"Help?" Wujiang's chopsticks tapped lightly on the table.
"Yes! Help! But then I went back to that place and they were no longer there, and since then I have never seen the mute little beggar with a broken hand. I began to pay attention to the little beggars with physical disabilities on the street. Most of them They were younger than me. I secretly observed them and found that most of them were very uneasy. They were hoping that someone would notice them and look at them, but they didn't dare to make eye contact with anyone. They were especially afraid of the so-called 'adult' next to them. I was a little kid anyway. As a beggar, no one would pay much attention to me. I would pretend to squat next to them casually and talk to them from time to time. They always ignored me, until one day an older beggar with a broken leg and disfigurement deliberately pretended to fall. He looked like he was lying down, so he secretly wrote four words in my hand when I helped him up. I have never studied and cannot read, but I have a good memory. Later, I found a calligrapher on the street and drew strokes one by one based on his memory. I wrote it again in his hand, and he told me that it was about the ruined temple in the east of the city."
Wujiang's eyes narrowed slightly.
Xiaoci continued: "The suburbs in the east of the city are a very desolate place. Very few people go there. People say it is an ominous place. After asking about it, I found out that there is indeed a land temple there. Later, because it was haunted by ghosts, it was deserted. The worship service was ruined, I guessed it should be there, but I didn’t dare to follow them during the day, so I went there in the dark at night.”
"Aren't you afraid?" Wujiang had been listening quietly, and then suddenly interrupted her.
Hearing these words, Xiao Ci seemed to think of something terrible, and a look of fear appeared on his face, but it immediately turned into pain and anger: "I'm not afraid. Gods and ghosts are not scary. The most terrifying thing is Man! I was lying in the corner and seeing what those bad guys did, I felt like there was nothing else to be afraid of."
Xiao Ci hurt her back because of her excitement, and couldn't help but take a breath: "I was lying in the corner and saw those adults beating and kicking the disabled children, saying that they didn't get the stipulated money in a day and raised a bunch of useless ugly monsters. Waste. Those children couldn't speak and could only make babbling sounds. Their noses and tears flowed all over the floor. Their heads were buried on the ground. When they lifted them up, there was dirt in their mouths and nostrils, and they were bleeding. At this time, a man who usually pretended to beg was pretending to beg. Their mother's people suddenly stood up and said that they could cut off the ears of a child with a broken leg. This would make people look more pitiful and maybe make more money. I thought I heard it wrong at the time, but I didn't expect that when I stood there A man next to him actually walked over with a knife and cut off his ear with a wave of his hand. Blood splashed on his face. He was very angry and slapped the poor beggar again, knocking the poor beggar unconscious to the ground! I don’t have a home either, and I make a living by begging, but I have never seen such cruel things or such bad people!”
Her hands were still shaking slightly as she spoke these words.
"I was angry and scared at that time. I was afraid of being discovered by them, so I ran away quickly. I went back to report to the government, hoping that they would be arrested, but the governor ignored me, a little beggar, and the gatekeepers directly arrested me. They came out. I didn't know how to help them, and I was worried that they wouldn't be able to get enough money to go back and be beaten, so I started stealing money to give to those little beggars who asked for less every day..." Xiao Ci thought about how she was still dressing up as a beggar today. The blind man stole hers and couldn't help but lower his head.
Wujiang didn't seem to care, and said sternly: "Maybe it's a good thing that the gatekeeper kicked you out. Have you ever thought that even a melon vendor would find it strange to see those mutilated little beggars appearing on the street? Management Xi Is it possible that the governor of Xuan is not aware of it? If you dare to act unscrupulously at the foot of the capital, there must be strong forces behind it. What you see is just the tip of the iceberg. The little beggar who wrote the ruined temple in the east of the city on your hand must have learned calligraphy since he was a child. A person who can learn calligraphy since he was a child How can people who are from at least a good family be reduced to begging on the streets with broken legs and disfigurement?"
Wujiang thought of how he was caught by human traffickers when he was a child and was constantly being resold. He knew that the guys who did these things had buyers, sellers and middlemen. They were organized and disciplined. They were a tight-knit group. It was definitely not as simple as Xiaoci saw. She After thinking for a while, he asked, "Have you seen the two people who chased you today?"
Xiao Ci shook his head: "No, I saw them for the first time today, but I have been vaguely feeling that someone is following me recently. I have been very careful these days. I have never been to a ruined temple again, and I keep changing places to sleep at night. No. Let people discover it.”
Wujiang's eyes darkened: "They have noticed you. You often wander around them, go to the government, and give away your own money for no reason. You have no relatives and no one cares about your disappearance. If they take you back, they will do the same to you." If you know something, you can silence them; even if you know nothing, you can still be used to make money, killing two birds with one stone."
Xiao Ci was afraid after hearing this. If she were caught by them today...
Seeing her pale face, Wujiang placed the dish in front of her that she had picked up the most. He tapped the edge of the plate and smiled softly: "Eat more and don't waste it."
The candle was bright and made a crackling sound. Through the candlelight, Xiao Ci saw that the eyes as dark as a deep pool were covered with a light warm color. They were clearly smiling, but they were not involved in any emotions, and they could not tell whether they were happy or sad. , but such a pair of unpredictable eyes made her feel inexplicably at ease. She encountered countless eyes on the streets of the glorious and prosperous capital city. When faced with a beggar who looked like dirt and grass, they made no secret of their condescension. They put away their pretense of gentleness, humility and kindness, and revealed the truest desires and hearts under their eyes. Although there was compassion, there was more contempt, disgust, and indifference, which made her feel alienated and fearful.
She ate the meal in front of her silently. It was her first full meal after leaving the village, but as she ate, she felt an inexplicable sense of sadness and uncertainty. In the past, she had always been in the tension and pressure of trying to make a living and had no time to think. Now that she was having tea and rice under the beam roof, she felt uneasy. What would happen after eating, and what would happen the next day?
Wujiang noticed the change in her expression and said, "Hurry up and go to bed after eating. You need to be energetic. We will be very busy tomorrow."
Xiao Ci raised her head in surprise, feeling that the person in front of her seemed to know what she was thinking. Then she remembered what she said and asked, "What are you busy with?"
"Business to save people." Wujiang turned around and picked a candle.
When she woke up the next day, Xiaoci was a little worried about rescuing people. Before going to bed last night, she asked Wujiang how to save people. She thought she would tell her a rescue plan or a long-term plan, but she said, "Go straight to Huanglong." Rushing to the ruined temple and rescuing people... Who said last night that it was a tight-knit group that was organized and disciplined, with strong backers and complicated relationships? You can't expose your identity easily, and you can't even report it to the official... So if you go directly, wouldn't it be a warning?
"You just have to scare the snake away so that it can be lured out of its hole." Wujiang replied to her while playing with her hair, and then asked, "What do you think?"
Xiao Ci sat and looked at herself in the mirror. She had a few braids on her temples, and a piece of blue satin tied them and the hair behind her ears back. She was both monotonous and neat. She was wearing dark blue narrow sleeves tied around her waist. He is wearing a smart outfit, looking like a capable boy.
Without waiting for her answer, Wujiang put down his comb and walked into the screen. A voice came from behind the screen: "Today's new moon, compared to black, the dark blue has less outline."
As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Ci saw Wujiang walking out from behind the screen. He was already dressed in men's clothing. He tied up his hair and changed his clothes in just one sentence. He even changed his face. This face was so ordinary that it was difficult to remember.
Even though Xiaoci has an excellent memory, she would look at it once, turn around and forget about it.
After going out, the street was bustling with people. Wujiang stood in the busy traffic, looked around, frowned slightly, and then suddenly bent down to stare at Xiaoci very closely and asked.
“Where can I buy the most heart-warming and delicious snacks?”
“Where can I buy the safest and loudest firecrackers?”
“Where can I buy the warmest and thinnest bedding?”
"Where can I buy the strongest rope that is difficult to break?"
"Where can I buy the fastest and smoothest carriage?"
“Where can I buy the most effective and expensive medicine for wounds?”
Xiaoci:...? ? ?
Aren't you going to save people? Why did you buy something?
Xiaoci finally led her to buy all the above things and walked around the streets. Although she had no money to buy them, she was very familiar with these stores.
"Among the people in Xixuan, which officials in the capital have better reputations?" Wujiang sat in the carriage with snacks, firecrackers, quilts and ropes at his feet.
Xiaoci hangs out in restaurants and teahouses, and the two things that people pass on by word of mouth are the Prime Minister's profound knowledge and concern for the country and the people, and General Yanwu's bravery, prowess, and chivalry.
"Which of the prime minister's and that general's residence is located in a crowded and prosperous area?"
The Prime Minister's Palace is in a quiet place in the north of the city, and the General's Palace is in a prosperous part of the city.
The two of them were sitting at the shaft of the carriage, slowly walking through the bustling streets of the royal capital. It was already midday, and the winter sun finally reached its strongest point, shining golden light on the royal city of Xixuan, exaggerating the wealth and splendor of the world. appearance.
Wujiang drove a carriage and looked at the various crowds on the bustling streets. The little beggar was half-clothed with his clothes flying, and he was kneeling on the cold ground. The people next to him looked impatient, breathing heavily and walking unsteadily. Movements are loose.
No martial arts.
She put the riding whip into Xiaoci's hand and said, "Would you like to learn how to drive a carriage?"
The sun slanted westward from above their heads, and finally disappeared into the carved beams and painted buildings on the west side. They slowly walked through the streets and alleys of the capital, the Prime Minister's Palace in the north of the city, and the General's Tower in the city.
The gatekeeper in front of the general building stands tall and straight, with a firm gaze, and the hand holding the sword at his waist is steady and strong. He is a first-rate master, even the gatekeeper is like this, but what about the people inside.
Young general, please don’t disappoint me.
