Mrs. Ding had been looking up on the stairs for a while.
She couldn't sit down, so she would go and take a look from time to time.
Several times when she saw Xin Shun's entourage passing by, she hesitated to speak, but in the end she did not dare to step forward.
Hong Zhuming came back from outside and saw Mrs. Ding still looking at her. He hurriedly went up and pulled her toward the counter.
"Aren't you embarrassed? You are still watching here!" Hong Zhuming scolded in a low voice.
Mrs. Ding shook off her husband's hand in front of the counter: "I want you to ask about the bounty, why don't you go and think I'm embarrassed?!"
"Bounty, bounty, you know the money! I almost lost my life before!"
"Now your life is also hanging in the balance!" Ms. Ding shouted, "That's why you need this money even more! You took this risk for nothing, and you don't have to show your hard work to give you any blessing!"
After the death of Chen Yongming and the death of the officers and soldiers of the Junzhen Division Prison, Ding thought it was time to relax. As a result, there were more and more guards in their store, and more people were spying on them.
The overly severe atmosphere made Ding feel uncomfortable all over, and the anger in her heart became even greater.
She can't afford to offend these officers, soldiers and guards, so why can't her husband use them to vent her anger?
Mrs. Ding pinched Shopkeeper Hong's ear with one hand and said, "Hurry up and claim the reward!"
Hong Zhuming just came back from inquiring about He Yanpo from outside. He felt heavy. When she pinched him, shopkeeper Hong was not happy anymore. He raised his hand and pinched her back: "You shrew!"
The two couples started fighting in the lobby.
There was a knock on the open door.
The couple stopped and turned their heads together, suddenly shocked.
Xia Zhaoyi stood at the slightly lower steps inside the door and looked at them. Zhi Changle, who had knocked on the door just now, put his hands in front of his chest: "The tables, chairs and benches are crackling, shopkeeper Hong, the piano and the harp are singing in harmony."
"..."
Hong Zhuming hurriedly let go of Ding: "Your Majesty... Oops!"
Ding was unwilling to give up and insisted on asking for a small advantage. When he let go, she pinched his arm hard.
Xia Zhaoyi stopped in front of an Eight Immortals table: "Shopkeeper Hong, please serve some wine and food, something lighter."
"Okay, okay..."
Hong Zhuming looked at them, and there was really nothing visible about their calm and peaceful appearance.
He turned around and went to the backyard. Ding stared at Xia Zhaoyi and Zhi Changle and followed him.
Across the backyard patio, a man was chopping firewood, making a clanging sound.
Mrs. Ding grabbed her husband before entering the kitchen and whispered: "What are they doing back here? Are they here to settle a score with us?"
"What kind of account is this?" Hong Zhuming asked. After talking, he remembered the portrait, "No way..." Hong Zhuming's voice also became lower, "You shouldn't be suspicious of us, right?"
"But if we are the only ones who have seen them, will we come to silence them?"
"...Don't be afraid, there are all Mr. Fengcai's people here!"
"Have you forgotten her skills?" Ding made a gesture, "Don't you remember those men in black?"
Thinking of that night, Hong Zhuming swallowed.
"Go find General Nie," Ding whispered, "I'll let Chen Kang go! Let the army bring the crossbow!"
"But she's not bad either. She didn't harm us. Once the army comes, won't she die?"
"You know nothing! She didn't touch us before, who guarantees that she won't do it again? These are desperadoes! And if we can capture them, the bounty may be doubled."
"but……"
"It's a shame that we are serious businessmen and we don't have any useful medicine. We must prepare some in the future!" said Ding, while going over to call the woodcutter.
The guy agreed and left through the side door.
Mrs. Ding came back and went to the kitchen, ordered a few dishes to be cooked, and then asked her husband to go back to the front hall to stabilize him.
Hong Zhuming didn't want to go and couldn't bear her pinching, so he covered his arms and left.
As soon as I went to the front hall, I saw a dignified woman dressed well walking out.
It was not convenient to receive guests at the moment, so Hong Zhuming hurried forward, ready to find an excuse to drive people away.
Bai glanced at him and went straight to Xia Zhaoyi.
"Miss Ah Li." Bai Shifuli.
"Sit down." Xia Zhaoyi said.
Mrs. Bai opened the bench slightly and sat down.
"Does Painter Tai know about this?" Xia Zhaoyi asked.
Mrs. Bai shook her head: "My husband doesn't know. I hope Miss Ali won't mention it to him."
"Okay," Xia Zhaoyi looked up at Zhi Changle and said softly, "Brother Zhi."
Zhi Changle nodded, turned around and walked towards Shopkeeper Hong who was standing over there.
Hong Zhuming was looking here curiously and took a step back when he saw this.
"How many drinks should we go to the back?" Zhi Changle put his arm on Shopkeeper Hong's shoulder, "Let's walk?"
Hong Zhuming glanced at Xia Zhaoyi and Bai Shi, "Yeah" and nodded: "Let's go, let's go..."
The waiter in the kitchen prepared the food and wine, but when he was bringing them, Zhi Changle stopped him halfway and asked him to just bring a pot of tea.
So the waiter brought another pot of tea.
As soon as the tea was put down, Xia Zhaoyi asked him to leave. She raised her hand to straighten the two inverted celadon cups, picked up the teapot and poured water slowly.
"Keep talking." Xia Zhaoyi said.
Bai looked at the gurgling tea dripping from her tea mouth, and her mood was not comforted in the slightest.
The girl in front of her never interrupted her speech, her expression was calm and peaceful, and so was her tone of voice, but Bai felt that there was an invisible aura pressing on her heart.
"Yeah." Bai nodded and continued talking about some of her interactions with Zhuge.
Xia Zhaoyi pushed the half-filled celadon cup towards her.
"Thank you." Bai said.
Xia Zhaoyi poured herself another glass, raised her hand and drank slowly.
It seems that in order to move her emotionally, Mrs. Bai spoke of her friendship with Mr. Zhuge sincerely, especially when she was ill, which coincided with Tai Zicang's half-year absence. Mr. Zhuge rushed to take care of her every day, and when she left,
After the root cause of the disease was found, she visited famous doctors everywhere and was finally cured.
While saying this, Bai Shi looked at the girl's expression from time to time. She was as calm as a mirror, without any ripples.
"Miss Ah Li..."
"Huh?" Xia Zhaoyi looked at her.
"Then this is a big deal..." Bai said in a low voice.
"I said I would help from the beginning," Xia Zhaoyi smiled, "but you have to wait."
"etc?"
"It's not good to see how fast they are," Xia Zhaoyi said with a smile, "Wouldn't it be easier to handle when they call the person who can take charge?"
"Who can take charge? Yes, who..."
"Whoever puts your friend under house arrest should be released. Otherwise, why would I come to this Tai'an restaurant?"
"..."
"As for Tang Xiangsi," Xia Zhaoyi said calmly, "I'm not in a hurry about this matter, but what Madam did on the street today really shouldn't be done."
"I'm sorry." Bai lowered his head.
Xia Zhaoyi smiled, raised his hand to fill the finished tea cup, and continued to drink slowly.
Mrs. Bai also picked up the teacup, paused, and suddenly raised her head: "The one who put them under house arrest is General Nie."
"What a coincidence," Xia Zhaoyi looked at the door of the inn, "As soon as you mentioned him, didn't he come right away?"
Bai was startled and quickly turned around. Nie Huimo, tall and straight, dressed in black long clothes, stepped up the stone steps outside the inn door.