After the镖局's carriages caught up, they didn't overtake them, but instead slowed down and followed behind.
"Young lady, shall we stop up ahead and have something to eat before we continue?" Tang Xihua said, looking out the window from the side of the carriage.
Hong Xiaoduo did not object to his suggestion, as they were originally planning to stop and rest for lunch anyway.
She didn't ask the other person how the second wife, Jie Xinyu, was doing, or if she was alright. In any case, judging from the expression of the person outside the carriage, she seemed to be fine.
After walking another two miles, they stopped when they saw a flat open space and a water source by the roadside.
Tang Xihua dismounted to help carry the things, but the children didn't give him a chance, leaving him standing there somewhat at a loss.
"We don't need any help. You should go back to your own side, otherwise you'll just make me a target again. I don't want the hassle," Hong Xiaoduo said calmly.
Hong Xiaoduo quickly understood why Jie Xinyu acted that way. She didn't mind being misunderstood, but she couldn't tolerate the fact that taking her anger out on her seven children and the horses.
Upon hearing her words, Tang Xihua blushed and said awkwardly, "I'm sorry for causing you trouble. But it's alright now, I've already sent someone to take her back."
"Will everything be fine once it's sent back? Be careful your people don't let it slip when they get back, and then they'll throw a tantrum at you." Hong Xiaoduo kindly reminded her.
While they were talking, the children, who had already laid out their felt mats, gathered dry branches, started a fire, roasted their rations, and boiled water.
“They’re very capable,” Tang Xihua said, looking at Tian Shu and the others, ignoring the previous comment.
Hong Xiaoduo smiled and said, "Well, it's alright." She was quite happy to hear people praise the children.
This isn't a compliment; the kids really are quite capable.
Seeing that Hong Xiaoduo didn't intend to speak again, Tang Xihua didn't want to stay there any longer, so she turned around, led her horse back to her own people.
"Third Senior Brother, did you ask where they're going? Are they going the same way as us or not?" Several bodyguards surrounded him as he returned, asking in low voices.
Tang Xihua shook her head with a wry smile: "I was too embarrassed to ask."
After saying that, he walked to a tree stump by the roadside and sat down, looking at the women sitting on the felt mats not far away.
When we first talked that night, there was none of the distance we felt earlier.
"Dazhi, send two of our roast chickens over there," Tang Xihua reminded him.
Dazhi immediately agreed and presented the two roast chickens wrapped in lotus leaves. Tang Xihua was worried that the other party might not accept them, but she saw that the young lady actually accepted them!
Furthermore, I even got to chat with Dazhi.
“Actually, one is enough for us, but you have a lot of people,” Hong Xiaoduo said with a smile to the bodyguard who delivered the roast chicken.
“We still have some. By the way, I don’t know if you drink, young lady. We have lotus seed wine that we brought from home,” Dazhi asked again.
Hong Xiaoduo quickly waved her hand and said thank you, adding that she wouldn't drink it.
Tian Shu handed the freshly baked meat pie to Hong Xiaoduo first. She asked Da Zhi if he wanted one, and Da Zhi accepted it without hesitation before quickly returning to his group.
"Third Senior Brother, we've found out, they're also going to Dawu Pass," Dazhi excitedly told him.
The other bodyguards patted him on the shoulder and said, "You're something else, kid. Your third senior brother was too embarrassed to ask, but you managed to find out."
Dazhi was very pleased with the praise, but after thinking for a moment, he said with some regret, "But I was too embarrassed to ask which school she studied under."
"So what? Since they're still going the same way as us, we can ask them again when we have the chance. I think they're quite interesting. All seven kids are bald, but they're very hardworking and meticulous. They even washed their hands after finishing their work, without missing a single one," said one of the observant people.
"Third Senior Brother, no matter what, we were able to find Second Madam safe and sound thanks to their help. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable. How should we thank them? Is sending them two roast chickens and some wine enough?" someone else said.
Yes, how should she thank her? Tang Xihua was actually quite troubled. She had apologized to her before and refused the medicine for her injuries, but would giving her money be a bit too much?
"I still can't tell, he's a ruthless person." One of the bodyguards thought of the two thugs she had taken back yesterday. Their injuries didn't look very bloody, but they had crippled them.
On the way back to town, he interrogated the two men to see if they could figure out what kind of person she was.
One of them spoke up, saying that it was hard to tell; it just looked like a casual whip flick, but the speed and force were extremely fast and fierce.
But he didn't know what kind of hidden weapon had caused the hole that went through his knee.
Thinking of this, the bodyguard couldn't help but look at his third senior brother again. After finding the second young lady, the third senior brother did not first comfort the terrified, pale-faced second young lady, but instead took her to the jail in the yamen to see the condition of the two villains.
Then, he told her that she could continue to accompany him on the escort missions. Before he could give her any further instructions, such as not to act as she had before, the second daughter refused and kept crying, saying she wanted to go home.
Even when I advised her to stay at the inn, wash up, and rest for a day before setting off, she wouldn't listen.
The bodyguards could imagine that this experience might become a nightmare that would haunt the Second Madam for the rest of their lives.
Perhaps, once this shipment is delivered and we return, we'll be able to attend the wedding feast of Second Sister and Eldest Brother.
The senior brother, who had always admired her and pampered her in every way, was completely ignored by her.
Her third senior brother, who had no romantic feelings for her whatsoever, always chose to escort long-distance shipments to avoid her. The colder he was to her, the more she cherished him.
What might have been unattainable and considered the best before, the second wife would certainly not think that way anymore.
Of course, it can't be said that the Third Senior Brother doesn't know how to cherish women. He treats the young lady over there very differently.
During the midday break for food, the people from the escort agency talked about the young lady in front of them.
She whispered that even if her third senior brother liked her, it seemed hopeless for him to pursue her, because there was little opportunity for him to show his affection.
If it's a delicate young lady who needs protection, then it's actually easier to handle.
However, their kung fu skills were even better than theirs.
After they finished eating, they all tacitly refrained from asking their third senior brother whether they should pack up and set off. Instead, they all kept an eye on the young lady. Seeing that she and the seven children had finished eating, packed up, and gotten into the carriage to prepare for departure, the third senior brother indeed spoke up and said that they were ready to leave.
In the evening, we stayed overnight in a village.
The next day, I went to the village chief's house to see if the young woman and her family had gotten up yet. I didn't see the horse-drawn carriage or the donkey cart. When I asked, I found out that they had set off before dawn.
"Third Senior Brother, is that young lady deliberately getting up early to travel? Does she not want to come with us? Should we still chase after her?" one of the bodyguards asked in a low voice.
Tang Xihua's expression was a little unpleasant. Thinking back, she hadn't bothered them yesterday afternoon. Even when they were staying overnight, knowing that they were staying at the village chief's house at the village entrance, they chose to stay at a villager's house at the village end.
Did I really dislike her that much...?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
