dognovel Chapter 232: Departure
Chapter 232: Departure
Chapter 232: Departure
Ji Meiqing seemed completely bewildered. She asked Lu Yu beside her, "Did you hear that? I actually heard him speak at the very end."
Lu Yu gave a curt "Mm" and then fell silent. Ji Meiqing, however, remarked from the side, "Brother Lu, I've noticed you haven't been paying attention to anything lately."
"That's because none of these things concern you." Ji Meiqing didn't expect Lu Yu to say sweet words to her at this time. Although she was old enough to understand, she still blushed and couldn't help but cover up her embarrassment by saying, "Ah, what is it? Don't we still need to buy groceries? Let's go." She picked up the silver and pulled Lu Yu out the door.
After buying groceries, the two went home and handed the groceries to Granny Mei to cook dinner. Granny Mei, seeing how long it took them to buy groceries, couldn't help but grumble, "Luckily you're alright. You were out for so long, I thought you'd encountered some danger." Granny Mei's words went in one ear and out the other. Only after she finished did Ji Meiqing speak, "Granny Mei, we had a little mishap and then went to the restaurant. Don't worry about us. Alright, alright, go and cook, I'm starving."
Grandma Mei was about to say something when she heard Ji Meiqing clutching her stomach and saying she was hungry, so she changed the subject and went to cook.
Ji Meiqing sat at the stone table and said to Lu Yu, "The world is finally peaceful. How come I never noticed how long-winded Granny Mei was before?"
Lu Yu sat down next to her, picked up an apple from the table, and started eating. As he ate, he said, "Maybe it's because Grandma Mei is getting old. It's really nothing. Isn't it nice to have someone who cares about us?"
Ji Meiqing thought about it and realized it made sense! Seeing how much he enjoyed eating the apple, she grabbed one and took a crunchy bite herself.
When the two finished their second apple, Grandma Mei brought out dinner. Ji Meiqing looked at the table full of dishes and said, "Grandma Mei, I feel a little full. I ate too much fruit."
Grandma Mei said, "You can't skip dinner! Look, this is the latest dish I made according to your taste. Try it!" Not wanting to disappoint Grandma Mei, Ji Meiqing ate her meal under her expectant gaze. She glanced at Lu Yu beside her. He had eaten just as much as she had, but now he was wolfing down his food. Ji Meiqing couldn't help but think to herself, "Women and men really are different."
After the meal, Grandma Mei went to tidy up her things, while Ji Meiqing and Lu Yu chatted around the small stone table.
“Brother Lu, our business is quite stable now, it’s time to go out and travel. Didn’t we say we were going to Jiangnan for the New Year? We didn’t go then, let’s make some plans now.” Ji Meiqing looked at the distant horizon with longing.
"Okay, when would you like to set off?" Seeing that she really wanted to go out and travel, Lu Yu had no choice but to agree.
"Let's go tomorrow. There's nothing to prepare anyway, and the restaurant doesn't need much management. We just need to prepare enough money. Maybe we can even find some business opportunities there." Ji Meiqing looked at Lu Yu with shining eyes.
"You're so greedy, you're just obsessed with money." Lu Yu tapped Ji Meiqing on the head.
Ji Meiqing covered her head and said, "Stop hitting me, it hurts, and you'll make me stupid."
Lu Yu pulled her into his arms and said, "Don't worry, I'll take care of you even if you become stupid."
Lying in Lu Yu's arms, Ji Meiqing listened to his strong heartbeat and replied, "That won't do. I want to be an independent and strong woman."
"A strong woman, what's that?"
Seeing that he didn't understand, Ji Meiqing was too lazy to explain. She got up from his arms, looked into his eyes and said, "If you don't understand, then forget it. I won't argue with you anymore. Let's go and pack our things. Since you have no objection to my suggestion earlier, let's set off tomorrow."
Lu Yu actually felt that leaving tomorrow was too hasty, but since Ji Meiqing wanted to go earlier, he had no objections. After all, there was really nothing to prepare; just bring enough money.
The next morning, the two set off lightly, without any large or small bags, only carrying a lot of silver. Granny Mei saw them onto the carriage, and Ji Meiqing lifted the small curtain on the carriage and said to Granny Mei, "Granny Mei, please go in quickly, we will be back in a few days."
Grandma Mei, who had never traveled far from home since childhood, couldn't understand why they would go so far, but since it was Ji Meiqing and Lu Yu's decision, she couldn't say anything. She simply said, "Be careful on the road."
Ji Meiqing replied with a "Don't worry," and then lowered the curtain. Although the dead of winter had passed, the weather was still very cold.
Lu Yu was worried that the carriage ride would be too bumpy and time-consuming for Ji Meiqing, so he chose the waterway. The two went to the dock and boarded a boat. Sitting in the cabin, Ji Meiqing asked, "Brother Lu, do you know why Jiangnan is called Jiangnan?"
Unexpectedly, Lu Yu was not stumped by the question, "because it is south of the Yangtze River."
Undeterred, Ji Meiqing asked again, "Then do you know why I want to go to Jiangnan?"
Lu Yu, as if he had been prepared, readily replied, "Because besides wanting to make some money, you also want to see the beautiful scenery of Jiangnan, after all, it has a prosperous and developed economy and beautiful and rich water town scenery."
Seeing that he was right about everything, Ji Meiqing unleashed her ultimate move, "Since you know so much about this, then you decide where we're going later."
Lu Yu responded, "Of course I've planned everything. Otherwise, why do you think I agreed to let you come out so hastily? Let's go to Suzhou first."
Ji Meiqing said listlessly, "Whatever you say." Then she suddenly remembered something, "Brother Lu, the Jiang family seems to be in Suzhou. Should we go and pay them a visit?"
Lu Yu picked up the teacup, took a sip, and found it wasn't as good as the ones at home. He then put it down and said, "That's natural."
Ji Meiqing originally wanted to shop according to her own ideas, but she didn't expect Lu Yu to intercept her. She was immediately deflated, but when she thought that his plan was so thorough because he was thinking of her, she stopped saying anything.
The two were chatting happily when they heard the sounds of fighting coming from the cabin. Their ship was large, so they weren't the only ones on board. Intrigued by the prospect of seeing more, they went outside.
A man who looked extremely wealthy said to a handsome young man, "It's your good fortune that I've taken a liking to your wine, yet you still won't sell it!"
The young master spoke in a gentle and refined voice, "My wine is only sold to those who are destined to have it."
"Pah, what are you pretending for? Only selling to those with a special connection? I think you're asking for a beating. Get him! Throw him into the water, and you can split the wine equally." He ordered his group of henchmen. The others nearby didn't dare to interfere, fearing they'd get caught in the crossfire.