The three-foot-long alley was empty and deserted, very quiet, and seemed like two different worlds from the mansion just across the wall.
There were some sundries placed at the entrances of the alleys on both sides. Liu Qiaoer brought the young lady, and Nanny Zhang brought the young master, all ran to the entrances and hid behind the sundries.
The streets were even more noisy. The county magistrate's house was raided and surrounded by soldiers. The people on the street were driven to the sides of the road.
The officers and soldiers took the county magistrate and his family out of the mansion and put them into the prepared prison van, which caused passers-by to talk about it.
"They said that Lord Lu embezzled disaster relief grain funds and that his house would be confiscated and his head would be beheaded."
"Alas, Lord Lu is honest and upright. Everyone here knows that the money for disaster relief has not yet reached our county. It's gone just like that. In the end, our Lord has to take the blame."
"Maybe Lord Lu has offended someone."
Everyone felt that this disaster came suddenly, let alone the people in the county magistrate's mansion.
"Dad, Mom..." The young lady trembled with fear and grievance, and was held tightly in Liu Qiaoer's arms.
"Shh, don't cry. If they find you, they will take you away too."
Although the young master did not shout, his young face was filled with confusion.
"Are they bad people? Why did they arrest my parents and my brother?"
Nanny Zhang reached out and covered the young master's mouth: "Don't talk, or you'll be caught."
She was unsure, so she turned to discuss with Liu Qiaoer.
"Qiao'er, do you want to run away with the young lady? You might be caught too."
"What if I don't bring her with me? She's young and doesn't understand..."
It has been three years since Liu Qiaoer was sold to the county magistrate's house. The county magistrate is a gentle man and his wife is very virtuous. Her food, clothing and other expenses are much better than at her parents' home.
Now that something bad has happened at the county magistrate's house, she can't be the conscienceless person.
Nanny Zhang curled her lips, her heart was in turmoil, and she was struggling: "The master embezzled the relief grain funds, and even the eldest master couldn't do anything about it. We servants can hardly protect ourselves, so we can't do much."
Liu Qiaoer's brows were tightly furrowed. Ever since several villages in the south suffered a disaster in the spring, County Magistrate Lu had been very busy, dealing with the victims' affairs every day.
Lord Lu has been the county magistrate for more than ten years and has a very good reputation. No one would believe that he is a corrupt person.
Heart-wrenching cries were heard on the streets and in the prison van.
"My father was wrongly accused. I have already found out the whereabouts of the relief grain money. Give me three more days, no, one day, and I will definitely find the real culprit who framed him."
The eldest son had his hair loose, his white inner garment was covered in mud and blood, his hands were tightly grasping the chains, veins popped out on his handsome face, his eyes were wide open with anger, but even so, his appearance was not diminished in the slightest.
"One more day? I'm afraid you guys are planning to escape. Keep a close eye on them. If one runs away, I'll kill two."
The soldiers who confiscated the property showed no mercy at all.
With a "snap" sound, the long whip hit his body, leaving a bloody mark in an instant.
“Brother…” The young lady didn’t dare to cry loudly and sobbed with her hands covering her mouth.
"The innocent will be innocent. They will be fine." Liu Qiaoer hugged the young lady in her arms to comfort her.
"Mammy, I'm scared." The young master closed his eyes in fear and struggled hard into Mammy Zhang's arms.
Normally, Nanny Zhang would always hug him and coax him affectionately, but today, Nanny Zhang's arms felt a little cold.
He looked up in bewilderment, and saw that the wet nurse, who usually treated him better than her own grandson, had a changing expression on her face, with a hint of impatience in her eyes.
Suddenly, Nanny Zhang pushed him into Liu Qiaoer's arms.
"Their family is in trouble. I have children and an old mother who cannot be implicated..."
Nanny Zhang tried to escape, but was stopped by Liu Qiaoer.
"Madam Zhang, Madam has treated you well, how can you abandon the young master..."
Aunt Zhang struggled desperately: "No matter how good you are to me, I can't sacrifice my whole family."
He broke free from Liu Qiaoer, walked along the wall, and like a mouse, squeezed into the crowd and disappeared in an instant.
Liu Qiaoer was completely stunned. This couldn't be possible. Nanny Zhang had been in the mansion for so many years, and her food, clothing and other expenses were better than Aunt Sun's. Why on earth would she just throw the young lady and the young master to her at this time
He looked at the small one, then at the big one, and became extremely angry.
Nanny Zhang ran too fast, and she was still carrying the bag that the lady had left for the young master.
The soldiers came quickly, and Aunt Sun did not prepare any money for the young lady. The lady should have hurriedly prepared clothes and banknotes for the young master, but they were all taken away by the wet nurse.
Oh my God... the world is so fickle.
“Qiaoer…” The young lady looked at Liu Qiaoer pitifully and helplessly. Perhaps she was afraid that she would be abandoned as well, so she hugged Liu Qiaoer’s arms tightly.
The young master seemed to realize that something was wrong. His clear eyes showed a trace of panic. He glanced at his relatives in the prison car, then lay in Liu Qiao'er's arms, hugged her neck, and called her in a childish voice with grievance: "Qiao'er..."
Liu Qiaoer couldn't bear to be cruel, so she hugged the young master, patted his back, and then hugged the young lady.
"Don't worry, I will never hand you over. But you have to listen to me. When your relatives come, you will be safe."
Children are very sensitive to danger. After hearing Liu Qiaoer's words, they hugged her even tighter, hugging her so tightly that she almost couldn't breathe.
Liu Qiaoer's eyes lit up and a plan came to her mind. She raised her hand and smeared a layer of dust on the brother and sister's faces. She swiftly took off their jewelry, tore off their clothes a few times, and pulled them out of the alley.
"Mom, mom, wait for me, we are so scared."
As soon as Liu Qiaoer rushed out of the alley, she was stopped by the police.
"What are you doing? The officials are raiding your house. That's where you ran away from."
Liu Qiaoer raised her hand and pointed: "That woman is my mother."
Because there were so many people over there, Nanny Zhang, who had not run too far, was stopped by the officers.
When Nanny Zhang turned around and saw that Liu Qiaoer and her two children were also stopped by the police, her legs and feet went weak.
Liu Qiaoer held the little boy in her arms and pulled the young lady to run in front of Aunt Zhang, tears streaming down her face.
"Mom, didn't you say you were coming to redeem yourself today and asked me to bring my brothers and sisters to pick you up? Why did you run away so suddenly? We are unfamiliar with this place and we are so scared."
As she spoke, Liu Qiaoer and her two children threw themselves into Nanny Zhang's arms and burst into tears.
Liu Qiaoer, who had just buried her face in Nanny Zhang's arms, changed her expression instantly and took the opportunity to say something evil in Nanny Zhang's ear.
"You want to abandon us and run away? No way. You can take the young master's money, but you have to keep him safe."
At this moment, Nanny Zhang wanted to kill Liu Qiaoer.
But if she did not follow Liu Qiaoer's instructions and handed over the two children, she would be beheaded.
Touching the heavy bag, she saw with her own eyes that the eldest lady stuffed a lot of banknotes and clothes into it, as she was reluctant to part with the money.
He could only go along with Liu Qiao'er's lie: "Yes, officer, these three children are all mine. I have a contract to sell them, you see."
As she spoke, Nanny Zhang took out the indenture contract, and the officer's sharp eyes were fixed on Liu Qiaoer and the two children.