A pure heart in a jade pot

Chapter 14

"You're clearly protecting them on purpose!" she shouted angrily.

"You..." Zhan Zhao really didn't know how to explain it to her clearly. "If you have any doubts, then I can promise you that after I get the account book, I will hand it over to you for safekeeping."

She hesitated for a moment, then said, "Why should I believe you? If you later deny it, that's not impossible."

"Zhan always keeps his word."

The moonlight, like water, reflected on his face... She gazed at him for a long time, finally nodding, but still adding, "What if you change your mind?"

"Do as you please, young lady."

After scrutinizing him for a moment, Mo Yan finally let him go, turned around, and slowly walked back, muttering to herself...

Zhan Zhao walked behind her, barely understanding a sentence or two: "It sounds nice... but we can't beat him... We need to think of a way..."

Back at the inn, despite the comfortable bed and soft pillows, Zhan Zhao couldn't sleep soundly, as he kept an eye on the outside. Just before dawn, he heard someone calling the innkeeper to check out. Peeking through the crack in the window, he saw it was indeed the two men; they seemed to have some urgent business and hurriedly left.

As soon as the two left, Zhan Zhao knocked on Mo Yan's door: "Miss Mo, it's time for us to set off."

She mumbled a response from inside, and after a while opened the door, looking at him sleepily, and asked, "Where can I find a ferry at this hour?"

“We can take a fishing boat.”

Mo Yan hadn't thought of that. She rubbed her eyes, looked up at the room opposite, and saw that the doors and windows were open and the waiter was cleaning inside.

"Those two are gone..." she muttered to herself, a sly smile flashing in her eyes, and asked him, "Did they say goodbye to you?"

"See you in the main hall in an incense stick's time." Zhan Zhao ignored her and turned back to his room.

Mo Yan glared at his back with annoyance. She was still bothered by what happened last night, but being inexperienced, she couldn't figure it out and thus harbored resentment towards Zhan Zhao.

After having breakfast in the lobby and settling accounts, the two led their horses away.

It was still early, so Zhan Zhao didn't head towards the ferry. Instead, he left the town and went straight to the river. There were a few fishing boats on the river, casting their nets to catch fish as the sun rose.

The fishing boat was quite far from the shore. Zhan Zhao gathered his strength and projected his voice far away: "Brother on the boat, do you have any fresh fish?"

No sooner had they finished speaking than a nearby fishing boat heard them, turned around, and slowly sailed toward them.

Mo Yan fiddled with the reins in his hand, secretly laughing to himself: This cat is cunning. He knows that if he says he wants to cross the river, the fisherman will definitely ignore him. He just says he wants to buy fish, thus coaxing the fisherman to come over.

"Sir, would you like some fish?" the fisherman called out as the fishing boat approached.

Zhan Zhao glanced at the boat and smiled, "We need two baskets of fresh fish. The Jiangning Winery on the other side of the river needs them urgently."

Jiangning Winery was famous far and wide. When the fisherman heard this, he had no doubts and hurriedly said happily, "You're really lucky today. You just caught two baskets of fish. Hurry up and get on the boat. I'll take you both to the shore."

The fishing boat was quite large, and the two men led their horses aboard without feeling cramped. The fisherman pointed to two baskets of lively fish beside him and laughed, "Grandpa, you really came at the right time. We just hauled in the nets and caught two baskets of fish, they're very fresh."

Zhan Zhao smiled and nodded, "It is indeed fresh." He then took out some silver and handed it over.

The fisherman was delighted to see how decisive and straightforward he was, so he filled the sail and carried the two of them across the river.

"These fish... are you really going to buy them?" After disembarking, Mo Yan looked at Zhan Zhao carrying two baskets of fish on his horse and asked curiously.

"Since the money has already been paid, of course we'll buy it."

"Even if you're the royal cat, you can't eat this many fish, can you?" She tilted her head to look at the two baskets of fish and said with a grin.

"This fish is to be sent to Jiangning Winery."

"You also know Granny Jiangning?"

"I am an old acquaintance of Granny Jiangning. It would be impolite of me to fail to pay her a visit during my trip to Jiangning." After walking a short distance, a porter approached from the roadside. Zhan Zhao called one over, gave him a dozen copper coins, and ordered him to deliver the fish to the Jiangning wine shop.

This was truly a favor, a cat bringing fish—how interesting! Mo Yan chuckled to herself, unaware that Zhan Zhao had already ridden ahead. She quickly whipped her horse to catch up.

That day, the two rode swiftly along the official road. Just as they left the territory of Jiangning, Zhan Zhao faintly heard someone calling from behind. He reined in his horse and looked back. Dust swirled on the road, obscuring the face of the person approaching from afar.

"What?" Mo Yan's internal strength was inferior to Zhan Zhao's, so she did not hear any shouts.

"It sounds like the voice of Master Han from Trap Island," Zhan Zhao replied, looking back the way they came.

"Second Brother Han?"

Mo Yan squinted, trying to see through the dust. After a while, she saw a big spotted donkey trotting towards her, with a dusty-faced man on it, none other than Han Zhang.

Chapter Ten

"Finally caught up with you!" Han Zhang jumped off the donkey and breathed a sigh of relief.

Seeing the spotted donkey panting heavily, Mo Yan giggled incessantly: "Second Brother Han, why are you imitating those young wives, riding a big donkey? Are you planning to go back to your parents' home too?"

Han Zhang glared at her irritably: "Isn't it all because I was chasing after you guys?" He had been resting at a roadside teahouse when he saw Zhan Zhao and Mo Yan speeding past him. He hurriedly chased after them, but in his haste, he accidentally untied the wrong reins and ended up riding someone else's donkey.

"Brother Han, is there something important to discuss?" Zhan Zhao asked seriously.

"Hehe... It's nothing important, just a small matter that I need to talk to this girl about." Han Zhang didn't want to lose face in front of Zhan Zhao.

"Looking for me?" Mo Yan asked curiously. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing, it's nothing... We'll talk about it later." Han Zhang waved his hand. "Right now, there's someone waiting for you at the tea house."

"who?"

"Xiao Chen".

Mo Yan was taken aback and asked suspiciously, "Second brother? Isn't he in Shu? How come he's here? Don't try to fool me."