"Hey! Village Chief, didn't you invite us over to liven things up? Why are you shooing us away?"
"Doctor Lin, what did you say to the Village Chief? What is it that we can't see?"
"It's probably because Xinlan girl is shy. We should leave first."
Not sure who said it, but the rest of the people, though a bit unhappy, left in twos and threes.
Lu Yuanxiu walked slowly, and his mother nudged him. "Why aren't you leaving? What's so interesting to see?"
"Mother, I think this is strange. I'll stay and see."
"You've already broken off the engagement, why are you still bothering with her business? I didn't want to come earlier, let's go quickly!"
"Even if I broke off the engagement with her, she can't just marry someone else so vaguely. I must see the reason. Maybe this girl had something going on with the hunter long ago."
"That has nothing to do with you either."
Lu Yuanxiu impatiently pushed his mother. "Mother, you go first. I'll be back later."
"You... alas..." His mother couldn't persuade him and finally left, looking back repeatedly.
Lu Yuanxiu then took the opportunity to hide behind another donkey cart parked at the entrance of the neighboring house, secretly observing the situation.
He saw Rong Zhi say something to Village Chief Liu Hong. They nodded, and Wu Guixiang pulled Liu Hong into the inner room. After a while, only Wu Guixiang came out, and Rong Zhi went towards the haunted house.
What was going on?
Lu Yuanxiu frowned.
He suddenly felt a bit foolish. His mother was right. He and Gu Xinlan had already broken off their engagement. Why was he still concerned about this troublesome matter? But... he just couldn't control his curiosity.
For a dignified scholar and xiucai to hide behind someone else's donkey cart and do such eavesdropping was truly shameful!
Lu Yuanxiu realized this, but it was too late to leave, because Rong Zhi soon returned with Gu Xinlan.
Upon seeing Gu Xinlan's appearance clearly, Lu Yuanxiu was greatly surprised. Was this still that crazy girl? She had changed into a light blue dress, her hair styled in a simple double bun. Although she wore no makeup, her face had filled out a bit, giving her more color, and she looked unexpectedly beautiful.
What was even more astonishing was that she was holding the hand of the woman in front, trotting along with a worried expression. She looked no different from a normal person, with no trace of madness.
Her madness... was cured?
Rong Zhi led Gu Xinlan into the room, while Yu Rong and Wu Guixiang waited outside.
Now, nothing could be seen.
Lu Yuanxiu was anxious. Just as he was worrying about what to do, he suddenly saw that the gate of the house he was hiding behind was wide open. Inside the courtyard was a donkey shed, with a donkey leisurely eating grass.
Lu Yuanxiu's eyes darted. He went in, untied the rope tethering the donkey, and gave its hindquarters a slap.
The donkey was ill-tempered and, startled, brayed loudly and ran out, dashing around.
"Huh, why did Liu Er's donkey run out?" Yu Rong exclaimed. He was a kind-hearted person, and seeing this, he quickly chased after it.
However, the startled donkey not only ran fast but was also prone to kicking people. Yu Rong chased the donkey, but not only did he fail to catch it, he almost got kicked in the head.
Wu Guixiang watched from the courtyard, both anxious and scared.
"Uncle Yu, you can't catch it alone. I'll go get some help for you."
She said this while glancing at the inner room, thinking that Doctor Lin was watching inside, so there shouldn't be any problem. She then hurried to Liu Er's house next door to call for help.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Lu Yuanxiu quietly slipped into the courtyard. He hid himself behind an old straw mat at the base of the wall and peeked inside.
His heart pounded. He had never imagined he would do something so shameful.
Inside the house, Liu Hong, who had been full of spirit earlier, lay on the kang looking half-dead, his eyes closed and silent.
Gu Xinlan held his arm and shook him back and forth, her face pale with fright.
After shaking him for a long time without any reaction, Gu Xinlan turned to Rong Zhi, asking with her eyes what had happened.
Rong Zhi sighed. "He's exhausted, and he was also injured catching that tiger. He was fine just a moment ago, who knew he would suddenly faint."
Gu Xinlan's hands tightened, and she mouthed to Rong Zhi for help.
"Save, him."
"Let him rest well first. His injuries are all external and not serious."
Hearing this, the worry in Gu Xinlan's eyes faded a bit. She glanced towards the outside. When she came in earlier, she had seen several large boxes neatly arranged outside. Remembering what the messenger woman had said, her face reddened again.
Suddenly, her expression became firm, and she whispered to Rong Zhi, "I've decided."
"Hmm?"
"I'll marry."
Just two words, spoken softly but with great determination.
Outside, Lu Yuanxiu's foot slipped, almost exposing him.
She... could speak?
Rong Zhi glanced outside and quickly withdrew her gaze.
"Have you thought it through?"
Gu Xinlan nodded affirmatively.
"Alright, I will cure your throat as soon as possible, and I will make sure you have a beautiful wedding."
At this moment, Yu Rong and Wu Guixiang, who had just finished chasing the donkey, returned from outside. They happened to hear this sentence and exchanged a smile, their faces filled with relief.
Liu Hong had no parents, and Gu Xinlan had no father. This matter was naturally presided over by the village chief. The village chief helped carry in the betrothal gifts, and Liu Hong, with Rong Zhi's help, soon "woke up."
Although Gu Xinlan and Liu Hong had met countless times before, they felt somewhat embarrassed when they met again this time. Seeing Liu Hong looking energetic, Gu Xinlan finally realized something was amiss, but it was too late.
She could only look at Rong Zhi with a chiding gaze, only to receive Rong Zhi's teasing.
"If I hadn't given you a push, you wouldn't have known how long you would have delayed."
There was a burst of laughter from inside. Only Lu Yuanxiu, unnoticed, slipped away.
Never mind, what did other people's marriages have to do with him? He was just unhappy that the woman he broke his engagement with had so quickly found a new home. He was just petty, he just hadn't expected it. He walked home quickly, silently reciting the sage books he had read countless times on the way, trying to calm himself down.
In a village with such a small population, whenever there was a happy occasion, the entire village would join in the festivities. The village chief helped choose the wedding date, which was set for half a month later. Rong Zhi also took back a large bag of wedding candies.
"I didn't expect to catch a wedding on this trip. I should also send some gifts."
Rong Zhi popped a candy into her mouth and looked at Xia Yunting, who was gazing wistfully beside her, and unceremoniously refused him, "You're not allowed to eat!"
Xia Yunting's expression didn't change, only the light in his eyes dimmed for a moment before quickly returning to normal.
He said, "What do you want to send? I'll go with you to pick it out."
At this time, the people from the Blood Drinking Pavilion had not yet confessed, and the people of Lingshui County were being rescued by Chen Xing and the others. Xia Yunting was quite idle, so Rong Zhi took him to the market under the guise of buying things.
Although Changping County was just a small county town, it had a considerable population. Even at night, the bustling market had vendors, with bright lights and constant shouts, making it quite lively. Especially recently, the Prefect had come to Changping County and imprisoned the county magistrate. Although the Prefect had not publicized the matter, walls have ears, and the news still spread. Every few steps, people were discussing the matter.
"So the county official was colluding with human traffickers in secret. No wonder none of the abducted people ever returned."
"Alas, it's our bad luck to not have a good official. If officials collude with bandits, how can we common people be well off?"
"I'm afraid this Prefect is just trying to smooth things over. Haven't you heard the saying, officials protect each other?"
"I don't think so. If the Prefect was truly in cahoots with them, why would he arrest Zhang Chu?"
"Don't all guess wildly. This matter won't escalate."
As several vendors were discussing heatedly, a candied haw seller suddenly squeezed in and said mysteriously, "I heard that the human traffickers were not only protected by the county official but also by higher officials. No one can afford to offend them. If this Prefect insists on handling it, he probably won't survive."
At these words, the other vendors became interested, and also curious how a candied haw seller knew so much.
"Who is that higher official?"
The candied haw seller leaned closer and pointed towards the direction of the Imperial City. "Someone from there. I heard it's a general who just returned from the battlefield."
The others, though they didn't say it aloud, understood. Who else could it be but the general surnamed Xia who had just returned from the battlefield?
The candied haw seller's movement was not loud, but it was overheard by Xia Yunting and Rong Zhi.
They exchanged a glance and stopped at a nearby stall, pretending to browse jewelry, but they clearly remembered the appearance of the candied haw seller.
The candied haw seller didn't say much to the other vendors. His mysterious demeanor made people speculate more. After he left, the vendors began to discuss the conscription, and in their conversation, they cursed Xia Yunting bitterly.
Rong Zhi looked at Xia Yunting with sympathy.
Xia Yunting looked thoughtfully in the direction the candied haw seller had left, gave Rong Zhi a look, and Rong Zhi understood. They quietly followed.
They followed him all the way and found that this candied haw seller not only talked nonsense with those two vendors but also chimed in whenever someone discussed Zhang Chu's arrest or mentioned human traffickers, and invariably brought up Xia Yunting.
This made the two of them suspect that this person was doing it intentionally.
When they arrived at a sparsely populated area, the candied haw seller looked around and walked directly into a narrow, secluded alley. The candied haws he carried were not sold at all.
In the alley, a man in black was waiting. The candied haw seller walked over, and the man in black took out a wallet from his embrace and handed it over.
The candied haw seller accepted it with joy and didn't linger. As he turned to leave, the man in black behind him raised a dagger.
Just as the dagger was about to stab the candied haw seller's back, a figure suddenly descended from the sky, kicked the dagger away, and simultaneously grabbed the man in black by the neck. The candied haw seller also collided headfirst with a tall figure.
"Don't move, or I'll strangle you." Rong Zhi's voice was calm, but her grip was merciless. The man in black struggled twice but couldn't break free.
Rong Zhi and Xia Yunting exchanged a glance. Together, they grabbed the person and flew up, taking him all the way to the yamen.
"What... what are you doing? I haven't broken any laws. Why are you bringing me here?"
The candied haw seller still tried to struggle.