Sitting in the carriage, no matter what her father, Xia Chao, said to her, Fengguang didn’t bother to respond. After a sigh, he gave up trying to talk, and the rest of the journey settled into a heavy silence.
Not long after they left the city, the carriage jolted violently and came to an abrupt stop.
From outside, the driver called out, “Master, the wheel’s stuck in a puddle!”
It had rained just the day before, and the roads outside the city were still full of ruts and muddy pits.
There was nothing they could do—Fengguang and Xia Chao had to get out of the carriage. But as soon as they did, they unexpectedly ran into Lord Shu Qiu and his men returning from outside the city.
“Master Xia, Miss Xia,” Shu Qiu greeted them with a polite bow. Behind him stood two constables.
Xia Chao returned the bow. “Lord Shu.”
It had been nine years since the last time Fengguang had seen him. Back then, when Shu Qiu told her the truth about Wu Qi’s mother’s scandal, he’d felt too embarrassed to remain in Tong County. After being taken in by distant relatives in another province, he’d left, and though he’d since returned, Fengguang had never crossed paths with him again—until now.
After glancing briefly at Fengguang, Shu Qiu turned to Xia Chao and asked, “I just came back from inspecting the waterways. What’s the trouble here, Master Xia?”
“The carriage got stuck in the mud,” Xia Chao explained. “We were just figuring out how to get it out.”
“I see.” Shu Qiu turned to the two constables behind him. “Go give them a hand.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Many thanks, Lord Shu,” Xia Chao said with a respectful bow.
Shu Qiu smiled. “Helping others is only right.”
Fengguang thought to herself, Easy for you to say—you’re not the one doing the actual work.
acatia On WMMMWF Chapter 22