amaotonovel Chapter 783 Learning to Drive
Chapter 783 Learning to Drive
As dusk approached, the team slowly drove into Qingxi Town, the wheels making a creaking sound as they rolled over the ancient bluestone road.
Shops lined the streets, their faded wooden signs swaying gently in the evening breeze, casting mottled shadows. The words "Tea and Wine" embroidered on the cloth canopies fluttered in the wind, adding to the town's desolate air.
Adou was so excited that he pressed his whole face against the car window. His little nose was flattened by the glass, and the hot air he exhaled condensed into a small white mist on the window.
He opened his round eyes and suddenly pointed ahead and shouted, "Sister! What is that shiny thing that spins?" His voice was filled with the joy that only a child can muster.
"It's a revolving lantern," Shuisheng, who had also stuck his head out, rushed to answer, but his eyes were also fixed on the street scene. His fingers unconsciously scratched the window frame.
At this time, the other shops on the street were still dark, but the revolving lanterns were already lit with candles. The pattern of the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea painted on them rotated in the twilight, and the candlelight filtered through the thin paper, reflecting a variety of colors.
Of these children, only Shitou had seen much of the world; his dark face carried a maturity that belied his age. The others came from remote villages, but they had gained some experience during their journey south.
At least he knew about the lanterns in the inn and the drums at the yamen, so he wouldn't be surprised by everything he saw like he did when he just left home.
It's said to be the largest restaurant in town, but the Shilixiang Restaurant doesn't look as grand as its name suggests. In front of it is a small two-story building with peeling red paint.
The back is also like a large courtyard. The three rows of houses are only one story high, and there are a few tufts of tenacious weeds growing on the gray tile roofs. It is obvious at a glance that this is an old house.
But after a rough count, there were quite a few rooms inside, about twenty or so, enough to accommodate their group.
Qingfeng, who had arrived a few steps ahead of them, was already waiting at the restaurant entrance. He leaned against the doorframe with his arms folded, the sword at his waist gleaming coldly in the twilight. He straightened his back immediately upon seeing the convoy approach.
"The building in front is a bit noisy, so we have booked all the rooms in the back." Qingfeng reported to the two.
Xiao Man and Chu Yi jumped out of the carriage, their boots making crisp sounds on the stone floor. Xiao Man skillfully directed the guards to arrange the carriage and horses while saying loudly, "Sister Chun Tao said that you guys should sleep in the same room with us. Come down quickly."
Entering the lobby, Ah He finally smelled the aroma of braised pork, the freshness of steamed fish, and a certain sweet taste that she couldn't describe.
The aroma made her stomach churn and growl uncontrollably. She hurriedly covered her abdomen, fearing that someone would hear the embarrassing sound.
The other children were not much better. Although they were drooling, they were very sensible and huddled together to the side, like a group of frightened little quails.
They tried not to block the way, but only glanced at the dishes brought by the waiter with longing eyes, swallowing their saliva from time to time.
"Ah He, you take your brother and live with Sister Tang Shuang." Jing Chunxi clapped his hands lightly to indicate.
Then she looked around at them and said softly, "After you're settled, go wash your hands and faces and get ready to come out for dinner." Before she finished speaking, the children's eyes lit up immediately, but they looked at each other and no one moved.
"Tangshuang, follow the lady, and Chuntao goes over there." Unexpectedly, Xu Zize suddenly intervened and even took charge of such a small matter.
He stood at the corner of the house, his dark robe almost blending into the shadows, examining everyone.
"Yes, Prince." Chuntao agreed softly and stuffed the package in her hand into Zhengyue's hand. The friction of the fabric made a rustling sound.
She squatted down, looked at the brother and sister straight in the eye, and said softly, "Come with me." Her fingertips gently brushed away the grass debris on Adou's collar.
Chuntao understood what the prince meant very well. When going out, the young lady's safety was naturally the most important thing, and she needed someone to protect her.
Among the five servants, only she and Tang Shuang did not know martial arts, and she was the weakest of the two, so it was natural that Tang Shuang should stay behind, and she would lose the right to take care of the young lady personally.
Chuntao looked down at her slender wrists, which formed a stark contrast with those of July and September, who had practiced martial arts for years. Then she looked at Tang Shuang, whose stature was more than twice her own, and she dared not disobey.
She didn't care about the prince's arrangements. Only when the young lady was well could they serve her. Otherwise, they were nothing. She remembered what the old lady said before she left, and her nails dug into her palm unconsciously.
Just like before, if the young lady hadn't taken them out of the Pingyang Marquis's mansion, they might have already been living a life worse than death in those filthy places. The dark and damp woodshed of the Pingyang Marquis's mansion in her memory reappeared before her eyes, and she shuddered involuntarily.
Neither of them even ate, and they just sat on the shaft of the cart while the other drove it, and they went straight out into the street.
The two of them were secretly delighted, thinking that they had managed to do it without anyone noticing. Unexpectedly, the eight secret guards, along with July and September, had already been catching up at a leisurely pace, not daring to slack off even for a moment.
After the assassination attempt on the prince in Tan Township, they dared not let their two masters out of their sight. However, they did not dare to get close, and could only follow from a distance, not wanting to lose their masters or be discovered by them.
The leader of the secret guards made a gesture, and several dark shadows immediately dispersed, like an invisible net quietly tightening and following.
After passing the main street, the carriage headed towards a country road, where the wheels rolled over the soft soil, leaving two deep ruts.
"What are the prince and the young lady doing?" a secret guard hiding in the tree asked in a whisper, his fingers unconsciously stroking the quiver.
"The six of you must promise not to alert the master. Follow him through the woods on either side of the road. Be careful not to get too close, and be aware of any ambushes in the woods."
The head of the secret guards lowered his voice and gave orders, his eyes fixed on the carriage the whole time, "The two of us will go around to the front to protect it, July and September, you will follow behind, and make sure there are people on all sides of the masters." His voice seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth, for fear of alarming the two people in the front who were completely unaware.
Jing Chunxi never expected that just because he said "I want to drive", the ten secret guards would feel like they were facing a great enemy, and they would not eat and would follow him to protect him.
At this moment, she was concentrating on listening to Xu Zize explaining how to hold the reins, and neither of them noticed the occasional dark shadows flashing through the woods.
The spring breeze was chilly and crisp, carrying the scent of new leaves and earth, yet the sky darkened rapidly, as if someone had drawn a dark curtain. The lantern only illuminated a few feet of the road ahead of them, and tiny mosquitoes danced in the circle of light.
There was a small mountain road that was only wide enough for one horse-drawn carriage. A young boy and girl were sitting in the carriage. Xu Zize protected Jing Chunxi in the front and taught her how to drive step by step.
His chest was pressed against her back, his breath brushing the hair against her ear.
When his palm covered the back of her hand, Jing Chunxi suddenly found her heart beating unnaturally fast. His warm breath brushed against her ear, carrying the scent of pine and ink.
"Hold your thumb here," he said in a low, deep voice, his fingertips gently adjusting her grip on the reins. "Too tight and the horse will feel pain and get irritable, too loose and he won't be able to control the direction."
She could feel the steady heartbeat from the chest against her back, and the gold embroidery on Xu Zize's cuffs rubbed the inside of her wrist, causing a slight tingling sensation.
The late spring wind blew through the woods, but it couldn't blow away the heat rising from my face.
"Gee!" She whipped the horse suddenly, and Xu Zize was caught off guard and leaned forward. His arms instinctively tightened, holding her tightly in his embrace.