Climbing on the Sparrow Branch – CH 642

Chapter 642: Dog Barking

The wooden window slammed shut, and He Xun left.

Pei Que got up and walked to the wooden window, Fusheng following him.

“Master, shall we go somewhere else?”

“No need; changing places would only expose us.” Pei Que’s thick eyebrows relaxed slightly. “Put away the chessboard; I will go downstairs to check on Madam.”

When Pei Que went downstairs, An Zhi had already cut the fabric and was sewing new clothes with Binglu and Chunlan.

Tao Wengong, who usually spent his time drinking, sat on the threshold after An Zhi had him measured and didn’t leave.

Tao Wengong, seeing Pei Que, first greeted him as Fourth Young Master, “Our courtyard’s too big; it would be better to keep two dogs. If Fourth Young Master agrees, I will go out and find two spirited ones later.”

Pei Que glanced at Uncle Gong, understanding the implication in his words, and agreed, “Thank you for your trouble, Uncle Gong, but don’t find adult dogs. Big dogs are hard to tame; half-grown ones are better. If we let them go hungry for a day, they will be able to guard the house.”

The Pei family in the capital used to keep dogs. People sometimes dozed off, but dogs did not; they were easily awakened by the slightest disturbance.

An Zhi, hearing about the plan to keep dogs, asked Binglu to get money for Uncle Gong.

Pei Que walked up behind An Zhi, looking at the fabric she had prepared, and asked, “Isn’t the fabric you chose this time a bit too ordinary, Madam?”

“We are just ordinary people who run a steamed bun shop,n’t wealthy merchants who can afford fine silks and satins. Back in Ding’an, we were too careless, which is why our identities were exposed so early.” An Zhi thought of her small courtyard in Ding’an and the neighbors around her, feeling a pang of regret.

If she could have stayed in Ding’an for a year or two, she would have been happy.

“Alright, alright, whatever you say, Madam.” Pei Que reached out and touched the fabric; it was indeed much worse than what she wore before, but that was all she could do for now. Things would be better once Chi Jiayun was dealt with.

Time flew when you were busy.

An Zhi worked all day, making two new outfits, and continued working until evening the next day, finally finishing one outfit for everyone.

The steamed bun shop had been closed for two days. If it remained closed any longer, customers might try to climb the wall to see what was going on, so An Zhi decided to reopen.

That evening, An Zhi sent Uncle Gong and Binglu to buy some fresh flour and vegetables in preparation for reopening the next day.

Meanwhile, He Zheng, following the clues given by Chi Jiayun, had searched outside the city for two days without finding a trace of Pei Que.

Dragging their exhausted bodies back into the city, He Zheng and his subordinates were somewhat resentful.

“Master, we’ve been searching for so many days; how come we haven’t found anything? Could it be that Governor Chi’s information was wrong?” Zhang Ying’s mouth was dry, and he couldn’t wait to go back to bathe and eat meat.

He Zheng shook his head. “No, Chi Jiayun’s even more eager to find Pei Que than we are. He’s anxious to get rid of Pei Que so he can claim credit.”

Seeing the city gate not far away, He Zheng coughed softly, signaling the others to be quiet.

These past two days, He Zheng and several men stayed in the courtyard arranged by Chi Jiayun. He also hid a few others elsewhere to prevent them from being captured all at once.

After entering the city, he first took Zhang Ying to a restaurant.

To avoid being seen by too many people, he specifically went upstairs and requested a private room.

Just as he and Zhang Ying sat down, they heard Zhang Ying praising a beautiful young woman downstairs.

He Zheng looked down and saw a pretty young woman walking alongside a handcart.

“I remember now; this young lady’s from the steamed bun shop on our first day in Yongning,” Zhang Ying said, slapping his forehead. “Such a beautiful young lady; I wonder if she has a husband. But her boss’s wife is even prettier; although she has a few moles on her face, her figure’s much more graceful than this one.”

He Zheng also thought of the steamed bun shop’s boss’s wife. He couldn’t help but take a few extra glances that day; her features were very expressive. It was just a pity about the several moles on her face.

Wait, she suddenly felt a little familiar.

Opening the portrait and looking at An Zhi in it, He Zheng suddenly felt he had discovered something.

“Stop drinking; let’s go to the steamed bun shop!” He Zheng rolled up the portrait and hurried downstairs. Although the steamed bun shop boss’s wife looked very different from the portrait, he had never seen such stunning features on a third person’s face.

Zhang Ying, clutching a pork knuckle, chased after his master, puzzled. “Slow down! We haven’t eaten; we are too hungry to run.”

“Even if we can’t run, we have to keep going!” He Zheng had a suspicion in his mind, and he couldn’t sit still without confirming it.

Zhang Ying could only take a few big bites of the pork knuckle, toss it aside, and then catch up with his running master.

Meanwhile, on the second floor of an inn in the city, He Xun was standing by the window, watching He Zheng running below.

The attendant beside him also saw He Zheng. “Master, the person we’ve been searching for for two days has finally appeared!”

He Xun smiled, “Yongning City may be big, but it isn’t bigger than the capital. Finding him was only a matter of time. However, the fact that we found He Zheng so quickly suggests he has some urgent business, which is why he showed up so recklessly. Send two skilled fighters to follow him, without alerting him, and see where He Zheng’s going.”

~

After Binglu finished shopping with Tao Wengong, on their way back, Tao Wengong stopped at a restaurant.

Binglu frowned, “Doctor Tao, you can’t buy any more wine. You’re a doctor yourself; if you keep drinking like this, your health will suffer.”

“But Young Lady Binglu, didn’t you smell the fragrance of pear blossom wine wafting from the restaurant?” Tao Wengong took a deep breath. “Ah, it smells so good.”

Binglu shook her head, saying no. “Let’s hurry back. If we are late, Madam and the others will worry.”

“You little girl, why are you being so fussy?” Tao Wengong was too tired to walk any further and reached for his purse.

Binglu couldn’t stop him and relented, “I will go buy it for you. You can drink it when we get home.”

“Fine, fine, you’re so nosy,” Tao Wengong grumbled, reluctantly getting Binglu her new clothes.

But just then, he suddenly heard hurried footsteps coming from the alley across the street and immediately turned to look.

Binglu also turned to look. Four adult men ran out of the alley; she remembered one of them being a caravan passing by the steamed bun shop.

“Doctor Tao, give me the money!” Binglu urged.

Tao Wengong didn’t give the money to Binglu but put it back in his purse, his expression turning serious. “We won’t buy wine. You’re right, we need to hurry back; otherwise, Madam will worry.”

Pulling the handcart, Tao Wengong quickened his pace.

Binglu didn’t understand what Tao Wengong meant, but knowing the steamed bun shop was just around the corner, she didn’t ask further.

When they arrived at the steamed bun shop, Tao Wengong hoisted a sack of flour, and without a word, rushed into the shop.

Meanwhile, in the backyard, the two newly bought dogs were barking fiercely.