Immortal Tea Town, the Huang family.

The town head, the heads of various families, and the clan elders had all arrived.

Because the major immortal sects had been strict in governing their subordinates in recent years, incidents of immortal sect disciples committing theft and harming people had become rare.

Yet the Huang family had encountered precisely such an incident.

For a time, everyone was truly in a state of panic and fear.

Huang Shu still lay in bed, the wound below his waist continuously bleeding.

The thief who had injured him was clearly intimately familiar with small earth demons like him. From this day forward, no matter how much he cultivated, this missing piece of flesh could never be restored.

The town head and the family heads gathered around the bed, watching his barely-breathing yet agonized appearance, feeling both alarmed and uneasy.

“When will the immortal masters arrive…” someone finally sighed.

Fortunately, before long, someone outside called: “It’s Sect Leader He, Sect Leader He and Madam He have arrived!”

Indeed, outside the door, He Xijin and Qu Manying strode in with large steps.

The two had already changed their clothing. He Xijin wore green robes, with feather patterns embroidered on the cuffs and overlapping front panels. He walked to the bedside, tall in stature with a stern expression. Qu Manying carried Huang Rang in her arms. She had her long hair tied up high in a ponytail, and wore a light robe with narrow sleeves, with a red silk sash tied around her waist, appearing extremely crisp and capable.

“Sect Leader He, Madam He!” Seeing the couple, everyone felt as if they had found their pillar of support, and they all came forward to pay their respects.

He Xijin made a sound of acknowledgment, while Qu Manying carried Huang Rang to the bedside.

She examined Huang Shu’s condition of wishing for death rather than life from all angles, then said with a face full of sympathy: “Immortal Tea Town was originally a pure land, yet such an incident has occurred. It is truly shocking.”

The town heads, seeing her speak, couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief and all responded in agreement.

——Everyone usually didn’t particularly like to notify the Ruyi Sword Sect when things happened.

It was truly because speaking with Sect Leader He was too laborious.

And Sect Leader He only echoed: “M-m-must st-strictly p-p-punish!”

On the bed, Huang Shu wanted to turn over, but it pulled at his wound, and he couldn’t help but let out another mournful cry.

The couple took turns observing, their faces expressionless.

Huang Rang could practically hear the two of them laughing inwardly.

Just then, someone finally noticed her in Qu Manying’s arms: “This young lady…”

At first they thought Qu Manying was holding her own young son, but Huang Rang lived in Immortal Tea Town after all, so naturally some people recognized her.

“Isn’t this Huang Shu’s tenth daughter?” someone said.

Only then did Qu Manying set Huang Rang on the ground, but she still held Huang Rang’s hand, saying: “That’s right. This child got lost, and we happened to encounter her on the road. When I inquired, I learned she was my younger sister Xiyin’s daughter, so I brought her back.”

“Xiyin?” When she said this, someone finally remembered—Xiyin had once been the legitimate daughter of the Xi family! So the town head immediately asked: “Where is Madam Huang?”

A servant answered: “Madam Huang fell ill yesterday and still cannot get out of bed today.”

“She must have been frightened when the bandits broke in last night,” someone said.

Qu Manying said: “So younger sister Xiyin is in poor health? Then I’ll go see her.”

When she said this, naturally no one dared to object.

Qu Manying held Huang Rang’s hand and, guided by her directions, went to find Xiyin.

In the small courtyard, Xiyin was not bedridden. She still sat in the small courtyard, staring blankly at everything around her.

Huang Jun stood beside her, saying: “Last night, Father was injured by bandits who broke in. Won’t Mother go see him?”

Hearing this, Xiyin showed no particular reaction. Her eyes fixed on the stone table in front of her, and after a long while she murmured: “A’Rang is lost. Is it because I’m a bad mother, so she won’t come back, is that it?”

Huang Jun didn’t speak, so she could only mutter to herself again: “She’s been like this since childhood… like this since childhood.”

Through a dirt wall, Huang Rang heard these murmured words.

Memories were peeled back layer by layer. There truly weren’t many happy times, yet they inexplicably brought tears to her eyes.

Qu Manying’s eyes brimmed with tears. She stood at the courtyard entrance for a long time before choking out: “Younger sister Xiyin.”

In the courtyard, Xiyin raised her head, but the first thing she saw was Huang Rang beside Qu Manying.

“A’Rang!” She rushed over and hugged Huang Rang tightly. But in just a moment, the urgency in her eyes turned to fury. “Where did you run off to? At such a young age, instead of being good, all you know is to run wild everywhere!”

As she spoke, she raised her hand to slap Huang Rang across the face.

Qu Manying grabbed her hand in one motion and simultaneously shielded Huang Rang behind herself.

“Xiyin!” She scolded with reproach. “You mustn’t casually beat and scold a child!”

Only then did Xiyin carefully examine her: “You are…”

Her brow furrowed slightly as she searched through her memories for a long time, then suddenly remembered: “You…”

Qu Manying sighed and said softly: “I’m Manying, Manying from the Qu family. Do you still remember?”

Hearing these words, Xiyin reacted as if she had seen a malevolent ghost. She slowly backed away, then suddenly covered her face: “What are you doing here? Leave! Leave!”

Qu Manying had never imagined that when old friends met, she would have such a reaction.

She was momentarily at a loss, but Huang Rang had expected it.

——It was nothing more than unwillingness to admit defeat.

Just like in the hundred years outside the dream, when she married into the Yuhu Immortal Sect, though she already understood warmth and cold, already understood right from wrong, she still gritted her teeth and maintained an appearance of refined elegance.

In the end, she stubbornly held on, unwilling to be seen as a laughingstock by others.

And so, she exhausted everything trying to warm someone who could never possibly be warmed. All the trivial troubles, the distress and torment, she kept to herself.

She tugged at Qu Manying’s sleeve corner and looked up at her: “Save her, Aunt, save her.”

She was naturally shrewd and had long known what posture would most inspire pity and affection. So in those large, clear eyes was nothing but innocent purity and pleading. Qu Manying’s heart melted at the sight.

——This act of Huang Rang’s, only Xie Hongchen would remain unmoved by it in her entire life.

“Alright… alright.” Qu Manying stroked Huang Rang’s head, saying: “A’Rang, go play with your sister. Later, pack up your things, and your uncle will come pick us up.”

Huang Rang then ran to Huang Jun’s side. Huang Jun looked haggard and exhausted. During these days when Huang Rang had been missing, she had searched every place she could run to.

However, actually seeing Huang Rang now, she wasn’t particularly excited either.

She only withdrew her hand from Huang Rang’s grasp, and after a long while, asked: “Are you hungry?”

Huang Rang’s heart ached, yet she couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

If it had been before, she would have thought Huang Jun cold and indifferent.

But after many years had passed, she had experienced countless trials. She still grabbed Huang Jun’s hand and said: “Hungry. I want to eat stir-fried eggs with chives, and I want to eat roasted pears.”

“Oh.” Huang Jun then went to light the stove, preparing to cook for her.

Qu Manying watched the silent and reticent Huang Jun, her heart nearly breaking. She said: “Younger sister should have heard about Huang Shu’s matter. Now that this affair is known to everyone, if younger sister wants to leave, Huang Shu won’t be able to make things difficult either.”

“Leave?” Xiyin laughed coldly, and after a long while said: “Where to? Where can I go now? Should I return to the Xi family to be mocked by everyone?”

But even if she was willing to be mocked by others in order to return to that Xi family, she feared her father would be unwilling.

Xiyin shook her head, tears like pearls falling in strings.

Qu Manying stepped forward several paces, grasped Xiyin’s hand, and urged: “You can come back with me first, whether to stay temporarily or to relax. In any case, leave this Huang family first, and there will always be solutions in the future!”

“Come back with you…” Xiyin seemed to remember something, saying: “Oh yes, you married into the Ruyi Sword Sect.”

She flung off Qu Manying’s hand, saying: “So even you came to mock me?” She glared furiously at Qu Manying, saying: “Are all of you laughing at me behind my back?! Seeing me like this now, you’re all very happy, aren’t you?”

She spoke word by word, her tone like a madwoman’s.

Huang Rang hurriedly ran over. She stood protectively in front of Qu Manying, afraid that Xiyin might suddenly go berserk and scratch or beat Qu Manying.

——In the end, what did any of this have to do with Qu Manying?

The couple had traveled all this way to help, which was already supremely righteous. Yet Xiyin’s words were utterly disheartening.

If Qu Manying left in anger, there would probably never be such a warm-hearted person to help again.

“Mother, don’t blame Aunt! It was me…” Huang Rang wanted to explain properly to Xiyin.

But hearing this, Xiyin’s face became even more twisted and fierce: “I knew it was you, you ungrateful wretch! Do you think the Huang family’s status is too low, so you want to climb up to the high branch of the Ruyi Sword Sect? What kind of aunt is she to you? You’re not related by even the remotest connection, yet you call her so intimately!”

As she spoke, she moved to hit Huang Rang again.

In that moment, Huang Rang was so angry she wanted to walk away and be done with it.

Heaven knows she was originally such an unforgiving person.

But Qu Manying blocked Xiyin, saying: “Xiyin, calm down!”

Xiyin roared: “Get out, get out! I’m disciplining my own daughter, it’s none of your business!”

Qu Manying had no choice but to retreat. She said to Huang Rang: “Be good, come with Aunt to the front courtyard to have a look. We’ll come back in a while.”

Huang Rang shook her head, saying: “I’ll wait for Sister to cook. Sister’s roasted pears are delicious. When she’s done, I’ll bring some to Aunt and Uncle.”

Qu Manying looked at Xiyin’s crazed appearance and was still afraid Huang Rang would get beaten. She hesitated: “But…”

Huang Rang said: “Aunt, please go. Sister cooks very quickly.”

Qu Manying could only sigh deeply, saying: “Good child.”

Though she was worried, forcibly staying here would only provoke Xiyin further, so she had to leave first.

Once she left, Huang Rang immediately showed her true colors—from childhood to adulthood, she had always fought back when hit and talked back when scolded.

She immediately said to Xiyin: “Does Mother think you still have any spectacle for others to see? Who doesn’t know you married an incompetent and shameless husband and live in a muddled, wretched state?”

Xiyin was so infuriated by her words that one Buddha ascended to heaven and the second Buddha left his body.

“You wretched girl, I’ll tear out your mouth!” She rushed over, chasing and trying to beat Huang Rang.

Huang Rang naturally wouldn’t let her catch up.

She kept running until Xiyin was also tired from chasing and stopped, panting heavily. Only then did Huang Rang run to Huang Jun’s side.

Huang Jun had made her stir-fried eggs with chives and roasted several pears.

Only then did Huang Rang pull at her, saying: “Let’s take these to Uncle and Aunt.”

“You go.” Huang Jun was naturally wooden and was not the type to ingratiate herself cleverly with others.

Huang Rang could only tug at her: “Hurry up!”

In the end, Huang Jun couldn’t resist her and had to follow her out. The two sisters each took two roasted pears, with Xiyin’s cursing and scolding still coming from behind them.

The front hall was already filled with people. Huang Rang was small in stature. Holding up two roasted pears, she buried her head and burrowed into the crowd.

Huang Jun could only stand woodenly behind the crowd.

Huang Rang made her way to Qu Manying’s side and called: “Aunt!”

Qu Manying looked down and saw her, quickly saying: “Good child, are you hurt?” She ran her hands all over Huang Rang’s head, face, and limbs. Huang Rang handed her the roasted pears: “Sister made these. Aunt, taste them and see if they’re good?”

Qu Manying naturally accepted them. She raised her eyes to look for Huang Jun and discovered her standing far away at the entrance. The crowd obscured most of her.

She wasn’t lively and active like Huang Rang, always quiet and sparing with words. She was very pretty, with a small, straight nose, narrow eyes, and very curled lashes. But she didn’t take care of her appearance. Her clothing was plain, and the style was also old-fashioned.

When placed among a crowd, she was extremely easy to overlook.

Qu Manying walked toward her, her heart full of tenderness.

In this world, the child who cries gets milk and candy.

And so those who don’t cry can only silently curl up in a corner, doing the most work, suffering the greatest grievances, and ultimately being ignored by everyone.