Chapter 198: Uncle Is Gone

Ye Xin Ran staggered along with the crowd toward the old house.

Seeing the rapidly spreading flames inside the house, her legs went weak, and she instantly collapsed to the ground.

“Madam!” Ding Qiao cried out in alarm.

People nearby immediately noticed and rushed to her side.

“Ye Nian Zhi! Be careful!”

They hurriedly helped her up.

But she pointed at the raging fire and urgently said, “Please, everyone, hurry and put out the fire!”

“Quick, put out the fire, hurry!”

“Leave a few women here to watch over Ye Nian Zhi.”

Ye Xin Ran was left outside the yard as the crowd rushed around to fetch water, but the fire showed no signs of dying down.

As the fire-fighting dragged on, the mood of the crowd began to cool. It had been so long, and no one had come out of the house. It seemed likely that things were dire.

At that moment, Zhang Da Li suddenly rushed into the crowd.

He was holding a blanket, which he immediately dunked into a water bucket. Once wet, he wrapped it around himself and tried to rush into the fire.

“Da Li, are you crazy?!”

Someone shouted to stop him.

The house was at risk of collapsing at any moment. If Zhang Da Li went in, it would be a matter of life and death. They couldn’t afford to lose another person.

“The fire hasn’t been put out yet, and I can’t just stand here while Brother Huai’an perishes in the flames!” Zhang Da Li said, continuing to move toward the fire.

Chen Shi was also anxious. She instinctively tried to stop him but knew her husband was doing something crucial. She had to hold herself back, biting her palm tightly to control her emotions.

Just as everyone anxiously watched Zhang Da Li heading toward the fire, a voice suddenly broke the tense situation.

“Zhang Da Li, don’t go!”

Ye Xin Ran, who had somehow made her way into the yard, shouted to stop Zhang Da Li from risking his life.

“Ye Nian Zhi!”

Zhang Da Li froze in his tracks but kept his posture as if still rushing into the house.

Ye Xin Ran rushed over, tore the blanket from his hands, and angrily said, “Zhang Da Li, you have a sick wife and three children at home! If something happens to you, what will they do?”

Zhang Da Li looked at the raging fire with anxiety and said, “But Brother Huai’an is still in there. If I go in, there might still be a chance to save him!”

“He…” Ye Xin Ran knew that Xiao Huai’an was fine, but she couldn’t just let someone else risk their life for nothing.

However, if she insisted on stopping others from going in, there was a risk of drawing suspicion.

Thinking this through, Ye Xin Ran gritted her teeth and said, “My husband is mine to save, I’ll go!”

With that, she snatched the wet blanket from Zhang Da Li’s hands, draped it over her head, and rushed toward the burning house.

Her sudden action caught everyone off guard.

By the time they realized what she was doing, Ye Xin Ran had already reached the door!

“Ye Nian Zhi! You… Xin Ran!”

The village head was so frightened that he stammered, and everyone else was pale with fear.

Ye Xin Ran only realized the gravity of the situation when she felt the intense heat of the flames. She had only been pretending to run, so why was she running so fast?

She should have slowed down. Why hadn’t anyone come to stop her yet?

Just as this thought crossed her mind, a sudden crash came from above her head.

The burning door frame collapsed and fell toward her.

Ye Xin Ran couldn’t dodge in time and was struck by the door frame, crashing to the ground…

The already chaotic scene became even more disordered.

“Ye Nian Zhi!”

“Call for help!”

“Get the doctor!”

…

When Xiao Huai’an heard the news, he immediately stopped and tried to turn back.

“Master!”

The bodyguard knelt down in front of him.

“Madam is fine. She just bumped her head. By the time I arrived, she had already woken up!”

“Really? Is she alright?” Xiao Huai’an was still uneasy.

“Master, I dare not say too much, but it’s just a minor injury!” The bodyguard quickly explained, fearing that Xiao Huai’an would really turn back and that someone would notice something was off.

“Who is in charge of the people there?” Xiao Huai’an’s expression darkened.

“It’s Xiao Ba!” The bodyguard quickly answered, nervously worrying about his brother.

“When he comes back, let him face the punishment himself!” Xiao Huai’an ordered.

“Yes!” The bodyguard replied.

The last time he saw the master lose his temper was several years ago.

After three years, the master’s punishments had softened considerably.

He had heard that the master was now under his wife’s control. Could this be true?

The bodyguard’s thoughts were in turmoil, but he knew clearly that Xiao Ba was not unjustly punished for this incident.

…

In Yun Bian Village.

When Ye Xin Ran woke up, she found herself surrounded by a crowd of people by the bedside.

When they saw her slowly open her eyes, someone immediately shouted, “Village head! Village head! Ye Nian Zhi has woken up!”

The village head hurriedly entered the room.

Seeing Ye Xin Ran awake, the village head sighed in relief, “It’s good that you’re awake, good that you’re awake!”

“Village head, is the fire out? And Huai’an, is he…?”

Ye Xin Ran knew that the time for her acting skills had come.

Her eyes filled with tears, and her face displayed a look of desperation.

The urgency in her expression made the village head turn away, wiping his eyes with his hand.

Ye Xin Ran looked around, and the others quickly avoided her gaze, turning their heads in a way that seemed almost instinctive.

“Niece!”

The village head composed himself and finally spoke, “Huai’an… he’s gone, but you and the children still have to carry on with your lives.”

“He’s gone?”

Ye Xin Ran sank back onto the bed, her gaze distant, repeatedly muttering, “Gone… gone…”

“Xin Ran, you must stay strong…”

“Xin Ran…”

Everyone wanted to comfort her, but no words seemed enough.

In the face of life and death, all comfort seemed so powerless.

Ye Xin Ran waved her hand, “You’ve all worked hard. Thank you for everything today. I can’t entertain everyone right now, so please go back. I need some time to myself.”

Upon hearing Ye Xin Ran’s words, the crowd had no choice but to leave.

Just as they reached the door, Xiao Huai’an’s two children hurriedly ran toward home.

“Auntie, Auntie!”

“Auntie, what happened?”

The villagers couldn’t bear to see the children’s grief-stricken expressions and quickly left.

Just as they exited the gate, they heard two sharp cries from behind, followed by the sound of the children’s wailing.

The villagers shook their heads.

“This is truly an unpredictable turn of events. The Xiao family’s life had just begun to improve, and now this happens. How will Xin Ran and the three children live from now on?”

“Sigh.”

A heavy cloud of worry hung over Yun Bian Village.

That night, even the usually bustling dinner time lost its usual cheer.

Before long, Chang Qing and Chang Sheng also returned from the academy.

It seemed that Chang Sheng had already cried on the way back.

When they arrived home, his eyes were still red.

Ye Xin Ran had been wondering how to handle the situation with Chang Sheng, since he was so smart.

However, as soon as Chang Sheng arrived, he called his two younger brothers into his room.

After a while, all three children came to find Ye Xin Ran.

“Chang Sheng, did you hear about your second uncle…”

Ye Xin Ran had already prepared an excuse in her mind.

But before she could speak, Chang Sheng interrupted her.