After Lin Ji left Zhong Mansion, he returned directly to the inn.
Wu Nan is still waiting here honestly.
When Lin Ji walked into the inn, the little bald donkey was drinking and boxing with others in the lobby.
"The Five Leaders... Six Six Six... Benefactor Lin!"
"What the hell is Donor Lin?" The opponent was confused.
But Wu Nan waved his hand impatiently and said: "No more fun, no more fun, the people Xiao Monk is waiting for are here."
When Wu Nan came to Lin Ji, his eyes turned red and he pretended to cry.
"Stop acting in front of me." Lin Ji yawned and urged: "Pack your things and set off."
"Okay." The grievance on Wu Nan's face suddenly disappeared, he ran upstairs, and then came downstairs carrying a small baggage.
But just when Lin Ji was about to leave with Wu Nan, the shopkeeper quickly stopped the two of them.
"Sir, you two haven't settled the bill yet."
Lin Ji slapped his forehead. When he was taken to Zhong's house earlier, he had not checked out of the hotel yet.
Probably because Wu Nan was still there at the inn, he kept the room until now.
Lin Ji took out some broken silver from his arms and looked at Wunan again.
"What are you doing here? Pay for it."
"Little... little monk is short of money."
Lin Ji was surprised and said: "How do you come here these days when you have no money? Shopkeeper, what does this bald donkey eat these days?"
"Four meals a day, each with four dishes and one soup, including fish, meat and wine." The shopkeeper responded.
Wu Nan smiled awkwardly.
"You were planning to ask me to pay from the beginning, right?" Lin Ji glared at Wu Nan angrily, and finally took out a one hundred tael silver note.
This inn is one of the best in Xiangcheng. It provided food and accommodation for more than half a month. Lin Ji estimated that it cost nearly a hundred taels.
"Is one hundred taels enough?" Lin Ji handed over the banknote.
"That's enough, there are still ten taels left. Thank you, sir." After the shopkeeper took the banknote, he looked obviously relieved.
After settling the bill, Lin Ji took Wu Nan out of the city.
Beyond the city wall, there is the residential area outside the city. Compared with the city, the city outside is a bit more lively and has a more urban atmosphere.
"Donor." Wu Nan was a little embarrassed.
"What's wrong?" Lin Ji was puzzled.
"Have you really become the son-in-law of the Zhong family? Will the young monk change his name to Donor Zhong in the future?"
"Get lost." Lin Ji slapped her over, "I was just kindly helping Zhong Xiaoyan, just for fun. Anyway, I won't come to Xiangcheng if I can."
He casually told Wu Nan briefly about the Zhong family's affairs.
After listening to it, Wu Nan suddenly understood.
"I'm telling you, the donor must not be so ungrateful!"
Lin Ji glanced at the little bald donkey and was too lazy to talk to him.
After walking forward for a while, Lin Ji suddenly stopped as he was about to leave the residential area outside the city.
On the road in front of the two of them, a young man with a fair face and exquisite features blocked their way.
"This person seems a bit like Miss Zhong, which is strange." Wu Nan scratched his head.
"What does it look like? She is." Lin Ji said angrily.
"Why is she wearing men's clothes?"
Lin Ji was too lazy to talk nonsense with Wu Nan, so he took two quick steps and came to Zhong Xiaoyan.
"Why did you run out?"
"Didn't you say you wanted to elope with me?" Zhong Xiaoyan puffed out her chest and showed no timidity at all.
"What nonsense are you talking about? When I left today, I checked your room. Aren't you in retreat in your room?"
Lin Ji suddenly remembered the maid who had been with Zhong Xiaoyan all day long.
Zhong Xiaoyan said proudly: "That day after you met Geng Ran, I called Ling'er into the room and asked her to pretend to be me and practice in seclusion, and then I ran out at night."
"You waited for me outside for three days?" Lin Ji was speechless. Gu
"Then I'm a girl, so I can't go out alone, right?" Zhong Xiaoyan said this calmly, "You said you wanted to elope with me, so you can't go back on your word."
"Is this a thing?"
"Who told you to deliberately whet my appetite? I have inquired about the ruins clearly. Although many people died, it is not as exaggerated as you said." Zhong Xiaoyan said.
Upon hearing this, Lin Ji became a little angry.
"Is this why you ran away?"
"Yeah, do you really think I'm here to elope with you?"
Lin Ji pondered for a long time, and finally shook his head helplessly.
"I guess you won't do it even if I ask you to go back."
"Of course I won't do it. I finally ran out." Zhong Xiaoyan said matter-of-factly.
"Then go ahead, but it's not like you are at home when you go out, so you have to restrain your temper."
"I know, I don't necessarily travel less places than you do."
"Okay, you are an old Jianghu, I am ashamed of myself."
…
Taking Zhong Xiaoyan with them, the three of them followed the official road to the south and left the city.
While walking and stopping, it was already evening.
Lin Ji held the map in his hand and looked at it for a while, then said: "This is strange. From Xiangcheng to the south, you have to go three hundred miles to get to the next county?"
At this time, the three of them were in a lush and dense forest, deviating from the official road, but they could save a lot of distance.
"It seems that we won't be able to reach the next county tonight. There are still two hundred miles to go. Find a place to rest for the night and set off early tomorrow morning." Lin Ji put away the map.
Soon, the three of them found an open space in the forest near a stream.
"I'm going to catch fish." Zhong Xiaoyan said hello and disappeared.
Wu Nan followed Lin Ji to collect firewood and light a fire, and then sat next to the fire to rest.
It was already the twelfth lunar month of winter, and although there was no snow in Xiangzhou, even in this dense forest, there was still a bit of cold wind at night.
Not long after, Zhong Xiaoyan came back with two fat rabbits, two big and one small, and two fish.
"Why did you catch so many? You wouldn't have emptied the rabbit nest into one pot, would you?"
"No, there are two small ones left." Zhong Xiaoyan handed the rabbit to Lin Ji, "Just bake it like the last time in the cave in Liangzhou."
"You still remember." Lin Ji laughed dumbly, skinning and removing the internal organs of the rabbit skillfully.
"Of course you remember, you are the only one who carries salt, cumin and chili noodles with you." Zhong Xiaoyan narrowed her eyes when she mentioned this.
Soon, Lin Ji skillfully roasted a rabbit, and Zhong Xiaoyan and Wu Nan reached out to it at the same time.
"The rabbit is from Zhong Xiaoyan, give it to her first." Lin Ji handed the roasted rabbit to Zhong Xiaoyan.
"Little monk, you are a disciple of Buddhism, but you still eat meat?" Zhong Xiaoyan took a bite of rabbit meat and said to Wu Nan.
"Amitabha, after wine and meat pass through his intestines, the Buddha sits in his heart. When he is hungry, the young monk never stops talking." Wu Nan laughed.
"I can't stand you fair-weather monks." Zhong Xiaoyan said with disdain.
"Mrs. Lin...oh no, Miss Zhong, has the young monk never offended you?"
"I just can't stand it, huh!"
…
After eating game, it was getting very late.
The moonlight shines through the gaps in the leaves in the forest and falls on the ground, making the surrounding areas dappled. The breeze makes the dapples even more chaotic.
Wu Nan generously took off his old monk's robe, and after unfolding it several times, it turned into a long cloth several meters wide.
"I asked you why your clothes are so sloppy, but it turns out they have a purpose." Lin Ji was amazed when he saw it.
After making a simple tent with a long cloth, Lin Ji stuffed the reluctant Zhong Xiaoyan inside.
"I eloped with you, not to ask you to take care of me!"
"Go in, if it weren't for the fact that you are a woman, I wouldn't care about you." Lin Ji said with dismay, "Also, we are not eloping, so don't talk nonsense."
After settling Zhong Xiaoyan, Lin Ji found a big rock and sat down against it.
For no reason, a cold wind blew by, making him shiver.