Chapter 166

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Protagonist:

Yan Qianqian

Yan Sixin pondered silently in his heart, also unsure whether there would be an opportunity in the future to witness Yue San, who was no different from ordinary people.

After Yue San set off and departed, Yan Si fell into deep contemplation regarding the feasibility of this plan. On one hand, he scribbled and wrote with a brush on the desk; on the other, he pondered where to begin implementation and how to select suitable items. Time flew like a white colt through a crevice; in the blink of an eye, it was already afternoon.

At this moment, Yan Wang had already finished preparations to return to the military camp. He was seen agilely packing the necessary items properly, then nimbly leaping onto that fine steed named "Chasing Shadow." With a shake of the reins, the sound of horse hooves rang out, and he first galloped off toward the Shangshu Fu.

Arriving before the mansion gate, Yan Wang dismounted, handing his mount to the young servant at the gate to look after, then stepped forward to the gatehouse and said softly: "Please announce me, have Ai Jiao come out for a moment." The gatekeeper, hearing this, dared not be negligent, and hurried off at a trot to notify Ai Jiao.

Before long, Ai Jiao walked out in quick steps. As it turned out, she had long since packed her luggage properly, and at this moment was standing in the courtyard waiting for Yan Wang's arrival. And Guo Lanxin and Ai Sheng were also in Ai Jiao's courtyard, with Guo Lanxin busily bustling about helping Ai Jiao organize her baggage.

She wished she could stuff every usable item from the household into the bundles. Anything she felt might be useful, she would unhesitatingly shove inside, fearing Ai Jiao would suffer shortages in the military camp.

Faced with such meticulous care from her mother, Ai Jiao couldn't help but smile and persuade: "Mother, stop bustling! The military camp has everything; if something's truly missing, we can just buy it then, no need to bring so much stuff, it's awfully heavy."

Hearing her youngest son's words, Guo Lanxin hesitated slightly for a moment, but ultimately couldn't set her mind at ease, so she spoke: "Alright then, Mother won't bring you so many things, but I must give you more silver to carry."

Finished speaking, she reached into her bosom, carefully took out several banknotes of no small denomination, and gently handed them into Ai Jiao's hands.

Guo Lanxin said in a slightly gentler tone: "Jiao'er, when it's time to spend, you must spend. Take this money and properly arrange your life; it should be enough for a whole month! If by the next time you return you find the money used up, don't worry, Mother still has more here, and will give you some more then."

After saying this, Guo Lanxin suddenly changed the subject and said: "Take off your shoes!" Hearing this, Ai Jiao froze on the spot, asking with a face full of bewilderment: "Mother, why take off shoes?"

Guo Lanxin did not answer him; at this moment, Ai Sheng standing to the side didn't move a muscle, as if rooted in place, and they deadlocked like this for a good while. Seeing the anger on Guo Lanxin's face growing more and more obvious, Ai Sheng only then unwillingly, dragging his feet, began to untie his shoelaces, slowly took off one shoe, and carefully handed it to Guo Lanxin.

At this moment, Ai Sheng's heart was like a small drum beating incessantly, nervous and uneasy to the extreme, not knowing what awaited him next. Unexpectedly, Guo Lanxin didn't even give him a proper glance, merely took the shoe casually, and with a face of disgust reached her hand into the shoe to grope around.

Before long, she fished out several pieces of broken silver from inside, pinching them tightly in her hand. Immediately after, Guo Lanxin, without lifting her head, continued to order: "The other one too, take it off!" Helpless, Ai Sheng could only comply, slowly taking off the other shoe and handing it over again. Same procedure: Guo Lanxin again poured out several pieces of broken silver from this shoe as well.

Afterward, she put all the broken silver taken from the two shoes together, turned and handed them to Ai Jiao, and instructed: "Jiao'er, out and about, in case you encounter large-denomination banknotes that are hard to make change for, you can use these broken silver pieces for emergencies."

Ai Jiao reluctantly reached out to take the broken silver, her face showing a look of disgust identical to Guo Lanxin's, but in the end she obediently put them into the pouch she carried.

Then Guo Lanxin unhurriedly said: "Take off your hat!" Hearing this, Ai Sheng's heart gave a "thump," secretly crying "bad," lamenting in his heart: "Done for, this time truly nothing left!" Though full of reluctance, he still honestly took off the hat on his head.

Guo Lanxin expressionlessly took the hat, then gently turned it over. Everyone's gazes were instantly drawn over; only to see inside the hat, near the crown position, there was actually a small cloth pouch carefully stitched with needle and thread. And inside this cloth pouch lay several glittering golden leaves.

Without another word, Guo Lanxin reached in and took out those golden leaves from the cloth pouch, then handed them to Ai Jiao at the side. At this moment, seeing Ai Sheng's pitiful, pleading eyes, Ai Jiao wanted to open her mouth to refuse, indicating she didn't need these golden leaves.

However, before her words could leave her mouth, she heard Guo Lanxin say with finality: "If you don't take them! I'll confiscate the lot!"

Ai Jiao hesitated slightly, pondered secretly for a bit, then felt it was better to accept for now. So she slowly stretched out her hand and received the golden leaves Guo Lanxin handed over. Seeing this, Guo Lanxin seemed still unsatisfied; her sharp eyes looked Ai Sheng up and down, as if wanting him to take off something else.

Just before she could voice a demand, Ai Jiao spoke up first: "Mother, this money is already enough for our expenses, really enough, don't make things difficult for Father anymore!"

Hearing this, Guo Lanxin hesitated a while, then finally nodded, temporarily giving up the idea of making Ai Sheng continue taking off clothes.

Right then, a burst of hurried footsteps approached from far to near, and immediately a servant rushed in flustered, panting: "Master, Madam, Young Master Yan Wang has come visiting, saying he wants to take Young Master out for a trip!"

Hearing this, Ai Jiao's eyes instantly lit up with excitement, and she eagerly replied loudly: "Got it!" Then she turned to Ai Sheng and Guo Lanxin and said: "Father, Mother, I'm going now!" Before her words fell, she had already turned, shouldered the small bundle set to the side, and like an arrow leaving the bow, sprinted toward the outside of the gate.