Chapter 1563 - 1558: Xiao Chu Is Missing ( - 29)

On the third day of the New Year, the Old Mu Family’s fourth household—

Ever since they left the village, the Old Mu Family in the county has been the only branch.

Even during the holidays, there aren’t many relatives or friends to visit, let alone receiving New Year greetings.

Feeling extremely bored at home, Mu Dajiang went out to work early.

After resting for two days, Mu Xiaxia also went out to work.

The county is different from the town; typically, shops in the town open after the eighth day of the New Year.

But in the county, they can open from the second day of the New Year.

Thus, the fourth household left Mrs. Liu alone at home to do household chores and take care of Xiao Chu, who was not yet four years old.

Early on the third day, Mrs. Liu began washing the clothes everyone had accumulated over several days.

She took a big wooden basin and threw all the clothes she needed to wash into it.

Then she added a bit of liquid extracted from dry Chinese soapberries, poured in two buckets of cold water, and foam formed in the wooden basin; Mrs. Lin squatted down and started washing the clothes.

Mrs. Liu was washing clothes in the courtyard, while Xiao Chu, as usual, played at the courtyard gate.

Mrs. Liu could see Xiao Chu with his bottom sticking out, playing with mud on the ground whenever she looked up.

She would glance up occasionally, and the small figure of Xiao Chu was always in her sight. Watching her son happily playing, Mrs. Liu smiled with happiness.

Life is so good now, with her husband by her side, and daughter and son also close.

Once they save enough money, they could arrange a good marriage for their daughter and save enough for their son’s school fees.

Thinking about their future life, the smile on Mrs. Liu’s face became brighter.

She washed the clothes even more diligently and soon finished washing a large basin full.

Mrs. Liu stood up and went inside to get a wooden bucket to fetch water.

But when she turned around and came out again, Xiao Chu was gone.

Mrs. Liu panicked; she dropped the wooden bucket and rushed out.

Both inside and outside the courtyard, there was no sign of her son.

Sweat broke out on Mrs. Liu’s forehead as her body began to sway.

"Stay calm, stay calm! Maybe he just wandered off to play!" Mrs. Liu comforted herself.

After calming down, she quickly asked people in the courtyard if they had seen her son.

But everyone was busy with their own tasks, and no one noticed what happened at the courtyard gate.

Only then did Liu Shi understand the severity of the matter; she shouted at the top of her lungs: "Xiao Chu, Xiao Chu, where are you?

Son... son, where are you? Don’t scare your mom."

But there was no response; Mrs. Liu rushed out and looked up and down the street.

There was no sign of Xiao Chu anywhere on the entire street.

Mrs. Liu, maddened, searched here and there, asking people nearby if they had seen a small child reaching her thigh.

Passersby shook their heads; there weren’t many people on the street at this time.

The number of people Mrs. Liu could ask was limited, and the information she could gather was even more limited.

From one end of the street to the other, Mrs. Liu almost ran through every place, yet she couldn’t find her son.

Finally, she realized her son was lost!

She started screaming, shouting, and crying desperately, but it was to no avail; the child was still nowhere to be found.

By noon, Mu Xiaxia returned home, bringing food for Mrs. Liu and Xiao Chu.

Who would have known, upon returning, she would find Mrs. Liu sitting at the courtyard gate, her hair disheveled and muttering to herself.

"Mom..." Mu Xiaxia called.

Upon hearing someone call her, Mrs. Liu looked up sharply.

"Xiao Chu, Xiao Chu..."

"Mom, what’s wrong? Don’t scare me, what happened?" Mu Xiaxia almost burst into tears.

"Xiaxia, Xiaxia, Xiao Chu... Xiao Chu is lost!"

The woman’s face was stained with tears, her eyes bloodshot beyond recognition, looking like she had been through hell.

Mu Xiaxia’s face went pale upon hearing the news.

"Mom, you must have made a mistake, Xiao Chu is playing at home, isn’t he? He’s hiding, right?"

She spoke as she ran into the house.

She searched through every corner, under the table, on the bed, inside the cabinets, and even the stove where no one could fit, but she couldn’t find Xiao Chu.

Only then did Mu Xiaxia believe, Xiao Chu was really gone!

"Mom, I’ll... I’ll go find dad, you stay home and wait for me, don’t do anything rash!" Mu Xiaxia said as she rushed out.

Mu Dajiang was currently working at the dock, though not carrying goods anymore.

He was now doing piecework at the dock, recording how much each person carried, and wages were paid based on his records.

This work was much easier than carrying goods, and he was equivalent to a small steward.

Moreover, this job was introduced by the shopkeeper of Jiu Si Xuan.

Of course, it was at Zheng Zhi’s behest, but Mu Xiaxia didn’t know.

Mu Xiaxia ran all the way to the dock and said to the working Mu Dajiang, "Dad, Xiao Chu... is lost!"

The man didn’t react at first and still had a smile on his face.

Until Mu Xiaxia shouted, "Dad, our Xiao Chu is lost!!"

The record book and brush in Mu Dajiang’s hand simultaneously fell to the ground.

He seemed like his soul had been sucked out, sitting on the ground abruptly.

Mu Xiaxia went forward to pull Mu Dajiang, "Dad, let’s go find Xiao Chu, let’s go!"

Only then did Mu Dajiang remember what he needed to do!

He stood up and drowsily followed Mu Xiaxia back to the Old Mu Family’s fourth household.

Mu Dajiang, Mu Xiaxia, and Mrs. Liu, the three of them, crazily shouted Mu Xiaochu’s name on the streets near their home.

Meanwhile, Xiao Chu had been hidden by Mrs. Jin in a faraway inn, far from where the fourth household lived.

She hired a woman to take care of him, preparing good food and drink for Mu Xiaochu.

Early that morning, Mrs. Jin hid in the corner of the street, constantly observing the courtyard where the fourth household lived.

She saw Xiao Chu playing with mud at the courtyard gate but also saw Mrs. Liu washing clothes in the yard.

Mrs. Jin patiently waited for Mrs. Liu to walk away.

Just when Mrs. Liu finished washing clothes and went to fetch the bucket, Mrs. Jin lured Xiao Chu away with a piece of candy.

But the main reason was that Xiao Chu recognized Mrs. Jin and sweetly called her aunt.

Mrs. Jin told Xiao Chu that she would take him to buy food, so he went with her.

Once he left, he could never return.

Since Mrs. Jin dared to take Xiao Chu openly, she also prepared to ensure Mu Xiaochu would never reappear.

Even if he does appear, it would be three to five years later.

This child is only three years old; three to five years from now, he would not remember what happened.

Therefore, Mrs. Jin wasn’t worried about getting into trouble.

The delivery to the buyer was scheduled for the eighth day of the New Year, and it was only the third, so Mrs. Jin had to do her utmost to protect Mu Xiaochu for these five days.

As for the delivery location, it’s at a very remote place in West City, far from East City!