How could I possibly be confined in a cage?

The plate of poisoned dumplings delivered to Yanru was lifted high and then gently put down. The luggage that had been packed earlier had to be put away again when the servants from Xiaolou returned.

Yan Ru couldn't explain it clearly. She only knew that she still cared about Yuan Liang. In the end, she was still afraid of the outside world. As long as she could stay in the Song family, she could keep going.

Unlike the Song family, Qingru was packing her luggage at the Guo family's villa.

"Sister Qingru, you've only been back a few days, and you're already going out again? Can you take me with you?" Xiao Erlang hugged Qingru tightly, unwilling to let go, and lingered by her side with great reluctance.

Qingru patted his head. "No, you stay here properly. It's not easy for Young Master Guo to agree to sponsor your schooling. How can you refuse? You've already fallen behind in your studies. You can't afford to fall behind any further."

Little Erlang pouted, insisting on staying by Qingru's side no matter what.

Seeing this, Xiao Fuzi quickly pulled him away and scolded him, "Don't cause trouble. Sister Qingru has her own things to do. Stay put and don't make things worse, okay?"

Guiying also helped persuade them. Although the cotton mill had closed, Guiying, Qiushuang, and Xiaofuzi were all unwilling to leave. Xiaofuzi had no home and only considered Qingru as family. Qiushuang wanted to find a job in Sifang City and didn't want to go back to her hometown. Guiying felt the same way.

So the group settled down at the villa without much trouble. In fact, Qingru had suggested that they take the group back to the Lü family home, but Guo Zixing had not agreed.

"Hey you guys, come and make dumplings! What are you all doing over there?" Hongyu called out to the group with a disgruntled expression, carrying a large basket filled with flour and prepared filling. "If you don't help, you won't get any to eat later."

As soon as she said this, she immediately attracted everyone's attention. A petite girl with fair skin and bright eyes skipped over to Hongyu and said, "I'll help you!" as she took the basket from her hands.

This is Xiao Fuzi. After a period of recuperation, she is no longer as thin and bony as she once was. Anyone who saw her would hardly recognize her as the "stubborn little thing".

Seeing such a well-behaved and sensible girl, Hongyu's mood improved a lot. "You're the best."

Guiying also came over and offered her smooth head to Hongyu's hand, "Then, Sister Hongyu, have I been a good girl?"

Haha, the girls burst into laughter.

Qingru was happy to see this, so she put down her work and came over to make dumplings with them.

Xiao Fuzi couldn't help but exclaim, "These days are truly wonderful!"

Guiying was practically homeless herself, and she understood Xiaofuzi's feelings. She touched her head with affection and said, "It will always be this good from now on."

While wrapping dumplings, Hongyu chatted with Guiying, "Hey, Guiying, you're sixteen this year, aren't you?"

Guiying shook her head. "I'm already eighteen. I'll be nineteen after the New Year."

Hongyu was taken aback. "We're the same age. Do you have someone you like in the village?"

Everyone immediately turned to look at Guiying, making her blush deeply. She blushed and playfully slapped Hongyu, saying, "What nonsense are you talking about?"

"Hehe, so there is one! Tell us quickly, who is that person? What do you think? Is he handsome or not?"

Once this topic was mentioned, none of them were sleepy anymore. Without the pressure of survival, this was the kind of topic that women were most interested in.

Seeing them all gathered around her with great interest, Guiying decided to let loose. "Oh, it's nothing to tell you, it's my aunt's second cousin, he..." Guiying blushed as she thought about it, "...he's a very nice person..."

"What? I can't hear him. Who is he?" Qiu Shuang said jokingly, pretending not to hear.

"He's very good!" Guiying roared, her face stern. "He really is very good."

"Oh~ how is it good?" Hongyu wanted to ask more.

“I know,” Xiao Erlang answered quickly. “Guiying’s second cousin is so nice. He even gave me food. As for looks, he’s a little less handsome than me.”

"Haha, with your good looks, do any girls like you?" Qiu Shuang teased.

"Of course, you all... like me, don't you?"

"You little rascal, how dare you make fun of the older sisters, you deserve a beating."

The group was making a ruckus, and Qingru shook her head, helplessly taking on the responsibility of making dumplings. With them making such a fuss, she didn't know when they would be able to eat dumplings.

The faces of her father and sister flashed through her mind. Qingru only allowed herself to be sad for a moment before putting her emotions aside and deciding to focus on the task at hand.

"It's so lively!"

"Master."

"Young Master Guo."

Several sounds rang out at the same time. Qingru looked up and saw that Guo Zixing had brought Zhang Xun over.

"Tonight is New Year's Eve, aren't you spending it at the Marshal's Mansion?"

Guo Zixing asked Zhang Xun to bring over a few boxes, without even taking off his outer robe.

"Of course we'll stay at the Marshal's Mansion. I ordered some pastries on the street the other day and brought a few boxes over for you. I won't be coming back tonight."

"Mmm," Qingru replied, suddenly unsure of what to say to him. These past few days, aside from official business, it seemed like the two hadn't had a proper conversation in a long time.

Guo Zixing also felt the atmosphere was too strange, so he took his leave.

"Wait a minute," Qingru called out to him, "Um, when do we leave?"

Guo Zixing knew she was referring to going to rescue Xin Wuhui, so he said, "What's the rush? We should go after the New Year, otherwise setting off at this time might alert the enemy."

Qingru knew this was the situation, but she still wanted to say a few more words to Guo Zixing, so she asked the question.

"Okay, then it's decided."

Guo Zixing seemed to suddenly understand something, reached out and patted Qingru's head before turning and leaving.

Qiu Shuang saw all of this and couldn't help but ask Hong Yu, "What is the relationship between Qing Ru and Young Master Guo? Why do they seem so close?"

Hongyu glanced over there. "She's the young master's right-hand woman. I only found out later that Qingru went to university. She's very knowledgeable and intelligent, so the young master trusts her quite a bit."

"I mean, could it be that the young master is... could it be..."

Guiying nudged Qiushuang, who immediately swallowed her words.

Hongyu didn't hear her clearly, "What did you say?"

"It's nothing, I just think Qingru is quite capable." Under Guiying's glare, Qiushuang quickly changed the subject.

Xiao Fuzi frowned as she watched the two of them operate the mechanism. She wouldn't allow anyone to harm Qingru, not even by speaking.

"How many have you wrapped up?" Qingru came over to check on the group's progress.

The group of people only managed to make twenty dumplings in total. Although they all tried their best, the shapes were atrocious.

"At this rate, you won't be able to eat before dark. Come on, let me teach you." Qingru said, picking up a dumpling wrapper to demonstrate. "Look, the filling shouldn't be too much or too little. Half a spoonful is just right. Fold the wrapper in half, then start from the edge and fold it up slowly, one fold at a time..."

Qingru taught very diligently, and gradually the group grasped the knack, becoming more and more proficient with each lesson.

In the evening, we finally got to eat dumplings.

Since they had to stay up all night on New Year's Eve, the group decided to clean up the small outer room of Qingru's room, set up a brazier, and gather around with peanuts, melon seeds, and snacks, eating and chatting.

The gathering of several half-siblings surprisingly created a sense of fulfillment. Although each had their own concerns, their hearts were at least together at that moment.