Chapter 68 Why choose me?
"Cousin, the tea here is especially delicious, and there are storytellers there, which is very interesting. I have something else to do, so I won't accompany you for the rest of the trip. I'll pick you up here at noon."
"Jin Wen, take good care of the young master."
As soon as they arrived in the county, Xiao Jiuyue invited Qi Yunsheng to a teahouse. After paying the silver, he ordered a cup of tea for Qi Yunsheng. After leaving some words, he got on the carriage and left without giving Qi Yunsheng a chance to speak.
The carriage slowly left. Qi Yunsheng looked at the departing carriage with his eyes slightly lowered: Cousin Yue seems... not to like him?
Xiao Jiuyue had no idea what he was thinking. She went straight to the drugstore, took all the medicines ordered yesterday, packed them carefully, and went to Shunan Escort Agency.
"Miss, I found out everything about Qu Qingshu yesterday. After winter came, Qu's mother became seriously ill and spent a lot of money. It just so happened that Chu Ang came back from escorting the convoy and introduced Qu Qingshu to move goods to earn some odd jobs."
"The one who was looking for trouble yesterday was because the daughter of the escort agency was interested in Chu Ang, so the two of them were fighting." Manager Jin was sitting in the carriage, reporting in a low voice to Xiao Jiuyue in the carriage.
"Hmm." Xiao Jiuyue replied softly. Soon, they arrived at the Shun'an Escort Agency and met Instructor Meng again. She counted the letter, banknotes, and supplies and handed them over to Instructor Meng. After paying the money, Xiao Jiuyue said to Lianxin, "Hurry and check it. Don't let Dad find out."
Xiao Jiuyue and Lianxin sang the same tune. Coach Meng was convinced that his brother had gone to Lingnan out of spite for a woman. He patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, I will definitely hand the things over to your brother!"
"Thank you very much, Master Meng." Xiao Jiuyue thanked him again and again. After leaving the escort agency, she said, "Let's go to Qu Qingshu's house."
Manager Jin paused for a moment, and the carriage turned directly to Qu Qingshu's house.
"Miss, Coach Meng, you won't embezzle our supplies, right?" Lianxin looked at Xiao Jiuyue worriedly.
"No." Xiao Jiuyue said with certainty: "Master Meng will not give up until he takes a look at that foolish young master. Besides, the escort agency business is all about reputation. I have already made inquiries. Shun'an Escort Agency is very reliable and reputable."
"Miss, the Qu family lives in the alley in front, and the carriage can't enter." Manager Jin stopped in an alley. Xiao Jiuyue slightly lifted the curtain and saw at a glance the alley that only people could pass through, not carriages.
"Invite him to a nearby teahouse." Xiao Jiuyue glanced at the nearby tea stalls and changed his tone, "Just go to the teahouse at the corner of the street and ask him that if he wants to study, he must come."
Xiao Jiuyue arrived at the teahouse at the corner of the street and sat directly on the second floor. After a cup of tea, Qu Qingshu came in. When he saw Xiao Jiuyue, Qu Qingshu stopped standing at the door.
"Do you still want to study? Do you want to treat your mother's illness?" Xiao Jiuyue's crisp voice sounded.
Qu Qingshu walked in and bowed. Qu Qingshu lowered his eyes to look at his washed-white clothes and asked, "I wonder what you mean, young lady."
Qu Qingshu only took one look at Xiao Jiuyue and then lowered his head. Xiao Jiuyue was sitting by the window, and there was a lake not far outside the window. The wind blew, and her orange dress made her look bright and generous. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen!
"What do you think of Qingyun Academy?" Xiao Jiuyue asked instead of answering.
Qu Qingshu was silent.
Xiao Jiuyue put down his teacup and said, "You don't even dare to tell the truth. Even if you really have achievements and become an official in the future, how can you speak for the people? How can you make decisions for the people?"
"If the young lady wanted to ridicule me, she would have already found out. Why should I say anything?" Qu Qingshu pursed his lips and said, "I know. I was kicked out of Qingyun Academy because I accidentally broke Young Master Cheng's cricket."
His tuition fees were always earned by copying books in the academy and cleaning the books in the library. He had to wait until the Chinese New Year every year to pay off his overdue tuition fees.
"Do you still want to go back to Qingyun Academy?" Xiao Jiuyue asked.
Qu Qingshu looked at her, not understanding what she meant. He asked, "What does it have to do with you, young lady, whether I reply or not?"
"If I pay you to go to school, where would you choose?" Xiao Jiuyue asked.
Qu Qingshu asked in return: "No merit, no reward. I don't think there is anything worth your money and effort."
Xiao Jiuyue chuckled and looked up at Qu Qingshu, who was wearing clothes that were washed white, but when he stood there, his posture was straight, cold and aloof, which was different from when he was moving goods yesterday.
She didn't beat around the bush and said, "I have two younger brothers who will be attending Huaixian Academy next year. They are too young and I'm worried they might be bullied. If you're willing to go to Huaixian Academy and take care of them, I can give you the money for their studies and your mother's medical expenses."
"Huaixian Academy teaches with benevolence and humility and loves students like their own children. Why do you have such worries, young lady?" Qu Qingshu was puzzled.
Xiao Jiuyue's lips curled slightly. "I believe Mr. Qu has a better understanding of this than I do. Where there are people, there is a world of martial arts. Moreover, I am new here, so I am worried."
Xiao Jiuyue directly took out twenty taels of silver and said, "Here are twenty taels of silver, enough for you to study and to treat your mother's illness."
"Huaixian Academy has so many students, why did you choose me?" Qu Qingshu looked at Xiao Jiuyue in confusion.
"Maybe... fate?" Xiao Jiuyue pushed the silver directly over: "Be a man, man, why are you whining like a woman?"
"This money is my loan to you, young lady. I will definitely pay you back someday." Qu Qingshu wrote down the IOU. Xiao Jiuyue glanced at it and asked Lianxin to put it away. She said loudly to the door, "Chu Ang, if there was a courier and asked you to take it, would you dare?"
"A letter escort?" Chu Ang had been watching outside, worried that Qu Qingshu would be bullied. When he heard his own name, he stepped out and said, "If the girl dares to ask me to deliver it, I will take it!"
Chu Ang straightened his back. He gasped in pain from the whipping he had received yesterday. He still managed to stand up straight, looking as if he was ready to go through fire and water.
Xiao Jiuyue looked at him and asked, "Lingnan, do you dare to go?"
Lingnan?
Chu Ang had heard of this place, a place infested with snakes, insects, rats, and ants, and filled with smoke and miasma. He hesitated for a moment and said, "I can go, but it's a thousand miles away from Lingnan, and it would cost at least..."
Chu Ang had been in the escort agency for a long time, so he naturally knew the price of a letter escort. He said, "At least ten taels!"
Before Xiao Jiuyue could speak, Chu Ang continued, "Although my price is high, I definitely can't go that far alone. I'll have to find my brothers to go with me. The round trip will take at least two months, and we have to worry about bandits along the way. This is gambling with your life."
"Can you accept the escort privately without going through the escort agency?" Xiao Jiuyue glanced at Chu Ang. It wouldn't cost much to send an escort to the south, but the price to Lingnan would definitely be expensive.
"I, I've already left the escort agency." Chu Ang was a little embarrassed. He was afraid that the business would fail, so he quickly said, "Although I'm no longer in the escort agency, I have experience. I can't deliver goods, but I can definitely deliver letters."
Chu Ang almost patted his chest to express that he would definitely deliver the letter safely.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
