After watching the Black Mint leave, Hailian looked at the sky and said, "It's best not to walk at night in Tisu, there are too many robbers, stay here for one night, and then set off tomorrow morning."
"Do you know the way?"
Hailian pointed to the west: "There is a village near Xiaoye Dock. The Viscount and his wife lived there for a while, and their house is still there."
Fang Tinglan remembered that Zhou Buyi had indeed told him that Viscount Yonoel had stayed in Xiaoye Dock for two years. He nodded: "Let's go before the sun sets."
Ake is restless, after Hailian pointed out the way for him, the child rushed out to a long distance, shaking the wooden branches that he folded casually, and singing out-of-tune boat songs, Hailian and Fang were the only ones left. Ting Lan walked slowly behind. Under the setting sun, there are hills and forests, and the breeze rustles.
"Go back to Jiumeng first." Hailian said.
"why?"
"I want to go to Wanlin." Hailian walked, kicking a small stone with his toes, "to meet the captain and his daughter."
"You don't suggest that you go there," Fang Tinglan shook his head, disapproving. "This is someone else's family matter. If you tell her that her father is dead, she may not be grateful to you, and may even be hated by the other party."
The stone under his feet deviated slightly from the expected direction, and Hailian turned it back again: "... I just went to have a look."
The other party was so persistent, Fang Tinglan sighed lightly, and did not try to dissuade him: "Then be careful on the road. I have other things in Jiumeng, so I can't go with you."
Helian hummed. Kicking forward with the toes again, the stones rolled and fell into a shallow puddle, startling the insects living on the water surface.
The village was not far from the dock, and after walking for a quarter of an hour, the three of them saw the simple fence surrounding the village. The countryside is not as bustling as Jiumeng City, where people who have worked all day have already rested, and only scattered wooden houses are still burning with candles. It was also Hailian's second time here. He squinted his eyes to identify the direction for a while, and then hesitantly knocked on the door of a small courtyard.
After a while, the latch was pulled open, and an old woman poked her head out from behind the door. She looked at the three young uninvited guests in surprise: "Are you...?"
"I'm Hailian, do you remember?"
The old woman was stunned for a moment, then she raised her wrinkled forehead and recognized Hui Hailian's face, then she suddenly realized "Ah!" and quickly opened the door to let the three of them in, "I'm still talking about it." , Lord Viscount will come over every six months, why don't you come and see!"
"I don't have time," Hailian smiled apologetically, and helped the old lady light the lampstand on the wall, "Is the money enough?"
"Enough is enough," the old woman staggered to the corner, pulled out two low stools from under a pile of sundries, and asked them to sit down, "The children have enough food and clothing, and they were given only last month." We made a batch of new shoes collectively," she said, and here she complained angrily, "I'm afraid the bastards have iron mouths on their feet, and they don't know how to cherish them when they put on new shoes, rolling in the mud They showed their toes in the last two trips, so I think it’s better to wear straw shoes for them!”
Hailian patted the ashes on the stool and sat down: "Children, they are all like this."
"It's not too young, you can go to learn crafts!" The old woman poured three more glasses of cold water for everyone, "Tell the Viscount that we won't send money next year, let them support themselves, and know how to wear a pair of new shoes It’s not easy. It’s unfortunate that you came today, and they haven’t come back from the school in the town. I’ll take you there tomorrow…”
"I'm not here to see them," Hailian interrupted her, "I'm just passing by."
The old woman's expression froze, she murmured twice: "...passing by?"
"Well, I'm leaving tomorrow morning." Hailian thought of something again, and pointed to Ake beside him, "There is also this child, I want to send it with them too."
Before the old woman could nod her head, there was a sudden bang in the room, and Ake put the water glass heavily on the table: "I don't want to be here."
"Ake."
"You promised to teach me how to fight." Ake interrupted him, the boy was a little aggrieved, "Can't I follow you?"
"I will teach you," Hailian vetoed, "but I didn't promise to have a follower."
Ake's little face was even more sunken.
The atmosphere was stalemate for a while, Fang Tinglan looked amused, he thought for a while, and simply suggested: "How about it, kid, stay in Xiaoye Dock first, and after Kunji brings your sister over, I'll ask you My sister's plan; if you want to go to the capital again, I can arrange a job for you, a job that can support yourself, how about it?"
Hai Lian looked at Fang Tinglan, who winked slyly at him.
People from Dongzhou have a deceitful face. Ake, who has been floating on the sea and getting along with a group of straight-tempered pirates, is not so wary. He is dazed by his big brother's innocent smile, and he doesn't know. When did he say hello, and then he was pushed into the bed in the next room in a daze, and when he realized that he had completely forgotten to ask when the other party would come to pick him up, it was already after waking up.
There are only three rooms and three beds in the small courtyard, one for the old woman, one for Ake, and the other one can only be squeezed by Hai Lian and Fang Tinglan—the bed is too broken, and you can hear it with a slight movement of your arms. There was an overwhelmed and violent creaking sound as the wood was squeezed. Fang Tinglan sighed, and regretfully put away all the charming thoughts he had been planning closely before lying down, and lay on his back dryly, watching the mice scuttling swiftly across the beams of the house.
"You just... why did you speak for me?"
"Do you want him to sleep in your broken attic and share the same bed with you?" Mrs. Fang was more wronged than Ake, "I'm going to be jealous."
Hailian snorted, but the ending sound was with a smile.
"Speaking of which, what happened to the children that the old woman said just now?"
"When I rescued the Viscount before, I also saved a carload of little slaves, so I simply raised them under the name of the Viscount." Hai Lian said lightly.
"The Viscount and his wife's family is impoverished, where can they get the money to support these people?"
"They don't, but I do."
Fang Tinglan frowned: "The gold I gave you, wouldn't you also send it here?"
Hai Lian's voice paused: "Anyway, I don't have any expenses."
"..." Fang Tinglan knew why Hailian was short of money all the time, he turned his head to look at his little pirate with a headache: "Since you paid for it, why put it in the Viscount's name?"
"Because there's no need to let them know that I'm here," Hailian obviously didn't want to talk about it. "The big deal... The big deal is that if they can repay the Viscount in the future, the old couple will be able to treat my sister better."
"Hai Lian," Fang Tinglan said helplessly, "you have to think more about yourself."
"When my father saved my mother, brother Xiaoxiao and the others, he definitely never thought about asking them to repay him." Hai Lian said.
"They have repaid. Your father's disciples dedicated their loyalty and life to their cause, and you and your sister," Fang Tinglan's voice was very soft, "is the repayment of your mother's love."
"but I… "
"Hush."
In the quiet night, there may be a dog barking or two, the child in the next room is already snoring, the bed board shakes twice, the straw mats rustle, Fang Tinglan blocks Hai Lian from these small and short noises and still wants to Rebuttal mouth.