After bidding farewell to Qin and Huazi, the two mule carts headed west past Xinghua Village, onto the official road, and then south. Fortunately, it was early summer, so the weather wasn't too hot. The ladies chatted and laughed, and the ride wasn't unbearable.
Zhao Wu let Ma Zi out of the car and watched it soar in the blue sky, and sometimes he whistled to call it back.
They arrived at a small town at noon, the carriage stopped, and several people went to a restaurant to have lunch.
Hu Yi disliked interacting with strangers, especially strange men. However, Xu Lanyin was very good at communication and had already instructed Zhao Wu and Xu Lanzhou on how to interact with Hu Yi, so they all got along well during the trip. Hu Yi felt no pressure at all and was extremely happy. She was particularly fond of Ma Zi, and whenever she saw him soaring into the sky or circling down, she would cover her mouth and scream with excitement. She also liked to tease Xu Lanting, whom she found handsome and endearing, and thoughtfully bought the little boy some snacks.
After the mule rested for a while, they set off again and arrived at Fengxian County in the afternoon.
Find an inn to stay in.
The next morning after breakfast, we set off again.
At noon, I saw a village in the distance and a teahouse next to the village.
The teahouse was very simple, with just a thatched roof supported by a few pillars and no walls at all.
The driver said that it was only about twenty miles from here to the provincial capital, and that they could eat some dry food with tea at a teahouse and then go straight into the city. If they stopped in a small town to rest and eat, they would have to go another twenty miles.
No one wanted to take a detour, so they got off the car in front of the teahouse.
They drank tea and had snacks at two tables: the two drivers at one table and the others at another.
Suddenly, Zhao Wu quietly pulled Xu Lanyin's collar and winked at her, meaning to let her pay attention because someone at the next table was suspicious.
Xu Lan pretended to sip her tea, glancing at the neighboring table. There sat a burly man in his thirties, wearing a gray shorts and sporting a full beard. He would occasionally steal glances at Xu Lanyin and Hu Yi, his eyes gnawing and unpleasant.
Xu Lanyin pulled the stool closer to Hu Yi, and took Xu Lanting into her arms, feeding him snacks herself.
The big man didn't seem to want to cause trouble. He looked away, dropped two coins on the table, and hurriedly stood up to leave. When he had walked a dozen steps and was a certain distance away from the teahouse, Zhao Wu suddenly stood up and rushed over. With a few punches and kicks, he knocked the big man to the ground. The big man was no match for him.
After subduing the big man, Zhao Wu took out a rope from his arms and tied him up tightly. He then took out his constable badge and waved it in the big man's eyes, shouting, "You bold rapist, follow me to the Criminal Investigation Department."
The big man struggled and shouted, "Master, I am an honest citizen, not a rapist. I have done nothing wrong. Why are you arresting me?"
Zhao Wu squatted in front of the big man and said, "I've seen the arrest warrant. Your name is Wei Xizi, from Cangcheng in the neighboring province. Last February, you raped and murdered your neighbor, Liu Sanniang, and have been on the run ever since. You're twenty-eight years old, seven feet tall, left-handed, and you have a black mole on the right side of your face." He pulled back Wei Xizi's beard and said with a smile, "There really is a mole there. I didn't arrest the wrong person."
The big man fell to the ground like a puddle of mud.
Not to mention Xu Lanzhou and the others, even the other people in the teahouse blinked their bright eyes and looked at Zhao Wu. They didn't expect that such a handsome boy would have such good skills.
Xu Lanyin glanced at Zhao Wuji approvingly. This kid was indeed suited to being a constable. He was usually a bit rough around the edges, but he had a strong professional sensitivity when it came to criminals. After reading the casual notice, relying on a few characteristics and the restless look in his eyes, he was able to lock onto and capture the suspect.
Xu Lanting, under the envious gazes of the crowd, pulled Zhao Wu's collar and said, "Brother Zhao, I want to learn the martial arts you just did."
Zhao Wu smiled and said, "Okay, I'll teach you when you recover."
Xu Lanzhou was also very happy and was ready to fight. He had been practicing martial arts with Zhao Wu. With such good skills, it would be easier for him to pass the martial arts examination.
After dinner, the horses rested and the others boarded the carriages. Xu Lanting boarded Xu Lanyin's carriage, while Wei Xizi, Zhao Wu, and Xu Lanzhou shared one.
At the end of the afternoon, we finally arrived at Ningzhou Prefecture, the provincial capital.
Xu Lanyin was still a bit disoriented. The geography of this era was similar to that of her previous life, though some place names were the same and some were different. For example, there was Hebei Province, but the provincial capital was called Ningzhou Prefecture. There was the Silk Road, but many place names didn't match those of her previous life...
Gazing at the towering city walls and the flags flying from them from afar, Xu Lanyin was thrilled. This was the metropolis of the Daming Dynasty, majestic and magnificent, prosperous and bustling. She must have traveled through time in the right place.
After entering the city gate, one car went directly to the Hu family, and the other car went directly to the Judicial and Criminal Investigation Department. Because Wei Xizi's murder case happened in a neighboring province, Zhao Wu wanted to hand him over to the Judicial and Criminal Investigation Department instead of the Ningzhou government office.
The Hu family had always wanted to expand their business in the provincial capital, so they spent a lot of money to let Hu Wan buy a four-story house with a small garden and a pond.
Hu Wan received them warmly. At Hu Yi's request, Xu Lanyin was allowed to live in the same courtyard with her. Zhao Wu, Xu Lanzhou, and Xu Lanting were to stay in the guest rooms in the front courtyard.
Zhao Wu took Wei Xizi to the Tixing Anca Si, but was unable to meet Min Hu. He directly handed Wei Xizi over to the inspector, reported his own name, and went to the Hu family.
During dinner, Hu Wan invited Zhao Wu and the Xu brothers to the guest room for a drink, and also invited Hu Yi and Xu Lanyin over. Hu Yi would occasionally interrupt the men at the men's table as they talked.
Seeing his sister getting along so casually and amicably with these people, Hu Wan felt even happier. He also secretly felt a little regretful. If Zhao Wu had been a constable, with a more pleasant temper, he would have been a good brother-in-law. In his sister's situation, she would have been suitable for marrying down, with a generous dowry. With his family leading the young men in business, he would have been more protective of her for her future... What a pity!
After dinner, Hu Wan explained that the old imperial physician's surname was Fang, and that Huichuntang had hired him for a high price. Because of his age, he only visited Huichuntang on Thursday mornings. Today was the twelfth day, so he would have to wait another day and go the day after tomorrow.
Xu Lanzhou mentioned that she wanted to sell embroidery and took out the embroidered screen for Hu Wan to take a look.
Hu Wan was also very surprised after seeing it and smiled, "I went to Sichuan to study two years ago and saw the flower bear from afar. I thought it was huge and strange-looking. This embroidery seems to give the flower bear life and personality. It's so cute... Oh, it's double-sided embroidery."
Xu Lanzhou then told the story of a southern businessman who wanted to buy it for three hundred taels but was rejected.
Hu Wandao said, "I'm not very good at embroidery, but I think this embroidered screen is worth much more than what it sells for. Not to mention the exquisite embroidery and the ingenious layout, the embroidered bear is the first time I've seen it. It will definitely sell for more..."
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