The two men bowed to the Li brothers.
Lu Zong said, "Brother Li, please forgive our ignorance and offense just now. We will not look for this jade pendant anymore. Even if we wanted to, we probably wouldn't be able to find it."
"We'll just follow you brothers around. Don't worry, we'll definitely follow your arrangements this time."
Jiaren sighed inwardly, knowing that he couldn't shake off these two.
Actually, he didn't want to take them with him.
Jia Xu is alright, but Lu Zong's identity is clearly somewhat special. If something happens to him and someone is injured, the Li family could easily be blamed.
Wouldn't that be an undeserved disaster?
But now that the matter has been brought up, refusing again would offend people.
He could only say, "My two gentlemen, in Xindu, under the emperor's nose, naturally no one dared to cause trouble."
"But this place is far from the emperor's reach, and there is always danger. Please be careful in your actions, and if there are any disagreements, please listen to our arrangements."
“Okay, we will definitely follow your instructions this time,” Lu Zong quickly replied.
The loss of the jade pendant between him and Jia Xu was a devastating blow, revealing the dark and treacherous side of the bustling docks...
The group continued walking forward, leaving the dock area, where the streets became quieter.
But with people coming and going, it looks like an ordinary county town, which makes people feel much more at ease.
Unlike the heavy snowfall in the north, the temperature here is like summer, not just hot, but even a bit humid.
Cat Brother was young, and soon he started complaining that he was hot and thirsty.
So the group chose a restaurant, and seeing that most of the tables in the front were full, they went in.
The master and servants sat at two separate tables, each ordering four dishes and several bowls of rice.
The waiter recommended drinking, but Jiaren refused and rewarded him with a few copper coins.
The young waiter happily went to the back, and Zheng Wu, feigning an upset stomach, followed him, saying he needed to find a restroom...
Soon, the dishes were served from the kitchen and placed on the table when Zheng Wu returned and nodded to his masters.
The Li brothers then picked up their chopsticks. Lu Zong and Jia Xu watched, and although they still felt that it was a bit unnecessary to be so cautious, they didn't say anything.
The group ate their meal while listening to the conversations of the other diners.
It turns out there's a dragon boat race on the river tonight.
The so-called inland river is a waterway built from the dock to the city.
The main waterway is very wide, branching into numerous smaller waterways, which serve as a daily transportation route for the local people.
Many houses had waterways right outside their back doors, where small boats were moored, making it much more convenient than horse-drawn carriages.
There were two wealthy merchants in the city who, for some unknown reason, had a quarrel and agreed that their family dragon boat teams would compete, with the winner receiving a prize.
Such a lively scene naturally attracts everyone.
The Jiaren brothers were also tempted, and Lu Zong and Jia Xu were even more eager to join in the fun.
So, after dinner, they headed straight to the river, chose the best spot, and booked two river-view rooms and two regular rooms nearby.
Cat Brother, looking forward to the excitement of the evening, said, "Big Brother, let's go buy some good food and watch the show while we eat."
Jiaren ruffled his younger brother's hair and readily agreed.
The sun was just setting outside, and since we were finally out, we couldn't stay cooped up inside until night.
So they tidied themselves up and went out again.
There was a large market not far away, where some vendors were selling local specialties such as fried squid rings and shrimp cakes, so the group headed over.
Freshly cooked food always tastes the best.
Even though they had already finished lunch, Jiaren and the others couldn't resist eating a lot more around the stall.
Jiaren took out a silver bean from his belt and was about to pay when Jiaxu pulled out his money bag, threw a piece of silver to the stall owner, and packed up a lot more.
When he turned around, he saw that the Li brothers looked unwell, and then he remembered what he had promised. He quickly stuffed the money bag back, saying, "Sorry, I was having so much fun eating that I forgot."
Jiaren and the others couldn't say anything, so Jiaren could only say, "Brother Jia has gone to so much trouble."
The group continued strolling into the market, where people were performing acrobatics, creating a lively atmosphere.
Li Ge'er pulled Mao Ge'er to go over, but someone made a move first and grabbed the hem of Jia Xu's long robe.
Jia Xu was startled. Looking down, he saw a woman in a white dress kneeling by the roadside. She looked about sixteen or seventeen years old, her face haggard, but her good looks were still undeniable.
Her large eyes were brimming with tears, and she looked on the verge of sobbing, which was extremely pitiful.
Jia Xu, who was about to get angry, suppressed his anger upon seeing this and asked, "Young lady, why are you holding me and won't let go?"
The girl let go of her hand, bowed gracefully, and kowtowed, revealing the tattered straw mat behind her.
There was nothing visible at the top of the tube, but a pair of dark, bare feet were sticking out from the bottom...
Everyone was startled and took two steps back.
The girl also shed tears and choked out, "Young master, my father and I sought refuge with relatives and friends, but on our way here, we were robbed of our travel expenses by evil people."
"My father died of illness in anger, and I have no means to bury him. I can only kneel here and sell myself to pay for my father's funeral!"
After saying this, she kowtowed again, wetting the bluestone floor in front of her.
Jia Xu was somewhat at a loss. His family had been very strict before. He didn't have any concubines or maids in his room, let alone any servants. His food, clothing, and lodging were all taken care of by servants and old women.
He was suddenly being pestered and cried by such a beautiful young girl, and he really didn't know what to do.
He glanced at Lu Zong and the Li brothers, and seeing that they didn't speak, he could only bite the bullet and say, "Miss, we're just passing by... Is there anything we can do to help you?"
The girl wiped away her tears, her eyelashes were wet, and as she blinked gently, a hint of allure appeared in the corners of her eyes and brows.
"Young master, you must not have brought many servants with you when you went out. If you give me ten taels of silver to bury my father, I am willing to follow you and serve as your servant."
After saying that, she lowered her head shyly, revealing a section of her fair and smooth neck, which was particularly dazzling in the sunlight.
Jia Xu subconsciously swallowed. He squeezed the purse in his sleeve, which contained twenty or thirty taels of silver. He didn't mind losing another ten taels.
“Young lady, I can give you ten taels of silver to bury your father, but I don’t need any servants. After you bury your father, you can continue to seek refuge with relatives…”
Before the woman could finish listening, she burst into tears again. "I know that my appearance is too plain for you to see. You may not take me in, but please tell me where I live. I want to kowtow to you after burying my father."
Jia Xu's forehead was already covered in sweat.
The kindness of a beautiful woman is the hardest to bear!
Hearing that the woman would stop pursuing him and would simply kowtow in thanks, he instinctively wanted to tell her the name of the inn.
However, Jiaren grabbed his sleeve and stopped him in time.
Lu Zong watched for a while and also felt that something was wrong. He said, "This girl probably wants to bury her father and then find a new home, but we are just passing by and can't help you."
"Why don't we quickly give way and let the young lady wait for the next destined one?"
After saying that, he tried to pull Jia Xu away.
But somehow, seven or eight onlookers gathered behind them.
There were women carrying baskets, fierce-looking men, and elderly men with white beards, completely blocking their escape route...
Here's the third update! There's a major outbreak here, and I'll be queuing for nucleic acid tests every day. Time is really out of control! I'll try my best to update around 5 PM. If I need to relax for a bit, please understand, my darlings. I'll catch my breath and update more in a few days. Hugs, muah!
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