Chapter Twenty-Three

Zheng Shu was unwilling to help look after Xu Lu Cha, so Zhang Meng had to find another option.

Since Zhang Meng had been forbidden by Zhong Huo from entering the kitchen, Zhang Daniang and others had been buying groceries all along. So Zhang Meng found the approachable Zhang Daniang, told her about Xu Lu Cha’s situation, and asked her to check on Xu Lu Cha’s condition on the mountain while buying groceries.

Zhang Daniang agreed to Zhang Meng’s request, but the next day, when Zhang Daniang returned from buying groceries, she told her that Xu Lu Cha was not on the mountain. Zhang Daniang had searched the entire house but did not see Xu Lu Cha.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Meng felt uneasy. Xu Lu Cha’s foot injury had not yet healed, and walking was difficult. Given his personality, even if he wanted to do something, the most important thing would be to recover from his injury first. But now that he had left that house, she couldn’t help but think negatively. Although Yun City’s public security was quite good, with almost no mountain bandits or the like, she still feared that Xu Lu Cha might have bad luck and encounter some misfortune. Even if he hadn’t encountered any bad people, she was afraid he might encounter wild animals he couldn’t handle.

Having spent three days with Xu Lu Cha, she had developed some feelings for him and regarded him as a friend. She didn’t want anything to happen to Xu Lu Cha.

In any case, she also wanted to go up the mountain to see if he had really left that place, or if he was just afraid Zhang Daniang was a bad person and was hiding in the underground passage of the kitchen.

Zhang Meng learned that Zhong Huo was hearing cases in the court. A widowed man, because his wife-master’s elder sister had taken away his family property, had sued the elder sister in the yamen. Zhong Huo was listening to them argue about the family property, and it would probably take quite a long time before she finished hearing the case and came to her room to apply medicine. So Zhang Meng took advantage of no one paying attention and secretly left through the back door of the yamen.

But soon, she was caught by the patrolling female constables and dragged back to the yamen.

“Zhang Meng, it’s not that we don’t let you go out. We’re afraid you won’t come back after you leave, and then the magistrate won’t spare us. You’d better wait until you recover before thinking about going out,” said one of the younger constables.

Unable to go out, Zhang Meng felt somewhat depressed. She could only ask them: “Then can you go up the mountain for me and help me find Xu Lu Cha to see if he’s still there?”

After saying this, she described the location of that house in great detail and told them how to avoid the traps around the house when they got there.

“When you get there, if you can’t find Xu Lu Cha, just mention my name and say that I asked you to find him.”

They agreed to Zhang Meng’s request and quickly left, not forgetting to remind her before leaving that she absolutely must not sneak out of the yamen.

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“Lu Cha, I’ve been looking for you so desperately these past few days. Where have you been?”

In the woods, a woman dressed in luxurious clothes anxiously pushed aside the servants blocking her way and walked up to the red-clothed man. She said to the jade-like red-clothed man in front of her, “I had people search for you up and down this mountain for three days but didn’t see a trace of you. I thought you had met with some misfortune.”

The red-clothed man leaned against a large tree, his beautiful eyes glanced at Tiểu thư Qin, concealing the impatience in the depths of his eyes and revealing a beautiful smile: “Tiểu thư Qin is so concerned about Lu Cha, Lu Cha is very touched. These past few days, Lu Cha was in the valley below unable to find a way out, and couldn’t contact Tiểu thư Qin in time.”

Tiểu thư Qin: “These past few days I’ve been negotiating with Xu Hong, asking her to cancel your engagement with that old woman, but Xu Hong seems unwilling and has been evading me.”

Xu Lu Cha’s beautiful eyes glinted coldly, his face wearing a sorrowful expression: “Although she is Lu Cha’s mother, she doesn’t care about Lu Cha’s wishes and arbitrarily promises Lu Cha to someone at that person’s word. Lu Cha is truly heartbroken.”

Seeing Xu Lu Cha’s melancholy expression, Tiểu thư Qin’s face also took on a worried look: “Lu Cha, please don’t worry. I will definitely make Xu Hong cancel that marriage. I also hope you can regain your freedom soon.”

Xu Lu Cha laughed coldly in his heart. She was willing to help him, but it was just to let him help her control the Qian family. Although the Qian family had encountered some setbacks recently, the head of the Qian family must have some skills to have built such a large business. Now the Qian family’s business had probably recovered some vitality, and Tiểu thư Qin was eager to please him, probably wanting to get some methods to deal with the Qian family from him.

Sure enough, Tiểu thư Qin soon brought up the situation of the Qian family: “The Qian family has already found out that I sent people to frame her, but they don’t have evidence and haven’t exposed me. However, several business partners who have cooperated with Qian Niang want to terminate their contracts with me. They still want to trust the Qian family.”

Xu Lu Cha replied: “If they want to terminate the contracts, don’t stop them. This will only increase their suspicions. You just need to casually mention that many people are competing for your goods, and you don’t lack those few. You can also take them to see your goods. They will be able to see for themselves whose goods are better, yours or the Qian family’s.” He paused and asked, “I told you to produce good quality goods. Have you seriously implemented that?”

Tiểu thư Qin quickly nodded: “This batch of goods is indeed of very good quality.”

·····

After Tiểu thư Qin and her servants left, the smile that Xu Lu Cha had been maintaining turned cold.

Women are all so disgusting, for the sake of desire, either bowing and scraping or using any means necessary. If possible, he would rather never deal with them for his entire life. When he could control his own destiny and no longer need to watch others’ faces, he would definitely trample all the women who made him uncomfortable under his feet.

Xu Lu Cha stood up straight and went back along the original path. He had gone out in the morning to check all the traps Zhang Meng had told him about. He needed to ensure that he could skillfully use those traps. He needed to try to keep everything in his own hands as much as possible. Sometimes, due to some oversights, people could often be put in mortal danger.

Just like when he was momentarily impulsive and overlooked Zhong Huo’s regard for Zhang Meng, letting Dragon Sister deal with Zhang Meng, he lost the support from the yamen. If he had help from the yamen, Chen Yue might not have dared to do such things to him, and he might not have fallen to such a state.