The Divine Doctor and Adorable Consort: The Demonic Emperor is Too Cunning

"Mmm." Er Mao nodded vigorously with his little head.

"Aunt Cuihua, then I won't stand on ceremony." Fang Qingyou smiled and took the meat and pastries out of the bamboo basket and into the kitchen. "Aunt Cuihua, I bought some meat today. These are for your family. You can cook a dish for dinner tonight. And this bag of pastries is for Damao and Ermao."

"You'er, take these things back quickly. Your aunt doesn't want them. You and your brother need to nourish your bodies right now. Keep them for yourselves." Seeing this, Cuihua quickly pushed the things away.

Fang Qingyou pushed it back: "Aunt Cuihua, you should keep it. I have plenty more at home. The weather is hot now, and things don't keep well. They'll spoil if we leave them any longer."

Cuihua shook her head repeatedly, "No, no, You'er, take it back quickly, Auntie doesn't want it..."

Fang Qingyou and Cuihua kept pushing and shoving the bag of pastries back and forth, while Er Mao stared longingly at the bag of pastries, smacking his lips involuntarily.

Seeing this, Fang Qingyou simply accepted the pastries, quickly opened the packaging paper, took out a pastry and handed it to Er Mao: "Er Mao, these pastries are delicious, let me feed you, okay?"

Seeing the tempting pastries, Er Mao's round eyes widened, and he quickly nodded.

"Er Mao..." Cuihua was about to stop her, but Fang Qingyou had already put the pastry to Er Mao's lips.

Er Mao was afraid that Cuihua wouldn't let him eat, so he quickly swallowed the pastry in one bite, his little face bulging out, and he didn't want to open his mouth.

Seeing this, Cuihua couldn't bear to stop Ermao anymore. At the same time, her eyes reddened. It was all because they, as parents, were incompetent and couldn't even afford to buy pastries for their child.

At this moment, Fang Qingyou took out another pastry, placed the remaining pastries on the cutting board, and led Er Mao away, saying, "Aunt Cuihua, you go ahead and do your work, we're leaving now."

By the time Cuihua realized what was happening, Fang Qingyou had already led Er Mao out of the kitchen.

Cuihua wiped her eyes with her sleeve, hesitated for a moment, and then turned to wash the meat in her hands.

The last time their family ate meat was during the Chinese New Year. Tiewa does heavy physical labor every day, so he naturally prefers meat and oil, while Da Mao and Er Mao are at the age where they're growing...

She'll remember Fang Qingyou's kindness for now and repay it later.

After eating two pieces of pastry, Er Mao was very happy. When he got excited, he pulled weeds even faster than Fang Qingyou.

Fang Qingyou stopped and persuaded Er Mao to slow down, and the two chatted while pulling weeds.

"Sister You'er, did you buy a cow? Is that why you're pulling so much grass?"

In Er Mao's mind, cattle are animals that can plow fields, and many families in Liujia Village have cattle.

Fang Qingyou smiled and shook her head: "No, my sister just rented a carriage and needs to prepare some hay for the horses."

"A horse-drawn carriage?!" Er Mao's eyes lit up immediately: "Sister You'er, is a horse-drawn carriage the kind of vehicle that can run very fast, even faster than an oxcart?"

“Yes. Er Mao wants to ride in a carriage, right? The carriage is at my house. I’ll take you tomorrow!” Seeing Er Mao’s longing eyes, Fang Qingyou really wanted to let him ride right away, but it was getting dark, the road was difficult to travel, and there were many people coming back from the fields. In addition, horses are more sensitive at night, so driving would be quite dangerous.

"Oh my gosh! Great, great! I can ride in a horse-drawn carriage!" Er Mao clapped his hands and jumped up happily.

As Er Mao was jumping around, he suddenly remembered something and became nervous: "Sister You'er, if I go to your house to ride in a carriage tomorrow, will Aunt Ren be unhappy?"

"No, Aunt Ren likes you very much, how could she be unhappy?" Fang Qingyou didn't know how Aunt Ren and Er Mao got along in the past, but these past few days when Er Mao came to her house to play, Aunt Ren showed that she really liked the little guy.

"I heard from my mother that Aunt Ren was bullied by a bad woman, and she's very unhappy."

Fang Qingyou's expression changed, and she couldn't help but think of Ren's scratched arm and the slap mark on her face.

"Er Mao, do you know that bad woman?"

"That wicked woman who sold the child." A hint of fear appeared on Er Mao's face.

Fang Qingyou's gaze darkened. There was only one person in Liu Family Village who was called "the bad woman who sells children," and that person was Zhang the matchmaker.

Yesterday, Ms. Ren must have heard that Zhang the matchmaker had brought people after her, which is why she went to Zhang the matchmaker's house to ask, and ended up being beaten by her.

No, Zhang the matchmaker should have returned only an hour or so earlier than her yesterday afternoon, and the injuries on Ren's body were inflicted at least two hours earlier.

Fang Qingyou suddenly remembered someone: Liu Erya, Zhang the matchmaker's sister-in-law. At that time, the woman Ren met at Zhang the matchmaker's house was very likely her.

Fang Qingyou didn't know much about Liu Erya, only that she was even more shrewish and fierce than Zhang the matchmaker.

Fang Qingyou's eyes turned cold, and she had an urge to beat Liu Erya up. However, if she were to confront Liu Erya with her physique, she would probably end up being beaten up like Ren Shi.

The only way to deal with this wicked woman is through strategy.

After filling a bamboo basket with grass, Fang Qingyou went home.

Yi Lingyun stood outside the door and saw Fang Qingyou return. She was about to take the bamboo basket off Fang Qingyou's back when she said, "Qingyou, let me feed the horses."

Fang Qingyou was still thinking about how Ren Shi had been beaten by Liu Erya, and she didn't stand on ceremony with Yi Lingyun: "Thank you for your hard work."

Fang Qingyou went home to find Ren Shi, while Yi Lingyun fed the horses and checked the surroundings.

Yi Lingyun felt a little strange. He originally thought these people were after money and was worried that they would harm Fang Qingyou. But after careful investigation, he found that these people seemed to be quite skilled. With their skills, they shouldn't be eyeing Fang Qingyou's few dozen taels of gold.

But if they weren't here for money, then what were they here for? An enemy?

What kind of grudges could a destitute farming family possibly harbor?

Ren was tidying up a room for Yi Lingyun in the woodshed. She had given him the new quilts and mattresses that Fang Qingyou had bought for the family.

Fang Qingyou wasn't bothered; Yi Lingyun was a very good friend, worth getting to know better.

Fang Qingyou came in wanting to help Madam Ren tidy up, but Madam Ren quickly stopped her, saying, "You'er, don't bother, leave this to your mother."

"Mom, let me help you, I'm not tired."

Ren hesitated before asking, "You'er, did you earn the money to buy all these things today?"

"Yes. I helped the imperial court solve a case and received a reward. After buying these things, I still have a lot of money left. Mother, we won't be short of money anymore!"

"What case?" Madam Ren was more worried than pleased. Such a large reward could not be a small case, and she was afraid that Fang Qingyou was in danger.

"It's a case in Nanguan County. Yi Lingyun helped me solve it, but I got all the reward money." Afraid that Ren would worry, Fang Qingyou deliberately spoke vaguely, creating the illusion that everything was thanks to Yi Lingyun. Then she quickly changed the subject: "Mother, did Zhang the matchmaker come to the house to cause trouble again today?"