Chapter 584 Making a fortune through theft

Huguo Temple is located on a hillside in the suburbs of Beijing. It is a popular place of worship, and it is always packed with people on the first and fifteenth of each lunar month. Worshippers have to wait in long lines, and they have to be there before dawn.

"Ladies, would you like to stay at an inn?"

To keep a low profile, Qi Lu rented a carriage with Bai Cha. He drove the carriage himself, but Bai Cha refused to sit in the back carriage. In the end, the carriage was empty, and the two of them sat on the outside.

As soon as the carriage stopped at the carriage shop at the foot of the mountain, the staff immediately surrounded it and eagerly inquired about its contents.

"I won't stay."

Qi Lu waved his hand. The waiter had good eyesight and could tell that she was a girl. It seemed that she had disguised herself well with her clothes.

"You two are waiting to offer incense on the fifteenth of the eighth lunar month, right? Our inn is currently full of the Emperor's Room, and we only have one regular room left. If you don't stay overnight, I'm not kidding. In a few days, you'll have to find a sheltered spot to pitch your tent."

The innkeeper earnestly advised that they only had one room left, and that was because a guest had to leave temporarily; otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to vacate that room.

There are shared rooms, with more than ten people sleeping in one room. With so many people around, there's no privacy whatsoever, and if you happen to run into a pickpocket, you're really unlucky.

"Thank you, but we're not staying at the hotel."

Bai Cha looked puzzled. The two of them were in the capital. She accompanied Hou Fen to offer incense, and then they went back to their respective homes.

"Judging from your accent, you're not from Beijing."

The guy smiled, not caring at all about being rejected.

Can you tell where I'm from?

Since arriving in the capital, Miss has been required by Granny Fang to learn Mandarin, because she would be ridiculed for being unsophisticated because it wasn't the local accent.

Lin Yuesha has a strong talent for languages ​​and has already adapted to the Beijing accent after only a few days, while Bai Cha is still working hard to learn.

"They look like they came from the north."

The waiter couldn't tell the northern accent, but seeing that the maid was tall and big and had a thick layer of powder on her face, he knew she didn't look like someone from the south.

Qilu: ...

"Haha, buddy, you're wrong. It's true I'm from the North, but she isn't."

Even in the North, even among the barbarians, the women are only slightly taller; there are hardly any with such a broad back and thick waist as Hou Fen. It's as if she single-handedly ruined the reputation of women in the North.

Bai Cha specifically clarified this, but she was also worried that the thick-skinned fans would be attacked and become insecure and sensitive.

After the two left the carriage shop, Bai Cha glanced at Hou Fen, who was more than a head taller than her, and forced herself to comfort her, "Sister Hou Fen, actually, it's quite good for us maids to be tall."

"Yeah?"

Qi Lu was a little unhappy, not because of what his friend said. He was a real man, and if he looked like a woman, he would be a real sissy.

Bai Cha was too easy to talk to, so what could he possibly have to talk about with a strange man? What displeased him was Bai Cha's attitude towards the waiter.

What's so good about being tall and having big legs?

Qi Lu wanted to add "flat-chested," but saying it like that seemed a bit like teasing Bai Cha.

"Of course."

For example, when hanging clothes, Houfen, being so tall, can just scoop them up with both hands and hang them up, while Baicha sometimes has to carry a small stool.

Having big feet has even more obvious advantages; it makes one nimble and fast at delivering messages.

Qilu: ...

When talking to Bai Cha, he always gets speechless and can't keep up with the next sentence.

There were shops selling incense and offerings at the foot of the mountain. Qi Lu bought two sets and brought them to the foot of the mountain along with white tea.

“Follow this path up the mountain, and after about half an hour, you will reach Huguo Temple.”

It's getting late, and some pilgrims are already heading down the mountain. The path up the mountain is not the same as the path down, so this way of walking is more orderly and prevents trampling.

“Our young lady believes in this the most. There’s a Yutan Temple in the north, and there’s a highly respected old monk there who’s said to be very accurate in drawing and interpreting divination slips.”

The old monk that Bai Cha mentioned is the one who predicted Lin Yuesha's marriage to a nobleman.

"Your young lady believes in this?"

Qi Lu frowned. This shouldn't be the case. Ever since the Qi family was wiped out, he and Qi Heng have hated these fictitious things the most, and they didn't even want to have any emotional support for them.

The Qi family ancestors were kind and charitable, accumulating good deeds. But because Qi Heng's mother was beautiful and his father held a high position, they were targeted and framed by villains. Heaven has finally opened its eyes.

Twenty years have passed in the blink of an eye, and he and Qi Heng have carried the burden of blood debts for many years.

"It's not just our young lady who believes it."

Bai Cha was still very vigilant and didn't want to reveal her mistress's privacy to others. This was the most basic professional ethic for a maid, and she wouldn't be a gossip.

"Um."

His words were cut off again. Qi Lu didn't say anything, just nodded silently.

"Sister Houfen, your young lady is so beautiful, is she engaged?"

Bai Cha was stunned when she saw Zi Yuan just once. She never knew that Zi Yuan was so beautiful; people would believe she was a fox spirit.

No, he doesn't like men.

That's true, because Shion is a man too.

Twenty years ago, Qi Lu was still very young. He was rescued by Zi Yuan's master and became Zi Yuan's errand boy.

At first, he didn't know what Ziyuan did. Many years later, he learned that Ziyuan's family was incredibly wealthy, having amassed their fortune entirely through theft.

"Then be careful."

"If you don't like men, do you like women?" Bai Cha's eyelids twitched in surprise as she glanced at Hou Fen and asked.

Bai Cha regretted her words as soon as she finished speaking, as if she were trying to sow discord between the master and servant.

"Bai Cha, don't take it personally. How could someone like me possibly catch the eye of Miss?"

Qi Lu touched his face, and his hands immediately turned white. He used half a box of face powder every day, which was really expensive.

"Your young lady is so beautiful, I'm afraid you won't find anyone more beautiful than her..."

Bai Cha was startled. She had actually managed to extract this big secret. Should she tell her young lady to have less contact with Zi Yuan in the future?

Qi Lu and Bai Cha chatted as they walked, making the mountain path seem shorter. Before they knew it, they were standing at the entrance of Huguo Temple.

Let's go.

Qi Lu lit three incense sticks and called to Zi Yuan, while he himself used the excuse of going to the toilet to leave the main hall first.

"Cousin, you seem to have a lot of free time lately."

On one side of the side hall of Huguo Temple, Qi Lu shook his sleeves and said coolly when he saw Xiao Qi arrive.

Last night, he received a letter from his cousin inviting him to meet here.

"Why are you with Bai Cha?"

Xiao Qi leaned against the pillar and tugged at the skin of the man with the large mole on his face. Compared to Qi Lu's androgynous attire, his outfit was much better; at least it was clear that he was a man.

Today is my birthday.

Qi Lu took a deep breath. Since the Qi family was wiped out, he hadn't celebrated his birthday in a long time.

Perhaps even Qi Heng didn't know.

The two brothers were separated years ago, and it was only three years ago that Qi Heng found him and the brothers recognized each other. He has memories of everything from that time, but it's more like a shadow than a memory.

"You know what? That day, I insisted on sleeping with my parents, so I slept between them."

That very night, a group of unidentified officials broke into the room and saw Qi Lu's mother's throat slit, the blood spurting out and landing on the gauze curtains.