Traveling day and night
At three quarters past dusk, in Qinzhou City, the twilight deepened.
The main door of the Sushan Xiaoji flagship store, which once welcomed and saw off many customers, now bears a glaring wooden sign that reads "Urgent Sale".
The new manager of the brokerage firm was surnamed Wang. He was as thin as a dried bamboo pole, and his eyes darted around the shop, his gaze filled with undisguised calculation.
After observing for a while, he slowly sipped his tea, smacked his lips, and then began to drawl out, "Master Pei, it's not that I'm saying anything, but your price is far above the market rate. And look at the current situation—rumors of war and chaos are flying everywhere, people are filled with anxiety. Who has the spare money to acquire such a large property? Besides, the fact that you've put up this sign outside makes it clear to everyone that you've encountered some difficulties and are eager to sell..."
As he spoke, he shook his head and held up three withered fingers: "This amount is the highest I can pay, and it has to be cash on delivery, a written contract, and no delays."
Qian Tao was so angry that her face turned red. She was about to argue when Pei Qingwu's glare made her freeze in place.
"Seventy percent, cash, to be settled within half an hour of signing the contract; otherwise, Manager Wang, please do as you see fit."
Upon hearing Pei Qingwu's words, Manager Wang's fake smile froze, and a hint of annoyance flashed in his eyes.
Pei Qingwu's attitude was too resolute, leaving no room for negotiation, which made him feel uncertain.
He quickly calculated—the two shops were in excellent locations, and the items were all of high quality. Although the 70% price was painful for him, he was sure to make a big profit by reselling them.
But Master Pei's situation is so dire...
His eyes darted around, still trying to stall: "Master Pei, this..."
"Show him out," Pei Qingwu interrupted him abruptly.
Upon hearing this, Shi Dayong took a sudden step forward, his burly body exuding an imposing aura.
Shopkeeper Sun was startled by his ruthlessness and swallowed back the bargaining he was about to say. He quickly put on a smile and said, "Oh dear, Boss Pei is so straightforward and efficient! Seventy percent! Seventy percent! Let's sign the contract!"
Yin Lan's fingers trembled as the money was being exchanged.
Those heavy copper coins, strings of silver ingots tied tightly with hemp rope, and a few thin notes that could be exchanged for cash...
They were counted one by one and stuffed into several inconspicuous coarse cloth bundles.
Yinlan bit her lower lip tightly, as if what she was stuffing in wasn't money, but every wisp of sweet aroma wafting from the shop, the kneading and slapping on the cutting board, and the sweat shed by her partners...
The sound of each coin going into her bag felt like a small hammer striking her heart.
Qian Tao held the newly signed contract; that thin piece of paper felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.
She secretly glanced at Pei Qingwu, but the master just watched everything quietly, his eyes as empty as still water.
Only her clenched fists, their knuckles pale from excessive force, betrayed the surging pain and resentment within her.
The last batch of pastries in the shop was carried to the open space at the entrance, and the price was so low that it was almost like giving them away for free.
The news had already spread, and regular customers rushed over, forming a circle around the area.
Granny Chen, with her full head of white hair, walked over shakily, her cloudy old eyes filled with regret: "Master Pei, how could you just sell it like that? Where will we find food from you again?"
A young woman holding a child next to her chimed in, "Yes, boss, my little one only wants the custard filling from your shop; he won't touch any other kind! Can't you wait a while before reopening the shop?"
The cacophony of inquiries was a mix of praise for the pastries and regret for the shop's demise.
Pei Qingwu sighed and forced a smile.
"Thank you all for your support over the years. This turn of events is truly unavoidable. As for the shop..." She paused, "It will be temporarily closed. Perhaps it will reopen someday when things are more peaceful."
After she finished speaking, she nodded slightly in acknowledgment, then turned and retreated into the dark depths of the shop, never to reappear.
All that remained was a murmur of sighs outside the door.
Before it got completely dark, the first group of people quietly set off and left Qinzhou City.
Qiantao and Yinlan, along with Wu Niang and Yu Yi, whose eyes were red and swollen from crying, and Ji Fanghua, whose wrist wound had not yet healed and was being carefully protected by Wen Baizhi, rode in the hired mule cart.
Next, Shi Dayong, along with his wife and children, and Zheng Youning, who agreed to leave with them, chose to head towards the official road at the southern water and land transportation hub.
But the Zhou couple didn't leave.
They were born and raised in Qinzhou, and they were really reluctant to leave. No matter how Pei Qingwu tried to persuade them, they refused to go, so he had no choice but to let them go.
The shop was instantly emptied, leaving only a suffocating silence.
After washing up, Pei Qingwu said to Gu Heng, "Aheng, keep an eye on the gate. I'll be right back."
The destination is the residence of Princess Shouchun.
The gatekeepers at the princess's residence all recognized her. Soon, a familiar-looking nanny strode out and led Pei Qingwu to a secluded waterside pavilion in the princess's garden.
The princess was dressed very simply and plainly today, without any makeup, her hair loosely tied up, and a lingering sorrow lingered between her brows.
Upon seeing Pei Qingwu arrive, she dismissed her attendants, turned around, and asked with a questioning look in her eyes, "Master Pei, what brings you to this so hurried and secretive place? Is it something to do with the shop's cash flow...?"
“Princess,” Pei Qingwu curtsied and got straight to the point: “I have come here to say goodbye. The shop has already been sold, and I will be leaving Qinzhou tonight.”
The princess's eyes widened slightly, a look of surprise flashing across her face: "Leaving Qin Prefecture? So suddenly? You've worked so hard all this time to build this foundation..."
“Foundation?” Pei Qingwu smiled bitterly: “Princess, when a great building is about to collapse, even ants will find it difficult to hide. A mere foundation is nothing more than a floating duckweed.”
"The autumn wind is strong, and the mountain rain is coming. Where the branches and leaves are lush, there may not be a safe place... Princess, you should take good care of yourself and find a safe place to shelter from the wind and rain as soon as possible."
Her words were brief and to the point.
Princess Shouchun's face drained of color instantly, and her hands clenched tightly in her sleeves.
She looked at Pei Qingwu in disbelief, her lips slightly parted, as if she wanted to ask for an explanation.
But soon, all the questions were stuck in his throat.
She knew that this usually calm and resilient woman would never abandon her hard work and flee in panic unless she had foreseen a truly catastrophic disaster.
"I understand." The princess nodded. "Take care on your journey."
All the words in the world can be summed up in these four weighty characters.
Pei Qingwu bowed deeply again, said nothing more, and turned to leave.
After bidding farewell to Zhao Wan and Li Yinzhu, and handing over the profits from these days to the noble ladies who had invested in Sushan Xiaoji, Qinzhou City was completely swallowed up by a thick veil of darkness.
Outside the back door of the Sushan Xiaoji main store, only a half-worn blue cloth mule cart remained, quietly parked.
Gu Heng was carrying luggage upstairs. After taking the last bundle up, the shop was completely empty.
He then tightly bound the coarse cloth bundle containing most of the money to his chest, and covered it with a large, old short brown garment, leaving no trace of it.
Then, after cautiously scanning the quiet alleyways around him and confirming that there was no danger, he nimbly jumped onto the carriage shaft and gripped the reins tightly.
Pei Qingwu held onto the edge of the carriage and looked back one last time at the outline of the shop that was swallowed by darkness.
Then, she closed her eyes, felt a sharp, dull pain in her chest, and abruptly pulled her gaze away, pushing herself up and squeezing into the carriage.
"Giddy up!" Gu Heng shouted in a low voice, flicked his wrist, and the whip tip cracked crisply in the air.
The mule cart swayed and plunged into the unfathomable night of Qinzhou City, rushing hastily towards the unknown south.
Traveling along the bumpy official road, the creaking of the axles became almost the only melody, so monotonous that it was drowsy.
The carriage was cramped and crowded. Pei Qingwu sat at the very back, with his back against the cold carriage wall.
The accumulated exhaustion over the past few days had already exceeded the limit. Every bone in my body was aching and numb with dull pain, especially my shoulders and neck, which were as stiff as two frozen rocks.
My mind felt like it was filled with scalding sand, heavy and chaotic.
She desperately wanted to sleep, even just for a moment, but the discomfort in her body and the fear in her heart clung to her, making even closing her eyes a form of torture.
The car suddenly drove over a ditch and shook violently.
Caught off guard, Pei Qingwu was violently jolted up and down, her stiff neck was jolted hard, and a sharp pain shot from the back of her neck to the top of her head, causing her to let out a suppressed gasp.
"elder sister?"
Gu Heng immediately noticed, lowered his voice to ask, and subconsciously leaned towards her.
“It’s nothing…” Pei Qingwu raised his hand and pressed the back of his neck: “I just got jostled around.”
In the darkness, Gu Heng couldn't see her expression, but he could clearly feel the pain emanating from her body, a pain that was being pushed to the limit.
He frowned, said no more, and silently unfolded his outer robe that was originally draped over his knees, and put it on Pei Qingwu's shoulders.
The clothes, carrying the warmth unique to a young man, tried to dispel the lingering chill emanating from her.
That warmth seeped in, gently tickling her tense nerves.
As dawn approached, the mule cart finally arrived at its first planned rest stop—a small post station located beside the official road.
Gu Heng was the first to jump off the carriage and hurriedly walked into the simple dining area of the post station.
When he came out again, he had a small oil paper package in his hand. He walked quickly to Pei Qingwu, who was leaning on the carriage shaft, slightly frowning as he tried to calm himself down.
“Sister,” he handed over the oil paper package, “have a couple of bites while it’s hot to tide you over. There’s nothing good here, just some freshly roasted chestnuts, which look fairly clean to me.”
As soon as the paper package was opened, the aroma of roasted chestnuts filled the air. The plump chestnuts were roasted until they were glossy and had split open, revealing the golden and oily flesh inside.
Pei Qingwu looked up and met Gu Heng's eyes.
The boy's eyes were also bloodshot from staying up all night, with heavy dark circles under his eyes, and a bit of stubble had appeared on his chin from days of running around.
Yet his gaze remained focused and pure.
"I'm sorry to have troubled you..." she said softly, reaching out to take the bag of chestnuts.
Inevitably, her fingertips touched Gu Heng's fingers, and the temperature seemed even hotter than the chestnuts he offered.
She picked up a chestnut and slowly peeled it open with her fingers.
The familiar sweet and glutinous texture melted on her tongue, and the sweetness, like a gentle warm current, slowly soothed her parched and anxious heart.
She ate quietly, while Gu Heng stood guard a step away.
Before leaving the post station, Gu Heng silently fetched another bag of water and carefully checked whether the water bags tied to the sides of the mule cart were secure.
After getting back on the bus, he somehow got hold of a cotton cushion and placed it behind Pei Qingwu's waist and abdomen.
"The road is bumpy, so we'll cushion it to make it more comfortable."
He only said this in a low voice before sitting back down in the carriage and taking the reins.
The wheels rolled through the dust once more and set off again.
Now Pei Qingwu can finally get some sleep.
The road south was like a long, gray snake with no end in sight, winding through increasingly unfamiliar mountains and fields.
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