Chapter 312 Go set up a fortune telling stall
"Sister Yue, this is Uncle Zhou Ran." Shang Yifan brought Zhou Ran to Xiao Jiuyue. As soon as Zhou Ran entered the room and saw Xiao Jiuyue, he bowed and said, "Miss Su, Master Shang told me that Miss Su is a heroine and a benefactor to the Shang family!"
Zhou Ran looked at Xiao Jiuyue quietly. Even in a shabby house like the Luo family's, even if she was wearing the simplest cotton coat, without complicated and gorgeous headdress, just like a farmer's daughter with a headscarf tied around her head, she still could not be ignored when she sat on the shabby chair.
"Tell me, Hou Jian, is it Pang Hai?" Xiao Jiuyue went straight to the point. There was no extra expression on her face despite Zhou Ran's flattery.
Zhou Ran quietly glanced at Shang Yifan who was standing beside him. He bowed and replied, "Yes, Hou Jian is the alias Pang Hai. He is blind in one eye and has a long scar on his face. He is now serving as the advisor to the chief. Pang Hai is in charge of all the village affairs and is very trusted by the chief."
"Our people heard that Pang Hai gave the chief a suggestion, saying that they should ask the nearby villagers to hand over grain as protection money. In this way, the nearby villagers will not only have to pay taxes to the court, but also to the Eighteen Villages."
Zhou Ran continued, "Also, there's a beauty pageant this year. All the pretty girls around here are sent to the village to be married off. Those villagers from the surrounding villages who can afford it have all gone to Xingfeng Town or the provincial capital. Those who can't afford it are left with only the elderly, children, and widowers at home."
"Does the leader of the Eighteen Villages want to be a local emperor?" Xiao Jiuyue sneered, listening to the actions of the Eighteen Villages, which made the already poor villagers even worse off.
After paying one portion of tax to the imperial court and another portion to the Eighteen Villages, how much food would be left for oneself after a year of hard work facing the fields and back to the sky?
"Miss Su, this is not something you can talk about." Zhou Ran's face changed drastically when he heard this. He looked around and said, "Be careful, there are ears on the other side of the wall!"
If you really say such outrageous words, you will get into trouble.
"Except for you, everyone here is trustworthy." Xiao Jiuyue looked at him meaningfully and asked, "Zhou Ran, you definitely won't tell anyone, right?"
"Of course. Lord Shang saved my entire family's lives. Even if it costs me my life, I don't care. Miss Xiao is Lord Shang's benefactor, so she's naturally mine too." Zhou Ran immediately stated, "Pang Hai is in Tianzi Mountain and rarely leaves the stronghold. Catching him would be incredibly difficult."
"You mean, we have to go into the mountain stronghold to arrest people?" Xiao Jiuyue asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Entering the mountain stronghold is like a sheep entering a tiger's mouth, and it's even more difficult." Zhou Ran said with embarrassment, "Miss Xiao, you don't know, the Eighteen Strongholds are a special place. Each mountain is connected to another mountain, and there are cliffs. It is easy to defend but difficult to attack. Otherwise, the court would not have sent so many people to suppress the bandits and failed so many times!"
Zhou Ran spoke seriously and meticulously. Xiao Jiuyue concluded, "So, we still have to find a way to get Pang Hai out?"
"It's difficult." Zhou Ran said in a low voice: "Pang Hai is like a frightened bird now. I heard that when the village goes out to rob people, he never participates and only walks around on the top of the Tianzihao Mountain."
"Miss Su, now we can only wait a little longer. In three days, it will be the Qiqiao Festival. Donglin County will hold a grand Qiqiao Feast. Every year on that day, Donglin County is especially crowded with people, and people from the village will also go to join in the fun and grab a wife."
As Zhou Ran finished speaking, Xiao Jiuyue's eyes were filled with confusion: "Aren't the people of Donglin County afraid of bandits coming to rob them? Why are they holding this Qiqiao Feast?"
She had seen on the map that Donglin County was the closest county to Xingfeng Town.
"I'm afraid, but I can't stop getting married just because I'm afraid of bandits, right? Those unmarried girls and boys have to get married eventually. They can look for each other themselves. This is much better than what the matchmaker says." Zhou Ran introduced the Qiqiao Feast in Donglin County.
After listening to this, Xiao Jiuyue fell silent. Isn’t this just the blind date conference of later generations?
"Miss, Pang Hai is not unmarried and he is blind in one eye. As long as a woman is not blind, she will not be attracted to him, right? Will he still join in the fun of the Qiqiao Banquet?" After Zhou Ran left, Lian Xin poured tea for Xiao Jiuyue. The strong tea was what Xiao Jiuyue liked to drink most when she was thinking.
"Whether he wants to go or not, he has to go." Xiao Jiuyue took a sip of strong tea and tapped his fingers on the table. "Where's Hua Qing?"
Hua Qing had just finished dealing with the gang of bandits and released them when she heard Lian Xin say that the young lady was looking for her. She hurried over and said, "Young lady, you're looking for me?"
"You are proficient in numerology, right?" Xiao Jiuyue looked at her and asked.
"Of course." Hua Qing nodded proudly, "We Hua people are the most proficient in numerology!"
"Okay, starting tomorrow, you'll set up a fortune-telling stall in Donglin County." Hua Qing was shocked when Xiao Jiuyue finished speaking. She stepped forward and tugged at Xiao Jiuyue's sleeve, saying, "Miss, don't you want me anymore? You promised me that I would protect you, and that after the Xiao family was vindicated, you would come back with me to the Hua clan!"
"Miss, you can't go back on your word." Hua Qing squatted down, looked up at Xiao Jiuyue, and the anxiety in her eyes could hardly be hidden.
"I asked you to set up a fortune-telling stall, how can you say you're not keeping your word?" Xiao Jiuyue looked at Hua Qing's eyes, which instantly turned red. She said, "I wanted you to lure Pang Hai out."
"Miss, you should have told me earlier. You scared me." Hua Qing immediately raised her hand and wiped the back of her hand when she heard this. She stood up and resumed her previous playful smile. "Miss, fortune-telling, how can we lure Pang Hai out?"
"Besides setting up a fortune-telling stall, you also want to be a miracle doctor." Xiao Jiuyue looked at her and asked, "Can you do it?"
"A miracle doctor?" Hua Qing hesitated and said, "Miss, I can make poison, but being a miracle doctor is a bit difficult."
"I'm not really asking you to be a miracle doctor." Xiao Jiuyue waved at her and whispered a few words in her ear. Soon, Hua Qing's eyes widened: "Miss, I can do this."
"Miss, I'll go get ready and go to Donglin County today." Hua Qing said, and just as he was about to run, he turned around and looked at Xiao Jiuyue and said, "Miss, are you going to Donglin County? If you don't go, what if you run into bad guys?"
"And me." Donggui, who was guarding the door, spoke.
"How can you do it alone?" Hua Qing looked at Xiao Jiuyue and said, "Miss, if I really lead them to the county, it will be useless for you to stay in this shabby place."
Xiao Jiuyue looked at Hua Qing with a smile and said, "You go first, I will make my own arrangements."
"Okay, I'll go now." Hua Qing finished speaking and turned around and ran away!
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