Chapter 6

Hello

After that, Lin Fangzhou remained silent all the way.

It is good if it is not. Come here, lift the sedan chair.

In early summer, when it is not yet very hot, the scenery outside the city is truly delightful. The grass and trees are lush, the weather is pleasant, and the birds are chirping melodiously, which is quite pleasing to the ears. ... Lin Fangzhou, feeling so hungry that his stomach was almost flat, had lost all interest in enjoying the birds' songs, only thinking about how fragrant it would be to pluck the feathers from those birds and roast them to eat ...

Lin Fangzhou yawned and asked him: "I say, I still do not know your name."

Lin Fangzhou nodded and asked, "Is this also not for sale?"

At this moment, Lin Fangzhou is still holding a sweet melon in his arms, caught red-handed with both the person and the stolen goods.

The county magistrate adjusted his crooked official hat before slowly descending from the sedan chair. Those in official positions always walk at a leisurely pace, their steps steady and grand, which is referred to as the authority of an official

There are still 15 left, only this many remain today, and once they are sold out, I will go home

Lin Fangzhou found it rather uninteresting. She initially intended to scold him a few times, but unfortunately, her hunger left her with no strength to argue with anyone. She got out of bed and rummaged through the boxes and cabinets, hoping to see if there was anything left that she could eat.

Just at that moment, she saw a small sedan chair carried by four people approaching along the nearby path. Lin Fangzhou did not have time to take a closer look and rushed towards the sedan chair, thinking that with so many people around, that beast would not be able to distinguish between friend and foe, and would certainly not dare to act recklessly

She swallowed hard and shouted through the hole in the gauze window: "Vendor of fried dough cakes!"

Well

Lin Fangzhou ran around the sedan chair, but that beast relentlessly pursued her. Just as it was about to catch up, it bit down—hiss, tearing off a piece of her pant leg.

What is a jiao ... ... ?

Lin Fangzhou sat up and heard the vendor selling fried dough cakes outside the window still calling out, his voice particularly crisp and bright: "Fried dough cakes—just out of the oven—fragrant, crispy, and large sesame fried dough cakes"

"Wait a moment, sir..."

She felt a bit embarrassed, scolded them a few times, and quickly walked away amidst a burst of laughter

Lin Fangzhou gritted his teeth and said, "So, you have been pretending to be foolish all along?"

The old man weakly said, "That is not what I meant..."

Lin Fangzhou's eyes sparkled with delight as she rolled up her sleeves, ready to pick melons. However, concerned about being caught in the act, she cautiously lifted her head and looked around. In the distance, she spotted a melon shed, which stood still, making it impossible to see if anyone was inside. She was also unsure if the melon farmer was present.

Lin Fangzhou found it very novel and brought the little flying snake close to his eyes to examine it carefully, "Really? Why can't I see it"

Ah? Master, you see that our matter has already come to an end

As soon as Lin Fangzhou spoke up with a question, he felt that his doubt was unfounded—this rascal was being pursued by someone!

Lin Fangzhou stumbled out of the sedan chair and saw that the old man had already knelt on the ground, and even his dog had followed suit, lying down with its tail wagging like a fan, which is why it is said that a dog's eyes look down on people

The county magistrate cast a glance at Lin Fangzhou, then darkened his face and scolded, "You audacious scoundrel! Yesterday you mocked me, and I chose to ignore it. I did not expect you to escalate your mischief today, brazenly committing robbery in broad daylight! Is there anything you do not dare to do?"

Forget it, forget it," she waved her hand, "who cares where you popped out from among the rocks!

... ...

I almost forgot about this matter!

will lead to the peril of losing one's life

The county magistrate asked the old man: "This county rules that he shall return the melon to you, what do you think?"

Lin Fangzhou: "Hahaha, I am just joking!"

Lin Fangzhou asked again: "Who the hell are you?!"

Lin Fangzhou knew what a crystal lens was; she had seen one from Jiang Yuliang. A small piece could magnify objects in front of her by several times. That crystal lens was very precious, the apple of Jiang Yuliang's eye, and he did not allow anyone else to touch it.

Xiao Yuanbao raised an eyebrow and said, "That is not a snake"

Is it possible

Ah! Is the young lady looking to buy some sesame cakes

Lin Fangzhou felt extremely hungry and went out

I choose the ingot

Lin Fangzhou waved her hand and said, "It's not because of you. This matter is a long story." Moreover, she did not want to say anything about it at all

How much is one

I have repeatedly found myself in perilous situations over the years, and there is no one I can trust.

The old man hurriedly said: "Thank you, Master Xie, for standing up for me"

The old man, feeling somewhat confused, expressed a bit of sympathy for her and said, "It was just the theft of two melons; you can return them and that should be the end of it. There is no need to serve a life sentence in prison. I never said you had to serve a life sentence in prison..."

She picked two large sweet melons in the melon field, one in each hand, cradling them in her arms. Just as she stood up, she suddenly heard a series of barks: "Woof woof woof woof woof!"

Oh, then let's go with 'two tubes'

Lin Fangzhou shivered slightly. Immediately afterward, she continued to touch the leather armor, her gaze becoming somewhat lingering, "This must be very valuable, right?"

"Your affair with him is over, but ours is not finished," the county magistrate sneered and said, "Aren't you clever? Don't you want to outsmart me? Aren't you just idling away your time with nothing to do? I give you three days to come up with a solution to eliminate that tiger threat. If you fail to propose a viable plan, I will ensure you spend the rest of your life in prison"

Can we change it?

Go ahead and boast! How old are you, and yet you find yourself in perilous situations repeatedly

Then... the little flying snake, with a pearl in its mouth, the pearl engraved with my name

Xiao Yuanbao was momentarily taken aback by the question and shook his head, saying, "I am not sure."

Lin Fangzhou would not stay put, he ran away in a flash

A frail man rushed over like a gust of wind, holding two sweet melons, followed by a dog, and behind them was a trembling old man... This scene was truly beautiful, and the bearers of the sedan were startled, quickly stopping and exclaiming in panic: "What is going on! What is happening!"

Lin Fangzhou knelt on the ground, watching the small sedan chair drift away with longing.

Lin Fangzhou found the alley unpleasant, so he turned around and ran away while holding a sweet melon

What, don't you like it

Lin Fangzhou gathered them together, along with the set of white undergarments exchanged for the small ingots. Lin Fangzhou said, "We will burn them all in a moment"

Dragon

The characters are very small, and can only be seen with a crystal lens

Curiosity is something everyone possesses... However, this young man's background is somewhat frightening. Lin Fangzhou is uncertain whether, once she learns his true identity, she will be able to sleep soundly, maintain her composure without any flaws, and whether she will be able to...

Xiao Yuanbao hesitated to speak, ultimately just nodding slightly with his eyes downcast, "Mm."

It's nothing, just go to sleep

Lin Fangzhou also knelt down

Indeed, one must do good deeds in order to sleep soundly. Lin Fangzhou slept very soundly in the middle of the night, and it was not until the next day when the sunlight was bright that she was awakened by the shouting of the vendor selling pancakes, opening her drowsy eyes.

You, I, that... the old man tried to explain

While eating melon seeds, Lin Fangzhou recounted her tragic experiences to Xiao Yuanbao. After finishing, she asked him: "Have you ever seen a tiger?"

Lin Fangzhou returned home holding a sweet melon, smashed it in half, and shared it with Xiao Yuanbao

As she walked along, she passed through a lush green melon field, and from a distance, she could already smell the sweet aroma of the melons. Lin Fangzhou quietly crouched down, parted the melon vines, and what she saw were the glistening, round sweet melons, each about the size of a dog's head

... ...

Are you suggesting that ancient dragons had no feet and only later developed them

"Great-grandfather, I was just joking around, playing with him. I will return it to him right away..." Lin Fangzhou said, quickly handing the sweet melon back to the old man, while saying to him, "Grandfather, I was wrong. It was just a joke. Please forgive me this time, I won't dare to do it again in the future..."

There are still people standing not far away, pointing and gesturing at her

Lin Fangzhou smiled with a shameless expression and said, "Great-Grandfather, what brings you here?"

No, no, no, sir, this is too difficult for a person, this, this... you are issuing a public notice—" She realized she had misspoken and quickly swallowed the last two words.

Lin Fangzhou had no doubt that if given another chance, he would still pretend to be foolish. She suppressed the impulse to beat him up and coldly asked: "Why pretend to be foolish?"

So you have been pretending to be foolish all along? You almost got me killed

She must have been truly bewildered, a living person trying to fathom the thoughts of a dog

She let out a gentle sigh, and inexplicably, the anger in her heart dissipated considerably... Perhaps... he truly has his own unavoidable difficulties

What are you saying

She was not running slowly, but unfortunately, two legs could not outrun four. Hearing the barking of the dog behind her getting closer, Lin Fangzhou felt a bit scared, yet she was reluctant to part with the large sweet melon in her hands

Two texts for one, five texts for three, if the official can take all, it can be calculated a bit cheaper.

The old man finally caught up and found the situation somewhat chaotic. He stopped the dog that was about to rush into the sedan chair.

She did manage to find a few valuable items, but unfortunately, they all belonged to that little fool—no, to the little ingot.

In summary, these items are excellent in every way, but they simply cannot be sold

Hmm? Are you suggesting that I am using my official position to settle personal scores?

Lin Fangzhou thought she had finally escaped this calamity, but little did she know that after the county magistrate finished judging the matter, he suddenly glared and called out to her: "Lin Fangzhou."

... ...

Then came a voice that was almost in a state of panic: "M-M-M-M-Master!"

The sedan chair swayed left and right due to inertia, leaving the person inside in a pitiable state, shaken into a dumpling.

No, no, no, that is not what I meant

Then I shall call you 'Yuanbao'

The old man, seeing the little thief getting chummy with the master, fearing that he might suffer a loss, quickly said: "Master, this little thief has stolen my sweet melon!"

Amidst the barking of the dog behind, an aged voice interjected: "Stop! You thief who stole the melon!"

The tigers I have seen are all kept in cages, " said Xiao Yuanbao, suddenly raising his head and gently squinting his eyes, " I have a solution.

What is not a snake

He suddenly let out a soft sigh and murmured in barely audible tones, "In fact, you should not have gone back to look for me"

I have seen it

Lin Fangzhou finally understood the reason for her prominence today

How many do you have

Cannot ... ...

That little fool has woken up as well, no, he should not be called a little fool now, he is smarter than a monkey

Xiao Yuanbao patiently explained: "That is an antique imitation, modeled after the dragons of ancient times"

He is like a parrot, only able to repeat this one sentence; in the night, his figure appears somewhat frail, yet his posture is resolute

Xiao Yuanbao was rendered speechless by her unreasonable insistence. He was not fond of speaking to begin with, and he had little talent for debate. After being momentarily choked for words, he turned his head and said, "Whatever you say is what it is."

Let me take a bite as well

She sat slumped on the ground, her face filled with despair, "It's over..."

Even if there are people, they are probably still lazily sleeping Lin Fangzhou muttered to herself, encouraging herself

dragon

Well

Lin Fangzhou touched his nose and shouted at them: "What, do you not recognize your great-grandfather anymore?"

It is impossible to stay in this city, so she plans to leave the city for a while, catch a few fish, and collect some bird eggs, all of which could serve as a temporary solution

She looked at the jade pendant, feeling a bit of heartache, and then took it into her arms, saying, "This belongs to me now"

The old man perked up his ears, eager to hear how long that conversation would last, but Lin Fangzhou merely said: "I’m sorry, Grandpa, I... I’m just too hungry"

Such a piece of leather armor made from a monster ultimately could not even be exchanged for a single flatbread, Lin Fangzhou thought it was a pity. She tossed aside the leather armor and went to admire the beautiful jade, exclaiming as she looked, "You little flying snake is truly beautiful!"

Nonsense, do you really think I have never seen the world? How could a dragon possibly be without feet

He ate the melon slowly and, upon hearing her question, nodded and said, "I have seen it."

Nonsense, if you had encountered a tiger, it would have already eaten you

"The monstrous beast that lives in the water devours humans"

Lin Fangzhou continued to caress it, "If I were to sell it..."

You rascal! The old man also laughed

... ...

The county magistrate did not want to pay her any attention. ... He was even less inclined to recall the embarrassment of being overwhelmed by a large man holding a sweet melon ... .

Your father is the little lady! Open your dog eyes and take a look!

The old man felt a twinge of compassion. Looking at the young man before him, frail and pale, he appeared to be even younger than his own grandson. After a moment of hesitation, he stuffed a sweet melon into Lin Fangzhou's hands, saying, "Take it and eat. Usually, passersby who are hungry or thirsty may ask for a piece of melon, and I do not charge them. However, you should at least greet me; do not take things without permission."

Get lost

The sedan bearers angrily exclaimed: "What do you intend to do! If you collide with us—"

Before he could finish speaking, a furious voice from within the carriage shouted: "Lin! Fang! Zhou!"

... ...

Today is somewhat strange, and I do not know what kind of wind has blown. On the street, out of every ten people, eight would stop to greet her and even smile at her...! ... What is there to smile about!

It is not a painting of a tiger; it is a real tiger

Lin Fangzhou shook his leather armor and asked, "What kind of leather is this made from? I can't seem to tell."

Grandpa Lin, we are all waiting for your paper lion! Only with the paper lion can we go up the mountain to hunt tigers! Hahahahaha ... ...

What would you like to call me

I ... ... '' She suddenly felt a bit uncertain

She was unaware that the county magistrate had gone to the hunter's home today to pay his respects and, incidentally, to issue a commendation for loyalty and bravery. On his way back, he happened to encounter her being chased for stealing melons.

Lin Fangzhou was very happy: "Hmm! I understand! Next time I want to eat, I will just come to you for it!"

I only have one cent, can you sell me half of it

He looked up at her and softly asked, "Do you really want to know?"

Lin Fangzhou was drenched in cold sweat. In a moment of urgency, upon seeing the sedan chair stopped on the ground, she bent down and swiftly slipped into the chair.

When the two returned to the drafty room, the child suddenly said: "I am sorry"

I am sorry

The peddler thought to himself, though you are separated by a gauze window, even with my keen eyesight, I cannot see through the distance. He had a good temper and did not argue with customers; at this moment, he could only smile and say: "I am a small person who does not recognize the greatness of the mountain, please do not hold it against me. How many sesame cakes would you like?"