Chapter 157: Separate Courtyard
Shang Wan turned back to glance at him and saw that Yan Dang Jia did not seem to be deliberately teasing her, so she sat down again in her previous spot.
Yan Dang Jia smiled and said, “Madam, you’ve come at just the right time. Tomorrow the Escort Agency is escorting a batch of medicinal herbs to Mao City, which is exactly on the way.”
“That’s great.” A surprised expression appeared on Shang Wan’s face. “I wonder what the fee would be?”
Yan Dang Jia pondered for a moment and said, “Since it’s on the way, just give the brothers some tea money. A total of five taels of silver—how does Madam feel about that?”
“Five taels! That’s so much.” Shang Wan immediately showed a troubled expression, raised her hand to clutch her money bag, and lightly pursed her lips. “My husband has been confined to bed for years and needs medicine every day; there’s really not much money left at home. Since it’s on the way, could the fee be reduced a bit more?”
She had deliberately worn a set of old clothes today just to avoid being overcharged.
Taking a letter along the way— one tael of silver couldn’t be more.
Yan Dang Jia furrowed his brows and carefully sized up Shang Wan, only then noticing that although she was peerlessly beautiful, her clothes had been washed until they were faded white, so her family was probably indeed in straits.
Running an Escort Agency inherently came with some chivalrous spirit; they most enjoyed helping the poor and weak, not to mention that the person opposite was a beauty. Seeing the beauty in difficulty stirred his heart with compassion for the fairer sex.
Yan Dang Jia considered for a moment and said, “Every family has its difficulties. In consideration of Madam’s filial heart, three taels of silver will do.”
Shang Wan opened her money bag and poured out the only one tael of silver and ten copper coins inside. Her pair of watery almond eyes looked at Yan Dang Jia as her hands fidgeted clasped together. “This is all I have.”
Yan Dang Jia: “……”
Under Shang Wan’s stare, he impulsively wanted to agree for a moment, but the old man standing behind him suddenly coughed heavily.
Yan Dang Jia immediately snapped out of that impulse, waved his hand, and said, “This doesn’t follow the rules. Three taels of silver can’t be less, otherwise we can only ask Madam to look elsewhere.”
“What’s this about not following the rules?” A slightly hoarse male voice came from outside, followed closely by a lean man walking in.
Shang Wan took a close look and saw that this face was squarely square-shaped—it was definitely Sang Qi himself.
“This madam wants to entrust the Escort Agency to send a family letter to the Border Pass, but she only has one tael of silver.” Yan Dang Jia gave Sang Qi a look. “You know our Escort Agency never takes business below three taels— it doesn’t follow the rules.”
Sang Qi completely ignored what Yan Dang Jia was saying; ever since entering, his attention had been entirely on Shang Wan.
Snowy skin and flowery beauty, jade nose and cherry lips—prettier than even the top courtesan at Drunken Spring Tower. How had he not known there was such a beauty in the city?
Shang Wan seemed embarrassed by his gaze and lowered her head, a flash of dark light passing through her eyes.
Dare to lust after me— I’ll smash your dog head!
Yan Dang Jia awkwardly coughed twice and called out in a deep voice, “Second Brother.”
Stop staring at her endlessly!
Only then did Sang Qi reluctantly shift his gaze from Shang Wan. Yan Dang Jia, as if accustomed to it, repeated his earlier words.
“Big Brother, rules are dead, but people are alive.” Sang Qi wanted to curry favor with the beauty and smiled. “Anyway, I’m the one escorting the medicinal herbs to the Border Pass this time, so delivering the letter is just a side task. I’d take it even without silver.”
“Second Brother!” Yan Dang Jia’s tone grew a bit sterner. His second brother was good at everything except that he loved women and could easily be dazzled by beauty.
Sang Qi didn’t want to lose face in front of the beauty by being scolded by Big Brother, so he curved his lips into what he thought was a dashing smile toward Shang Wan. “Please wait a moment, Madam.”
He pulled Yan Dang Jia outside by the hand and discussed in a low voice.
Shang Wan pretended to look outside anxiously again and again, while pondering in her heart that Jiang Bo was right—Sang Qi really was a lecher.
It wasn’t long before Sang Qi and Yan Dang Jia came back in, one after the other. Yan Dang Jia’s expression wasn’t great, but Sang Qi was beaming.
“I’ll take this escort job.” Sang Qi looked at Shang Wan. “After Madam pays the silver, fill out the escort document, then hand the family letter to me.”
Shang Wan hesitated for a moment, handed him the one tael of silver, and swiftly pulled back just as Sang Qi was about to touch her hand. She asked softly, “I don’t know how to write. Can I have someone help me?”
“Of course.” Sang Qi’s gaze grew two degrees hotter than before. His eyes swept over Shang Wan as he said eagerly, “Come with me. I’ll help you write it.”
He led Shang Wan to the side hall, and the old man with the gray beard followed along.
Sang Qi glared back at the old man, who pretended not to see and steadfastly followed behind the two.
Shang Wan pretended not to notice the silent exchange between the two and worked hard to maintain her persona.
After Sang Qi filled out the escort document according to what she said, she handed him the thick family letter.
Under Shang Wan’s gaze, Sang Qi personally stamped the envelope with a lacquer seal.
This was to reassure the client that the Escort Agency would absolutely not open the letter midway to peek inside.
The old man’s gaze shifted to Shang Wan, and she immediately let out an exaggerated sigh of relief.
With the old man watching nearby, Sang Qi got no advantage and inwardly cursed his bad luck.
When seeing Shang Wan out, he kept probing about her background, clearly not giving up yet.
Out of gratitude, Shang Wan answered whatever he asked; she had never lost at telling lies.
The two conversed pleasantly.
It wasn’t until Shang Wan drove the ox cart far away that Sang Qi reluctantly withdrew his gaze, turned to glare fiercely at the old man, and strode into the Escort Agency.
Disdain filled the old man’s eyes. He pursed his lips, picked up the broom, and continued sweeping the ground.
Shang Wan hadn’t gone far. She booked the cheapest room at a nearby inn, left the ox cart at the inn, quietly climbed out the window of her inn room, returned to the Long Ling Escort Agency, and surveilled Sang Qi.
Sang Qi changed into a blue brocade robe, led a chestnut horse out from the stables, mounted it, and rode out of the city.
Shang Wan followed from afar and saw him stop at the doorway of a courtyard in the suburbs, dismount, and walk inside.
Judging solely from the voices and auras, there were many guards in the courtyard, including several experts, so Shang Wan didn’t rashly go in for fear of alerting them.
She expanded her hearing to the maximum, wanting to hear what people in the courtyard were doing.
There were many people in the courtyard, the voices were chaotic, and there were quite a few children crying shrilly and finely, giving Shang Wan a headache.
She raised her hand to rub her temples. Just as she thought to sneak in and take a look, a group of people emerged from a small courtyard.
The leader wore a black veiled hat, so his face couldn’t be seen clearly, but from his build and clothing, he seemed to be a man.
What caught Shang Wan’s attention was the wheelchair beneath him.
This person had a leg disability.
In a flash, a name suddenly sprang into Shang Wan’s mind.
Could this person be Lu Chengyuan?
At this thought, Shang Wan leaped to a high place and looked down to search the surroundings.
If it really was Lu Chengyuan, then this suburban courtyard should be the Ge family’s separate courtyard, and there would definitely be people from Qiao Yu’an watching nearby.
Her scanning gaze suddenly paused—sure enough, two people were staking out nearby.
Seeing the veiled-hat person being lifted onto a carriage, Shang Wan hesitated for an instant and then leaped after it.
