“It’s rare to see you so gloomy,” Zhang Baoyue leaned against the window frame, fanning herself, “which makes it quite unusual.”
Indeed, Ma Bing opposite her wore a frowning face, sighing repeatedly like an old leaking bellows.
In front of Zhang Baoyue, she didn’t need to pretend.
Pucao brought tea and seeing the situation, laughed, “Hehe, it must be love troubles!”
She had been sold into a brothel since childhood, with limited experience of life, knowing nothing beyond the realm of “love,” hence her conclusion.
Unexpectedly, she hit the nail on the head. They heard Ma Bing sigh again, hugging her head.
Zhang Baoyue paused her fan mid-air, surprised, “Is it really love troubles?”
So Pucao actually guessed correctly?
Pucao clapped her hands laughing, “See, I’m not stupid!”
Usually, Zhang Baoyue would tease her as “little fool,” and the girl would retort indignantly.
Zhang Baoyue poked her finger at her, then leaned forward to pour tea, only to pause, “How did you bring this tea here?”
This was high-grade tea privately stored by the madam, extremely valuable, usually reserved only for distinguished guests. They were barely allowed to smell its aroma.
Pucao said, “Madam said Ma doctor is a distinguished guest, so she told the older sister not to hurry to entertain clients today, just take good care of you.”
Zhang Baoyue snorted, eyes flashing disdain, then turned to Ma Bing with gentle mockery, “Hear that? Even Madam treats you like a treasure now. Today we’re benefiting from your presence, getting to taste this tea worth thousands of silver taels per ounce, seeing what it actually tastes like.”
Not only Madam, but even most of the girls in the entire Baihua House rarely disliked her.
They were all like mud pigs stuck in a swamp, yet there was this one foolish girl who treated them like real people, treating them properly and respectfully…
“Don’t tease me anymore,” Ma Bing helplessly said, then asked Pucao to come forward and take her pulse, carefully examining her complexion, “Hmm, you’ve gained some weight and grown taller, but still appear weak. Remember, no matter what happens, you must eat more. Eating gives you strength.”
With strength, they could run faster and farther in the future, escaping pursuers.
Pucao nodded vigorously, whispering, “I remember. Now not only do I eat more, but I also make sure my older sister eats more too!”
Her constitution was too weak to sustain long journeys, so she needed more nurturing.
After enduring the hot summer, when the weather cooled down, they would probably be ready.
Then when they ran… whether they’d have geographical advantages was unknown, but at least they’d have favorable timing and human support!
Zhang Baoyue was leaning on the window watching the street view, and upon hearing this, helplessly said, “Quick, don’t mention this anymore.”
While others suffered from summer heat and poor appetite, she actually ate half a bowl more per meal, even drawing Madam’s attention, fearing she had been heartbroken by a client and turned sorrow into appetite…
Ma Bing smiled.
“Afterwards…” She paused, ultimately not saying what would happen afterwards, “Regardless of success or failure, I’ll leave the documents in the place we agreed upon beforehand. When the time comes, you just need to take them and go.”
The reason she wouldn’t give them now wasn’t because she feared Zhang Baoyue and Pucao would run away.
Firstly, both were still weak at present, especially Pucao, who would pant after walking a short distance, let alone running. They needed more time to recover.
Secondly, the brothel was strictly managed. Madam would periodically send people to search the courtesans’ rooms, fearing they might secretly keep things. If the documents were given early, they would certainly be discovered, resulting in everyone’s downfall!
Zhang Baoyue and Pucao both fell silent.
After a long while, Zhang Baoyue finally said, “You… be careful.”
She didn’t understand the other’s past, couldn’t persuade her otherwise, and knew she had no right to advise, but she felt deep down that such a good girl shouldn’t meet a bad end.
If one day they all gained freedom and could reunite far away, how wonderful that would be!
Down below came a small vendor selling pinwheels, pushing a cart while calling out.
The wheelbarrow had a tall bamboo frame tied on top, with colorful pinwheels stuck on both sides. When the wind blew, the pinwheels turned into bright rings, swishing around.
Clearly made of just colored paper and some glue, yet they looked beautifully like a dream.
Finding it interesting, Zhang Baoyue sent someone to buy all the pinwheels, costing no more than a hundred or so coins.
Later, a Baihua House servant helped carry them upstairs, and surprisingly Madam followed, entering while nagging, “My dear, why buy so many junk items? They can’t be eaten or worn, and look so shabby…”
Seeing Ma Bing, she immediately put on a smiling face, “Ma doctor, there’s an officer downstairs looking for you. He says there’s an urgent matter at the Kaifeng Prefecture, requesting your immediate return.”
Zhang Baoyue huffed at her, “Mind your own business!”
Then turning to Ma Bing, she said, “Go quickly. I’ll invite you to play again later.”
Ma Bing met her gaze, “Okay.”
Now that Xie Yu had already become suspicious, she needed to act, which meant revealing herself.
But with the arrow on the string, she had no choice but to shoot, even if the Heavenly King himself came to stop her.
Ma Bing understood Xie Yu’s character well. Unless there was solid evidence, he would never act rashly.
Therefore, she must have an ironclad alibi.
Looking at Madam again, Ma Bing couldn’t help feeling somewhat complicated.
Right now you greet me with a smile, but if you knew in the future that I planned to help your courtesans escape, you’d probably want to eat me alive.
But Zhang Baoyue was just someone she had bought for five taels of silver years ago, and since then she had earned who knows how many thousands of taels for Madam. That should be enough compensation.
Ma Bing went downstairs and indeed saw A De looking like a disheveled chicken, his face red turning purple, cornered by a group of courtesans feeling him up.
“It’s not right, it’s not right…” the poor kid sounded almost in tears, desperately resisting, but his fists couldn’t match so many hands, and there were far more than just four hands here.
“Sisters, stop! I… I’m married…” A De pleaded pitifully.
Little did he know, the more he acted like this, the more excited the girls became.
“Oh my, married men are even better!”
“Come come, feel me. See if I’m softer than your wife?”
“Hehe, that’s right. Men love to cheat. As the saying goes, wife is not as good as concubine, concubine not as good as cheating, and cheating available is not as good as cheating forbidden…” One courtesan suddenly thrust her ample bosom toward him, “Now, I’ll give you a forbidden taste!”
“Mommy!” A De watched helplessly as soft flesh attacked him, his soul seemingly flying out in terror, his face turning pale as he desperately tried to retreat.
But his back was already against the wall, where else could he go?
Everyone burst into laughter.
“Alright, sisters, for my sake, let him go.”
A De felt as if he had heard heavenly music, tearfully looking over, “Ma girl!”
This was a colleague?
No, this was a life-saving bodhisattva!
The girls all scattered like a bunch of rotten peaches, instantly abandoning A De and surrounding Ma Bing instead.
“Oh my, Ma doctor, are you leaving already?”
“Yes, stay a little longer. Let us serve you.”
“That’s right, you come here every time just to see her. What’s wrong with us?”
Ma Bing skillfully responded, stepping forward to lift up the nearly dead A De, even helping him fasten his jacket that someone had torn open, smiling at everyone, “Alright, no need to see me off. I’ll come again when I have time tomorrow.”
Saying that, she indeed dragged A De out.
The girls were very reluctant, crowding at the door waving after her, “Come again~”
Halfway down the road, A De finally “regained consciousness,” violently sobbing, tears streaming from his eyes.
It was all over, his purity was ruined!
Those women were too bad. Xie sent Yuan, and Yuan ordered him…
Ma Bing couldn’t help laughing, mounting her horse, “It’s just a few touches, you won’t lose any flesh. Look at your reaction, what happened at the office?”
A De barely managed to gather his shattered dignity, briefly explained the matter regarding the child, and as he finished speaking, the office gate was already in sight.
“Look, there she is?” A De’s eyes lit up, pointing at a small figure at the base of the wall.
Ma Bing focused her gaze and saw a child about six or seven years old, wearing clean and neat indigo cloth clothes, seemingly from a decent family.
But why would a child keep coming here?
“Kid!”
Ma Bing rode over and called out.
Xie Yu and Yuan Pei, who were observing from inside the gate, were both startled.
A De hurriedly warned from behind, “Ma girl, don’t shout, don’t shout!”
The child was too timid. As soon as someone called out, he would dart away like a kitten.
Didn’t they just talk about this on the way back?
Sure enough, as soon as Ma Bing shouted, the child instantly startled and took off running.
Well-prepared Ma Bing flicked her horsewhip, the big black horse shot forward like an arrow, reaching the child’s side in a blink.
Ma Bing didn’t dismount, controlling the reins with one hand, leaning sideways, and suddenly bending low to scoop the child onto her horse!
The child hadn’t even realized what happened when he felt his feet leave the ground, then everything spun, looking down, wow, so high!
He was so scared he didn’t dare move at all.
This entire sequence of events happened in the blink of an eye. Before Xie Yu could even exclaim “Well done!”, Ma Bing had already returned with the child securely tucked between her legs.
Previously when playing polo, he had also used the trick of hiding in the stirrups, but that was just for playing, not carrying a person.
But today, Ma Bing’s move demonstrated perfect strength, technique, courage, and timing, something only the most experienced riders could achieve.
The child came to his senses and started struggling fiercely.
Ma Bing flicked him on the forehead, “Move again, and I’ll throw you down.”
Xie Yu: “…”
Where was the gentle approach to dealing with children they had discussed?
But the child indeed froze like a terrified quail, shrinking and not daring to move.
Ma Bing smoothly dismounted, then tossed the child to Yuan Pei, looking at these grown men with mixed amusement and exasperation, “You’re really overdoing it. Although you should be kind to children, if he runs away, how can you be kind?”
Everyone: “…”
That’s true.
What an idiot!
He didn’t have much experience dealing with children, worried about being too harsh and scaring them, inevitably being hesitant, forgetting this point.
The child was surrounded by adults, pouting, about to cry.
Ma Bing took out a mint candy from her pouch, “No crying, or I won’t give you this.”
The child immediately stopped.
Xie Yu: “…”
So it was just a piece of candy!
The child seemed very afraid of the government office, refusing to go inside. Ma Bing didn’t force him, just finding a shady spot by the wall to squat down, “You came to report something?”
Watching this big and small scene, Xie Yu hesitated, then also squatted down beside her.
Yuan Pei and A De looked at each other, wondering whether they should also squat down, when they heard Xie Yu, without turning his head, say, “Go further away, don’t scare the child.”
The two: “…”
They had to reluctantly move further away.
Who’s scaring the child? Your expressionless face is the scariest!
The child took the candy but didn’t put it all in his mouth, just licking it slowly.
Lifting his head, facing Xie Yu’s emotionless face, the child shrank his neck, hesitating, moving closer to Ma Bing.
Wuwu, this older brother is so scary.
Xie Yu: “…”
Ma Bing suppressed her laughter, patting his little head, “It’s okay, he’s a good person.”
The child pouted, not believing.
Xie Yu: “…”
Are children always this troublesome?
Was I like this when I was little?
Ma Bing couldn’t help but laugh, and Xie Yu looked at her with a wooden expression. Ma Bing quickly straightened her face, asking the child, “What’s your name?”
“Xiao Zhu (Little Piggy).” The child whispered, seeming a bit embarrassed.
Both Ma Bing and Xie Yu almost laughed, but seeing the child’s nervous face, they barely managed to hold it in.
“Why is your name Xiao Zhu?” Xie Yu actually asked!
Xiao Zhu poked his finger, “Father said he hopes I’ll grow fat like a piglet, so I’ll be valuable when I grow up.”
Xie Yu: “…”
Ma Bing: “…”
Hmm, there’s nothing wrong with that.
“So Xiao Zhu,” Ma Bing pinched her brow, trying to be serious, “you’ve been coming here these days. Are you looking for someone or reporting something?”
Xiao Zhu nervously looked around, leaning to her ear, whispering, “Sister, I… I think he killed someone.”
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