"If you don't accept my toast, I'll punish you!"
The moment he raised the whip, the look of the woman who had been sitting on the ground changed instantly, but the whip never fell. She heard hurried footsteps and her clenched fists slowly loosened.
"stop!"
The door of the old house was pushed open, and a man in a red official uniform hurried in and started scolding Li Siyou.
"I fined you three months' salary last time, but you still haven't learned your lesson. You don't even take me, the county lieutenant, seriously. Did you listen to a word I said?! You can't resort to lynching until everything is clear. Do you not understand official language, or are your ears useless due to age?!"
Li Siyou felt a little embarrassed and stood there speechless.
The young county lieutenant pointed outside the prison door.
"go out."
Li Siyou bowed and retreated, then stopped three or five steps away from the prison gate and turned his head to take a peek unwillingly.
The cell was quiet for a moment, but the woman who had not made any move when she was about to be whipped suddenly stood up and stared at the county lieutenant with wide eyes.
That face may have looked more worldly-wise due to his involvement in official circles, but those eyes that were melancholy yet somewhat innocent remained unchanged.
She spoke hesitantly.
"Master Jia?"
Jia Han was also stunned.
The dungeon of the county government office was dimly lit, and the two people on the ground were sitting in the shadows. At first he almost didn't dare to recognize them, but when he raised the torch to take a look, his eyes became excited.
"Benefactor?"
His voice was trembling. He never expected to meet the woman who had disappeared without a trace in the desert many years ago here.
The next moment, he moved the torch to the side, and when he saw the man's face, he paused again.
"A great benefactor?"
Xiao Nanhui was unhappy.
How could this kindness shrink when it came to her? He was a great benefactor? Was her kindness small? How could it be small?
Su Wei obviously noticed her mood and looked at her with amusement.
"Mr. Jia and I have indeed known each other before. He is a kindred spirit I have found in the Gobi Desert."
She finally recalled the "desert wonder" that Jia Han had told her that day. Knowing that this man had been longing for the sound of the piano, she was too lazy to pursue the matter any further.
"Where's Tian Wei'er? Is she okay?"
"Good, very good." Jia Han nodded hurriedly, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes softened with joy. "She even held a birthday party at your house a few days ago. It was very lively and joyful. It's all thanks to you, my benefactor, that we are where we are today! It's my fault for not disciplining my subordinates well, causing you two to suffer in vain..."
Xiao Nan looked back at Jia Han's rounder face and could tell that his career path had been relatively smooth in recent years. Coming from a merchant family, to have achieved such a high position in government was a testament to his diligence. Besides his diligence, he also had some ambitions. Given time, he might become a pillar of government.
The man next to her obviously thought the same as she did, and simply responded with a nonchalant greeting.
"You're too kind, County Lieutenant. Perhaps you were destined not to die, but to achieve something different. Seeing you today, I can see that it's indeed the case."
Jia Han already had admiration in his heart and did not notice the strangeness in the other party's etiquette.
"Why are you two here..."
Finally, it was time to talk about business. Xiao Nanhui pulled Jia Han over and whispered to him.
"We went to the newly opened Wangchen Tower earlier, hoping to find out something..."
The more she spoke, the lower her voice became. Li Siyou, who was standing outside the prison, pricked up his ears but couldn't hear a word. He only saw his county lieutenant's face changing from red to white, so unpredictable and exciting.
"...In short, that's why you misunderstood our identities."
The woman finally finished her explanation and concluded lightly.
Jia Han stood there as if struck by lightning, looking at her and the man with his mouth half open. His knees felt weak and he was about to kneel down, but she quickly pulled him back.
"Sir, please be careful where you step."
Jia Han finally came to his senses and understood why the other party had not revealed his identity to others while in prison. However, his voice was inevitably a little nervous.
"Well, I wonder if there's anything I can do to help you two. Please feel free to ask."
"There is indeed something I need to ask you."
"Please speak, benefactor."
Xiao Nanhui motioned the other party to come closer, then half covered his mouth and lowered his voice.
"Can you take me to see the god of the Ju River?"
******************
Lou County, Lizhou, is a land of fish and rice.
The land is covered with gentle hills and green mountains, and is dotted with lakes. It is protected by gentle breezes and drizzles every year. Even if it is just a small town or village, everyone lives a leisurely and prosperous life.
As the sun sets, the small sampans returning from the Ju River skillfully turn into the four-branch waterway and sell the newly caught river shrimps from door to door. Flocks of water birds follow the boats, eating until they are smooth and wet.
Xiao Nan looked back out the window and dropped his chopsticks again.
Half of the sea bass sashimi was gone in an instant. This was already the third fish we had tonight.
Jia Han was a little dazed watching from the side, and was hesitating whether to order another one. The woman finally put down her chopsticks and wiped her mouth with a reluctant look.
"My body isn't as good as it used to be. I really don't have much of an appetite. I've been to many counties and cities, but how come I didn't know there was such a nourishing place?"
Jia Han didn't know how to respond, but the man next to him looked calm. He raised his hand and gently picked out half of the fishbone from the woman's mouth.
"There hasn't been a war in Lizhou for many years, so it's normal that you haven't been here."
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