"You don't understand, do you? Although they will eventually find out that the contents are missing, it's better to find out later than sooner. Besides, I won't take their money for nothing. I've prepared a surprise for them. This box is a very important part, and the lock on it must be intact so that it can have a special effect."
"You seem like a really capable person. Can you help me figure out a way? Where could they have hidden the key? Or maybe you know how to pick locks?" Hong Xiaoduo asked ingratiatingly.
The man sighed and rubbed his forehead, speechless. "Young lady, do you have some misunderstanding about me? Otherwise, how do you think I know how to pick this lock?"
"Misunderstanding? No, knowing how to pick a lock doesn't mean you're a bad person. Fine, I can't help it if you insist on thinking that way. I'll find the key myself. Something as important as the key is definitely under the pillow or hanging on my clothes." After saying that, she went to lift the bed curtains again.
The man strode forward again and blocked her way, causing Hong Xiaoduo to frown.
Seeing that she was about to get angry, the man said helplessly, "How can you, an unmarried young lady, not know shame?"
After saying that, he sighed helplessly and pushed Hong Xiaoduo away a little, saying, "Turn around, I'll help you find the key."
Earlier in the courtyard, he overheard the couple inside doing something. They were having marital relations when they were drugged with incense. One can only imagine what an appalling scene must be unfolding inside the bed curtains.
Seeing that she had turned away, the man parted the bed curtains, and sure enough, there were two naked bodies inside.
The man picked up the pillow with disgust and, sure enough, saw the key underneath.
Just as he was about to lower the bed curtains, he noticed that the two naked people were showing signs of waking up. He gritted his teeth, reached out and pressed their pressure points to put them to sleep, and carefully pulled the bed curtains closed to make sure there were no gaps before turning around and walking over: "Take it."
As soon as Hong Xiaoduo turned around, she realized why this person had stopped her from lifting the bed curtains time and time again. This person was actually quite nice!
Hearing the sound, he turned around, happily took the key, and opened the wooden box. Inside were a dozen silver ingots, several silver notes, and a few gold beads.
The man watched as Hong Xiaoduo, her eyes gleaming, took everything from the box into the bundle. Then, she took out a cloth bag from her waist. As she excitedly opened the bag to reveal its contents, the man thought he was seeing things. He rubbed his eyes and looked again, confirming that he wasn't mistaken; the contents of her cloth bag were indeed paper money.
She put all the paper money into the box, locked it, put it back in its original place, and arranged the shoes according to her memory.
"Could you please put this back where it belongs?" Hong Xiaoduo said with a smile, handing the key to the man.
The man reluctantly took the key, put it back in its place, and watched as she wrapped up her haul for the day, tied it around her waist, and told the man to leave.
After the two closed the door, this time without Hong Xiaoduo saying anything, the man used his dagger to put the bolt back on, and when he turned around, he saw Hong Xiaoduo giving him a thumbs up.
After the two reached the base of the wall, Hong Xiaoduo looked up at the wall and didn't move.
The man leaped over the wall in one bound. Inspired by his actions, Hong Xiaoduo also leaped over the wall. After landing, she saw the man standing there waiting for her.
“I’m sorry, I have a use for this silver, and I didn’t want it for myself, so it’s impossible for you to share the spoils,” Hong Xiaoduo said first.
The man was speechless for the umpteenth time today: "I have no intention of sharing the spoils. I just want to ask what the meaning is of the paper money? Aren't you afraid they'll find out and report it to the authorities?"
"Don't worry about that. Once they find the paper money inside, they definitely won't dare to report it to the authorities because they've done something immoral and they'll feel guilty," Hong Xiaoduo said confidently.
"So, are you planning to rob the rich to help the poor?" the man asked, still curious.
Hong Xiaoduo looked at the man in front of her. Since it concerned the safety of Shen and her daughter, as well as the members of the Beggars' Gang, she dared not tell the truth to this man.
"I'm sorry, I can't tell you the truth, and I don't want to lie to you."
Seeing her troubled expression, the man nodded: "I apologize for my intrusion. Shall I take you back?"
Hong Xiaoduo waved her hands repeatedly and said, "No need to see me off, no need to see me off. It's the middle of the night, and you must be tired after all this. Let's say goodbye here."
Since she had said that, it wouldn't be appropriate for the man to stay any longer. Besides, he could tell that if he didn't leave first, she wasn't planning on leaving.
Are you on guard now?
Seeing that he had left and gone far away, Hong Xiaoduo then walked along the shadowy corner of the wall and went directly to the Beggars' Gang's courtyard.
I thought it would be inconvenient to come at this time, but I saw that there was still a beggar guarding the door. He didn't stop her as usual, and even whistled into the room, probably to pass on a message.
After Hong Xiaoduo entered the courtyard, someone came to greet her with a lantern and escorted her directly to the storage room in the backyard.
She gently called to the person inside, and only went in after receiving a response.
The Shen mother and daughter stood by the bed, wearing robes, watching her, seemingly with some arrangements or instructions in mind.
Hong Xiaoduo took off the bundle from her waist and handed it to the mother and daughter, telling them to use it for travel expenses. She would discuss the specific arrangements with Uncle Zhou later.
Upon receiving the package, Shen immediately knew what was inside by touch. She pulled her daughter to kneel before Hong Xiaoduo, but she stopped her.
Hong Xiaoduo left the backyard and told the beggar with the lantern that she would come to see Uncle Zhou again during the day tomorrow, and then left directly to return to the inn.
Having solved the mother and daughter's travel expenses, Hong Xiaoduo walked back with light steps. In addition, she had unlocked a new skill today, light footwork, so her mood was naturally even better.
She was happy, but she didn't notice the figure following her not far behind. The figure followed her all the way to the inn, and when he saw that she didn't enter through the main gate but through the courtyard wall, he thought for a moment and followed her.
Hong Xiaoduo arrived at the dormitory room and gently knocked on the door. The door opened quickly, and Hong Xiaoduo patted Tian Shu, who had opened the door for her, on the shoulder. The two of them then closed the door behind them.
The man stood by the window, listening intently to the quiet conversation inside: "Worried about me, can't you sleep?"
A child's voice: "Hmm, is everything taken care of?"
"Of course, don't you know who I am? How could I possibly fail? Now we can sleep. We can get up a little later tomorrow morning. There's no rush to leave."
"OK."
The man left the inn after hearing no further conversation inside.
There were just sounds of children, and she was still staying in the dormitory-style room, which meant that the other children were also there.
Also, she went to that beggar's den, I don't know what she was doing, but when she came out, the bag around her waist was gone. Could it be that she was robbing the rich to help the poor by giving alms to those beggars...?
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