Chapter 17 The master's farmhand carried away the concubine brought for good luck.

Xi Shun shook his head: "Don't worry, I told them I was an orphan when I entered the Jia family, so they couldn't find out my background. I plan to find a place to lay low for a while, and then go back to my hometown in the countryside."

"You're quite clever," Baozhu said in surprise.

“Of course.” Xi Shun smiled and said, “If you are a servant in someone else’s mansion and you anger the master, it may implicate your family. That’s why I didn’t say anything in the first place.”

"If you're really unlucky, then you'll suffer all by yourself."

Ji Huaizhi nodded: "I know you have a plan."

When the group left the inn, they went their separate ways.

Ji Huaizhi bought a carriage and acted as its driver.

Xi Shun went out of the city with them, and happened to hitch a ride in their carriage along the way.

"I didn't expect we got out so easily?" Xi Shun asked in surprise.

You should know that because of the Jia family's affairs, the city is now under strict control.

But to their surprise, when it was their turn to inspect, they were allowed to pass directly.

Looking at Ji Huaizhi, who was holding a foxtail grass in his mouth, he said, "I think this has something to do with you."

Ji Huaizhi laughed: "Maybe it's because I look too fierce."

Xi Shun: "I don't believe it. When they saw you just now, their eyes went blank for a moment, and they looked like they were drunk."

"So, it's definitely not because you're too fierce."

Ji Huaizhi smiled but remained silent.

Xi Shun didn't necessarily need an answer: "Life is unpredictable, it always feels like a dream."

After traveling all day, they entered the city before dark and found an inn to book two rooms.

I asked the waiter to prepare a few of their signature dishes and bring them upstairs.

"Tonight is the last night I'll sleep with Brother Ji, so let's have a good drink together."

Song Jiao and Baozhu lived next door, and with Xuan Feng watching over them, Ji Huaizhi felt at ease: "Alright, I'll have a drink with you today."

Baozhu was a little nervous in an unfamiliar place, and Song Jiao put some food on her plate, saying, "Don't worry, your Brother Ji knows what he's doing."

Baozhu nodded: "It's just that it's my first time going on a 'long trip,' and I feel a little unaccustomed to it."

After having a couple of drinks, Xi Shun joked, "Baozhu, why don't you just skip going to Suzhou with them and come back to our hometown with me? I can protect you there."

Baozhu: "No, I have to stay with my sister."

"Wherever she goes, I will go."

Xi Shun pouted: "Boring."

Song Jiao looked at Ji Huaizhi, and Ji Huaizhi understood with just one look.

He simply smiled without saying a word.

"I'll stay here for a few days and see if there's any work I can do for a while before going back," Xi Shun said, explaining his plans.

“Then you’d better be careful. You’re in an unfamiliar place, and we won’t be able to help you once we leave,” Baozhu advised him.

Xi Shun said with a grin, "Are you worried about me?"

Baozhu was still clueless: "We've been through thick and thin together now, you really need to be careful on your own."

"Don't worry, my specialty is dealing with people."

The group parted ways, but it was drizzling at the time.

After saying "Take care," Ji Huaizhi drove away in his carriage.

Baozhu lifted the curtain and looked outside, then stretched out her hand in a farewell gesture.

Xi Shun couldn't help but laugh when he saw this, and he also raised his hand to say goodbye.

He simply forgot that Baozhu couldn't see from inside the carriage.

After Baozhu was seated, Song Jiao asked, "Baozhu, you don't need to worry about me. Do you like Xishun?"

"You can stay if you want; I hope you can make your own choice."

Baozhu tilted her head: "I still want to follow you, sister."

“I don’t know what liking someone means. I’m grateful to Xishun, and he might be different too, but I don’t want to stay because of others. I want to go with you and Brother Ji to see the Jiangnan region you’ve been talking about.”

“As Xi Shun said, I’m lucky to have left that cannibalistic place, and I don’t want to entrust my future to Xi Shun.”

Upon hearing this, Ji Huaizhi looked at the carriage behind him.

It's quite impressive that a mere maid could think of these things.

"I'm glad you think that way." Song Jiao touched her little braid.

After leaving that place, Baozhu no longer wore the hairstyle of a maid, but instead wore the same lively and cute style as other ordinary people.

"Yesterday, when Xishun asked if you were willing to stay, I was actually quite nervous," Song Jiao said softly.

"To be honest, there's probably no chance of us ever seeing each other again. If you stay and go back to his hometown with him, I don't know how you'll fare after that."

Baozhu held Song Jiao's hand: "I still want to be with my sister."

The carriage swayed and wobbled for a long time.

The three of them traveled and had fun along the way, so their days weren't actually that hard.

They encountered robbery on the way, but Ji Huaizhi protected them both well.

Xuanfeng seems to have gained some weight from being fed by the precious pearl.

We finally arrived at our destination.

Suzhou is surrounded by waterways, with beautiful mountains and clear waters, and the ancient city's architecture is captivating.

"Sister, there's a small bridge ahead."

Song Jiao leaned closer and said, "Once we're settled in, we can have a good look around."

Those outside saw the beautiful woman in the carriage almost fall into the water.

"Ouch."

Baozhu couldn't help but laugh: "Pfft... My sisters are all stunned."

Song Jiao awkwardly lowered the curtain: "This is really a nice place."

Everything is new and exciting to them now.

Along the way, they have seen the world.

The sound of opera singing drifted in from outside, suggesting there was a stage in front of us.

"Sister, it's so lively here. It seems like there are a lot of rich people here." Baozhu wanted to say that she was like the master and mistress.

There are rich people everywhere.

Ji Huaizhi, wearing a straw hat, stopped in front of an inn.

The waiter came over to lead the horse: "You must be a distinguished guest from out of town, right? Our inn is the best in the area, and we even have some Suzhou specialties in our restaurant."

Ji Huaizhi handed him the rope: "We need two rooms, and we'll fetch some water to tidy up. We haven't eaten yet. There are three of us, so just bring up some of your shop's signature dishes and we'll pay together. We don't like to be disturbed."

"Alright, I'll arrange a top-class room for you in our shop!"

After Ji Huaizhi finished giving his instructions, the waiter respectfully said that he had remembered them.