The chief of the Xikang Hu tribe looked at the sugar-leg crispy-bun in A Man's hand with suspicion, a strange glint flashing across his eyes.
Just as he was about to take a bite, it was the same persistent Hu man from before who stepped forward and said righteously, "Brother, you mustn't! Although these buns look somewhat similar to those made by sister-in-law, we can't be sure that these Central Plains scoundrels haven't secretly poisoned them! The Xikang Hu tribe depends on you, brother. You mustn't fall victim to their schemes!"
A Man flushed with anger. Without hesitation, she picked up a bun, took a big bite, chewed a few times, and swallowed it hard, until her face turned red and her neck thick.
"Now you've seen it, right? I've eaten it myself! These buns are not poisoned! They're perfectly fine!"
The Hu man was about to say something like "maybe the poison is in the other buns," but before he could finish, Lu Xunguang quickly stepped forward, grabbed his chin with lightning speed, and forced a bun into his mouth.
"Um... You..."
The Hu man didn't have time to struggle. Lu Xunguang gave him a hard pat on the chest, causing him to choke and his eyes to roll back. With great difficulty, he managed to swallow the bun. Frightened and shocked, he shouted, "How dare you act so boldly on Xikang's territory?"
Lu Xunguang didn't bother arguing with him. He just stood silently behind A Man.
Although he didn't say a word, A Man knew clearly that this "Brother-in-law Lu," who had always been "at odds" with her, was openly supporting her. Her heart warmed, and she felt a bit more confident.
She stared at the Hu chief without backing down. After a long while, the man finally slowly raised his hand, put the bun into his mouth, and chewed it carefully.
After losing his beloved daughter, A Man's mother cried every day. The next year, she died of melancholy. Since then, he had never tasted these crispy buns again.
Now, tasting this familiar flavor once more, the beautiful and charming young girl in front of him could be no one else but his own daughter!
"A Man, you're really my little A Man! You've suffered so much all these years!"
Tears streamed down his old face. He stumbled down and tightly grabbed A Man's hands with his big, rough hands like tree bark. This tough and rugged Hu man, with a face full of wrinkles, was now crying tears of joy, clearly having missed his daughter desperately.
Looking at the people of the Xikang Hu tribe with a beaming face, he shouted loudly, "This is little A Man! She's my daughter! My daughter has come back!"
A Man was stunned for a moment. She subconsciously looked at Li Ying and saw Li Ying and Granny Sun smiling and nodding at her. Then she tentatively called out, "A... Dad?"
The harsh look on A Man's father's face disappeared completely. He nodded repeatedly and said with a smile, "Good girl, good girl. It's good that you're back! It's good that you're home!"
He eagerly led A Man and introduced everyone to her one by one. The Hu guide who had imprisoned himself for many years was her second uncle. The persistent and difficult man was her third uncle, and the one following her third uncle was her elder brother, and so on.
Li Ying watched coldly from the side. The Xikang Hu tribe had simple and honest folk customs. Now that A Man had proven her identity, they naturally no longer harbored hostility towards their group.
Only the family of the "third uncle" forced a smile. Their shrewd eyes kept darting around, as if they were plotting something.
Li Ying exchanged a look with Lu Xunguang. He understood immediately, and the two of them were instantly aware.
A Man's mother died with hatred in her heart. The chief had no sons. Since the power of the Xikang Hu tribe couldn't be passed down from father to son, the only option left was from elder brother to younger brother.
A Man's second uncle had imprisoned himself to atone for his mistakes. The third uncle's family clearly regarded the position of the Xikang chief as something in their pocket.
Now that A Man had returned, the Xikang tribe didn't place much emphasis on male superiority. Back then, little A Man had single-handedly rescued many abducted children from the tribe. Every family was grateful to her. When she returned to Xikang, even if she were to inherit the position of the chief in the future, I'm afraid no one would say a word against it.
The third uncle's family watched this "duck in their mouth" fly away right before their eyes. They were surely not going to let it go easily and might cause new troubles.
A Man called her "sister." She had to make some secret plans for this simple-minded girl.
It was getting late. The next day, A Man would return to her ancestral clan. A Man's father arranged for Li Ying's group to stay in the guest yurt and warmly invited them to attend the ceremony.
Li Ying readily agreed. After everyone fell asleep, she quietly got up, left the yurt, and went straight to find Lu Xunguang.
He was very vigilant and, as expected, hadn't fallen asleep. He was sitting by a campfire not far away, keeping watch.
The night in the Hu region was deep, and the dew was heavy. Li Ying was afraid that he would catch a cold, so she took a sheepskin cloak and carefully put it on his shoulders.
"Lu Lang?"
She called him softly, lifted her skirt, and sat down beside him.
There was a faint look of tiredness in Lu Xunguang's eyes. When he saw her coming, he quickly concealed it.
But how could these little actions escape Li Ying's eyes?
She only needed to think for a moment to understand.
"Let me guess. Lu Lang is thinking that A Man's father was deeply in love with her mother. Today, when he saw her return home, he was so overjoyed that he cried. He's really a good and loyal man?"
When A Man was a child, she was kidnapped by horse bandits during a birthday banquet. Since then, her father's personality had changed greatly, and he had never held a birthday celebration happily again.
After the news of Lu Xunguang's "death" spread, the master of the bank had carried on as usual. In comparison, it was no wonder that Lu Xunguang felt uncomfortable.
Although he had already taken over the bank and returned to his ancestral clan, paying respects and serving his father every day, he knew that the relationship between the master of the bank and Lian Ji was just a show.
But just how much of it was out of necessity and insincerity, the master of the bank was tight-lipped, and they didn't know.
Although Lu Xunguang seemed calm on the surface, Li Ying knew clearly that there was always a knot between him and the master of the bank that hadn't been untied.
She rested her head on Lu Xunguang's chest and said softly, "Lu Lang, I know you're troubled. Don't worry. This time, after we make the Nine-Day Tribute Gel and cure the master of the bank's chronic illness, I'll definitely accompany you to find out everything that happened back then!"
His uneasiness was also her heartache.
The death of Mrs. Lu was inseparable from the secretly hushed-up case of the private salt trade by the River Transport Gang. No matter what the truth was, she would definitely face it with Lu Xunguang.
Lu Xunguang stared fixedly at his own reflection in Li Ying's eyes and held her tighter.
Just as the two of them were cuddling affectionately, they suddenly heard some faint voices not far away.
"Dad, is your plan... really going to work?"
"Humph, just because of a basket of buns, she wants to snatch the position of the future chief from you? I've never heard such a ridiculous thing! Brother is old, but I'm not stupid!"
Li Ying frowned. The speakers were exactly A Man's mean third uncle and his son. Their sneaky looks were really annoying.
She sat up straight and quietly made a "shh" gesture to Lu Xunguang. The two of them held their breath and listened secretly to their movements.
"Tomorrow, when that little girl returns to her ancestral clan, don't worry, son. Dad will make sure she reveals her true colors in front of everyone!"