"You … you want to take me away now?"
"Not now. You also know that I snuck in here to pick herbs, and I still have some matters to attend to. If I take you away now, I'll have to leave this place immediately, but I still haven't found the main ingredient I want. You go back first and wait for me to arrange everything, okay? "
The light in Jiu Cai 'er's eyes immediately disappeared, and she could not hide the disappointment in her eyes. Perhaps it was because the hope that had suddenly sprouted in her heart made her worry too much, so she did not believe in Yang Fan's promise. She was worried that Yang Fan would leave her behind once he left the mountain. Perhaps Yang Fan's words just now were just to appease her, to make sure she could safely escape.
After all … there was a sign at the bottom of the mountain that said, "Trespassers will be killed." If he did it for this reason, it would be completely justifiable.
Yang Fan could see her worry and distrust, but he also felt that this girl would not be able to survive in this fiery pit. Perhaps he really could use her to get in touch with the Prince of Luling.
Yang Fan touched her body. Her purse wasn't very rich, but for a young girl living in the mountains, it could be considered a huge fortune.
Yang Fan took out the bag and placed it in her hand, saying, "Take this money first, it might be of some use. Tomorrow at this time, I'll still be here to pick herbs. If it's convenient for you, you can come see me! "
"En!"
Jiucai 'er took the bag with a doubtful look. Perhaps it was because she had lived in the mountains since she was a child and did not know human etiquette, but she did not hesitate to open the bag in front of Yang Fan.
"Wow! This … this is gold? What a big piece! "
Jiucai 'er picked up a piece of gold and exclaimed.
Inside Yang Fan's bag was a piece of gold, two pearls the size of longan fruits, and several dozen copper coins.
Although gold could not be directly used as money, it could be exchanged for money. Thus, people who traveled far away would rarely carry a heavy bag of money, and would instead carry gold, pearls, and other valuable things. Looking at this bag of money, it just happened to confirm what he had just said. He really did come from a faraway place.
Jiu Cai 'er had probably never seen such a large amount of wealth in her life, and her eyes shone brightly.
Yang Fan looked at her excited expression, smiled slightly, and said: "Yes, do you believe me now?"
"Yes! Yeah, yeah, yeah! "
Jiu Cai 'er pursed her lips and nodded repeatedly with a joyful expression on her face. Her nasal voice was extremely adorable.
Yang Fan teased her: "Look at you now, gold is the antidote to your poison."
Jiu Cai 'er's face turned red and she rolled her eyes at him, feeling a little bashful.
Yang Fan withdrew his smile and said, "Alright, I have to go. You should go back too. Be careful, I'll be back here tomorrow!"
Yang Fan waved at her and disappeared into the bamboo forest.
"Brother Maqiao, I'll see you there!"
Jiu Cai 'er caught up to him and waved her golden biscuit at him sweetly.
…
Yang Fan pretended to go back to look for his hoe and bamboo basket. After walking through the bamboo forest for a while, when Jiu Cai 'er could no longer see his figure, he immediately returned and quietly stared at Jiu Cai' er.
Jiu Cai 'er was probably afraid of being poor. After suddenly obtaining such a large amount of money, she knelt on the ground and looked at the golden biscuit for a while before putting it down lovingly. She then raised the pearl and looked at it for a while. Even those copper coins, she looked at them carefully for a long time, as if they were treasures.
Yang Fan sighed inwardly. Just by looking at her appearance, he could tell how hard she was usually on the outside.
However, the hard life did not affect her growth. Perhaps natural beauty referred to women like her.
Jiu Cai 'er looked at the things in the bag as if they were treasures, then put them into the bag and walked back and forth in the bamboo forest. Yang Fan was a little puzzled at first, not knowing what she was looking for. After looking for a while, he suddenly realized that she wanted to hide the money bag.
Thinking of her beast-like uncle and harsh aunt, it was only natural for the little girl to do so.
Yang Fan did not continue looking. He was now convinced that this girl would not reveal his whereabouts. If she wanted to tell on him, she would not have the patience to keep looking at the bag like it was a treasure.
In truth, Yang Fan had long since believed Jiu Cai 'er's words, but this matter was of great importance, directly related to the life and death of a group of people and even the change in the fate of the country. He had no choice but to be extra careful.
Yang Fan rushed to the place where he and Gu Zhuting had parted ways, and quietly waited for about half an hour. Then he heard a burst of rustling footsteps. Yang Fan quietly pushed aside the grass to take a look, and only when he saw Gu Zhuting did he reveal himself. When Gu Zhuting saw him, she gently shook her head.
Yang Fan said, "There's no need to be anxious. If the Prince of Luling was so easy to meet, we wouldn't have to be so cautious. Let's go back first. I might already have a plan."
The two of them once again stealthily left Yellow Bamboo Ridge and returned to their residence in Yellow Bamboo Town.
The two of them each took a bath and rested. It wasn't until dinner time that Yang Fan told Gu Zhuting about how he met Jiu Cai 'er today, how he cured her, how he learned about her pitiful background, and how he wanted to use this' mountain girl 'to find out more about the Prince of Luling.
"Is this girl reliable?" Gu Zhuting asked.
Yang Fan smilingly said, "Don't tell me you think that a young girl in her late twenties can come up with a flawless lie in that kind of environment? Besides, the lies of a young girl can't fool my eyes. "
Gu Zhuting smiled. "Naturally, Ah Lang's adaptability is a notch higher. Now that I think about it, this identity of yours is indeed plausible. It's just that when you go back next time, you'll inevitably have to carry a medicine basket on your back. What I mean is, this girl is, after all, a citizen of the garrison. Will she leak the news that Ah Lang is coming up the mountain? "
Yang Fan recounted how he returned and secretly spied on Jiu Cai 'er. "That's why I'm certain that she won't report me. However, once she finds out about my true intentions, I'm afraid that she'll be too timid. Even if she doesn't tell anyone, it'll still be very bad if her expression shows any abnormalities. That's why I'll use a clever method to probe her. Unless it's absolutely necessary or I have absolute trust in her, I won't reveal the truth to her. "
Gu Zhuting pondered for a moment and nodded. "That's fine. But you must be extra careful if Ah Lang sneaks into the mountain alone!"
"Don't worry," Yang Fan said. "With the security of the mountain, I can come and go as I please even without you teaching me the method. However, once I find out Prince Luling's whereabouts, I'll need to rely on you to get in touch with him in the midst of so many houses and under the noses of so many mountain people. "
At dusk, Yang Fan and his wife strolled around the town. Because he had hired dozens of strong laborers, almost everyone in the town knew who he was. The townspeople were very polite to this foreign guest who brought money to the locals, and they couldn't help but greet him warmly whenever they saw him. Yang Fan and his wife also responded enthusiastically.
The cavalrymen and internal guards who lived in the surrounding villages also came to the town in twos and threes. Since Yang Fan's matter was still unsettled, he naturally didn't have any instructions for them. As soon as they saw Yang Fan walk past them expressionlessly without even looking at them, they knew that they had to continue waiting. Thus, they also passed by Yang Fan as if nothing had happened.
Gao Ying, Lan Yiqing, and the other girls who belonged to the internal guards were very excited about this mission. They were most happy to see that Yang Fan still hadn't gotten in touch with Prince Luling. They had been cooped up in the palace for far too long. Every year, they would only have the opportunity to go out on several major festivals, and that was only when they weren't unlucky enough to be on duty.
Now that they had gone so far away, especially in the countryside of Fangzhou, which was completely different from Luoyang, these girls were having so much fun that they forgot about home and home.
The next day, when the people hired by Yang Fan went up the mountain again, Yang Fan and Gu Zhuting also quietly followed behind them. This time, Yang Fan carried a bamboo basket on his shoulder with a medicinal hoe inside.
The pace of life in a small town in the mountains was so slow that it made one's hair stand on end.
In Luoyang, when the sky was just beginning to brighten, the bells and drums would ring loudly. Unless one was sleeping like a dead pig, it was fine to not wake up even if one wanted to. In this place, Yang Fan opened his eyes punctually, washed his face, brushed his teeth, went to the latrine, and practiced his martial arts. There was still no smoke coming out of the kitchen chimney.
They waited and waited. When breakfast was finally served, it was already late in the morning, but they still had to eat and chat, drinking a bowl of porridge for an entire hour and swaying left and right for a long time before they finally picked up their chores and left. When they left the door, they didn't see them walk quickly. They walked even slower than cows.
In Luoyang, Yang Fan was already used to the fast pace of life in the capital. Even his walking speed was much faster than theirs. Yang Fan followed behind them for a while, but he really couldn't wait any longer. He and Gu Zhuting took a small path to get ahead of them and rushed to Huang Zhu Ling first.
When they reached the foot of the mountain, Gu Zhuting hid in the forest and waited. Yang Fan sneaked past the guards' surveillance tape and quietly entered the mountain.
On the narrow mountain road, flowers swayed along the roadside.
The stream turned, and the tall bamboo covered the scenery. The beauty under the bamboo was elegant and pleasant.
Jiu Cai 'er sat cross-legged on the meadow under the bamboo forest beside the quiet spring. Her elbows rested on her legs and her cheeks rested on her hands. Her black hair was not tied up, and her beautiful face was like jade. Her clear eyes were slightly blurred as she looked at the quiet and clear spring water.
Suddenly, she raised her head and looked at the sky.
The sky was azure blue, but under the cover of the tall bamboo, only a corner of the sky could be seen. Moreover, it was cut by the thin bamboo leaves and hung messily above.
She muttered to herself, "Do we really have to leave this place?"
Her expression was somewhat perplexed, but it was immediately replaced by determination. She clenched her fists and her face was flushed with excitement, "Leave! No matter what, we have to leave. Even if it's a big risk, this place … I've had enough! "
"Haha, so you're here!"
Yang Fan separated two thin bamboos and walked over with a bamboo basket containing a few herbs on his back.
"Big Brother Maqiao!"
Jiu Cai 'er turned around in surprise. As soon as she saw Yang Fan, a pair of dimples appeared on her cheeks. Like a swallow, she leapt up and flew towards him.
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