Chapter 111

Chapter 111

"Right now?" Pei Yanli asked, as they were almost at the dock of Xiangning County.

"Yes," Xiao Yu asserted. Knowing Minghe's charm and intelligence, he would seek help from local officials or kind-hearted people in towns like Qingshi and Chuanyang. Even if he encountered a few bad characters, he would manage.

Therefore!

Zheng Furong would never abandon Minghe in friendly places like Qingshi or Chuanyang Town. He must have left him in a more hostile place like Yuyang County to undergo physical and psychological hardships, twisting his nature into a callous, conflicted person. The thought pained Xiao Yu, making him more determined: "We go now, directly to Yuyang County."

"Okay, we won't stop at Xiangning County Dock. We'll disembark at Chuanyang Town Dock and then ride swiftly to Yuyang County," Pei Yanli said, tracing the route on the map.

Xiao Yu nodded.

The two of them traveled downstream, reaching Chuanyang Town's dock by early morning the next day. After disembarking, they inquired at the dock but no one had seen Minghe. Then, they procured two horses and rode until evening before finally reaching Yuyang County.

Unlike the peaceful and warm locals of Chuanyang Town, the people here were indifferent and impatient. Xiao Yu's repeated inquiries about Minghe were met with a cold and brisk: "Don't know."

He couldn't help but frown.

Pei Yanli said, "It's okay, people here are all like this."

"I'm not bothered, I'm just worried about Minghe," Xiao Yu continued to ask.

"Let's keep asking."

Xiao Yu nodded.

They inquired at the gates of Yuyang County.

But by nightfall, they had found nothing.

They randomly chose an inn to rest.

By midnight, Xiao Yu was still awake. Recently, he had been constantly worried about Minghe's safety. At that moment, he heard the sound of the door latch being moved. Pei Yanli would never do such a thing, so... a sense of alarm gripped his heart.

With a "bang," a shadow suddenly fell to the floor.

Pei Yanli entered from outside, calling out, "Xiao Yu."

Xiao Yu sat up immediately: "Yanli, I'm here."

"Are you alright?" Pei Yanli asked.

"I'm fine." Xiao Yu looked at the person on the ground and asked, "Who is this?"

Pei Yanli said, "A thief."

Xiao Yu realized they had been targeted, so he suggested, "Let's take him to the authorities."

Pei Yanli nodded, "Yes."

They escorted the thief to the government office.

But, to their dismay, they couldn't get anyone to open the door.

The thief smugly said, "The magistrate and the constables are asleep. Even if you break down the door, no one will open it."

Xiao Yu frowned, "Such blatant neglect of duty. Aren't they afraid of being blamed by higher-ups?"

"Blamed for what? The magistrate and constables will just say something like their wives are giving birth or their mothers are severely ill, and the matter will be glossed over," the thief replied nonchalantly, "Who really cares anyway!"

Yuyang County was indeed different.

Xiao Yu and Pei Yanli clenched their fists in frustration, but finding Minghe was their priority. They decided not to dwell on handing over the thief, beat him up thoroughly, dumped him by the roadside, and returned to the inn.

To prevent further incidents, they both slept in the same bed. As soon as dawn broke, they were up, continuing their search with the help of the secret guards. After four to five days of searching the entire county, they finally received some news.

Xiao Yu looked at the portly old man in front of him with excitement, "Did you really see the child?"

"The one about four or five years old, exceptionally handsome," the old man described Minghe.

Xiao Yu, on the verge of tears, exclaimed, "Yes, yes, that's him! Where is he now?"

The old man hesitated, rubbing his thumb and forefinger together.

Understanding the hint, Xiao Yu immediately took out a silver ingot from his pocket and placed it in the old man's hand, saying, "Uncle, this is just a part. I'll thank you generously once we find him."

The old man's eyes lit up at the sight of the silver ingot, repeatedly saying, "Good, good, good."

"Let's go," Xiao Yu said.

The portly old man led the way outside.

Xiao Yu and Pei Yanli followed him.

The trio walked until they reached a small forest.

Xiao Yu, puzzled, asked, "Where is the person?"

"Just ahead," the old man replied.

Pei Yanli sensed something amiss and asked, "Old friend, may I know what my child is currently doing?"

"Kids, you know, they're just playing," the old man, sensing their suspicion, suddenly ran ahead.

At that moment, a large net fell from above, ensnaring Xiao Yu and Pei Yanli and hanging them from a tree, caught off guard.

Xiao Yu had seen such nets in movies before, never imagining he'd fall victim to one himself.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here," Pei Yanli reassured.

Xiao Yu nodded, then turned to the smug old man, asking, "So, you haven't seen my child?"

Dropping his act, the old man said, "Of course not, I just wanted the money." As for the description of Minghe, he had gleaned it from eavesdropping on Xiao Yu and Pei Yanli over the past few days.

As the old man finished speaking, five or six burly men appeared.

The old man arrogantly demanded, "Hand over all your silver, and I might let you continue searching for the child. Otherwise, don't blame me for being rude!"

Xiao Yu felt a wave of disappointment; he thought they had found Minghe.

From the cuff of his sleeve, Pei Yanli flicked out a small knife and swiftly cut through the net, steadying Xiao Yu as they landed on the ground.

The old man and his gang turned pale with fear: "How could you cut through..."

Pei Yanli's small knife, made of mysterious iron, could slice through iron as if it were mud, let alone these crudely made ropes. He had no intention of entangling with these people further and kicked stones and branches at the old man and his accomplices.

The old man and his group ran away, wailing.

Pei Yanli bent down to pick up a silver ingot from the ground and tucked it into Xiao Yu's pocket, saying, "Let's go, we must continue searching for Minghe."

Xiao Yu, sounding disheartened, said, "We've already searched all over Yuyang County." Along with the secret guards, they had turned the county upside down these past few days. He had been so happy just moments ago, thinking they were finally about to find Minghe, only to be caught in a deception.

He suddenly felt a wave of despair, thinking that everything he had done since entering the story might have been futile. Even if he could change some parts of "The Emperor's Dream," he couldn't alter its main storyline.

Minghe was destined to suffer inhumanely, become a major antagonist and a twisted character, and then die in madness.

"We haven't searched Zhuyang County, Chuanyang Town, and many other places. Don't lose heart or give up, or else we'll never find Minghe," Pei Yanli comforted.

Xiao Yu understood the logic, but he was truly upset this time, fearing that his minor character couldn't withstand the power of the main storyline.

"I'll leave a few secret guards here to cover any gaps in Yuyang County. Let's search the missed places in Zhuyang County, Chuanyang Town, and Xiangning County," Pei Yanli continued, "We'll start from here and travel overland to Zhuyang County, passing through several small villages on the way. We should also ask around in those villages."

"Okay," Xiao Yu agreed with a nod.

The two didn't linger in Yuyang County and set off on horseback to inquire in various villages that same day.

Initially planning to ride to Zhuyang County, they encountered continuous rainy days, making the roads too slippery to travel.

Forced to change their route, they abandoned the overland journey, opting for waterways instead. After reaching Chuanyang Town and searching for five or six days in the persistent rain, they finally arrived in Zhuyang County.

By then, the weather had cleared, and flowers, grass, and trees were vividly displaying their vitality in the vibrant spring ambiance. Pei Yanli, wanting to lift Xiao Yu's spirits, said, "Look at how beautiful the spring is."

Xiao Yu didn't look, but just smiled at Pei Yanli.

Pei Yanli, not saying anything further, reached out to hold Xiao Yu's hand.

Xiao Yu spoke softly, "On Minghe's third birthday, he went to the mountain to collect firewood for Granny Hao, exchanging it for a bun. He was so hungry, just skin and bones, but he couldn't bear to eat it. The next day, he took it out for me to eat, and that's how I survived... It was never just me looking after him; we took care of each other."

"I know," Pei Yanli, aware of Minghe's significance, didn't try to console Xiao Yu futilely, but stood with him, "We will definitely find him."

Xiao Yu nodded, his head spinning, and his body swayed.

Pei Yanli quickly embraced Xiao Yu, understanding his dizziness was due to the exhausting journey, and suggested, "There's a tea stall up ahead. Let's go have some tea and rest."

Xiao Yu agreed, "Okay."

They ordered two bowls of tea.

Pei Yanli specifically ordered some snacks for Xiao Yu to eat.

Xiao Yu said, "You should have some too."

Pei Yanli smiled and nodded.

At the next table, some tea drinkers were chatting loudly about everything under the sun.

"I've been to the capital city!"

"So what if you've been to the capital city?"

"Exactly, even a little beggar claims he's from the capital city."

"Exactly, haha, by the way, what about the little beggar?"

"He's out making money."

"Making money? How?"

"Over there, look, he's working for someone."

"He says once he earns enough for the fare, he'll return to the capital city."

"Hey, don't laugh, the poor kid deserves some sympathy. He's been on his own for over a month now, no parents, no one looking for him. He works during the day and sleeps curled up in a corner at night."

"That's true. It was so damp everywhere during the recent rain, and it must have been tough for him, sleeping all curled up like that. He's quite resilient."

"Yes, and he's only about four or five years old!"

A child of four or five!

Xiao Yu and Pei Yanli both paused abruptly.

Pei Yanli walked over directly and asked, "Where is this child?"

The tea drinkers were startled, initially ready to confront Pei Yanli, but upon seeing his tall, handsome stature and the imposing aura around him, their bravado diminished, and they pointed towards a stall across the street.

Pei Yanli turned to look in that direction.

Xiao Yu had already spotted a raggedly dressed little boy behind the wonton stall, standing on his tiptoes to stack bowls from the table one by one, then holding them to his chest with effort, walking towards a wooden basin, gently placing them down before squatting and extending his noticeably thinner hands to diligently and skillfully wash the dishes.

"Hurry up, little beggar! There's still one more table to clear! If you're any slower, forget about getting paid!" the wonton stall owner called out while wrapping wontons, occasionally turning back to scold.

"Coming, coming!" Minghe hurriedly got up to tidy up.

Xiao Yu's eyes were brimming with tears, blurring his vision, but he didn't care. He abruptly stood up and strode towards the opposite side, sweeping the dirty little boy into his arms: "Minghe!"

Minghe was startled at first, then he smelled a familiar fragrance, identical to the one in his dreams every night.

He looked up at Xiao Yu with a dazed expression and joyfully called out, "Uncle, you've come to my dream again."