Chapter 227 Disturbed

Touched by Dai Xingyun's sincere words, Shen Xiaoxiao looked up at him with gratitude, her eyes slightly moist, and said, "Thank you, Xingyun!"

"However... I probably won't choose to work at a military hospital in the end."

"You know my personality; I've always been rather lazy and easygoing, and I especially love a free and unrestrained lifestyle."

"So, I won't go to work at the military hospital, but I will use my spare time to make more hemostatic drugs and other medicines that those brave and fearless soldiers urgently need."

"No matter what you want to do, I will always support you unconditionally," Dai Xingyun said with a faint smile and an extremely gentle tone.

At this moment, Shen Zishan, who had been silently observing the interaction between the two, couldn't help but interject, "Oh dear, look at you, you're practically spoiling this brat!"

Despite his words of reproach, it was clear from the satisfied smile on his face that he actually approved of and appreciated Dai Xingyun's attitude and approach towards Shen Xiaoxiao.

"Dad, are you here to make fun of me?" Shen Xiaoxiao said angrily, hands on her hips and cheeks puffed out. Her bright eyes were wide open, as if they were about to spit fire.

And so, the group of people went to work amidst their playful banter.

Time flew by, and before she knew it, the sky was gradually darkening. A strange unease began to creep into Shen Xiaoxiao's heart, growing stronger and stronger, making her restless and unable to sit still.

"Mom and Dad! Grandpa and Grandma are getting so old, and it's harvest season, so they're working so hard. We just bought some meat today, why don't you take some over to them?"

"While things aren't too busy right now, you can stay at Grandma's for two or three days," Shen Xiaoxiao said, gently patting her chest as if trying to calm her inner turmoil.

Hearing her daughter's words, Ma Aning frowned and looked at her with concern, saying, "If we all leave, will you be able to manage alone at home? Why don't you come with us?"

Shen Xiaoxiao quickly shook her head and explained, "Mom, I still have some medicinal herbs that I haven't finished processing. I want to finish making them as soon as possible. So I won't go. You and Dad can stay at Grandma's house for a few more days."

Seeing that her daughter was so insistent, Ma Aning stopped forcing her and turned around to cut a large piece of meat from the cutting board.

The piece of meat looked to weigh at least two pounds, with a reddish-brown color and a good balance of fat and lean meat, making it very tempting.

Afterwards, she packed the meat into a bag, took Shen Zishan's arm, and set off on her way to her parents' home.

Shen Xiaoxiao watched the two figures gradually disappear from sight before slowly turning her gaze away.

For some reason, at that very moment, the heavy stone that had been pressing on her heart seemed to suddenly fall away, and she felt an unprecedented sense of ease and freedom.

Shen Xiaoxiao returned home with light steps and began preparing dinner.

The kitchen was filled with the crisp sounds of pots and pans clattering together. Before long, one delicious dish after another was served on the table, proving that Shen Xiaoxiao's cooking skills were quite good.

Just then, footsteps sounded outside the door, and Dai Xingyun and Xiahou Jie walked in together.

As soon as Xiahou Jie stepped into the house, he looked around but saw no one else. He couldn't help but feel puzzled and asked, "Little sister, where are your uncle and aunt?"

Hearing this, Shen Xiaoxiao turned around and explained with a smile, "Oh, the busy farming season is over, so I was thinking of letting my parents go visit my grandparents and take a break."

Dai Xingyun stood to the side, his brows furrowed. His keen intuition told him that things were not so simple, but he did not immediately press for details.

When the three of them sat down at the table to enjoy their dinner, the house was unusually quiet except for the occasional soft clatter of bowls and chopsticks.

After the meal, Xiahou Jie got up and walked to the kitchen door, looking at Dai Xingyun and Shen Xiaoxiao who were busy washing dishes inside.

He said with a smile, "Xingyun, little sister, you two take your time packing. I'll head back to the educated youth compound first!" Before he finished speaking, he had already run out the door like a gust of wind.

Dai Xingyun watched Xiahou Jie's departing figure without saying anything.

When he turned around, his gaze was fixed on Shen Xiaoxiao in front of him. His expression became unusually serious, and he asked in a deep voice, "Xiaoxiao, what exactly happened? I feel like something is not right."

Shen Xiaoxiao's hand paused slightly. She knew that she could not hide it from Dai Xingyun after all. After hesitating for a moment, she finally answered truthfully.

"Actually... I can't really explain it. I just felt inexplicably uneasy all day, so I thought of having my parents stay at my grandma's house for a couple of days to avoid some bad things."

Dai Xingyun looked at Shen Xiaoxiao with a firm gaze and said in an unquestionable tone, "I'm not going back to the educated youth compound tonight. I'm staying in my uncle and aunt's room."

Shen Xiaoxiao stared into his unwavering gaze, knowing that no matter how she tried to persuade him, she couldn't change his mind. So she sighed softly and chose to remain silent.

Then, the two of them tacitly began cleaning the room together.

They carefully wiped the tables and chairs, made the beds, and tidied everything up.

After completing the cleaning work, they went into the bathroom to wash up.

When everything was over, it was already late at night.

They said goodnight to each other and then turned and went to their respective rooms.

As the clock struck past 10, the entire village seemed to be shrouded in a veil of tranquility.

At this moment, apart from the occasional clear chirping of cicadas, no other sounds could be heard.

However, Shen Xiaoxiao's hearing was exceptionally sharp. In the midst of the complete silence, she vaguely heard a series of light footsteps outside.

Moreover, judging from the sounds, it seems that quite a few people are approaching.

Shen Xiaoxiao instantly became alert. She quickly rolled off the bed, her movements light and agile.

After quietly getting dressed, she tiptoed to the door, then slowly pushed it open a crack and peeked out.

At the same time, Dai Xingyun in the next room also noticed something was wrong. He was already dressed and quickly opened the door.

The two exchanged a glance, walked to the entrance of the courtyard and looked out. They saw more than 10 people sneaking around and approaching their courtyard step by step.