The Farm Girl’s Charismatic Fortune

Chapter 53: Chapter 51: Forcibly Taken Away Chapter 53: Chapter 51: Forcibly Taken Away Everyone disregarded the pouring rain and ran out of their houses, “Has the levee broken? Has it really broken?”

Two yamen runners rode on a single horse, clanging a copper gong, running through the entire village. When they saw villagers asking, they just loudly replied, “The river water level has risen! You can touch it with an outstretched hand, and the levee could break at any moment. Hurry to higher ground!”

The people who ran out all cried upon hearing this.

“It’s a disaster! It’s raining everywhere, where can we hide?”

“Do they want us dead? Once the levee breaks, our houses may be washed away, our homes gone, how can we live then?”

….

That said, the villagers were still frantically running back to their houses to pack up and leave.

Madam Liu also turned and ran back inside, urgently saying, “Mother, the yamen runners said the river is too full and could break its banks at any time, asking us to take refuge on higher ground. Let’s hurry to the mountain!”

Her husband had gone to the city to see his own father and hadn’t returned yet. What if the levee broke?

How would he return home?

What if the levee broke while he was on his way back and he was swept away by the flood?

Or had he already been swept away by the flood on his road back?

Madam Liu’s heart was in turmoil, her face pale, her whole body slightly trembling.

Ruo Xuan grabbed her hand, “Mother, don’t be afraid, it’s going to be okay!”

Madam Liu calmed down a bit, she couldn’t be afraid, Xuanbao wasn’t afraid.

Granny Lei made a quick decision, “Quick, pack up, we must head to the mountain now…”

“Yes!” The Ruo Family children quickly got moving. Fortunately, most of their belongings had already been moved to the mountain by Ruo Shui, and all they needed to take with them were some remaining food and clothes.

“Second brother, go tell third brother and his family that we’re heading to the mountain first, and they should run to the mountain immediately if anything goes wrong. Second brother’s wife, third brother’s wife, take the children to the mountain first. I’ll go fetch your eldest brother.”

“Alright!” Ruo Jiang knew there was no time to lose, answered with a single acknowledgement and left.

Granny Lei hastily ran to the back of the house, opened the door of the stone room, and went in, “Eldest, the flood is coming, come out quickly, let mother take you to the mountain to hide for a while.”

Ruo Hai nodded, he had been feeling a bit restless these past two days but managed to suppress it. He felt somewhat better than before yet still a bit worried, so he said, “Mother, just lock me in an iron cage, I’ll carry the cage myself while climbing the mountain.”

Granny Lei flatly rejected this idea, “No way! Less nonsense, come out quickly!”

If the levee broke halfway, and her son was trapped in the iron cage and swept away by the flood, that would be a certain death!

When the Ruo Family stepped out of their courtyard, they saw many soldiers in the village, alerting and assisting people to move to higher ground.

Many villagers also ran out, everyone carrying large bundles. Some even carried cages of chickens, while others were driving a couple of fat pigs and leading oxen.

Many dogs followed their owners closely behind.

The people were in a complete panic, and the animals were also restless.

Ruo Xuan saw the dogs and had a bad feeling.

Granny Lei pulled Ruo Hai as she said to the family, “Let’s go quickly!”

Right then, the butler from the General Residence and several soldiers rushed over through the rain, “Old Granny Ruo, our Madam specifically sent us to escort you to our residence for shelter from the rain.”

Granny Lei didn’t expect the people from the General Residence to come to fetch them, and she instinctively refused, “The Madam is kind! However, our family is just going to hide on the mountain for a while! Thank you…”

Before Granny Lei could finish her sentence, Ruo Hai suddenly roared angrily, tore away from Granny Lei’s grip, and rushed forward to grab a soldier in front of him, biting him immediately!

“Eldest! Stop!”

“Grab him!”

“Big brother, don’t!”

Just as everyone was shocked, a small figure dashed from Madam Liu’s embrace and plopped onto Ruo Hai’s back, while slapping him on the head.

Ruo Hai’s body stiffened and then went limp, tumbling onto the rain-swept ground.

Ruo Xuan also fell down, and moreover, was crushed beneath Ruo Hai’s large frame!

Wuu wuu…

It hurt her to death!

“Xuanbao!” Madam Liu and Granny Lei hurriedly moved forward, each helping their child—the one assisting her son and the other saving her daughter.

However, Granny Lei and Madam Liu, one old and the other frail, could lift Ruo Xuan without issue, but they could hardly raise the tall and burly Ruo Hai.

The butler of the General Residence’s eyes flashed as he urgently said to the soldiers beside him, “Aren’t you in a hurry to help the eldest young master up, get the children onto the carriage?”

Two soldiers quickly went to assist Ruo Hai.

Taking the opportunity, the butler of the General Residence said, “Old Madam Ruo, the rain is too heavy, and with the eldest master in such a state, with all the children’s clothes soaked through, they can easily catch a cold. Doctor Qi from our residence just happens to be there. Don’t be polite, old madam—please hurry and follow me to the General Residence!”

This rain is coming down just great!

He must take the entire Ruo Family to kneel before the old general at the General Residence.

Master Xuan Ling had already prepared a major ritual; he was sure to seize back the fate from the Ruo Family members.

Ruo Xuan, cradled by Madam Liu, wiped the droplets off her face and urgently said, “We’re not going, don’t touch my uncle.”

Granny Lei had been somewhat hesitant, but hearing this, she resolutely shook her head, “We’ll just go up the mountain, we’re not going!”

Villagers passing by, envious, all tried persuading them, “Sister Lei, your family has a noble benefactor. Follow them quickly! We could only wish for such luck! With such heavy rain and someone to rely on, why not take shelter?”

“Exactly, with your eldest in that condition, if you take him up the mountain and he goes mad, what if he bites us?!”

Upon hearing this, the butler of the General Residence was quick to say, “Fellow villagers, please help me persuade Old Madam Ruo! Our old madam is very worried about the safety of the Ruo family and has ordered me to insist that Old Madam Ruo and her family take shelter at the General Residence! After the old general passed, our old madam didn’t forget the Ruo Family and is deeply concerned! Old Madam Ruo, weren’t you saying that after you’re done here, you would go and offer incense to the old general? This could be a good opportunity to do so!”

“The old general passed away? When did that happen? Good heavens! The General’s Residence is so considerate towards the Ruo Family, Sister Lei, haven’t you gone to offer incense to the old general yet?”

“Dear butler, we’ll go to offer incense to the old general. You can take us there for that! Don’t bother with picking up this lot of ingrates from the Ruo Family!”

“Granny Lei, hurry and go with the people from the General Residence! Even in their time of mourning, they haven’t forgotten you and have sent the butler out in the rain to fetch you. Don’t spurn their kindness!”

“Right! You shouldn’t be ungrateful, lest you be struck by lightning. We all need to head up the mountain to escape the flood, but with your eldest like that, how can we dare to go? What if he bites us?”

“Hurry up and leave with the people from the General Residence! What are you lingering for? Do you want to die? We still need to rescue others!” The soldiers tightly gripped the arms of the Ruo children and forcefully dragged them toward the General Residence’s carriage.

About a dozen soldiers encircled the Ruo Family members, pulling on the children and coercing them with a semi-threatening stance into the carriage.

Some even picked up Ruo Xian and stuffed him into the carriage.

Granny Lei urgently said, “We won’t go, heading up the mountain will do!”

These soldiers didn’t listen at all; they were all retired and now served as guards at the General Residence, and upon receiving the old madam’s orders, they had to take the Ruo family to the General Residence.

The butler of the General Residence sneered in his heart; the Ruo Family had stolen the General Residence’s fate and had even caused the old general’s death, so naturally they feared going to the General Residence.

But today, whether they wanted to or not, they had to go!

Today, he would forcibly take them!

Seeing her family being forced onto the carriage nearly killed Ruo Xuan with anger!

Her fingers fluttered wildly.

Go to hell, all of you!