Summer weather is unpredictable, one moment it’s scorching hot, and in the blink of an eye, it’s pouring rain.
The pattering rain fell into the stream, nourishing the shallow creek and irrigating the clusters of drooping flowers and plants.
Inside a courtyard along the stream, a young girl was sitting on a rocking chair under the eaves, gently swaying. In her arms was a small tabby cat, its fur fluffy and snow-white, with a pair of beautiful yellow-green heterochromatic eyes, giving it a noble and delicate look.
The kitten didn’t like water very much, and it didn’t like the sudden downpour either, meowing restlessly.
The girl’s slender, fair palm gently stroked its head. “Little Tiger, be good, don’t be afraid. Zhixia will give you some dried fish later.”
Little Tiger seemed to understand, extending its pink tongue to gently lick her palm, its paws constantly stepping on her lower abdomen, its meows filled with joy.
“Elder Sister, it’s raining so hard, why aren’t you going inside? Be careful you get wet again.”
As she spoke, another slightly thinner girl pushed open the door with an umbrella. She was wearing an oilskin coat and walked briskly, not even bothering to care that the splashing rain had wet the hem of her skirt.
“You’re not afraid of getting wet when you go out, what am I afraid of at home? How is it, did you find out any news?”
The two in the courtyard were Wei Nanxun and Zhixia. They had been in Pingzhen for nearly half a month, rented a small courtyard along the stream, and hired an old couple in their forties or fifties. The old woman was responsible for cleaning and cooking, while the old man was responsible for guarding the house.
They claimed to be sisters from Jiangnan looking for their father, with the surname Jiang. They usually took a portrait to ask around in the shops on the street every few days.
However, looking for someone was a pretense, and the real purpose was to inquire about the situation in the capital.
Pingzhen, where they were located, was only a day’s journey from the capital. She deliberately chose to be at the foot of the emperor, firstly because the security was better for two women traveling alone, and secondly because if Pei Yuyan found out she was missing, he would definitely look for her to the west of her father or even further away.
The most dangerous place is the safest, commonly known as hiding in plain sight.
Wei Nanxun’s appearance was too distinctive, so she used the excuse of being unwell and didn’t go out much on weekdays. Zhixia was the one who went out to buy things and gather information.
“In order to find out this news, I cracked so many melon seeds in the teahouse that my lips are about to blister. I need to ask Granny to brew me a pot of chrysanthemum tea.”
Wei Nanxun was amused by her. “After you left, Grandpa put a watermelon in the well to cool it down, just right to relieve the heat for you.”
Even though she knew that Granny was cooking and Grandpa was helping to stoke the stove, Zhixia still looked around before leaning in and whispering, “I found out that the wedding date is in five days. The crown prince is diligent in his duties and only returned to the capital a few days ago.”
She didn’t know if it was because she felt guilty or was just timid, but she lowered her voice and said, “I also heard that many officials and constables have recently poured into the state and town, saying they are arresting criminals.”
“Arresting criminals? What kind of criminals?”
“They say that a valuable item was stolen from a noble’s house in the capital, and they are searching for the thieves everywhere.”
Wei Nanxun intuitively felt that this matter was related to her. Which noble in the capital had so much influence that the officials had to come to other states and towns to find something they lost?
No wonder there hadn’t been any movement recently. It turned out that Pei Yuyan had been away from the capital all along. Otherwise, with his methods, he should have discovered that she was no longer in the Wei family long ago.
“Elder Sister, what do we do? Should we run?”
The two of them had also stopped and gone, changing three or four places before settling down in Pingzhen. They had finally found a good place with mountains and water and lived a stable life for a while. She was even planning to plant flowers, open a shop, and do business. Who wouldn’t be unhappy about having to run again for no reason?
Wei Nanxun looked at the newly planted flowers and plants in the courtyard, as well as Little Tiger in her arms. This kitten was picked up on the first day they moved into this new courtyard.
Little Tiger was injured and hiding under the wall, drenched in the rain and on the verge of death. At first, it was wary and resistant to them, but careful care day after day had earned them this new family member.
Were they going to leave again?
But where else could they go? There was no place that was definitely safe.
“Let me think about it.”
“This is the time when they are searching everywhere. If we run around aimlessly, we might run into them. Why don’t we think of a way to avoid them for a few days first?”
She had previously rescued several homeless girls on the road, gave them money, and had them pretend to be mistress and servant and leave in different directions, wondering if they could divert the attention of the pursuers.
Just as they were hesitating, Grandpa came over with a cut watermelon. “Second Miss is back, did you get wet? Do you want me to ask my wife to boil a bowl of ginger tea?”
“No need, Grandpa. Thanks to you for letting me take the oilskin coat out, it really started raining not long after I went out. With this oilskin coat, I didn’t get wet.”
“That’s good. Getting rained on always makes you feel cold and easily get sick. Summer colds are the hardest to cure. Did Second Miss have any good news when she went out today?”
The old couple only had one son, who had gone out to do business with his daughter-in-law a few years ago, leaving only the two of them at home. Although it was an employment relationship, the couple usually took care of the sisters as if they were their own grandchildren, and they got along very well.
“Don’t mention it, if I go a few more times, the shopkeepers in this town will recognize me. Alas, I don’t know where my father and brothers are now.”
“Good people have their own blessings. Maybe they settled down here and then went elsewhere to do business. As long as you don’t look in the wrong place, you can always wait for them.”
As Grandpa said a few words, he hesitated and said a little embarrassedly, “Eldest Miss, my wife and I have to go to the temple to offer lamps and pray every month on the fifteenth. I forgot to tell you before, we have to go up the mountain a few days before and after the fifteenth.”
The monthly salary they gave was higher than ordinary people, and the old couple were naturally uneasy about asking for leave for many days, fearing that the two of them would have no one to serve them at home.
Unexpectedly, Wei Nanxun asked curiously, “Up the mountain? Which mountain are you going to?”
“It’s Baiyun Mountain, not far from the town. There is a Baiyun Temple halfway up the mountain, which is effective for seeking marriage, children, and peace. We old couple have no other wish, just hoping that our daughter-in-law will be pregnant soon and that they can be safe and sound…”
Before Grandpa could finish speaking, he heard their young lady suddenly say, “If that’s the case, then let’s go with Grandpa tomorrow.”
Zhixia blinked, going up the mountain to worship Buddha? Their butts were on fire, and they were still in the mood to ask for help from the gods?
“I’m not young anymore, I should go and pray for marriage.”
Zhixia: ???
On the other side of the capital, Pei Yuyan was travel-worn. He had just concluded a case, a very ordinary corruption case.
It was just that his uncle was involved, and the emperor specially arranged for him to go, just to see how he would handle it. He unreservedly confiscated the homes of all the officials involved and put them in jail, and even his uncle was implicated.
Recently, everything had been going wrong for him. The officials who stood by him had lost power one after another, and the secret guards he sent out to investigate had also been lost. He suspected that someone was manipulating everything behind the scenes, but he couldn’t catch the other party’s slightest clue.
He was already annoyed by this matter, and as soon as he returned to the capital, he heard from his confidant that Wei Nanxun was missing.
Pei Yuyan directly grabbed his neck, his face ashen. “Didn’t I tell you to keep an eye on her? You can’t even handle such a small matter.”
“Your, Your Highness, spare me, it, it was the Wei family who sent her away… This subordinate is incompetent…”
Pei Yuyan didn’t even look, and directly threw him to the ground. Without even drinking a sip of tea, he turned and went out to get on his horse.
“Your Highness, where are you going?”
“I’m going to catch her myself.”
“Your Highness, you can’t! The day of your wedding is in a few days. Leaving the capital at this time will delay the wedding.”
“It won’t.”
Wei Nanxun, I will definitely catch you.
As he spoke, he clamped his legs around the horse’s belly, and the horse galloped away.