A middle-aged man, seemingly the leader, dismounted and respectfully bowed to Xu Caitong, “Miss, please come back with us. The master has been unable to eat or sleep searching for you, and the lady has fallen ill, constantly worrying about you. Please come back with us.”
Xu Caitong stared in confusion; she didn’t understand what the man was talking about. Who was he referring to as his young lady?
“What are you saying?” Ruiping asked, “Is she your young lady?”
“Yes, she is my young lady, Miss Hong, who ran away from home a few months ago. The master and lady, out of deep concern for their daughter, have been searching for her to no avail. Now, Miss, please return with us to reassure the master and lady.”
“I’m not your young lady; you’ve got the wrong person,” Xu Caitong waved her hands repeatedly.
“How could we mistake someone? You are clearly our young lady. Miss, please return home; don’t be so heartless as to ignore the master and lady.”
“A well-bred lady behaving this way? Running away from home is already against propriety, and now ignoring your parents, that’s too much,” an elderly man in the crowd chimed in.
“No! I haven’t, I’m not their young lady. They really have the wrong person,” Xu Caitong retreated, shaking her head.
“Miss, we haven’t mistaken you. How could we? One of the servants just returned from the market and reported seeing you. The master sent us to fetch you. Please return home and greet your parents!”
“I’m not, I really am not,” Xu Caitong felt at a loss for words to convince them.
“Oh, what could be so important to leave home? Showing no regard for your parents’ upbringing, this is unfilial,” the crowd murmured.
“It’s too unseemly,” others added.
“Miss, perhaps you should go with them to clear things up,” Ruiping, feeling somewhat guilty due to the crowd’s accusations, suggested.
Ruiping was unsure if this was real or a misunderstanding. Caitong had suddenly appeared in their Moon Village, which was already suspicious, but if she was indeed this family’s daughter, it would be understandable for her parents to be frantic with worry. However, they needed to clarify things with her parents, right?
“Sister-in-law, do you believe them?” Caitong asked, stomping her feet in frustration.
