"Third Aunt, slow down."
Zhang Xiu'e glared at the person running away and shouted, "Are you blind?! You walk like your mother just died, rushing off to burn incense!"
"Third Aunt, I'm fine. Don't shout. I feel like that person is a bit strange."
"Strange? What's so strange about it? He's just a kid who took laxatives and is rushing off to get diarrhea!"
"No, he looks kind of familiar."
Song He'er felt that this person looked familiar, but upon closer thought, she couldn't recall where she had seen him before.
"He'er, why are you always so suspicious? As long as you're not hurt, then everything's fine. Hurry up and go catch some fish, or we won't catch anything!"
After saying that, Zhang Xiue picked up the bucket and walked towards the shore...
Seeing that there were too many people in front of her, and that she was too small to squeeze in, Song He'er could only stay where she was and wait for Zhang Xiu'e.
Fortunately, with the help of Song Xiaoyu and Li Qiang, Zhang Xiue was not entirely alone, and there were people protecting her safety on the shore.
Amidst the comings and goings of people, Song He'er could never forget that person's figure: a tall back, a straight chest... the force with which he bumped into her was immense, as if he knew martial arts...
He was skilled in martial arts and had a tall, imposing figure. He seemed to be one of the assassins who had been hiding around Song Xiaoqi's residence that day.
Song Xiaoqi is usually very cunning and never reveals any clues, so why would he release the assassin by his side today? It's really against common sense.
Could it be that someone is trying to escape during the chaos?
Song He'er suddenly realized something and finally understood one of the points. It turned out that not only did they want to leave this harsh and cold place, but how could someone as ambitious as Song Xiaoqi not want to escape from here?
So today he's trying to escape in the chaos, attempting to cover up his crimes!
Therefore, the release of water into the Suhe River and the resulting influx of fish are also related to him.
Ha! This old man does have some influence; he actually managed to persuade the water management official in charge of the river. It seems we should be more wary of him in the future.
Suppose he one day finds out that the book he gave away was a fake, how would he retaliate...?
"He'er! Stop daydreaming! Look! What did we catch?"
Zhang Xiue ran over excitedly from the side, holding a large fish weighing a full ten pounds in her hand with a fishing line.
"Third Aunt! Such a big fish! How did you catch it!"
"This is all thanks to your third uncle's resourcefulness. He tied the bait to the net, and the big fish, having been hungry for so long, naturally came forward!"
"Bait?"
Song He'er remembered that they didn't have any bait, and now she didn't know where they got this stuff from.
"This is easy, of course. It's normal for there to be bugs on the damp shore. Just catch a few. It's a pity that some people don't know this and just jump into the water with a fork and stab around randomly. Some even hurt their own feet!"
Zhang Xiu'e teased them as she pulled Song He'er back towards their original spot...
On the way back, Song He'er was preoccupied with worries. She was very concerned that the old man Song Xiaoqi would cause some trouble after he went out, and if he did something bad to them, they wouldn't even have a chance to fight back.
They were already difficult to deal with when they were both in the open; if one is in the shadows and the other in the open, the consequences could be dire...
To confirm whether Song Xiaoqi had truly left Xinzhou, Song He'er and Song Xiaoyu immediately checked their residence upon returning home. They found the place where he had previously lived was now completely deserted...
"That treacherous villain has indeed left!" Song Xiaoyu spat.
"Third Uncle, getting angry now won't do any good. We need to move out of here as soon as possible to prevent him from spying on us. Besides, the thing he wants is still in my hands. If he comes to his senses and comes back to ask for it back, he won't be as polite as he was before. We have to leave, the farther the better..."
Song Xiaoyu frowned and asked, "Is that thing really that important to you? Why are you fighting tooth and nail for it, even willing to risk your family's ruin for this worthless book!"
“A tattered book? Third Uncle, this is no tattered book. It is a treasure left by my maternal grandfather. Not only does Song Xiaoqi want to get it, but all officials and ministers in the world want to get it.”
"...Then so be it, but keeping something like this around will eventually bring you trouble!"
Song He'er smiled and said, "I've caused quite a bit of trouble in the past. If it weren't for this book, why would Madam have tried to kill my mother and me? I guess it was all destined. Third Uncle, don't think about it so much. From now on, you just need to take good care of us women!"
Song Xiaoyu smiled gently and said nothing more.
When they returned to their lodgings, Qin Xiaoniang and the others had already stewed the fish, and it tasted delicious.
Although I've earned some money and eaten some meat and nutritious food these days, this is the first time I've ever seen such a plump fish. The key is that it's free, so it tastes better than usual!
"Why have you been out for so long? Come and eat!" Qin Xiaoniang placed the bowls and chopsticks in front of Song He'er, gesturing for her to get more rice herself.
"Mother, we have to get out of here right away!"
"Didn't they say it would take another half month?"
Song He'er pulled her aside and patiently explained, "Song Xiaoqi left with that fake book, probably to do business elsewhere. If he finds out the book is fake, he'll definitely come back to cause trouble for us. We need to find a place to hide so he can't find us!"
"He left? Can he even get out of Xinzhou?"
“What can’t he do? We underestimated him before. I won’t say anymore, Mother. You know it yourself. Tonight, I’m going to see Jiang Huaifu to discuss the matter of going to Nanzhao as soon as possible.”
"good!"
After dinner, everyone tidied up the work they had done, and soon they would go to the riverbank to deliver it on time.
When Song He'er and Li Qiang arrived at the shore, Jiang Huaifu was already waiting there, as if he had something to do as well.
"Let's talk on the boat."
"Um."
Song He'er turned to Li Qiang and said, "Uncle Li, you should go back first."
"Alright, be careful in a bit." With that, he turned and left.
......
My darlings, there was a mistake in the last chapter; I wrote "Song Xiaoqi" instead of "Song Xiaoyu." It's too late now, I've just corrected it, but you can all just keep it to yourselves!
Also! Happy Lantern Festival to everyone!
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