Chapter 1566 - 1561: News About Xiao Chu (Thirty-Two Updates)

The people of the Old Mu Family, after searching for two days straight, still couldn’t find Mu Xiaochu.

Mrs. Liu went insane, muttering the same few sentences all day long.

"If I hadn’t gone to get the bucket, Xiaochu wouldn’t have been lost!"

"If I hadn’t done the laundry, Xiaochu wouldn’t have been lost!"

"If I hadn’t come to the county, Xiaochu wouldn’t have been lost!"

Back and forth, with these three sentences, Mu Dajiang’s eyes were swollen from crying, and he stopped working at the construction site.

He got up just to search for his son, not even bothering to comb his hair or change his clothes, almost mistaken for a rogue.

Mu Xiaxia took care of her mother but couldn’t attend to her father.

Their family of four, such a well-off household, had been ruined like this.

Mu Xiaxia looked at her deranged mother and mumbled, "Xiaochu, where are you? Do you know that, in your absence, mom has gone crazy and dad has become foolish!

Even I... I’m going to lose my mind! Xiaochu, come back, come back soon!"

Mu Xiaxia’s tears dropped heavily.

Deep in her heart, she even thought of Mu Shuangshuang.

If her cousin was here, surely Xiaochu could be found?

Cousin, where are you?

——

In an inn in West City.

Xiaochu had been staying here for three days, but hadn’t seen his mother yet.

Mrs. Jin came back every day in between; today was the day for her to visit Mu Xiaochu again.

Mrs. Jin brought some food for Mu Xiaochu, including meat buns from Dafeng Gate.

She brought two, and as soon as she arrived, the woman taking care of Xiaochu automatically left.

Leaving her alone with Xiaochu.

Seeing Mrs. Jin, a smile appeared on Xiaochu’s face.

Mrs. Jin handed the bun to Xiaochu, "Eat up, these are buns from Dafeng Gate!"

Mu Xiaochu took the bun but didn’t eat it; instead, he carefully folded the oil paper wrapped around the bun.

"What’s wrong? Doesn’t it taste good? Is your stomach not hungry?" asked Mrs. Jin softly.

"No, Xiaochu wants to save it for my sister; she loves meat buns!"

Upon hearing what Mu Xiaochu said, Mrs. Jin sneered, "Give it to her? Don’t even think about it in this lifetime!"

Mu Xiaochu was too young to understand Mrs. Jin’s words.

He placed the folded bun in his arms, knowing this way, it would get cold.

"Aunt, when is mom coming, and my sister, I miss her so much..." Xiaochu pouted, a face full of unhappiness, asking.

Seeing Xiaochu like this, a surge of unexplainable anger brewed within Mrs. Jin.

"They’re not coming, they’ve abandoned you, you will never see them again this lifetime!" laughed Mrs. Jin coldly.

The words about never seeing sister Mu Xiaxia again, Xiaochu understood.

He snapped at Mrs. Jin, "You’re lying, sister would never abandon me, you’re bad, you’re bad, I want to go home!"

The small body tried to charge towards Mrs. Jin but was grabbed by her.

Mrs. Jin lifted Mu Xiaochu up, threw him onto the bed, then tugged down Xiaochu’s small cotton pants, and her large hands relentlessly landed on Xiaochu’s backside.

"You little brat, thinking about leaving, disobeying!"

"Slap!" The sound of a palm landing audibly on the buttocks.

Xiaochu cried out loud in pain.

Mrs. Jin seemed insane, while hitting, she cursed, "Keep crying, cry more, and I’ll throw you into the gutter, let the worms gnaw at your nails, gnaw at your feet, your head..."

The less understanding, the more Mrs. Jin threatened, the harder Xiaochu cried.

In the end, she covered Xiaochu’s mouth with her hand, angrily silencing him, "Cry more, cry more, I’ll suffocate you!"

Xiaochu’s face showed a terrified expression, Mrs. Jin still not satisfied, pinched Xiaochu’s bottom with her hand.

She recalled when Old Mrs. Mu beat her, she had the same gaze.

But Old Mrs. Mu not only didn’t stop, but the beatings grew heavier, just like now.

"Slap slap slap~"

Each sound louder than the last, Xiaochu’s fair buttocks bore many five-finger marks.

Bright red, alarming.

Mrs. Jin attacked Xiaochu until she grew tired, and Xiaochu cried to the brink of passing out.

Absently hiccupping, by this point, Mrs. Jin didn’t bother hiding.

She told Xiaochu, "You little thing, soon, I’ll sell you off! You’re never coming back, in a few years you’ll forget your parents, forget me, and everything will be fine!

As for your sister, don’t worry, I’ve got plans for her too, she won’t be lonely!"

Xiaochu couldn’t understand Mrs. Jin’s words, but he knew they weren’t good.

He cried and cried, thinking of his parents, his sister, crying even more loudly.

——

Mrs. Jin returned from West City, heading straight for Mu Xiaxia.

She wasn’t lucky; Mu Xiaxia had gone out to search for Mu Xiaochu.

It was midday when Mu Xiaxia returned to cook for the crazed Mrs. Liu.

Upon seeing Mu Xiaxia, Mrs. Jin began shedding crocodile tears, feigning concern, "Xia, have you found Xiaochu yet?"

"N-no, nowhere to be found, no trace of Xiaochu! I’m planning to search outside the city tomorrow!"

Mu Xiaxia replied.

"Out of the city?" Mrs. Jin rolled her eyes.

She didn’t want Mu Xiaxia to leave, for she was her cash cow.

"Xia, I know some ruffians, I could ask them for help to find Xiaochu, what do you think?"

Mu Xiaxia quickly nodded, "Yes, yes! Whatever amount, Aunt, just say it, if I can help!"

Mu Xiaxia was so frantic that she didn’t even stop to think how a Chief Clerk’s wife could know ruffians.

"Silly child, talking about money, no money involved! Xiaochu is my nephew too, I am no less saddened by his disappearance than you are!

You shouldn’t go out in the coming days, wait for my news, see how thin you’ve become!"

Mrs. Jin recalled when she last saw Mu Xiaxia, her face still had some fullness, her wrist had meat.

In just a few days, she’d grown so thinner.

If sold to the brothel, perhaps she’d fetch a poor price.

"It’s okay, Aunt, I’m fine!"

With Xiaochu missing, how could Mu Xiaxia eat? Her only thought now was to quickly find him.

"Alright then, I’ll be off!" With those words, Mrs. Jin stood up.

Their conversation had always been in the courtyard.

Mrs. Jin didn’t want to enter the family quarters, not wanting to deal with a crazy woman.

Though Mu Xiaxia felt pained, she still mustered the strength to escort Mrs. Jin to the door, then watched her leave.

Mu Xiaxia returned to the house to cook for Mrs. Liu and her father.

These days, life was tough, she hadn’t prepared anything for her parents to eat.

Mu Xiaxia remembered that life couldn’t go on like this; better find Xiaochu’s trace and ensure her parents didn’t fall ill too.

So she went to the market, bought half a pound of meat, and two pieces of tofu, planning to make tofu soup.

When she returned, Mu Danyan also came back, taking care of Mrs. Liu.

Seeing his daughter return, Mu Dajiang originally wanted to force a smile but found his face stiff, unable to smile.

He could only say to Mu Xiaxia, "Xiaxia, are you tired?"