This was the time when the villagers had their midday meal. Except for when visiting someone's home as a guest, it was generally understood that one wouldn't just stay for a meal at another's house; everyone shared this consensus.
Tian Dazhuang nodded. "Si Jin didn't come back at noon. I went to the woodshed to call her for lunch, but she wasn't there. Mother, I've finished eating; I'll go look for her in the village."
"I'll go with you."
Qin Sang also needed to walk around the village. Although she had the memories of the Original Owner, she needed to experience things herself to truly understand the situation.
The first courtyard door Tian Dazhuang knocked on was the neighbor's. This family's surname wasn't Tian; the man's surname was Yu. He was a refugee who had fled here in the past to settle down.
Previously, the Original Body had been indifferent to this family. She had even cursed them until her neck turned red because the Yu family's chickens had flown into her vegetable patch. She basically never greeted Sister-in-law Yu when they met. Despite this, when San Gui sought help from the villagers yesterday, the head of the Yu family had followed them up the mountain without a word. Qin Sang took the initiative to show goodwill:
"Brother Yu, it's me..."
A fierce figure lunged out from the Yu family's main room. Yu Fengtian's wife stood with her hands on her hips, pulling her husband behind her. She spoke to Qin Sang with a look of vigilance:
"You, woman surnamed Qin! You were the one who stuffed those rice balls and eggs into my husband's hands last night. What, have they not even been digested yet, and you're already coming to our door to demand grain?"
Qin Sang was sprayed with a face full of spit. She raised her hand to wipe it off, while Tian Dazhuang hurriedly said:
"Aunt Yu, it's not like that. My mother and I came to ask if my fourth sister is at your house?"
Yu Fengtian's wife was stunned. "Si Jin?"
Qin Sang nodded. "The child didn't come back at noon today. I'm worried about her, so I came out to look."
Aunt Yu shook her head:
"No. My Osmanthus hasn't left the house today, and I haven't seen your Si Jin either."
Qin Sang said they would look elsewhere. Tian Dazhuang followed closely behind. They asked three or four more families, but none said they had seen Si Jin. Tian Dazhuang began to panic:
"Mother, nothing happened to Si Jin, right?"
Qin Sang was also somewhat worried:
"Si Jin isn't a small child anymore; she wouldn't just get lost on her own. Either she was kidnapped by kidnapper, or she's hiding herself."
Tian Dazhuang didn't believe his sister would hide, so when he heard Qin Sang mention kidnapper, he immediately became tense:
"Mother, let's go find the Village Chief."
Qin Sang nodded.
Arriving at the Village Chief's house, the chief had three sons and two daughters. The daughters were already married off, and each son had children of various ages, five in total. At this time, the whole family was also eating their midday meal; otherwise, they wouldn't have the strength to work in the fields in the afternoon.
The Village Chief was over sixty years old and sat in the seat of honor, leaning on a cane.
"Uncle, my Si Jin is missing. I suspect kidnapper have come."
Hearing "kidnapper," more than ten people in the main room put down their porridge bowls:
"Then hurry to the town to report it to the authorities."
Tian Yougen stood up as he spoke:
"My father's legs and feet aren't good; I'll accompany you."
Qin Sang hurriedly said:
"It's only a suspicion; I'm not certain. Paternal uncle, could you gather the villagers to see if anyone has encountered a stranger? We can also ask if anyone saw Si Jin."
If there was still no news after gathering the whole village, then it truly wouldn't be a small matter.
Tian Yougen thought this made sense, so he went under the shrine to retrieve the brass gong.
In the past, whenever there was a major or minor announcement in the village, the Village Chief's family would strike the brass gong. Usually, it was to announce the date and amount of grain to be handed over, or if a family was holding a funeral and needed to gather everyone to help. So, hearing the brass gong from the Village Chief's house again, it didn't take long for the villagers to gather on the dirt road outside. For a moment, dust rose everywhere, filling the air.
Qin Sang's two daughters-in-law also brought Eldest Girl along, following Tian Sangui from the end of the village.
"Seeing as there's no harvest in the fields, do we still have to pay the Imperial Grain tax? Pay with our lives?"
"Is this damn heaven trying to stop us from living?"
The Village Chief hurriedly raised his hand to quiet them:
"Everyone, don't worry. I didn't call you here to collect grain. Has anyone seen Si Jin from Tian Changhe's family today?"
Immediately, everyone began to discuss: "Si Jin? What happened to her?"
"Lost?"
"I've been carrying water from the river all day; I didn't see her."
With everyone clamoring, Qin Sang couldn't hear clearly and said loudly, "My Si Jin is missing. I want to ask if anyone has seen a stranger in the village? Or a Peddler?"
Someone raised their hand:
"I saw one. I saw an ox cart today driven by an old man, but when he left the village, the cart was empty. I didn't see Si Jin."
Qin Sang knew the person was likely referring to Old Man Xu, who had brought her back. "Has anyone else seen anyone? If anyone can provide a real clue, I... I will give five catties of grain as a reward."
Hearing that they could get five catties of grain, the people present were half-believing and half-doubting:
"Qin Sang, does your family have that much grain?"
"Don't you know? Those who went up the mountain last night to help her family find Eldest Girl all got to eat dry rice at her house."
"It seems her family is doing quite well."
Qin Sang did not want to become the object of everyone's envy:
"My family doesn't have much grain either, but to me, grain is not as important as Si Jin. Has really no one seen another stranger, or seen where Si Jin appeared?"
At this moment, an old grandmother sitting on a rock nearby rose tremblingly. Qin Sang recognized her; she was the Blind Old Lady of the village. She had high seniority and was old, but her life was bitter. Her two sons were one dead and one paralyzed. Her second daughter-in-law had abandoned her two children and run away, leaving the Eldest Daughter-in-law alone to support a family of two adults and four children. The old grandmother stood up shakily:
"Qin Sang, your Si Jin... she went towards the village entrance at noon."
Widow Xia, who was nearby, hurriedly supported her mother-in-law:
"Mother, are you sure it was Si Jin?"
Other villagers also didn't believe it:
"Granny Xia, look at you, you're even talking to a tree. How could you see Si Jin?"
"I'm afraid Granny Xia just heard she could get five catties of grain and is telling a lie here."
"Actually, I think I saw Si Jin's back too. She wasn't going to the village entrance; she was going to the mountain."
Granny Xia said:
"Even though I can't see, I can hear clearly. You're Tian Yuanshan, right? Not only can I distinguish voices, but sitting in the courtyard every day, I can also tell who is passing by my house."
"Tian Jinshui, don't talk nonsense. Si Jin clearly went towards the village entrance; I heard it very clearly..."
These words drew some laughter from the villagers, but Qin Sang did not think Granny Xia was lying to get the grain. At this time, Zhou Daya, who was standing next to Tian Dazhuang, raised her small hand:
"Grandma, at noon, Little Aunt did say she was going to the village entrance to see if you had come back."
Zhou Dahua also nodded hurriedly from the side.
Zhao Huan, on Qin Sang's other side, had a strange expression on her face and leaned back behind her husband:
"I can't stand for long. Accompany me back."
Tian Sangui gave an "en" and muttered:
"Si Jin wouldn't really be lost, would she? She's such a big person; if she really was taken by kidnapper, she really won't be found."
Hearing this, Zhao Huan almost stumbled and looked back uneasily toward the village entrance.
Qin Sang looked at Granny Xia:
"Granny, your house isn't far from the village entrance. Did any outsiders enter the village today?"
"Yes, just that one driving the ox cart."
"Besides him?"
"None."
Qin Sang didn't get any more useful clues from others. As everyone began to talk nonsense, she had Tian Dazhuang go home to get five catties of grain to send to the Xia family. She needed to think things through properly.
If it wasn't kidnapper, then Si Jin must have hidden herself. Why would she hide?
"Eldest Girl, when your Little Aunt went out to meet me, was there anything strange about her?"