their horizons.

A ragged child squeezed out of the crowd, knelt on the ground, and said sincerely: "Please take me down the mountain!"

Swindlers A and B looked at each other, and the old village chief beside them looked embarrassed.

A and B are puzzled: "This child is..."

The old man stumbled down the stage and pulled up the child who was kneeling on the ground. "Don't worry about him, my two benefactors. He is not yet eight years old. He is only seven in age!"

The child struggled violently, crying and shouting, "Grandpa, I want to go. My parents are dead, and the villagers have been taking care of me. I don't want to cause trouble to everyone anymore!"

The child shouted sincerely, and for a moment, the people who were discussing the matter all looked at the child kneeling on the ground.

"Don't worry, my lord. I can do everything. I can... I can feed the pigs, wash clothes, wash dishes, chop wood... I can also use a slingshot to shoot rabbits..."

The child racked his brains and said everything he knew. The villagers were infected by his words and showed pity on their faces.

"Ah... this child has a miserable life. He lost his parents when he was young. If it weren't for the help from the villagers, he would have died long ago..."

The atmosphere reached this point, and many villagers cast pleading glances at the two scammers on the stage.

Swindlers A and B looked embarrassed but secretly happy, pretending to be conflicted.

Seeing him struggling, the villagers looked at him expectantly, not daring to say a word.

"Let's put it this way. If I only take in this six or seven-year-old child, it wouldn't be fair to everyone else. If there are other six or seven-year-old children whose parents and children are willing, then we can send them down the mountain together."

"Will this..."

"Well, there are only a few children aged six or seven in the village. My young master probably won't say anything. It all depends on whether the villagers are comfortable leaving their children with us."

The villagers expressed gratitude: "What are you talking about? We have all seen how you two have taken care of us, so how could we not trust you? Our children can learn skills and earn money in the city with you. We can't thank you enough!"

In the dark, Luo Yao was speechless.

"Why don't you two bastards just lure all the pregnant women in the village into the city!"

The secret guards' lips twitched when they heard this. They found that they had not spoken for many years and could not find any words to complain. They could only simply label the two liars: scum!

The two villains were happily embraced by the villagers, drinking and eating meat...

"Princess, there should be nothing wrong in the Little Ghost Village now."

Luo Yao nodded. "It seems that the possibility of Chenchen being in Little Ghost Village is extremely small. Xiaowu, take your men down the mountain and search the Ghost Village to find Chenchen's whereabouts. Don't miss any corner. Be careful. Don't leave any traces for these two scammers to find."

"Yes!"

"Little Nine, Little Ten, Eleven, and Twelve, the four of you stay on the mountain and keep an eye on the situation in the village."

"Brother, let's go down the mountain."

A group of people left quietly, leaving only a few people on the mountain.

Although the distance is a bit far, fortunately it is much easier to go down the mountain than to go up.

At three quarters past midnight, in the deserted ghost village, sparks of fire lit up, and the secret guards carefully searched among the ruins.

Luo Yao and Li Er went to the ambush points on the two roads out of the village separately, checked that everything was correct, and then rushed back to the village.

At noon, the secret guards did not dare to continue searching the village, and some of them withdrew.

"Princess, we haven't found His Royal Highness. It's past noon. Fifth Brother is afraid that if we continue the large-scale search, we'll be discovered by the villagers who are sending the child down the mountain, so he has already withdrawn some of his men."

"Also, the brothers have reported that the two prisoners said goodbye to the villagers at dawn and took some villagers to escort the abducted children down the mountain. The villagers know a shortcut down the mountain, and they should be in the village in two hours."

After the secret guard finished his report, another secret guard came hurriedly.

"Princess, the buyer is here and will be at the entrance of Ghost Village in about an hour!"

Luo Yao: "Where are the people coming from?"

"No one comes from the east or west!"

Luo Yao waved his hand and asked the secret guards to retreat.

What’s going on in this village? Hualin Village isn’t very big, how come we haven’t found a child after searching for so long?

Li Er saw through his worry and explained, "Young Master, every household in the countryside has a cellar. To avoid theft, they're all built in secret places. Hualin Village has been uninhabited for many years, and many houses have collapsed. Now, seven or eight years have passed, so searching them won't be easy."