HCB Chapter 148 Is there any?
Chapter 148 Is there any?
However, Shen Lingzhu was also restless. She held a bamboo crossbow beside her and kept an eye on her surroundings. After walking about fifty miles, they arrived at a post station and asked Zhang Xiaobing to negotiate accommodation arrangements.
In the past, ordinary people could not stay in post stations when traveling without official status or official badges.
Therefore, next to the post stations located on busy traffic arteries, there will be simple local accommodations that are extremely expensive.
Not only Ren was curious about being able to stay overnight in the post station, but Shen Lingzhu was also fresh in the experience.
When she passed through the lobby, she saw people eating at a few tables. Judging from their clothes, apart from brocade and silk, they were at least wearing fine cloth, unlike their group, who mostly wore coarse linen.
Therefore, they immediately became the center of attention. Some of the guests looked at them curiously, while others just stood by and watched indifferently.
Some people even glanced at it with disdain and then looked away.
Fortunately, although everyone was nervous, they were able to walk through to the guest rooms at the back normally.
Shen Lingzhu turned her head and looked down. Those people who were being escorted away in pairs by Zhang Tongzhi's men, none of them dared to look up or around.
However, Zhang Tongzhi's subordinates forced them to keep their heads up while walking.
When Shen Lingzhu saw this, alarm bells rang in her heart. She looked around and always felt that there were several different meanings in the eyes looking at her.
She whispered a few words to her second grandfather, then quickly turned to the end of the line to look for her uncle and eldest brother, saying, "We can't eat in the lobby."
"Hmm? Are the helpers here willing to deliver it to us?" Shen Xianzhu glanced at the twenty or so people around him.
But my uncle Huang Zongqi said, "Let's get it from the kitchen ourselves."
He had stayed in a post station with Zhuang Baibu before, and knew that some people carrying goods could enter through the side door.
Normally, the people under custody didn't have to go through the lobby, but Zhang Xiaobing and his men let them go anyway.
So, he became alert like Shen Lingzhu, "Xianzhu, from now on, you will be like Xiao Zhuzi, and don't leave my side."
After he finished speaking, he whispered to Da Huai behind him, "Tell Master Shen Qi and a few brothers to hand over the carriages, horses and goods to the people at the post station for care, and have them all come to our guest rooms."
Shen He and his men were responsible for looking after the vehicles, horses and cargo.
"Uncle Dahuai, please ask Uncle Qi and the others to move all the luggage in our car except the quilts into the guest room." Shen Lingzhu gave him a few pieces of silver and told him not to be afraid to spend money.
Second grandfather Shen Dexian in front kept looking back. When he saw Dahuai leaving, he raised his hand and waved Shen Lingzhu over to ask what was the matter.
"No, I just want to ask Uncle Seven to come over for dinner." Of course, Shen Lingzhu couldn't tell him the truth.
However, Mr. Li, the old soldier who was accompanying the second grandfather, knew something was wrong.
So after a quick dinner, everyone left Zhang Xiaobing aside and took a break.
On the other side, someone found Zhang Xiaobing and asked, "They seem to be guarding against something?
Do you want to remind me that this is only the first day, and we still have at least three or two days to go."
"There's no point in saying it, and it's a good thing to be alert." Zhang Xiaobing didn't intend to say anything extra because he didn't know how to tell Uncle Huang.
On the other side, Shen Lingzhu opened a suitcase she brought with her, and together with her elder brother, she put together the three disassembled bamboo crossbows and gave them to those with good eyesight and arm strength to defend them.
Everyone who went to bed early actually took turns to be on guard at night, so when they woke up the next day, most people felt a little tired.
This state is not good. She said to her uncle: "I miscalculated. Can we ask Zhang Xiaobing to tell him to set off at 9:00 PM?
Let everyone catch up on some sleep." At least those who can fight must stay alert.
Huang Zongqi wiped his face and said: "It's my fault that I didn't arrange the shifts properly.
I'm afraid it's difficult to change the scheduled itinerary."
He rubbed the little girl's head: "Why do I feel like you are rejecting Brother Zhang?"
"Well, I thought I treated him with sincerity, but he brought us to Mr. Han without even saying hello." Shen Lingzhu was not mentally prepared at the time.
Huang Zongqi: "Then you still give them advice."
"I can't refuse anyway. There's nothing wrong in doing my best." Shen Lingzhu spread his hands and pushed him, "Uncle, go and tell him.
It’s not too late at 9:00 PM, so we took the opportunity to rest, inspect the car, and reload the goods.
Don't you think that the reason we only traveled less than fifty miles yesterday was because the cargo wasn't properly assembled and the carts and horses were pulled too far?"
"Is there?" Huang Zongqi recalled.
"Yes." Shen Lingzhu said with certainty, then asked him to lower his head and whispered, "The cloth is definitely not all cloth. Throw away the fake weight. If there is any abnormality, it will be faster to drive the car away."
"Okay, okay, I'll go talk to him right away." Huang Zongqi was about to take action when Shen Xianzhu came over after washing up. He learned that he was going to discuss delaying the departure time.
He said: "The post station is crowded with people and officials stay there from time to time.
It would be better if we set off normally after breakfast and then rest after walking about ten miles.
Then, it will be more convenient to unload unnecessary items from the car and throw them into the wild."
Huang Zongqi nodded as he listened: "Xian Zhu is very thoughtful. Xiao Zhuzi should learn from him."
With this arrangement, he wouldn't have to consult Zhang Xiaobing again, and could just stop halfway if he said the car had some problems.
Shen Lingzhu thought for a moment and said, "But we can't catch up on sleep while repairing the car."
"Then put it aside during lunch to sort out the goods and repair the car.
We can walk to a small country inn around that time and catch up on some sleep." Shen Xianzhu didn't want to stay at the post station for too long; the money was being spent too quickly.
If you wanted anything, you had to give the helper a tip before he would get it for you. A basin of water for washing your face would cost ten cents more, which he couldn't afford.
Shen Lingzhu thought carefully, "Is that store still there?"
"Ha..." Shen Xianzhu yawned and said, "I asked Brother Zhang, and he said it's still there.
After we arrive in Shouyang, we can stay in the city and have a good rest. "It's a pity that we are not really selling cloth, otherwise we could stay at my grandfather's house.
Huang Zongqi never refused any good suggestions given to them. After the brother and sister reached an agreement, he and the others greeted them privately.
After they set off, no one dared to yawn casually and they all focused their attention on their journey.
Before noon, the entire convoy arrived at the country shop that Shen Xianzhu mentioned.
Shen Lingzhu saw that there were quite a few guests, all of whom were people coming and going and carriages and horses taking a break.
"If we don't get close, we can cook our own food and just buy some fodder from them." Zhang Xiaobing saw that Shen Lingzhu and the others were unwilling to get close to the food store, so he proposed a plan directly.
Shen Lingzhu said, "We need water anyway. Let's buy water from the store and pump our own water."
She was naturally wary of food shops that were nowhere in sight.
Zhang Xiaobing thought she was being too cautious, but since he still depended on her for meals, he didn't say anything more.
But he didn't expect that the entire convoy would take more than an hour to stop for rest.