Ji Xinhe brought in some hot water to wash her face. As she bent over, she could see the reflection in the water of what looked like bruises that ran down her neck.
Ji Xinhe clenched her teeth. This beast of a man!
When they left the house, Ji Xinhe was bundled up so tightly that half of her face was covered, revealing only her sparkling eyes. She looked just like a penguin.
Xiao Bei stared blankly and said, "Sister, why are you wearing so much today?"
Ji Xinhe glanced at Mu Houchu and said icily, "I’m cold."
Xiao Bei swallowed, "Oh..."
Although they got up late in the morning, they still managed to catch the morning market. By the time they arrived, there were already quite a few people waiting.
"Why are you so late today? I thought you weren’t coming. Give me half a jin of fermented tofu," a granny said.
Ji Xinhe gave an embarrassed smile and replied, "It’s too cold, I accidentally overslept."
The granny grumbled at Mu Houchu, "Your wife overslept, and you didn’t think to wake her up? Can’t believe you as a husband!"
Ji Xinhe’s eyes widened, "I’m not..."
Mu Houchu nodded, "She sleeps more in winter. Next time, I will wake her earlier and won’t let everyone wait."
"Aye!" The granny took the half a jin of fermented tofu packaged by Xiao Bei, paid the money, and left with a satisfied smile.
"I..." Before Ji Xinhe could explain, the granny’s figure had disappeared into the crowd.
"Mu Chu!" Ji Xinhe growled at him.
But Mu Houchu just lifted his chin, "Why are you standing there? There are a lot of people waiting to buy."
Ji Xinhe had no time to deal with him and quickly went back to work.
At the corner of Mu Houchu’s mouth, a barely detectable smile emerged, with a hint of childish satisfaction.
As business was booming, a commotion suddenly broke out among the crowd.
"Step aside! Make way! Government business, none of you should block the path!" A government official’s ferocious voice echoed.
Ji Xinhe felt an inexplicable unease in her heart, and her movements ceased.
The people who were about to buy pickles were scared and quickly moved away, not daring to block the walkway. Instantly, the bustling morning market quieted down, and a wide passage cleared in the middle of the street.
Several government officials walked majestically down the street, with swords hanging from their waists. Their faces looked fierce. With their loud shouts, all the common people were scared white and didn’t dare to lift their heads.
Ji Xinhe’s face turned serious, and she paused her movements, not daring to make rash moves. Xiao Bei, who was seeing this scene for the first time, was a little scared and huddled close to Ji Xinhe. She whispered to him, "Don’t be afraid, sister is here."
Xiao Bei nodded and huddled even closer to her.
Mu Houchu stood to the side, his face as unemotional as ever, but there was a deep somberness in his eyes.
An official grabbed a man who was trying to hide and shouted, "Who are you!"
The man shivered in fear and quickly said, "Sir, I’m just an ordinary man. I’m just out to go to the market. Please, spare me!"
The official shouted, "An ordinary man, then why are you avoiding me when you see me?!"
The man was almost in tears, "I...I was just afraid. Your presence is so intimidating. I was just shocked. I was wrong. Please, spare me just this once!"
As he spoke, the man knelt on the ground and bowed repeatedly.
The official asked, "How do you confirm your identity?"
"I live in Changlong Alley. My family has been living there for generations. I come to the market every day. If you don’t believe it, you can check. I’m clean, I’ve never done anything illegal or inappropriate!" The man continued to bow, with snot and tears flying out of him.
The head official kicked him away, "Scram! We’ll be going to Changlong Alley to check on you soon. If you’ve lied at all, I’ll chop you up!"
"Yes, yes, I wouldn’t dare! I wouldn’t dare!" The man ran off as if he’d been pardoned, looking relieved.
The group of officials then began to randomly question people in the crowd.
Ji Xinhe guessed that they were probably looking for someone.
She suddenly remembered what had happened the night before. Mu Houchu had gone out late at night and returned injured. Even the doctor couldn’t look at him, and he could only bandage himself up. Today, a group of officials came to arrest people. Was it all related?
As she pondered this, she felt her heart race.
The officers questioned a circle of people, then their leader’s gaze swept over the crowd and landed on Mu Houchu, who was standing next to Ji Xinhe.
There were many people in the morning market, and it was noisy. They weren’t standing at the front, so logically, they shouldn’t have been noticed. However, Mu Houchu was taller than others and had an outstanding temperament, so being singled out was not surprising.
"You! Who are you?" An official pointed at him and asked.
Mu Houchu stood there, his face expressionless, not saying a word and showing no emotion, but he exuded a deterring aura that inspired fear in others.
The official felt an inexplicable panic in his heart, backed up a step, but still tried to maintain his composure and shouted. Seemingly trying to showcase his might, he elevated his voice. However, he didn’t even dare to look at Mu Houchu’s face now.
"I asked you a question!"
"A man from Yangluo Bay!" Ji Xinhe beat him to it.
The official glanced at Ji Xinhe, "You know him?"
An enthusiastic granny standing close by quickly chimed in, "These two are a couple. They’re people from Yangluo Bay. They sell pickles here every day. We all know them!"
People around them chimed in, "Yeah, they do business here every day, they’re definitely from Yangluo Bay."
Ji Xinhe’s eyes widened in surprise. How did they become a publicly acknowledged couple?!
Ji Xinhe, a bit unwilling, wanted to speak up, "I..."
Mu Houchu nodded, "Yes, we are a couple."
The official then turned to Xiao Bei, "Who is he to you?"
Xiao Bei glanced at Ji Xinhe, whose face was turning darker, and at Mu Houchu, who was nonchalantly unaffected. He blinked his eyes and obediently answered, "My brother-in-law."
The sound of Ji Xinhe grinding her teeth was faintly audible.
The official glanced at them, feeling that there was not much else to ask. He then shouted, "Now a fugitive has escaped. The county magistrate has ordered that the fugitive must be captured at all costs! Anyone who dares to harbor the fugitive will have their whole family executed! If anyone sees a foreigner with injuries, they must report to the government immediately. Otherwise..."
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