Yunling casually chose an empty seat and sat down. Leaving aside official business for the moment, she wanted to chat with Chen Jie about everyday matters, so she asked:
"Has the镖头 (bodyguard/escort) been busy lately?"
Chen Jie had intended to pour Yun Ling a cup of hot tea, but as soon as he took a step, he reluctantly pulled his foot back. They were a group of grown men who were too lazy to even use firewood, and the dust on the stove was almost as thick as snow in the dead of winter.
Moreover, everyone in the escort agency claimed to be a first-class man, so they wouldn't drink such delicate things as hot tea. They would usually just take a sip of wine or drink a pot of fragrant beverage and that would be enough. So they stopped thinking about it and sat down directly next to Yunling.
"I just returned from a delivery mission a couple of days ago, and then I heard about my great-aunt's glorious deeds. I thought I'd go to Shengfu Restaurant to join the fun, but who knew it would be so crowded there? Even ants dared not carry food, for fear of being trampled to death."
"It's not as exaggerated as you say. The head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) should take some time to rest after returning this time. He won't be leaving so soon, will he?"
"That's how it was supposed to be, but Young Master Lu asked us to escort a shipment of fruit to Bianjing. We'll be setting off in a few days. I've heard that Bianjing is very prosperous. Is there anything you'd like to buy, Grandma? I'll bring it back for you."
Chen Jie had been working as a镖师 (bodyguard/escort) for many years, and Lu Yinghuai was very generous. Since he had no family, he naturally accumulated wealth and could buy Yunling a lot of things.
Yunling really hadn't expected such a coincidence, and remarked with delight:
"No need for you. I'm taking a boat to Bianjing tomorrow to discuss business. I might see some new and interesting things before you do."
"Are you going to Bianjing?"
Chen Jie felt a surge of joy, but the thought of Yun Ling leaving tomorrow filled him with immense disappointment.
“Grandma, why don’t you wait a couple more days? The Lu family’s merchant ship will set sail from the two towns the day after tomorrow. If we go together, we can help each other out.”
"No, I already made an agreement with someone. If I break my promise, how will I ever be able to work in this industry again?"
When Yunling heard Chen Jie mention that the Lu family's merchant ship would not depart until the day after tomorrow, all the messy and bad emotions in her heart finally found a place to settle.
She originally planned to meet Lu Yinghuai in the next two towns. Given his judge-like reasoning and relentless nature, he would surely be able to deduce her intentions and might even arrange for someone he knew to accompany her to ensure her safety.
But now it seems she was overthinking things.
It's true, a young lady as insignificant as her is utterly unimportant when it comes to important business deals. The fact that she actually fantasized that this person would go to Bianjing with her is simply a pipe dream, a fantasy.
“Then I’ll go tell the young master that I won’t go on this shipment, and I’ll let the other brothers from the escort agency go instead.”
Chen Jie's words pulled Yun Ling back to reality.
"That won't do. Don't worry about my safety. I've beaten you to a pulp before. If you don't cause me any trouble, that's already a great blessing."
Chen Jie scratched the back of his head and grinned foolishly. He was different now. After so many escort missions, he had naturally learned some martial arts skills. If he really fought Yun Ling... no, he wouldn't fight his great-aunt.
Yunling glanced inside but couldn't see Gangzi, nor did she know where he had gone. Before she left, Zhang had repeatedly told her to go home early, so she couldn't linger and entrusted the matter to Chen Jie.
"Gangzi isn't at the escort agency?"
"Oh, he said that staying here, no matter how hard he racked his brains, he couldn't come up with any good jokes. So he might as well take a handful of melon seeds to the market, crack them open, and chat with the women. Maybe then he'll come up with some good jokes."
Yunling burst out laughing. Just thinking about the scene made her laugh. Gangzi was really a character.
"Hey, I'm going to Bianjing and I want to take him with me. Can you talk to him about it? I'll come pick him up first thing tomorrow morning."
Chen Jie thought that although Yun Ling had the ability to defend herself, she was still no match for everyone, and sometimes it was difficult for her to protect herself.
He was temporarily unable to leave, but with Gangzi there, he felt at ease. Even if the bandits wanted to kill someone, there would be more people to help Yunling distract them. With that in mind, he quickly nodded in agreement.
After leaving the escort agency, Yunling drove the carriage to Shengfu Restaurant. From afar, she saw two pictures of oden pasted on the side of the gate. The pictures were vivid and lifelike, and the colors made them look very appetizing.
Yunling noticed that the painting style was very similar to Lu Jiamin's, and thought that Manager Zhou must have some skill.
Since Yunling was not staying long, the carriage was not parked in the crowded stable. Instead, the servant waiting outside was asked to look after it temporarily.
She stepped inside, and a warm, fragrant aroma greeted her. Small stoves had been set up in the main hall, and pots of boiling oil emitted a fragrant, spicy, and ginger-spicy aroma. Every seat was taken.
Yunling was practically drooling. If she weren't in a hurry to get home, she would definitely have treated herself to a hot pot meal.
She pushed through the queue to the checkout counter, only to find it also packed with people. A woman stood there with her hands on her hips, pen in hand, while others jostled and asked questions.
"Manager, do you know which size the young ladies are buying the most these days?"
"Manager, if I buy three sets, is there a discount?"
“I didn’t have a chance to come here to see the show last time. Shopkeeper, do you have any designs to look at? I might just buy something if I want.”
"..."
Yunling watched as the woman filled a whole sheet of paper with numbers and addresses, and couldn't help but feel excited and happy. Hearing that they all addressed the woman as "Manager Zhou," she figured she must be Manager Zhou's wife, so she greeted her:
"Hello, Auntie. I wonder where Manager Zhou is?"
Although the Zhou family member had never met Yun Ling, she had heard of her. Seeing that Yun Ling always remembered the Zhou family when good things came her way, a gentler look appeared on her face.
"Here it is."
Yunling followed the direction the woman pointed and stood on tiptoe to look. She saw Manager Zhou lying on a recliner. This was really intriguing. This guy was usually busy like a spinning top. How could he be so willing to lie on a recliner and let his wife carry the load?
Yunling pushed and shoved her way to Manager Zhou, and the first thing she smelled was the scent of medicinal ointment. Before she could even speak, Manager Zhou, upon seeing Yunling, began to complain.
"Young lady, you've finally arrived."
"Manager Zhou, this is..."
"You're lucky. After the fashion show that day, those young ladies and women were like bees to honey. They dragged and pulled me around, as if they wanted to tear me in half. I'm an old man, how could I withstand such torment? That's why I twisted my back and dislocated both arms."
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