Amidst the laughter, Xu Ying appeared at the door, "Miss, Miss Shaoyao invites you over."
Hua Zhi stopped laughing, her eyes sparkling, "I guess the twins are making some movement, Xiao Liu should go check it out too."
The Sixth Prince pursed his lips, he knew why Sister Hua was smiling, he also knew that this was not an easy task, but... his last name was Gu, he saw things that other people in the Gu family could not see, as a prince, he could not pretend that he saw nothing.
Those people perform corvée labor of the Daqing Dynasty every year, but the Daqing Dynasty cannot even provide them with basic security. How can the people submit to the Dynasty
He was familiar with the Records of the Grand Historian. In history, any dynasty whose people were unstable could not last long. Just like what Sister Hua always said in class, it is better to be a dog in peacetime than a man in troubled times. He sincerely hoped so.
Shuiguang Village is close to the sea. The houses are all two-story buildings made of stone. The inn is the same. The lower floor is used for home use, and the upper floor is used as guest rooms. There are only five or six rooms in total. Hua Zhi's group has nine people, and she has never been one to put herself in a difficult position, so she simply booked all the rooms and everyone lived comfortably. The brother and sister were arranged to stay in the room at the edge, which was originally where Baoxia lived.
There were dark clouds outside, and the light in the house seemed even dimmer. The scent of medicine mixed with the smell of blood made Hua Zhi feel a little uncomfortable. She stopped at the door before continuing to walk inside.
"woke up?"
"Brother has woken up, but sister hasn't yet." Shaoyao's face didn't look very good. To be honest, the brother's injuries were more serious, especially the unspeakable area where new wounds overlapped old ones and it was a bloody mess. But after a short time, she could see clearly that it was the brother who had been protecting his sister. This made her despise him. He was so useless that he might as well be dead.
Baoxia took a four-legged stool, placed it beside the bed and helped the young lady to sit down. Just as she was about to get another one for the Sixth Prince, he shook his head, signaling her not to move.
Hua Zhi looked at the child who was no more than eleven or twelve years old. Although he was thin, he had a good-looking appearance. What was rare was that he did not have the black and yellow skin of the locals. If he was born in a wealthy family, he would definitely be a handsome boy. But if he was born in an ordinary family, it would be a disaster.
"Cao Dahai is dead."
The child's eyes flickered, but his vigilance did not disappear.
Hua Zhi didn't care either, and her tone remained calm, "Where is your home? I'll ask someone to find your family and bring them here."
The child still didn't speak, and sweat was faintly visible on his forehead.
Hua Zhi continued, "We won't stay here long. We will leave the day after tomorrow at the latest. If you don't tell me, I will have no choice but to hand you and your brother over to Wu Dongjia. Do you know Wu Zheng of Antai Fishing Company?"
Perhaps it was Wu Zheng's reputation that worked, the child nodded slightly.
"Okay then, I'll ask Wu Zheng to come over when he's done with his work."
"No."
Hua Zhi didn't respond, but waited quietly for the child to continue speaking.
"We have no family left." The child's Mandarin was difficult to understand. "If we stay here, we will die."
As he spoke, the child struggled to sit up. When Hua Zhi saw him change his posture, she realized what he wanted to do. She quickly asked Xu Ying to help him lie down again, "Just lie down and talk."
After this movement, the child's breathing became rapid and some color appeared on his face. He didn't know what these people did or who they were, but this good-looking man had a pair of eyes that made him want to cry. He had never cried even when he was most desperate, but now he wanted to cry.
I can’t cry, he told himself in my heart, he could die, but if he died, that timid sister would not live either, she could not live without him.
The child took a few deep breaths and tried to speak the official language that he had only heard before, "I, I beg you to take us away from here, even if it means selling us as slaves or maids, as long as we can get away from here."
The voice was trembling, and Hua Zhi felt a little sad when she heard it. How could someone be so desperate that he would rather be sold as a slave than stay in his hometown? He must really not be able to survive anymore.
"Just take good care of your injuries first." Hua Zhi did not respond to him immediately. She stood up and said, "You can discuss this carefully after your sister wakes up."
Looking at the anxious and frightened child, Hua Zhi's tone became softer, "I promise you, whether you stay or leave, I will help you."
The child grabbed the quilt and wanted to say something, but he was afraid of angering the nobleman, so he endured it. There will be a chance, he comforted himself in his heart.
After returning to the house, Hua Zhi called Xu Ying over and said, "Go and call Chen Er."
"yes."
Chen Er was originally very busy, but when he heard that the young lady was looking for him, he immediately dropped everything and rushed over.
Hua Zhi smiled when she saw him, "Happy events bring joy to people. It looks like Manager Chen is going to be promoted. Congratulations."
"It's all thanks to the eldest girl." Chen Er bowed sincerely.
Hua Zhi accepted the gift with peace of mind, and motioned for Manager Chen to sit down and ask about the twins.
Chen Er was stunned, "Are they still alive?"
"Does Manager Chen know you?"
"What a sin." Chen Er shook his head. "This is also a scandal in our Shuiguang Village. Cao Dahai originally had his eyes on the mother of the siblings, but the man was afraid of trouble, so he watched his wife being kidnapped. The woman hanged herself the next day. When the siblings got the news and went to collect the body, they were seen by Cao Dahai. Since then, they have never been able to return. It has been nearly a year. I thought they had already..."
There are so many disgusting things in this world. Hua Zhi adjusted her skirt lightly with a calm expression, "What about the man?"
"He drank all day long and died half a year ago. The fishermen only found his boat."
Shaoyao snorted at the side, and her expression almost said that he deserved it.
Bao Xia half coaxed and half dragged the man away, Hua Zhi retracted her gaze and continued to ask: "Is there anyone else in his family?"
"Of course there are people." Chen Er hesitated for a moment, but still told the truth, "I dare not lie to you, young lady. The women we rescued from Yushun Fishing Company today... are all dead."
Hua Zhi stood up and walked to the window. The crowd over there had dispersed and people were already walking around downstairs. She didn't know if it was an illusion, but through the umbrella she felt that their footsteps were light, as if the dead women had nothing to do with them or the customs of this place.
She couldn't even accuse them of despising human life. Here, women's lives were probably the least valuable, but she couldn't get over the anger in her heart no matter what.
"In that case, I will take the person away."
Chen Er bowed deeply and said, "Miss, good people will be rewarded."
Hua Zhi curled the corners of her mouth. Good people usually have the shortest lifespans. She has always just wanted to be a person who doesn't get involved in things that don't concern her, but she couldn't just watch them die when she knew they would die if they stayed.
PS: When has Kong Kong ever abandoned a character
Suddenly I remembered a book I read a long time ago called "Scavenging". The author is Zaodou, and it seems that she hasn't written for a long time. Her books are all good, with a very pure and beautiful feeling. Girls can take a look. I like her "When the Wind Rises" very much. Mine clearance: This is danmei.