An Ning didn’t know that Madam Yan had long harbored suspicions about An Yu.

So, she used her usual method and said, "There are some issues with the business in the county. Uncle Erlai needs to stay home and figure things out for the next couple of days, so he asked my brother to stay in the county to help solve the problem."

"What? Something went wrong with the business? What problem? Is your brother in any danger?" Madam Yan immediately became even more anxious.

An Ning smiled, "Don’t worry, Mother. If it were something serious, I wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving my brother there. It’s just that the latest batch of preserved eggs didn’t turn out well, so the restaurant is a bit difficult to deal with. It’s just a matter of compensating some taels of silver, which isn’t a big problem for us... nothing too serious..."

"Since you said it’s nothing serious, then why insist on leaving your brother there?" Madam Yan asked without thinking.

An Ning sighed bitterly, "Mother, don’t you believe me?"

Madam Yan turned her eyes away, unable to look at An Ning, but her behavior spoke volumes.

An Ning turned back and continued sitting on the ox cart.

Madam Yan panicked, "Ningning, where are you going?"

"Since Mother doesn’t believe me, I’ll go to the county and handle the follow-up matters, and bring An Yu back." An Ning replied.

Madam Yan quickly grabbed An Ning, "Ningning, it’s not that I don’t believe you; I’m just worried about your brother. Ningning, I’m too nervous, afraid something might happen to him. Please don’t blame me, okay?"

Madam Yan hadn’t forgotten how An Ning had blamed her right after the separation, maintaining a distant demeanor for quite some time.

Now that things had just improved, Madam Yan didn’t want to go back to the previous estranged situation with An Ning.

An Ning, in fact, intentionally scared Madam Yan. Her heart was actually uneasy. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have called An Yu "brother" twice this time.

Now that Madam Yan believed her, and she had achieved the effect she wanted, she naturally couldn’t persist stubbornly.

Being pulled by Madam Yan, An Ning got off the ox cart.

Lu Xiu, who went to the County Office with An Ning today, knew the truth and stood aside, unsure of what to do. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

An Ning understood his awkwardness, so after getting off the ox cart, she told him, "Brother Lu, it’s fine now. You should go home and rest."

"Okay..." Lu Xiu replied, picking up the pancake An Ning had forgotten and handing it over, "Sister An Ning, your pancake."

"Thank you, Brother Lu." An Ning took it, and only then did Lu Xiu drive the ox cart toward the livestock farm.

Holding the pancake, An Ning explained to Madam Yan, "I know you can’t stop worrying about my brother, but he’s really fine. He just needs to stay in the county for a bit. Don’t worry, Mother..."

Madam Yan nodded quickly, "I’m not worried, not worried..."

Seeing An Ning’s demeanor, even if she were worried, she dared not show it.

Hearing Madam Yan’s response, An Ning finally felt relieved and smiled, raising the pancake in her hand, "I bought pancakes. Let’s go home and heat them up in the pot for dinner?"

Madam Yan tugged at the corner of her mouth, "Sure, whatever you say."

As soon as An Ning entered the door, Xiaoniu bumped into her.

An Ning quickly bent down and picked him up, "Sister went out today, did Xiaoniu miss sister?"

"Missed sister..." Although his tone was very slow, he finally got it out.

An Ning was even happier, "Sister bought pancakes. Let’s heat them up for Xiaoniu to eat..."