Chapter 49: Zhenzhen Disappeared

  "What's the big deal? Why are you so flustered?" Liu Qingqing asked, looking at the servant who had rushed over.

  "Miss Zhenzhen of Orchid Chrysanthemum Palace has gone missing! Blue Sister-in-law and the people from Orchid Chrysanthemum Palace have all gone out to look for her."

  Liu Qingqing said, "When did this happen?" She thought that Zhenzhen had just performed a painting with her, how could she disappear? Her mind was racing, wondering if someone had taken advantage of the chaos to kidnap Zhenzhen when she was in danger. But what use could a ten-year-old child be to anyone?

  "Hu Zhongren was puzzled and asked: 'Who is Zhenzhen?'"

  Liu Qingqing said, "Don't you know who Zhenzhen is? Think about the good things you've done!" After finishing speaking, she walked into the Smoke Flower Building. Hu Zhongren hurriedly followed her in, and the servant followed behind, saying, "Lady Lanji said that if you come back, you should rest first and not worry about them, also don't go out again, lest you look high and low and even if Zhenzhen comes back, she won't be able to find anyone and will get anxious."

  Liu Qingqing listened and thought it made sense. Zhenzhen was a clever and cunning child, even if someone really took her away, it's unclear who would end up suffering. She couldn't help but think of Xiaolian and asked the servants: "Is Miss Xiaolian doing well? Is anyone taking care of her?"

  The servant said: "I am an outside servant and don't ask about inside matters, this you'd better ask the maid of Huahua Pavilion."

  As expected, once they reached the outside of Huahua Lou, the attendants stopped going in and stood outside with their hands hanging down, "If the flower master has any instructions, please let us know. We will wait here."

  Liu Qingqiang hurriedly walked towards the Ice Palace. Xiao Lian was still living in the Ice Palace, although she was free herself, but Xiao Lian was still under someone's control, and Lan Jie Niangniang wasn't entirely at ease with her own freedom. Leaving Xiao Lian behind was equivalent to taking a hostage, controlling oneself from acting arbitrarily.

  Hu Zhongren followed along, asking all the way, "You might as well tell me, who exactly is Zhenzhen? And what's her relationship to me?" He heard a mocking tone in Liu Qingqing's voice, and hearing the name Zhenzhen sounded like a girl, he thought to himself that even if he was unlucky, he wouldn't have made a move on a young girl, there must be some misunderstanding in between.

  Liu Qingqing said: "Hu Shao, do you still remember your second wife Chunlan and third wife Qiujie?"

  Hu Zhongren nodded slightly. Of course he remembered them - they were the two new wives he had married one after another after losing Xiulian.

  "So, did Hu Shaokang ever get to experience the pleasure with both of his wives?" Liu Qingqing said with a look of disdain.

  Hu Zhongren was furious: "My wife, can't I have a romantic relationship with them?"

  "It's okay to have relationships, and it's also right to do so. However, you shouldn't abandon them halfway through and discard them, leaving them to wander the streets without a care. This is not what a gentleman would do! Just because of rumors that your wife had an affair with her cousin, you abandoned her without hesitation? Is this really for my sake, Liu Qingqing? Are all three of your ex-wives in Haanghai? And Xiaolian is also carrying your flesh and blood, where do you place them?"

  "They themselves are willing to be seduced, how can I abandon them from start to finish? Even if you want to add crime to me, give a slightly better reason, okay?" Hu Zhongren said angrily.

  "Jen Jen once asked me to ask you a question after I returned to China, which is that since you don't like her mother, why do you still get along with her mother and even call her mom, and also let her give birth to her?"

  "What did you say? Zhenzhen is my daughter?" Hu Zhongren exclaimed in disbelief. At that time, neither of them had mentioned being pregnant with a child, otherwise, how could they have let them drift overseas without a word?

  "Isn't it yours? Is it still Yang Liuqing's?" Not many women are confused to the point where they don't even know whose child their own is, right? Liu Qingqi retorted.

  I really don't understand why he tolerates Yang Liuqing's shameful behavior. "What is it that you're after, letting Yang Liuqing bully your wife without saying a word?" Liu Qingqiu finally couldn't hold back and asked.

  "This, you don't need to worry about, but the fact that these women betrayed me is true. If a woman can't resist temptation and suffers as a result, she has to bear it herself."

  Hú Zhōngrén thinks that women should rather die than suffer humiliation.

  "But these two women have preserved a bloodline for the Hu family, and although they are in the brothel, their hearts are thinking of you, Hu Zhongren. Moreover, the one who started this was you, Hu Zhongren, because your heart only has Xiulian, so you neglected anyone else, even if they had deep feelings for you." Liu Qingqing felt that it wasn't worth it to fall in love with him.

  "You don't need to analyze my state of mind back then. Now, for your sake, I've changed a lot, can't you see?"

  Liu Qingqing said: "Indeed, you have paid a lot for me, but this still cannot attract me. What I despise the most is people who are unfaithful. Tell me, you don't like Chunlan and Qiujie, yet you married them as wives, and even when they gave birth to a daughter for you, you didn't know; you don't love Xiaolian, yet you let her become pregnant, traveling thousands of miles just saying it's all for me, what kind of situation have you put Xiaolian in?"

  As for Xiaolian, Liu Qingqing quickened her pace. She had to make sure Xiaolian was safe before she could interrogate Hu Zhongren about everything.

  Two people were arguing and walking quickly, before long they arrived at the Ice Palace, saw Xiaolian was fine there. Liu Qingqing let out a long sigh of relief. "Xiaolian, I'm back." She stretched out her hand to hold onto Xiaolian, through thick and thin, they had become like sisters.

  Xiao Lian saw Liu Qingqing excitedly shouting: "Hu Shao, how did you come with Madame Jiuzi?" Liu Qingqing was so angry, Xiao Lian, Xiao Lian, can't you hold on?

  Look at how much affection he has for you, but Xiaolian's eyes and heart are all about Hu Shao. Now that she sees Hu Shao, she automatically passes over Liu Qingqing's arm and throws herself into Hu Shao's embrace.

  Liu Qingqing reached out to separate the two people's hug, placing a token in Xiao Lian's hand. "We have won the title of Huakui, we possess the token of Hanhai Country, and now we can freely enter and exit Hanhai Country."

  Praise of Concubine txt download

  "What's with you still sticking around him?!"

  "Madam Ji, you're really something, you've really succeeded?" Xiaolian gazed at the token with boundless joy, looking at Liu Qingqing. At first, when Liu Qingqing was going to disguise herself as Cloud Granny, she was worried to death. Now that they had finally succeeded, they could finally meet Tianchao openly and honorably. Looking at Hu Shao, Xiaolian said with a smile: "Hu Shao, you don't know how formidable Madam Ji is. We were caught by the Wind and Cloud Two Devils in Hanyang Country, but she wasn't afraid at all. She even used anesthetic to knock out the Wind and Cloud Two Devils, disguised herself as Cloud Granny, infiltrated Huafang Building to gather information, and ultimately achieved success. She's really a heroine among women."

  "I understand, you'd better stay here and don't exhaust yourself. You've harmed my son." Hu Zhongren looked at Xiaolian's slightly plump body and knew that Liu Qingqing was telling the truth - Xiaolian was indeed pregnant. He rarely thought of Xiaolian, yet she loved him so much, a thread of guilt flashed across his mind. Thinking of Zhenzhen being his own flesh and blood, he hastily asked: "Zhenzhen was taken away, have you heard any news?"

  Xiao Lian shook her head. She had been staying in the Ice Palace and hadn't had a chance to go out, and since few people came here, she didn't know that Zhenzhen had been kidnapped.

  Liu Qingqing shook her head, trying to clear her mind. "I think it's nothing, Zhenzhen is clever and won't be taken advantage of by anyone. I just find it strange, what does this person want with Zhenzhen? Unless...?"

  Unless someone knew that the Buddha on her neck was a jade Buddha. Knew the secret of the Jade Buddha. At the time of painting, Zhenzhen's body was not wearing an inch of clothing, but the Jade Buddha did not leave her side. In the darkness, she was covered in ink, but the Jade Buddha on her body shone brightly, and must have caught someone's eye.

  She thought for a moment and decided to tell Hu Zhong about the reason of Zhenzhen's disappearance.

  "I think it's because of this thing." She pulled out a jade Buddha hidden in her clothes.

  "You're saying that Zhenzhen also has the Green Jade Buddha? She's also a destined person for the Green Jade Buddha?" Hu Zhongren asked in surprise, not expecting that Liu Qingqing had encountered danger and unexpectedly stumbled upon the Green Jade Buddha, curing her of her foolishness. No wonder he felt she had recovered her usual cleverness, with big eyes rolling around. So that's how it was.

  "Yes, someone must have known the use of the Bixi Buddha and taken Zhenzhen away. But one Bixi Buddha is useless, taking her makes no sense unless they also have someone suffering from dementia and already possess a Bixi Buddha; or they have an even bigger conspiracy." Thinking of a bigger conspiracy, Liu Qingqing couldn't help but shiver, and Hu Zhongren also thought of this possibility.

  "You're in danger, we'll rush back to China tomorrow, don't stay here any longer. As for Zhenzhen, I can send someone to find her, she shouldn't be in danger!" Hu Zhongren's words had just fallen when a cold voice sneered: "Yes, Hu Shao naturally thinks there's no danger, although she is your biological daughter, but you have never experienced a day of hardship or warmth, so you wouldn't care about the child's life and death. Although you and Zhenzhen are blood relatives, you don't care about the child's survival!"

  Liu Qingqing and Xiao Lian stood facing the door, seeing that it was Qiu Ju speaking in anger. Hu Zhongren turned his back to them, hastily rushing over. When he looked again, it was Chunlan and Qiujie, his two former wives.

  Hu Zhongren was shocked and surprised, never expecting that after many years, he would meet them again in the vast ocean country. He had originally thought that he would never want to see these women who betrayed him for the rest of his life.

  Just now, Liu Qingqing's words were like the evening drum and morning bell, prompting me to reflect. I didn't put my mind on them before, but thinking about it now makes me ashamed. Facts are more powerful than eloquence; these two women have raised children for themselves, their loyalty is evident, and my excuses seem insignificant. Now, looking at them as mothers, so anxious for their children, rushing around in the middle of the night, haggard and disheveled, if I don't work hard to rescue the child, I'll be no better than a beast.

  "Zhen Zhen, auspicious heavens, nothing will happen to her, I'll send someone to find her immediately. You two hate me, and I have no complaints, no matter what you do to me, I won't say a word. Now that Zhen Zhen is missing, I ask you both to put aside other matters and settle this after we find Zhen Zhen." Hu Zhongren saw the resentment in the eyes of the two people towards him and took the initiative to propose a solution. He was usually arrogant, but only when it came to romantic relationships did he repeatedly make mistakes. However, as a man, once he was wrong, he wouldn't deny it until death.

  Liu Qingqing said, "Hu Shao is right, things have their own importance and urgency, I believe the two sisters will make a wise choice. Now that Zhenzhen has gone missing, we are most concerned about it, don't delay the main thing."

  Xiao Lian saw and said: "Two sisters are tired from running around, it's better to rest early! The rescue of Zhenzhen must have a way for the Ninth Lady!"

  Chun Lan and Qiu Ju looked at each other, then turned to Liu Qingqing and said in unison: "Everything depends on you, sister!" They had already witnessed Liu Qingqing's skills, so they trusted her abilities. However, after a night of searching, the two of them hadn't found any clues. How could Liu Qingqing possibly come up with a solution after emerging from the vast ocean? Unconsciously, tears streamed down their faces.

  Liu Qingqing hesitated for a moment, then comforted them by saying: "Two sisters, please don't cry. I think we should think about who wants to capture Zhenzhen, where he will hold her captive, and what plan we can use to rescue her."

  Qiu Ju said: "She's so young, what kind of enemies could she have? What reason is there to arrest her?"

  Chun Lan said: "The two of us have always been careful not to make enemies with others, except for Mrs. Blue. Also, no one knows that Zhen Zhen is our child, and they won't take out their anger on the child because of us."

  Having heard both of their words, Liu Qingqing was able to determine, "So that's why she was caught."

  "What for?"

  Liu Qingqing said: "For Biyu Buddha, because on her body, there is a gemstone, that is Biyu Buddha!"

  Chun Lan and Qiu Ju looked at each other, "Could it be that the stone pendant around her neck is the Bi Yu Buddha?"

  Liu Qing nodded slightly.