Wine-scented Beauty

Chapter 169: Question Chapter

Chapter 169: Questioning

"Men can remarry, so why can't women?" Ji Meiqing asked bluntly. "Besides, it's not a shameful thing."

"Let me think about it." Li forced a smile, seemingly not very concerned about it. "I've already delivered the groceries, but I have something to do at home, so I'll have to leave now."

"Hmm." Ji Meiqing didn't say anything more. After seeing her off, she took the vegetables to the kitchen in the back. "These were sent by Li Shi."

Lu Yu put down what he was holding and walked over. "She came by this morning. I thought she had something to say, but she left quickly."

"You know?" Ji Meiqing was taken aback. Wasn't it because he knew about what happened that morning that he didn't stop?

"I know. But I didn't know he was delivering the food."

Ji Meiqing felt somewhat helpless; she didn't know what to say.

The food was almost ready, and since Li had brought some, the two of them didn't cook anything else and just ate it.

"Is there anything that's bothering you?" Lu Yu suddenly asked.

"No."

She immediately denied it and then forcefully changed the subject, saying, "Hurry up and eat."

Lu Yu smiled, biting his chopsticks, exuding a rather carefree and unrestrained air. What better way to enjoy food than with fine wine? Lu Yu turned to fetch some.

After the meal, they parted ways. Ji Meiqing went to the city to pack some clothes, while Lu Yu went to check out the bandit stronghold.

Fearing they might seek revenge, Lu Yu went to see if there was anything else that needed to be settled.

The room was heated by a fireplace, so it wasn't cold. She sat at the table, staring blankly at the wall in front of her.

A whole night passed and he still hadn't returned. Ji Meiqing was getting anxious. Although she knew Lu Yu was skilled enough to be fine, she was worried that his wounds might reopen.

She waited all night, but he didn't return. Ji Meiqing had no choice but to go there herself, traversing mountains and valleys, and retracing her steps back.

The forest was no different from before. She looked around but didn't see anyone. If it weren't for what she had seen earlier, she would have thought this was a peaceful place, without any noise.

She continued walking forward, heading over a hill, but the path became narrower and narrower as she went higher.

After leaving this area, they had to climb another set of steps. After taking only two steps, someone rolled down from above. Ji Meiqing moved to the side and watched him roll down beside her.

After a while, when she heard no more noise, she went over, squatted down and looked at the person who had rolled down. Seeing that he was in a mess, Ji Meiqing couldn't help but be curious.

"Are you OK."

"I'm fine," he said slowly, catching his breath. Then he sat up, and Ji Meiqing was surprised to see his face clearly.

"You...you're that scholar who sells books?"

She was so surprised that she could barely speak. The scholar also recognized her, "You... I am truly destined to meet you, young lady."

She chuckled awkwardly, "It's fate, it's fate. It really is fate."

"Why are you here, young lady? There are many bandits around here. You should leave as soon as possible."

“I think we might not be able to leave.” Ji Meiqing’s expression became somewhat solemn. The scholar was taken aback and looked in the direction Ji Meiqing was looking, and he was also stunned.

"Oh, this is the first time I've seen such a beautiful young lady!" Several men dressed like robbers, carrying large knives, approached them.

The scholar stood up and stood in front of Ji Meiqing. Although he was terrified and his legs were trembling, he still managed not to run away.

"Oh, so you're trying to be a hero! With your looks, you think you can be a damsel in distress?" As soon as he said that, everyone around him burst into laughter.

The two were like animals in a cage, surrounded by onlookers. After secretly observing them for a while, Ji Meiqing said, "You're just after money. Let this young master leave, and you can have the silver when he gets it."

"To embezzle money?" they repeated with a smile. "Young lady, you really are a young lady. You speak so sweetly. Your family must have a lot of money."

Ji Meiqing remained silent. They circled around her, looking her over. In the dead of winter, she was wearing so many clothes that she was completely wrapped in thick cotton-padded clothes, obscuring her curves.

Even so, they still looked at them.

The leader walked up to her, trying to pinch her face, but she dodged him. Ji Meiqing took two steps back and stared at her intently.

"I think if you want to save your life, you'd better not touch me."

She gave a warning, but they weren't afraid. Instead, they took her away with great interest. No one bothered to arrest the scholar. They looked at Ji Meiqing and then at the scholar, saying, "Since your family is so wealthy, then we'll take this scholar back to your home. By the way, which family do you live with?"

“The Ji family in the south of the city,” she said.

The men exchanged bewildered glances. "Does the Ji family have any daughters?"

"I don't know." They looked blankly at Ji Meiqing, then smiled sarcastically, "You're not kidding us, are you?"

"How can the Ji family not have any daughters? The Ji family you speak of is probably not the same family as the Ji family I'm talking about."

"Wow, this little girl is all bared and claws, you wouldn't guess she's such a fierce person."

After all that talk, Ji Meiqing was still taken away. The scholar watched them leave, then hurriedly went down the mountain again. As the saying goes, misfortunes never come singly.

The scholar felt that he had been extremely unlucky lately. First, his family fell into decline, then he was plagued by various illnesses, and then he was a burden to others.

Being plagued by bad luck can be quite bothersome.

He went down the mountain and then into the city, a journey of several miles that would take a lot of time. Yet he ran all the way back, fearing that someone might suffer this misfortune because of his burden.

Once inside the city, they asked for directions to the Ji family's residence and ran towards it. They tried to enter through the main gate but were stopped.

"Please... put it... inside." He was so out of breath that he almost couldn't speak. The gatekeeper hesitated when he saw his attire and the urgency on his face.

"Wait here. I'll go in and inform them."

The other one seemed a bit impatient. He told his companion and went inside, then came out a while later with a pretty girl.

The scholar was taken aback when he saw Rouge. The gatekeeper, seeing his expression, nudged him impatiently and said, "Speak quickly if you have something to say, don't keep the madam waiting."

"Yes, yes." He wiped the sweat from his brow and said, "Miss Ji of your household has been captured by bandits. They are demanding money or they will not release her."

"Miss Ji?" Rouge thought of Ji Meiqing first, but Lu Yu was always by her side, so there shouldn't be any major problems. However, she still had some doubts.

"Where was she arrested?"

Rouge asked him again.