Chapter 192 Giving Out Random Ideas
The waiter looked around and, seeing that no one was paying attention to them, lowered his voice and spoke very quickly to the girl:
"The person you're looking for did stay at our inn last night, but she left with her entourage this morning. The rest of them are busy getting your cousin married right now."
He paused for a moment, then added, "They didn't contact you, nor did they report it to the authorities. You probably understand what's going on here, right?"
The girl was completely stunned, but the waiter didn't want to say anything more to her in the busy lobby.
After saying everything he needed to say, the waiter went off to attend to other customers.
The girl was deeply disturbed by the waiter's words. She stood at the door, hesitant and unsure of what to do.
The elderly couple who brought her over also heard what the man said, and now they both looked at her with concern.
Although the girl didn't say anything after waking up, the elderly couple could easily guess from the bruise on the back of her neck that she must have been murdered.
They never expected that the person the girl was looking for had already left before they arrived, and the only person staying at the inn now was the one who had almost killed the girl.
Having lived their entire lives in the village and never experienced the intricate power struggles and backstabbing of wealthy families, the elderly couple had no idea how the girl should protect herself in the future. But one thing they were certain of was that the girl was currently alone and vulnerable, and it was best for her to avoid encountering those wolves and tigers for the time being.
The elderly couple exchanged a glance, and then the old lady leaned over and whispered to the girl, "You... why don't you come with us? Otherwise, I'm afraid you might go in alive but not come out alive."
The girl's eyes were red-rimmed, and she tried hard to hold back her tears.
How could she not be afraid? But where could she go?
What would she do if she lost the marriage her father had gone to so much trouble to find for her? Would she continue to live under her stepmother's thumb?
This time, her stepmother was already trying to kill her. In order to prevent her from talking nonsense or retaliating, couldn't she continue to poison her again and again?
It was only at this moment that she belatedly realized why her stepmother, who had always treated them, her illegitimate children, had suddenly become so devoted to preparing her dowry.
Firstly, those things weren't prepared for her at all. They had already planned to use her own daughter to take her place in the marriage to an official at a crucial moment.
Secondly, only if her stepmother acted as if she was forced to mend her relationship with her because she was about to marry into an official family would her father cancel the wedding procession at the last minute and rush to deal with the unexpected situation at the shop, considering that her aunt had also come along.
Once the girl understood everything, she could no longer hold back her tears, which streamed down her face.
The elderly couple felt a pang of pity, but apart from taking the girl back and giving her a place to stay temporarily, they really didn't have the ability to do anything more for her.
"I..." The girl covered her face and walked out of the inn lobby with the elderly couple, but she did not immediately follow them back to the village. Instead, she wandered aimlessly along the street.
The elderly couple didn't rush her; they both knew she must be feeling terrible.
They intended to let her walk around for a while and then take her back to the village, but unexpectedly, the girl walked for a short while before crashing straight into one of the carriages on the street.
Everyone else was avoiding the carriage, but she, being extremely distracted, actually ran right into it.
Not only were the elderly couple, who were caught off guard, dumbfounded, but even the passersby who witnessed the scene were stunned. Only the middle-aged man in charge of driving the carriage reacted quickly, reining in the carriage and pointing at the girl while shouting and cursing.
"What's wrong with you? Can't you watch where you're going? My carriage was walking perfectly fine in the middle of the road, and you..."
"Lai Shun." A deep, authoritative male voice came from inside the carriage, causing the driver's anger to falter, and he swallowed back the rest of his words.
The next moment, a young man who looked about seventeen or eighteen years old, dressed as a servant but with a sword at his waist, opened the car door and jumped out.
He quickly glanced at the girl, who was pale with fright and was now crying and apologizing incessantly. "I'm sorry to have frightened you, young lady. Please accept this small gift. It will help me find a doctor to prescribe some calming soup for you later."
As he spoke, he handed a money pouch to the girl, then clasped his hands in a fist and bowed deeply, saying solemnly, "My brother here was also frightened. He didn't mean to scold you, so please don't take offense."
The girl shook her head repeatedly, and subconsciously handed her money bag to the young man. "No, no, no, it's not the driver's fault, it's me, it's my fault for not paying attention while walking."
She was crying incessantly and looked very pitiful, but she spoke clearly and logically, and her words were very reasonable.
In addition, although her clothes looked a bit dirty and wrinkled, the material was quite good, not to mention that she was also wearing silver and jade ornaments.
The young man had a keen eye; just by looking at her attire, he could tell that she must come from a merchant family, and while her family might not be extremely wealthy, they were certainly well-off.
How could a pampered young lady from such a family appear so lost and wander aimlessly through the streets without even a maid?
The young man had some doubts, but after a moment's thought, he decided to ask a few more questions.
Although their master was not a local official, he still held a government position and ate public food.
Of course, the most important reason is that their father-in-law loves to "meddle in other people's business".
Thinking about all this, the young man asked the girl, "Excuse my intrusion, but have you encountered some trouble? If you trust me, why don't you tell me? Perhaps I can give you some advice."
The girl hesitated and did not speak.
The young man then asked, "Or should I go down and report this to the authorities for the young lady?"
The girl suddenly looked up, "Report...report to the authorities?"
The young man nodded. "Yes, report it to the authorities. We ordinary people, when we encounter difficulties or dangers, what other recourse do we have but to report it to the authorities?"
This also provides an opportunity for his father to see whether the local officials are good or bad.
Uh, it could also be ash.
Thinking this, the young man's eyes began to look at the girl with anticipation.
The girl hesitated. Although she had been persecuted, it was ultimately a family matter, and she had no strong evidence.
Reporting it to the authorities might not be useful, and it could easily make her a criminal against her family, leaving her with even less of a foothold.
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