bookrandom Chapter 71 Why did you bring him back again?
Chapter 71 Why did you bring him back again?
Whether they are human traffickers or kidnappers, if she and her father meddle in other people's business and delay those vicious people from making money, wouldn't they get into trouble if they were discovered?
Mother!
These days, you really can't be a good Samaritan!
But deep down, as a highly educated and politically correct person, how could she pretend not to know about this and stand by and watch someone die?
She immediately asked, "Do you remember who arrested you? Where were you arrested?"
The little beggar thought for a moment and said, "I...I don't know. They kidnapped me and stole my jade pendant, saying they wanted to ask my father for money."
What the hell?
Use silver to ransom people?
Isn't this just kidnapping and extortion?
She was so shocked she almost screamed, and immediately covered her mouth and looked at her father.
"Dad, we're in big trouble!"
Even Shen Qingchuan, a country bumpkin who looked simple-minded, could sense something was amiss at this point.
Someone kidnapped this child and is demanding money from his father. This is outrageous!
"Tang'er, let's take him to the government office quickly, we can't handle this matter."
The little beggar's eyes immediately welled up with tears and he started to cry, "Waaah... I won't go. They don't believe me. They say I'm a stinking beggar. If I go again, they'll beat me."
He clung tightly to Shen Qingchuan's clothes, looking a year older than Shen Xiaotang, yet he was crying with snot and tears streaming down his face.
"Please take me home. If you help me find my home, my father will definitely reward you with money."
Shen Qingchuan looked troubled after hearing this.
He's just an honest and hardworking farmer. If it were simply a matter of taking him home, it wouldn't be difficult. He's not a heartless person; he'd be willing to lend a hand if he could, even if it just takes a little more walking.
However, he encountered kidnappers, ruthless people who would do anything for money.
Perhaps they are secretly watching them right now.
How can this be done?
Shen Qingchuan sighed, looking troubled.
A few days ago, he and his daughter were targeted by thieves who robbed them of their silver. Both his daughter and Shuisheng were injured. He dared not risk his daughter's safety again!
Shen Xiaotang asked again, "Didn't you say someone was trying to capture you? How did you escape? If you escaped, why didn't you go home by yourself? Where is your home?"
The little beggar remained silent for a long time, then glanced at the stove on the mule cart before speaking.
“I escaped while they were drunk at night. My home isn’t here. The sign here says Qinghe Town, but my home is in Pingding County.”
Pingding County?
"Your home is in Pingding County, how did you end up in Qinghe Town?"
“They kidnapped me to a village. I escaped at night and lost my way. I ran for a day and a night and I don’t know how I got here. I’m all alone and I don’t know anywhere. I… I can’t go back.”
As he spoke, he started crying again, sobbing uncontrollably.
Shen Qingchuan hesitated.
Since he escaped at night, the kidnappers probably didn't notice him there, so he didn't get into any trouble.
But his home is too far away, isn't it?
“They won’t believe you if you go to the government office alone. I’ll take you there and talk to them properly. Maybe that will work. If they’re willing to take you, or send someone to your father to pick you up, that’s fine too.”
The little beggar hastily wiped away his tears; his face, covered in ash, looked like a dog's bottom.
"Okay, take me there."
So Shen Qingchuan left his daughter to tend the stove and sell roasted sweet potatoes while he led the little beggar to the government office.
The government offices in towns are different from those in counties. In counties, there are yamen (government offices) managed by the county magistrate, while in towns they are managed by local gentry.
When they arrived at their destination, the local gentry surnamed Wu was sipping tea and humming a tune, not even glancing at them.
Hearing from the servants that it was the little beggar who had come before, who was deluding himself into believing he was the young master of a wealthy family in the county, he immediately ordered the servants to throw Shen Qingchuan and the little beggar out.
No matter how much Shen Qingchuan pleaded, no one believed him. They even said he was just being nosy and was interfering with official business.
Shen Qingchuan was furious, but he didn't dare to confront the little beggar directly. He could only lead the little beggar back to the sweet potato stall.
Shen Xiaotang was puzzled when she saw her father leading the little beggar back, looking dejected.
"Dad, why did you bring him back again?"
“They didn’t believe me, saying I was obstructing official business, and kicked us both out.”
Shen Xiaotang: ……
It's normal for small places to lack proper officials.
She thought for a moment and said, "Dad, it's not that we can't send him back. His home is in Pingding County. We can ask around and send him back. We can also get a feel for the road and see what the county is like. Once our turmeric harvest is complete, we can go to the county to sell it."
"But what if the nearest county to us isn't Pingding County?"
"It's alright. We can visit a few more counties to expand our sales channels. We can't rely on just one county to sell. We should find several medicinal herb merchants and compare prices. It's always a good idea."
Shen Qingchuan nodded, agreeing with his daughter's reasoning.
“Alright, let’s send him back. Consider it a preliminary check. But Dad needs to find out the way to Pingding County before we can set off.”
"Row!"
Upon hearing this, the little beggar's eyes lit up; he saw hope.
"Thank you for taking me home. I'll ask my dad to repay you later."
Shen Xiaotang chuckled and teased, "Oh, so you're a grateful young master after all."
The little beggar pouted, looking a bit dissatisfied.
"I'm not a little beggar, I have a name!"
"So what's your name?"
"Xue Ruifeng!"
A timely snowfall promises a bumper harvest?
Giving such a grand name to a small child, this family is really something...
Pay attention!
At noon, Shen Qingchuan took out three steamed buns from the cloth bag in the carriage, heated them in the stove, and gave one to each of the two children, and one to himself.
The three of them drank all the water in the bamboo tube.
There were few people around at midday, and none of the stalls had many customers, including the roasted sweet potatoes.
Shen Qingchuan plucked some leaves and fed them to the mule.
My daughter has a good eye; she chose this spot, which not only provides shade but also provides leaves to feed the mules.
Shen Xiaotang was planning to make braised meat and didn't want to waste a moment.
"Dad, you and Ruifeng stay here and watch the stall. I'm going to check what kind of meat they sell."
"Take some money with you before you go!"
Shen Qingchuan counted out forty coins for his daughter, enough to buy two catties of fatty meat with some left over.
When they arrived at the meat stall, Zhang, the butcher, was fanning himself with a fan to shoo away flies.
Now that it's autumn, most of the flies have gone to hide, but his butcher shop still can't get rid of them.
"Uncle, you have some free time now?"
Zhang the pork vendor looked up and immediately recognized Shen Xiaotang.
"Hey, it's you, little girl. What's up? Here to rip off again today?"
When she first came to get meat, she was dressed in patched clothes, and he thought she was broke. But then she changed into new clothes and became a regular customer after getting meat from him a few times.
Shen Xiaotang glanced at the meat stall, looking at the pig offal and trotters displayed on it, and grinned, revealing two small dimples.
"I'm not buying meat today, I'll buy something else."
"Uncle, how much are your pig's trotters?"
You can buy a few pig trotters to take home and make braised pig trotters. If they turn out well, keep the recipe and supply them to restaurants every day!