C31 (1/2)
The mother and daughter pair were sent to the backyard, where the young woman was unconscious. Only then did Aunt Zhang manage to catch her breath.
Without waiting for everyone to understand what happened, Ershan returned and said, ”Innkeeper, four or five people have come. I don't know if it's the same ones from yesterday.”
When that group of people came yesterday, Ershan had not returned, but he had heard of the incident, and now that Ling Chaofeng had followed him out, it was not bad, it was the people who claimed that they were from the high officials of the capital.
”Innkeeper, we've chased two women here and now, they have disappeared. There is only one place within a radius of ten miles that you two are at.” The leader of the group pulled out his saber and placed it on the table as he snorted, ”Yesterday, I made myself clear. Don't blame us for being impolite.”
Xiaowan sneaked over to hide at the bottom of the stairs to take a look. Those few people's eyes were rolling around, trying to find something.
”It is precisely because the store is only a place to settle down within a circumference of five kilometers, why should I look for trouble? Leaving those unrelated people in the store, could it be that I'm waiting for everyone to come and find me?” Ling Chaofeng remained indifferent, ”There is no one here that you are looking for.”
How could they believe it? They threatened, ”If you tell us to turn him over, you won't be able to bear the consequences. You don't know who my master is. If you do, you'll be scared to death.”
Then they rolled up their sleeves and threw the tables and stools, and made a show of turning the place upside down.
The leader of the group commanded, ”You guys go upstairs and search. You guys go and search the back. Dig three feet into the ground and find the people for me as well.”
As he said that, he reached forward and pushed Ling Chaofeng away, but did not expect him to remain as steady as Mount Tai, his eyes stared wide, and he was extremely shocked. Just as he was about to use more strength, Ling Chaofeng pushed him directly out of the inn.
The few people at the side panicked and ran out to support him. The man's chest was in a pain that was hard to describe, his face was pale white, supporting his last bit of anger, he extended a finger, trembling while pointing at the people in the shop, as though he wanted Ling Chaofeng to wait and see.
However, they were not stupid. Since they were sure that there were people hiding here, they left two people to guard the back door. The others who supported the injured one must have to think of a way to call for reinforcements.
Xiaowan came back to the kitchen to boil some water. She said that she wanted to give the mother and daughter a bath, and Xiaowan ran over to get her clothes, while Aunt Zhang gave the aunt her clothes. It took two hours for the mother and daughter to clean herself up, eat something, and recover some energy.
”Aunty, are the people chasing you all so tall and so strong? Are they all wearing brown robes …?” The Xiaowan gestured, but the more she spoke, the more terrified the mother and daughter both became. They crawled on the ground as the aunt begged, ”My lady, please do me a favor and don't let them take my daughter back. If they do, she'll be dead.”
Under the consolation of the Aunt Zhang, the mother and daughter pair gradually calmed down and slowly talked about their origins.
The young lady was the concubine of a rich family in the capital, she was only two years older than Xiaowan. Two years ago, her brother had sold her for fifty silver and married her into the capital.
One month ago, the mother of Shang Jing wanted to go see her daughter, but she was not allowed to. She spent a lot of money at the back door before she found out that her daughter had been tortured to the point of no return.
”I had to exchange everything for money before I got someone at the back door to bring my daughter out for me to take a look. Her body was full of wounds, her face was swollen, and her mouth was crooked, so much so that I couldn't recognize her …” As the aunt spoke, she trembled and held her daughter in her arms. ”I made up my mind and pulled her along to run, but before I could leave the capital, someone from the mansion came to capture her. This month, we have been hiding here and there and have to eat all the way here, but they have been chasing us all the time … ”
The mother and daughter pair cried like the rain. Xiaowan could not help but sob when she heard this, she had a straight face as she asked hatefully, ”Who beat you up like this?”
young lady sobbed, ”I got a favour from entering the door, but the First Madam wasn't happy. She took the opportunity to hit me. ”Master likes to be tyrannical and likes to hear us cry, saying that my shouting sounds are better, just night, night …” She covered her face and cried. She was in so much pain that she wished she were dead.
Aunt Zhang was furious: ”Who are they, for them to act so recklessly under the feet of the Emperor?”
The aunt trembled as she said, ”Master is the brother-in-law of the Ministry Of Justice's president. I heard that he is tyrannical in the capital.”
The Xiaowan wiped away her tears and asked: ”Aunt, is Ministry Of Justice official very much?”
Aunt Zhang snorted a laugh: ”He's only a third rank official, furthermore, he's just a brother-in-law.”
If it was in the past, she would have been unable to protect herself. But now, she was the owner of the Ling Xiao Inn, so she believed in Ling Chaofeng.