Chapter 133: Pursuit And Killing
Does Chu Xu have any money on him?
His handsome pale little face flushed red from holding back before he barely managed to spit out, “I’m injured, eating meat heals faster.”
“No money, no dice, eat whatever is given.” Shang Wan pushed the bowl of bok choy soup toward him, “Need me to feed you?”
Smelling the fresh sweet aroma of the bok choy soup, Chu Xu’s stomach immediately let out a gurgling sound.
He had only drunk a bit of porridge since waking up and hadn’t eaten anything else; he was starving long ago.
Looking at the bok choy leaves floating in the soup, Chu Xu felt full of disdain and really wanted to toughly say he wouldn’t eat it, but he knew outside wasn’t like home; this woman in front of him wouldn’t indulge him like family would.
Pouting discontentedly, Chu Xu reached out his small hand to pick up the bowl and muttered, “I’ll eat it myself.”
Shang Wan watched him eat and noticed that this child likely had good upbringing; even with his stomach growling from hunger, he ate gracefully and politely, without any sign of wolfing it down.
Chu Xu found that this bowl of bok choy soup was unexpectedly delicious, better than any rare delicacies he had eaten before, and after eating it, he felt like his body didn’t hurt as much.
He attributed it all to being too hungry and thus having an illusion.
Once the child had eaten everything in the bowl clean, Shang Wan asked, “Enough? I’ll add more if not.”
It really wasn’t her intentionally mistreating the child; his wounds were too severe, and now drinking more bok choy soup would help the wounds heal while also better restoring his strength and spirit.
Of course, Shang Wan also had a bit of the intention to experiment on the child.
Anyway, with the wounds right there, why not try it and save Shi Tou from slashing himself with a knife.
It could be considered killing two birds with one stone.
Chu Xu had no idea of Shang Wan’s calculations, but he indeed hadn’t eaten his fill.
Shang Wan served him another bowl of bok choy soup.
After two bowls of bok choy soup went down, Chu Xu felt full.
He said softly, “Thank you.”
Shang Wan took the porcelain bowl and felt the child’s attitude had softened a bit, so she asked, “How did you get those wounds? Seeking revenge or robbed by bandits?”
Chu Xu lowered his head and said nothing.
Shang Wan didn’t indulge him and said bluntly, “If you won’t say anything, I’ll send you out of the village in a bit, and you can leave on your own.”
She couldn’t risk her whole family for one strange child.
Chu Xu looked up in surprise at Shang Wan, as if he hadn’t expected her to say such a thing.
Shang Wan raised an eyebrow, “Think I’m cold-blooded, no sympathy? Saved you so I should take responsibility all the way?”
Chu Xu instinctively shook his head; if she were truly cold-blooded, she wouldn’t have saved him.
“You’re the trouble.” Shang Wan reached out and tapped his forehead, “Surely you know that yourself. Whether seeking revenge or robbed by bandits, if you tell the truth, I can consider saving you all the way. If you say nothing, keeping you around is too dangerous; when trouble comes knocking, it’ll only implicate me and my family, so I can only choose to send you away.”
Chu Xu instinctively said, “Not bandits.”
Shang Wan: “Then seeking revenge?”
Chu Xu pursed his lips and said nothing again.
Shang Wan never had much patience for outsiders; her expression turned cold as she picked up the bowl and stood, “I’ll send you away in a bit.”
When leaving, she’d give this child two jars of ointment and have Xiao Huan prepare some dry rations for him to take; that would be doing her utmost.
Seeing Shang Wan about to walk out the door, Chu Xu grabbed his trouser leg and shouted, “Wait!”
The knife wound on his back hurt with any movement, and the other wounds hurt too; leaving alone now was a dead end. If he could stay and get this woman’s help, maybe there was a slim chance of survival.
Elder Brother had said to cut off decisively when needed.
He’d risk it!
Shang Wan turned back at his voice, “You only get one chance; don’t squeeze it out like toothpaste, spit it out quickly.”
“Toothpaste?” Chu Xu tilted his head in confusion, “What’s toothpaste?”
“Something like tooth powder, not important.” Shang Wan walked back and sat down, propping her chin with one hand, eyes fixed on him, “Before the story, first tell me your real name.”
Chu Xu’s pupils shrank, and his hand gripping his trouser leg tightened.
Shang Wan glanced at his hand and sneered, “You don’t really think I’d believe some random name you made up, do you?”
Chu Xu was silent for a moment, then asked doubtfully, “How did you know I gave a fake name?”
“Intuition.”
Actually, Shang Wan hadn’t known originally, but kids were easy to fool, and sure enough, she’d bluffed it out.
“Your intuition is pretty accurate.” Chu Xu muttered softly, “My real name is Chu Xu, the Xu from bright sun, warm Xu, standing mountain Li’s Xu.”
Shang Wan: Uh… what the heck is yang something?
“Wait a sec, let me call someone.”
Shang Wan called her own fox over.
“He’s my husband.” Shang Wan introduced simply, gesturing to Chu Xu, “Now you can talk.”
Chu Xu looked at Lu Chengjing a couple more times, amazed by his good looks, even better than the four great young masters of the capital city.
“I’m called Chu Xu, the Xu from bright sun, warm Xu, standing mountain Li’s Xu.” Chu Xu introduced himself again and continued only after seeing Shang Wan didn’t stop him, “I fell off the cliff because assassins were chasing me to kill me; all the guards my father and brother sent to protect me died under the assassins’ blades, leaving only me alive.”
Shang Wan asked, “Why were the assassins chasing you?”
“Someone doesn’t want me returning to the capital city.” Chu Xu said with a serious little face.
“Your family is in the capital city?” Shang Wan asked puzzled, “The capital city is at least over a month’s journey from here; how did you end up here?”
Chu Xu said disgruntledly, “I came to play with Elder Brother; war started at the border, Father and Elder Brother worried something would happen to me and sent people to escort me back to the capital city, but I ran into assassins on the road.”
Lu Chengjing asked, “Your father and elder brother are?”
“My father is Duke Dingguo, the commander of the main army. Elder Brother is called Chu Zhao, the young general of the Chu Family Army. I’m the second young master of Duke Dingguo’s Mansion.”
A deep glint flashed in Lu Chengjing’s eyes.
No wonder the name Chu Zhao felt familiar. Back at the county school, he had heard the master mention this young general Chu.
Rumor had it this man had much of his father’s style from back then, exceptionally brave on the battlefield, achieving remarkable feats, truly surpassing the blue.
He hadn’t expected his wife to casually pick up a child by the cliff who turned out to be the second young master of Duke Dingguo’s Mansion.
Indeed a big trouble.
Chu Xu stared at the two and promised, “If you can protect me safely, Duke Dingguo’s Mansion will surely reward you heavily.”
“Rewards later.” Shang Wan didn’t buy painted cakes from others, “How do you prove your identity?”
Chu Xu said, “I am Chu Xu; if you don’t believe me, you can send me to the Chu Family Army’s military camp, and the soldiers can verify for me.”
This little scheme was practically bouncing off onto Shang Wan and the other’s faces.
Heh, send him to the military camp to verify identity? Wasn’t that just wanting free bodyguards?
Seeing the child so righteous, Shang Wan tentatively believed his identity and asked, “Do you know who those assassins are?”
Chu Xu shook his head blankly, “I only know they came from the capital city, to take my life.”
Coming all this way just to kill one child?
Shang Wan looked at Chu Xu seriously with curiosity, “What happens if you die?”
