The group walked around and looked around, which was quite interesting.
Suddenly, someone on the street shouted, "Quick, the carriages from the Liu family are coming out!"
Then Hailing and the others were a little slow to react. They saw people on the street pulling loads, dragging children, and making way, all of them quickly and efficiently clearing the middle of the road. Their actions were no less swift and decisive than the panic of an emperor on an inspection tour.
Hailin couldn't help but ask the person standing next to her, "Whose house is this? Why is there such a big fuss?"
"The Liu family is the richest family in our Shuangxi Town, a very wealthy family."
"Wow, this rich person has quite the airs!"
Shen Ruoxuan couldn't help but yell. Several people next to him glanced at him and then sighed and explained, "Who can blame them? Not only are they rich, but they also have connections with local officials. If we offend the Liu family, we won't even know how we died. No one dares to block their carriages whenever they come out. If you do, you'll be in big trouble."
Hai Ling listened with great interest and couldn't help but ask, "Is the Liu family really that rich?"
"That must be /."
One person replied, and another chimed in: "Go east, and the largest mansion there is the Liu family mansion. Its grandeur is no less than that of the mansions in the capital. There are countless servants, and the utensils used in the house are all made of gold and silver. It is truly luxurious."
"oh."
Hailing nodded, a smile appearing on her face. She had been quite bored staying in Shuangxi Town recently, and she hadn't expected to find such a wealthy family. It seemed they now had something to do.
Just as he was lost in thought, the sound of hooves rang out, and a luxurious carriage drove up from the end of the street. Behind the carriage followed dozens of men on tall horses. The whole entourage made its way through the street in a grand procession. The street was silent, and everyone proceeded with extreme caution, no less so than a patrol officer. Perhaps even a patrol officer wouldn't have the same imposing presence as the Liu family. It was unclear who was inside the carriage, but the coachman, dressed in fine brocade, was arrogant. His demeanor was more haughty than that of the head of an ordinary household, showing that the Liu family was indeed different from ordinary people. Looking at the men behind him, they were all expressionless, their nostrils flaring, looking down on everyone.
The group of people quickly passed by, and the street returned to normal. Vendors pulled their loads out, adults let go of their children's hands, and pedestrians started moving around again.
Hai Ling and the others also walked forward one after another, and Shen Ruoxuan discussed things with Hai Ling as they walked.
"You'd say the Liu family's influence is no less than that of royalty."
“Even royalty doesn’t have this kind of prestige. Not to mention the master inside, even the coachman and the servants behind him seem to be superior to others,” Hai Ling said, her eyes sparkling, and she called over Shi Mei from behind.
"Mei'er, bring over the people from Nantang. We can do a mission."
"Yes, I will do it immediately."
Upon hearing that she was to be on a mission, Shi Mei perked up and immediately accepted the order to contact the person.
Hailin was also tired from running, so she told the others to go back to the inn.
They stayed at an inn called Anmanlou in Shuangxi Town. The inn was not large, but it was quite elegant. There weren't many guests, so it was very quiet. Therefore, their group booked an entire floor on the third floor and stayed there for a while.
The innkeeper and waiters were very welcoming, and Hailing and her companions were quite satisfied with their stay.
The tea and food were quite good, and the expenses were reasonable, so they stayed there.
When he returned to the inn, the innkeeper and the waiter nodded repeatedly: "The guest is back."
Hai Ling smiled and nodded, leading the people upstairs. However, remembering the incident with the Liu family's carriage earlier, she casually asked the shopkeeper.
"We saw the Liu family on the street today. They seemed very arrogant, and everyone seemed afraid of them. Could it be that they have some powerful background?"
Upon hearing Hai Ling's words, the shopkeeper immediately came out from behind the counter, cautiously ran to the door and peeked inside before speaking tentatively.
"Young master, you don't know, but the Liu family has only appeared in the last six months or so. We don't know their background, but they are very wealthy. They don't usually interact with others, but when they moved in, the prefect of Donglin City personally escorted them over with great respect. If even the prefect was so cautious, the Liu family must have some powerful connections, so everyone is afraid of them. However, they don't usually associate with the people in town and always keep to themselves. Ordinary people can't enter the Liu family's mansion."
"Wow, how mysterious."
Hai Ling's interest grew even stronger. She felt that the Liu family mansion seemed to be hiding a secret. They were so rich, and the master even saw them off. Moreover, they had only moved in for half a year. What was their background?
"Thank you, shopkeeper."
Hailin thanked her and then turned to leave.
The shopkeeper reminded them from behind, "Young master, don't mess with the Liu family. Be careful."
"We understand."
Hai Ling nodded and led Shen Ruoxuan and Mingzhu up to the third floor, where they all went back to their rooms to rest.
They had booked the entire third floor, so it was very convenient for them to do things, and they didn't need to be overly vigilant. If someone came up, they would sense it immediately.
Shi Mei went to issue the order and then returned to report to Hai Ling that in the afternoon, the group did not leave the inn but rested and chatted inside.
The next day, David, the head of the Southern Hall, and others appeared. Hailing assigned them a task: to scout out the Liu Mansion in the far east, to see the layout of their residences and how many subordinates they had.
David, the head of the South Hall, accepted the order and left. Hailing then ordered her two maids, Shimei and Shilan, to go to the streets to inquire about the Liu family's situation, the more information they knew, the better.
For the sake of the baby in her belly, she did not leave the Dark Mansion Inn and stayed on the third floor to wait for news.
Mingzhu stayed with her at the inn, waiting for news, while Shen Ruoxuan disappeared without a trace.
With the window half-open and the curtains slightly lifted, Hailing was leaning against the bed reading a book when suddenly her stomach twitched. She immediately stared at her stomach in surprise. Mingzhu, seeing her expression, thought something had happened and rushed over anxiously.
"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
"It's okay, Mingzhu, my belly is moving, the baby is responding," Hailing's face relaxed, her beautiful face radiant. She was almost five months pregnant, so it was normal for the baby to move. It was just so amazing. She had never been a mother before, so she found it strange. She couldn't help but stroke her belly with one hand.
"He's moving, it's amazing."
“Miss, really? Let me touch it,” Mingzhu sat down next to Hailing, reached out and touched the baby in her belly, then spoke to the little one with longing in her eyes: “Baby, do you know? I’m Aunt Mingzhu. When you come out, you must remember me. I’m the first person to touch you besides your mother. You must remember me, or Auntie will be sad.”
She spoke exaggeratedly, and Hailing couldn't help but laugh.
Seeing Hailing beaming with joy, Mingzhu felt even happier. She had said it on purpose to make her mistress happy, because she knew that her mistress was most concerned about the child in her womb, so she used the child as a topic to cheer her up.
Hailing laughed as she said, "Mingzhu, the baby will definitely remember you. If he doesn't remember his Aunt Mingzhu, I will definitely spank his little bottom."