mtl008 Chapter 387 Warm Mist and Flowing Light
Chapter 387 Warm Mist and Flowing Light
The border between the Northern Qi and the Yunqiang Kingdom was not limited to the Yarenzhuang Pass; there were also several adjacent villages and towns along the border.
If you continue southwest from Cangshui Prefecture, you can reach another border area.
Moyu Town.
Cangshui Prefecture has a large number of waterways, which become more developed the closer it gets to the mountain range of Yunqiang Kingdom. The terrain is rugged and difficult to travel, making it inconvenient for vehicles and horses.
thus.
The group decided to travel by water by boat and then by land to reach Moyu Town.
Not wanting to attract too much attention or cause unnecessary trouble for the locals, the group decided the night before to leave through the back door of the inn before dawn.
thus.
The only one who knew they were leaving was the waiter who slept in the lobby.
After all, you have to check out of the inn before leaving, so you should at least say goodbye.
Although the waiter had never left the town, he had seen many customers coming and going. When he saw the luggage on their backs, he immediately understood that they were leaving. The weariness in his eyes vanished instantly, and he was clearly caught off guard.
"Are you gentlemen leaving already? Are you really not going to stay a few more days?"
The waiter, his eyes filled with gratitude and reluctance, tried to persuade him to stay, saying, "In a few days, the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth of the lunar month will be around again. I heard that Prefect Chen has specially stayed to help us with the arrangements. Now that the case has been solved, the people are happy, and that day will surely be especially lively."
The waiter seemed to have already seen the grand scene of that day, his eyes sparkling with starlight, and his eyes welled up with tears at this hard-won peace.
"No."
Hearing Lin Lezhi's refusal, the waiter was clearly disappointed and didn't know what to say for a moment.
But then Lin Lezhi said, "We will definitely come again when we have the chance. The lantern festival will be even more lively and bustling then."
When Lin Lezhi said they would come again, the waiter immediately wiped away his disappointment and said with joy and anticipation, "Definitely! I will arrange the best rooms for you gentlemen then."
"Oh, right!"
As he spoke, the waiter seemed to remember something, and immediately ran behind the counter to get a package. He then hurried back and handed a bulging little bag to Lin Le, saying, "This is what our manager specifically instructed us to do. These distinguished guests have been kind to Pinghai Town, so we won't charge you for your rooms. All the room fees are here. Please take it; it's a token of our manager's appreciation."
The small bag was bulging, and the protruding parts outlined the shape of the silver coins inside. The straps were barely tied, as if the silver ingots would squeeze out of the closure at any moment.
This is far more than just the cost of the room; it clearly exceeds that amount.
Lin Lezhi quickly waved his hand and refused, saying, "This is too much. An inn is open for business, and it's only right to charge money. Besides, we haven't paid for the rooms we've stayed in recently, so we've already received preferential treatment. We can't accept this money."
"Can…"
"We also want to thank the inn for taking such good care of us." Lin Lezhi smiled, her eyes filled with gratitude. "You must have done a lot behind the scenes to ensure we can stay comfortably in the inn without being disturbed. Thank you."
After he finished speaking, everyone nodded slightly to the waiter to express their gratitude.
Upon seeing this, the waiter's eyes instantly welled up with tears, which swirled in his eyes.
He knew he couldn't give the money away, so he could only say with gratitude and reluctance in his eyes and a choked voice, "You gentlemen are all good people, so at least let me see you off. It's still dark outside."
Lin Lezhi did not refuse this time.
After saying goodbye, the group headed to the ferry to board a boat.
The case has been solved, and all ships have resumed passage.
As dawn broke, in the depths of autumn, the temperature was low, and a thin layer of mist floated on the riverbank. The sesame oil lamps lit on the boats emitted a dim, warm glow through the mist.
The people who got up early to fish all had happy smiles on their faces, as did the merchant ships and passenger ships coming and going, presenting a thriving and harmonious scene.
Just looking at it brings me peace of mind.
"Wait a moment!"
Just as they paid their fare and were about to board the boat to leave, the waiter came running up to them. Seeing that they hadn't left yet, he was clearly relieved and looked relieved that he had made it in time.
The waiter slapped his forehead and scolded himself, "Look at my memory! The shopkeeper clearly told me this a long time ago, and I completely forgot."
Lin Lezhi, the shopkeeper, insisted that he give them the money, and he was about to refuse.
Unexpectedly, the waiter turned to look at Guan Ziheng beside him, leaving Guan Ziheng looking bewildered and at a loss.
"Young Master Guan, look at my memory! This is what we agreed on before, please take it."
Although the bag was much smaller than before, you could still tell from the shape it was stretched out that it contained a small bag of money.
The waiter didn't care whether Guan Ziheng accepted it or not, and just stuffed it into Guan Ziheng's hand.
Feeling the solid, heavy weight in his hand, Guan Ziheng seemed to suddenly realize something. He glanced at the crowd staring at him out of the corner of his eye, and felt a prickling sensation on his back as he froze on the spot.
The money is already in my hands; it's not good to keep it, and it's hard to explain if I return it.
"This is your share, and we should thank Young Master Guan even more. Is it too little?"
Guan Ziheng, unsure whether to laugh or cry, only said with a flustered and embarrassed expression, "Not a lot...not a lot..."
"It's not too bad. We also have to thank Young Master Guan for choosing our inn. Just as you said, business has really improved a lot these days, and we've earned quite a bit in tea fees."
Guan Ziheng was on the verge of tears, his heart pounding with panic. He was terrified of being discovered, his eyes darting around erratically as he mumbled, "That's good, that's good..."
The waiter, unaware of Guan Ziheng's unusual behavior, looked at him with some regret and asked, "Young Master Guan, Wuyou..."
Guan Ziheng's eyes widened in surprise, and he immediately interrupted, "It would be good if I could help you and relieve your worries."
As he spoke, Guan Ziheng took only a few taels of silver from the bag and stuffed it back into the shopkeeper's hand, saying, "I only helped with a small matter, you don't need to give so much, this is enough for me."
The waiter looked at him with an expression that said, "This isn't enough."
Watching Guan Ziheng and the waiter chatter away, their words utterly incomprehensible, Liu Yunhe's eyes revealed a look of contemplation and doubt.
Guan Ziheng glanced at the sky, and before the waiter could react, he hurriedly took his leave, saying, "It's already quite bright, and the inn should be getting busy soon. You should hurry back and get back to work; our boat is about to depart. We'll definitely come again if we have the chance."
The waiter glanced at the boatman behind him; the boat was indeed about to depart. He swallowed back the words he was about to say.
His eyes held a hint of apology, but also anticipation and gratitude as he said, "Alright, you must come! I wish you gentlemen a safe journey and all the best! You must come again—!"
After waving goodbye and watching the ship sail away with reluctance in his eyes, the waiter also turned and walked back to the inn. Then, his expression and words were full of regret, and he couldn't understand: "Why did this carefree traveler suddenly stop writing?"