Qiao Ziming was very happy to see Chang Zhong. He was well aware of Chang Zhong's abilities, and he knew that having Chang Zhong by his side would save him a lot of trouble and effort.
Chang Zhong bowed and clasped his hands in greeting to Qiao Ziming, saying, "The Marquis is worried about the safety of the young master, so he specially sent his subordinate to protect him."
Two days before Qiao Ziming left the capital, Chang Zhong disappeared, presumably to look for Bai Mengying.
Bai Mengying disappeared without a trace, and no one knows who did it.
However, there aren't many people capable of taking someone away right under their noses, so it shouldn't be difficult to investigate.
So Qiao Ziming asked cryptically, "Have you found the person?"
Chang Zhong simply shook his head, showing no intention of speaking.
Qiao Ziming did not press the matter, because Chang Zhong was only loyal to his father. Even if he continued to press, Chang Zhong would not tell him if he did not want to.
Chang Zhong coldly surveyed the surroundings and said in a deep voice, "Young Master, when you're out and about, you still need to consider the reputation of the Marquis of Anyang."
"Awang, get the medicine for the young master."
"Since Your Highness is not feeling well, you should return to the inn to rest."
Hearing Chang Zhong's words, Qiao Ziming, who was already feeling frustrated, became even angrier.
Is it because they think he's brought shame to the Marquis of Anyang's mansion?
How dare a mere servant speak to his master like that!
Looking into Chang Zhong's calm, dark eyes, Qiao Ziming could only suppress his resentment and anger for the time being.
For some reason, ever since his father revealed his true colors, he and Chang Zhong have become afraid of each other.
And he really didn't want to stay here any longer.
He didn't want to see the strange looks people were giving him, nor did he want to hear people whispering about him.
So Qiao Ziming said, "Awang, you stay here to get the medicine. I'll go back to the inn first."
Having said that, he strode out.
There was no room for carriages in front of Huichuntang, so they were parked on the back street next door.
Qiao Ziming didn't want to stand at the entrance of Huichuntang waiting for the carriage to arrive, so he walked towards the back street next door.
Although Huayang City is not as prosperous as the capital, there are still quite a few people on the streets.
I hadn't gone far when I saw a group of people gathered together.
Qiao Ziming had no intention of watching the commotion, but he stopped in his tracks after hearing a mocking male voice.
"Your father, that cripple, is still a burden to you even in death. But I'll give you five taels of silver out of respect for your filial piety. Come home with me now! I'll definitely treat you well!"
Qiao Ziming knew that although the other party was not talking about him, he still couldn't help but feel angry after hearing the words "crippled dead man".
After having his guards push through the crowd, he walked over slowly.
A girl who looked to be about sixteen or seventeen years old was kneeling on the ground. She was quite pretty with fair skin, and her big eyes were filled with tears, making her look pitiful.
Behind the woman lay a person covered with a straw mat, whose face was not visible, but it was clear that the person was dead.
In front of the woman stood a broken wooden board with a few words scrawled on it.
"Selling myself to bury my father, only two taels of silver."
The crowd, who had been discussing the matter, fell silent the moment they saw Qiao Ziming.
The woman kneeling on the ground had a gleam in her eyes. She knelt down at Qiao Ziming's feet and pleaded, "Young master, please buy me! My father and I depended on each other for survival. Now that my father has passed away, I am unable to bury him properly."
"I only ask for two taels of silver to buy a simple coffin for my father. After his burial, I am willing to serve you like an ox or a horse to repay your great kindness!"
Qiao Ziming was not a kind-hearted person, but when he first saw him selling himself to bury his father, he couldn't help but feel compassion.
He casually pulled out a silver ingot and handed it to the woman, saying, "You don't have to work like a slave. Take this silver and give your father a proper burial."
This girl's filial piety is commendable; it was just a matter of a few taels of silver, a simple favor.
But the middle-aged man who had just been about to buy the woman was unhappy.
"I wanted to buy her first! Don't you know the rule of first come, first served?!"
After the man finished speaking, he gritted his teeth, took out a ten-tael silver ingot, and said to the woman, "I'll give you ten taels. Come with me, and I promise I won't treat you badly in the future. Is that alright?"
Looking at the man's ugly appearance and obese figure, and then at Qiao Ziming's handsome appearance, the woman immediately showed fear and reached out to grab Qiao Ziming's clothes.
"Please, young master, save me! I don't want to be taken away by him!"
Qiao Ziming could also see that the man in front of him was only after the woman's beauty. If the woman were taken away by this man, she would probably become his plaything.
The man immediately became angry upon hearing the woman's words.
"You filthy bitch! Your father was a gambler and got his leg broken. If it weren't for my kindness in taking you and your daughter in to work at my gambling den, you would probably have starved to death long ago!"
Don't think I don't know what you're thinking. You just want to use selling yourself to bury your father as a pretext to seduce some rich young master and then climb the social ladder!
"With looks like yours, only I, the great one, would be interested. I advise you to give up on that idea and obediently come with me!"
Qiao Ziming ignored the man and instead looked down at the woman kneeling at his feet.
"Is your father a cripple?"
The woman was puzzled as to why Qiao Ziming would suddenly ask this question. After a moment of hesitation, she nodded honestly.
Then Qiao Ziming asked, "When your father was alive, you must have taken good care of him. Now that he's dead, why don't you just bury him properly instead of buying him a coffin? Could it be that you're really using selling yourself to bury your father as a pretext, as that person said, to climb the social ladder?"
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