Transmigrated Leftover Woman in Rural Style

Chapter 283 Evidence of crime

In the firelight, the Li family members were finally able to see the little one's face clearly.

The little guy has delicate features; on his small, palm-sized face, his bright almond-shaped eyes are clear and pure.

However, the little guy's skin was too pale, making him look quite listless.

Although the little guy's clothes were worn out, they weren't dirty at all.

The little guy was probably too thin; his pale little hands stretched out over the fire looked like chicken claws. His cotton shoes had a big hole in them, and his big toes and middle toes were sticking out.

Clearly, the cotton shoes that had been washed until they were faded were too short.

Overwhelmed with sympathy, Madam Su couldn't help but ask, "Where are your parents?"

Li Xiaonuan had already guessed that his parents were no longer alive, but she forgot to remind Su Shi and the others.

Now that Su has asked the question, it's too late for Li Xiaonuan to stop her.

Fortunately, the little one wasn't too upset by Su's questions.

"My dad just froze into a snowman and fell asleep so no one would see me. They even cut a big gash in his back." The little guy blinked his big eyes, his voice not as clear as before.

The words "fell asleep" instantly brought tears to Su's eyes.

"And what about your mother?" Madam Su asked again.

"Last spring, my mother accidentally dropped a pot of hibiscus flowers, and the housekeeper beat her to death." After saying this, the little boy withdrew his hand, curled up, and stopped looking up.

Overwhelmed with maternal love, Mrs. Su rushed forward and embraced the thin, small body, repeatedly saying, "Poor child, how have you managed to survive until now?"

“My parents bring me food every night, and I sleep in the hole in the wall. Nobody knows me except my parents,” the little guy replied sullenly in Su’s arms.

At this point, Mrs. Su began to wipe away her tears. Xiao Gang also pouted, his eyes glistening with tears. Li Xiaonuan's eyes and nose stung, and she couldn't help but turn her head away.

"Don't worry, we'll take care of you from now on. You should treat us as family. Your aunt and I are your parents, and these are your older brothers and sisters," Father Li said firmly.

Li Xiaonuan wasn't surprised by her father's decision. After all, the little guy's father had indeed helped them before.

In this freezing cold, the actions of the father and son were like sending charcoal in the snow, and were extremely precious.

Hearing what Li's father said, Su released the little one from her arms and half-hugged him, saying, "Your uncle is right, from now on we are your family. Come on, call me 'Mother'."

The little guy opened his big eyes and looked around at the people in the cave before lowering his head and saying nothing.

Su thought the little guy was unwilling, so she swore to Li's father that she would definitely treat him as her own son.

Xiao Gang also stepped forward, took the little guy's hand, and said he would help him build a grave for his parents in the future.

Li Xiaonuan remained silent at first. Only when the little one looked at her expectantly did she ask, "Do you have any requests?"

The little one nodded vigorously and said in a clear voice, "My mother told me that when I grow up, I should go back to live on the grasslands of Northwest China. She said that's where our home is."

It turns out that the little guy's mother doesn't speak of people from the Central Plains.

No wonder this little guy's eyes are so deep and captivating; he's a descendant of the Hui people from Northwest China.

"Your home? Isn't your father from the Central Plains?" Li Xiaonuan grasped the key point in the question.

"No, that's not true. Butler Qing and his wife are both from the grasslands of Northwest China. And my grandmother, who is also from Northwest China, is the daughter of a tribal chief on the grasslands." The little guy's words were surprising.

Li Xiaonuan seemed to have grasped something, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"You mean you all came from the Northwest? How did you get here?" Li Xiaonuan couldn't quite believe what she was hearing.

That area in the Northwest was formerly the Western Liao Kingdom. Afterwards, the Eagle King ascended the throne and sent troops to recover several hundred miles of Western Liao territory.

However, the Eagle King found the Western Liao territory too desolate and difficult to govern, so he did not continue the conquest.

Now, the Western Liao Kingdom, forced to shrink its territory, would never willingly allow its land to be occupied by the Qi Song.

However, with General Wang and his nephew guarding the northwestern border for more than a decade, the area remained very peaceful.

It's just a mystery why Uncle Qing and his wife have been infiltrating Qisong for so many years.

"Did your mother tell you why they came here?" After thinking for a while, Li Xiaonuan asked again.

The little guy was still pondering Li Xiaonuan's previous question when he heard her ask another one. He picked out a good answer and replied, "My mother said that bad people want to start a war and wipe out all the tribes in the Northwest."

"Do you know who the bad guy is?" Li Xiaonuan coaxed gently.

"I don't know. My parents don't let me go out and meet people. But my mother said that bad people sold the princess of the Western Liao Dynasty, as well as many daughters of tribal leaders in the Northwest, to the Central Plains as slaves. They framed the Qi Song people and wanted to start a war." The little guy frowned and thought for a moment before speaking.

Clearly, the content of those words puzzled him greatly.

Li Xiaonuan was pondering the meaning behind the little guy's words and didn't notice the stunned expressions on Su Shi and Li's father's faces.

Xiao Gang, on the other hand, just stared blankly at Li Xiaonuan and the little guy having their conversation, without showing any sign of anything amiss.

The cave remained silent for quite a while until the little guy's stomach made a loud gurgling sound, which brought everyone back to their senses.

"Mother, let's burn all the barley and beans we brought with us. Once we've eaten, it'll be dawn. Then we can go back to the city," Li Xiaonuan said to Su Shi.

In a short while, Li Xiaonuan forgot about the cramps in her abdomen. But some things needed to be resolved.

For example: Some things need to be replaced.

Fortunately, there was freshly burned hot ash, which was just right.

Su and Xiaogang unfolded the large bundle, creating a small, private space inside the cave. Li Xiaonuan quickly relieved herself there before sitting back down by the fire, her face flushed.

As Su and Xiaogang unfolded the bundle, the little guy slapped his forehead and pulled over his big bundle to rummage through it.

After Li Xiaonuan finished dealing with her own affairs, the little guy had already taken out quite a few things from his bundle.

Seeing that Li Xiaonuan was seated, the little guy gestured for her to look at those things.

“These are all things my mother asked me to put away, saying they were evidence of the bad guys’ crimes. And the things in this box were given to me by my father last night, saying they could help you,” the little guy said, pointing to the items in front of him one by one.

Li Xiaonuan was shocked and somewhat at a loss. Could this little guy be a little angel sent from heaven to rescue her family from danger?

What was laid out on the ground were some papers and cloths with drawings, as well as some very exquisite gold, silver, iron, and bronze plaques and the like.

What delighted Li Xiaonuan the most was that box of letters.

The letter was clearly an order or task assigned to Uncle Qing. Uncle Qing was likely the one who carried out the order.

Some of those letters were written in Chinese characters, while others were written in foreign languages.

It is evident that Uncle Qing acted as a messenger between the two parties, relaying messages between them.

Of course, gathering information and executing certain commands are also essential.

“Little one, our whole family is grateful to you. Don’t worry, I will clear your parents’ name and let them return to their roots. I will also seek justice for them.” Li Xiaonuan was so excited that she was incoherent.

With this meritorious deed, Li Xiaonuan could now make some harmless requests to the emperor with a clear conscience.