Chapter 4 Embroidered Shoes

Cui Qi was awakened by the cold. Just as he opened his eyes, he heard a rough voice beside him saying, "He's awake, he's awake. This kid has a weak body. A grown man faints at the drop of a hat, just like a woman!"

Laughter erupted around him, and a middle-aged man's voice reprimanded, "In front of the young lady, how dare you speak so crudely."

The previous rough voice then lamented, "I'm uncouth, I'm uncouth. Miss, please don't mind. I will definitely change, I will definitely change."

Then there was laughter again, but it was not as unrestrained as before, more like they were holding back for something.

Cui Qi took a sharp breath, feeling the coldness penetrating through his body. Who were these people? And who was the young lady they referred to? Was it the mute girl? What was going on?

But before he could think further, a pair of large hands lifted him up as if he were a little chicken.

Only then did he realize that he was not lying in the snow, but at the front of a mule cart, with his legs dangling.

The snow had stopped, but there was still snow on his forehead. As he was being lifted, the snowflakes fell off.

He shook his head to shake off the snow, and the rough voice said, "Thanks to me putting a snowball on your head, otherwise how could you wake up so quickly."

Cui Qi was so angry that he almost spat out black blood. In the dead of winter, you put a snowball on my head. If I hadn't frozen to death, it's because I'm lucky.

He then saw the situation clearly. The one lifting him was a rough man, and there were six or seven other men in similar rough clothes, all looking dusty. Cui Qi found them somewhat familiar. Suddenly, he remembered that they were the laborers he had seen trudging through the snow before he entered the carriage.

Although these people were not carrying loads, they were all strong and sturdy, dressed in tattered clothes, clearly doing manual labor.

What surprised Cui Qi was not these rough men passing by, but the mule cart beside him.

The young maid Xia Zhi stood by the cart, smiling as she looked at the person standing a dozen feet away from them.

The person was dressed in a military officer's uniform, staring at them fiercely.

"Alright, this man is awake. I will send someone to escort you to Changping," he said, turning to look at the mule cart.

A young voice came from the cart, "Th...thank you..."

He then said to the rough men, "You guys have done a good job. Follow the master well, and you might even become constables in the future."

The rough man who had lifted Cui Qi kept rubbing his hands and said to the shortest man among them, "Big brother, are we dreaming? How come such a good thing has fallen on us?"

The military officer laughed heartily. At that moment, a young man in an official uniform came over, bowing to the military officer, "Sir, everything is ready."

The officer nodded and left without saying a word.

Cui Qi then realized that they were far from where he had fainted earlier, and the city gate was right in front of them.

This military officer should be the flag officer guarding the city gate.

He was both shocked and puzzled. What had happened when he fainted? How did the mute girl and the maid know this flag officer? And those rough men, why did they seem to be following Master Luo as attendants?

And what about the strange fragrance he had smelled before fainting? Why did he faint? It was impossible for the maid to drug him. She didn't have the ability!

He didn't have time to ponder further as the rough man who had lifted him threw him back onto the mule cart, saying, "Drive the cart slower. In this heavy snow, even if we walk fast, we can't catch up with the cart. If you faint again and we can't catch up, what will happen to the young lady?"

Cui Qi took a sharp breath. It seemed that his guess was correct. These rough men were indeed going to serve Master Luo. He wondered what the maid had told them. It was not possible for a maid to make such a big decision. These people were really naive. How could they believe such a thing?

But what if it was the mute girl who said it?

That was even more impossible. He had seen the mute girl. She was just a six or seven-year-old child. Although she could make a few sounds, she was still a mute. Who could believe or understand a mute child's words?

But if it wasn't her, the scene before him was too bizarre.

The more Cui Qi thought about it, the more surprised he felt, and he hesitated to pick up the reins.

At that moment, the maid Xia Zhi poked her head out from the cart and said to the rough man, "Fang Si, can you drive the cart?"

Fang Si laughed heartily and said, "The maid underestimates me. I can do any rough work."

Xia Zhi's laughter was like the sound of silver bells. She said, "This Cui fool often gets sick and faints. The young lady is worried about letting him drive the cart. Let Fang Si drive, and let him walk with the other brothers. If he walks slowly, you can push and pull him. Don't let him fall behind and faint in the snow."

Cui fool!

It felt like a fly was stuck in his throat, making him feel nauseous.

He had always been clever since he was young. No one had ever called him a fool, let alone a maid who was about to be sold to someone else.

He had heard that the mute girl had been sick since she was young. He had wanted to keep this maid by his side to take care of her, but she was too talkative. Since she came out of the plum blossom, her mouth had not stopped. She asked this and that, making him annoyed and worried that she would ruin his plans, so he had thought of selling her to save trouble.

The original plan is about to fall through, and this little maid still dares to call him "Cui Silly".

He picked up the whip and wanted to strangle the little maid, but before he could turn around, his body was lifted up again and gently placed on the ground.

Fang Si lifted his leg and sat on the mule cart, speaking loudly, "Maid, rest assured, I, Fang Si, guarantee to drive this cart steadily, unlike this faint-hearted fellow who faints at the slightest movement, delaying the young lady's journey."

Fire blazed in Cui Qi's eyes, but he dared not do anything. Not to mention the accompanying cavalry soldiers, even these seven burly men, he couldn't defeat any of them.

It seems that these people don't know about him, and the little maid may not know either, otherwise she would definitely have told the flag officer earlier.

Thankfully, the maid is still young and inexperienced, but once they reach Changping, it will be difficult. Lin, the steward, will want to confront him. If the official, Lord Luo, hears about this from the maid, he will also become suspicious.

No, the most urgent task is to escape while they are not paying attention.

Fang Si has already started driving the mule cart, and the little maid Xia Zhi has tucked her head behind the curtain. However, the curtain is pushed aside from the inside, and a foot wearing a pair of green embroidered shoes peeks out from under the curtain. The tip of the shoe is small, embroidered with small goose-yellow flowers, exquisite and bright.

Such small shoes should belong to the little mute girl. She is only six or seven years old, yet she is not afraid to see so many rough men and dares to peek outside secretly.