Quick Transmigration: Underdog Turns out to be Untouchable

Chapter 1075: Chapter 985: Hidden Guard 7

Knowing her sensitive identity, Meng Jingru left abruptly not because she no longer wanted to probe into Zhao Zhengfeng’s whereabouts, but because a careless act would risk exposing Zhao Zhengfeng’s identity to those who might bring him harm.

This straightforward departure of Meng Jingru surprisingly left Wei Shuangshuang with a slightly better impression. Had she been relentless, it might have brought enormous trouble, breaking the stability of her newly established life.

To avoid encountering Meng Jingru again, for the next few days in the Capital City, Wei Shuangshuang didn’t venture out, waiting until Duan Pengfei prepared the goods for the return trip to Yang City and directly escorted them back.

Wei Shuangshuang handed the silver note from Meng Jingru directly to Zhao Zhengfeng, without indulging in any of it. This money was all given to Zhao Zhengfeng by Meng Jingru, and Wei Shuangshuang wouldn’t interfere no matter how he chose to use it.

Zhao Zhengfeng didn’t ask Wei Shuangshuang where she got so many silver notes from. He silently put them away and continued his taciturn vigil at the escort agency.

Even though he seemed quiet like a recluse all day long, everyone in the escort agency knew how much Wei Shuangshuang valued Zhao Zhengfeng, ensuring no one dared to neglect him in the slightest.

The Duan Family paid generously for this round-trip escorting. Of course, the bulk came from the gold and silver Wei Shuangshuang collected from bandit nests and their bounties.

Some of these bandit groups were really vicious and ruthless, their dens were oozing in wealth. All the money together amounted to seventy to eighty thousand taels of silver, no wonder black-on-black schemes have always been a shortcut to wealth throughout history.

Then came several small business opportunities, all simple escorts to nearby locations, the goods weren’t valuable, the costs were low, and the roads weren’t dangerous. Wei Shuangshuang’s bandit escort masters settled them easily.

With leisure to spare, Wei Shuangshuang began training these bandit escort masters. As escorts, their skills couldn’t be inadequate, and Wei Shuangshuang couldn’t be the only one capable of leading. As business grows and multiple escorts happen simultaneously, there must be talent to lead.

However, training daily for a long time inevitably became dull. Feeling spontaneous, Wei Shuangshuang took these bandit escort masters, along with Zhao Zhengfeng who was so reclusive he was nearly growing mushrooms, and hired a large boat for a river outing.

Qingxi River outside Yang City is the largest river around, with its broad waters and reed-covered banks, lotus flowers stretch across the river, echoing the saying of endless green extending to the heavens and red lotuses reflecting in the sun.

Many families and ladies on spring outings would board small boats, weaving through the lotus clusters, admiring the boundless beauty, occasionally picking a flower to cuddle, the flowers and faces reflected in mutual charm, as startled birds soared overhead.

It involuntarily brought to mind Li Qingzhao’s verse, straying deep into lotus blooms, racing across, racing across, startling a flock of gulls and egrets.

On a whim, Wei Shuangshuang also got a small boat, and navigated through the lotus clusters, casually picking a few lotus leaves for making lotus leaf sticky rice chicken back home, and a few lotus flowers, just right for frying lotus petals to eat.

As Wei Shuangshuang pondered whether to go down and feel around to dig some lotus roots up, she heard a woman’s screams not far away.

Lifting her head to look, Wei Shuangshuang saw a beautiful tower ship stopped not far away, with many men and women on one side, all adorned as ladies and gentlemen.

These people’s eyes were on the water’s surface below the tower ship, and the woman’s screams Wei Shuangshuang heard seemed to come from the water beneath the ship.

Wei Shuangshuang’s auditory senses were keen enough to faintly hear some conversation over there; apparently a lady had fallen into the water. Though she could swim and was not in mortal danger, there were men on the ship, prompting her to only dare hide among the lotus, not daring to climb aboard.

This situation was definitely suspicious. Someone fell in the water, yet so many people were just watching, and the men didn’t step aside? Clearly an intentional attempt to ruin the fallen girl’s honor.

In this era, a woman losing her honor had no path to survival. It was obvious that there was a deeper conspiracy here – whether it was internal household strife or family conflict purposely tarnishing the girl’s honor.

The fallen girl kept yelling at the gentlemanly dressed men on the ship to step aside, but these gracefully attired men were completely indifferent, instead shouting for the fallen girl to come over so they could pull her up, with thoroughly ill intentions.

Wei Shuangshuang could tell the voice of the fallen girl grew weaker and torn, and then two men from the ship jumped into the water, trying to forcibly bring her aboard.

Wei Shuangshuang frowned. If only one man had jumped, it could be merely an opportunistic move to marry or take in the girl, but with two men, if they really forced her onto the ship, she’d be utterly ruined with no way out. Her best outcome would be living a lifetime under the shadow of temples.

As a fellow woman, Wei Shuangshuang couldn’t bear to see a girl forced to such extremes in front of her. Besides, with her skills and bravery, she wasn’t afraid of offending a few people, and in a few steps she tread atop lotus leaves and flew to the scene.

A girl with a pale face and disheveled hair looked utterly forlorn, hiding only her head amidst lotus leaves, gazing fearfully at the two men approaching her.

The girl seemed to have lost all strength, unable to evade, could only hoarsely shout at the two endlessly approaching men, ”My father is the Magistrate, you two are merely sons of Assistant Magistrates. My father will never forgive you if he learns you ruined my honor today.”

Hearing the girl’s threat, the two approaching gentlemen hesitated, unsure. At this moment, atop the tower ship, a girl in a sky-blue dress suddenly looked down with apparent worry, ”Sister, don’t be stubborn, your life is more important. Even if our father knows, he won’t blame you. Please, two young masters, save my sister, I guarantee father will not hold you responsible.”

Hearing this girl’s words from the ship, the hesitating gentlemen immediately eased their doubts, continuing to approach the fallen girl.

”Do not worry, Miss, we are here to save you with good intention, we are not bad people, please do not resist.”

”Miss, our sincere intent is to save your life. Even if Lord Prefect knows, he will not blame us. Please consider our position and do not resist any longer. Come aboard with us now.”

The face of the girl in the water had turned completely hopeless. Since the girl aboard spoke, the girl in the water knew she couldn’t escape today’s scheme, regretting coming here due to her half-sister’s few words and falling into this dire predicament.