CHAPTER 67: CHAPTER 67: AN UNHAPPY REUNION

The road home wasn’t long, and the Yuan Family members sprinted back swiftly.

Yuan Zhaodi was the fastest, as he was tall and sturdy.

When he returned to Shiqu Village with a heart full of anxiety and rushed to the courtyard of his house, he saw two figures, one large and one small, outside the gate, and stood dumbstruck.

"Fourth Brother!"

Yuan Yindi saw his own bewildered fourth brother standing there and called out.

Yuan Bao also saw her hurriedly returning father but did not call out to him.

She had no plans to simply let go of the fact that she was forgotten at home.

She had the soul of an adult, so she looked at things deeply.

Although the onset of war was sudden and the village was forcibly relocated, making it chaotic, Yuan Bao didn’t believe that during the process, no one noticed her absence.

It’s not that she wanted to maliciously speculate people’s hearts, but the facts were laid out.

Her father and mother surely forgot her due to some misunderstanding or chaos, but what about the others?

...

Not long after Yuan Zhaodi returned, the members of the Yuan Family all came back.

Knowing Yuan Bao was unharmed, the family all appeared very joyful.

Mrs. Xiao Li hugged Yuan Bao tightly, her intense concern visible for all to see.

However, Yuan Bao’s reaction was quite cold.

If she weren’t an ordinary child, she would have probably not survived by now.

The cold demeanor of Yuan Bao was something both Yuan Zhaodi and Mrs. Xiao Li could feel.

Despite Mrs. Xiao Li continuously shedding tears and admitting her faults, Yuan Bao remained indifferent. Even when Yuan Yindi tried to persuade her, Yuan Bao kept a cold expression.

"Husband, has Jiaojiao stopped recognizing us?"

At night, after Yuan Bao fell asleep, Mrs. Xiao Li held Yuan Zhaodi’s hand, tears flowing unhindered.

Yuan Zhaodi wasn’t happy either.

In Sanchuan City, the matter of Yuan Bao being forgotten had already caused numerous uproars at home. Yuan Zhaodi and Mrs. Xiao Li knew there was an issue, but since they themselves couldn’t recall their own child, blaming anyone else wouldn’t work.

"No way!"

"Jiaojiao is just being defiant; she’ll be fine in a few days!"

"A child’s memory doesn’t last long!"

Yuan Zhaodi could only comfort his wife in this manner.

Mrs. Xiao Li kept crying but didn’t dare cry loudly for fear of disturbing the family.

...

Yuan Bao wasn’t actually asleep; she was pretending.

Her coldness towards her family was partly due to her grievances and partly because she had to act this way.

The reason she acted like this was purely for self-preservation.

The speculation about the young lady of the Sheng Family Manor next door made Yuan Bao uneasy. During this time, she pondered deeply and came up with a resolution, which was to act!

First, she needed to end her status as the Yuan Family’s favorite!

Then, find a chance to explore Sheng Xueyi’s situation.

With careful planning, only then could she possibly remain unbeaten.

If she weren’t a Little Douding now, Yuan Bao wouldn’t bother creating such troubles for herself.

...

While the Yuan Family was shrouded in gloomy despair, at the Sheng Family Manor next door, Sheng Xueyi returned to the property with a little girl and two loyal servants.

The once empty kitchen now had several large earthen jars, filled with rice and flour, and the beams of the kitchen were hung with lots of cured meat.

The basket hanging on the wall was full of eggs.

The spices that should be in the kitchen were instantly filling the cabinets.

In the corner of the kitchen, there was a large water tank with over a dozen palm-sized crucian carp swimming inside.

The loyal servant responsible for attending to Sheng Xueyi quickly prepared a sumptuous dinner.