What would she do without him?
Author: 橙子澄澄
Source: Instadoses
The carriage was fast, and from Xinghua Village to the town, it took less than half an hour.
She followed Qian Wanjin into the Qian's restaurant, which was opened in the town after the fruit wine business became more prosperous the past year.
It was also the only large restaurant in the entire Cangwu Town, and its business was steadily surpassing that of its peers.
As soon as the shopkeeper saw the two, he immediately welcomed them. "Young Boss, Miss Liu, the private room is ready. I'll take you up."
At present, in all of the Qian's line of business, Liu Yusheng was known to the managers down to the waiters. They also addressed her respectfully as Miss Liu, not daring to belittle her because of her young age.
How could they? She might be young, but the fruit wine she developed almost made the Qian family rival the richest Liu family in Nanling in just three years! Even so far as having the potential to be on par with one another!
In time, as long as there were no surprises, it wasn't impossible for the Qian family to become the richest.
There wasn't much to ask why the Liu family remained in the richest position in the capital. It was just because they have people in the imperial court, and have served as royal merchants for many years.
"Has he arrived?" Qian Wanjin asked as they walked up to the third floor.
"He's here, waiting in the private room."
Behind, Liu Yusheng's heart tightened.
She had experienced similar scenes countless times over the past three years, each time she returned disappointed. But the next time, she came back with high hopes.
It was tantamount to self-abuse, but she just kept moving forward, never thinking of giving up.
On the third floor, the door of the private room slowly opened, and Liu Yusheng looked up.
Sitting inside was a middle-aged man wearing coarse grey clothes and anxiety all over his face. He has high cheekbones and dark skin.
Seeing the person who appeared in the doorway, his eyes immediately lit up and he stood up. "Young Boss Qian, you're here."
"Hmm," Qian Wanjin nodded at him, strode inside, and sat on the chair. "You know the clues, tell her. She's the golden master. She's rich."
As soon as the man heard this, he immediately looked at Liu Yusheng, his eyes brightening even more.
Liu Yusheng has seen this kind of look more than enough, so she didn't say anything. The people who came to provide tips were mostly after the generous reward.
As long as she could buy useful leads, she didn't mind people caring for nothing but money.
"Miss, I've really seen the man you're looking for. I know where he is and I can take you to him now, but that reward…Uhm?" The man rubbed his hands and smiled foolishly.
"As long as I find him, I'll pay the reward on the spot. 1000 taels, not a penny less." Liu Yusheng didn't sit down, and looked as tall as the carved wooden dining table. But her momentum of slapping the silver ticket on the table wasn't weak in the least.
Seeing the silver ticket in person, the man smiled so much that his eyes almost disappeared. He reached out and leaned towards the silver ticket, but it was snatched away.
"Find the man, give you the money. Remember the rules. The Qian family isn't someone anyone can fool." With a cool tone in his voice, Qian Wanjin reinserted the silver note into Liu Yusheng's purse.
What an unworldly girl. What would she do without him by her side to protect her?
The man withdrew his hand, and laughed dryly. "I understand, I understand. I'll take you to him. It isn't far, just in a ruined temple at the east end of town!"
Cold sweat dripped down his back.
Young Boss Qian's light warning shouldn't be underestimated. The weight lay on the last sentence.
If he resorted to trickery, not to mention not getting the money, it would probably be impossible for him to gain a foothold anywhere in the future.
Not that there weren't people, who took advantage of the moment, over the years, in their greed for the reward. However, which of them ended up well.
With this layer in mind, the man didn't speak freely again on their journey to the east of the town.
Besides, Qian Wanjin specially selected two guards when they came out. Their stature standing beside the horses was all the more reason for him not to think otherwise.
Liu Yusheng has never been to the ruined temple in the east of town and has never heard of it.
If this man hasn't mentioned it today, she wouldn't have known that there was actually a ruined temple near town.
In that kind of place, the ones gathered there should be beggars.
Liu Yusheng's small hand unconsciously clenched into a fist, her heart aching and astringent.
As if seeing through her thoughts, Qian Wanjin sneered, "Don't think about it. How good can a ruined temple be? The people gathered there are nothing more than homeless people who beg for a living."
After a pause, he added, "I do hope that he's really there so that my miserable days can end. It's driving me crazy whenever I see people combing the entire Nanling in order to help you find him."
"Thank you."
That again, won't you say something else?
The carriage left the town and stopped shortly after it had gone far. Liu Yusheng's heart was also hung high.
When she got out of the carriage, the late spring air still had a chill to it, and she couldn't help but shrink before raising her eyes forward.
The ruined temple was a wreck with mottled walls that had crumbled in many places.
There wasn't even a door, so the inside of the temple could be directly seen. At the innermost center was a Buddha statue with the golden helmet off, proof that incense was once offered there.
Cobwebs were hanging everywhere around the corners. There were also a number of scattered straws, as well as black cotton beddings, their colors long faded. In the midst lay or sat several beggars with disheveled and filthy hair. Upon seeing them entering, they rose to their feet, nervous and wary.
"Where's the person you were talking about?" Qian Wanjin pinched his nose, trying to block out the unpleasant smell in the air.
If it wasn't for Nannan, he would never have set foot in such a place.
What a hellish place, broken and rotten. The smell of urine and rancid food was everywhere. It was so putrid, it'd probably kill him if a little got in his nose!
The man rubbed his hands, and quickly circled around to search. For the sake of the 1000 taels remuneration, he hadn't done any work for almost half a year, and his energy was almost exhausted in finding the person. He couldn't afford to fail when he was just one step short of success.
Finally, he saw the person he was looking for behind the Buddha statue and dragged him out, regardless of how dirty he was. "Here, this is him!"
At that moment, Liu Yusheng almost stopped breathing, staring at the boy being dragged out.
The dirty and tattered singlet hung empty on his skinny and emaciated body, while his shaggy hair almost covered his entire face.
He was around 10 years old, matching what the man said, but with just one look, Liu Yusheng's heart sank.
Nope.
He wasn't Axiu.
The man had been staring closely at Liu Yusheng's expression, and seeing the disappointment on her face, he got a little anxious. "Look closer, Miss. You haven't even seen what he looks like yet! I searched for in accordance with your description; 11 years old, handsome, taciturn and unsociable…all of them fit! I-I've been looking for him for half a year!"
Liu Yusheng smiled sourly. "It's not him, but thank you anyway. I'll give you five silver taels later as your wages for running around for half a year."
"Uh, thank you, Miss! Thank you, Miss!" The man burst out laughing. Although the thousand taels reward was gone, he still could get five taels, which was enough for him to get by. He probably wouldn't be able to earn this much in half a year of long labor and exhaustion.
With her hopes once again dashed, Liu Yusheng didn't actually feel much sadness. She just felt a little numb. She smiled bitterly, and turned around to leave.
Note this is for Offline reading/purpose only credits to the authors, publishers, editors and translators.