Chapter 8, is it really you

Time is limited, we will set off soon

Uncle Wang rubbed his hands together in delight. Just as he was about to ask again, Liu Jing, who was standing nearby, inquired, "Uncle, have you taken care of that matter?"

As soon as he uttered the phrase "a way out," everyone, including Uncle Lu and Liu Jing, felt a sense of relief. Liu Jing, in particular, collapsed onto the ground, having escaped from the brink of death, which brought her immense joy. However, when she thought about the salt she had painstakingly acquired now being lost and her family's survival being uncertain, she was overcome with sorrow. Unable to help herself, Liu Jing sat on the ground, covering her face with her hands, and began to weep softly.

Yes

At this moment, a servant from the Liu residence said with a grunt, "It seems that it was dropped by that exceptionally handsome young man, Qiang Liang. I heard him say something as he left, and then two men in black lifted this bundle and tossed it into the grass over there"

The handsome man slowly stood up, crossed his arms, and said lightly: "Indeed, it is I."

Liu Jing was overjoyed; she suddenly lunged forward and snatched the bundle. However, as soon as she grasped it, the bundle was too heavy, and with a loud crash, it shattered into several pieces, causing the hundreds of gold ingots inside to tumble out and scatter across the ground.

Yes

The leader in black tilted his head slightly, and after admiring her expression for a moment, he leisurely released the hand that had been stroking her longevity lock. With a wave of his hand, he commanded his subordinates, "Take them away and find the location of that ship carrying salt. If they are unwilling to speak, then just cut them down.

It is truly gold

In the blink of an eye, his voice turned into one of ecstatic joy, "Dalang, Dalang, you must see what this is!" Due to overwhelming happiness, Uncle Lu's voice even carried a hint of tears.

The leader in black jumped onto the cargo ship, and after taking a round on the ship, he jumped back onto the bamboo raft. Before long, Liu Jing and he returned to the hillside.

Having said that, he arrogantly cast a glance at Liu Jing, then turned his head and waved his hand, saying, "Go." At this moment, the group of men in black had already cleaned up the bodies and prepared several wooden rafts. Under the guidance of the handsome man, the group jumped onto the rafts and soon entered the reed marsh.

Uncle Wang understood what she was asking. He shook his head and said with a bitter smile, "No, when I arrived in Poyang County, I learned that Mr. Gu had already been promoted. It is said that he is now in Luoyang, having been elevated to the position of Sima. People say that the Gu family has produced a second son with a great fortune and noble destiny, who has gained fame throughout the world, is highly regarded by the emperor, and is a classmate of all the princes, trusted by them as well." At this point, Uncle Wang turned to Liu Jing, his expression complex, and said, "Second sister-in-law, that young master of the Gu family has achieved such great fortune... I also heard that he recently came to Wujun." He did not continue with the rest of his words... The Gu residence has become so prosperous, and that young master of the Gu family has attained such fortune; it is likely that he looks down on the Liu residence even more... However, if they truly look down on us, why has no one come forward to propose the cancellation of the engagement?

Just as Uncle Lu finished speaking, a servant called from outside: "Uncle Wang, Uncle Wang, it is us, we have returned"

Upon seeing his face, Liu Jing was stunned; she stopped crying, her tear-filled eyes wide open, and she foolishly asked, "Is it you?"

The person gently and gracefully brushed aside her hair, their fingers softly wiping away the tears from the corners of her eyes, while their warm lips slowly approached her ear

After the leader in black spoke these words, he extended his hands and gently cradled Liu Jing's face, gazing at her from such a close distance. He used his thumb to wipe away the tears on her cheek, and then, he slowly extended his right hand and removed his mask, revealing his face.

Uncle Lu was taken aback and exclaimed, "Dalang, what are you talking about? You have already resolved such a significant burden at home, how can you still say it is not good? Dalang, have you perhaps forgotten that you are merely a little uncle?"

As soon as this command was issued, several of Liu Jing's servants were pushed aside by the men in black. Seeing her subordinates being taken away, Liu Jing raised her voice slightly and said in a hushed tone: "Do not push them, I will take you there."

As she gazed at the home gradually coming into view, Liu Jing touched the gold ingot in her bundle, took a deep breath, and softly asked, "Uncle Lu, was my performance this time not good enough?"

This is gold

Liu Jing'en let out a sound and leaned forward, calling out to Yu Fu: "Go a little faster."

Uncle Lu grinned broadly with delight, "Of course."

There were as many as seven people in Liu Jing's group, and they carried a significant presence wherever they went. Moreover, as everyone had just calmed down from their earlier fright, they did not wish to linger outside, let alone flaunt their wealth. Upon arriving at the market, they hired two carts for their journey. The group traveled through wind and rain, remaining silent during meals and extremely cautious while sleeping. After ten days of continuous travel, they were on the verge of returning to their hometown when they encountered a heavy rainstorm, which had washed out the official road ahead. Without waiting for the weather to completely clear, the group chose to take a detour. It took nearly another twenty days before they finally returned home.

Just as she was softly sobbing, suddenly, someone moved a little closer to her

"It was right there in the haystack, and I do not know who left it behind."

After issuing two consecutive commands, the leader in black turned to the trembling Liu Jing, smiled gently, and said: "The salt is quite good... In its favor, I can spare your lives!"

Liu Jing felt dizzy and did not wish to speak, so she merely lowered her head and walked along the official road, taking shallow and deep steps.

Yes, we can make it home

On the day of Jiazi, Liu Jing calculated with her fingers, her expression slightly changed, "It has been one day past the three-month deadline"

Gold

The leader in black smiled softly upon hearing this, and he affectionately stroked Liu Jing's face, murmuring, "Now that's more like it." After saying this, his voice turned serious as he commanded, "Lead the way ahead."

Standing on the hillside, the leader in black commanded leisurely, "That ship is good; you all clean this place up and then go aboard."

It is a Jiazi day

The coachman responded with a sound, vigorously cracking the whip a few times, causing the carriage to swiftly race towards the direction of the Liu residence

What should I do now? Liu Jing thought blankly, having incurred such a huge debt, her father was still trapped in prison, her mother and younger sister were being closely watched by those creditors, and she herself was being coerced by the strongmen... Without that shipment of salt, for her and her family, all happiness and joy would come to an end from this point on! From now on, she would forever be in hell!

Liu Jing as well, she tightly embraced these gold ingots, having found a way out of a desperate situation, her tears could not be stopped. After choking back her sobs for a while, she turned to Uncle Lu and asked, "Uncle, where did this gold come from?"

He leaned closer to her, his breath brushing against her face. His elegant and melodious voice, accompanied by a whispering sigh, said: "You truly are disappointing." Each word was articulated with a light yet profound weight, as if this dark-clad leader was genuinely disappointed in Liu Jing's performance. It seemed as though he had once anticipated their reunion, and now, Liu Jing was indeed beyond his expectations.

Just as Liu Jing buried her face in her knees and sobbed softly, suddenly, Uncle Lu exclaimed, "Hey, how is there a bundle here?"

This handsome man is none other than the leader she encountered when she first arrived in Liyang. At that time, she was thinking about how strikingly handsome he was, and what it would be like to see him adorned with a golden crown and wearing white jade as accessories.

Liu Jing hurriedly walked in front of him, her head lowered, stepping cautiously towards the riverbank. After clumsily getting onto the raft and pointing out the hidden boat's location to the leader in black, Liu Jing's legs went weak, and she could no longer muster any strength.

Not only Liu Jing, but all the servants of the Liu residence were overwhelmed with joy and wept tears of happiness, while Uncle Lu was so moved that he burst into loud sobs

As for Liu Jing, although she has always been praised for her intelligence, for the past ten years, she has been raised in the palm of her parents' hands. The things she usually did were merely studying, playing the piano, and doing embroidery. Suddenly facing such a significant change, it is already quite remarkable that she could remain calm and devise a way to make a living. Now, she truly cannot hold on any longer; she seems to have lost all her strength and cannot help but choke back her tears.

The person before me possesses an extraordinarily handsome and beautiful face, one that cannot be described in words, and exudes the commanding presence of someone who has long held a high position.

Today's ups and downs have been too shocking for her; she is utterly exhausted and no longer willing to ponder matters related to that man in black. She squats down, gathers all the gold coins, packs them up, and then stands up to address the crowd, saying: "Uncles, we can make it home now"

Liu Jing was taken aback and looked up. She saw Uncle Lu rushing towards her, holding a bundle. As he shook his hand, the bundle came undone, and several pieces of gold glimmered brightly in the sunlight

Liu Jing and Uncle Lu simultaneously poked their heads out, only to see Uncle Wang hurriedly approaching from behind. Upon suddenly encountering Liu Jing and the others, a look of wild joy and relief appeared on his face. He rushed a few steps forward and, trembling, asked: "Is Jin Chou here?"

Uncle Lu was overjoyed, he turned to Liu Jing, grinning widely, "Dalang, it seems that gentleman is not a bad person after all"

When she saw the cargo ship being maneuvered by them, sailing towards the river, and watched it gradually disappear from her sight, Liu Jing closed her eyes and bitterly said: "Three months..." The three-month deadline was approaching, and the salt she had painstakingly obtained was all in vain due to an encounter that should never have happened

As she gazed at her home gradually coming into view, Liu Jing suddenly asked, "Uncle Lu, what is the date today"

It is ! ''

Liu Jing did not respond; she merely counted the gold ingots and said softly, "There are a total of one hundred and fifty ingots, exactly one thousand five hundred taels."

Uncle Lu smiled broadly while putting away the gold, saying, "Da Lang, although we were startled today, we have also gained quite a bit. Weren't we worried about how to sell all that salt? That gentleman is kind; even though he took the salt, he also paid in gold, which has saved us a lot of trouble."

What, has Uncle Wang arrived

Uncle Lu smiled broadly and said, "A day is nothing special."