The boatman's "stop like" was really beyond Meng Xiuyuan's expectation.
"Master Boatswain, may I ask, what's your surname?" Meng Xiuyuan couldn't help but ask.
"My benefactor's words are serious. I will exempt you from your surname by Zhou." Although the boatman didn't know why Meng Xiuyuan asked this question, he immediately replied with great respect.
Seeing this, Meng Xiu took a deep breath and frowned slightly.
Immediately, a little girl of eight or nine years old, who was about the same age as Xiao Zhao Min, was seen walking out of the cabin.
Although the girl is plainly dressed, she is just like her mother, beautiful and charming. What is even more rare is that she is very smart at a young age. She just heard her father say something and already understood it when she came out. The state of things.
He walked directly in front of Meng Xiuyuan and Miss Yang, knelt down in a dignified manner, and said in a young and soft voice:
"Zhou Zhiruo has met these two benefactors. Thank you for saving my mother."
"It's just a matter of convenience. There's no need to do this. Go find your parents." Meng Xiuyuan helped him up and sent him back to the boatman and his wife, saying calmly.
The girl had been hiding in the cabin for so long and had always been frightened. When Meng Xiuyuan said this, she felt relieved and threw herself into her mother's arms like a baby bird returning to its nest.
After all, he is a child, and as soon as he is in his mother's arms, his emotions are released. Little Zhou Zhiruo just whispered a few words to his mother, and then he couldn't help crying, and his handsome little face immediately burst into tears. The little cat.
When her mother saw this, she felt sad when she remembered that she had almost been separated from her daughter forever. While wiping her daughter's face with her sleeves, she shed tears at the same time.
It didn't take long for the mother and daughter to cry together.
The two girls beside Meng Xiuyuan had different expressions when they saw this situation.
Xiao Zhao Min first stared at the mother and daughter for a while, her nose twitched a little, and she seemed to want to cry too. She must have been taken away for so long, and she felt very homesick.
But in the end, she still held back her tears, curled her lips in feigned disdain, snorted, turned her head to one side and no longer looked at Zhou Zhiruo and her daughter. She even muttered, "Han women are just weak, they can easily do anything." "I'm going to cry", completely forgetting that I just cried on the shore.
Miss Yang subconsciously squeezed Meng Xiuyuan's hand slightly and murmured enviously:
"It would be great if my mother was still here."
Although the voice was small, the desolate meaning in the words always lingered in Meng Xiuyuan's ears.
Meng Xiuyuan didn't know how to comfort people, so he had to sit quietly like this, secretly using his internal energy, and injecting a little more pure Yang Qi into Miss Yang's body to warm her body, which was a little chilled by the river wind. body of.
…
The river was surging, and everyone in the boat had their own thoughts, so time passed very quickly, and before they knew it, they were on the other side.
Then the three of them landed ashore, and Zhou Zhiruo's family of three also followed, kowtowing and kneeling again on the shore to thank them for saving their lives.
Meng Xiuyuan looked at the family of three in front of him, who were poor but at least temporarily intact, and couldn't help but feel moved in his heart.
In any case, Zhou Zhiruo's originally miserable and lucky life path has now been changed inadvertently by him. If this continues, he should not have the chance to join the Emei Sect or even become the head of Emei in the future. As a weak woman with no strength, she could struggle to survive in this chaotic world at the end of the Yuan Dynasty.
Just like her parents, they obviously have good qualifications, but without a platform for development, they can only live a life of mediocrity. Even if they are just two ordinary soldiers with malicious intentions, their ordinary lives will immediately fall into trouble.
Go to hell.
Of course, it is not without benefits, at least she will have a happy childhood with her parents still alive.
Meng Xiuyuan didn't know whether such a silent change in fate was fair to Zhou Zhiruo.
In the world of martial arts, there may be no clear cause and effect. But each of the fourteen volumes of the Golden Book emphasizes the concept of "there is God's will in the dark", which Meng Xiuyuan dare not underestimate.
Moreover, even if we don't talk about these mysterious things and just talk about doing things according to conscience, Meng Xiuyuan can't help but think more about it.
Under the impression of the original novel and TV series in his previous life, it was impossible for him to pretend to be blind to what he already knew, and treat Zhou Zhiruo as just another boatman girl he encountered.
After pondering for a while, Meng Xiuyuan finally made up his mind, lifted Xiao Zhiruo up, and pulled him to face her eyes.
"Little girl, I'm asking you something important. Please answer me truthfully and don't lie, okay?" Meng Xiuyuan asked in a gentle voice.
When Zhou Zhiruo was helped up by Meng Xiuyuan at the beginning, she looked a little panicked. It was obvious that she was a little scared when facing Meng Xiuyuan, a masked man. But as soon as the two people made eye contact, she was attracted by Meng Xiuyuan's gentle and handsome eyes.
His eyes were attracted, he relaxed, nodded and answered seriously:
"Okay, benefactor, I will answer honestly."
Meng Xiuyuan saw the situation and continued to speak slowly:
"Then let me ask you, if you were given the choice, would you like to stay away from your parents, join a martial arts sect, and practice martial arts, or would you rather stay with your parents and be an ordinary person?
There are many pros and cons to each of these two options, but I have no time to say more at the moment, so you have to think about it yourself."
As soon as Meng Xiuyuan said these words, everyone present was very surprised. The most excited ones were Zhou Zhiruo's parents. They immediately opened their mouths to say something, but were forced back by Meng Xiuyuan's gaze.
What he wanted to hear was Zhou Zhiruo's own choice.
Zhou Zhiruo, who is eight or nine years old, may not be able to figure out this complicated issue, but after all, it involves her own destiny and should not be decided by others.
Zhou Zhiruo did not hesitate for too long. After a moment, she said to Meng Xiuyuan:
"My benefactor, I still want to stay with my father and mother..."
Xiao Zhiruo seemed to be afraid that her answer would make Meng Xiuyuan unhappy. Her voice became quieter as she spoke, and she glanced at Meng Xiuyuan from time to time.
Naturally, Meng Xiuyuan would not have any emotions. He just said these words to feel better. What Zhou Zhiruo chooses is only her own business.
He pulled Xiao Zhiruo to his side, whispered a few words in her ear, then no longer hesitated, turned around and left immediately with Miss Yang and Xiao Zhao Min.
Not long after the three of them walked, Zhou Zhiruo's family disappeared behind them.
At this moment, Xiao Zhao Min could no longer hold back his curiosity. He pulled Meng Xiuyuan's sleeve and asked:
"Brother, is there anything special about that boat girl? And what did you say in the end?
Could it be that you saw at a glance that she was a martial arts prodigy and wanted to accept her as your apprentice, and asked her to find you somewhere?"
Miss Yang was also very confused about this matter, but because of her personality, she didn't ask. Now that Xiao Zhao Min asked it for her, she naturally pricked up her ears and wanted to hear Meng Xiuyuan's explanation.
But what disappointed the two girls was that Meng Xiuyuan just shook his head indifferently and did not answer Xiao Zhao Min's question.
Because there is nothing much to say here.
Meng Xiuyuan's last two whispers were just a few words of advice to Zhou Zhiruo, advising her to try to stay away from the world and not have too much contact with martial arts people like him.
After all, among the people who spend their days wielding swords and swords, although there are not at all good-hearted knights, there are obviously more beasts with human faces and beast hearts.
Since she has chosen an ordinary life, it is best not to get involved in it anymore.
…
Meng Xiuyuan and the others got off the boat, and after traveling for less than half a day, they came across an unknown small village.
Although the village is not big, it is still populated.
So not far outside the village, Meng Xiuyuan put down little Zhao Min and said to her:
"Okay, you can go to the village by yourself. It won't take long for your men to find this place."
Unexpectedly, Xiao Zhao Min not only did not appear excited after hearing this, but instead lowered his head with his lips pursed and snorted dissatisfied.
When Miss Yang saw this, she couldn't help but said:
"You little Tartar, I'm not happy to let you go. Do we have to hold you hostage for a few more days?"
Zhao Min ignored her, looked at Meng Xiuyuan instead, and said suddenly:
"I went to Zhongnan Mountain just because my brother was going to the Quanzhen sect to discuss matters regarding this year's fasting festival, and I just came along to have fun.
That day, I felt that he was too annoying talking to those bull-nosed people. It happened that Chi Nasi Qianhu knew that we and our party were here, so he came to me to show his courtesy, saying that there was a lot of excitement at the bottom of the mountain, and insisted on inviting me to his military camp..."
Before she could finish speaking, Miss Yang frowned and interrupted:
"What are you talking about?"
Xiao Zhao Min was not angry when he saw this, but still ignored her, still only stared at Meng Xiuyuan and said:
"Brother, I remember your eyes and I will definitely find you again."
Meng Xiuyuan frowned when he heard this, and looked at Xiao Zhao Min with sharp eyes. He didn't understand how the other person, who was so smart and intelligent, could say such words that would lead to death at such a moment.
Sure enough, Zhao Min hadn't finished speaking yet, and she continued:
"Don't worry, big brother, I'm not looking for you to seek revenge from you.
A capable and interesting person like you must serve our court.
One day, I will let you call me "Princess Princess" willingly."
Although Zhao Min is young, due to her status and personality, she already has the aura of a princess. She is obviously a villain with a lower belly button than other people, but she is full of confidence when she speaks angrily, as if she can definitely do what she says.
to average.
However, Meng Xiuyuan did not agree with her.
"Min Min Temu, please remember what I said."
As he spoke, he raised his sword fingers with his right hand, tapped Xiao Zhao Min's forehead in the distance, and stabbed her forehead with strength from a distance of one foot.
Xiao Zhao Min was almost knocked to the ground by this finger. She covered her forehead, which quickly left a red mark, and screamed in pain, cursing Meng Xiuyuan for being "really rude."
Meng Xiuyuan ignored her and continued to say in a serious voice:
"The reason why I let you go today is that you have never committed any crime with your own hands and I don't want to kill you.
If I hear any evil deeds of yours in the future, I will find you no matter where you are.
The masters in the Ruyang Palace can't protect you, your father can't protect you, and the Yuan court behind you can't protect you either.
I will only say this once, if you don’t believe it, you can try it.”
After saying that, Meng Xiuyuan ignored the little girl who was glaring at him angrily, took Miss Yang's hand and walked away gracefully.
The two people's Qinggong was elegant and swift. After just a few ups and downs, they had already disappeared into the distance.