"Mother, Xiao Feng doesn't like this home, it's so cold and sterile," Xiao Feng said, hugging Tao Lengshuang's leg, pouting unhappily.
Tao Lengshuang gave him a piece of candy and gently stroked his head, saying softly, "Xiao Feng, there are no eternal banquets in the world."
"Besides, the two families are only temporarily staying at our house; they won't be here forever. You can go play with Zhuzi and the others later."
Xiao Feng, still sucking on the candy, was still unhappy. "Mother, Xiao Feng thinks Uncle Wang and Uncle Shen seem strange after they came back, like something is not right."
Tao Lengshuang thought to herself that even a child like Xiao Feng could see it, yet those two were still trying to conceal it.
She wondered what they were being used by others to plot against her.
"Xiao Feng, don't go out for now, okay?"
Xiao Feng obediently agreed, saying in a soft, milky voice, "Mother, Xiao Feng will protect you."
Tao Lengshuang pinched his little cheek, saying gently, "Good, Xiao Feng will protect Mother."
To prevent any accidents, Tao Lengshuang made many arrangements and even kept the doors tightly shut, refraining from any contact with anyone in the village.
The events at home were reported in detail to Mo Lingxi by the hidden guards. Worried about any unforeseen circumstances, Mo Lingxi informed Zicheng and then rushed home as fast as he could.
Just as he was returning, Old Man Wang and Old Man Shen, leading a squad of soldiers, arrived at Tao Lengshuang's house, drawing the attention of the villagers.
Before long, not only did the villagers, disregarding the freezing weather, gather outside Tao Lengshuang's house, but Shen Ershen's family and Wang Sanshen's family also rushed over upon hearing the news.
"What are you doing?" Shen Ershen forcefully pulled her son, reprimanding him displeasuredly, "Why are you leading soldiers to the Mo family's house?"
"Mother, you shouldn't concern yourself with this." Old Man Shen, caught in a difficult situation, pulled Shen Ershen aside. "This matter is of great importance. You all go back first, and I'll return later."
Shen Ershen glanced at Wang Sanshen, who was also being pushed aside by her son, and was so angry that she was about to pull her son back again. However, she heard his words and looked at him as if she didn't recognize him.
"Officer, the disaster star predicted by the Imperial Observatory lives here. Rest assured, it's just her and her son, so they'll be easy to apprehend."
"Shen! Old! Man!" Shen Ershen stepped forward and slapped him, pointing at him furiously, "How could you say such malicious words?"
"Mother, this is what the Imperial Observatory detected," Old Man Shen dared not meet her eyes, his tone weakening. "The Imperial Observatory detected that Tao Lengshuang is a disaster star, which is why calamities have befallen us."
Upon hearing this, the villagers erupted, cursing Tao Lengshuang. Many villagers even threw snowballs at her house.
"Disaster star, get out! It's you, the disaster star, who has caused us so much suffering, leaving us hungry and cold."
"Burn the disaster star! She must be burned to death. If she's not burned, we'll all be harmed by her."
"No burning!" Shen Ershen's family and Wang Sanshen's family blocked the main entrance, protecting Tao Lengshuang and her son. "If it were truly detected by the Imperial Observatory, there wouldn't be so few people here."
The villagers refused to listen. In their eyes, with soldiers present and the Imperial Observatory's prediction, Tao Lengshuang was indeed a disaster star and had to be burned.
Therefore, even the two families were pelted with snowballs by the villagers.
Old Man Wang and Old Man Shen tried to pull their families away, but they were beaten by their own family members, who called them heartless wretches.
"What's all the commotion? Get out of the way, we're here to apprehend the disaster star!" The squad leader arrogantly raised his head, looking down his nose at everyone.
Despite their fear, Shen Ershen's family and Wang Sanshen's family did not leave. However, with two families against many, they were pulled aside by the villagers.
"Mo family, quickly take Xiao Feng and run! They want to kill you and your son!" Shen Ershen shouted loudly, "Run! Run into the mountains, as far as you can!"
Tao Lengshuang, who had already heard the commotion, sat calmly in the main hall. She signaled Xiao Feng to sit quietly and arranged for two hidden guards to protect him.
Now, she understood everything. Someone had manipulated Old Man Wang and Old Man Shen, having them return to lead this squad of soldiers to arrest her, spreading the news of her being a disaster star, all to kill her.
This matter was likely orchestrated by the mastermind.
"Open the door! Disaster star, open the door quickly!"
Hearing the pounding on the door, Tao Lengshuang unhurriedly gave Xiao Feng some pastries before walking over to open the door.
As soon as she opened it, she was met with a barrage of snowballs, accompanied by the villagers' angry curses.
"Burn the disaster star! Burn her! We can't let her continue to harm our village alive."
"It's all your fault, disaster star, for bringing disaster to our village. Burn you!"
Tao Lengshuang dodged behind the door and saw the snowballs create a pit in the snowdrift. Her eyes turned cold.
"Are you the disaster star, Tao Lengshuang?"
At this moment, a soldier quickly walked up to Tao Lengshuang, a lewd smile on his face, and reached out his hand. "Let me teach you a good lesson."
The coldness on Tao Lengshuang's lips spread, her eyes filled with murderous intent. As she raised her hand to sprinkle powder, she saw a hidden guard kick the soldier to the ground and then shield her as they retreated.
"Doctor, this squad of soldiers looks a bit familiar," the hidden guard's words made Tao Lengshuang think of many things in an instant, and a vague idea began to form in her mind.
"How dare you kick me..." When the soldier saw the hidden guard, his face changed drastically, and he ran to report the situation to the squad leader.
The squad leader hadn't expected hidden guards to be present here. His eyes darted, and he came up with an idea. "The disaster star is everyone's enemy! Everyone, rush in quickly and eliminate the disaster star to earn merit!"
The villagers, who already hated the disaster star, now rushed in like a swarm upon hearing that eliminating her would earn them merit. "Kill the disaster star! Kill the disaster star!"
Tao Lengshuang pulled the hidden guard away, flung a handful of powder, and turned to run to the doorway of the main hall, instructing Xiao Feng not to come out.
Xiao Feng gripped his broom, his small face serious as he looked outside. He was determined to protect his mother.
Tao Lengshuang noticed Shen Ershen's family and Wang Sanshen's family, despite their sons' attempts to stop them, desperately trying to run in to help her. She shook her head, stopping them.
Even if they came in, they wouldn't be much help and might even alienate their own sons.
Seeing that the villagers had been incapacitated by her actions, and the soldiers dared not enter, she let out a cold laugh.
The villagers lay limply in the snowdrifts, cursing.
"Disaster star, you disaster star! Do you want to kill everyone in our village before you're satisfied?"
"Disaster star, you will die a horrible death! I curse your entire family to die a horrible death."
"I'm going to beat the disaster star to death! Beat this disaster star to death! We can't let her continue to harm our village."
"My mother is not a disaster star!" Xiao Feng roared indignantly. "These bad things have nothing to do with my mother. It's you people who are bad, trying to harm my mother. I will protect my mother and won't let you hurt her!"