The two had just reached the side gate when they saw Guan Hu come out. Startled, Lan Ya Mei quickly rubbed some dirt off the wheels of the car and, under the guise of wiping sweat, smeared it on her face.
"Brother Guan!" Liu Jianping greeted Guan Hu warmly upon seeing him, and quickly unloaded a jar of wine from the car, saying to him, "This jar is a new product, cherry wine brewed in early summer. It tastes just right now. This is the only jar I have, specially made for you." He then stuffed it into Guan Hu's arms.
Guan Hu was very satisfied and accepted it without hesitation.
He glanced up and saw an unfamiliar face at the back of the car, frowned, and asked, "Who is she?"
"Oh, a poor girl, helping to push the cart and unload goods, earning a meager living as a laborer," Liu Jianping explained with a smile.
Guan Hu didn't ask any more questions. He patted Liu Jianping on the shoulder and said, "You're busy. I'm going out right away. I have some errands to run." He then ordered his servant to take the cherry wine back to his room.
I successfully followed the truck into the yard and was helping to unload the goods. I was looking for an opportunity.
Suddenly, they heard a woman crying and screaming from the other side of the low flower wall, mixed with the sound of whipping, which was very pitiful.
One of the servants helping to unload the goods explained, "A few disobedient maids refused to serve customers. After a few tidying-up sessions and a few days of starvation, they'll behave."
Although Lan Ya Mei sympathizes with the situation, she cannot change the way society operates and can only feel regret.
A somewhat familiar voice was heard from the other side of the low wall, pleading in terror, "Stop hitting me, let me go, I can redeem myself, I have a luminous pearl, I'll give it all to you."
"A luminous pearl! You have a luminous pearl and you want to be someone else's maid? I think you're treating me like a stupid pig!" A male voice mocked and lashed the girl a few more times, causing her to cry out in pain.
The girl said in a tearful voice, "I do, I really do, I'd rather die than lie to you."
All I got in return was a round of ridicule, and then it fell silent, except for the sound of sobbing.
Lan Yamei originally intended to sneak in and follow Master Xuyu, but upon hearing the name Ye Mingzhu, she vaguely felt that this person might be Pei Feiyan's maid, Ling'er. The voice did sound familiar, which distracted her.
Given Pei Feiyan's audacity in committing that act, it's understandable that the maids and servants in the courtyard would suffer as a result. Could it be that Ling'er was sold off?
At this moment, he had no more interest in following the fake Taoist priest; he only thought about how to rescue Ling'er.
After unloading the goods, he took twenty coins from Liu Jianping as a reward for his hard work, thanked his elder brother profusely, and then they parted ways.
Rescuing Ling'er by stealing or robbing is unrealistic. We need to find a way to get her out without anyone noticing.
Asking the Murong family is definitely out of the question! Who would let an accomplice who harmed their master get away with it? Even if they weren't involved, they can't escape responsibility. Not beating them to death on the spot is already an act of mercy.
Lan Yamei walked slowly along the street, pondering.
"Tofu pudding, tofu pudding, hot tofu pudding, only 2 coins a bowl. Girl, would you like a bowl of tofu pudding?" A slightly hunched old man promoted the dish to Lan Yamei as she approached.
Having no better idea, I simply sat down and ordered a bowl of tofu pudding, then borrowed half a bowl of water from the old man to wash my face clean.
The stall consists of only one table, located under the eaves of a distillery at the end of the street; it's tiny.
Lan Yamei's arrival kept the tofu pudding stall from being too deserted. The old lady was quite nimble, and although her hands trembled a little, she was very skilled and quickly filled a full bowl and served it to her.
The delicate, smooth tofu pudding is topped with a rich spice sauce, sprinkled with a few boiled soybeans, and drizzled with a small spoonful of chili oil. Finally, a wooden spoon is placed on the side of the bowl, and the meal is served.
It smells good; it's made in the traditional way of northern China for making tofu pudding. However, it's not spicy enough. It would be even more fragrant with garlic oil, and some scallions should also be added to make it look better.
Perhaps it's a difference between ancient and modern times, but seeing that the old man only had chili oil, I asked, "Uncle, can I add some more chili oil?"
"Okay, okay." The old man hurriedly took the bowl away, added a little more chili oil, and brought it back. He was always smiling and didn't seem to mind the trouble.
Lan Yamei took a bite. It was delicate, smooth, and very fragrant. It retained the original flavor of the beans and had a sweet aftertaste. She couldn't help but praise, "Uncle, your tofu pudding smells so good. Why isn't business very good?"
"Hey! This is a simple snack, not very filling. Many people make it at home, so not many people are willing to buy it. Most of the customers who are willing to come here find it troublesome to make, so they just spend two coins to eat a bowl here," the old man said honestly.
Lan Yamei thought it made sense and asked, "How much money can the old man make in a day?"
The old man looked troubled, thinking that the other woman also wanted to enter the business and compete with him. He opened and closed his mouth a few times before asking, "Young lady, you also want to sell this?"
Lan Ya Mei quickly waved her hand and said, "No, no, no, sir, I don't sell this. I run a food stall at home, and business is quite good."
The old man was relieved and a smile appeared on his face. "What good fortune! My little stall only makes thirty or forty coins a day, and the profit is barely enough for my grandson and me to make a living. I'm too old to do other work, so we'll just have to take it one day at a time!"
Lan Yamei glanced at the little boy; he was five or six years old, a bit thin, and not very lively. He sat obediently by the bucket, playing with a few pebbles in his hand.
"How old is your grandson? Does he come out to set up his stall with you every day?"
“There are only three people left in my family. My son has difficulty walking, and my wife died young. The whole family depends on this little stall to make a living. I come here every day, rain or shine.” The old man’s eyes were cloudy but showed great resilience.
He then pointed to the distillery, saying, "The owner is a good person; he agreed to let me use the space in front of his shop. All the other shops complained that I was blocking their business."
Hearing this, Lan Yamei, despite being covered in lice herself, felt a surge of compassion and wanted to lend a hand. She knew she couldn't solve everyone's problems, so she would help those she met.
This suddenly gave her an idea to save Ling'er. "Uncle, I have a distant cousin who was sold to the brothel, and her family asked me to redeem her. But I'm a woman and can't get into that place. Could you pretend to be her family member and redeem her for me? I'll definitely reward you handsomely."
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