Chapter 99: The Drifting Girl of the East

  At this time, the soldiers of the Yue family who were acting as officials on the platform finally understood that their young master was not infatuated with the woman, but rather wanted to buy a slave for his staff. But did they need such a beautiful woman just to take care of a sick person?

  Some people think that in this situation, it would be more suitable to find a middle-aged woman in her thirties or forties with big hands and feet who is strong enough to take care of the patient and serve tea.

  But these people can only think about it and don't dare say it in front of Yue Yun.

  Yue Yun Fang smiled and nodded to Meng Bangjie, saying: "General Meng, the matter here is settled, I'll be on my way! After all, Father Commander is still waiting for this batch of grain to go into the pot."

  Meng Bangjie naturally also knew the importance of this batch of military rations to the Yue Family Army, although he was also in dire need of food, but could only gaze longingly and say: "This subordinate respectfully sends off the Young Master!"

  He didn't dare go back until he had escorted Yue Yun out of the city gate.

  It wasn't until they were ten miles outside the city that Yue Yun called over Huang Xiuli, who had a worried look on her face with her eyebrows tightly furrowed, and Yao Wannier, whose small face was flushed with anger, to his horse's side.

  Yao Wannier turned her head away, pouting and unwilling to look at him. Yue Yun didn't hold it against her, instead asking Huang Xiuli in a soft voice: "Miss Huang, what are your plans now?"

  "What plans? What else can I plan at this point? I can only follow the will of heaven!" Huang Xiuli said with a furrowed brow and a helpless expression.

  She only found it amusing that Yue Yun asked such a question. Prior to this, she had already learned of Yue Yun's true identity from the soldiers on the side and thought to herself that no wonder he appeared, the master of the White family, Bai Xiao Tian, hastily stood out to announce his withdrawal.

  Huang Xiuli sighed, and a bitter smile appeared on her pretty face. She said softly: "Young Master Yue, I'm very grateful to you for rescuing me from the hands of that lecher Bai Guangren. However, while I can manage poetry, painting, singing, and dancing, I'm not quite skilled at serving patients, pouring tea, or fetching water. If any mistakes occur, please don't blame or punish me."

  Her words were so sorrowful and touching, her face was also filled with a melancholy expression like pear blossoms in the rain, which moved Yuke Yun as well, and naturally evoked a feeling of sympathy in his heart.

  Yue Yun hastily shifted his gaze from her extremely charming face, composed himself and said: "Miss Huang, actually when I spoke in the main hall just now, it was just an excuse to prevent that Bai Guangren from daring to have any more evil intentions towards you. My brother Yu's mother passed away early, what need is there for a serving girl? Now that we've left Cai Prefecture, Miss if you have somewhere to go, you can take your leave, and if the journey is too far, I can also dispatch ten soldiers to escort you."

  "Are you really letting me go like this?" Huang Xiuli heard and her expression was stunned, somewhat surprised.

  She naturally knew how strong her temptation to men was. Many local officials and celebrities, passing by the Jianghu Haokui, spent a lot of money in the Yi Qingyuan just to listen to her play and sing, and the number of men who fell under her pomegranate skirt was countless.

  And after Yue Yun first saw her, she was only slightly distracted, and then her eyes cleared up again. Which made her also involuntarily admire and appreciate.

  "Miss, how can you say that? What if he changes his mind again at the last minute?" Yao Wanyi was anxious in her heart and hurriedly made eye contact with Huang Xiuli, but Huang Xiuli pretended not to see.

  Yue Yun smiled slightly and said, "Miss Huang, I don't deny that you are a very beautiful woman, skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, singing, dancing, poetry, and literature. You have an irresistible charm to me. Unfortunately, I still have many things to attend to and cannot consider personal relationships... Moreover, I also have my own principles as a person and will never force anyone to do something they don't want to do... Besides, I think Miss Huang is not the kind of woman who would be content with staying at home and being a good wife and mother..."

  Huang Xiuli was at a loss for words upon hearing this.

  She was originally an orphan, picked up and adopted by a geisha from the Yi Qing Institute. From elementary school on, she learned about elegant things like playing the zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, singing, dancing, poetry, as well as how to please men.

  Many men were captivated by her, and she couldn't help but live a life of being surrounded by men and being admired by the crowd. Although in the eyes of her other sisters in the brothel, she was already doing quite well. But her ambition didn't stop there, because she deeply knew that she still couldn't control her own destiny. If she encountered a powerful figure who wanted to coerce her, she could only obey.

  She had always wanted to leave Cai Prefecture and live in a bigger city, but the owner of Yi Qing Inn was her stepmother's sister, who repeatedly persuaded her to stay. However, this time she offended Bai Guangren, which gave her an opportunity to venture out into the outside world.

  Yue Yun saw that her eyes were first dazed for a moment, but then regained their determination, and knew that she had already made up her mind.

  He sighed and continued, "Miss Huang, you are the kind of woman who has her own independent thoughts, doesn't want to rely on men, and wants to make a career for herself. Actually, in my opinion, this is quite rare and there's nothing wrong with it. Women aren't appendages of men."

  Huang Xiuli was taken aback, and Yue Yun's idea that men and women are equal is extremely rare among men of this era.

  All the men she saw regarded women as playthings, and she was nothing more than a slightly higher-grade plaything in their hearts.

  Huang Xiuli blinked her beautiful big eyes and said softly: "Young Master Yue, it wasn't until this moment that I truly had feelings for you. It's really 'returning your bright pearls with tears of regret, regretting not meeting before marriage'."

  Yue Yun naturally wouldn't think that Huang Xiuli actually fell in love with him, he knew it clearly in his heart, Huang Xiuli's feelings towards him were more of admiration and gratitude.

  He couldn't help but chuckle and said, "Miss Huang, you're making me feel a bit reluctant to let you go. Aren't you afraid I'll change my mind?" His words were already laced with playful teasing.

  "Hmph! Are you that kind of person?" Huang Xiuli gave him a white eye, and the slightly reproachful and angry expression really made his soul almost leave his body.

  Huang Xiuli saw his gaping expression and couldn't help but let out a "heh" of laughter, playfully glared at him with her eyes, and said with a string of pearls: "I thought you were really the unflappable Liu Xiahui."

  Yue Yun smiled wryly and rubbed his nose, saying: "I'm just a normal man, so I'll have some normal reactions. I still have things to attend to, so I'll be leaving soon. Miss, have you thought about where you're going?"

  Looking at Yue Yun's handsome face and his concerned expression, Huang Xiuli couldn't help but feel a strange emotion in her heart. She gazed into his eyes, and felt an awkward atmosphere spreading between them.

  "I've made up my mind, I'm going to Lin'an! Lin'an is the capital of our Great Song Dynasty, I want to make a name for myself there!" A resolute glint flashed in her bright eyes, and her words were filled with a sense of grand ambition.

  Yue Yun couldn't help but secretly admire her, thinking of the Beipiao people from his past life. Huang Xiuli could be considered a Dongpiao person now. He had some admiration for this unusual woman who had her own independent thoughts and didn't want to rely on men.

  He couldn't help but take a deep look at Huang Xiuli, then cupped his hands and bowed, saying: "Well, I wish Miss Huang a smooth journey!"

  Huang Xiuli also bowed slightly and replied in a low voice: "Young Master Yue, when you have time, come to Lin'an to visit me!"

  "Uh! Alright, I'll come if I have the chance!" Although Yue Yun said this with her mouth, in her heart she was thinking that it would be better not to go. In the past year or two, going to Lin'an would probably mean staying at the Dali Temple most of the time, and who knows, maybe even having to experience the feeling of life and death at Fengbo Pavilion.

  Huang Xiuli naturally didn't know what he was thinking, and gave him a deep look before walking south with Yao Wannier, carrying their bundles.

  Yue Yun immediately ordered ten soldiers to escort them to Ezhou, where they could hire a boat and sail down the river.

  After arranging everything, he turned to the crowd behind him and said: "Let's go! We should head north to Zhuxiantown now!"