Chapter 248: Clay Doll and Earring Bandit
Yang family ship.

Inside the ship palace.

After hearing what Changqing brought back, Hualan and Old Lady Sheng were both unable to speak for a moment.

If Qi Heng insisted on following them, there was nothing they could do.

We can't let Changqing lead people to kidnap Qi Heng back, right?

"Go wake Minglan up."

After thinking for a moment, Old Lady Sheng said:

“Since you can’t avoid it, let Ming’er speak for himself.

Life is a long journey.

In the end, you still have to be able to withstand the test yourself, and you still have to walk the path yourself to lay a solid foundation! "

Soon, Minglan was called over.

After sleeping for a while, Minglan looked much better than in the morning.

Old Madam Sheng didn't beat around the bush and immediately told Minglan about Qi Heng chasing her.

"Since he insists on meeting us, and we are not a shameful family, then let's meet him."

Old Madam Sheng looked at Minglan and said earnestly:

"As for the right degree, whether to break it or something else, you still have to consider it yourself."

"Yes... granddaughter understands." Minglan lowered her head and said nothing.

"Move the boat to the nearest dock!"

However, even if the ship chose the nearest pier to dock, the sun would have been setting by the time the ship got close to the shore.

In the afterglow of the setting sun, two horse-drawn carriages without flags weaved through the crowd and finally stopped one after another at an alley entrance.

One at the entrance of the alley and one at the end of the alley.

There were also female servants guarding the area, covering the middle alley tightly.

As soon as the carriage stopped, Qi Heng immediately got out, looking impatient.

When his eyes focused, he saw Minglan on the other side, her little face hidden under the veil, with Fang Mama and Xiao Tao beside her.

Seeing Qi Heng coming, Xiao Tao stepped back consciously, leaving the two enough space for conversation.

Mrs. Fang, who was standing next to her, just took a step back as a courtesy, turned her body slightly, and then stopped moving.

Qi Heng glanced at Fang's mother, but didn't say much.

He walked forward with a look of joy, as if he had a thousand words to say to Minglan, but when he got to her, he could only mumble out one sentence:
"Sixth sister, I... I heard that you were going back to Youyang. I calculated that you wouldn't be back for two or three months, so I thought about yesterday... yesterday..."

Minglan lifted the veil and smiled with a reserved and polite expression:

"Young Master, you don't need to say more. I understand this. Perhaps it is because I am not blessed enough that I can't accomplish anything."

"What does this have to do with you!"

Qi Heng quickly retorted helplessly:

"Obviously...Obviously I told you that my mother would come to propose marriage, but...but I didn't expect things to turn out like this."

"I don't want to talk about my mother behind her back, but..."

As he spoke, Qi Heng looked at Minglan with a firm gaze, and said firmly:

"But no matter what mother thinks, I will only marry you!"

"Just go to Youyang with peace of mind. When you come back, I will definitely give you good news!"

Minglan was stunned by Qi Heng's heartfelt declaration, and then met his affectionate eyes, her heart trembled involuntarily. She thought the thread that she had thought was broken seemed to be connected again.

But reason prevailed.

Minglan paused, then said with her cherry lips:
"My young master is so kind, I am very grateful in my heart, but I am the concubine's daughter of a small official after all, and I am not worthy of the wealth of the Duke's Mansion. My young master should stop wasting his energy."

"no!"

Qi Heng heard the hesitation in Minglan's words after a pause, and immediately disagreed with Minglan's refusal, his face flushed with anxiety:

"What about the concubine's daughter of a minor official or a young master? You know I never care about these things when it comes to you. I only care about you, Minglan of the Sheng family, and Yuanruo of the Qi family. There is no status or gap in identity. I only have real people in my eyes!"

After a burst of excitement, Qi Heng's tone slowed down slightly, and then became more determined:
"I have always been the most obedient and filial among the noble children of Bianjing, but that was all out of obedience, not my true intention. Only marrying you is my true intention, and it is what I have really wanted to do since I was a child."

"I've never done anything for myself since I was a child. I want to try it this time!"

People who have the slightest affection for each other will feel affectionate when they say nice things to each other, not to mention expressing their true feelings under the huge gap of status.

Minglan only felt that her originally broken feelings were becoming more and more reconciled, but she still subconsciously said no, but with some intention of changing her mind.

"The queen came to my house yesterday, and I accepted the bracelet and made a gift. We are now brother and sister."

As if she felt that this was not firm enough, Minglan continued:
"Besides, if outsiders knew that I, as a younger sister, still had delusions, I'm afraid my sisters at home would also have a hard time living."

Minglan tried her best to give up the thoughts of fame, interests and family reputation, and at the same time hoped that Qi Heng would give up when he saw the difficulty.

Qi Heng also knew the difficulties involved.

If before yesterday, the only obstacle to his and Minglan's affairs was the elders in the family, then after the recognition of their relationship, it was linked to the family's reputation.

I didn't refuse yesterday for my mother's sake, so in the future, can I stand firm in the face of my family's reputation?

Thinking of this, Qi Heng's words suddenly choked.

"Young Master, please take care of yourself!" Minglan was about to turn around and leave.

"Sixth sister!" Qi Heng shouted immediately.

After making sure Minglan had stopped, Qi Heng quickly ran to the carriage and took out a wooden box.

Then he walked up to Minglan as if he was holding a treasure and opened it.

"I bought this at the dock early this morning. I wanted to talk to you, but unfortunately, I didn't meet you, so I caught up with you."

Inside the wooden box was a clay doll in the shape of a little girl with curved eyebrows and a sweet smile.

She also wore a pair of small jade earrings on her ears, which looked quite familiar.

Seeing Minglan staring at the gift in his hand, Qi Heng smiled and said:
"I thought she was really cute, so I bought her back."

"These earrings..." There was a flash of hesitation in Minglan's beautiful eyes.

"Oh, this is what I won on the polo field that day!"

Qi Heng handed the item to Minglan as if he was presenting a treasure, and while waiting for Minglan to take it with expectation on his face, he explained:

"When I saw it, I thought it would look great on you, but I thought it might be too sudden for you to accept it, so I thought I'd find a time to do it later..."

Minglan slowly raised her head and their eyes met.

Obviously, today Qi Heng felt that this pendant and the clay doll could represent his feelings and determination.

Seeing that Minglan was still not answering, Qi Heng seemed to remember something and whispered:
"I have asked Buwei to keep the boy properly."

This even has the meaning of a token of love.

After all, it was just like Zhuang Zhou dreaming of being a butterfly, and his heart was definitely not as cold as iron.

"Why are you doing this..."

Minglan refused verbally, but she was already moved in her heart. She just glanced quietly at Fang Mama behind her.

Mother Fang was standing nearby and heard everything.

She had watched Minglan grow up since she was a child, and she knew her girl's temperament very well. At this moment, she responded and looked over here.

Just then, Minglan looked back at him.

'Hey! '

Mother Fang sighed in her heart, but she walked forward and took the box containing the clay doll and jade earrings.

After accepting the things, Fang Mama continued:

"Young Master, if you have nothing else to do, our girl will go back. When we got off the boat just now, the eldest sister and the old lady asked our girl to bring some hot snacks on board. I guess they must be waiting anxiously now."

Everyone present understood that this was just a verbal excuse.

Qi Heng knew that he shouldn't push Minglan too much, but at the same time he felt unwilling that his gift was not received by Minglan herself, which meant that Minglan did not clearly respond to his feelings.

So looking at Minglan who had just turned around, Qi Heng asked with a nervous look on his face:

"Sixth sister, you have been calling me Young Master. Otherwise... why don't you call me Yuan Ruo from now on?"

Calling him Brother Yuanruo was not uncommon to Ruolan and Molan, but Minglan always called him Young Master, whether in front of others or in private. Therefore, Qi Heng's question at this moment was a further inquiry into Minglan's feelings.

There was no response. Minglan left gracefully, leaving Qi Heng alone with a look of loss on his face.

Don't you agree?

Qi Heng kept staring at Minglan's back.

Just before getting on the carriage, Minglan paused, as if she was looking sideways, or perhaps she was just turning her head normally.

But in the end, she took the wooden box from Fang Mama's hand and got back on the carriage.

Seeing this, the dark clouds on Qi Heng's face disappeared and he burst into tears and smiled.

"You still have me in your heart, you just don't dare to admit it..."

'Little liar!'

Yang family ship.

Inside the ship palace.

After listening to Fang Mama's retelling, Hualan and Old Lady Sheng couldn't help but smile bitterly at each other when they heard that Minglan took the wooden box given by Qi Heng back to her room.

"What can't be stopped can't be stopped."

Old Madam Sheng said with a little emotion:

"I raised her to be sensible and know her place, but she still can't escape this."

Hua Lan comforted him:
"Grandmother, how do you know that Xiaoliu can't succeed? I'm sure that after this experience, the princess will understand the young master's thoughts."

Old Mrs. Sheng shook her head and said nothing.

It would be fine if Qi Heng had the same reckless drive as he did when he was young, but it seems unlikely now.

"I won't say anything about her. Just like before, I will continue to pretend I don't know. But as long as the young master doesn't come to me with a specific name, I will still beat him up!"

Hua Lan responded repeatedly, nodding her head and saying:

"Grandma is right!"

Mrs. Sheng was flattered by Hua Lan's strange words. She couldn't help but smile. She tapped Hua Lan's forehead and said angrily:

“You’re a weirdo now too!

You used to be a virtuous person with me, but now you are talking nonsense. Are you trying to make fun of an old woman like me?"

Hua Lan begged for mercy again and again, saying in a tender voice:

"How dare I, Grandmother! I am praising your wisdom and decisiveness!"

Old Madam Sheng laughed out loud, patted Hualan's soft hands, and said with satisfaction:
"Okay, okay, grandma appreciates your kindness!"

But he turned his head and looked at the sky, and then said:

"I'll go to bed tomorrow, so you should go to bed too. I heard that the journey was not very peaceful. I'm old and have limited energy, so you have to take care of me."

Hua Lan nodded in response:

"Yes, I have heard from the master that the world is not peaceful nowadays. Apart from the area around Bianjing, there are frequent disturbances in other prefectures and wild areas, and it is not uncommon to see bandits blocking the road."

Old Madam Sheng sighed:
"It's not like before. There's a war going on in Lingzhou, and the government hasn't appointed a crown prince yet. It's inevitable that people are restless, and all the evil spirits in the countryside have naturally emerged."

"Yes, if I hadn't brought so many personal guards with me this time, my master wouldn't have trusted my grandmother to leave the capital with me."

Out of the Bianjing waters.

Everyone on the boat clearly felt that the surrounding atmosphere was not as peaceful and harmonious as that in Bianjing.

Along the way, from time to time, we could see small boats looking around nearby. From time to time, we could also see shadowy figures in the woods on the shore and on the hills on both sides, which made people feel uneasy.

Fortunately, people who have a building ship must be extremely powerful and have many guards, so no one comes to harass them.

Rulan was no longer fishing by the boat, but Anran was playing mahjong with her in the boat.

It’s definitely not because the Air Force has added another general!
One day, the sun was setting.

The Yang family's ship was sailing on the gradually narrowing waterway.

As the waterway narrows, the banks on both sides begin to get closer to the boat, and the waterway begins to curve.

This type of waterway is where pirates love to wreak havoc, because the river is not as wide as it was before, and the mountains and forests on both sides block the bends, making it difficult for ships to travel fast, and their actions are covert, making it easier for them to hide.

The boatmen all knew that there were likely to be bandits in this kind of mountain stream, so they gathered together involuntarily and moved closer to the Yang family's boat.

"Ma'am, another boat is approaching."

It was already dusk, and with the mountains between the two banks, the sky had almost darkened, and lanterns were lit on all the boats.

Inside the ship palace.

Chang Qing reported to Hua Lan who was having fun at the mahjong table:

"They handed over the post again, hoping to get closer and help each other."

Rulan immediately pursed her lips and said impatiently:
"You are such a dog-skin plaster. I told you not to get too close, but you still rushed to hand me the note. You really have no respect for me."

Rulan had never faced a threat to her life or property, so she naturally didn't understand the logic behind it. She just felt that her sister and grandmother had rejected countless invitations along the way, but people still kept sending them, which was really ignorant of their self-awareness.

Hualan also understood why Rulan was so impatient.

After all, who can be in a good mood after losing money?

Anyway, it was rare for Hualan to be in a good mood at the poker table at the moment!
I wanted to let Changqing continue to send him off, but at this moment I thought of something and said curiously:

"They seem to be submitting more frequently these days? Do you know why?"

Chang Qing naturally understood this, after all, all the posts were passed through his hands:
"I heard from those people that this is because the waterway is unsafe and there may be pirates, so they kept sending the notices."

Changqing added:

"Some of the guards below have also confirmed that the waterway here is indeed not conducive to boatmen and is a place where pirates may appear."

Hua Lan nodded, looked at Old Madam Sheng tentatively, and asked:
"If not, then you agree to let them come over?"

But then he changed his mind and realized that there were only women on his boat, so it would be better to be cautious when going out.

Just as he was about to take back his words, he saw Old Madam Sheng shaking her head and saying:

"inappropriate."

Hualan was about to echo her concerns, but she saw her grandmother glance at Changqing:
"Let him explain the reason behind this."

Everyone in the room looked at Changqing as Mrs. Sheng spoke.

Chang Qing had been keeping his head down since he entered the room, and he did not look up at this moment, and followed Mrs. Sheng's words to explain:

"To answer Madam and the old lady, if the entrenched water bandits are causing trouble, they must have already selected their targets long ago. Most likely, there is someone to coordinate with them. Either they have people stationed on the ship in advance, or they arrange a ship to approach the target when approaching the water. It is rare that they will directly line up and rush forward..."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the cabin understood immediately.

If we comply with the request of the nearby ships and allow so many ships to approach at once, if there are bandits among them, they will panic and lose their composure.

"Then just continue to reject it!" Since everyone around him agreed with her conclusion, Hua Lan gave the order immediately.

Changqing took the order and went out to make arrangements.

Everyone in the room suddenly became quiet.

After all, there might be pirates watching nearby, and the thought of that makes me feel uneasy.

"Oh my, why are my cards falling over?" Rulan suddenly screamed.

When Hualan heard the sound, she looked over and saw that the cards in front of Rulan had been overturned, and the table was in chaos, and it was impossible to tell them apart.

Looking at her sister's secretly happy expression, Hua Lan could see that she was doing it on purpose. It was obvious that she had lost too much and wanted to fish in troubled waters.

Old Madam Sheng naturally saw it, but she just went with the flow and said:
"Then it's just right to disperse. Let's rest early today."

Everyone was losing interest, so they nodded and went back to their rooms.

"Minglan, wait a minute..."

At this time, Rulan quietly came over, took Minglan's hand, and whispered:

"You are the youngest in the family. I think you might be scared at night, so I, as your elder sister, will sleep with you."

"But Fifth Sister, the beds on the boat are not big..."

However, before Minglan could finish her words, she was dragged into the room by Ruolan, who looked "righteous".

"It's okay! I'm your elder sister, and it's my duty to suffer a little!"

　Make up for yesterday's work at night

　　
　
(End of this chapter)