Chapter 143: A Good Show with You
Lu Qiongshuang was obviously good at chatting people up. After a while, the noodle stall owner was talking to her without any defense and with a smile on his face. When Jiang Xue saw her turn around and give her a look, she put down the tea in her hand and walked towards the two of them.
In front of the boss, Jiang Xue asked Lu Qiongshuang directly: "Sister, how is it? Have you found out?"
Lu Qiongshuang understood what was going on, and she made a regretful expression, saying to Jiang Xue: "Sister, did our fifth aunt remember it wrongly? I asked this kind elder brother, and he said that he had never seen anyone, let alone had any dealings with the people in this courtyard."
The noodle stall owner nodded repeatedly and said, "Yes, ladies, this yard was originally deserted. A family moved in last year, but they don't look like the relatives you are looking for who have lived in the capital for a long time. Moreover, this family never goes out. I only vaguely saw a woman and a child living inside, so it doesn't look like there is a head of the family."
Jiang Xue said in distress: "Ah, what should I do?"
She glanced at Lu Qiongshuang, who understood immediately and continued, "Yes, we sold the crops in the fields to come to the capital with a little money. We also wanted to fulfill our old father's last wish and find my third uncle's family to recognize us as relatives. We heard from our aunt that she had sent a letter to my uncle's family in the early years. It was here, the small courtyard by the stream at the end of Lin'an Street - isn't it this courtyard?"
The noodle stall owner cut the noodles into small pieces and put them into the pot while shaking his head, saying, "Young lady, I just told you that this yard was originally deserted. I have been setting up a noodle stall here for more than ten years, and it was only last year that I moved in. Besides, the uncle you mentioned - there really has never been any man in this family. Oh! There is an old man!"
Jiang Xue asked hurriedly, "Old man? Could it be our uncle whom we haven't seen for many years?"
The noodle stall owner shook his head and said, "He is definitely not the head of this household. He only comes here once every four or five days and leaves after a short while. He looks more like a waiter who delivers food and supplies to this family. How can the head of this household stay out all day and all night?"
Jiang Xue sighed, looked at Lu Qiongshuang, and said with a very sad look: "We have come all the way here. Could it be that our uncle thinks that the farmers are poor and doesn't want to recognize us again, so he hides his head and shows his tail, afraid that we will find him?"
When the noodle stall owner heard this, he paused with his hand holding the noodle soup, frowned and said, "Is there such a saying? If it is true, then he is really inhuman!"
Jiang Xue reached out and pinched her thigh, and two lines of tears fell. She remembered the makeup powder on her face and quickly turned her head to wipe it off.
In the eyes of the noodle stall owner, she looked like she was covering her face and crying.
He put down the big spoon in his hand, said to Jiang Xue a few times, "Don't be sad, young lady. Why don't you come to my place every day for a few days and wait for the old man to come. Then you can take a look, right?"
Jiang Xue shook her head and said, "We have been looking for a place to stay all the way here, and our money is almost gone. We thought we would have a place to stay once we got here, but we didn't expect to find anyone. I will take my sister with me to find a job, otherwise I really don't know where I will end up tonight."
She suddenly looked at the noodle stall owner as if asking for help, and said, "Kind brother, could you please ask the old man a few questions for me if I meet him in the next few days?"
Seeing how pitiful she was, the boss quickly said, "That's not a problem. I make a living here every day anyway. Tell me, what do you want me to ask you?"
"We are two sisters, and our family name is Gu," Jiang Xue's eyes were filled with tears, but her words were very clear. "I remember when I was a child, my father mentioned that my aunt's name was something like... What Xi?"
Lu Qiongshuang understood and asked, "But Suxi?"
Jiang Xue nodded repeatedly and said, "That's right! Big brother, if you see a man who often goes to that family, please ask for me, is he from the Gu family, and is the wife called Suxi? If so, then it is definitely my uncle's family."
The noodle stall owner nodded, trying to remember the name she said, then sighed and said, "It's really not easy for you two young ladies to come here from so far away. Please sit down. The noodles are ready for you. I'll bring them over there."
Lu Qiongshuang stretched out his hand to take out the silver to pay the bill, but the boss said hurriedly, "You don't have much money, so save it for later use. Consider these two bowls of noodle soup as a treat from my brother. Jijing is very prosperous. As long as you have hands and feet, you will never starve to death in the future."
The two were stunned, looked at each other, and then hurriedly thanked the noodle stall owner.
Jiang Xue gently told Lu Qiongshuang not to leave any leftovers. This bowl of noodle soup was a great gift from the kind-hearted boss. The two of them quickly ate the whole bowl of noodle soup. Jiang Xue carefully took some silver coins and put them at the bottom of the bowl, then quickly said goodbye to the boss.
Jiang Xue pulled Lu Qiongshuang to a tree not far away, glanced around, and made sure that no one on the street, including the boss, was looking at them. Then she stood in a secluded place behind the tree.
Lu Qiongshuang asked in confusion: "Cousin, what are you doing standing here?"
Jiang Xue smiled at her and said, "Wait a moment."
Sure enough, within a moment, a figure came from nowhere and fell from behind, stood in front of the two of them, and saluted Jiang Xue with a fist.
Jiang Xue asked, "Chen Xiu, why are you alone here? Where is Ruan Yisui?"
Chen Xiu raised his head and said to Jiang Xue, "Your Highness, Brother Ruan is still guarding up high."
Jiang Xue said, "It's broad daylight, I don't think they would dare to attack at this time. Are you guys guarding us like this during the day? We should find a place to rest."
Chen Xiu whispered, "I'm afraid I may fail His Highness' trust, so we'd better be alert. Besides, we are all soldiers, so these skills are not a problem. We just noticed someone looking towards the yard, and after a closer look, we recognized it was His Highness. Thinking that His Highness was here to understand the situation, Brother Ruan asked me to come and look for His Highness."
Jiang Xue nodded and said, "Thank you for your hard work. Tell me in detail what happened last night."
Chen Xiu looked around and said to Jiang Xue, "This is not the place to talk. Please bring His Highness and his attendants here, Miss."
The two followed Chen Xiu to an inconspicuous group of dilapidated houses on the street. Chen Xiu pushed open the door of one of the houses and invited Jiang Xue and Lu Qiongshuang in.
"There are many abandoned houses here. It seems that they caught fire or had murders many years ago, and people moved away over time. Brother Ruan used to be guarding Lin'an Street, and he would occasionally come here to rest during the day."
After that, he presented an iron token to Jiang Xue.
Jiang Xue took the token and looked at it over and over again. She saw that there was only a vague shape of a bird melted on it. It was very simple and had no weight in her hand.
"What is this?" Jiang Xue asked.
"When I was chasing those two men in black last night, something dropped from one of them and I picked it up."
Jiang Xue nodded, as if she had made up her mind, and put the token away.
She said to Chen Xiu solemnly:
"You two stay here for now. I'll have someone come to perform a good show for you in the next few days. After the show, you can go back home and rest for a few days."
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