After swiftly dealing with Zeng Kui's matter, Lei Ting went back to find Ren Yaohua.
Lei Ting's subordinate Yang Xian caught up with him and asked, "Master, are we just leaving that guy there to fend for himself?"
Lei Ting stopped and glanced back at him, saying calmly, "Didn't you say your knife skills are excellent and he won't die for now?"
Yang Xian took out his long dagger and gestured with it, then thoughtfully lifted the hem of his robe to wipe the blade. "I've seen my father do this kind of thing many times. With the right technique, he definitely won't die, but he castrates horses, while I'm castrating a person..."
Lei Ting mounted his horse without concern. "It's fine. I imagine the Zeng family will find him soon. We shouldn't linger here. It's best to withdraw quickly."
Seeing Lei Ting ride off without looking back, Yang Xian glanced behind him and noticed several men from the Yanbei Prince's Mansion approaching. He warmly greeted them, "We really owe you brothers a great deal for stepping in to help this time! When we get back, I'll treat you all to drinks and roasted lamb legs. Let me tell you, I'm excellent at slicing meat! It's a family heirloom skill!"
Everyone looked at the long dagger he was waving, recalling the scene of Zeng Kui bleeding profusely just moments ago: "..."
Tong Xi felt a tightening in his lower abdomen and cleared his throat lightly. "We've already witnessed it earlier. Well... it's getting late today, so no need for the meat. Next time, next time, haha." Tong Xi slipped away first.
Xiao Hua, with a stern and unsmiling expression, nodded toward Yang Xian, then said nothing as he led his men to follow Tong Xi and leave.
Yang Xian scratched his head and shrugged.
After returning to the previous farmhouse, Lei Ting went to find Ren Yaohua. This time, Ren Yaohua obediently sat on the edge of the bed without moving, which Lei Ting found somewhat satisfying.
Seeing Lei Ting return so quickly, Ren Yaohua was quite surprised.
Lei Ting said, "The matter is settled. Let's go." He showed no intention of explaining to Ren Yaohua what he had been doing earlier.
Ren Yaohua nodded silently and put on the cloak Lei Ting had given her earlier. The cloak belonged to Lei Ting, so it was very long—when she stood up, it covered her feet completely.
Lei Ting walked up to Ren Yaohua and crouched down.
Ren Yaohua was taken aback, then realized Lei Ting intended to carry her out on his back. She couldn't help but blush and quickly said, "You... you should find me a crutch instead..."
Without turning his head, Lei Ting replied, "Can you cross thresholds with a crutch? Step over ditches? Get into a carriage?"
Ren Yaohua stammered and fell silent.
After a moment of thought, Lei Ting added, "Or do you think it would be more appropriate for me to carry you in my arms?"
Remembering that Lei Ting had carried her all the way here earlier, Ren Yaohua felt she was being overly fussy now. She closed her eyes and leaned onto Lei Ting's back.
"Put on the hood," Lei Ting said softly as he effortlessly stood up with Ren Yaohua on his back. Just before stepping out, he turned his head to remind her quietly.
Ren Yaohua quickly pulled the hood of the cloak over her head. It covered almost half her face, and if she kept her head down, no one would be able to see clearly who Lei Ting was carrying on his back—whether it was a man or a woman.When Lei Ting carried her back earlier, Ren Yaohua had been too emotionally agitated to think clearly. Now, with her head lowered and resting on Lei Ting’s back, she could clearly hear his slow, steady heartbeat, feel the firm muscles of his back, and catch the scent of a mature man emanating from him.
Ren Yaohua felt somewhat dizzy and disoriented. She didn’t even notice whether there were others in the courtyard until Lei Ting carefully settled her into the carriage, at which point she lifted her face, which was completely hidden by the wind hood.
Lei Ting found a soft cushion and placed it behind her back for support, then set the previously prepared tea within her reach.
“I’ll step down now. Will you be alright alone in the carriage?” Lei Ting naturally couldn’t ride in the carriage with Ren Yaohua; he needed to dismount and ride a horse.
Ren Yaohua nodded.
“I’ll be right outside. If anything happens, just knock on the carriage wall.”
Just as Lei Ting was about to turn and leave the carriage, Ren Yaohua suddenly called out to him, “Wait… Lei… Brother Lei…”
Ren Yaohua felt that continuing to address Lei Ting as “Master Lei” would seem deliberately distant, so without much thought, she blurted out “Brother Lei.”
In response to this new form of address, Lei Ting merely raised an eyebrow and accepted it.
“Is something wrong?”
After calling out, Ren Yaohua felt that her sudden change in address was somewhat impulsive and couldn’t help but feel a bit annoyed. Nevertheless, she said, “When I woke up earlier in the carriage, I was alone. My maids… I overheard them saying they were going to sell my maids to Jizhou. I wonder if they can still be rescued?”
Once she calmed down, Ren Yaohua remembered Xiangqin and the others. Initially, she had thought of sending someone to retrieve Xiangqin and the others once she returned to Yunyang City. But upon further reflection, Xiangqin and the others were in the hands of a group of bandits. If the bandits hadn’t sold them yet, the Ren Family might not be able to track them down. And if they had already been sold, it would be even more difficult to find them.
The maids and older women who accompanied her on outings were either her trusted confidantes or people Madam Li and Nanny Zhou trusted. Especially Xiangqin, who had served by her side since childhood. Although Ren Yaohua sometimes found the girl noisy and foolish, even her attempts at flattery often backfired, there was still the bond of many years. If Xiangqin were sold or suffered any harm, Ren Yaohua would feel deeply distressed.
Considering that Lei Ting had managed to rescue her from Wu Yiyu and Zeng Kui, she thought the Lei Family likely had more connections than their ordinary merchant family, the Ren Family.
Lei Ting nodded and said, “I’ll send someone to Jizhou right away to see if they can be retrieved.”
When he had followed them out of Yunyang City, he had limited people with him and hadn’t specifically assigned anyone to rescue Ren Yaohua’s maids and older women. Now that Ren Yaohua was safe, helping her retrieve her maids was merely a small effort.
Ren Yaohua was overjoyed to hear Lei Ting agree to help search for them. “Thank you, Lei… Brother Lei.”
Upon hearing this, Lei Ting, in a rare moment of humor, joked, “Lei… Lei? Is that my new name?”
Ren Yaohua’s face flushed even more deeply, but despite her usual eloquence, she couldn’t find the words to retort.
Before stepping out of the carriage, Lei Ting said, “Don’t worry. Your maids will be fine.”For Lei Ting, finding a few maidservants was not a difficult task.
When the group returned to Yunyang City, the sky had not yet completely darkened, and the city gates were still open. After entering the city, the people from the Yanbei Prince's Mansion left first. Just as Lei Ting was about to escort Ren Yaohua back, someone rushed toward them.
"Is this the Eldest Master of the Lei Family? I am Yuan Dayong, paying my respects to the Eldest Master of the Lei Family." The newcomer immediately stepped forward and bowed upon seeing Lei Ting.
At the same time, the wall of the carriage Ren Yaohua was riding in was gently tapped from the inside.
Lei Ting dismounted and walked to the window of Ren Yaohua's carriage, asking quietly, "Is it someone from the Ren Family?"
Ren Yaohua's voice came from behind the carriage curtain, "Yes, call him over to speak."
Ren Yaohua knew that Yuan Dayong was Yaoqi's person. Although she had little contact with him, she had met him once or twice. Seeing Yuan Dayong waiting here specifically, Ren Yaohua guessed that he might have been sent by Ren Yaoqi.
Lei Ting called Yuan Dayong over.
Yuan Dayong cautiously addressed the carriage, "Third Miss? Is it the Third Miss?"
"Yes. Did my sister send you? Is something the matter?" Ren Yaohua replied.
Upon confirming that it was indeed Ren Yaohua in the carriage and hearing her calm voice, Yuan Dayong was overjoyed. "Third Miss, it's truly wonderful that you're safe. Fifth Miss has been worried about you all along. By the way, Third Miss, Fifth Miss is waiting for you at the entrance of the alley not far ahead."
"What is she doing out so late?" Ren Yaohua frowned.
Lei Ting said, "Let me escort you there first. Fifth Miss must have been waiting for you for a long time."
"Alright."
Lei Ting escorted Ren Yaohua to the alley Yuan Dayong mentioned, and sure enough, a carriage was waiting there.
Seeing people approaching, the carriage curtain was lifted, and Ren Yaoqi stepped down. "Third Sister?"
Hearing the voice, Ren Yaohua immediately lifted her carriage curtain.
"Be careful with your leg," Lei Ting reminded her with a frown, seeing her hurried movements.
Noticing Ren Yaohua's awkward posture, Ren Yaoqi walked over and examined her leg, which was covered by a cloak. "Third Sister, I heard your leg was injured? Is it serious?"
In front of her younger sister, Ren Yaohua resumed her role as the elder sister. "It's nothing, just a minor injury. It's already bandaged."
Lei Ting shook his head helplessly as he listened nearby.
After the initial excitement of seeing each other passed, the two sisters didn't know what to say next. Both Ren Yaohua and Ren Yaoqi couldn't help but tear up.
Although she didn't believe Ren Yaohua's claim that it was just a minor injury, Ren Yaoqi felt it wasn't the right time to examine it. Instead, she beckoned a matron over and asked her to carry Ren Yaohua to her own carriage.
"I've already called for a physician to examine you properly when we return. However, I'm afraid we'll have to stay at our maternal grandfather's house for tonight," Ren Yaoqi said after Ren Yaohua was settled on the matron's back.
Ren Yaohua stiffened slightly but, mindful of Lei Ting's presence, pressed her lips together and asked, "Why?"
Ren Yaoqi knew Ren Yaohua wouldn't be willing to go to the Xianwang Residence at this time, but she explained, "What else can we do? Are you planning to return just like this? Where are the people and carriage you took with you?"
"Xiangqin and the others were taken to Jizhou. Brother Lei has already sent people to pursue them," Ren Yaohua replied.Ren Yaoqi was surprised by how Ren Yaohua addressed Lei Ting and couldn't help glancing at him. However, she knew now was not the time to ask about such matters, so she temporarily set aside the issue of address and only said, "I suspect they won't be able to return before dark at the earliest. Do you really intend to lead a group of people back in the middle of the night?"
Ren Yaohua fell silent.
Ren Yaoqi sighed, stepped forward, and gently tugged at Ren Yaohua's hand, whispering, "Alright, sister, let's stay just one night. As soon as Xiangqin and the others return, we'll head home immediately."
Sorry for the delay...〒_〒.
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