Chapter 16: Flew Away Without Warning!!

  If there's anyone in this world who can still make Xia Chuqi not let go, it would only be that stupid Lan Da.

  Foolish people may think she's stupid, but I treat her with sincerity and kindness.

  At this moment, listening to his crying and wailing voice, which seemed to be suffering from a great injustice, her heart was knotted with anxiety.

  It feels like a mother whose own son is being bullied and can't take it anymore.

  She probably looked too ferocious, so Zheng Er Bao glanced over at her sideways.

  "Hey kid, are you going to get your feet dirty or wait for us to invite you to dinner?"

  Go to hell!

  Withdraw your mind and spirit, on the seventh day of summer, a smile emerges, covering your ears.

  "Grandpa, I heard someone inside making a ruckus and crying, what's going on?"

  Zheng Er Bao was taken aback for a moment before suddenly realizing, "You're talking about that idiot locked up in the horse stable?"

  Xia nodded at 7 o'clock in the summer, "What's wrong with him?"

  "Hmph, it's all because this kid has bad luck. Our master has a precious item that was stolen by his foolish wife and she ran away, leaving him to cry at the gate of the station searching for her. And now, he's been caught by the guards. Our master said that if by tomorrow noon his wife doesn't return with the item to exchange for him, he'll skin this fool alive, pull out his tendons, hollow out his heart and lungs, fill them with grass ash, and throw him into the Qingling River to feed the fish."

  Bastard!

  Zheng Er Bao spoke casually, but Xia Chu Qi's heart was always in a state of cool breeze.

  Out of the station, without a horse carriage, she and Gu Ajiao had no choice but to walk back to Chuntang.

  All the way, Xia Qi thought with her head down, Gu A'jiao was probably waiting idly in the inn yard, constantly asking her about the affairs of King Jin. In those bright and shining big eyes, it seemed as if water was about to overflow, just like a maiden who had conceived spring.

  It's already the seventh day of summer, and I'm still in a daze. "Snap out of it?"

  Her little face suddenly turned red, and Gu A'jiao's voice was as soft as that of a glutinous rice ball.

  "Is there any girl who wouldn't be smitten with a young man as handsome and talented as Your Highness? Chu Qi, in our Qinggang County, have you ever seen anyone as good-looking as him? And he's not only a prince but also has the looks and can lead troops into battle. Which of those embroidered pillows can compare to that? Do you know that when he led the Golden Guard cavalry to gallop through the post road, all the unmarried girls in the city almost went crazy?"

  It's crazy, really crazy!

  Her ears were being blasted by that scoundrel's good words, Xia Chuyi felt annoyed in her heart.

  "Hmph, a man like him has many women in his household, what's good about following him?"

  Gu ājiāo blushed and looked embarrassed.

  "If I can get what I want, even being a concubine for him is acceptable."

  She glared at her with disdain, and Xia Chuqi was left speechless.

  "Chu Qi, have you heard? County Master is looking for a beautiful girl and has sent many lovely girls to the station, but they were all rejected. If you ask me, it's because those girls aren't pretty enough, His Highness doesn't think they're good enough..."

  "Are you beautiful?" Seventh brother was in a bad mood.

  She smoothed out her own hair buns, and Gu A'jiao seemed to have touched a sore spot, letting out a deep sigh.

  "What's the use of being beautiful? The prince, with his majestic appearance and demeanor, is not someone a poor girl like me can aspire to. I didn't dare to have such thoughts, just admired him from afar... Tomorrow, I'll probably end up following my father's wishes and marrying some man he chooses for me."

  Her loss was evident, but Xia Qi's mind wandered thousands of miles away.

  In feudal society, marrying a prince would really bring happiness? Apart from having enough food and warm clothes, one has to face the disgust of sharing a man with other women, not to mention the intrigue, poisoning, abortion... in the deep palace, just like in "The Legend of Zhen Huan", what good can come out of it in the end?

  Thinking of her husband, she involuntarily shuddered and a layer of goosebumps appeared on her skin.

  "Chu Qi, what's wrong?"

  She didn't have time to think about these irrelevant things and urged him on.

  "A Jiao, hurry up, I just thought of something urgent to attend to."

  Xia Zhiqi had helped out at Hui Chun Tang for several days, earning a considerable amount of extra silver. She was clever and efficient in her work, and Gu Lao Die had always held her in high regard. Seeing that she had once again gained the favor of the master, although she hadn't earned back those eighty taels, he was still pleased. So when she asked for time off to attend to personal matters, he agreed without hesitation.

  He fished out a few taels of silver he had saved from under his pillow, and Xia Qiuzi left Hui Chun Tang. He first went to the market to buy two catties of sugar, several bags of dried fruit and candied fruit, bought a few feet of Songjiang cloth, and then bought two catties of pork. Only then did he hire a donkey cart, which took about half an hour, and rushed back to Lian Nian Village.

  She didn't stop the donkey cart at the east end of the village, nor did she bother with the villagers pointing and whispering on both sides of the road. She drove directly to the thatched cottages at the bridgehead. I thought Aunt San would be working in the fields at this time, but unexpectedly, as soon as she jumped off the donkey cart, she sat down on the old threshold with red eyes, looking a bit dazed when she saw her.

  "Hey little brother, who are you looking for?"

  Xia Chuiqi instructed the donkey cart to wait for her alone, without chatting with her at the door, and only softly called out "Third Aunt" before pulling her hand into the house.

  "Auntie, it's me..."

  Before she could finish speaking, Third Aunt grabbed her and pinched her, and tears began to fall.

  "You little scamp, where have you taken the pillar of our family? You've gone to the county town and haven't returned home, it's driving me mad!"

  On the seventh day of summer, I felt a pang in my heart, thinking that the fool at the station might have eaten bitter fruit, which was also distressing and heartbreaking.

  But she didn't find it convenient to explain anything to Third Aunt, and was also afraid that waiting too long would lead to even more trouble, so she patted her arm comfortingly.

  "Don't worry, Auntie, I'll definitely bring him back. Don't cry first, I've brought some things for you on the donkey cart outside, take them and eat first. Also, about my return to the village, don't spread it around, if someone asks, just say that a big nephew from afar came to visit you after a long time of not moving around."

  Third Aunt was originally a shrewd person, with her puffy red eyes open, looking at Xia Chuqi who had become completely different from usual, what else could she say besides nodding?

  After she went out to collect things, Xia Qiqi entered the small thatched cottage where she used to live, and saw that it was still in the same state as when she left, and her heart slightly calmed down.

  It's clear that Zhao Zun didn't find the little golden tiger, which is why Jian Zhuo caught the fool and tried to force her to hand it over.

  Can he let go of the fool after returning the thing? It's hard to say.

  How can we have both?

  Never mind, just take it first and then settle accounts later.

  She moved away the earthen jar at the foot of the wall and began to dig the earth with a hard wooden stick.

  Okay

  Peel one layer after another, peel one layer after another.

  But inside there was no tattered cloth wrapped around Xiao Jin's old tiger...

  Of course, there is no little golden tiger either.

  Hummm...

  She heard a ringing sound, her face turned pale, and she didn't dare believe this result.

  Hidden so secretly, who would come and take it away?

  Auntie

  Third Aunt came into the house, tilted her head and looked at her, with tears still shining in her eyes.

  "What's wrong with the grass?"

  Forcing herself to calm down first, Xia Qiuli asked faintly, "Has someone touched things in my room?"

  Third Aunt shook her head, "Nope, that day you and Zhu Zi went to the county town together, I haven't entered this house since then. Did you lose something?"

  Calm down! Must calm down!

  Gently rubbed his nose, Xia Qi thought for a moment and couldn't come up with a reason, so he just dryly chuckled twice.

  "It doesn't matter, nothing important."

  Third Aunt finally relaxed, choked back a sob, and wiped away her tears again.

  "Grass, don't cheat Zhu Zi. He's a poor kid, I've been hoping you two can live well, have a boy and a girl, and that would fulfill his mother's wish. But now... if something happens to him, how can I explain it to his deceased mother?"

  "Auntie!" Xia Chuqi didn't have time to listen to her ramblings, "I've got to go first, don't worry, the fool will definitely come back safely, I guarantee it!"

  Little Golden Tiger flew away without wings, what can she use as a guarantee?

  Sitting on a donkey cart heading towards Qinggang County Town, Xia Chuqi's mood was simply indescribable...

  It seems like heaven is forcing her.

  Force her to use cheap tricks and give that cheap person a groundbreaking genetic recombination.

  Digression

  Where did Little Golden Tiger go?

  What to do with old nineteen on the seventh day of the first month?

  Lao Shijiu has been secretly causing her a lot of trouble again, hasn't he?

  Good friend Nián's new article "The Story of the Unyielding Princess" is strongly recommended on the homepage, please help collect it, Xiangxiang system, first push to determine life and death, Nián's article quality is still guaranteed, you can collect it first, read it carefully, thank you, muah muah.