PNB Chapter 901 Meet Again
Chapter 901 Meet Again
Every wrong has its perpetrator, and every debt has its debtor; knowing who instigated it makes things much easier.
Xiao Yu'er stood up and gave his subordinate a wink. The subordinate understood and stepped forward, stuffing some silver into the shopkeeper's pocket: "Since these people are here to settle personal scores, you don't need to worry about them. We'll take them away. Later, have your staff clean up the scene. Consider this silver as a cleanup fee. I'm sure you know what to say and what not to say."
The innkeeper was more than happy to accept this, as he patted the silver in his chest and smiled with satisfied narrowed eyes: "Don't worry, sir, you can take the person away. My men are very tight-lipped."
Seeing how cooperative the shopkeeper was, Xiaoyuer nodded in satisfaction and then instructed, "Pack your things, let's leave now."
Several of his followers responded and left.
After bowing and taking his leave, the shopkeeper went to the third floor, where a loud commotion had just occurred, and he had to deal with it.
No one knows what the innkeeper said upstairs, but just as Xiaoyuer finished packing his things and was about to leave, he saw the woman he had met on the third floor earlier rushing over, lifting her skirt, and asking anxiously, "Young master, are you leaving now?"
Xiao Yu'er nodded reservedly and explained simply, "Miss, I have important business to attend to this time and cannot afford to delay. In addition, there was a fight here just now, and someone died. Waiting until dawn will inevitably cause more trouble and delay my journey, so it's better to leave now. I see that you have an extraordinary demeanor and must come from a good family. If you encounter any difficulties, you may report to the authorities or ask the manager for help."
The woman was somewhat disappointed upon hearing this. She wasn't stupid; she had initially thought Xiaoyuer was oblivious to romance, but now it seemed he saw through everything, only that he didn't care and wasn't moved.
Being a young lady, she was shy and had always been strictly disciplined by her family. Although she had secretly fallen for him, her manners and upbringing prevented her from speaking up to ask him to stay. So she could only give a sullen bow and say goodbye: "Well... alright then, have a safe journey, sir!"
"Mm," Little Fish nodded, and said softly, "See you again if fate allows!"
But with the world so vast, how could we possibly meet again so easily!
A moment later, Xiaoyuer led his men away on horseback.
The woman was left standing there, heartbroken.
Once they were far enough away from the inn and in a deserted place, Xiaoyuer simply ordered that the half-dead thieves he had brought from the inn be finished off and thrown into the hillside to feed the wolves.
The attendants had already guessed this outcome. They picked up the whimpering men and headed towards the hillside. After a few loud thuds as heavy objects hit the ground, they returned shortly afterward.
"Are you sure everyone is completely dead?" Little Fish asked, tilting his head.
"Don't worry, young master. We stabbed them several times and gave them medicine. They definitely couldn't survive. We only threw them down after we were sure they were dead."
After hearing this, Little Fish gently pulled on the reins and nodded: "Alright, let's go then!"
The group rode at full speed and arrived near Huailai County early the next morning. After a short rest and purchasing some supplies, Xiaoyuer discussed matters with his men.
"Do you think it's more suitable for us to go from Huailai through Xuanhua and Zhangjiakou to Datong, or to take a boat directly through Yangyuan and Yunzhou to Datong?"
Originally, they planned to go through Xuanhua and Zhangjiakou, but after Sanya sent people to plot against them, Xiaoyuer felt that this route was not safe and was considering whether to take the official road through Yangyuan County, which was wider.
The maps he held were confidential maps from the Privy Council, extremely detailed, and prepared in advance by his father, Zhang Ping'an, so he wasn't worried about getting lost.
When the others heard Xiaoyuer's concerns, they also felt that they made sense. As the master, he naturally agreed with what Xiaoyuer said.
“Young master, these two routes are similar, but if we go through Yangyuan, we can take a boat first, then get off at Yunzhou, and then ride horses to Datong. This will be easier and we can avoid being seen.”
After thinking for a moment, Xiaoyuer quickly made up his mind, "Okay, then let's go to Yangyuan and Yunzhou. You guys go and charter a boat, and the boatman must be tight-lipped and reliable."
"understand!"
The subordinates were very efficient; they booked a boat that noon and arranged for a boatman to depart the next morning.
It was early winter, and the water hadn't frozen over yet, so boats could still navigate. However, the winter wind was biting, there wasn't much scenery along the riverbanks, and the food on the boats wasn't plentiful. So, if people weren't in a hurry, they preferred to take a horse-drawn carriage, which was more comfortable.
So, although the boat that Xiaoyuer chartered was very luxurious, the price was only two-thirds of what it used to be.
Besides the boatman, there were two servants on board. The crew was small, and they weren't afraid of being tricked.
Only then did Little Fish calm down and start thinking about what to do next.
Unlike his father, he has a relatively weak sense of family ties. Apart from a few family members who are truly dear to him, he knows very well that everyone else is just a relative.
These relatives are nice to him mostly because of his father's influence. People are very pragmatic. The halo of status and power makes people feel that everyone around them is a good person, but without the support of these halos, he might just fall flat on his face.
Like one of his childhood playmates, once his family was convicted and their property confiscated, he lived a life worse than an ordinary slave.
Therefore, he plans to personally deal with his third aunt to avoid putting his father in a difficult position.
He's full of ideas, and he quickly came up with a plan; all that's left is to implement it once he gets back.
Thinking about this, he even felt a little happy, as if he had really grown up and could help with chores and share the burdens of the family.
With a relaxed mood, I had a rare good night's sleep!
The next morning, fog rolled in on the river, making it difficult to see clearly, so the boatmen were much more careful when navigating.
Little Fish didn't have the habit of staying indoors; after putting on his cloak, he stretched his limbs on the deck.
Seeing the servants on the ship bringing him breakfast, he couldn't help but ask, "Where are we now?"
The servant had made many trips along this route. After glancing casually at the riverbank, he said confidently, "Reporting to the young master, we will be arriving in Yangyuan soon."
"Okay, I understand," Little Fish nodded.
If you don't get seasick, taking a boat ride is definitely more comfortable than riding a horse, although it can be a bit boring.
He was idly tapping the gunwale when he suddenly heard a "thud" as something fell into the water.
Immediately following was the maid's shrill cry for help: "Help! Help! My young lady has fallen into the water!"
Little Fish raised his hand to shield his eyes and looked closely. He discovered that someone had fallen into the water from a simple awning boat next to him. The two boats were quite close together.
There was only the boatman and the maid who was calling for help on the boat.
The boatman was quite old, probably in his forties or fifties. He was hesitating about whether to go into the water to save the girl. He wasn't worried about anything else, but mainly about the fact that men and women shouldn't touch each other, and that doing so would damage the girl's reputation.
He might even face trouble from the woman's family and get into legal trouble; it wouldn't be appropriate to do anything.
The maid had obviously thought of this too, and was so anxious that she paced back and forth, wanting to stop him but not daring to, and was stamping her feet in frustration in front of the boatman.
Little Fish frowned as he watched the people struggling in the water. After a moment's thought, he instructed the boatman to bring the boat closer.
Then they had a servant on the boat fetch a long bamboo pole, extended it from the side of the boat, and had the woman grab it so they could slowly pull her up.
Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be someone I knew.
The water was cold in winter, and the woman was dressed in very thick clothes. After being soaked in the cold water, she became soaked, shivering from the cold, and looked utterly disheveled.
He is currently slumped on the deck, coughing incessantly.
Xiaoyuer casually took off his cloak and draped it over her, saying with some helplessness, "Miss, you've had a tough journey. How could your family feel comfortable letting you go out in this condition?"
The woman struggled for a long time, thinking she was going to die, but when she was suddenly rescued and saw that it was someone she knew, she suddenly burst into tears, feeling very wronged.
"Alright, stop crying. Let your maid come and help you change your clothes," Xiaoyuer said, getting up.
He ordered someone to bring the maid over.
The maid was both crying and laughing. After thanking Xiaoyuer gratefully, she helped him inside.
Because of this incident, the two became acquainted. Before Xiaoyuer could ask, the woman took the initiative to tell him about her background.
It turned out that her father was a junior officer guarding Juyong Pass. Her mother had taken her younger brother back to her parents' home several months ago. She was worried about her, so while her father was away, she took the servants from her household and secretly went to her uncle's house to find her mother.
"Are your mother and brother in Yangyuan County?" Xiaoyuer casually handed over a cup of hot tea.
"Yes, they are in Yangyuan. I thought they weren't far away, so I dared to go out with them by myself," the woman sobbed softly, still feeling lingering fear.
Because of this trust, Xiaoyuer gave a few more words of advice: "Don't do this again in the future. It's too dangerous. There are a lot of bad people out there. Be careful that they don't sell you out and you're still helping them count the money. Never tell others your background easily."
Upon hearing this, the woman quickly explained, "I'm not as stupid as you think, and... and you're not just anyone!"
At this point, the woman smiled somewhat shyly: "Actually, I just happened to see you on the bow of the boat and wanted to say hello. I accidentally lost my footing and fell into the river. But it's such a coincidence that you saved me. It means we are destined to be together. I'm sure you're not a bad person!"