Chapter 208 Uninvited Guests

Chu Shangming... nodded.

"He is indeed from Gaochang."

Yao Zhou, who managed to get away with it, said: "..."

So you're lying to him?

This scholar has no talent, but he is very good at lying.

"Since what he said is true, let him go," Bai said sympathetically. "It's not easy to leave your hometown. As long as he doesn't steal in the future, it will be considered a good deed."

"I promise I will never steal again." Seeing that there was hope of escaping, Yao Zhou hurriedly made the promise, and his tone was so sincere.

The Chu family stared at him for a while, then blocked his mouth and ears again and went into the house to discuss.

Yao Zhou couldn't hear anything.

After an incense stick of time, four people from the Chu family came out of the house and pulled the things out of Yao Zhou's mouth and ears.

Father Chu said, "We can let you go, but you have to write us a letter of guarantee, promising that you will never steal anything again, and you have to sign it."

Yao Zhou looked embarrassed and said, "I can't write."

"I'll help you write it." Chu Shangming took out the letter of guarantee he had just written and placed it in front of him. "I've already written it, all you have to do is sign it."

Yao Zhou looked at him suspiciously and lowered his head to look at the paper in front of him.

He could speak Dasheng dialect but could not read or write it. He could not understand a single word written on the paper.

He rolled his eyes and said, "Read it to me first."

"I'll read it." Chu Yuxin volunteered, pointing to the black words on the paper and reading them word by word in a clear childish voice, "I am from Gaochang. I will never steal again. If I do, my whole family will die."

Although "the whole family is dead" is a bit vicious, Yao Zhou is the only one in his family, so he is not afraid.

He counted and found that the number of words was indeed correct, so he let Father Chu grab his hand from behind and press his fingerprints and palm prints on the paper.

"Okay, we'll get you out of the city." Bai blocked Yao Zhou's mouth and ears again, and then took a black cloth bag and covered Yao Zhou's head with it.

"You don't have a household registration. I'll hide you in a vegetable basket on an oxcart and carry you out of the city. I'll release you once we're outside. You mustn't move around or be discovered by the soldiers."

Yao Zhou thought he could walk by himself, but his mouth was blocked and he had no chance to speak.

He struggled hard to protest and was hit on the back. I don't know if it was a carrying pole or a rolling pin, but it hurt quite a bit.

He thought, since he had deceived this family into sending him out of the city, he might as well hide in the vegetable basket in order to suffer less physical pain.

Seeing that Yao Zhou didn't move, Chu Shangming waved to his family and tiptoed into the house.

As they walked, Bai said, "Boss, let's go get the vegetable basket and send our little brother out of the city."

Father Chu replied as he walked: "Okay!"

Chu Yuxin covered her mouth to prevent herself from laughing out loud and ran into the house on tiptoe.

The door is closed.

Chu Yuxin suppressed her excitement and said, "Brother, what should we do next?"

"Send him to the authorities." Chu Shangming showed the three people the confession signed by Yao Zhou himself. "With this, even if he becomes a problem, it won't fall on our family."

There was only a message on the paper: I am a Xixia citizen, I am a thief who has done all kinds of evil, I voluntarily plead guilty and accept punishment.

With this confession and Yao Zhou's signature, it would be of no avail even if Yao Zhou changed his statement in court.

Unless he calls out his accomplices, the government will be able to catch them all in one fell swoop.

"Brother, do we count this as another achievement?" Chu Yuxin tugged at Chu Shangming's sleeve, her eyes sparkling. "Can we get another reward?"

"What are you dreaming of?" Chu Shangming rubbed her head helplessly. "That little thief is from Xixia, and he's well-dressed. He must be from a powerful family. We should be thankful that we can get rid of this trouble and not implicate our family."

Father Chu looked at his son and asked, "When did you learn Xixia and Uighur?"

"Brother Chai taught me that." Chu Shangming sighed regretfully, "It's a pity that he is a remnant of the Fifth Prince. Now we don't know whether he is alive or dead."

"There is no time to lose, let's send the man to the authorities immediately." Mrs. Bai didn't want to let this trouble that came out of nowhere stay in her yard any longer.

"Okay, Deyin, come and help." Father Chu called his son to go out to work.

Deyin is Chu Shangming's pen name.

Because he was going to transfer to the Imperial College after the new year, two days ago, Chu's father took Chu Shangming to Shanghong Academy with gifts to thank the dean who was willing to accept him.

Considering that Chu Shangming still had a year to go before he came of age, Chu's father asked the dean to give his son a courtesy name.

The dean was also willing to make this good connection, and after some thought, he chose the two words "Deyin".

"Don't violate the virtuous voice" is from the Book of Songs and harmonizes with "ming". The dean feels that Chu Shangming's temperament is a bit stubborn and hopes that he can listen more to the useful advice of others in the future.

Although Chu Shangming is not yet an adult, his father has already called him, saying that he should get used to it first.

Chu Shangming was not used to it either. He was stunned for a moment before realizing that his father was calling him. He quickly raised his feet to catch up with his father's pace.

Chu Yuxin grabbed her mother's hand and shook it: "Mother, shall we go together?"

"No." Bai said, "After we send them away, we can open the shop again."

Chu Yuxin pouted in dissatisfaction. She wanted to join in the fun.

Bai looked at her and said, "We're going to go to court, aren't you afraid?"

"I have my father and big brother here, don't be afraid!" Chu Yuxin puffed out her chest, "I'm not a thief."

Mrs. Bai poked her forehead helplessly: "I wonder who you inherited this fearless personality from."

"It's up to you, sister." Chu Yuxin smiled, "Next time I send a letter home to the palace, sister will receive new clothes made by mother herself."

Bai was stunned, with a hint of sadness in her eyes.

The clothes were made, but whether they could be taken in was another matter.

Just as the Chu family's father and son were working together to put people into the vegetable basket, the back door of the yard was suddenly knocked.

“Bang, bang, bang!”

The father and son were startled. Yao Zhou, who was trying to climb into the vegetable basket, had his ears blocked and could only vaguely hear some noises. He paid no attention and continued to climb in.

But his trouser leg was caught on the edge of the vegetable basket, so he couldn't move forward or backward.

But the two people who were helping him just now didn't make any movement. He wanted to speak out to remind them, but his mouth was blocked. He could only stretch out his leg and kick like a spring, trying to attract the attention of the Chu father and son.

But the two of them couldn't take care of him for the time being.

The father and son stared at the door without saying a word. Bai and Chu Yuxin, who ran out of the house, also did not say a word.

The whole family was wondering: Who is coming?

After knocking on the door, a clear male voice called out from outside: "Is anyone home?"

The voice was unfamiliar, and Father Chu gestured to his family members to pretend that he was not at home.

The three of them nodded and kept their mouths shut tacitly.

If no one was there, the person outside should have left on his own.

The back door was knocked a few more times. Seeing that no one went to open the door, the man outside stopped shouting.

He climbed the wall.

The face on the wall and the four faces in the yard looked at each other with the same surprise.

"I was just saying I heard some noises in the yard. We're all home, so why aren't you making any noises?" The man didn't feel awkward at all. He smiled and raised the two jars of wine he was carrying towards the Chu family. "I'm the new neighbor who just moved in. I came over to meet my neighbors."

"What are you doing?" He glanced at the half-leg that was sticking out of the vegetable basket and asked in confusion, "Tie..."

He had just uttered the word "kidnap" when Father Chu called out, "Come in and talk."

Bai hurried over to open the door and welcome the uninvited guest in.