Jiaren thought for a moment and did not refuse, saying, "Our family dotes on our younger sister. Whether it's our father, the village镖头 (bodyguard), or even the Marquis, they have all told her many stories about the martial arts world."
"So, knowing we were going out this time, my sister compiled this little booklet. It's actually just a few sentences, some interesting little stories, to remind us to be wary of the dangers of the martial arts world."
"If you want to see it, you can, but don't spread it around! My sister may be young, but she is still a woman, and her reputation is important."
"Alright, Brother Li, don't worry, we definitely won't tell anyone," Lu Zong and Jia Xu quickly assured them.
Seeing that his elder brother had agreed, Cat Brother couldn't wait to show off, so he took out the booklet he always carried with him and started talking to the two of them.
Jiaren walked around the room a few times with his hands behind his back, still feeling that today's matter would not end so simply.
He wanted to bring his brothers back to the fleet, but he was also afraid of bringing trouble back with him.
Moreover, she had finally managed to live independently with her younger brothers for once, and she didn't want it to end so hastily, as if she had been scared out of her wits.
But if I don't tell my uncle, and those wicked people manage to sneak past me, I'll suffer a great loss and there will be no going back.
After hesitating for a moment, he asked Li Ge'er a couple of questions.
Li Ge is usually very polite and has an innocent smile, but he proved to be very reliable at this crucial moment.
It is evident that his temperament also contained a touch of ruthlessness.
At this moment, Jiaren subconsciously stopped treating him like a child.
Sure enough, upon hearing his elder brother's question, Li Ge'er turned his gaze to Lu Zong and whispered, "Brother, there are six of us, and we're all armed, so we're not afraid. But just to be safe, we should still find a few helpers."
Jiaren understood, and while Cat Brother, the temporary storyteller, was drinking water, he asked Lu Zong, "Brother Lu, do you have any people secretly following you?"
Lu Zong paused for a moment, a hint of surprise in his eyes, but still answered truthfully: "There should be four people, but they only intervene when I am in danger."
"Can you help me secretly send a message back to the fleet without being followed by anyone? Can you do that?" Jiaren pressed.
“Yes, that’s easy.” Lu Zong nodded.
Jiaren quickly wrote a letter and handed it to Lu Zong, "Please ask your men to check if anyone is watching outside, and then secretly deliver this letter to my uncle."
Lu Zong got up and walked to the opposite room.
Half an hour later, a servant from the Lu family brought over a note and said, "Young master, the fleet has replied, and there are indeed people watching outside."
Lu Zong frowned, didn't read the note, and handed it directly to Jiaren.
Jiaren unfolded it and saw that it was his uncle's handwriting, which contained only six words: "Don't worry, be careful."
Once Jiaren had a better idea of what to do, he sent Zheng Wu and Zheng Liu downstairs to prepare the meal.
Only after eating and drinking your fill can you prepare for the next challenge tonight!
As night falls, the riverbanks, which should be quiet, are bustling with people due to the dragon boat races.
There were people carrying lanterns, hawking snacks, and selling river lanterns to add to the fun—you name it.
Jiaren and the others gathered by the window, able to enjoy the lively scene without leaving their homes.
Li Ge'er laughed and said, "This money was really well spent. We can see far from here, and we don't have to go down and squeeze through the crowds."
Cat Bro actually still wanted to join in the fun, but after what had happened before, he was even more looking forward to another kind of excitement, so he took a snack and leaned against the window, eating and complaining at the same time.
"Why did you eat all the spiced melon seeds on the way? It's more fun to watch the show while eating melon seeds right now."
Jiaren tapped his younger brother, "You still have the nerve to say that? You ate the most on the way here."
Cat Brother chuckled and pretended to be silly. Sailing was boring, and he was too young for his brothers to do any work.
So most of the time, he would sit on the gunwale, gazing blankly at the scenery on both banks.
His mouth was never idle; he kept eating and eating until the whole box of snacks his sister had brought for them was empty.
Lu Zong and Jia Xu watched for a while and then stopped. They had things on their minds and couldn't let go of everything to fully enjoy the show.
So the two of them stepped back and silently memorized the Jianghu Safety Manual.
They understood some of the principles in the manual, and they had even heard their families nag and remind them of them quite often.
But since it's written down in black and white, it's easy to memorize and interesting, so they are more willing to learn it and imprint it in their minds.
In the future, if I encounter a "trap" like that during the day, I will no longer be treated like a "pie in the sky".
Jiaren watched for a while, then came over to pour tea. Lu Zong couldn't help but ask him, "Brother Li, how did you discover that those people were strange? And that woman, we really didn't find anything suspicious about her."
Jiaren smiled faintly, "Details determine success or failure! Don't panic when things happen. Observe calmly and you will find many differences."
"For example, the old man was bent over, but he didn't have a cane. He pretended to be a scholar, but there were no calluses on his wrists from writing."
Lu Zong and Jia Xu were both surprised. They had thought that Jia Ren had already revealed a lot of mistakes in public, but they didn't expect there to be even more details.
Jia Xu couldn't help but ask, "And what about the woman, the one with the basket?"
Jiaren took a sip of tea and said, "This woman doesn't have many flaws, but she immediately started criticizing us. She's not just here to watch the show."
"Moreover, she was dressed quite well, but her basket only contained a bunch of bok choy. Bok choy is the cheapest vegetable here; it was being sold at the market just now for five bunches for one coin. She only had one bunch. Where did she get it? She probably just casually put it in there to make it look nice!"
These are all speculations, but it must be said that they do not make much sense and are worthy of suspicion.
Jia Xu blinked twice, swallowed hard, and asked dryly, "We only walked halfway through the market and ate some shrimp cakes, and you already know the prices of vegetables here? That's amazing."
Jiaren didn't think there was anything special about this, and asked in return, "We're here to gain experience, not to see the scenery. We're more interested in seeing the prices of grain and goods in various prefectures and towns, and then we can look at the local customs and traditions."
"In the future, if the exam questions involve people's livelihood, the essays you write must have substance. After all, the court selects essays for the benefit of the people, not to write more good poems praising the beauty of Tianwu."
Lu Zong and Jia Xu exchanged a glance, as if struck by a sudden realization, and suddenly felt that they had wasted their entire journey.
The true meaning of experience is just as Jiaren said!
Lu Zong and Jia Xu both stood up and solemnly thanked him, "Thank you for your guidance, Brother Li!"
Jiaren quickly waved his hand, pressed them down to sit, and said with a smile, "We were just chatting casually, it's not like we're giving any pointers."
"Everyone has their own pursuits in life. I have seven brothers, and I am the eldest. To uphold the family's reputation, I must pass the imperial examinations. Therefore, I value the people's livelihood more."
"But you don't have that kind of pressure, and it's not a bad thing if you enjoy looking at the scenery along the way."
The three chatted and drank tea, occasionally hearing Li Ge'er and Mao Ge'er shouting and cheering for the dragon boat below by the window. Then, they laughed and went over to join in the fun.
The dragon boat race lasted until the moon was high in the sky before it finally ended. The crowds gradually dispersed, and the streets became completely quiet.
Jiaren closed the window and assigned rooms for sleeping.
A young waiter diligently carried a bucket of hot water up and knocked on each door to ask if anyone wanted hot water to wash their feet.
Everyone said they were too tired and went straight to sleep, so the young waiter left as well.
Actually, the waiter had no idea that as soon as he went downstairs, the people from the other three rooms all gathered in the river view room.
Jia Xu asked nervously, "Brother Li, are you sure those villains will definitely come tonight, and that they'll enter this room first?"
Served at midnight~~~
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