"This guy..."
Sun Jian shook his head and smiled bitterly, then left the alley.
...
The next day, at noon.
At the entrance of Baihualou, Lao Jiang arrived as promised and reported the information he had gathered to Sun Jian.
Upon learning that his three wives were in the dungeon under solitary guard and were not in any danger, Sun Jian finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Compared to being tortured by the prefect's son, being kept in prison was already a stroke of luck amidst misfortune.
"Old Jiang, you really are a capable person. You usually don't show off, but you can always find out useful information at crucial moments."
"Could it be that you have another uncle working in the county town?" Sun Jian asked jokingly.
Old Jiang scratched his head, chuckled a few times, and said, "No way, I'm just an ordinary citizen."
"It wasn't my ability that allowed me to get this information; it was all thanks to Lord Wang and Governor Yao."
"oh?"
Sun Jian was somewhat puzzled. What did this have to do with Magistrate Wang and Governor Yao?
“When I was gathering information yesterday, I ran into one of Governor Yao’s subordinates, the same man who almost stabbed me when I went to Juxianlou to find you the other day.”
“He told me all this information, and he said he had been looking for us in Hongnong County for an entire afternoon, just in case we impulsively tried to break us out of prison.”
"I heard that Governor Yao sent several groups of people to find us. We really owe this to Governor Yao! He was very considerate of us. His subordinate said that Governor Yao also ordered someone to bring his official seal and forcibly demanded that the prefect not abuse torture. The case could only be tried and opened after he arrived, and no interrogation was allowed in the meantime. This is how the three ladies were spared the ordeal of interrogation."
Old Jiang was talking about the information he had gathered.
Sun Jian sighed helplessly. Upon reflection, he realized that he had acted too hastily and impulsively that day. He would remember Governor Yao's kindness, but he would have to pay for the trouble caused by the prefect.
"This is the location of the dungeon. Governor Yao's subordinates have told you to rest assured that the three ladies are unharmed."
Sun Jian took the rough map from Lao Jiang and nodded: "Thanks, Lao Jiang, I owe you a lot this time."
“Sun Jian, you’re being too polite to talk to me like that. When I was almost starving to death, you were the one who pulled me out of the woods. I will always remember that kindness.”
"By the way, my subordinate also told me to tell you not to cause a scene at the government office, and even more so, not to break people out of prison. That will only make things worse. Governor Yao and the others are already thinking of a solution."
Sun Jian smiled and said, "Alright, Lao Jiang, I understand. You don't need to worry about the rest; I'll handle it myself."
Sun Jian knew that Governor Yao was thinking of him, but he couldn't be rational about the matter.
He was not a subject brainwashed by the emperor's policies of controlling the people during the feudal dynasty, nor was he a timid and fearful fool.
He was a time traveler with a 21st-century mindset, and he couldn't bear to watch his three wives suffer in prison while he could only wait for someone else to rescue them.
What a load of bull! What a load of bull! What a load of bull! Prefect! Anyone who dares to cross him will surely die!
"Alright then, I've delivered what I needed to. This is the prefectural capital, not our county. Be careful in everything you do. I'm leaving now."
"good."
Sun Jian nodded sincerely.
After exchanging a few pleasantries with Lao Jiang and giving him some instructions on potato planting, Sun Jian watched Lao Jiang drive away in his donkey cart.
Sun Jian stood there, lost in thought for a long time, until a woman's soft figure almost knocked him over, which brought him back to his senses.
"Holy crap, is this a staged accident?"
Sun Jian instinctively pulled the woman into his arms.
Although the woman was dressed in coarse cloth, it could not hide her extremely voluptuous figure. The feel of her skin was firm yet soft, simply amazing.
Looking down, the woman appeared to be around 17 years old, with delicate features and a pretty face. Although she was without makeup and her skin was a bit tanned, she was undeniably a beauty in the making.
"ah……"
The woman looked terrified and quickly broke free from Sun Jian's embrace, trembling with fear.
Sun Jian was dumbfounded: "No way, girl, you're the one who threw yourself into my arms, how come it's like I molested you?"
"Ah! Don't come any closer!"
The woman ignored Sun Jian, instead grabbing his sleeve and hiding behind him, while also looking fearfully at the crowd not far ahead.
Sun Jian then realized that the woman wasn't afraid of him; she was probably being watched.
Turning my head, I saw a young man walking around the corner, looking at me with an extremely lewd and obscene gaze.
The man was dressed in brocade robes and luxurious attire, but he had a pockmarked face and looked disgusting.
Seeing the woman hiding behind Sun Jian only fueled his lust: "Little lady, why are you running away? I haven't had my fill of sex today..."
"Don't worry, I'm good at things between men and women, I'll definitely make you feel comfortable."
"There's a dead end ahead. Hiding won't help. My men have already blocked all the forks in the road. You can't escape..."
"Damn, that's really obscene."
Sun Jian gasped.
But thinking about it carefully, it makes sense. In this turbulent world, human life is as worthless as grass. The grain collection team led by the prefect dared to kill villagers indiscriminately, so what is it to molest women in broad daylight?
He didn't want to get involved in other people's business and tried to break free from the woman's grip on his clothes and turn away, but he didn't expect the woman to treat him like a lifeline and refuse to let go. He tried to break free by force, thinking that he would probably throw the woman away.
Sun Jian was speechless and tried to advise her: "Young lady, I don't know you. Why are you grabbing me? If you're really scared, it's better to pick up the butcher knife from that stall than to grab my clothes."
The woman remained silent, still hiding behind Sun Jian, trembling all over.
"Daughter, daughter, are you alright...?"
At that moment, an elderly man, nearing sixty with graying temples, suddenly emerged from another part of the crowd on the street.
The old man was very thin and had a severe hunchback. He walked with a limp and looked terrified.
He ran up behind Sun Jian and asked about his daughter's condition.
Like the woman, they were both dressed in coarse linen clothes, their bodies covered in patches, and their hands calloused from heavy labor. It was clear that they were from the poorest of families.
It seems the old man had his daughter late in life, but whatever the case, their affair has nothing to do with Sun Jian.
Sun Jian himself had a mess to clean up, so he had no time to deal with these trivial matters; he wasn't a savior.
Just as he was about to turn and leave, the man with a pockmarked face made a harsh statement to Sun Jian.
"Kid, get out of the way, or I'll break your legs."
If the pockmarked man hadn't said that, Sun Jian really wouldn't have bothered with such things. But he couldn't tolerate being insulted for no reason.
"oh?"
"Then I want to see how you break my legs if I refuse to leave today."
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