Chapter 16 The master's farmhand carried away the concubine brought for good luck.
"Wait a moment, have someone thoroughly inspect the mansion," Master Jia continued to instruct.
"No place can be overlooked."
The butler replied respectfully, "Yes."
While listening to people boasting in the main hall, Xi Shun overheard someone say that the Jia family was currently searching for someone everywhere.
Everyone gets really excited when they talk about this.
Do you know who to look for?
Who is it?
"Tell me about it."
"That's right."
The man raised his chin and said, "The concubine in the manor ran away with a servant, and now they're looking for her everywhere."
“I have relatives working inside, anyway, it’s a complete mess right now.”
"Really? This woman is really restless. She even ran off with a servant. How comfortable is life in the Jia family? I heard that the servants eat meat every meal. And she even eloped with someone."
"You don't know this, do you? That Master Jia might pass away any day now. What's so good about being someone's concubine?"
"That servant is really lucky."
Xi Shun pouted.
These people are really well-informed.
"Not only that, I heard that besides looking for that pair of illicit lovers, there's another one named Xishun who took away a young maid from the manor."
"They'll probably find this place soon; they're searching all over the city right now."
"Hey, the Jia family is quite interesting. Even the servants eloped?"
"Hehe, who can argue with that?"
After hearing this, Xi Shun blinked, quickly ate a few bites of the food on the table, brought over another bowl of rice and dishes, and even gave her a chicken leg before going upstairs.
After going upstairs, he hurriedly knocked on the door.
Baozhu emerged with a phoenix atop her head: "Why are you in such a hurry?"
"Someone's looking for us, we need to keep a low profile." Xi Shun burped because he had eaten too fast and then went upstairs.
"Where should we hide?" Baozhu asked anxiously.
After thinking for a moment, Xi Shun said, "You can eat this bowl of food without rushing."
Xi Shun went downstairs and picked up the boss's son: "Boss, your son is so big! Let my wife share in the good fortune and give me a big, healthy son too!"
The old man chuckled upon hearing this: "Your wife is the girl who lives next door? Did you two have a fight?"
Xi Shun: "Yeah, she won't kick me out if I go up with another kid."
"I don't want to be alone in my room tonight."
The boss smiled and agreed, since it was in the store anyway.
Xi Shun carried him upstairs and asked the waiter to bring up the food he hadn't finished eating: "Come upstairs and eat with my wife."
Baozhu was surprised when he brought up a doll: "What's this?"
“Hold him and feed him.”
Hearing the commotion downstairs, Xi Shun went out to take a look. After opening the door, the two of them ate with their backs to the door, and it was clear that Bao Zhu was holding a child.
"Let's not turn around for a while."
"Luckily we changed our clothes."
The chubby boy was well-behaved and didn't fuss when Baozhu fed him.
When the Jia family members went upstairs, they knocked on each door one by one. When they got to Xishun's room, they saw that the door was not closed and casually glanced inside.
A couple and their child were eating; the door was wide open, and there seemed to be no problem.
"Let's go, there aren't any here."
"Let's look around the west side of the city; there are still inns there."
They checked quickly and left once they saw no one was around.
Seeing so many people, the boss hurried over to check on his son.
The couple smiled as they fed their son, saying, "No need, no need, you guests can eat by yourselves."
"This child is really outgoing and will eat anyone's food."
Xi Shun: "It's alright, he's being good."
He asked, seemingly casually, "What were those people doing just now?"
"What the Jia family is looking for is none of our business as ordinary people."
Xi Shun nodded, then asked the boss with a grin, "Yes, by the way, boss, can I cancel the reservation for the room next to mine that I haven't slept in yet?"
"Me... hehe."
The shop owner chuckled and said, "You two young couple have made up? There's no rule like this, but since you two seem to get along, I'll give you a refund."
Baozhu didn't say anything; she knew that in the eyes of outsiders, they were husband and wife.
"Xiao Bao, let's go downstairs." The boss wanted to carry his son down.
Unexpectedly, the chubby boy wouldn't let go of Baozhu.
"It's alright, boss. We're not going out. Let him stay here and play. We'll help you look after him. Who knows, maybe we can have a cute baby like him someday?"
The boss had no choice but to agree, seeing how firmly he was holding on.
"Well... I'm really sorry, I'll have the waiter bring you two plates of pastries in a bit."
"I can't accept this," Baozhu said at this moment.
"Yes, no need, I'll bring Xiaobao to you in a bit."
Despite saying that, the boss still had the waiter bring over a plate of melon seeds and a plate of fried beans.
Xi Shun pinched Xiao Bao's cheek: "Thanks, Xiao Bao."
Baozhu: "The Jia family is relentlessly pursuing us, and I wonder how Aunt and the others are doing."
Xi Shun was actually a little worried.
But he felt that Ji Huaizhi was no ordinary person and should be fine.
"Stop thinking about it, just wait for them here." Xi Shun grabbed some sunflower seeds and started cracking them open.
"By the way, we're a newlywed couple now, and we're here on business, you know?"
Baozhu nodded: "Shall we share a room tonight?"
Xi Shun looked around the room and said, "I'll sleep on the floor."
"This is also because Ji Huaizhi gave me gold."
Although Baozhu was reluctant, she knew there was nothing she could do about it.
The Jia family had practically turned the entire Jia mansion upside down, but they still couldn't find the person.
The butler looked tremblingly at the master lying on the bed: "Perhaps they really have left the manor?"
"The maid and Xishun haven't been found?"
The steward shook his head: "They searched all the inns with their men, but couldn't find it."
"It is suspected that they left the city."
Master Jia was very tired; he was even panting as he spoke.
"I think they're still in the mansion, watching us from the shadows."
The housekeeper felt a chill run down his spine.
"This... we really did look everywhere, including the garden and the rockery."
When Master Jia closed his eyes, he always felt weak and listless.
"The Jia mansion is so big, hiding someone there would be so easy."
"Bring Aunt Song's family into the mansion tomorrow."
The butler looked up and said, "Yes."
"Tell the guards to keep watch. Now you may leave."
"Yes." The butler left.
As soon as the door closed, a maid came in to trim the candles for the master.
On a dark and windy night, Ji Huaizhi took Song Jiao out to do something naughty.
Seeing that Ji Huaizhi had scattered something outside the house, Song Jiao handed her a torch.
"Go burn it."
Song Jiao: "But there are other innocent people too."
After a moment of silence, Ji Huaizhi said, "Don't worry, they are able-bodied people and can run."
"Besides, they're trying to catch us today."
Song Jiao nodded: "Ji Huaizhi, we can leave after tonight, right?"
Ji Huaizhi: "After tonight, we'll go to the countryside."
Holding the woman's hand, they lit the spot where they had just scattered the contents, the firelight reflecting off their faces.
"Let's find a place with mountains and water, and live a good life there."
Song Jiao looked forward to that kind of day.
The fire burned brighter and brighter.
Someone noticed the firelight over there.
"There's another fire here!"
The guards ran over, and Ji Huaizhi carried her onto the roof.
The torch was still in Ji Huaizhi's hand, and those on the ground could see it clearly.
"They're on the roof."
"Quick! Prepare arrows, or find something to smash them down."
Ji Huai held her in one arm and a torch in the other, creating a beautiful scene on the rooftop.
The people below followed behind in pursuit.
Inside the house that had just caught fire, Madam Jia and Granny Guo shouted, "Help! The Madam's courtyard is on fire!"
The steward led the servants to put out the fire, and when he turned around, he saw that Ji Huaizhi and the others were heading in the direction of the master.
"not good!"
Madam Jia was not burned, but she choked on her lungs.
I couldn't stop coughing.
They didn't react when they heard that they were going to the master's place.
"My yard."
Granny Guo was much better; she was much more quick-witted than Madam Jia: "Madam, it's good that everyone is alright."
Madam Jia rolled her eyes and fainted.
Ji Huai kicked over a brick on Master Jia's roof, and threw the torch inside, whereupon a raging fire broke out.
The guards could only put out the fire first.
"Is it over?" The firelight reflected on their faces. "I have a feeling we're going to be hunted down."
Ji Huaizhi rubbed her head: "Don't worry, it won't happen."
~
When Baozhu opened her door the next day, she unexpectedly ran into Song Jiao, who was opening her door next door.
"Aunt Song!" Baozhu exclaimed excitedly.
“There’s no Aunt Song here. Just call me sister outside.” Song Jiao held his hand.
Xi Shun came out when she heard the noise: "Where's Ji Huaizhi? Why are you alone?"
Song Jiao: "He dropped me off here last night and then went out again, saying he would be back before tonight."
Xi Shun nodded. So, should he leave now or not?
He feared the Jia family might launch a surprise attack, so he wanted to leave as soon as possible.
But Ji Huaizhi wasn't here at the moment, and it wouldn't be good to leave the two of them, weak women, here. Besides, Brother Ji had left him a purse full of gold.
"You all stay inside, I'll go buy breakfast."
Xi Shun stepped aside and went out.
Song Jiao then asked, "Did you share a room yesterday?"
Baozhu: "Yesterday, people from the Jia family came to search for us. We claimed to be husband and wife, but Xishun is a very nice person. He slept on a makeshift bed on the floor in the outer room, and I slept on the bed in the inner room."
Song Jiao nodded: "You're still young. To him, you're just a little sister."
When Xishun came back, he brought back quite a lot of things: steaming hot buns wrapped in oil paper, three bowls of wontons, and a few pancakes he bought on the way.
"You bought so many things back?" Baozhu asked in surprise.
Xi Shun still had a string in his mouth, and a packet had fallen out of his mouth.
"Come on, come on."
"This is really troublesome." Song Jiao is much more easygoing when she's out in public.
“I figured Ji Huaizhi would definitely eat if he came out, so let’s eat first.” Xi Shun rubbed his hands together.
So hot.
"I went out to buy these things to find out some information." As she spoke, Xi Shun looked at Song Jiao and asked, "What did you do at the Jia Mansion? I heard that the Jia Mansion burned down all night."
"The sky was burned red."
Baozhu exclaimed in surprise, "It's even bigger than the fire that burned in the young master's courtyard before?"
“Yes.” Xi Shun nodded: “Moreover, some people say that all the valuables in the Jia family have been looted.”
Song Jiao looked up: "How did it get stolen?"
The common people went to watch the spectacle. Seeing that the Jia mansion was burned to the ground and there weren't many people inside, someone asked, "The Jia mansion is so rich, will we be able to find some treasures if we go in and salvage things?"
Everyone rushed up there in a swarm.
At first, they were genuinely picking them up, but in the end, they were all grabbing them.
The government officials couldn't stop them at all.
Both of them were surprised after hearing what Xi Shun said.
Baozhu glanced at Song Jiao: "How are the master and madam?" She was so curious.
“We didn’t look at it at the time, and Ji Huaizhi just brought me out.” So she didn’t know either.
Xi Shun chimed in, "I know, Master Jia is just like the young master, but the young master is still clinging to life, while the master is not. He was already in poor health."
"Someone saw the lady and said she's gone mad."
"The masters in the other courtyards don't seem to be doing well either, but none of them have been killed."
At this point, Xi Shun felt that Ji Huaizhi was too ruthless.
Although the Jia family's dominance was not a good thing, this time, the Jia family has completely declined.
Sure enough, those who act silently are ruthless.
Just then, there was a knock on the door. The three of them looked towards the door, and Song Jiao immediately got up and opened it. Sure enough, Ji Huaizhi was standing outside, and he had also changed his clothes.
"You're finally back!" she exclaimed, jumping up and down to hug him.
Ji Huaizhi put one arm around her and said, "Mmm."
Xi Shun always felt something was off; she couldn't bear to watch the two of them being so intimate.
"Hehe, perfect timing, brother, you're back, have something to eat." Xishun pushed the food towards the center of the table.
Ji Huaizhi was indeed hungry, and Song Jiao pulled him down to sit and gave him the small wontons in front of her: "Eat quickly."
After eating for a while, Xishun finally spoke: "Is it safe now?"
Ji Huaizhi looked up: "It's safe now, otherwise I wouldn't have come to find you."
“I led the clues to other places, and the pursuers were looking in the opposite direction. Even if they went back to the other side, by then there would be no other clues left.”
Xi Shun clapped his hands: "That's brilliant! How come I never realized you were so cunning before?"
What are your plans now?
After finishing his wonton soup, Ji Huaizhi said, "I want to go to Suzhou. It's known as the land of fish and rice, and it's a great place to live."
Song Jiao couldn't help but chuckle when she saw that he had even thought of this.
When do you plan to leave?
Ji Huaizhi: "Today."
Xi Shun nodded: "Since you have a plan, then I wish you a safe journey, brother."
At this point, Xishun couldn't help but glance at Baozhu: "You're going with a maid?"
Song Jiao then said, "Once we leave the Jia family mansion, Baozhu will no longer be a maid. From now on, she will be my sister, and we will address each other as sisters when we are out in the world."
“Auntie…” Baozhu was touched and almost called her by the wrong name again: “Sister Song.”
Xi Shun looked at Bao Zhu and sighed, "You were lucky to have married Aunt Song back then."
"Mansions and courtyards are places that devour people; you're lucky to be alive."
Baozhu: "I know I'm lucky."
Ji Huaizhi asked Xishun about his plans.
The other party said they needed to go out and avoid the limelight.
"Should we come along?" Ji Huaizhi was also worried that if he left, he would be targeted.
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