Chapter 1171 &1172

Chapter 1171: Unexpectedly the Hou Family

The woman was delighted. "It would be wonderful if we could run into her. Ah Yu would be surprised to know that Xiao Qing and I left Linzhang Prefecture post station."

Master Wan smiled. "Even if you don't meet her, it's alright. Didn't you write her a letter before leaving for Dong'an Prefecture? Once she sees that letter, she'll know. You will meet sooner or later." (But she's not in Dong'an so she haven't read it hehe)

"Yes," the woman's eyes were shining.

If Shu Yu were to meet Master Wan right now, she would be shocked to find out that the woman before him was none other than Hou Shi, who had once been through thick and thin with her and was supposed to stay at the post station with Miss Liu.

Unfortunately, their group had already finished eating and was now on a carriage, leaving the wharf.

They still had plenty of time, so they didn't plan to stay.

Tianning County wasn't far away, and they decided to stay at an inn in the county tonight.

Gouwa got on the carriage and stood by the window, looking outside.

His courage had grown since then, no longer as timid as when he first rode a carriage in the capital. He fell asleep before he knew it.

He looked at the streets, houses, people, and stalls of Huajiang Prefecture and couldn't help feeling joyful.

Shu Yu introduced everything to him along the way, and the group soon arrived at Tianning County.

The county wasn't much different from the last time Shu Yu came here, and they settled in the same inn as before, getting a few rooms.

After putting their belongings away, except for old master Zhao staying at the inn, the others went straight to Quansheng Escort Agency.

Oh, and Gouwa was left behind.

The child had been on the road for a long time, and seeing that he looked drowsy, Shu Yu decided to leave him at the inn under old master Zhao's care.

Gouwa had already become familiar with old master Zhao, and with him around, the child felt at ease.

The group quickly arrived at Nan Wu Street. It had been ten years since Meng Pei and Meng Yunzheng had returned.

Now, walking on the familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar streets, they felt a bit homesick, especially when they got closer to Nan Wu Street.

"I wonder if our old neighbors are still here." Meng Pei said while observing the houses along the street.

Meng Yunzheng smiled, "Several generations of families have lived here, I think they should still be around."

Father and son chatted as they gradually saw Quansheng Escort Agency, which was partially burnt.

Both of them almost stopped in their tracks simultaneously, then hastened their pace and soon stood in front of the main gate of Quansheng Escort Agency.

However, they didn't see the crazy beggar at the corner.

Meng Pei looked around and then turned to Shu Yu, "Shu Yu, did you see Yan Bo here before?"

Meng Pei had been eager to see Yan Bo again ever since he found out that he had been guarding Quansheng Escort Agency for so many years. He was even more anxious after learning about his current situation.

So this time, he brought Zhao Xi along to check on Yan Bo's condition.

But it turned out that Yan Bo wasn't there.

Shu Yu nodded, "He was indeed here before. Let me ask someone about his whereabouts."

Saying that, she turned her head and was about to ask the waiter from the opposite restaurant about Yan Bo's whereabouts.

Unexpectedly, as soon as she turned around, the waiter happened to be standing at the entrance of the restaurant. He looked at Shu Yu in surprise and said, "Miss, it really is you! I thought the back looked somewhat familiar, but I didn't dare to confirm. It hasn't been long, but you've come back here again. I couldn't believe my eyes; it's really you."


Chapter 1172: Returning to Hometown

Before Shu Yu could say anything, the waiter interrupted her, leaving her somewhat speechless.

This guy was still as talkative as ever, never stopping his incessant chatter.

However, in the next moment, she noticed the clothes the waiter was wearing and was taken aback.

The waiter also became aware of her gaze and looked down at his clothes. He couldn't help but straighten his back slightly and smiled at Shu Yu.

Shu Yu raised an eyebrow, "Are you... the shopkeeper now?"

The waiter quickly waved his hand, "No, no, it's just temporary, temporarily filling in the position."

"Then, where is the previous shopkeeper?"

The waiter shrugged, "I don't know where Shopkeeper Fang went. He wasn't originally from Tianning County. He said he had some matters in his hometown, so he went back and hasn't returned yet. Our boss asked me to temporarily take over in the meantime."

Shu Yu and Meng Yun Zheng exchanged a glance, and the latter asked, "How long has Shopkeeper Fang been gone?"

"For over a month." This wasn't a secret, so the waiter didn't have anything to hide.

Over a month?

Wasn't that right around the time when Gong Qiu was beheaded? So Shopkeeper Fang received news to go back and rescue his master but fell into the hands of Fifth Prince and his cronies?

It seemed clear that Shopkeeper Fang wouldn't be coming back. The current waiter, who was temporarily filling in, might just become the official shopkeeper.

"Miss, is there something you need to do in Tianning County this time?" The waiter smiled at them with excitement. Last time, this young lady rewarded him with silver coins for assistance. Perhaps she would do the same this time.

So, he was particularly enthusiastic, "No matter what you need to do, after such a long journey, you must be hungry. Please come inside, and feel free to order whatever you want. Since you are a returning guest to our restaurant, I'll offer you some discounts."

Shu Yu quickly interrupted him, "Shopkeeper, can I ask you something?"

As soon as the waiter heard the word "shopkeeper," his smile became even brighter.

"Sure, ask away."

"Where did the beggar who was at the entrance of Quansheng Escort Agency go?"

The waiter paused for a moment, "You mean him? He should be inside the agency. Come to think of it, he hasn't come out for two days. I don't know what happened to him."

There was a sense of charity between them, and the waiter occasionally gave some food to the old beggar. These past two days, the restaurant had been busy, so he didn't pay much attention to the old beggar.

Now that someone asked about him, he suddenly realized that the old beggar hadn't appeared for two days.

With that in mind, the waiter turned to instruct the other waiters in the restaurant, "Work diligently, I'm going to the opposite side to check."

As he finished speaking and was about to tell Shu Yu to rest at the restaurant, he heard that the old beggar hadn't appeared for two days. Without another word, they all headed towards the entrance of the escort agency.

Meng Yunzheng was the first to push the door, but it didn't open. Apparently, it was already bolted from inside.

They could go in from the part of the building that was burnt and collapsed, but that would take too much time.

So, without hesitation, Meng Yunzheng climbed over the wall from the outside.

The waiter arrived beside Shu Yu and witnessed the scene. He widened his eyes and said, "He, he, he just went in directly like that? Hey, Miss, this won't do. Although Quansheng Escort Agency is in ruins, that old beggar is quite skilled. If you break in without permission, he might attack you. Maybe we should... try knocking on the door first."

Before he could finish speaking, Meng Yunzheng, who had already climbed over the wall, had opened the door.