Chapter 132 Temporary Stay in a Hotel
In the wilderness, the moon is dark and the wind is strong.
Lightning flashed across the sky, piercing the darkness. The wind mingled with the howling of wild animals, echoing through the forest. The men from the General's Mansion didn't dare to pause for a moment, braving the rain as they raced to the entrance of the isolated inn. Qin Feng was the first to pat the dilapidated door, which looked as if it would collapse at any moment, shouting, "Anyone here? Staying here! Is anyone here?" Qin Xiangnuan stood not far away, her right eye twitching.
"Who is it?"
After a while, an impatient voice was heard from inside the inn.
The door creaked open. The short, thin waiter, not expecting so many people outside, paused for a moment, about to close the door. Qin Feng, with immense strength, braced his hand against the door. The rain soaked his clothes, his hair plastered to his face. He forced a smile and said, "We're just passing through. This downpour has arrived so unexpectedly. I wonder if we can stay for the night. I'll definitely give you some money."
"We don't have any here..." The waiter raised his hand to refuse, but was interrupted by Qin Feng before he could finish his words. He hurriedly cut off the subject and added, "We are all honest people. Even though there are so many of us, if there is no room inside, we can sleep on the floor. Just find a guest room for the women to stay in, and everything else is easy to handle!" The thunder was getting louder and louder, and the rain showed no sign of stopping.
The waiter seemed unsure, perhaps because he saw that he had not returned for a long time, and another man walked out of the inn.
"What's going on?" He said in a low voice. He walked to the door, his eyes scanning the people in the general's mansion. The waiter hurried back and whispered something to him. It was unclear what the two of them discussed, but after a moment, just before Jiang Lin was about to come out, the waiter finally opened the door, ushered Qin Feng in, and said, "We haven't been doing business here for a long time. The food and accommodation are not good. If you don't mind, please come in."
"There's only one room upstairs. The rest of the people will have to stay in the woodshed and on the first floor."
The waiter saw Anliu and the others leading the horses, squinted his eyes and walked over, and offered to help you. The place where the horses are tied in the backyard is remote and you can't find them. Anliu nodded, said thank you, and followed Jiang Lin into the inn.
Everyone changed out of their wet clothes, and a few of them started sneezing.
The waiter, carrying a kettle, poured them some hot tea. Qin Feng, a very outgoing man who could strike up a conversation with anyone, now looked around, teacup in hand, noticing the inn's staircase, its wood exposed, looking rather dilapidated. "Isn't it usually deserted here? Why is it so deserted? It looks like a deserted place." The waiter's smile vanished as he spoke, his movements stiffening slightly.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to offend, I just thought it was a little weird."
Qin Feng hurriedly explained, and the waiter immediately regained his smile. Turning his back to Qin Xiangnuan and the others, he spoke tactfully, "This place is remote, and there have been constant natural disasters in recent years. How could any merchants traveling or selling goods pass by this road? The people on the border are all staying at home and not interacting with the outside world. It's really not easy for us brothers to manage the inn. We've agreed to return home after the New Year and not open the inn for business."
"I never thought I would meet you all tonight."
After the waiter finished speaking, Qin Feng looked at the room on the second floor. "Since there's no one there, why don't you let us stay in the wing room? If it's a money issue, we can give..." As he spoke, he suddenly felt guilty. After all, Qin Feng didn't even have a few copper coins on him. He turned his head to look at Jiang Lin and Qin Xiangnuan, and feeling his confidence return, he raised his chin and looked at the waiter seriously.
"Sir, I'm so sorry. The upstairs wing is piled with so much junk and stuff that there's really no room for you."
The waiter said perfunctorily, then walked to the back, "I'll prepare some hot food for everyone, please help yourself..." After he left, Qin Feng and Qin Yi had already started preparing things for sleeping on the floor. Qin Xiangnuan walked over to Liu and Old Madam Qin, holding their arms and said, "There's only one room upstairs, so Grandma and Mother should take Second Aunt and Beibei to stay there. I'll be downstairs and can also keep watch."
"How can I let you suffer all the time? Why don't I replace you tonight!"
Zou spoke uneasily, and Qin Xiangnuan shook her head. "I'm the younger generation, how could I leave Second Aunt downstairs? Besides, I do have some skills. I think the table and chairs can be put together, and I can borrow some thick bedding from Jiang Lin and spread it on top. It won't be any different from a couch. Lord Xu and Jiang Lin's people are all familiar to me, so it's convenient. If Second Aunt stays, wouldn't it be too restrictive and awkward?"
"Second Aunt, just take care of Grandma. Get some rest. We have to continue our journey tomorrow."
Qin Xiangnuan nodded to Liu and asked her to take a few people to the upstairs wing room.
"What are you looking at?" Jiang Lin walked over to Qin Xiangnuan. "You've looked unhappy ever since you came in. Did you notice something wrong?" Jiang Lin trusted Qin Xiangnuan's intuition. The two of them scanned the area in silence. Even the battle-hardened secret guards didn't sense anything wrong, and Qin Xiangnuan couldn't put her finger on it. She lowered her voice, "I keep thinking I can smell a hint of blood."
Very faint, always appears when you least expect it.
The smell made Qin Xiangnuan suspect her sense of smell was malfunctioning. She couldn't see anything unusual in the inn, but her right eyelid kept twitching, trying to predict something. "Come on, sir, enjoy your meal. We don't have anything special to offer you. This is for us brothers. If you don't mind, just have a bite." The waiter came out with two plates of braised beef in soy sauce. The aroma was so fragrant that it really whetted her appetite.
Qin Feng was the first to rush over. He picked up a piece and stuffed it into his mouth, praising it with a look of enjoyment. "I didn't expect to be able to taste such delicious food here. The taste of this beef is something you can't find in the capital!"
"Oh? Are you from the capital?" The waiter, carrying a plate, walked over to Anliu and Anfeng, motioning for them to try some too. The secret guards initially refused, but after smelling the flavor, they couldn't control their appetites and movements, and each of them grabbed a slice. Qin Feng nodded and opened his mouth to reveal his identity, but met Qin Xiangnuan's cold gaze. He shuddered, and quickly swallowed the words on his lips.
The waiter didn't get the answer he wanted, so he didn't ask any more questions and just heated up two more pots of wine.
"Meeting is fate. Consider it our brothers' treat for everyone." He stood in the middle with a smile on his face, watching everyone pick up their chopsticks. "Do you think it doesn't suit your taste? Why don't you try it?"
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