Peaceful Jianghu - Chapter 110
Xiao Dao clapped his hands. "Good girl, that means you've finally figured it out!"
Xiaoyue smiled with her head down.
"Weren't you worried about having nowhere to go?" Xiao Dao said with a smile. "I'll have my mother recognize you as her goddaughter, and then we'll be real sisters! From now on, my house will be your house. There's plenty of space in the world! We can find one slowly."
Xiaoyue was thoroughly amused by her and nodded, "Yes! There are plenty of outhouses!"
Achoo...
Inside the inn, five grown men—Xue Beifan, Shen Xinghai, Chonghua, Wang Bibo, and Hao Jinfeng—stared at each other, when one of them suddenly sneezed, leaving the right side of his face burning.
...
55
[What can be done if one is trapped inside?]
In the afternoon, Xiaoyue was still quietly washing clothes in the yard, and no one disturbed her, knowing that she was lost in thought.
Xiao Dao was preparing to go to Naihe Gate to visit his aunt, and was wondering whether he should take Wang Bibo along so they could also pay a visit to their cousin. Xue Beifan had prepared the boat and was squatting at the bow, deep in thought.
When everyone arrived, Xiao Dao boarded the boat and frowned as soon as he stepped onto the deck. "We have to take a boat again. How annoying!"
Xue Beifan told the boatman to start the boat, glancing at the stern. He saw Xiaoyue standing there, with Shen Xinghai and Chonghua beside her, seemingly chatting and laughing.
Wang Bibo frowned. "Are they rivals in love?"
Xue Beifan stroked his chin. "Tsk, hard to say. After all, we've been brothers for over ten years. It's not worth turning against each other for a girl!"
Wang Bibo looked at him and asked, "If we've been brothers for over ten years, would you give me the knife?"
Xue Beifan's lips twitched. "You're dreaming."
Wang Bibo pursed her lips, "If Lou Xiaoyue was sold into servitude to Shen Xinghai when she was young, and Shen Xinghai has treated her quite well over the years, returning a contract of servitude to her doesn't feel like the two parties are even."
"That's not quite it," Xue Beifan shook his head slightly. "Lou Xiaoyue has risked her life for Shen Xinghai over the years, saving his life many times. If she hadn't been so dedicated, Chonghua, with his stubborn nature, wouldn't have been so infatuated with her. As for Shen Xinghai, well, he wasn't exactly harsh on Xiaoyue, but he certainly didn't know how to cherish women. There was nothing he could do; by the time he realized how good women were, Xiaoyue had already grown into a beautiful young woman, and for so many years she had remained hidden behind a mask, so Shen Xinghai hadn't noticed."
Wang Bibo frowned. "So, if Xiaoyue didn't have the identity of the missing daughter of the Wei family, Shen Xinghai wouldn't have treated her so well, right?"
“He was originally going to marry Liu Ruyue, and they were already engaged.” Xue Beifan smiled with his arms crossed. “Liu Ruyue’s family’s status in the court is naturally not as high as the Wei family’s. The Wei family has military power, and Xiaoyue is indeed much cuter than Liu Ruyue.”
Wang Bibo chuckled, "Sigh, of course Lou Xiaoyue will choose Chonghua over Shen Xinghai! She'd better stay far away from him."
"Why do you say that?" Xue Beifan looked at him.
"Some women are foolish and unrealistic!" Wang Bibo shook her head. "A man who is willing to choose a woman for the sake of his future will also sacrifice a woman for the sake of his future at some point!"
Xue Beifan raised an eyebrow. "Brilliant!"
Wang Bibo was feeling smug when he felt someone nudge them from behind.
The two turned around at the same time, only to see Xiao Dao smiling broadly, "It seems the two rivals are getting along quite well!"
Wang Bibo and Xue Beifan were both taken aback, coughed, looked away, and kept their distance.
Xiao Dao shook his head as he heard Hao Jinfeng shout from the bow of the boat, "We've arrived at the Gate of Helplessness!"
Xiao Dao turned around and was startled... The Naihe Gate was a huge gate. A mountain gate was erected high above the wide waterway. Above the majestic gate, on the abandoned eaves of the roof, were a plaque with the words "There is nothing that can be done inside the Naihe Gate."
Xiao Dao finished reciting those words to himself. The boat had already passed the mountain gate and sailed along the waterway into a small river with reeds on both banks.
Not far ahead, amidst the wisps of misty water vapor, stands a beautiful octagonal building with upturned eaves. The building is built on the water, surrounded by a large courtyard filled with what appears to be many exotic flowers and rare herbs, and a fragrant aroma wafts from afar.
As the boat approached the gate, an old voice rang out, "Those cowardly rats who dare to enter my Naihe Gate, if they're not afraid of death, then cross the Naihe Bridge in front of my house, and I'll send you straight to meet the King of Hell!"
Xiao Dao shrank back, thinking to himself that this old woman seemed to have a bad temper.
Wang Bibo cupped her hands in greeting, "Aunt, Wang Bibo from Bibo Manor requests an audience."
"Wang Bibo..."
This time, everyone heard the source of the sound and looked in the direction of the sound. They saw a woman with long, flowing hair dressed in black standing on the roof of the octagonal building. Xiao Dao took a closer look and saw that she wasn't very old, maybe in her early forties? But she really wasn't very pretty.
"Are you Granny Wang Rumeng?" Xue Beifan cupped his hands in greeting.
Wang Rumeng squinted at everyone, and finally... her gaze suddenly fell on Yan Xiaodao, then a look of astonishment appeared on her face, "Well, Yan Ruyu! You actually dare to come looking for me!"
Xiao Dao quickly hid behind Xue Beifan, "I'm not Yan Ruyu, Auntie, I'm Yan Xiao Dao, Yan Ruyu is my mother."
Wang Rumeng was shocked. "Daughter! She actually has a daughter! She's making me grow old alone, and she's gone and had a daughter herself!"
Hao Jinfeng slapped his forehead in a daze, "You also have a son!"
"I'm so angry...so angry!" Wang Rumeng suddenly leaped up, flying like a roc spreading its wings towards the small boat. "Give me Yan Ruyu's daughter, I'm going to strangle this little rabbit!"
Xiao Dao was shocked. "No way!"
Xue Beifan reached out and stopped Xiao Dao, blocking Wang Rumeng.
Unable to get close after a few moves, Wang Rumeng scrutinized Xue Beifan from head to toe, then looked at Yan Xiaodao, stamped her foot, and pointed at her, "You brat, your skin is just like your mother's, I'll tear it off for you!"
Xiao Dao covered her face, nervously saying, "Don't be so impulsive! Let's talk this out, there are more of us!"
"Ha!" Wang Rumeng sneered, "Many people? More than my fish!" As she spoke, Wang Rumeng whistled, and the water around them churned instantly. When everyone looked towards the boat, they gasped in shock. The entire pond was teeming with giant dolphins swimming towards them, and the small boat rocked left and right as if it were about to capsize.
"Hahaha!" Wang Rumeng leaped back onto the boat, stomping on the bow until it shattered, and the boat began to slowly sink. Wang Bibo kicked away a swarm of dragons that had climbed ashore, yelling, "Get to shore, everyone! The boat's sinking!"
Wang Rumeng reached out to grab Yan Xiaodao.