Everyone was momentarily stunned.

Including the old woman herself, who froze, caught somewhat off guard.

The answer was clearly not “tomorrow,” so the old woman said nothing — only stared at Fu Miaoxue with an expression that verged on incredulous.

“Miaoxue!” Du Lai pulled Fu Miaoxue back, anxious for her safety.

“Oh, stop fussing~” Fu Miaoxue twisted her brow and jerked her hand free, then bounced right back over and announced to the old woman: “Hey, your three daughters are coming back the day after tomorrow~”

The old woman: “…”

Bai Youwei already knew what Fu Miaoxue was doing. She couldn’t suppress a smile.

Fu Miaoxue spotted it, and shot her a pointed look. “What are you smiling at — as long as the method works, who cares? Finding the Mid-Autumn Festival clue could waste who knows how much time!”

Bai Youwei curved her eyes and nodded: “You’re absolutely right~”

Fu Miaoxue turned back: “Hey, your three daughters are coming back in three days~

Your daughters are coming back in four days~

Your daughters are coming back in five days~

…”

The old woman: “…………”

The weathered old face had gone slightly stiff.

In the quiet, desolate little farmyard, the only sound was Fu Miaoxue’s clear, bright voice calling out answer after answer.

Bai Youwei suppressed her laughter the entire time, thoroughly amused.

Shen Mo and Du Lai also bit back grins. None of them had expected the game to be exploited like this by Fu Miaoxue. If there was no limit on the number of attempts, then forget sixty days — even six hundred days would only take a few hours at most.

Without realizing it, Fu Miaoxue had already tried up to the fortieth day.

“…Your daughters are coming back in forty-one days~

Your daughters are coming back in forty-two days~

Your daughters are coming back in forty-three days~

Your daughters are coming back…”

The old woman finally stirred. She rapped her pipe against the doorstep and fixed Fu Miaoxue with a cold, unsettling stare. “Old man, did you hear? These outsiders say our daughters won’t be back for another forty-three days.”

Miss Fu planted her fists on her hips and looked back at Du Lai with a look of triumph.

“Oh, well, thank you very much then… cough — cough cough!” The old man inside coughed for a moment, then said: “What business do you outsiders have coming to my home?”

“They want to ask about the Li family next door,” the old woman replied, her face expressionless.

The old man said in a hoarse voice: “My health is poor, and my mind wanders all day. If it’s no more than three questions, I should be able to manage one or two answers.”

Fu Miaoxue immediately asked without ceremony: “How do you clear this game? Why does the bone-carrying woman keep carrying bones? What would we have to do to make the bone-carrying woman stop?”

She asked all three in a single breath, without leaving a single opportunity for anyone else.

Bai Youwei was instantly rendered speechless, staring at her.

Just a moment ago she had thought Fu Miaoxue’s sharp instincts were like a firecracker — capable of delivering an unexpected shock to the game at just the right moment! But now she realized: this firecracker could shock them too. Wildly inconsistent!

The old man inside remained silent for a long time.

After a good while, he slowly replied: “I’m old — I don’t understand what the guests mean… What is it you want to ask?”

The old woman outside said coldly: “My old man only knows things related to the neighbors next door. For everything else, it would be better if you inquired elsewhere.”

“Oh,” Fu Miaoxue said, entirely unruffled. “In that case, I’d like to ask…”

Before the words were even out of her mouth, Du Lai grabbed her by the arm. “Wait a moment.”

Du Lai reminded her: “There are three questions. Think them through before you ask.”

Fu Miaoxue turned her brow. “But what you all want to ask might not be what I want to ask.”

“Then we’ll each ask one,” Bai Youwei said. “Shen Mo and I will ask one, you two will ask one, and then we’ll all decide on the last question together. All right?”

Fu Miaoxue thought it over, decided this wasn’t a bad deal, and nodded. “Fine.”

The first question was posed by Shen Mo:

“How did Li Qianggui die?”

—