Chapter 74 Holding hands tightly, "Aren't you going to let go?"...
The music and dance ended, leaving only the sounds of laughter and toasts in the hall. But as Luo Hongfang finished speaking with a smile, the voices gradually stopped, and the hall fell silent. Several bandits standing at the table turned their gazes over, their meaning unclear.
Her clear, bright almond-shaped eyes widened, Xue Rongyue's shoulders tensed, and her body involuntarily shrank back. Her face turned deathly pale, filled with fear. She looked anxiously at Qin Jin, and after a long while, she managed to squeeze out a barely audible utterance: "...N-nothing..."
Luo Hongfang held his wine cup, watching with great interest the terror that appeared on Xue Rongyue's face. His smiling eyes were like a sharp blade drawn from its sheath, as if he wanted to peel back Xue Rongyue's skin immediately to see if she was as she appeared.
Xue Rongyue seemed to be frightened by this gaze. She shrank her neck and involuntarily hid behind Qin Jin. She clung tightly to Qin Jin's arm as if grasping at a lifeline, lowered her head, and dared not look directly into Luo Hongfang's eyes.
Luo Hongfang downed the wine in his cup in one gulp, his fingers stroking the cup. After a brief silence, he pointed at Qin Jin and suddenly burst into laughter: "Brother Qin, this is where you're wrong. I've always considered you my own brother, yet you're so unkind. I wonder what bad things you said about me to your wife that made her so afraid of me."
As soon as he finished speaking, the bandits burst into laughter, but as they teased Qin Jin, their eyes began to glance at Xue Rongyue, intentionally or unintentionally.
However, before they could get a second look, Qin Jin's broad and tall figure, like a majestic green mountain, stood in front of Xue Rongyue without warning, completely blocking their prying eyes and leaving no room for them. Only then did they reluctantly withdraw their gaze.
Qin Jin's brows relaxed, and he smiled calmly in response to her words: "She has been spoiled by her family since she was a child, so her words and actions are inevitably bold. I was just afraid that she would offend them, so I had to give her a few more words of advice."
As he spoke, he pulled Xue Rongyue's hands, which were gripping his arms, down and slowly held them in his palms.
Although he knew that Xue Rongyue's frightened appearance was mostly an act, he still couldn't help but squeeze her fingers tightly to comfort her when he felt them trembling slightly.
Xue Rongyue was slightly taken aback, but she maintained her fearful expression, like a terrified quail, obediently hiding behind Qin Jin.
"See, you're still keeping your distance from me?" Luo Hongfang's face showed obvious dissatisfaction as he snorted, "Although we're not blood brothers, we're closer than blood brothers. Your fiancée is my sister-in-law. What's there to offend about being family? You're just being too cautious."
After saying this, he looked at Xue Rongyue, whose hair was only partially visible, and said gently, "Madam Xue, don't be afraid. Although we mountain bandits live on the edge of a knife all year round, we are the most righteous people. The way we invited you up the mountain that day was a bit rough, but it was to avoid some unnecessary trouble..."
He launched into a long speech to comfort her for a moment, then suddenly changed his tone: "If you are dissatisfied with anything in terms of food, clothing, shelter, or transportation, just tell me. We are all family. If I were to make you suffer in these matters, what kind of elder brother would I be?"
Xue Rongyue's heart sank slightly as she realized that he was still holding a grudge about this matter.
Luo Hongfang had already said so much that there was no way to avoid it anymore, and there was no need to avoid it any further. Xue Rongyue calmly pulled Qin Jin, who was about to get up to reply for her, and took a small step away, revealing a pair of timid almond-shaped eyes: "...Really? Really?"
Luo Hongfang noticed Xue Rongyue's hesitation, raised an eyebrow, and immediately nodded, repeating those comforting words over and over again: "If Madam Xue asks like this, it means she doesn't trust me. From now on, we're all family. When you and Brother Qin's wedding is near, I'll go and ask for a cup of celebratory wine. If you have children in the future, I'll be their godfather. Why would I lie to you?"
Xue Rongyue blushed, lowered her head shyly, and looked at the embroidered shoes on her feet: "Since Brother Luo says so, I will speak frankly."
Qin Jin was so startled by her shy expression that he trembled all over. He cleared his throat and quickly looked away as if nothing had happened.
Luo Hongfang nodded, and said with a leisurely smile, "Please speak."
“It’s not that I’m unwilling to adapt to local customs, but it really is… too unhygienic,” Xue Rongyue said. “The cooks who prepared the food, my maidservant saw it with her own eyes. After wiping their hands, they didn’t even wash them before they went to chop vegetables. How can anyone eat this? And the food they made looks like pig swill. Is this food for humans?”
Xue Rongyue seemed to have suffered a lot of grievances. She bit her lower lip and was initially very timid, speaking in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz. But the more she spoke, the more engrossed she became. It was as if she had finally found an outlet for her pent-up grievances, and her spoiled nature became unrestrained.
Qin Jin: "......"
Ji Dian: "......"
Luo Hongfang: "?"
The bandits: "???"
Qin Jin clenched his fist and pressed it to his lips to hide the fleeting smile, then reprimanded, "Yu'er, don't talk nonsense!"
Xue Yu is the name of the wealthy merchant's daughter, and also the identity that Xue Rongyue is temporarily using.
Xue Rongyue seemed somewhat unconvinced, but belatedly realizing her fear under the hostile gazes of the bandits present, she shrank back and said in a bluffing tone, "It was... it was Brother Luo who told me to speak, that's why I spoke..."
Xue Rongyue looked at Luo Hongfang with a pleading gaze: "Right, Brother Luo..."
How could Luo Hongfang deny what he had said in front of so many subordinates? His smile had long since frozen, and the veins on his forehead were throbbing. In the end, he could only force out a sentence through gritted teeth: "It's alright, I'll speak frankly."
Xue Rongyue seemed to find her confidence instantly, and raised her head: "Then I will continue."
Qin Jin: "......"
Ji Dian: "......"
The bandits: "..."
"You...have something else?" Luo Hongfang's smile completely vanished, and he gritted his teeth and nodded: "...Speak!"
Xue Rongyue sneered inwardly, but maintained her arrogant and oblivious demeanor on the surface. She didn't forget to look at Qin Jin smugly and said, "Brother Luo is broad-minded. I told you not to be so formal. You are indeed too cautious. No wonder Brother Luo said that to you."
First, she flattered Luo Hongfang, then Xue Rongyue launched into a long tirade: "How can you use the same pot for stewing soup and cooking vegetables? There are so many stains on it that can't be cleaned off. When the maid went to check the kitchen, she found a nest of rats hiding under the pots and pans. One of them even ran into the wine jar, and when she opened it, there were several dead rats floating on top. It's so filthy, I feel disgusted. How could I possibly eat anything like this?!"
"And what about the bed sheets and blankets? They're all moldy, how can we use them? There's a thick layer of grease in the teacups, they haven't been cleaned properly. And look, this is clearly a banquet, the pig hair on the stewed pig's trotters hasn't been plucked off, and the table is all greasy..."
The bandits stopped laughing and joking, their faces all grim as they stared intently at the wine jar on the table. Luo Hongfang also put down his wine cup, his gaze constantly scanning the half-eaten stewed pig's trotters. Sure enough, he discovered several densely packed pig hairs growing together.
Over the years, they have colluded with the government and exploited the people. Although they live on this mountain, they consider themselves to be living more comfortably than the landlords and gentry down below. In particular, the bandits who can appear at this banquet are all trusted by Luo Hongfang, are wealthy, and have maids and servants serving them in their rooms. They are no longer people struggling to fill their stomachs.
Not to mention Luo Hongfang, who had lived a life of luxury since birth, with food and clothing provided for him. Even after the Luo family was destroyed, he was still trusted by the officials because of his connections. Later, he even became the leader of a bandit gang in a neighboring county.
Upon hearing Xue Rongyue's words, the others were fine, but Luo Hongfang's face turned ashen, his stomach churned, and he almost vomited. He glared at the head of the kitchen with a sinister look and kicked him, shouting, "Is this the job you've done?!"
The manager was kicked to the ground, his internal organs throbbing with pain. After getting up, he quickly knelt down and begged for mercy.
"That manager deserves to die." Xue Rongyue was startled by Luo Hongfang's sudden kick and took a step back. Then she said arrogantly, "Young Master Qin can't eat peanuts, but four out of the five dishes on this table have peanuts. I don't like spicy food, but four out of the five dishes are spicy. Isn't this obviously targeting me and Young Master Qin?"
Luo Hongfang never expected that his test would have such a big twist and turn. Although he was satisfied with the result, he still couldn't laugh when he saw the pig hair on the stewed pig's trotters.
Suppressing his anger, he waved his hand, and some bandits stood up, grabbed his clothes, and dragged the steward, who was kowtowing and begging for mercy, away.
Although he had dealt with the steward, looking at the food and wine on the table, not to mention others, even he himself found it difficult to pick up his chopsticks. The group sat there for a while, and in the end, this banquet, which had just begun, could not continue. Luo Hongfang's face was ugly, and he got up and left in a huff.
Liu Ge followed behind Luo Hongfang, forcing a smile as he advised, "...Since she understands dietary taboos so well, it at least confirms Xue Yu's identity once again. She really is a foolish person; she can talk a lot when asked to speak. Her refusal to eat the food we bring isn't out of suspicion, she just thinks the food is unclean..."
Before he could finish speaking, Luo Hongfang, who was walking angrily ahead, suddenly changed his expression, grabbed a green tree beside him, and vomited so badly that he seemed to lose all sense of time.
Even as he vomited, Luo Hongfang managed to force out two words, warning, "...Shut up!"
Liu Ge: "..."
Liu Ge scratched his head sheepishly, then lowered his head, not daring to say another word.
On the other side, Xue Rongyue and Qin Jin walked out of the main hall together.
When they reached a place where no one was around, Xue Rongyue couldn't help but sigh, "Luo Hongfang is indeed not a smart person."
Qin Jin glanced at her sideways.
Xue Rongyue sighed, "I'm on his territory. Even if he suspects me, there's no need to set up such a grand trap. He could just imprison me or kill me. Why bother with all this probing?"
Qin Jin said, "He wants to appease us temporarily; he wants to leave Lin County."
Xue Rongyue shook her head after hearing this: "He just wanted to appease you. It seems he relies on you a lot, otherwise he could have just killed you and me. But at this critical juncture, even the most capable subordinate is not as important as one's own safety. It is better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free." "Fortunately, he is not smart, which saves a lot of trouble. Tonight, we'll see what you can do."
Xue Rongyue let out a long sigh, lifted her eyelids, raised their tightly clasped hands, and looked at Qin Jin: "Aren't you going to let go?"
They had walked so far from the main hall, and the courtyard where she was temporarily staying was right in front of them. Qin Jin held her hand all the way and hadn't let go until now.
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Author's Note: The bandit matter will be resolved in the next chapter, and a letter from Chang'an is also on its way. [Let me see][Let me see]
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