jdhmnovel Chapter 123 Cihe County
Chapter 123 Cihe County
Xie Yaochuan carefully lifted the little girl down from the carriage, afraid that she would be frightened by the crowd. By this time, a curious crowd had already gathered around them.
The Mu family's carriage has quite a history. It was a gift from the current emperor when the Duchess was first granted her title, and its extravagance is astonishing.
You have to understand, this place is just a small county town, and the residents have never seen such luxury before.
Everyone was speculating about who the person in the carriage was. Could it be a member of the royal family traveling incognito?
"Young master, this is Cihe County, and this is the only restaurant in the county," the servant respectfully reported to Xie Yaochuan.
Xie Yaochuan simply responded casually, ignoring the whispers around him. He carried the little girl straight into the restaurant, completely disregarding the strange looks he received.
Logically speaking, Cixi County, a place famous for its porcelain, should be prosperous and bustling. However, after observing the clothes worn by the people around him and the scene on the street after he got off the bus, Xie Yaochuan found that it seemed to be poorer than he had imagined.
Xie Yaochuan had just sat down with Xiao Yuxi when a large group of people rushing in suddenly poured into the room.
Xiao Yuxi stared at the waiter's menu, trying her best to decipher the words, but couldn't recognize a single one. After a while, she looked up at the waiter and asked, "Do you have sweet meat slices?"
"Yes! Yes!" the waiter replied hurriedly, even if it wasn't made on the spot, he would make it for her! Although the little girl's hair was loose and not properly styled, everything she wore was made of the finest silk, making her look like a child from a powerful and influential family.
"I want pastries too! The really, really delicious kind! And delicious crab too!" Xiao Yuxi ordered one by one.
The waiter's expression stiffened slightly. "Miss, this crab isn't in season."
"But I ate it just two days ago." Xiao Yuxi blinked, looking puzzled.
She had just eaten crabs at home, and her aunt had peeled them for her herself. They were delicious, but her aunt wouldn't let her eat more.
"This..." The waiter looked troubled, almost on the verge of tears.
A man in official robes approached hurriedly, looking flustered. He bowed to the person before him and said, "May I ask which young master or young lady has graced our Cihe County with their presence? I am Zhang Laiyong, the county magistrate."
Xie Yaochuan ignored him, but gently pinched the little girl's pink cheek and said softly, "The crabs we ate last time were all from the palace's ice cellar. You probably can't taste them in such a remote place. Just order one of everything listed on the restaurant's signboard."
After speaking, he turned his gaze to the county magistrate, who had become even more respectful upon hearing this. His peach blossom eyes narrowed slightly, and he said in a lazy and casual tone, "Oh, so it's County Magistrate. My apologies. I am Xie Yaochuan, and this gentleman is from the Mu family. We are here for sightseeing. If you have official business to attend to, please take your leave."
Upon hearing that the signature dish was being served, the waiter finally felt relieved and quickly agreed before disappearing.
The Mu family!
The county magistrate's eyes shone as he looked at Xiao Yuxi.
Xiao Yuxi bit her chopsticks and looked at him with a puzzled expression.
The county magistrate smiled broadly and said humbly, "Don't misunderstand, I just want to make friends with you. Do you think it's a bit inconvenient for you to stay here today? Why don't you move to the magistrate's residence? It's much more comfortable there."
"The magistrate's residence?" Xiao Yuxi tilted her head curiously; she had never been to the magistrate's residence before!
Seeing this, Xie Yaochuan, who was standing to the side, smiled slightly and asked softly, "Xixi, do you want to go take a look?"
Xiao Yuxi's eyes lit up, and she nodded vigorously, eagerly replying, "Yes, yes, Yuxi is going!"
Xie Yaochuan looked at Xiao Yuxi with affection and smiled in agreement, "Then I'll have to bother Lord Zhang."
"Not at all, Young Master Xie, you're too kind." The county magistrate was still unaware of Xie Yaochuan's true identity and simply assumed he was a servant sent by the Mu family to take care of the eldest daughter of the Mu family.
A guard hurried over. When he saw the unfamiliar magistrate before him, he hesitated, as if he had something to say but found it difficult to speak. He stood at the door, not daring to push it open and come in.
Xie Yaochuan noticed the guard's unusual behavior, turned his gaze to him, still wearing a somewhat unrestrained smile, and asked with concern, "What happened? Why do you look so serious?"
"The Third Young Master hid in the box and followed us all the way." The guard looked rather grim. They had checked everything before setting off, but they hadn't expected the Third Young Master to still manage to hide it inside.
It would be alright if it were the Third Young Master, but if others took advantage of the situation and laid an ambush, then they would truly have failed in their duty.
"Third Young Master?" Xie Yaochuan looked suspicious and wondered to himself.
Just as he was racking his brains trying to figure it out, Mu Yunchen peeked out from behind Yingrui with an embarrassed expression.
"Mu Yunchen?" Xie Yaochuan's eyes widened, his face filled with astonishment and disbelief.
Meanwhile, Xiao Yuxi was extremely excited, her eyes sparkling with joy, and she couldn't help but shout, "Brother Potato!"
Originally, Mu Yunchen planned to wait until nightfall and when everyone was resting before he would be noticed.
Unexpectedly, Xie Yaochuan's trip didn't seem like an investigation at all; rather, it was more like a leisurely sightseeing trip. He strolled along for only half a day before stopping to rest.
When Yingrui came to retrieve Xixi's clothes, she immediately spotted him hiding among them.
He clearly remembered learning from his second brother that Xie Yaochuan's trip was to the village where Xixi used to live to investigate a case.
His curiosity was piqued, and he decided to follow them to see for himself. He also wanted to find out where Sister Xi grew up in her previous life.
However, only now did Mu Yunchen realize that Xie Yaochuan might have other motives.
They were taking such a leisurely time, as if they were sightseeing, and even stopped in Cihe County to rest. Perhaps they wanted to investigate a case along the way?
Mu Yunchen smiled at Xie Yaochuan with unusually obedient manner.
He probably knew he had done something wrong.
She looked at Xie Yaochuan with a hint of ingratiation, "Brother Yaochuan~"
Xie Yaochuan looked up at him. This was the first time this little brat had called him "brother." Xie Yaochuan looked at the guards standing at the door and said coldly, "Send two people to throw Young Master Mu back."
Mu Yunchen quickly grabbed the door frame, kicking her legs wildly to prevent the guards from approaching, and shouted stubbornly, "No!"