Chapter 35: A Countermove
“She’s fine, just fell asleep,” he said.
Xin Che had encountered all sorts of strange happenings during his years of wandering, but a child this composed and mature was something he had never seen before.
What’s more, the boy seemed to know Jiang Lili well, almost as if they’d been acquainted for a long time. Could it be that this little prodigy was another “friend” of Jiang Lili’s maternal grandfather?
Although Xin Che had many questions, he trusted that Jiang Lili would gradually open up to him in time.
Weighing the keys in his hand, he instructed Dabao, “Stay here and keep watch. If anyone comes, call out to me loudly.”
Dabao nodded solemnly, then scrambled onto the chair beside Jiang Lili’s bed with both hands and feet.
In a voice still tinged with childhood innocence, Dabao said, “Brother, don’t worry. With me here, you can rest assured!”
Dabao clasped his hands together, his eyes wide like an owl’s as he vigilantly scanned the surroundings. His expression was one of utmost seriousness.
Xin Che couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight. Taking the keys, he went to the other two side rooms and brought back the unconscious people one by one.
Before long, Jiang Lili’s bamboo basket produced a large bowl of freshly brewed medicine and seven smaller bowls.
Even though Xin Che had witnessed such miraculous occurrences many times, he was still awed by the spectacle.
After retrieving the medicine, Xin Che carefully fed it to Jiang Lili and the others in turn.
He looked at Dabao, who was composed and unhurried, and asked, “Where’s your mother?”
Dabao pointed a tiny finger toward the door. “Before she passed out, I dragged her into the woodshed.”
He explained seriously, “I was going to pee when I overheard Madam Yuan and her servant plotting something. It seems that they should be human tr*ffickers who specialize in knocking people unconscious and selling them to Nanzhao.”
Dabao’s baby teeth hadn’t fully grown in, so his speech was slightly unclear. The contrast between his childish, soft voice and his earnest demeanor was striking.
He had almost been discovered by Madam Yuan while eavesdropping, but Madam Yuan and her people had never imagined that the one gathering intelligence would be a one-and-a-half-year-old child. They only checked hiding spots large enough for adults.
Dabao shared his speculation: “Madam Yuan is probably going to call people to move you out of the room. What do we do now?”
Dabao glanced hesitantly at the room full of unconscious people.
“Wait and see.” Xin Che pondered. “Let’s first see how many people they have and whether the entire village is working with them.”
Xin Che had a signal flare hidden in his sleeve. Setting it off now might alert the enemy, but he was prepared to use it to contact Cheng Jiayu if necessary.
As the two waited, the people who had fainted began to wake up one by one. The antidote prepared by the class monitor worked quickly.
Jiang Lili rubbed her still-heavy head as she regained consciousness. The first thing she saw was Dabao sitting upright on a chair beside her bed.
“Dabao, it looks like your cold is almost better. You—”
Jiang Lili was surprised to see Dabao in her room and was about to ask him why he was there when a notification popped up in her mental group chat interface.
[New member Liao Ji has joined the group chat. Come and welcome him!]
Jiang Lili’s almond-shaped eyes widened in shock, her jaw nearly dropping to the floor. “Master Liao?!”
Dabao nodded calmly in acknowledgment. “Sister Lili, it’s me.”
Jiang Lili examined the child’s tender features closely, recognizing the familiar calm demeanor.
She had thought it odd when she first met this child; he looked strangely familiar. The prominent ears and slightly aquiline nose—weren’t those the signature features of their class’s fortune-telling, laid-back master, Liao Ji?
The realization hit her like a lightning bolt. This child in front of her opened up a whole new line of thought: it seemed their group of transmigrators could end up in bodies of different ages!
A few days ago, she had been wishing that Master Liao, the horticulture expert skilled in farming, could be among the exiled group. However, after scanning the faces of all the exiles, she hadn’t found the familiar one she was looking for. She never expected that Master Liao had turned into Liao Dabao!
Liao Dabao and Jiang Lili repeated the situation they had just explained to Xin Che.
Jiang Lili was secretly alarmed. She hadn’t imagined that such a remote village could harbor such a vile case of cross-border trafficking. Her first reaction was to reach for her phone to call the police…
Wait, no. She should report this to the authorities here!
Reporting to the authorities… Jiang Lili suddenly thought of Sales Champion Li. Who said you couldn’t call 110 in ancient times?
Jiang Lili quickly poked Li Sicong, the eldest young master, and relayed the situation in Langyan Village to him.
[Jiang Lili: Quick! Didn’t your younger brother want to fight bandits to impress your father? Now there’s an even better opportunity to make a name for himself right in front of you. Hurry and come claim some credit~~]
[Li Sicong: Got it!!]
After contacting Li Sicong, Jiang Lili also informed Guan Yue, letting her know that she had already notified Li Sicong.
Once she was done, she saw Master Liao repeatedly calling Xin Che “brother” and “pal,” while Xin Che’s face had gone completely expressionless from the constant addressing.
Liao Dabao said, “Brother, I’ve lived for so long, and you’re the most handsome guy I’ve ever seen.”
Xin Che replied, “…Brother, you’re too kind.”
Jiang Lili thought: Aren’t you just one and a half years old, my friend?
Liao Dabao continued, “Brother, I saw how skilled you are. Could you teach me a few moves?”
Xin Che: “…Wait until you are taller than my knees.”
Jiang Lili rubbed her forehead helplessly. Master Liao really had no idea how to hold a conversation, let alone flatter someone. Back in class, his life revolved around solving problems and obsessing over martial arts novels. Judging by his eagerness now, it was clear he genuinely craved Xin Che’s martial arts skills.
Meanwhile, Xin Che had already adapted, calmly accepting the fact that a little kid was calling him “brother.”
Seriously? Xin Che was this adaptable?
Jiang Lili explained, “Dabao here is a prodigy. He’s been unusually intelligent since he was a child. He told me once that he had a dream where a master guided him, which made him extraordinary.”
Xin Che earnestly replied, “I can tell. This child is not ordinary and will achieve great things in the future.”
Jiang Lili looked at Xin Che’s face, full of belief.
That’s it? He bought it?
Was the God of War really this easy to fool?
At this point, Xin Cheng and Marquis of Zhaoping slowly woke up. While Xin Che took the opportunity to check their condition, Jiang Lili asked Liao Dabao, “When exactly did you transmigrate?”
Liao Ji thought for a moment and replied, “I transmigrated into this body a day ago. I was burning up with fever and feeling completely disoriented. After you gave me some cold medicine, my mind gradually cleared up.”
As soon as he finished, his stomach growled loudly. “Is there anything to eat?”
He patted his stomach. “I haven’t eaten in two days.”
Earlier, when it was time to eat, he couldn’t manage to swallow anything, so Yin Zhen had only given him a lot of water.
What could a one-and-a-half-year-old eat? Jiang Lili recalled her experience taking care of her niece: regular meals worked, but formula milk was also an option.
Given the urgency of the situation, it was better to have Xiaopang make Master Liao a bottle of milk! Modern snacks had way too many additives, and Jiang Lili didn’t dare let Master Liao eat those. What if they stunted his growth?
Jiang Lili quickly messaged Xiaopang: [Xiaopang, quick! Master Liao is hungry. Make him a bottle of formula!]
Zhang Xiaopang was dumbfounded when he received Jiang Lili’s message. Master Liao had transmigrated into the body of a toddler still drinking milk?
Unbelievable!