"Shopkeeper!" Someone could be heard shouting from a distance. The shopkeeper at the counter saw the young man in red walking briskly in the night, with gorgeous clothes and noble demeanor. He immediately smiled and walked out of the counter and bowed: "Young man, are you buying mutton?"
Zhao Pei nodded: "Apart from mutton, are there any side dishes here? Mutton tastes a bit fishy, I'm afraid I can't get used to it."
The shopkeeper's eyes flashed with an incomprehensible yet teasing light: "How could it be? The mutton here doesn't have a strange taste. Young master, don't look at this place as a remote countryside, but this mutton is of high quality."
Zhao Pei said doubtfully, "Okay, cut it for me... for four people, no, six people. There are two people who are big eaters."
The shopkeeper smiled and took out an abacus from the counter: "So what kind of mutton would you like, young master?"
"What do you have here?" Zhao Pei had never eaten it before, so she had no choice but to ask.
"Old sheep, young sheep, and fat sheep. As for the price, fat sheep are naturally more expensive."
"The price is fine." But Zhao Pei was puzzled as to why the shopkeeper said it so darkly. "As long as it tastes good, it's fine."
The shopkeeper smiled and extended his hand, making a gesture of invitation, pointing to the inner room: "Young man, please choose the mutton yourself. We won't cheat you."
Zhao Pei thought to herself, this is not bad, and without saying anything, she walked in with her clothes lifted. But there was no sign of any sheep. "Eh? Shopkeeper, where did you get the sheep..."
As soon as he finished speaking, they looked in the direction of his finger and saw some little girls huddled in the corner, each looking at them with watery eyes in fear and vigilance.
"These are all fresh today. Look how juicy they are." He stretched out his dirty hand and pinched one of the girls' face. The girl was only thirteen or fourteen years old, not much younger than Zhao Pei. Her whole body was tense, like a stray animal, helpless and lonely but very stubborn. She stared at them but didn't cry, just bit her lower lip that had been rubbed to bleed.
Zhao Pei finally understood what he meant by "sheep". She suddenly felt dazed and then felt nauseous in her chest. She quickly rushed out of the door, bent over and vomited violently.
It turned out to be... cannibalism!
What kind of world is this?! They actually eat people?!
She stared angrily at the carriage parked at the door, wiped her mouth with her sleeve, took a few steps forward and grabbed Qiao Yu's sleeve, almost pulling him off with such force. "Tell me, what do you mean? Do you know where this is? Why did you drag me here?"
"Ah?" Qiao Yu raised his eyebrows and pretended to be confused. "What does Second Miss mean? Hasn't Second Miss been saying she's hungry?" He looked at her angry face with an innocent look on his face and almost laughed to death.
Zhao Pei saw the smug smile in his eyes, and she became even more angry. It wasn't because Qiao Yu had teased her. Even if Qiao Yu beat or scolded her now, she wouldn't resent it. What she hated was the look in his eyes that seemed to be indifferent and not repulsive.
Thinking of something, she used all her strength to pull the eight-foot-tall man off the car. "Come on, you go with me again."
She stepped back into the "lamb" shop. The shopkeeper's eyes lit up again: "Young master, oh and this gentleman, how much do you want? That little fat lamb is really good."
Zhao Pei stared at him coldly and said, "I want everything here. How much? But I want them alive."
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All the girls in the room had already scattered. Zhao Pei heaved a sigh of relief but didn't dare to stay here any longer and prepared to climb back into the car. When she looked at the place, she felt that there was human blood everywhere... ... and she felt cold all over.
Suddenly she felt someone gently pulling her sleeve. Zhao Pei turned around and saw the girl that the shopkeeper had chosen to cook the "mutton".
"Hmm?" Zhao Pei felt pity for her and asked softly.
The girl looked at her and said word by word: "Can I go with you?"
"Ah?" Zhao Pei was slightly stunned. "What did you say?"
"I want to follow you and do something for you as a way of repaying you." The girl's eyes were firm.
Zhao Pei smiled and waved her hand, saying, "No, it's just a small favor. You don't have to do this, go back and live your life well."
The girl shook her head: "If I go back, I will still be sold here. It's just a matter of dying sooner or later. Please let me follow you." The girl said it very calmly, as if it had nothing to do with her. Zhao Pei was shocked by her calmness and could not help but look at the girl carefully. Although there was dirt on her face, it could not hide her beautiful features. Especially her dark eyes, which flashed with calmness and maturity that did not match her age.
Zhao Pei's mind flickered, and she immediately caught the flashing thought and asked, "What's your name?"
"A Ling." The girl said calmly. Knowing that she had decided to keep her, she finally smiled.
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The carriage rumbled along the official road outside the city. Zhao Pei looked at the faintly emerging city walls, and her heart gradually sank. It seemed that there was still no way to escape.
You asked for it! She cursed herself. Falling in love with someone you shouldn't love, and insisting on something you shouldn't insist on.
It seems that there is no escape...
He turned around and silently looked at Xiao Yi who was sitting upright, then sighed and retreated back into the carriage.
"We're almost at Jiankang." Zhao Pei said.
Xiao Yi didn't say much, just nodded. Zhao Pei looked at him, wanting to say something but stopping herself. Without eyes, she couldn't see him clearly. "I'm sorry..." Zhao Pei lowered her head. She had been shrouded in such guilt and self-blame.
"No need to say more, I don't blame you." Xiao Yi's words were devoid of emotion. "Don't feel guilty about this, and don't worry about the emperor. Now that you have decided to come back, think about how to give your father an explanation."
Zhao Pei's head began to ache slightly.
A series of troubles. (To be continued)