Chapter 215
"Sister, is it really okay for you and godfather to go alone?"
Somewhat worried, Madam Fan stuffed a water bag filled with hot water into Fan Xiaoxiao's arms: "Renle is still in Tianshan Town. Isn't it too risky for you to go down and check out the stalls now? Besides, although it's not snowing, it's cold. There aren't many people out anyway. Will we be able to make any business if we rent a stall now?"
Fan Xiaoxiao hugged the scalding hot water bag tightly, and her whole body warmed up after holding it in her arms.
"Sister, it's precisely at this time that I'm going. Don't worry, we'll be fine."
After saying that, Fan Xiaoxiao turned and nodded to Uncle Wang. The latter raised his whip high and lashed it across the horse's rump.
"Whoa!"
The horse neighed, and the carriage slowly began to move.
Fan Xiaoxiao instinctively grabbed the side of the carriage. It had been snowing for the past few days, so she had modified the carriage wheels and wrapped the carriage hooves with coarse cloth.
In this way, the carriage wouldn't have to worry about slipping even when traveling on snow.
The journey to Tianshan Town, which should have taken less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, took them the time it takes to burn an incense stick.
"Hey! What are you doing!"
As soon as they entered Tianshan Town, Fan Xiaoxiao and her companions were stopped by two men dressed as imperial guards.
Uncle Wang tightened the reins, his muscles tense.
"us……"
"Sir! My father and I are going to Tianshan Town to rent a stall and earn money!"
Fan Xiaoxiao noticed Uncle Wang's pause and took over the conversation before he could finish.
The two imperial guards at the town entrance exchanged a glance, clearly not believing the words of a young girl like Fan Xiaoxiao.
One of the tall guards gestured with his chin at Uncle Wang: "Hey! Tell me! What exactly are you guys going to do?!"
Uncle Wang had been somewhat flustered, but after Fan Xiaoxiao's interruption, he calmed down. He placed his hands on his chest and bowed respectfully to the two men, saying, "My lords, I really did take my daughter to Tianshan Town to set up a stall. It's almost completely frozen over, and we haven't had much of a harvest this year. We were forced into this situation, so we were hoping to find some work to earn some money and make a living."
He spoke with such sincerity, his face bearing the awkwardness and bitterness of being forced into this situation, making it seem quite plausible. Furthermore, Fan Xiaoxiao was wearing a worn-out winter coat that didn't fit her size, which added even more credibility to Uncle Wang's words.
only……
The tall man's gaze fell upon their carriage, and his eyes narrowed slightly.
"You need to earn some money to make a living?"
"Yes, sir!"
Uncle Wang nodded, unaware that anything was amiss.
But the tall man opposite him immediately changed his expression, a chilling glint in his eyes: "You're kidding me! Your carriage is worth more than most people's food and clothing! Why would you need to set up a stall to make a living?! Tell me! What are you here for?!"
In the Zhou Dynasty, horses were not cheap. Even the wealthiest families in the world only owned horses of slightly lower quality.
The horse that Fan Xiaoxiao and her companions were using to pull the cart today had a glossy mane, strong limbs, and smooth, powerful muscle lines; it was clearly no ordinary horse.
If these two people were truly ordinary farmers, they would never be able to afford such a horse.
And how could someone who can afford such a horse possibly need to set up a stall to make a living?
"Sir, this carriage isn't ours..."
Regarding the horse-drawn carriage, Fan Xiaoxiao had already considered this when she left home. In the eyes of those soldiers, they were nothing more than peasants, and using such unsuitable horses to pull the carriage would inevitably attract their attention and questions. Therefore, she had already taught Uncle Wang how to respond to such questions.
"Not your carriage? Ha! Then you stole it!"
A glint of greed flashed in the tall man's eyes, and Uncle Wang's heart skipped a beat, but he didn't show it on his face. He continued to smile bitterly at the two men, "To tell you the truth, this carriage belongs to the Tianshan Sect. How could ordinary people like us afford such fine horses! We rely on the Tianshan Sect for support. Sir, you may not know, but my daughter and that Miss Sang from the Tianshan Sect are close friends. She couldn't bear to see us suffering in the cold winter winds, so she lent us the carriage."
After mentioning the Tianshan Sect, the Imperial Guard's face indeed showed a hint of hesitation. His companion tugged at his sleeve, covering his mouth with one hand and whispering in his ear, "Hey, don't forget what the princess did to the Celestial Venerable the other day..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but the tall man and Fan Xiaoxiao both understood what he was going to say.
A few days ago, after the Heavenly Venerable and Princess Renle clashed, for some unknown reason, the princess released all the townspeople of Tianshan Town and did not pursue their matter any further. In the following days, she merely instructed her soldiers to keep a close watch on those coming and going, and then stayed in her tent day and night with her personal guards, rarely venturing out again.
Thinking of this, those of them who were unaware of the truth naturally assumed that Renle was wary of the Heavenly Venerable's power, so the two of them began to hesitate about their attitude towards Fan Xiaoxiao and the others.
"Sir, please let us in. Alas, the winters here in Tianshan are very long, and our family has little food. If we don't earn some money soon, we may go hungry!"
"this……"
The two imperial guards opposite exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with hesitation. Fan Xiaoxiao's eyes flickered, as if she had thought of a plan. She pouted slightly at the two men, giving them a pitiful look.
“Sirs, if you won’t let us into town, we can set up our stall here! We just need you two to inform the town mayor so that we can set up our stall right under your noses. You two don’t need to worry so much about us causing any trouble, right? We’re desperate, so please do us a favor.”
Having said that, the two people in front of them began to hesitate completely.
The shorter man tugged at the taller man, and the two turned their backs to each other.
“Hey, what the girl said makes sense. They have connections with the Tianshan Sect, so we can’t directly offend them. After all, look at what happened to the princess… How about I go find the town mayor and ask him to come over? As long as we know him, and he’s right under our noses, nothing serious will happen!”
The tall man touched his chin and nodded slightly to his companion.
After the two reached an agreement, they soon found the mayor of Tianshan Town. He naturally knew Fan Xiaoxiao and knew that this girl seemed to have a close relationship with Tianzun. Upon hearing that she only wanted to set up a stall at the entrance of town, he agreed without hesitation.
Before leaving, the town mayor hesitated and advised Fan Xiaoxiao, "My lady, the town has been struggling with business for a long time because of the princess. If you set up a stall here... I'm afraid business won't be very good either..."
Fan Xiaoxiao knew that the other party was worried about her, so she gave him a sweet smile and said, "No, with the princess here, my business will only get better."
"After all, she is Princess Renle."
(End of this chapter)
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