CHAPTER 140: CHAPTER 140 PEI YUANQING

But he didn’t make Zhao Zhitong feel repulsed. So, she grinned at Sir Feng, revealing a small dimple, and sweetly greeted, "Hello Uncle Feng~"

This was also Feng Qihong’s first time seeing Zhao Zhitong. When he had visited the Zhao Family previously, Zhao Zhitong had been at school, so he hadn’t met her.

At this moment, seeing this young girl, Feng Qihong thought, This child is truly adorable. No wonder Wang Fuhai beams whenever he mentions her.

So, he smiled back at the young girl and gestured for her to come closer.

Zhao Zhitong, not at all shy with strangers, pattered over to the side of the horse carriage on her short little legs. The carriage was quite high, at least for someone Zhao Zhitong’s size, so she had to tilt her little head all the way up to see Feng Qihong.

Feng Qihong curiously asked, "Little girl, what are you children doing all the way out here?"

He had received Wang Fuhai’s message only yesterday, saying someone was causing trouble for the Zhao Family, specifically targeting their medicinal vegetables.

Coincidentally, one of his good friends was present at the time and, upon hearing about the medicinal vegetables, became curious and wanted to see them. Considering his friend’s status, Feng Qihong had readily agreed to take him to the Zhao Family for a visit.

That was how they had come to be here. As they were passing through this area, Wang Fuhai had a servant inform him that it seemed the Zhao Family’s young lady had been spotted by the roadside. That was why he had stopped the carriage.

Zhao Zhitong blinked at Feng Qihong. Their two families were now in a cooperative relationship, and she had heard from her father that Landlord Qin was causing them trouble because she watered the vegetables with Spiritual Spring water. In other words, Boss Feng, who is cooperating with us, must also be an enemy of Landlord Qin, she reasoned. Yes, that means Sir Feng is trustworthy. So, she happily recounted the events they had just experienced in a lively and detailed manner.

Finally, in a sweet, childish voice, she asked, "Uncle Feng, you’re a big boss and you’ve seen so much of the world, you must know many, many powerful and important people. Have you ever met a judge?"

Feng Qihong laughed heartily, thinking, This girl isn’t just adorable; her words are so sweet. She wants my help, but first, she’s showering me with praise.

So, he asked with a smile, "A judge? What’s the name of this judge you’re talking about? Let me see if I’ve ever met him."

Zhao Zhitong thought for a moment about what Qiao Muchen had said, then replied in her innocent, childish voice, "I don’t know his name, but I know what he looks like."

Feng Qihong chuckled. "Alright then, describe what he looks like for me."

Zhao Zhitong tapped her small chin, recalling the story about a judge that Grandpa Bai had told her last night when she couldn’t sleep. It was about a great, upright official named Bao Gong. So, she explained, "His face should be dark-skinned. He must be very serious and never smile, and he should have a crescent moon mark on his forehead. He’s incredibly smart and can solve lots and lots of cases. He’s also exceptionally just and incorruptible; he’s a really, really good official. Uncle Feng, have you ever seen him? I want to find him and give him the evidence of Landlord Qin’s evil deeds so he can punish that bad landlord!"

As soon as Zhao Zhitong finished speaking, a burst of cheerful laughter erupted from inside the carriage.

"HAHAHA."

That laugh was clearly not Sir Feng’s. Then, the same male voice spoke again, "This little tyke is truly fascinating. I’ve never met one quite like her. What a rare find."

As the voice faded, the carriage curtain was suddenly swept aside, and a young man with a face as handsome as jade jumped down.

The man appeared to be around twenty-eight or twenty-nine years old. He wore a dark purple brocade robe, cinched at the waist with a tea-brown belt patterned with dragons and phoenixes. His eyes, crinkled with a smile, held a hint of carefree nonchalance.

Seeing Zhao Zhitong staring at him intently, Pei Yuanqing couldn’t help but chuckle and teased, "Little girl, what are you looking at? Snap out of it. Weren’t you looking for a judge?"

Zhao Zhitong blinked, then nodded and asked, "Big brother, do you know where the judge is?"

Pei Yuanqing laughed again. "You should call me uncle. My own daughter is about your age."

Then he said, "We happen to be going to your house. Come on, get in. We can talk on the way."

Zhao Cheng and Zhao Yu stepped forward, took Zhao Zhitong’s small hand, and looked at him with a degree of caution.

Qiao Muchen also stepped forward, positioning himself in front of Zhao Zhitong, and watched Pei Yuanqing warily. "Tongtong, don’t get in the carriage with him. They’re strangers."

The moment Qiao Muchen appeared, Pei Yuanqing’s expression flickered for an instant, but he quickly recovered and explained, "I’m a friend of Sir Feng’s, not a bad person. If you don’t believe me, ask Sir Feng."

Zhao Zhitong and the others all looked towards Sir Feng. Feng Qihong had also alighted from the carriage by now and nodded with a smile. "Little girl, this is my friend, Young Master Pei. He heard that the lady of your Zhao Family has extraordinary culinary skills and was very curious to try them himself. We were just on our way to visit your home as guests today. Get in, we can give you a ride."

Seeing the man’s extraordinary attire, Zhao Zhitong thought, He might actually know the judge. So, she nodded, ready to go home with them.

At this, Pei Yuanqing smiled, glanced at Qiao Muchen, and remarked, "This boy looks quite interesting too. If you’re worried, you can get in the carriage with us as well."

In the end, Zhao Zhitong and Qiao Muchen boarded Sir Feng’s horse carriage, while Wei Shulan, Zhao Yue, and Zhao Yu got into the carriage behind them, the one Shopkeeper Wang was in.

Zhao Cheng didn’t want to ride, so he, along with San and Xiao Shitou, walked behind the carriages. They were still uneasy and felt that by walking, they could ensure the carriages were indeed heading towards Zhao Village.

Wang Fuhai’s carriage was relatively small and would have been a bit crowded with more people, so he didn’t insist on Zhao Cheng joining them.

And so, the group set off.

***

Once Zhao Zhitong was inside the carriage, she was taken aback. From the outside, the carriage looked very ordinary, but the interior space was surprisingly large.

There were three rows of seats along the sides of the carriage, with a small table in the center. On the table sat a plate of pastries and an incense burner.

At that moment, a faint, fragrant smoke wafted from the incense burner. She didn’t recognize the scent, but she found it very pleasant.

Feng Qihong had genuinely taken a liking to this little girl, Zhao Zhitong. After the carriage began to move, he smiled and offered the pastries on the table to the two children.

"Thank you, Uncle," Zhao Zhitong said sweetly, then began to eat the pastries in small bites.

Although the pastries were delicious, Zhao Zhitong hadn’t forgotten her important task. So, she asked again, "Big... Uncle, do you really know where the judge is?"

Zhao Zhitong did switch to calling him ’Uncle.’ Though it makes him sound old, and he looks so young, she mused.

Pei Yuanqing smiled but didn’t answer Zhao Zhitong’s question directly. Instead, he said, "Here, let me see the evidence you’ve gathered."

The testimonies were with Qiao Muchen. Hearing this, he didn’t immediately hand them to Pei Yuanqing but looked at Zhao Zhitong. Only after she nodded did he pass the testimonies to Pei Yuanqing.

After glancing at the testimonies for a few moments, Pei Yuanqing chuckled. "Well now, you little ones are quite something, aren’t you? I’ll hold onto these testimonies for you for now. Later, I’ll hand them over to this judge you’re talking about."

*(Author’s note: A key character for the entire story has just made their entrance!)*