The Lucky Farmgirl
Chapter 872 - 850: Wary (Added for reward from the book friend "The Original Tongbao of the Lang Family")

Chapter 872: Chapter 850: Wary (Added for reward from the book friend "The Original Tongbao of the Lang Family")

Mr. Zhuang was also in the study, and he wasn’t too happy either, so he just lifted his eyelids to take a quick glance at the three children before turning away, still holding a book in his hands.

Chasing Bai Erlang into the room were Bai Shan and Manbao, who felt guilty as they watched Mr. Zhuang. They immediately abandoned Bai Erlang to curry favor with Mr. Zhuang first.

One made tea and poured it for Mr. Zhuang, while the other gave Mr. Zhuang a shoulder massage.

Bai Erlang, who had been waiting for them to admit their wrongdoing, watched in stunned amazement. Then when Mr. Zhuang glanced at him, he couldn’t help but angrily point at the two and say, "Shameless!"

Manbao and Bai Shan looked at him innocently.

Trembling with indignation, Bai Erlang accused, "Without a hint of decency!"

Mr. Zhuang couldn’t help but let a trace of amusement flicker in his eyes. He waved his hand to stop Manbao’s massage and said, "Alright, off you go and play."

Manbao finally breathed a sigh of relief, and together with Bai Shan, they bowed and took their leave. As they passed by Bai Erlang, they trapped him between them, one on each side, grabbed an arm each, and dragged him out.

Bai Erlang hadn’t dared to disturb the teacher, but once out of the study, he broke free from their grasp. He asked gruffly, "What’s this about?"

Bai Shan inquired, "Still angry?"

"You guys are keeping secrets from me," Bai Erlang grunted.

Bai Shan exchanged a glance with Manbao and after a moment of thought said, "Our secret is somewhat dangerous. One could potentially die. Do you still want to know?"

Bai Erlang blinked, looked seriously at Bai Shan, then at Manbao, and skeptically asked, "For real or not?"

Bai Shan and Manbao solemnly nodded together.

Bai Erlang became conflicted. "What to do—I’m even more curious now. But you said not to do dangerous things. That’s wrong though; if you’re both against doing dangerous things, why would you have secrets that could cost lives?"

Bai Shan suddenly shouted, "You believed that? We fooled you!"

After saying that, they turned and ran off, laughing heartily. Bai Erlang was caught off guard at first but then, nose askew in anger, he took off after them.

The three of them chased each other around the yard for a good seven or eight loops until Bai Erlang simply couldn’t run anymore and stopped. Following his usual habit, he pointed at them without being able to utter a word.

Bai Shan and Manbao were also quite exhausted, bent over and gasping for breath, sipping water cautiously while still keeping an eye on Bai Erlang.

Panting, Bai Shan asked, "Still chasing?"

Bai Erlang just plopped down on the ground, grumpy, and said, "No more running—what on earth did you two go off to do?"

Bai Shan shook his head and simply said, "We went to see County Magistrate Tang. Your homework is done—why so many questions?"

"It’s done."

Manbao lifted her head in surprise and exclaimed, "That quick? How did you get so diligent all of a sudden?"

Bai Erlang remembered, "Isn’t it because we have to go to Qi Jue’s birthday feast tomorrow?"

Bai Shan and Manbao blinked in confusion, asking, "Isn’t his birthday on the twelfth?"

Bai Erlang replied, "Tomorrow is."

Bai Shan distressed, "That’s bad—we’re supposed to be in school tomorrow."

"We’ll go after school," Bai Erlang said. "The Qi family prepared dinner; we can play until curfew before returning home."

That’s why he had finished his homework early. Their teacher said that if their work was done well, he could even let them leave school early the next day, after just half a day of classes.

Bai Erlang had planned to share this good news with them upon his return, except he hadn’t even seen Daji.

Bai Shan and Manbao sat down next to Bai Erlang and said, "I still haven’t thought of what gift to bring."

Bai Erlang was also troubled, "The teacher suggested I give him the Four Treasures of the Study, but I find it too cliché."

Bai Shan was horrified, "You even asked the teacher, when did you ask?"

"Just now, you never come back, and after I finished my homework, I could only chat with the teacher."

Manbao sighed, "Why do kids even celebrate birthdays, giving gifts is so tough."

Bai Shan and Bai Erlang also sighed, "Yeah, what’s the point of kids celebrating birthdays?"

They never celebrated them.

The three of them glanced around, and Bai Erlang said, "My birthday is in June."

Bai Shan was angry, "My birthday just passed not two months ago."

Manbao sighed, "My birthday isn’t until the end of the year."

So the three of them sat on the ground, worried, until the cook came out and saw them, hurrying to say, "Oh my little masters, why are you all sitting on the ground? Get up, the ground is dirty and cold, what if you get sick?"

The three then got up, "Aunt Rong, what gift should we give to someone our age for their birthday?"

Aunt Rong smiled and said, "When it’s time for young masters and young ladies’ birthdays, I’ll make you delicious pastries."

Manbao said, "I don’t think Qi Jue would care for our family’s pastries."

"Even if we give them, he can’t eat that much," Bai Shan said with annoyance at the inconvenience, "Let’s just give him the Four Treasures of the Study."

In the end, they didn’t give the Four Treasures of the Study; as peers, they put themselves in his shoes and thought they wouldn’t be happy receiving such a gift.

Besides, adults probably gave enough of that kind of thing.

So the three of them went to look for gifts among their own toys.

Bai Shan finally decided to give him a jade carved horse, which he had bought last year when he went out to play.

Bai Erlang dug out a gold Buddha, a gift from his uncle on New Year’s for winning a schoolwork competition against his cousin; it was a reward.

Bai Erlang searched here and there, not willing to part with his own toys and not seeing any that looked valuable enough, so it seemed that this was the best choice.

Manbao found a carved ink jade figure of Laozi, which she had bought together with Bai Shan’s jade horse.

She liked Laozi, and the jade quality of this ink jade wasn’t great, so it wasn’t expensive; she had money at the time, so she bought it, and now it was just right for giving as a gift.

However, Manbao still felt a tight pang in her heart; as she was packing the box, she muttered, "This year I’m going to have a birthday too, and I won’t invite anyone, just those who invited me to their birthday this year."

Keke: ...

After Manbao packed the box, she sneakily glanced outside, saw no one was paying attention here, and quietly asked Keke in her heart, "Keke, do you think Shanbao could have guessed?"

"He might have guessed about you, but definitely not about me," Keke didn’t think anyone in this world would guess that something like him existed.

Most likely, they would think a ghost or spirit was following Manbao, just like Ms. Qian.

But for the sake of the host’s safety, Keke still reminded her, "Next time you still have to be more careful, not to expose such a slip again."

Fortunately, this time only Bai Shan and Daji knew about it, and both were trustworthy people; if County Magistrate Tang had heard...

Keke was equally wary of that county magistrate.

Meanwhile, Erji was asking Daji about County Magistrate Tang, "Big brother, can we really trust this official?"

After thinking it over, Daji said, "The Old Madam mentioned that Lord Wei is too busy and probably won’t put too much effort into our case alone, and if even County Magistrate Tang and County Magistrate Yang are unwilling to investigate, then we can only wait until the young master grows up."

Erji fell silent.

"But the Old Madam may not be able to wait, and it’s too dangerous for the young master to investigate himself," Daji continued, "County Magistrate Tang is very smart and powerful; I always feel like he has the shadow of our old master about him."

Erji opened his mouth but didn’t speak.