Xiao Jingran patted the young teenager’s shoulder and exhaled. "You have done a good job protecting your younger siblings."

Upon hearing that, Sun Tiezhu’s eyes actually watered again. These past few months had indeed been hard on him.

He had to keep watch on his siblings all day, ensuring that Sun Daniu wouldn’t suddenly take them away or brainwash them. Fortunately, his younger siblings always followed his words.

"The content in this letter involves a high-ranking official in this county." Xiao Jingran continued.

Sun Tiezhu was smart; he didn’t hand over this letter right away to the yamen runners. Who knows if the official who was involved with the human trafficker actually has some spies left in the yamen? After all, his position was high enough for that.

Qiu Mu’s expression became anxious. If a high-ranking official was involved, how can weak commoners like her sons who had no power possibly escape?

"Do you still want to hand over the letter?" Xiao Jingran asked him in a calm tone.

The content of the letter was more or less a confession, and it also noted several other officials who were involved in the human trafficking ring.

Perhaps Sun Daniu wanted to use that letter to threaten the officials or left it in case something happened to him. However, obviously he wasn’t clever enough to leave such traces.

"Zhu’er..." Qiu Mu called out, shaking her head repeatedly. "Don’t do it. I already told your father I burned the letter..."

[Sun Tiezhu is so pitiful. We can ask Uncle Magistrate for help, right? He said he’d protect us!] Xiao Qingya thought.

The System was in full support. [The Magistrate managed to uproot some corrupt officials before, but there are still some who remained. They had played it hidden enough that it was hard to catch their tails.]

Moreover, they also covered for each other since they were on the same side.

The little one nodded and began to speak to Qiu Mu.

[Auntie Sun, we can ask Uncle Magistrate to help us. He can deal with the bad guys!] She assured her warmly, staring at Qiu Mu with a pair of big eyes.

Qiu Mu was taken aback, and she stared back at Xiao Qingya in surprise. After she listened to Xiao Qingya’s words, her heart also magically calmed down a lot.

[I... little one, you can also see me?]

Xiao Qingya nodded and smiled.

[Don’t worry, Auntie Sun. I will still relay your words to Elder Brother Tiezhu.] She patted her chest.

Then, she turned to Sun Tiezhu and began to tell him what Qiu Mu had said. Sun Tiezhu was also surprised that Xiao Qingya could see and communicate with ghosts, but the conflicted feeling overwhelmed his surprise. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

"Mother, you don’t need to worry... I will bring my younger brothers far away from here. You said that we still have an uncle in the north, right?" Sun Tiezhu took a deep breath, his face was very determined.

Qiu Mu opened her mouth, but she fell silent upon seeing her son’s face.

In the end, they were a family who had been separated by death, and she could no longer protect her son. It was also his life; she couldn’t interfere in his decision...

It was her fault who wasn’t brave enough to ask for a divorce from Sun Daniu the moment he began to show suspicious activity, she sighed, full of self-blame.

Xiao Jingran glanced at the letter again. It seemed to be two letters merged into one. Sun Daniu perhaps was planning to save paper and cut it in the middle.

The first content of the letter... actually involved Zhou Shuran in it.

Zhou Anran already told him about the content of Xiao Qingya’s missions, and he could already link it to one of the missions that included saving Zhou Shuran in it.

Sun Daniu was targeting Zhou Shuran.

Like other men in ancient times, he gained some bit of money and was already dreaming about having three wives and four concubines.

If Xiao Jingran could think that way, the person who was given the mission herself, Xiao Qingya also could already guess it.

The person who was trying to target her little aunt in the river was actually the ugly uncle, Sun Daniu!

"Brother Jingran, I will hand over the letter to the yamen." Sun Tiezhu heaved a sigh of relief after he said that, as if a huge boulder pressing on his shoulder had been removed.

"Mother, I am going to sell our lands and the house, I hope that you won’t mind." Sun Tiezhu opened his mouth.

He had secretly collected the land deeds and hid them from Sun Daniu. The latter didn’t seem to care much, probably was already certain his sons have nowhere to escape to.

[Jingran... can you help my sons?] Qiu Mu suddenly moved, intending to bow to Xiao Jingran.

As per Xiao Jingran’s cue, Ling Yu immediately stepped forward to stop the older woman from bowing.

"Auntie Sun, this case also involved my family members... and you also have been neighbors with us for a long time. Rest assured, I will help Tiezhu if it’s within my capability." Xiao Jingran spoke, his voice indescribably calming to anyone who heard it.

"We will invite the gentlemen from yamen." He added.

The pair of mother and son nodded.

In the next morning, Xiao Jingran asked Qiao Ren to go to the county and made a report to the two yamen officials who had been assigned to handle the case.

When Qiao Ren returned, there was also Han Tingxun with him besides the two yamen runners.

The two yamen runners stayed behind Han Tingxun, letting him lead the small team. Xiao Jingran let them into the house, and they were thus engaged in a discussion.

In order to keep his younger siblings safe, Sun Tiezhu had taken them to the Xiao family’s house.

He finally could be honest with the two yamen runners and Han Tingxun, especially after the latter introduced himself as a close friend of the Magistrate.

With the proof Sun Tiezhu provided, they could finally take Sun Daniu away to be locked up. The two yamen runners and Han Tingxun waited in the Sun family’s house for an ambush, believing Sun Daniu would return soon.