Chapter 524 - 526: Designed to Make Him Look for Her
On the morning of their departure, Bai Ruozhu fed Little Dengdeng once again in his sleep, kissed his little face reluctantly, then placed him back in his bed to continue sleeping. She dressed herself, picked up her little bundle, and left the room.
"Ruozhu, take care of yourself while you’re out there. Don’t skimp on anything you need," Bai Yihong said with concern.
Bai Ruozhu forced a hint of a smile and said, "Dad, this isn’t my first time traveling far away, you guys don’t need to worry."
"Last time you had your second brother with you. This time it’s just you. How can we not worry?" Lin Ping’er grumbled discontentedly.
Bai Ruozhu smiled bitterly, it seemed that her second brother was more reliable and reassuring to their parents.
"Mom, it’s just a day’s journey to the clan chief’s house. Don’t worry." Bai Ruozhu said and then winked at her mother, so nobody else in the house would suspect anything.
It’s not that Bai Ruozhu doesn’t trust them, but too many cooks spoil the broth. Knowing less would be beneficial for them too.
Bai Zepei personally sent Bai Ruozhu to "Meng Residence", in fact, he had Wei San simply take Bai Ruozhu to the alley of Meng Residence. Then Bai Ruozhu got off the carriage, and Wei San again took Bai Zepei to the Study Palace. This would allow her parents to think she had really gone to Meng Residence, with people from Meng Residence arranging her travel thereafter.
On the horse carriage, Bai Zepei handed Bai Ruozhu a copper waist card and whispered, "Mr. Meng gave this, you can ask for help from the Government Office if necessary."
Bai Ruozhu showed her gratitude, "Thank you second brother, and please thank Mr. Meng for me too."
Bai Zepei couldn’t help but rub her head and reluctantly said, "Remember what you’ve said, take good care of yourself. If you encounter any bad guys, whether it’s using poison or killing, prioritize your safety first. I’ll take responsibility."
Bai Ruozhu couldn’t help but start crying, her second brother was so smart, he knew she would use poison, yet he didn’t despise it. Instead, he told her she could kill for self-protection and that he would be there to protect her.
She hugged his arm, leaned her face against it, and sobbed, "You’re too kind, second brother."
"How old are you, smearing your tears and snot all over me, go sit on the other side!" Though his words sounded disdainful, a faint smile hung on his face.
Soon enough, the horse carriage arrived at the alley of Meng Residence. Bai Ruozhu asked Wei San to stop the carriage and said, "It’s getting late. Here would be fine. You’d better hurry and take my second brother to the Study Palace so as not to be late."
Wei San glanced at Bai Ruozhu and noted that her eyes were slightly red. He assumed it’s due to the cold weather, and the cold wind had made her eyes red.
Bai Ruozhu waved goodbye to her second brother in the carriage, and as it disappeared from sight, she turned to leave swiftly. She found a deserted alley and quickly changed into a coarse robe, then with the aid of a small mirror, she painted her face. Soon, she transformed into a middle-aged, ordinary woman with a sallow complexion.
She looked at herself in the mirror. People who were not too familiar with her shouldn’t be able to recognize her, even from close up. She then hired a carriage and set off towards Anyuan Town.
Due to worrying about Jiang Yichun, she didn’t choose to stop and rest at noon. She had a simple meal of dried food and then asked the coachman to continue on their way. By evening, she had arrived at Anyuan Town.
She settled her fare with the coachman and then took a stroll around the market before hiring another carriage to head towards Xuantian Mountain.
Xuantian Mountain served as a barrier between Danliang Country and Turkic Country. On one side of the mountain was Turkic territory, and the other side was the land of Danliang Country.
Nearing nighttime, Bai Ruozhu finally reached the most prosperous town at the foot of Xuantian Mountain, Tianshan Town. This town was much similar to Anyuan Town, except for its distinct topographical difference.
Bai Ruozhu asked the coachman to take her to the town’s inn. By the time she had paid her fare and checked in, it was already midnight.
Lying there in the icy bed of the inn, her mind kept drifting back to her adorable son Little Dengdeng – he was likely fast asleep by now, wasn’t he?
She would also wonder about Jiang Yichun’s situation, but her endless speculations only made her feel worse.
No matter what, she had to pull herself together. There were still many things to deal with. She needed to keep her mind clear to analyze all situations.
She blew out the candle in the room, arranged the quilt to look as though someone was sleeping in the bed, and then with a shift of her thoughts, went into her space.
She washed her face with the pond water, instantly feeling a lot more refreshed. She then caught some fish from the pond to grill. Despite not having much of an appetite, she had to maintain her physical strength.
It was just her, if she wanted to find Jiang Yichun it would be incredibly difficult. Otherwise, wouldn’t those people searching for Jiang Yichun have had an easy job?
So from the beginning she had made her plan clear - she would not go looking for Jiang Yichun, instead she would find a way to lead him towards her.
She had a hunch that although Jiang Yichun was seriously injured, it was not life-threatening. However, he also had something threatening his safety, which made it inconvenient for him to show up at ease. Moreover, he could not easily venture too far from the vicinity of Xuantian Mountain.
Also, from her understanding of Jiang Yichun’s past hideouts, he preferred to hide in crowded places, often in an unexpected way.
So starting tomorrow, she needed to stay alert and lead Jiang Yichun to find her.
Having a fragrant grilled fish, Bai Ruozhu felt more relaxed. Lying on the ground of her space, her mind was steadily clearing up.
So many people were looking for Jiang Yichun, yet he didn’t show up. Either he wasn’t sober enough to appear or something was preventing him from appearing.
If he was unconscious due to severe injury, someone must have saved him. Now with the way the government office is conducting a person search, those on the other side, if not with great ingenuity, should have turned him over to the government office. Therefore, the second scenario seemed more likely. The thing that prevented him from casually exposing himself could be a traitor from the Tongzhang Division, and even that person’s position wouldn’t be low!
Bai Ruozhu’s eyelids twitched. If that was the case, would appearing in public cause someone to use her as bait?
She quickly sat upright. No, her battle plan needed to be adjusted.
Just a little after midday the next day, news spread throughout Tianshan Town. A female wandering doctor who happened to pass through this town said she had a kindred spirit with this place, so she decided to treat the townsfolk’s illnesses for free. She not only refrained from taking any payments but also provided some herbal medicines to the patients. She was akin to a living Bodhisattva.
"Have you seen the wandering doctor called Zhuhua? My son has had a cough for the past couple of days. I was thinking of looking for the doctor for help," a mother leading her six or seven-year-old son asked another woman.
"She’s at the western end of the Vegetable Market. Hurry and go see her. The queue there is getting really long." The woman answered, unable to contain her excitement. "Doctor Zhuhua is truly a good person. I heard she’s a disciple of an immortal who reincarnated to heal the ailments of the common people."