Chapter 94: Riding a horse with a warm and beautiful girl in his arms, he could not hide his joy. ...
Lin Meiju has a headache.
There was no doubt that after Shen Changfeng's words last night, she and he had another argument. More precisely, she was the one who was scolding him. Shen Changfeng would either endure the scolding with a thick skin like a city wall, or inadvertently add a random and ridiculous remark when admitting his mistake, which would rekindle her anger that had subsided. If she wasn't afraid of disturbing the neighbors, she really wanted to slap him a few times to vent her anger.
After a night of contemplation, she finally understood. This guy was full of evil intentions, never serious for three seconds. He'd deliberately try to piss her off, then find ways to flatter her with sweet nothings. Lin Meizhu was clearly wary, but every time, she'd puff up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, unknowingly falling for his tricks. He was one of the rare dandies out there; this guy was truly wicked, wicked beyond measure.
Lin Meiju held her forehead and rubbed her temples slowly. She could only persuade herself to be patient and calm. As long as she found the person, she wouldn't have to endure his anger anymore.
"Eleventh Lady, if you have something to say, don't be stubborn. Be sure to tell us and discuss it with us, okay?"
Lin Meiju raised her head and met Aunt Zhang's face full of worry and anxiety. It was pitiful how worried parents are. In just two days, Aunt Zhang had noticeably more silver hair on her temples.
Lin Meizhu didn't want her to worry, so she replied, "It's just a matter at the pharmacy, it's already been taken care of."
Seeing her sigh, Aunt Zhang thought she had guessed right and whispered, "Should we go and prepare something..." Although there was no one else at home, Aunt Zhang was still very cautious. She put her palms to her mouth and finished saying the last few words.
Lin Meizhu realized what she had said and was a little embarrassed, "No need, we really didn't..."
Aunt Zhang hesitated and said, "But I see you always look very tired every time you come back from the back street." It was as if everyone had drained all of your energy.
Lin Meiju thought to herself: I am indeed tired, mentally tired.
Aunt Zhang was skeptical. If it was just a meal, she could ask the waiter to deliver it, but Lin Meizhu insisted on delivering it herself. Sometimes when Shen Changfeng didn't come back, she would wait in the attic in advance. There was no look of coercion on Lin Meizhu's face, so Aunt Zhang thought the two had reconciled.
Lin Meiju naturally had her reasons for doing this, but she felt that her guess was too dark, and she felt chilled just thinking about it. Moreover, the matter was of great importance, so she would not reveal a single word to the outside world before finding evidence.
But she hoped she was wrong.
After comforting Aunt Zhang, Lin Meizhu led the jade lion out the door, followed by Da Huang and Xiao Hei. She had been so busy these past few days that if she didn't take them out for a walk, the howling of the two dogs and the horse would be enough to lift the roof off.
When they reached the market, they saw a young man in black walking briskly. It was Suo Zhu who had stayed in the attic awaiting orders. Lin Meizhu suddenly had an idea and led the horse around a corner, entering another alley.
Suozhu walked so fast that he almost bumped into someone at the corner. He looked up and said hello hurriedly and shyly, "Sister-in-law!"
Lin Meizhu didn't correct his address and said with a smile, "Who are you sending these fruits to as a gift?"
Suozhu turned around and glanced at the melons in the basket on his back. He said, "The village chief asked me to buy them." He then extended the wicker baskets in his left and right hands. "Here are some peaches and lychees, too. He said to wash them and put them in the attic to help you cool down."
"The village chief sent me a message to you. I'm afraid I won't be back until around sunset today. I told you to go about your business and I'll definitely send you a message if there's one. I left so quickly because I was afraid you might be waiting impatiently. Please don't blame me, sister-in-law."
Shen Changfeng spoke lightly, but he knew the seriousness of the situation. Although Xiaoman hadn't encountered any robbers, getting lost in the wild was dangerous even for an adult, let alone an immature child. Since he had promised Lin Meizhu to find her, he couldn't break his promise. The next two days were crucial; the longer it dragged on, the greater the danger to Xiaoman.
Therefore, in the past two days, apart from returning to the attic to wash up and have a meal, and integrating the information obtained by various teams, he has been searching with his men almost day and night.
Lin Meiju nodded and lifted a corner of the lotus leaf on the wicker basket. The sweet and cool fruity fragrance came to her nose, and it still smelled very fresh.
Lychees change color in one day, their fragrance in two, and their flavor in three. Outside of Lingnan, tasting lychees is not easy. Lin Meizhu picked two of the largest and fullest fruits, peeled one and fed it to Zhaoye Jade Lion, then handed the remaining one to Suozhu.
Suo Zhu was trying to refuse at first, but seeing that Lin Meizhu seemed to be about to feed it to him if he didn't take it, he was afraid of being hung up and beaten by Shen Changfeng, so he hurriedly took it.
Lin Meizhu laughed and teased: "Lychees are priceless. You have been following the village chief for a long time, right? I am not afraid that you will steal some."
Suozhu scratched his head and chuckled, "I haven't been here long. The boss trusts me, and my brother said that following the boss means I have a future and can have enough food to eat, so I came here."
Lin Meiju had mixed feelings. She didn't know what was wrong with the world. Officials were worse than bandits, and ordinary people were relying on bandits.
The two of them talked as they walked. In order to relieve his tension and hide his embarrassment, Suozhu never stopped talking all the way. He didn't even need Lin Meiju to ask her questions, and told her everything she wanted to know.
"My brother's name is Tiezhu. You've seen him, sister-in-law. He used to be a hunter... I'll show him to you someday."
"We just recently moved to the city. In the past, we used to get quotes from middlemen. Only after we agreed on a price would we send someone to do the job... We generally don't meet the victim in person, and we don't accept just any commission. Searching for someone is a time-consuming and labor-intensive endeavor, and it's hard to say when we'll find them, so we're very cautious..."
Lin Meiju was lost in thought, going over Suo Zhu's words over and over again in her mind. In fact, what he said was not much different from what she knew, but she still couldn't help thinking and guessing. As long as that dark guess came up, she couldn't help blaming herself for Xiaoman's disappearance, so that whenever she thought of someone, she felt uncontrollable irritation in her heart.
Lin Meiju came to her senses when she heard a dog barking twice in her ears.
The setting sun fell on the grass, flashing tiny golden rays. Lin Meizhu looked at the figures frolicking and chasing each other in the field, pulled the corners of her mouth, and called out, "Da Huang and Xiao Hei, we're going home!"
Dahuang obviously didn't have enough fun. The more Lin Meizhu called it, the farther it ran. Xiaohei had already stood still when Lin Meizhu opened her mouth. After receiving her eye signal, he rushed towards Dahuang like an arrow, barking as he chased it.
Lin Meizhu smiled and went to find the remaining one, "Jade Lion, go home. Come out next time..."
I walked around and didn't see any horses rolling on the ground, nor any horses drinking water by the stream. There was no one under the shade of the trees, beside the thorns, or on the side of the path... anything was also empty.
Lin Meiju's heart skipped a beat and she threw away the wild flowers in her hand. She called out loudly several times and then listened with her ears tilted, but she didn't hear any horse neighing or horse hoof sounds.
She frowned, quickened her pace, trotted up the hillside, and looked into the distance, but no matter which direction she looked, she could not see the jade lion.
Lin Meizhu gradually grew panicky. It was just a moment of distraction! Someone had stolen her horse right under her nose? But the Jade Lion wasn't a foal that could be taken away by pulling the reins. Besides, the Jade Lion hadn't given any warning!
She shouted until her throat was about to break, but there was no response. She steadied her breath, recalled Shen Changfeng's movements when he blew the whistle, cupped his hands close to his mouth, blew hard, and heard a weak "woo" sound. Lin Meizhu looked at her hands, confused: This is right, why is the sound different?
Lin Meiju puffed out her cheeks and her face turned red from blowing the whistle. Not to mention the sound of the whistle, even the sound of the wind was out of tune. She felt that she was being stupid for being so stubborn and competitive. Just when she was about to give up, she finally heard a sharp whistle breaking through the air.
Lin Meiju's smile froze. The sound didn't come from her hand.
She looked in the direction of the sound, but when she turned around, she heard another piercing whistle behind her. Then the whistles spread out in all directions, one wave after another echoing each other, like the cry of an eagle or the howl of a monkey, echoing throughout the entire forest, gradually forming an impenetrable encirclement, trapping her inside.
Lin Meiju was almost frightened when she heard the wild whistle getting closer: she was afraid that she had been attacked by horse thieves!
In broad daylight, the government offices and local militia have also stepped up their vigilance. How dare those horse thieves act so recklessly?
She listened to the sound of horse hooves approaching from afar, her face turning pale, and she secretly complained in her heart: Did she disturb the nest of horse thieves? With so many people around, she couldn't escape even if she had wings!
But in just two moments, the sound of galloping horses became louder and louder. Lin Meiju was so frightened as she looked at the hundreds of horsemen coming towards her that her hands and feet became stiff. Only when she saw the black flag fluttering in the wind could she hear the sound of her own heart beating wildly again. With such great ups and downs, she really thought she was going to develop heart palpitations.
The people who came were indeed bandits, and they were bandit leaders.
The cavalry galloped past with laughter, and Lin Meizhu's mouth was filled with dust. By the time she came to her senses, she had already been carried onto the horse's back.
"Chen Changfeng, are you sick?! Why didn't you tell me you were coming?! Do you think you're so awesome just by showing off like this?!"
Shen Changfeng felt the coldness on her fingertips and knew that she had frightened him. He took her hand and rubbed it gently, saying, "I blew the whistle, and the brothers followed suit and started to make a noise. Don't be afraid. When you see the flags in my camp, you'll know I'm coming."
Lin Meizhu was shaking with anger and cursed, "It's pitch black, how can anyone see the words from so far away... What are you crazy about? Let me go!"
Upon hearing this, Shen Changfeng not only did not stop, but instead gently squeezed the horse's belly. The Jade Lion of Night galloped away, and the wind grew heavier. She heard his voice close to her ear, with a hint of laughter: "You haven't learned to ride a horse yet?"
Lin Meizhu's anger flared up again, and she cursed, "None of your business! Let me go!"
Shen Changfeng chuckled twice, his chest shaking slightly, and said, "I'll teach you." After that, regardless of whether she wanted to learn or not, he pressed her hand to hold the reins and said, "Relax your hands, stand straight, and squeeze your legs together. Don't resist the horse's forward force, cooperate with it..."
Lin Meizhu's voice became panicked. "No, I don't want to learn how to ride a horse. Hurry, stop now!"
Shen Changfeng straightened her face and said, "Look ahead."
Lin Meiju couldn't remember the key points he said. She only knew that the Jade Lion Zhaoye was running faster and faster, and the bushes on the side were rapidly retreating. She was very scared, but at this moment Shen Changfeng let go of her hand and gave her the control of the direction.
Lin Meizhu felt the person behind her move back a little. She suddenly lost her support and lost her balance. She screamed in shock. She was afraid that she would be thrown off the horse by accident, but she didn't dare to let go of the reins. She held back her tears and scolded Shen Changfeng a thousand times.
The more she cried out and struggled, the more the restlessness in Shen Changfeng's blood boiled. With this warm and beautiful woman in his arms, he couldn't hide his delight. He indulged all his surging impulses and passions, hugged her tightly, and galloped away with all his might. Everything he saw became a violently swaying shadow. The wind in the wilderness grew stronger, vigorous and powerful, almost brutal, just like Shen Changfeng himself, unreasonably and domineeringly seizing all her freedom, while steadily supporting her from behind, sending her to a wider world.
Even when she was carried off the horse, Lin Meiju's legs were still weak and she couldn't step on anything solid for a long time.
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