The kidnappers had simply pretended to be debt collectors and gone to ask Shao Qiyun questions. Shao Qiyun didn’t even have to be forced before telling them everything. However, when she’d been asked which of the children was the most pampered, she had said that the four older siblings were the most pampered and hadn’t mentioned Xiao Wu. Therefore, the kidnappers’ main goal at the start had been four children. Of course, they wouldn’t mind kidnapping a fifth as well.

  Unexpectedly, an accident had happened. In the end, only two of them had been kidnapped and they’d even ended up getting caught.

  Shao Qihai had been hospitalized for three days. He had recovered quite well and could be discharged now. It was only after he was discharged that he discovered Shao Qiyun’s role in this kidnapping incident.

  Shao Qihai talked to the police and asked about the situation carefully. After he came out of the police station, he stormed straight to Shao Qiyun’s rental house in the county city with a murderous expression.

  Although she had caused all this, Shao Qiyun had been released because she hadn’t participated in the kidnapping and wasn’t the one who had ordered it.

  Shao Qihai didn’t find Shao Qiyun. She wasn’t in the rental house. The rental house had already been searched by someone and was a complete mess. One look and one could tell that Shao Qiyun had run away.

  Shao Qiyun had indeed fled after this narrow escape. Afraid that the debt collectors would come looking for her again, she had fled back to her home in Great Eastern Village overnight.

  She was also afraid of Shao Qihai and Mu Jingzhe, but in comparison, she still felt that the debt collectors were more terrifying. After all, they would really drag her away and sell her off, but Shao Qihai and Mu Jingzhe wouldn’t.

  However, she was also afraid that Mu Jingzhe would break her legs and Shao Qihai would punish her. Therefore, after Zhao Lan’s worried nagging, she had gone out to hide overnight again.

  This time, she hid in the small straw hut in the field behind their house. The small straw hut had been specifically built in the past to prevent the birds and wild rabbits from eating the food. It was very small and contained nothing.

  However, she was in no position to be picky about the straw hut. After covering Shao Qiyun with a blanket, Zhao Lan repeatedly warned her not to appear if possible. Otherwise, even she wouldn’t be able to stop Mu Jingzhe and Shao Qihai.

  Zhao Lan was very careful, but she couldn’t let Shao Qiyun starve, so as soon as she delivered the food, her sneaky behavior was noticed by Shao Qihai.

  Shao Qiyun wasn’t likable, and her character was dreadful too, so she didn’t have any friends. Shao Qihai didn’t search for her outside and just went straight home.

  Zhao Lan claimed that Shao Qiyun hadn’t returned, but Shao Qihai didn’t believe her. He quickly realized that something was amiss.

  \r \r \r

  “Daddy, what are you looking at?” Xiao Wu had come out to ask Shao Qihai to eat. Upon seeing that he was looking behind the house, he quickly asked him about it.

  “Nothing. What’s wrong, Xiao Wu?” Shao Qihai squatted down, wanting to carry Xiao Wu, but Xiao Wu jumped away. “You can’t carry me, daddy. Your wound hasn’t healed yet. You can’t carry me.”

  Shao Qihai, who was being cared for, smiled as blissfully as an old father. If the children had been like a storm to him previously, they were now a mild breeze warming his heart. Each and every one of them had become a sweet little darling.

  “Xiao Wu, you’re such a good boy. When the wounds on Daddy’s shoulders heal, I’ll let you ride me, okay?”

  Xiao Wu nodded. “Okay, but Daddy, you don’t have to be anxious. Mommy also lets us ride her. Mommy is very impressive.” Shao Dong and Shao Xi had grown up, so it wasn’t appropriate for them to ride on their parents’ shoulders anymore. Therefore, the two of them would no longer have the chance to experience it.

  However, ever since she had let Little Bei ride her shoulders, Mu Jingzhe had been as fair to all five kids as she could. Hence, when she returned, she let Shao Nan and Xiao Wu ride her shoulders too.

  Shao Nan and Xiao Wu blushed every time. From then onward, they didn’t have to secretly envy the other children in the village.

  Now that Shao Qihai was back and they had reconciled, Xiao Wu was even more satisfied.

  As he looked at Xiao Wu, Shao Qihai felt both happy and helpless. “Mommy will get tired too. Daddy should be the one doing this. Don’t trouble Mommy when I’m around.”

  “Okay.” Xiao Wu agreed obediently.

  Shao Qihai stroked Xiao Wu’s soft hair. Seeing his adorable look, he couldn’t help but kiss Xiao Wu’s forehead. “Xiao Wu, you’re so obedient.”

  When Mu Jingzhe and the children were in high spirits, she would kiss them. Shao Qihai had been extremely envious of them previously, but he hadn’t dared to do that upon seeing the children’s gazes. Now that he finally had a chance, how could he not kiss his child?

  Xiao Wu touched his forehead, looking a little disdainful. “Dad, don’t kiss me on a whim next time. You could shave before kissing me. Your face is prickly.”

  “Well, my hands are a little inconvenient.” Shao Qihai was embarrassed as he followed Xiao Wu to eat.

  There were many dishes on the dining table that were used to replenish blood, including pig’s blood and pig’s liver. This was because Shao Qihai was not the only one who needed to replenish his blood. Mu Jingzhe needed it too.

  Shao Dong and Shao Xi picked up some food for Mu Jingzhe and Shao Qihai. Shao Qihai ate very contentedly. Ever since he had returned from the hospital, the children had been taking very good care of him, so much so that they would even wash his face for him if they could. They remembered the doctor’s reminders and didn’t let him carry heavy things. They even brought him water to wash his feet.

  After the meal, Shao Qihai went to the straw hut where Zhao Lan had been while no one was paying attention.

  While Shao Qiyun was feeling bored and vexed after eating, Shao Qihai came looking for her.

  At the sight of Shao Qihai, Shao Qiyun trembled. The children were Shao Qihai’s reverse scale[1]. Shao Qiyun knew that very well, so she didn’t dare make a sound and pretended that she wasn’t there.

  She acted very well, but Shao Qihai wasn’t fooled. Seeing that she didn’t open the door, he raised his leg and kicked.

  His actions were very similar to the time when Mu Jingzhe had shown up at their house to kick the door. The wooden door flew open after he kicked it twice.

  As the thatched house was very small, when the door was kicked, it hit Shao Qiyun.

  “Ah…” Shao Qiyun clutched her arm and screamed. “Second Brother, what are you doing? It hurts…”

  Shao Qiyun looked into Shao Qihai’s eyes and couldn’t finish her sentence. She only wanted to hide, but there was no place for her to hide in the messy, small thatched house.

  “Second Brother, I really didn’t expect Little Dong and the others to be kidnapped. I really wasn’t involved…”

  “No, it did occur to you. It’s just that you still told them in order to live. You?are?such a selfish person.”

  “Second Brother, aren’t they all fine? Stop coming after me. I’m really innocent.”

  “Do you think you’re innocent just because you were able to come out? If you hadn’t provoked the loan sharks and divulged so much, we wouldn’t have been in this kind of trouble!”

  At this point, Shao Qihai sneered. “You knew enough not to mention Xiao Wu when you were asked which one of the children is the most favored.”

  When Shao Qiyun heard this, her face twitched a little crazily. She bit her thumbnail. “Second Brother, why would you mention him? You promised never to mention him in front of me.”

  “You’re the one who’s offended me time and time again. Previously, when you wanted to borrow money, I didn’t lend it to you and you went straight to Xiao Wu to ask for it. You’re bold enough to demand it directly instead of borrowing it. Aren’t you doing this because you think Xiao Wu is your biological son? Isn’t that why you’re so brazen?”

  “Shao Qiyun, I’m warning you. I told everyone that Xiao Wu’s mother is dead. If you don’t want to die, shut your mouth tightly. Don’t pull cheap tricks like this again.”

  “In the future, regardless of whether you get beaten to death by loan sharks or sold, you’re not allowed to mention Xiao Wu. Since you wanted to drown him and pretend you never gave birth to him back then, remember that forever. Don’t jump out of nowhere again after Xiao Wu becomes successful.”

  [1] it refers to something one shouldn’t touch