Qin Qing returned to the carriage, and with a sudden sense of relief, she lay down on the cushion and let out a long sigh of relief.
"Phew~ That scared me to death! I'm so glad you didn't go in with me, it's terrifying in there!"
After she finished speaking, she glanced at the man in the corner of the carriage, who was covered in wounds but still looked wary. Before she could say anything, the man propped himself up and said, his face pale.
"Thank you... for saving me! But I'm afraid I can't fulfill your request to serve you!"
Upon hearing this, Qin Qing's face darkened immediately. Peony, standing to the side, stared at her in shock, her eyes seeming to ask, "Mother, you actually bought men to serve you?"
Although Xiao Muyue looked completely bewildered, she sensed something was wrong. She looked left and right, but couldn't understand what he meant at all.
Qin Qing's face turned red and then black, and she said angrily.
"If I didn't say that, would I have been able to buy you for ten taels of silver? Would he have been willing to release you? Besides! Do I need you to serve me? Do I look like I'm so desperate for a man that I'm indiscriminate in my choice? With your skinny frame, I don't care! If I were to care, I'd want a strong, muscular man. I wouldn't take your two taels of skin even if you paid me!"
As she spoke, Peony, standing to the side, immediately opened her mouth wide, looking incredulous... Mother! So this is what you like!
Xiao Muyue's eyes widened in surprise. Ribs? Uncle looks much bigger than ribs! And what's a "muscular man"?
The little guy was clearly curious about this new word. He tugged at Qin Qing's sleeve and asked in a soft, innocent voice with his big, innocent eyes.
"Grandma, what's a 'macho man'?"
This question caused Qin Qing to choke on her saliva, coughing violently. Her face became increasingly flushed, and a sexy image of a certain man instantly flashed through her mind.
Damn it! Why did she think of that scumbag?!
Seeing Xiao Muyue's curious gaze, Qin Qing coughed lightly to cover up her embarrassment.
"Yueyue, this isn't something a little kid should know. You'll understand when you grow up!"
Xiao Muyue blinked, glanced at the man beside her, and then obediently sat down to the side.
"Oh... okay!"
The man lay weakly to one side, his eyes flickering as he suppressed his surprise. So this woman was already a grandmother? Yet she looked so young.
Qin Qing also looked at him and snorted coldly.
"Wait until you feel better in a few days before you leave!"
The man paused, opened his mouth as if to say something, but his eyes ultimately turned into a complex expression... He didn't even ask his name, it seemed that he really bought him on a whim out of pity.
As dusk approached, they stopped searching and bought some wound medicine at a pharmacy before returning to the inn.
At dinner, the group sat in the house eating. The man ate very quickly but looked very refined. Before long, the two large bowls of rice in front of him were empty, and the four dishes on the table were also empty.
Qin Qing looked at the table, secretly worrying about her wallet. Since leaving Zhang He last time, she had left herself more than forty taels of silver, and now she only had seventeen taels left. If she had found Zhang He sooner, the remaining money would have been enough for them to leave.
But if the search takes too long, her little money won't be enough to support a few people for long!
Even as Qin Qing lay in bed at night, he was still thinking about how to earn money to support his family.
Before he knew it, he had drifted off to sleep, but the man who had been sleeping on the floor slowly opened his eyes. Enduring excruciating pain, he slowly got up...
The next day at daybreak, Qin Qing hastily ate breakfast and then led the two to the slave market. No one noticed that the man in bed had developed a high fever.
Qin Qing continued along the same route as yesterday, watching men and women being imprisoned and driven away like livestock, his heart filled with oppression! His face turned extremely ugly!
Noon arrived quickly. She hadn't missed any of the women in the cages and bars, but Zhang He was nowhere to be seen!
Helpless, just as she was about to find a place to eat, she heard a sharp cry coming from afar.
"Stealing! Help! A beggar is stealing!"
Qin Qing turned around, only glancing at it and not wanting to meddle. Xiao Muyue, however, turned her head curiously and saw the beggar being grabbed by a burly woman.
"Smack!"
"You little brat, you dare steal my steamed buns! I'll beat you to death!"
The burly woman was probably a steamed bun vendor who had her buns stolen by a little beggar, which is why she angrily ran over to catch him.
Seeing her beating a little beggar in the street, and with the group gathered not far from her, Qin Qing finally couldn't stand it anymore. Her brows furrowed tightly, she suddenly stood up and scolded her.
"It's just a steamed bun. Hitting her once is one thing, but are you trying to kill her?"
The burly woman was furious when she saw someone step forward, and she shouted in a gruff voice!
"Hey, hey, hey, I wasn't hitting your kid, why are you meddling in this? Get lost!"
After saying that, the woman reached out to slap her face again, but Qin Qing rushed forward and pushed her away. Before the burly woman could retaliate, she threw twenty coins at her!
"I bought the steamed buns, and I've already hit you. If someone dies, you won't have a good ending either."
Seeing how extravagant she was (twenty coins were enough to buy six buns!), the burly woman stopped arguing. She just glanced at the little beggar with disdain and disgust. When she saw that her own white meat buns were covered in dirty handprints, she spat and cursed her bad luck.
Seeing her give up and leave, Qin Qing felt a little helpless. She didn't consider herself a good person, but she had done two good deeds in two days, which cost her ten or twenty taels of silver. If this continued, she was afraid she would starve!
As the crowd gradually dispersed, Qin Qing lowered her head, watching as she frantically swallowed the bun in her mouth and desperately hid the other bun, as if afraid someone would snatch it away.
This sight was both visible and pathetic. Qin Qing sighed helplessly and turned to leave…
The little beggar looked up and stared blankly at her back, blinked his big eyes, and whispered something.
"Thanks!"
The next second, he disappeared into the crowd.
Qin Qing returned to the dining table and suddenly missed her self-heating hot pot. She really missed it after so long!
Just then, a group of men and women dressed in unusual attire drove in from afar, attracting the attention and whispers of those around them! Inside the flower-adorned carriage, drafty on all sides, she wore a flowing veil, a bright green robe, a pleated skirt with scattered floral patterns, and a sheer emerald veil. Her shoulders were like those of a sculpted figure, her waist slender, her skin like solidified cream, and her fragrance like a delicate orchid…
The allure of exotic charm made the people feel very curious.
Qin Qing's eyes lit up. He never expected to see such a beautiful woman in ancient times. She also had an extraordinary temperament. Even if she were moved to modern times, she would definitely turn heads!
After the carriage left, Qin Qing came to her senses and listened to the whispers of passersby.
"This must be the legendary Holy Maiden of the Qing Clan! She truly lives up to her reputation!"
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