Chapter 12: News of the son?
Dai Li only twisted her ankle slightly; it wasn't serious. She was able to walk again after resting at the mansion for two days.
For the past two days, Yunrong has been visiting her every day, chatting about everything under the sun, doing her best to cheer Daili up and make her very happy. In addition, Yunrong never comes empty-handed, and the gifts she brings are better each time. So, in just two days, the two of them have become close friends and call each other sisters.
“Sister Yun, I have been in Nankang County for a long time and have never left the manor. Now that I can walk, why don’t we go out for a stroll together?” Dai Li asked her opinion, but in reality she was already beckoning to the maid to help her change her clothes.
Yunrong hesitated, "Sister, it takes a hundred days to recover from a broken bone. Why don't you rest at home?"
If she goes outside and gets hurt, she won't be able to explain it to Lord Qin.
Dai Li didn't care at all. "It's just a little twist, my leg isn't broken. Besides, we're going out in a carriage, we won't walk far."
Yunrong continued, "My husband will be hosting a banquet this evening, and he will certainly bring you along. If we return late..."
"It's still early!" Seeing that she still wanted to say more, Dai Li simply said, "If Sister Yun doesn't want to accompany me, just say so. I can go out and wander around by myself."
Having said all that, Yunrong could no longer persuade him, so she had no choice but to have a horse harnessed and accompany this ancestor out.
Dai Li then revealed a satisfied smile.
That smile was genuine. In the past two days, that person had secretly searched the Jiang residence but had not found any trace of Zhouzhou. It seemed that his son was indeed not at home.
If it's not in the manor, then we'll have to go outside and look.
The wheels rumbled over the stone slabs, heading towards the bustling city. After leaving the mansion, the tranquility was gradually swallowed by the noise, and a lively aroma of fireworks wafted through the hanging curtains.
Dai Li lifted a corner of the carriage curtain, letting in the warm sunlight, and she saw the bustling streets. Vendors lined up one after another, their stalls teeming with people, and their goods were plentiful and dazzling.
Dai Li's brows relaxed a bit.
The dancers' indifferent attitude towards the corpses led her to believe that they were used to death, and with the rampant salt smuggling, she thought the world was in utter chaos.
The bustling city gave her a sense of security. Perhaps the world was indeed in bad shape, or perhaps chaos was imminent, but everything takes time, and chaos could not arrive overnight.
Take the late Eastern Han Dynasty as an example. From the Yellow Turban Rebellion to the abdication of Emperor Xian of Han, there was a full thirty-six years in between. For those with shorter lifespans, that would be a lifetime.
Dai Li desperately hoped that this "unrest" was just the beginning and had not yet reached a bad point.
The first stop on the outing was a silk shop, a favorite among young ladies. As a local, Yunrong naturally acted as their guide. She had chosen Ruixiang Silk Shop, a large shop with a spotless facade. There were two or three donkey carts and a horse-drawn carriage parked at the entrance, and neatly dressed maids carrying bundles of fabric came out.
It is obvious that this silk shop attracts high-end customers.
As soon as the carriage came to a stop, the quick-witted young servant from the silk shop rushed over like a whirlwind, carrying a small stool. He placed the stool at the carriage door, and if the guards hadn't been blocking him, he would have even tried to open the car door for him.
This is a horse-drawn carriage; very few households in the entire Nankang County own one.
Upon seeing Yunrong stepping out of the carriage, the maid's smile became obsequious: "So that's why there were magpies singing on the branches today. It turns out it's you, Madam Lord. Please come in."
Yunrong turned around and spoke warmly to the girl still in the carriage. Soon, the second person in the carriage also got off, bringing with her a very pleasant fragrance.
The maid stood there stunned until the two entered the silk shop before she finally came to her senses.
It was the end of the 9-11 AM time, the busiest time for customers. Dai Li saw young women shopping for clothes in groups, as well as many women with their hair in a bun.
With more people, there are naturally more noises—people chatting, discussing materials, and instructing their servants.
Dai Li vaguely heard someone say:
"I've heard that there have been quite a few more refugees lately, and that dilapidated temple in the eastern suburbs has almost become a battleground for them."
“My son told me that he went out for a spring outing yesterday and saw about ten people inside the dilapidated temple. They were all of different ages, from nearly sixty to just a child. They were all dressed in tattered clothes.”
"The number of refugees has increased sharply, probably due to a natural disaster somewhere, which in turn has led to man-made disasters. With this combination of natural disasters and man-made disasters, who knows how many more people will be displaced."
"That's right. My son said he saw a boy of eight or nine years old there. He had fair skin, was dressed better than most people, and had short hair. I don't know if the kidnappers cut his hair."
"It must have been the kidnappers; they're experts at this kind of disguise..."
Dai Li didn't hear the rest of what was said. Those few keywords were like a sponge that had absorbed water and expanded wildly, completely occupying her mind.
Eight or nine years old, fair skin, short hair...
Could it be Zhouzhou?!
"Hey, little sister, where are you going? Didn't we agree to come and look at clothes?" Yunrong saw Daili suddenly turn around and leave, and subconsciously reached out to pull her back.
Dai Li's arm was grabbed, pulling her wandering thoughts back. She stood still for a moment, listening expressionlessly as the person beside her called her name several times.
"Sister, what's wrong with you?" Yun Rong felt a sense of unease.
Dai Li finally turned to look at her, her eyes slightly red. "Sister Yun, I just heard them say that there are refugees outside the city, and there are even children among them. They must be starving and naked. How pitiful! How about we send some food to the temple outside the city?" She asked "How about it?" but had already pulled her hand and walked out of the silk shop.
Yun Rong was dumbfounded. After these two days of interaction, she knew that this concubine of the Marquis was an arrogant and overly naive woman. It seemed that heaven had poured all its favors into her physical appearance, but had not left any room for her brain.
But she never expected that, besides being mentally empty, Dai Li would also be overflowing with compassion.
These days, natural disasters and man-made calamities are not uncommon, and there are plenty of pitiful people. It is already kind of people to say a few words of "pitiful" to them, but who has the time to give alms to each and every one of them?
Dai Li had already pulled her into the carriage, and then instructed Yan San, who was accompanying her, to buy some sesame cakes.
The carriage that was originally parked in front of Ruixiang Silk Shop was rerouted out of the county. The carriage was pulled by a strong and healthy horse, which moved very fast. Before long, Dai Li saw a temple.
This place truly deserves the word "dilapidated." The paint on the plaque has faded, the wooden planks are riddled with holes from insects, and the walls are broken and the windows are drafty. It's unclear how many years it has been abandoned.
There is an old saying, "No one should enter a temple," because in ancient times, these temples often housed bandits who were escaping from the authorities' search, which shows how dangerous they were.
However, Dai Li, who had brought her guards, didn't care at all. As soon as the car came to a stop, she couldn't wait to jump out.
The dilapidated temple wasn't large, but it was exceptionally filthy and chaotic; a foul stench hit the nostrils as soon as one entered. A few heads peeked out from inside at the sound, initially assuming it was their own brothers returning, or some foolish person trying to take over their territory, but instead they saw a stunningly beautiful woman.
Just as someone's face showed greed, a man with a short knife at his waist followed closely behind. The man's gaze was sharp as a blade, causing people to instinctively shrink back.
They had knives, were strong and robust, and there was more than one of them.
That's quite a big deal!
Ignoring what others were thinking, Dai Li asked directly, "Do you have a nine-year-old boy with short hair here? Where is he now?"
The refugees looked at each other in bewilderment.
Yunrong recalled the snippets of conversation she had overheard at the silk shop, and a thoughtful look appeared in her eyes.
“Madam Dai once had a nephew who was abducted. She and her brother were very close, and she was heartbroken because of this. Please forgive her, Madam.” Yan San stopped there.
Yunrong suddenly realized.
With this explanation, it's no wonder that Dai Liman was looking for someone in the dilapidated temple later.
Dai Li searched every corner with hope, and did see some children along the way, including the fair-skinned, short-haired child that others had mentioned.
Unfortunately, it wasn't her child.
Dai Li watched the short-haired child wolfing down the flatbread, and her heart ached with a chill.
“Everyone has their own destiny. We’ve done our best. Some things can’t be forced. Sister, let’s go back.” Yunrong covered her nose with a handkerchief, not wanting to stay in this smelly, dilapidated temple for even a moment longer. She thought Daili was still too sympathetic to leave, so she gritted her teeth and said decisively, “Sister, we’ve already given away all our supplies. There’s no point in just standing here now. Why don’t we go back to the manor and have someone send some food over?”
Dai Li, seemingly lost in thought, suddenly looked down at herself, her eyes gleaming, and replied, "Then I'll listen to what you say, sister."
Upon receiving the message, Yunrong walked out without saying a word.
Seeing that no one was paying attention to her, Dai Li quickly pulled off the small bamboo tag that had been hanging at her waist and stuffed it into her sleeve pocket while her back was turned to the crowd. She then used her wide sleeves to cover her waist.
The two left the dilapidated temple and got back into the carriage.
As the carriage returned to Nankang County and entered the bustling streets, Dai Li whispered, "Where's my message?!"
Yunrong immediately looked at Daili's waist and saw that the small wooden tag that had always hung on Daili's waist was indeed gone. Her first thought was that someone in the dilapidated temple was dishonest and had stolen something while Daili was close to her.
"I told you that place wasn't clean!" Yunrong said angrily. "Let's go, turn around and go back."
"You mustn't do that!" Dai Li quickly stopped her, meeting Yun Rong's questioning gaze. She explained in a low voice, "Among the guards who accompanied us out of the manor today were the Lord's men. If we turn back now, the Lord will surely know that I have lost the token of our love."
Yunrong: "So what? With how much he dotes on you, even if he loses it, he can get you a new one."
Dai Li smiled awkwardly: "That's true, but I've already lost it four times before."
Yun Rong: "..."
Yunrong's situation is complicated. She used to show it off every day, so it's normal for her to lose it.
“I was just arguing with him, how can I let him find out about this? He absolutely mustn’t know.” Dai Li grabbed her sleeve: “Good sister, can you do me a favor…”
*
There will be a banquet tonight, and Qin Shaozong will still be the host. However, it is different from before. Since Dai Li is not in any major condition, more female relatives will be participating in tonight's banquet.
When the two arrived at the main hall, Qin Shaozong and Jiang Chonghai were already there, sitting at the head of the table drinking.
A long, graceful figure was drawn into the hall by the setting sun. A gentle breeze carried a delicate fragrance. The man at the head of the table relaxed his long eyebrows, casually set down his wine cup, and stood up.
Qin Shaozong was of considerable height, and it seemed as if he only took a few steps to walk down from the head of the table.
This was Dai Li's first time acting in front of the Jiang family. Just as she was thinking about the appropriate level of intimacy, a strong, long arm suddenly reached out and pulled her into its embrace.
The man held her waist, a smile playing on his lips as he looked down at her. "Madam, you're back? You didn't cause any trouble outside, did you?"
Dai Li's heart skipped a beat.
A note from the author:
----------------------
Here it is! [Let me see]
Does anyone know what Dai Li is planning? [shrug]
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