Jiang Huaifu looked up, a hint of helplessness in his eyes. "What do you think I'm taking you to? A brothel for heavy drinking?"
Song He'er understood the meaning behind his words and felt somewhat displeased. Had he taken some kind of poison when he came out today?
The boat slowly sailed on the river, and after about an hour, it finally slowly approached the shore.
Just as Jiang Huaifu had said, the boat was moored in a secluded spot. After the river narrowed, many irregular plots of land appeared on the side, covered with short pine trees. If you didn't look carefully, you wouldn't be able to see that there was a boat hidden there.
"I'll go down first. Change your clothes and then come down. I'll wait for you up ahead."
Jiang Huaifu coldly uttered a sentence and then disembarked.
Song He'er glared at him, reluctantly changed into the rather unattractive dress, and then slowly disembarked from the boat with steady steps.
Jiang Huaifu was quite thoughtful; he even prepared a veil for her. By covering her face with a light veil, no one could see her true appearance, which was a way of protecting and respecting her.
"We may not be going back soon after we come out today, because in places like Jiangning, there are relatively few people doing business during the day. They mostly come out to make a living at night, and the market is bustling with people, making it a good place for us to visit."
Jiang Huaifu's tone was much gentler than before. He really was a strange man whose mood was completely random.
"Then why didn't you say so before?"
"What?"
"When you picked me up, why didn't you tell me beforehand that we'd be out for a long time? Now that I'm in Jiangning, even if I wanted to go back immediately, it's too late, isn't it? I can only go with your idea and wander around the night market in Jiangning. Even if my mother is worried, there's nothing else I can do. So what you're saying now is all nonsense."
Song He'er's words seemed to have struck a chord with Jiang Huaifu.
Seeing this, he replied with a smile, "Since you know, then let's go. Anyway, if you want to survive, you have to have the courage to take risks. If you're afraid to take one step forward and five steps back, then what kind of business can you do?"
Song He'er glanced at him, and although the glance was insignificant, it still made Jiang Huaifu feel somewhat uncomfortable.
Jiangning was indeed much better than the border town of Nanzhao that we had visited before. There were tall restaurants and temples everywhere, where scholars and literati could listen to stories, and merchants could listen to music and drink tea. From a distance, it was a scene of extravagance.
Even in the capital city of the Central Plains, it is rare to see such a pleasant scene.
"How about it? Compared to your capital city in the Central Plains, this place is no less impressive, is it?" Jiang Huaifu suddenly asked.
Through the cap, Song He'er suddenly felt that the person in front of her had become dreamlike. "Although this place is more lively than the capital, every place has its own advantages. People from the Central Plains are not good at business. Most of them focus their efforts on building their businesses. Many businesses are done with neighboring countries. We have good geology and mines, so we don't need to waste time on handicrafts. Of course, if the Central Plains could produce and sell its own products, how would we support your Western Continent and Nanzhao? You should know that many things are bought from us in the Central Plains, which is why you are so wealthy."
After saying a series of things, Jiang Huaifu's expression became somewhat unnatural, as if he had lost face due to being overpowered, and for a moment he didn't know how to respond.
"I haven't forgotten that you're from the Central Plains."
"I would like to forget it, and I don't want to mention it again, but isn't it the young master who keeps reminding me? So I dare not forget my identity."
The servant behind them coughed lightly and reminded them, "Gentlemen, be mindful of the occasion. The checkpoint is just ahead, and soldiers may check our travel documents. Be careful not to let anything slip out."
Jiang Huaifu nodded, immediately reverting to his perpetually icy demeanor.
As they approached the checkpoint, several men dressed in identical robes and carrying spears walked towards them.
"What are you doing in the city? Please show me your travel documents."
The servant behind him was very well-behaved and quickly took out a small, gold-embroidered yellow book from his pocket and handed it to the soldier.
"Please look."
The tall men in front of them carefully examined the words on the sign, and then looked Song He'er up and down.
"Where did you come from?"
“Isn’t it written up there?” Jiang Huaifu replied coldly.
"Take off your cap."
"no."
"How dare you! This is Nanzhao! Merchants from other places must undergo strict checks before entering the city. This is the rule of our king. Otherwise, you will return immediately!"
This person spoke in a very arrogant tone, as if someone owed him eight hundred strings of cash.
Song He'er stretched out her swollen, red hands, and then coughed lightly a few times as if to make a show of it. "I have measles these past few days, so I have to wear a cap to cover it. If I take it off, I'm afraid I will pass on my illness to you two officials, so please let us pass."
Although those soldiers were very aggressive, they were also afraid of death. After all, measles was a very serious infectious disease in ancient times, and improper treatment could lead to death.
"Since you have measles, why don't you stay home to recover instead of going out and about? What if you spread the disease to the people of Jiangning City?"
Upon hearing this question, Song He'er felt a little flustered; she truly hadn't considered this possibility.
They thought that if they told the soldiers about their illness, they would let them pass. But who would have thought that these people would be so difficult to deal with, and they would keep making excuses and preventing them from passing.
Jiang Huaifu's face darkened, and he asked coldly, "We need to enter the city on business, so naturally we can't worry about many things. We just need to be more careful. Aren't you afraid of being blamed by your superiors for blocking us like this? You recognize this travel document. It has gold trim and gold lettering. This is not a document issued to ordinary people. Do people like us need your permission to enter the city?"
After a series of questions, the soldiers guarding the city were indeed somewhat frightened. One of them asked the person next to him to take a closer look at the handwriting on the document, and the person shook his head repeatedly.
"Alright then, you may go ahead, but be sure not to take off your caps, lest you pass on the disease to the people in the city."
Song He'er didn't say anything, turned around and went into the city with Jiang Huaifu.
Only the servant behind him respectfully replied, "Yes, we understand."
Before the two had gone far, someone suddenly appeared and grabbed their arms.
"Sir, please help me! Please help me!"
.............
Tomorrow is Lunar New Year's Eve. As firecrackers light up the night, we bid farewell to the old year. Wishing everyone good health and freedom from all bad luck!
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