Zhu Yanyi glanced at Yang Chuang. Since she was her senior martial brother, she did not argue. She simply nodded. "Alright. Everyone come to the place where Zhu Zhibin and I are resting."
It was fortunate that it was summer, so sleeping on the floor was acceptable. Moreover, the owners of this house were away, allowing them to accommodate more people. However, with so many people suddenly in one room, it was quite crowded.
"Sister, why don't we sleep on mats in the courtyard? The room is too small," Zhu Zhibin suggested, seeing the crowd.
Zhu Yanyi thought for a moment and nodded. "Everyone bring your mats. Gather in the courtyard and rest together."
The others nodded and went to fetch their mats. People back then were not so particular. They simply laid mats on the ground and rested in the courtyard of the house where Zhu Yanyi stayed. Zhu Yanyi was glad the owners were visiting relatives and had left the house empty. Otherwise, so many people appearing would have frightened them.
Zhu Yanyi told everyone to rest. She then sprinkled a circle of medicinal powder around the area. It was summer, and she did not want mosquitoes or snakes to disturb them.
It was the latter half of the night, and everyone was exhausted. They settled down and fell asleep quickly. Zhu Yanyi let Zhu Zhibin sleep first. She sat cross-legged on her mat to meditate. This served two purposes: resting and guarding.
Yang Chuang followed the screams to the scene. Several people had already arrived but stopped at the door of the house where the sound came from.
"What is happening?" Yang Chuang asked as he approached.
Knowing Yang Chuang was a soldier, the village head hurried over. "We heard the screams and came over. But we are afraid there is danger inside, so we dare not enter."
Yang Chuang nodded, his expression serious. "I will go in first. You stay behind. Be careful and ensure your safety."
"Okay." The village head nodded eagerly and instructed the others who had gathered to be cautious.
Seeing everyone was ready, Yang Chuang kicked the door open. A woman lay on the ground, covered in blood, curled up in an arch. She seemed to be holding something in her arms. Yang Chuang looked closer and found it was a baby.
"Luo Wen’s wife is dead. What should we do? Luo Wen is a soldier," the village head panicked. The village had always been peaceful. He never imagined such a murder would happen.
"Why are you in such a hurry?" Yang Chuang glared at the village head. He carefully picked up the child. The baby was still alive, though its breath was weak. Yang Chuang immediately told the village head, "Do not let anyone enter casually. Call the police at dawn. I will take this child to my place to care for it."
"Okay, okay." The village head did not refuse. She assigned people to guard the scene. Yang Chuang hurried with the child because she wanted to find Zhu Yanyi.
Zhu Yanyi did not expect Yang Chuang to return with a child. Yang Chuang saw her and said, "Little junior sister, look at this child."
Zhu Yanyi looked at Yang Chuang and said speechlessly, "You recognize me as your junior sister now? Aren't you afraid others will find out?"
"It does not matter. No one has discovered it yet," Yang Chuang said without worry. Even if people knew, it would be fine. They kept it secret only to avoid trouble, not because they feared consequences.