When Grandma Mo asked, she did not hurry to express her opinion, but continued to inquire Mo Yunfeng.
"Third Brother, have you asked the people you caught about the real situation of those who stayed at the mountain villa? Also, does he know about Mr. Si Meng's whereabouts?"
"I've asked all these questions. Including him, there were a total of six people staying at the mountain villa. As for Mr. Si Meng's whereabouts, he said that people at his level basically have no access to that information.
He also heard from others that Mr. Si Meng would go to the west border of Da Shun every July, but what exactly he was doing there was unknown." Mo Yunfeng told them the information he had found out.
When He Zhiran heard this, she asked Old Lady Mo again: "Mother, what month was it when Father accidentally killed Yuan Meng?"
Old Lady Mo didn't even need to think and answered directly: "It was July."
Mo Jiuye stood up abruptly: "In that case, it is very likely that Mr. Si Meng is that young master from a prestigious family who was in love with Yuan Meng."
Old Lady Mo nodded: "I think so too, otherwise why would that puppet master be so against our Mo family?"
He Zhiran fell silent for a moment before speaking: "No matter whether this Mr. Si Meng is that person or not, this is a very useful clue. This person's whereabouts are currently unknown, and trying to find him would be like looking for a needle in the ocean.
Instead of going to the west border in July to take a look, we can't let our guard down in the south either, although there are many puppet masters there, so we still need to make some preparations in advance."
Whether the trip to the south was to look for new clues or not, she had to go there anyway.
The black south pearl she promised the little collector, and the molting skin antidote her sisters-in-law needed were all in the south.
"But the later we find out about Eldest and Second Brother's whereabouts, the more dangerous it will be for them." Mo Chuhan still felt somewhat uneasy.
Mo Jiuye understood his eighth brother's eagerness to save people, but currently whether Eldest Brother and Second Brother were even still alive was unknown, moreover, it had been several months since he and his wife had killed Yun Li. If that Mr. Si Meng really was Yun Li's master, he must have guessed by now that Yun Li was already dead.
Since he knew of Yun Li's death, if the news of Third Brother still being alive was not deliberately concealed, it wouldn't take long for it to spread.
Even if Mr. Si Meng was brainless, he could figure out that Yun Li was dead while the Mo Yunfeng he was controlling with his puppet worm was still alive. This would definitely put him on high alert.
There was also Nan Rui's side to consider, whether he would be able to conceal the truth of Eighth Brother's already having dispelled the puppet worm.
In order to find Eldest Brother and Second Brother's whereabouts now, they really had to act low-key to avoid attracting that person's attention.
Not to mention, to go out looking for Eldest and Second Brother, they would have to bring Zhiran with them. With so many secrets about his wife, it would be very inconvenient with other people tagging along.
"Eighth Brother, you still have to go to the government office to work. I'll take care of the trip to the south."
As soon as Mo Jiuye's voice fell, Mo Yunfeng and Mo Chongyuan stood up at the same time.
"Count me in too. I'm quite familiar with the south from my previous trip. Locating Si Meng Mountain Villa will be no problem."
"I want to go too. More people means more power."
Liang Hao and others, who had been silent all this time, also expressed their desire to accompany Mo Jiuye to the south.
Mo Jiuye understood the logic of there being more power in numbers, but his wife had too many secrets on her. It would be inconvenient with other people around.
"The main purpose of this trip south is to gather information. The family's safety here is also very important. Zhiran can dispel puppet worms. I've decided it'll just be the two of us going."
"No!" Third Brother objected first.
"No!" Fifth Brother didn't agree either.
"Ninth Master, it's dangerous in the south. Please take us with you!" Liang Hao pleaded anxiously.
Mo Jiuye waved his hand. His mind was set. Even if they insisted on following along, he could still think of other ways to act separately with Zhiran.
"We'll change our outfits. No one will recognize us there. A large group would only attract unwanted attention instead."
Seeing the group of bickering children, Old Lady Mo finally spoke up.
"What Jiuye said makes sense. Let the couple go take a look first. No matter what, they have to go early and come back early. If they encounter any difficulties, don't overdo it and just come back so we can think of solutions together."
Although Old Lady Mo didn't actually say it out loud, she knew best in her heart that being able to successfully rescue her sons was all thanks to her ninth daughter-in-law's capabilities.
Without her, even if they found out her sons were still alive, with the puppet worms in them they still wouldn't be able to bring them back safely.
Therefore, when it came to making decisions, Old Lady Mo would of course listen to Mo Jiuye.
With Old Lady Mo having made the final call, even if the others were unhappy, they could only obey.
"There's no rush for this matter. Have Jiuye and the young Miss He set off after New Year's," Old Lady Mo said again.
With that, the matter was completely settled. Mo Jiuye and He Zhiran would prepare and set off for the south after the new year, while the official inspections could be left to Mo Chuhan and Meng Huaining. No doubt they would have it under control.
Not to mention, Mo Jiuye and He Zhiran would definitely disguise themselves before leaving, so no one would be able to recognize the Mo family members leaving the city.
Seeing his mother help settle the matter, Mo Jiuye also relaxed.
Even though he had already thought of ways around it, if everyone went together, they would inevitably have to come up with excuses to split off midway. This way was better, with just him and Zhiran. If they encountered danger, they could still hide in her space—that was safer.
The festival was originally meant to be joyous, but the news Mo Yunfeng brought back plunged everyone's mood into gloom for a while.
Especially Eldest Sister-in-Law and Second Sister-in-Law. Hearing that their husbands might still be alive stirred up complex emotions.
In order not to ruin the festive atmosphere for the family, they endured the tears welling up in their eyes.
They also realized that the other women didn't know about this matter, only a few uncles and the Ninth Sister-in-Law, as well as Mother.
It would have been awkward to ask the uncles. After the decision to go south was made, the two pulled He Zhiran aside to ask.
Since the matter was already being openly discussed, He Zhiran told the two sisters-in-law everything she knew.
As for the possibilities she and Mo Jiuye had privately analyzed, she didn't mention those. It wasn't right to give the sisters-in-law too much hope over uncertain matters. If Eldest Brother and Second Brother really weren't around anymore, wouldn't that just lead to empty joy for the two sisters-in-law?
Learning more, Eldest and Second Sister-in-Law completely lost control of their tears. They hugged each other tightly and wept bitterly, then after crying it out, they knelt on the ground and prayed for their husbands to still be alive...
Faced with this situation, He Zhiran also didn't know how to comfort them. Perhaps crying it all out was the best way to vent their feelings.
She quietly exited her sisters-in-law's room and returned to her own quarters.
Today was New Year's festival, yet her precious little bun was still alone in her space. Taking advantage of everyone being in the main house to keep vigil for the new year, she entered her space to accompany her little bun.
The moment she walked into the farm, He Zhiran was stunned by the sight before her eyes.
In the distance, she could clearly see Rice Ball sitting upright at the edge of the pasture, his two plump little paws waving back and forth.
The hundred-plus sheep raised inside the space were lined up neatly in two columns facing the little guy.
Sensing his master's aura, Rice Ball clumsily glanced back. Unlike usual times, he didn't run over looking for affection. Instead he continued waving his paws at the sheep.
