After struggling for a while, Zhen Wanwan finally gave up and withdrew from the crowd with difficulty.
She hadn't walked more than a few steps when she spotted Lao Tie standing there dumbfounded at the intersection.
"Tsk tsk tsk... Bro, bro!" Zhen Wanwan lowered her voice and beckoned him over.
It was quite a coincidence. During the month since she fled the famine, Zhen Wanwan would run into Lao Tie on the road every time she went to chat with Sister Lin. The two of them became acquainted over time.
After resting in this cave, the two hadn't met for several days, and today they finally bumped into each other.
At this moment, Lao Tie straightened his back and stared intently at the soldier, his eyes almost unable to hide their light.
He was adopted by the Lin family when he was young, and he and Lin Biaotou were like brothers who grew up together. After he grew up, he followed the Lin family to work as a镖师 (bodyguard/escort).
Because he had admired soldiers fighting and defending the country since he was a child, he wanted to join the army when he was just thirteen years old. Unfortunately, his adoptive parents said he was too young and forbade him to go out, and his dream of becoming a hero was shattered.
Therefore, he could not suppress his excitement whenever he saw soldiers wearing armor.
The soldier felt a chill run down his spine from the man's gaze. This man was tall and fierce, with eyes like copper bells. Could it be that he looked down on him?
Thinking of this, the soldier also stared wide-eyed at Lao Tie, not finding the scene of the two looking at each other strange at all.
Thankfully, Zhen Wanwan spoke up and broke the awkward atmosphere.
"Hey bro, come here for a second."
Old Tie glanced greedily at the armor a few more times before turning his gaze away and walking toward Zhen Wanwan, completely unaware that the soldier he was looking at tightened his collar and stared in horror at his back.
After confirming that he had really left, he hurriedly switched places with the guy opposite him.
Taking advantage of his physique, Lao Tie effortlessly weaved through the crowd: "Zhen Niangzi, what's up?"
Zhen Wanwan looked at Lao Tie with envy and said directly, "Lao Tie, can you lend me your body for a moment?"
Upon hearing this, Lao Tie was so frightened that he almost fell to the ground. Then he looked at Zhen Wanwan in horror.
He stammered, "This... Zhenniangzi, we're not a good match. You're not my type."
After speaking, Lao Tie's cheeks turned bright red, and even his neck turned red. This was the first time in his life that he had refused a woman, and he felt quite uncomfortable. But how could this Zhen Niangzi say such lewd words?
He didn't dare to look up at Zhen Wanwan even once, his heart filled with self-reproach for rejecting her.
Zhen Wanwan was speechless. What happened?
It looked like she was confessing her feelings, and this guy was so blind to accept it, he rejected her outright!
Surely my beauty isn't good enough for you, you little bear!
"Look at you, I don't like your type either. What I mean is, you help me squeeze in and see," Zhen Wanwan explained resentfully.
Lao Tie then realized that he had misunderstood Zhen Wanwan's meaning.
He scratched his head sheepishly and said, "Hehe, you should have said so earlier. It's a small matter. Come with me."
Zhen Wanwan followed closely behind Lao Tie, and with his broad frame, she easily squeezed in.
Lao Tie grabbed Zhen Wanwan and tried to pull her to the next room, but he lost control and knocked her away.
Zhen Wanwan was so shocked by the impact that she saw stars. She didn't know who had tripped her, but she was now lying face down on the cold ground.
Qu Huaiyuan's heart skipped a beat. He hurriedly helped Zhen Wanwan up and asked worriedly, "Madam Zhen, are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?"
Zhen Wanwan was on the verge of tears. Ignoring the stares of others, she stood up by following Qu Huaiyuan's arm. Only after standing up did she realize that her knees were throbbing with pain.
This time, Zhen Wanwan experienced the feeling of social death again. She cursed herself for asking for trouble. Now she was really embarrassed.
Zhen Wanwan smiled awkwardly and shook her head to indicate that she was fine: "Thank you, Brother Qu. I wasn't paying attention to my footing, and then..."
Qu Huaiyuan smiled faintly at her and offered a few words of comfort.
Zhu Yuan stood aside with an indifferent expression, watching the interaction between the two. The air pressure around them seemed to drop several degrees, and the people around looked up at the sky, puzzled.
The sky is clear and the sun is shining brightly overhead! Could it be that it's going to pour rain again tonight?
Lin, the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort), was also surprised by Zhen Wanwan's entrance. Fearing that she might offend the important person, he quickly spoke up to smooth things over, saying, "This is Madam Zhen. General Xiao asked me to take good care of her family..."
Zhu Yuan gave a soft "hmm" and subtly looked Zhen Wanwan up and down. Seeing that she was just an ordinary village girl, he paid her no further attention.
He turned to the villagers and explained his purpose: "As you probably know, we have come under orders. This disaster relief grain was issued by the imperial court, and the general has already submitted a memorial to His Majesty... If you are willing to tell the truth, you will definitely be credited for recovering the disaster relief grain."
When the villagers heard that they could also share the credit, all their complaints vanished, replaced by the joy of unexpected good fortune.
Even Lin, the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort), was overjoyed and couldn't suppress the smile on his face. Qu Huaiyuan had heard this before, so he didn't show much emotion.
Zhen Wanwan stood frozen behind the group, unsure whether to leave or stay, feeling extremely uncomfortable as she was constantly being stared at.
She could sense that the faint gaze was coming from the person in the middle. She only realized that the person was a strategist from the way Lin the镖头 was addressed. And to be fair, his voice was quite pleasant, except for the lack of emotion.
Having met both the general and the strategist, Zhen Wanwan was filled with curiosity about this unassuming strategist and quietly glanced at the person in front of her.
He was unforgettable at first glance. Unlike his cold voice, Zhu Yuan had a gentler appearance and looked like a refined gentleman.
Where crowds gather, she always felt that this strategist did not belong to this land, and had a kind of world-weariness.
Zhu Yuan was perceptive and noticed Zhen Wanwan's gaze. He turned his head and stared at her for a few seconds. Zhen Wanwan was the first to give in, but why did this handsome guy look a little familiar?
Could it be that she saw it in her dream?
After Zhen Wanwan looked away, Zhu Yuan's heart skipped a beat. Had he seen this village girl somewhere before?
But he searched through his entire memory and couldn't find any scenes of him being alone with women; most of the scenes were of him interrogating spies.
He didn't spend time thinking about Zhen Wanwan; his immediate priority was to move the grain away as soon as possible to avoid any unforeseen complications.
Because Lin Biaotou was injured, Qu Huaiyuan and Lao Tie took the lead. The group crawled into the narrow cave entrance, and soon everyone was gone.
The officers and soldiers maintained order at the scene in an orderly manner, and the villagers did not dare to make a sound. They waited quietly for the people inside to come out so that they could take the grain home to cook.
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