Smoke curled up from cooking stoves, and the quietness of the remote and peaceful mountain village was broken by the rapid sound of horse hooves.

They were a group of outsiders. The middle-aged man who led them scattered a handful of coins, easily got the information they wanted, and went straight to a house at the end of the village. Upon seeing this, the bored villagers hurried to follow, talking about their guesses as they walked.

"Is that young lady's family looking for her? I've long said that young lady must be a girl from a wealthy family, and it's true!"

"Tsk tsk, now the life of the old Wang and his wife is settled."

…

The group of outsiders ignored the followers and comments of the villagers and hurriedly knocked on the door of a house to explain their intention.

"Excuse me, I would like to ask my uncle, did you save a little girl two days ago?" The middle-aged man rushed to the old man who opened the door and cupped his hands, his expression could not hide his eagerness.

The old man was stunned. The imposing appearance of the middle-aged man and his group made him dare not neglect him. He nodded quickly: "Old man went to collect firewood two days ago and saved a little girl. You are——"

The middle-aged man breathed a sigh of relief and glanced at the courtyard while explaining: "My girl accidentally fell off a cliff while hiking two days ago. My family has been looking around. Today I heard that an old man from your village rescued a little girl when he went into the mountain.

, so I found it..."

The middle-aged man's name is Duan Wenbai, the second master of the Shaoqing Mansion. The girl he refers to is not his daughter, but his niece, whose surname is Kou and whose maiden name is Qingqing.

She didn't recognize the girl in front of her who called herself maid, nor did she recognize the middle-aged man who called her "Qingqing".

There were four girls standing in the distance. Before Xin You could look at them one by one, the old lady said: "Xiao Lian, help the girls back to the room first. The doctor will be there soon."

Neither the maid nor the middle-aged man looked fake. The girl hesitated for a moment and said, "You have recognized the wrong person."

"I am -" the girl paused.

She was mourning the death of her mother, and when she was on her way, she slipped down the hillside and fell into a coma. When she woke up, she was in the home of this old couple. The old couple were kind-hearted and took good care of her. She would have bid farewell to her in just two days.

, I didn’t expect these strange people to appear.

Duan Wenbai also asked with concern on his face.

This girl named Kou Qingqing is the only daughter of the prefect. Four years ago, her father died unexpectedly on the way to transfer. When her mother, who was already sick, heard the bad news that her condition worsened, she desperately arranged for someone to send her twelve-year-old daughter to the capital.

The mother-in-law passed away and the prefect's beloved daughter became the cousin of the Shaoqing's house. She stayed there for almost four years.

The girl shook her head: "You have really recognized the wrong person——"

"If the old man doesn't accept it, it will appear that we are ungrateful." Duan Wenbai forced the silver ingot into the old man's hand and walked out.

They recognized her as a girl named "Qing Qing", and if she hadn't confirmed that she hadn't changed, she would have thought that the bizarre stories her mother told her about resurrecting corpses had come true.

She came to Beijing to find the murderer of her mother, but she couldn't tell Xin You.

The image of corpses on the ground appeared in front of her eyes, causing her to close her eyes unconsciously. When she opened them again, her eyes were like deep pools, with no light coming through.

"Grandpa Wang, Grandma Wang, when I get well, I will come back to see you."

There were many villagers standing outside the courtyard watching the excitement, and their eyes fell on Xin You who was being carried by the servant woman.

Xin You moved uncomfortably, but was finally let go by the old lady.

A carriage with green curtains stopped quietly at the entrance of the village. As Xin You was helped into the carriage, the carriage slowly drove away from the small village.

The person who spoke was a woman who was less than forty years old. She was wearing a light-colored flowered jacket and had a concerned smile on her face. Xin You guessed that this was Kou Qingqing's aunt Qiao.

Duan Wenbo took out two silver ingots from his money bag and thanked the old couple.

Seeing that the girl was silent, the maid panicked: "Girl, what's wrong with you? Are you injured somewhere..."

"I'm not your girl." The girl was filled with doubts, but her tone was calm.

These whispers reached Xinyou's ears, causing her to turn her head.

"Then who do you think you are?" Duan Wenbo interrupted Xin You.

"Qingqing, are you okay? Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?"

"Yes." Xiaolian bent her knees and came to help Xinyou.

The girl sitting next to her had black hair like a waterfall, which made her face as pale as snow. Her dark eyes were slightly rippling, and she had some doubts in her heart.

Another woman, who looked younger than Qiao, caught Xin You's gaze and nodded to her to express comfort. This must be Kou Qingqing's second aunt, Zhu.

The maid's name is Xiaolian, and she is a maid brought by Kou Qingqing from home. Duan Wenbai, who leads the search for her niece, is the concubine of Kou Qingqing's grandmother. The one who supports the Shaoqing Mansion is her uncle, Duan Wensong, the Shaoqing of Taipu Temple.

Hearing the maid's cry, Duan Wenbai raised his feet and followed in. When he saw the girl, he was completely relieved, with a look of relief and relaxation: "That's great, Qingqing, you're okay..."

Strange smells, strange people.

"Qingqing, it's not uncommon for your head to be bumped and your memory to be confused for a while. Don't feel embarrassed." Duan Wenbai glanced at him and said in a deep voice, "Why don't you help your cousin up?"

Along the road, the scenery of distant mountains and blooming exotic flowers gradually turned into numerous shops and a steady flow of people. When the carriage stopped, the maid firmly believed that it was the blessing of his girl's amnesia, and Xin You knew the general situation of Qing Qing.

A strong woman came forward and, with the help of her maid, lifted Xin You on her back.

The old man quickly declined: "I can't, I can't—"

My mother said that we must not have the intention of harming others, and we must have the intention of guarding against others. If this kind-hearted old couple makes the jealous of evil people because of her, it will be her fault.

Duan Wenbo looked at the girl carefully and was convinced that she was his niece. Whether the girl had a problem with her head or lost her temper, it was not appropriate to stay in this small mountain village for a long time. He sighed and advised: "Qingqing, follow your uncle.

Go back home and see the doctor first. Your grandmother has been unable to take a few bites of food these past two days because she has been thinking about you."

"Old Wangtou is very lucky."

Xin You's body had not yet recovered, so she lowered her eyes slightly, temporarily accepting the reality that she could not tolerate rejection.

The old man invited people into the main room and pointed to the west room with a shabby door curtain: "The child is in there -"

The idea of ​​the villagers is very simple: Lao Wangtou saved a girl from a wealthy family, and any reward from the girl's family would be enough for Lao Wangtou to make a fortune.

"I don't know whose girl it was, but Lao Wangtou saved her."

The old woman who had been shy and silent also waved her hand and refused.

"I'm so worried about grandma, my Qingqing..." Xinyou entered a house, and before she could see everyone in the house, she was taken into the arms of an old lady dressed in rich clothes.

Kou Qingqing was hiking and playing with three girls from the Shaoqing Mansion two days ago. He accidentally lost his footing and fell off a cliff, which led to what happened today.

The Great Xia Dynasty has been stable for a long time, especially in the capital. From the nobles to the common people, storybooks are an indispensable pastime. In the past two years, the whole people have become obsessed with them.

"Girl, what did you say?" The maid was startled at first, and then her expression suddenly changed as if she had thought of something, "Girl, didn't you hit your head and lose your memory like what was said in the storybook?"

Among the people who followed Duan Wenbo, there was a girl dressed as a maid. After hearing this, she rushed in. When she saw the girl lying on the kang, she threw herself at her and burst into tears: "Oh, oh, oh, girl, you are scared to death."

I’m a maid…”

The old couple said repeatedly: "Girl, please go home in peace."

Xin You's eyes subconsciously fell on Xiaolian's face, and she suddenly raised her hand to cover her eyes.

There was nothing strange before, but just now, she saw a pair of hands grabbing a soft pillow and pressing it hard on a woman's head. When the woman stopped struggling, the pillow moved away, revealing a face.

That's... Xiaolian's face.

Happy New Year.
Chapter completed!