Chapter 66 My cousin has arrived.

The merchant ship anchored at Yecheng Port, and after more than ten days, the group finally returned to the territory of Great Yan.

Apart from feeling a slight chill in the air, nothing else has changed.

Duan Yi personally came to pick them up, acting cautiously. His carriage was parked far away on a small road that led directly to the dock exit. He waited for his men to lure Ning Jue and the others over discreetly before getting out of the carriage and waving to them.

Looking up, Ning Jue and Bai Hua walked in front, with Chen Fu following closely behind. At the same time, a girl wearing a beaded mask was also with him, whose features were clearly remarkable.

Duan Yi had exchanged letters with Chen Fu beforehand and knew the woman's identity. She was initially the most popular courtesan in the brothel, and later became Fang Lun's mistress. Her identity was quite complicated. Duan Yi disliked that his most capable subordinate would get entangled with such a woman, and his expression turned cold.

When Duan Yi approached Ning Jue and Bai Hua, he smiled warmly and was very friendly. Knowing it was best not to talk too much in public, and that they could discuss things at home, Duan Yi briefly inquired about Ning Jue's injuries before instructing his men to lead them to the carriage behind, ready to depart at any time.

Then, Duan Yi looked at Chen Fu, his smile fading slightly, until his gaze fell on Jiu Qiu, at which point the curve of his lips vanished completely.

Duan Yi withdrew his gaze expressionlessly, completely ignoring the person, treating her not as a guest, but as a troublesome nuisance.

Jiuqiu was used to being treated coldly, so it wasn't surprising, nor did it bother her.

She's come all this way through hardship, not to see Duan Yi, so why should she care about his attitude?

If Chen Fu hadn't been there, she would have left long ago.

Chen Fu was naturally aware of the subtle atmosphere. In front of the patriarch, he was used to bowing respectfully and waiting for orders. But this time, although he still maintained his bowed posture, he also glanced at Jiu Qiu without making a sound.

Their eyes met, and he nodded slightly, his eyes conveying a sense of reassurance.

Jiuqiu wore a veil, revealing only her eyebrows and eyes. Her brows were curved upwards, and although the corners of her lips were not visible, it was still clear that she was smiling.

Her smile made Chen Fu feel even worse.

There were two carriages in total. Ning Jue and Bai Hua rode in one carriage alone, while Chen Fu, Jiu Qiu, and Duan Yi rode in the other carriage.

Duan Yi sat in the main seat, while Chen Fu and Jiu Qiu sat to one side.

The three of them fell silent, and the atmosphere became tense, with only the sound of breathing rising and falling.

Chen Fu thought that if Jiu Qiu hadn't been there, the patriarch would have been eagerly waiting for him to report everything that had happened in Guocheng. But considering that there were other people around, he kept quiet and suppressed the urge to ask immediately.

Seeing the patriarch's impatient frown, Chen Fu felt a little uneasy.

At this moment, the car gradually slowed down, seemingly turning a corner.

Chen Fu noticed this, opened the carriage curtain, and watched as the carriage in front of them drove further and further away, while their carriage suddenly turned at the fork in the road and headed down a side road.

"Patriarch, what is this?" Chen Fu asked, puzzled.

Duan Yi replied, “After all, Miss Jiuqiu has a life on her hands and is involved in many matters. If we allow her to come and go freely from the Duan residence, it may bring us unnecessary suspicion and trouble. It would be better to arrange for her to stay in a secluded courtyard in the suburbs. This would be better for everyone. In fact, the secluded courtyard is clean and tidy. It’s just a bit far from the city. If you don’t mind the trouble, you can go out of the city to see her every day.”

The conversation ended there; Duan Yi clearly had no intention of explaining further.

And throughout the entire conversation, he didn't even glance at Jiuqiu.

Chen Fu tried to persuade him again: "As long as we make sure there are no tails following us, we can carefully enter the mansion through the back door without anyone noticing. There will definitely be no trouble. Besides, Jiuqiu is wearing a mask. Even if someone sees her, who would recognize her?"

Duan Yi was displeased and gave Chen Fu a cold glance, his eyes filled with rebuke, as if he was annoyed that he shouldn't have spoken so much.

Chen Fu lowered his head. Since formally acknowledging the master, he had never disobeyed the head of the family. His behavior just now had crossed the line.

Jiuqiu's gaze swept between the two of them, slowly savoring Duan Yi's choice of words—suspicion? trouble?

It was clearly Duan Yi who ordered the burning of Fang Lun's courtyard and even tried to destroy the body without any evidence. However, because she ultimately contributed and completely cut off Fang Lun's chance of survival, she naturally became the culprit, and the suspicion also fell on her.

Also, there's trouble.

It was probably because of her complicated past. As a former courtesan, she had enjoyed unparalleled fame in Ye City and had been the nightmare of countless men. Her face itself represented ostentation, so revealing it would naturally cause trouble.

Jiuqiu understood the situation, but remained silent, finding it amusing.

If he disliked her, Duan Yi had no right to do so.

First, Jiuqiu helped him resolve his worries, completely silencing Fang Lun. Second, although the person who saved her was his subordinate, the whole matter had little to do with him.

Jiuqiu is willing to accept the favor, but only the favor from Chen Fu.

Of course, if she could, she would also be willing to accept his kindness.

Duan Yi withdrew his gaze and sat firmly in the main seat. After a moment of silence, he stroked his beard, no longer paying attention to Chen Fu's attitude, and instead glanced at Jiu Qiu, saying, "Miss Jiu Qiu, do you have any objections to this arrangement?"

Chen Fu wanted to say something, but in the end he hesitated and stopped. Duan Yi had given him a second chance at life, and he dared not and could not disobey the head of the family.

Jiuqiu did not answer immediately, but looked at Chen Fu first.

Chen Fu met her gaze and said in a sincere tone, "The situation is special, so we'll arrange for you to stay there first. There will be maids to take care of you."

Jiuqiu's expression remained unchanged, her emotions not showing: "Okay, I'll wait for you in the side courtyard to bring me the restaurant's specialties. Oh, and wine too."

Chen Fu quickly agreed, initially worried that she might be unhappy, but thankfully she wasn't.

The carriage soon arrived at the outskirts of the fields. The surrounding environment was leisurely and tranquil. The courtyard was not large, but it was next to a rushing stream with many thick and lush weeping willows growing on both sides of the river.

Fishing under the shade of trees would probably be a great experience.

Jiuqiu got off the car with a simple bundle on her back, and Chen Fu followed to help her settle in. There was a male servant and an elderly woman in the courtyard. The two of them were usually responsible for cleaning the courtyard.

They were not surprised to see people arrive, as they had clearly received prior orders.

Chen Fu instructed him to take good care of A Qiu's three meals a day, and to stop what he was doing for now and cook her a full meal.

Jiuqiu urged him, "Go back quickly. I'll let you know if I'm hungry. There are people waiting for you at the door."

Chen Fu thought for a moment and asked her, "How about I come over tonight and bring you something delicious?"

Jiuqiu said, "Isn't it troublesome to run back and forth like this?"

Chen replied, "No trouble at all. I'll ride a horse after I leave the city. The journey will be smooth and quick."

Jiuqiu naturally didn't stop him.

She escorted them to the door, and the two waved goodbye.

The carriage returned, its wheels picking up speed, and it soon returned to the city.

With only Chen Fu and Duan Yi in the carriage, and no third pair of ears, Duan Yi spoke more frankly, saying, "How can that woman be a match for you? Although she is indeed beautiful, she doesn't have a clean family background. What kind of playboy would marry a former courtesan from a brothel? Chen Fu, don't let lust cloud your judgment. Keeping someone like that around for a while is fine, but taking it seriously in the long run... is not worth it."

Chen Fu found these words grating, but he didn't refute them. He simply described his own situation: "My parents died early, so when I was a teenager, I worked shirtless at the small docks of Yecheng, carrying goods and begging for food. Because of my young age, I was often ostracized and faced injustice in the world. Even though I used all my strength and sweated profusely, I was still sometimes hungry and sometimes full. I didn't know where the road ahead lay, and I saw no light at the end of the tunnel..."

Duan Yi glanced at him, said nothing, and listened to him continue.

Chen Fu: "Back then, I was called a 'swine laborer,' the lowest-paid worker on the docks. Almost every month, people like me would suddenly die while carrying goods. It wasn't uncommon for people to die. Once someone died, they were either thrown into a warehouse or directly into the sea... If I hadn't met the head of the family, I probably wouldn't have survived, let alone learned these skills. Therefore, I was willing to be loyal to the head of the family and serve him, but at the same time, I didn't think I was any more noble after becoming a member of the Duan family. I climbed up from the very bottom, and A Qiu was also a girl with a tragic fate. We understood each other and cherished each other, so we weren't afraid of worldly opinions. I thought she was good."

The last sentence was spoken with particular force and conviction.

Upon hearing this, Duan Yi remained silent for a long time.

Chen Fu had been with him for over a decade, so Duan Yi knew him well. He was introverted and usually taciturn, so when had he ever spoken so much?

He didn't know how long he had thought about it or how many times he had carefully considered it before he could fully express those heartfelt words in front of him.

Duan Yi sighed, thinking to himself that he had meant well, but ended up being the villain.

If it weren't for his affection for Chen Fu that went beyond that between master and servant, Duan Yi would have been too lazy to meddle in other people's business.

The two were destined to meet. Initially, Duan Yi was still an official in the court. During his leisure time, while traveling in Ye City, he coincidentally recruited Chen Fu into his service. However, he didn't take Chen Fu back to the capital, only giving him some money and instructing him to stay in Ye City and help him with business. Duan Yi taught Chen Fu the ins and outs of business, and through him, they secretly developed a trade route with the Southern Regions, mainly selling tea, which earned them a considerable amount of money.

Later, the situation in the capital changed, and Duan Yi moved his family to Ye City in seclusion. Chen Fu naturally taught him business and followed him.

In terms of ability, Chen Fu is truly capable. Duan Yi values ​​him and has long intended to arrange a good marriage for him. He has even mentioned it to his wife several times, asking her to pay more attention to girls from good families who are a good match for Chen Fu in age.

As a result, before any news arrived, Chen Fu went out on a mission, and when he returned, he had someone with him.

Even if everything else were fine, the woman had been a prostitute, and her hands were stained with blood...

Duan Yi couldn't accept it, so he kept a cold face the whole way.

He originally wanted to intervene and break the two up to minimize the damage, but Chen Fu said those words seriously, which surprised everyone and made Duan Yi's heart soften.

At times like these, the more you try to force them apart, the tighter they'll hold on and the more inseparable they'll become.

He sighed inwardly and decided to just ignore it.

...

The Duan family's main residence is located next to the most bustling streets and alleys in Yecheng. Along the way, the sounds of vendors hawking their wares, bargaining, carriages rumbling, and horses neighing can be clearly heard.

It was lunchtime, and as the carriage passed by restaurants and inns along the street, the aroma of stir-fried dishes wafted far and wide, tempting both the taste buds and the stomach.

Bai Hua pursed her lips, feeling a little empty in her stomach.

For her last meal on the ship, she didn't eat much. Thinking that she would be able to eat a sumptuous meal after going ashore, she had no appetite for the dry food biscuits.

Seeing her clutching her stomach, Ning Jue understood and said, "Stopping on the road will inevitably attract attention. Just bear with it a little longer. When we get back to the Duan residence, Duan Yi's welcoming banquet will be sumptuous and you'll have a good meal."

Bai Hua felt a little embarrassed after being seen through, but refused to admit it: "It's okay, I'm not that hungry either."

Ning Jue smiled, looked around the carriage, noticed a sandalwood carved cabinet between the seats on both sides, glanced at it a few more times, then reached out and touched the buckle, pulling the drawer out.

There was indeed a box of pastries inside, exquisitely crafted, with one of each type: yellow-skinned, white-skinned, dipped in sugar, or drizzled with honey.

Ning Jue wanted to take out a piece and hand it to Bai Hua, but he didn't know what kind she wanted to eat, so he gave her the choice.

“Last time I rode in Duan Yi’s carriage, I noticed that there were pastries in the carriage box. It seemed that the yellow ones were filled with jujube paste, and the white ones were filled with mixed nuts. Which one do you like to eat? Pick one to fill your stomach first.”

Bai Hua didn't like the five-nut flavor, so she chose a piece with jujube paste. She ate it slowly and elegantly, and in a short while, she finished the whole piece. It seemed that she was really hungry.

Ning Jue hadn't eaten any himself, but asked her, "How is it?"

Bai Hua took a sip of the weak tea in the car. She felt a little choked, so she drank some water and calmed down before answering, "Anyway, it tastes better than dry food biscuits."

Ning Jue smiled again: "Save some room in your stomach, there's a welcome banquet later."

Bai Hua nodded.

No longer thinking about going hungry, Bai Hua, feeling bored, lifted a corner of the carriage curtain and peered out, looking around both front and back.

She let out a soft "Eh," which caught Ning Jue's attention.

Ning Jue: "What's wrong?"

Bai Hua: "Weren't Chen Fu and the others following Boss Duan the ones who were always behind us? How come they've disappeared now..."

Ning Jue lifted the curtain from the other side and peeked back; there was indeed nothing there.

He thought for a moment and said, "The main street is crowded. They may have slowed down their carriages to avoid pedestrians and vendors, or they may have taken a side road. It's alright, we can meet at the Duan residence."

Bai Hua had no suspicions: "We happened to be at a market in town today. If we had known, we would have taken the back road."

Just as she finished muttering those words, the carriage passed by a fortune-telling stall. Bai Hua glanced over and saw the fortune teller sitting behind the stall holding a folding fan. The fan was not decorated with an ordinary pattern, but with a sunbird adorned with three long feathers.

In an instant, Bai Hua tensed up.

She blinked, looked again, and made sure she wasn't seeing things.

On the signboard set up next to the fortune-telling stall, there was an even larger sunbird, which was particularly eye-catching and hard to miss.

That special symbol was the Sword Hall totem, and also a signal for the Sword Hall disciples to secretly transmit coded messages. So, did her cousin come to Ye City in person, or did other disciples of the Sword Hall come to find her?

Half a month ago, after she confirmed that she was going south to cross the border, she left a secret signal to the outside world, which was that if they could not find her, they could wait in Ye City.

So many days have passed, and perhaps my cousin and his group really did search all the way from Jiling to Yecheng. Since they didn't find her, they rested in place and waited for an opportunity to make their move.

I originally thought that getting in touch with my cousins ​​would be extremely difficult, but now it seems that it is easy.

Many steps were saved in the middle, and the process leaped forward rapidly. The time to part ways was really coming.

Bai Hua was in a daze, a little caught off guard. Everything else was fine, but she was still not ready to part with the young master.

I felt empty inside, but my nerves were still on edge.

That fortune teller must be one of my cousin's men. I only caught a quick glance; I don't know if he even noticed her.

Ning Jue noticed that Bai Hua had been gazing outside for a long time, as if her gaze was drawn to something. So he followed her gaze and looked outside as well. He saw that it was just an ordinary street scene with nothing special about it. Why was it that it had attracted her so much attention?

He called out, "What's wrong? What's so interesting outside?"

Bai Hua snapped out of her reverie, put down the curtain, shook her head, and replied, "It's nothing. I was just passing by a vegetable stall, and the buyers and sellers were haggling over the price. It was quite interesting."

Now, her ability to lie on the spot is getting better and better.

Ning Jue didn't understand: "What's the point of haggling and arguing?"

Bai Hua continued, "It's very satisfying to win. Normally, a few taels of copper coins can only buy three eggplants, but if you're good at bargaining, you can buy five after the price is negotiated."

Ning Jue had a different view on this matter: "The low price of grain hurts farmers. Vegetable farmers have to sow, tend, maintain, and remove pests, and then harvest the vegetables. It takes several months in total, and in the end they only earn a little bit of hard-earned money. If the price is lowered, they will have even less money left. This cycle continues, and it will be difficult to support these farmers by farming alone."

Bai Hua reflected on her actions and realized that she had been thinking too simply.

Even though she had experienced hardships, lived under someone else's roof, and had a difficult life, she had never worried about food. Therefore, when she said that she found bargaining interesting, it really gave off a condescending and arrogant vibe.

Even if she didn't mean it that way.

“Young Master’s thoughts are deeper than mine, and what you say makes sense.” Bai Hua humbly accepted.

Ning Jue: "It's just that I have more experience and more knowledge. If we're really talking about kindness and compassion, you're much better than me. I don't have that much compassion for strangers, but you do. Isn't that more useful than me spouting some empty platitudes?"

For some reason, the two started complimenting each other.

They looked at each other, exchanged glances, and couldn't help but smile.

Ning Jue smiled easily, while Bai Hua's lips curved into a smile with a hint of unspoken heaviness.