They did want to stop them from returning, but they could not possibly stop them from being filial to their elderly parents.
Hence, the women were allowed to return since they insisted.
“Jiuyue, what do you think? What should we do?” Aunt Miao asked.
“Huh?” An Jiuyue was stunned by her question.
What’s the point of asking me? Am I supposed to go after the women with a fire torch and chase them back one by one?
Besides, they have left already. Isn’t it more dangerous to rush them back?
“Aunt Ju, Aunt Miao, are you two here to ask me for my opinions?” she asked quietly.
“Yes, yes.” Aunt Miao was a straightforward person. She nodded repeatedly. “Jiuyue, you’re smart. Give us some ideas. What we should do next?”
“What nonsense are you spouting?” Aunt Ju elbowed Aunt Miao and rolled her eyes.
Even if they were here to seek advice, she felt that they should not ask so candidly.
An Jiuyue is a single lady, after all. It will be great if she comes up with a good idea. But if she does not, someone wicked might come knocking on her door to cause trouble for her.
“Jiuyue, the Junior Officer wants to ask if you have any good ideas for us. Then… we’ll tell the others that they’re his and the Chief’s ideas. We’ll try not to implicate you. How about that?”
After staying at An Jiuyue’s house for a few days, she realized that An Jiuyue did not want to be troubled by others.
She liked being alone peacefully and did not like outsiders disturbing her.
Moreover, it was not that she could not give any suggestions. It was just that it was a thankless task to suggest a single idea.
If she suggested a good idea, the villagers would say it was her obligation. However, if things were to go wrong, they would blame her for it and probably cover her in spit.
They could not afford to cause trouble for a single lady like An Jiuyue.
“Aunt Ju, you’re being too polite.” An Jiuyue smiled.
She would not be so unreasonable as to withhold giving a small suggestion.
“Since you came here specially to ask me, I will share some ideas. I’ll have to trouble you to tell the Junior Officer and the Chief.”
Aunt Ju was the Junior Officer’s wife, and although Aunt Miao was not the Chief’s wife, she was his younger sister-in-law.
The Chief knew what his wife was like, so he discussed with his younger brother to send his wife instead.
Aunt Ju smiled when she heard that she was willing and quickly replied, “Okay, okay, go on.”
“The fact that there are no epidemic diseases in our village is definitely something to be happy about. However, we can’t be too happy. What if… just what if…
“What if the young married women bring their parents back to our village secretly because they cannot bear to see them suffer?
“Epidemic diseases may be asymptomatic at first. What if they bring the diseases to our village?
“We have to be on guard, and we have to be focused.”
Aunt Ju and Aunt Miao became anxious when they heard her words.
“Then what should we do?”