CHAPTER 638: 339

Late evening at the Lianshun Escort Agency, all the people gradually left, shouting back and forth, leaving only a couple of torches burning in the front and back yards.

Today, Zuo Jinxiang did not rest at the Escort Agency, she tidied up the kitchen in no time, and turning her head, she called out, "Meng Leader, be careful tonight," then merrily headed home with her basket, locking the back door on her way out.

In the front yard, Han Hu, holding up a few recruits, was stylishly giving them instructions, and after sending them off with a wave of his hand, he scampered like a monkey to the back yard, heading straight for the row of rooms by the wall, and without knocking, he slipped right into the furthest room.

A tung-oil lamp was lit on the table, and the window was opened halfway, when a gust of wind blew in, flickering the flame and instantly adding a smoky, burning smell to the room.

Meng Yuhuai sat by the window, preoccupied with his thoughts, and slightly lifted his eyes to see Han Hu standing at the doorway, grinning at him, to which he also curved his lips: "Close the door."

Han Hu responded, closed the door, shuffled to the table to pour a bowl of tea to drink, and then pulled up a stool to sit down, looking around, he lifted the bamboo sieve to peek inside, only to discover it was empty, and instantly, a wave of disappointment rushed over him, he said with a bitter face, "Not even a piece of cake? Didn’t you go home today, brother Yuhuai? Didn’t your sister-in-law bring you any food?"

"I was in a hurry when I went, and your sister-in-law is busy taking care of the children, how could she manage?" Meng Yuhuai glanced at him, "Are you here to look for food?"

"Hey, who in the Escort Agency doesn’t know, when you are hungry, you just come to Brother Yuhuai and you can’t go wrong?"

Smacking his lips, Han Hu was full of longing: "Eating Sister-in-law Zuo’s cooking every day, I’m getting fed up with it, unlike you who can enjoy a good meal at home - aren’t I allowed to crave something occasionally? Just the other day, that eight treasure cake you brought, I could eat two pounds with an open stomach!"

Meng Yuhuai shook his head with a wry smile: "That’s nothing, when you come back from Lizhou, and the affair is properly settled, we’ll all go to Daoxiang Garden for a meal, then I’ll have your sister-in-law prepare an extra couple of good dishes - does that work for you?"

"Really?" Han Hu’s eyes instantly lit up, and he scooted his stool right up in front of Meng Yuhuai, his cheeks flushed for some reason, "By the way, speaking of Daoxiang Garden, about my thing... Brother Yuhuai, you must help me push it. Sister-in-law came over yesterday, and she didn’t mention it, I felt too embarrassed to keep asking, but I’m not getting any younger, it’s not that I want much, I just wish to have some good food at home..."

Meng Yuhuai naturally knew he was referring to Zhou Yunyun, and with a frown, said: "I advise you not to entertain too many thoughts on this matter, Miss Zhou may not be suitable for you. Rather than wishfully thinking about it, you might as well make other plans sooner."

As he spoke, he inwardly cursed Hua Xiaomai for being slippery and clearly leaving him with the mess.

"Does she have someone else in mind?"

But Han Hu was not one to be easily confused, he blinked, "That’s impossible, isn’t it? She’s busy every day at Daoxiang Garden, and the people she comes into contact with are just those few. The errand boy looks foolish, she surely won’t like him, and that Chef Wang, his age is too different from hers - could it be she’s taken a fancy to the Shopkeeper? Oh no, that’s foolish, a scholar with no strength to truss a chicken, a gust of wind could knock him down, how could he compare to us martial artists..."

Meng Yuhuai, annoyed by his rambling and not wanting to share the girl’s private thoughts in detail with him, put on a serious face and tapped his finger on the desk: "Let’s talk about serious matters."

Han Hu shrank his neck, indeed not daring to prattle any more, quickly sat up straight, and looked at him sincerely.

Meng Yuhuai pondered for a moment and then slowly said: "In the past two days, you’ve been observing under cover. Apart from the one we’ve already noticed something amiss about, what about the other four? What’s their situation?"

"Those four..." Han Hu thought carefully, "On the surface, they don’t seem to have any problems. They’re happy and obedient every day, but no matter what, we can’t afford to be careless. The day after tomorrow, I’ll be leading them out on the journey. Their martial arts foundations are not weak, and if something goes wrong on the road, it’ll be somewhat difficult for me to control them alone. I was thinking, should I give Li Yingchun a heads-up? He’s my second-in-command this time, and if he’s aware, he won’t be panic-stricken later."

"I’ve considered this too." Meng Yuhuai nodded slightly, "Li Yingchun is a good kid in every aspect, except he’s young and a bit flustered, and can’t keep things to himself. Don’t rush it, wait until after you leave the city the day after tomorrow, then find an opportunity to tell him, so he doesn’t blab about it these two days, causing an alarm to the other two."