Transmigrated into a seven-year-old child, my fate is in my own hands, not in the heavens.

Because this matter was of great importance, the fewer people who knew about it, the better. Song Wenjie did not say it explicitly, but only told Magistrate Feng not to inquire, and that he would be informed when the time was right.

Thinking of a question, Zhao Lian quickly asked, "Magistrate Feng, I wonder if anyone still lives in Datian Village?"

Magistrate Feng told the truth: "According to the household registration, Datian Village is now a ghost village, but I am not very clear about the specific situation. I haven't had time to send anyone to check it out yet."

It turned out that they had been arranged to flee the famine, and the surrounding villages and towns were all on the list of those to flee.

When news of the imperial court's flight from famine spread, some people immediately fled, while others struggled to stay and refused to leave.

Just half a month after the order to flee the famine was issued, several rains fell intermittently, alleviating the drought and allowing some people to finally survive.

Since it had started raining, they were even less willing to leave, and the imperial court did not force these villagers to leave.

Some people have left their homes, so it's inevitable that situations like cuckoos taking over other people's homes will arise. This is certainly unavoidable.

Therefore, during this period, Magistrate Feng also checked whether these villages had this phenomenon. He found that some villages had been forcibly occupied by some villagers who had fled famine, but Datian Village had not been found yet.

Given this situation, Magistrate Feng planned to send Constable Gao to investigate the next day.

Seeing that they had traveled a long way and were exhausted, with their faces showing signs of fatigue, Magistrate Feng quickly arranged accommodation for them and instructed the kitchen to prepare meals.

Song Wenjie didn't stand on ceremony. After dinner, he told everyone to rest. Now that everyone was relaxed, they planned to sleep for a day and a night.

Zhao Lian was different from them. Back here, she was full of energy and couldn't wait to go back to Datian Village to check.

After dinner, Zhao Lian planned to go to Datian Village alone, but Song Wenjie saw through her intentions and was already waiting at the yamen gate.

Seeing the man and two horses standing at the entrance of the county government office, Zhao Lian couldn't help but chuckle. This guy had already guessed that she would sneak out.

Seeing her come out, Song Wenjie's lips curled up: "It's getting late, hurry up and get on your horse! Do you want me to carry you up?"

Zhao Lian spat at him, "Pah, you wish!" Although she said that, a strange feeling welled up inside her.

Over time, Zhao Lian discovered that despite Song Wenjie's tall and sturdy build and rough appearance, he was actually a thoughtful and warm-hearted person despite his cold exterior.

On the surface, Song Wenjie seemed aloof, but Zhao Lian could clearly feel his care for her. Although the two would bicker from time to time, she was used to it.

Suddenly, Zhao Lian was startled. Could it be that she had fallen in love with him?

No way! He's my godfather's son!

The moment the thought crossed her mind, she immediately dismissed it. He was her sworn brother, how could feelings develop between siblings?

Moreover, she was only fourteen years old, while he was eight or nine years older than her; it just didn't seem right.

Zhao Lian kicked herself onto the horse, turned back to Song Wenjie and smiled: "Brother, I didn't know you were so serious on the surface, but you're actually quite glib. When are you going to find a daughter-in-law for our godfather? I'm looking forward to your wedding!"

After saying that, he squeezed the horse's belly with his legs, and the horse shot off like an arrow.

During the time they spent together, Zhao Lian would at most call him Brother Song. Her use of the word "brother" seemed to be drawing a line between them, which left Song Wenjie momentarily stunned.

In just a short while, Zhao Lian was already several hundred meters away. Song Wenjie got anxious and quickly mounted his horse.

"Hey, wait a minute~"

Fearing that Song Wenjie would lose her, Zhao Lian slowed down after they left the outskirts, waiting for Song Wenjie to catch up.

Song Wenjie had thought Zhao Lian wouldn't wait for him, but after turning a corner, he saw Zhao Lian not far ahead, and he immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

The two remained silent the entire way. The nearby villages were almost deserted, with only a few people occasionally seen, their identities unknown—whether they were original residents or refugees from other places.

After passing through several villages, the situation remained the same. I wonder if there are still any people in Datian Village, and whether any outsiders have entered my house.

And most importantly, she wondered if the gold and silver jewelry was still there. Thinking of this, Zhao Lian felt uneasy and quickened her pace.

"Drive~"

Seeing Zhao Lian's solemn expression and her increased speed, Song Wenjie was a little puzzled, but he didn't ask any questions and could only catch up quickly.

He wasn't a busybody, and he didn't want to pry unless the other party said something.

As darkness fell, I realized it was the beginning of the month with no moon, and the winding mountain path would be difficult to travel on once it got dark.

In addition, Song Wenjie was not familiar with the road conditions, so Zhao Lian hurried along and finally arrived at Datian Village before dark.

Standing at the entrance of Datian Village, looking at the long-lost village, Zhao Lian felt a mix of emotions. After wandering for several months, she felt like she had finally returned home.

Looking around, the entire village was pitch black, as if no one lived there.

Song Wenjie stood behind her: "I don't understand. Why did you come to this deserted village at night? Are you afraid of being seen?"

"What do you know!" Zhao Lian replied irritably, "Who knows if there are other people involved? Of course, the fewer people who know about this, the better, and it's also easier to do it at night."

"Besides, I've been away for so long, and I'm almost home. If I don't come back to check on things, I won't be able to sleep tonight."

Besides, it's a newly built mansion of hers, so of course she'd be more comfortable living in her own home.

Song Wenjie fell silent. What Zhao Lian said made sense. Now that they were home, they definitely wanted to go home first.

Once her eyesight adjusted, Zhao Lian walked towards her home.

There were no lights along the way. When we passed the He family's house, it was completely silent. The low, dilapidated tile-roofed house gave off a gloomy feeling.

It seems that everyone in Datian Village has fled the famine; the entire village is probably deserted.

As they approached the end of the village and turned the corner, Zhao Lian froze. Bright lights shone from her own mansion.

Moreover, the light was flickering and occasionally flashed with human figures, as if someone was searching for something with a torch.

someone!

Zhao Lian's heart jumped. Who was inside? Thinking of this, Zhao Lian dismounted.

Meanwhile, there were nearly ten men in black inside the house, searching for things.

Suddenly hearing the sound of horses' hooves outside, the man in black holding the torch was immediately alarmed. Oh no! Someone must be coming! He quickly blew out the torch.

Seeing the lights in the house go out, Zhao Lian had an idea and quickly pulled Song Wenjie to hide in a mud-brick house next door.