In the night, Chen An sat quietly in place, looking at the scenery in the distance.
As for Song Ziyang, he had already left at this moment.
After confirming that Chen An agreed, Song Ziyang left contentedly.
Before leaving, Chen An had some doubts and asked, "Are you leaving like this? Aren't you afraid that after I let you go, I will take this Miss Liu from the Liu family and use her for a reward?"
To this, Song Ziyang was very carefree, "If Brother Chen really wanted to use us for a reward, he could have done it long ago, so why wait until now?"
"The kindness that day, even if Brother Chen is unwilling to admit it, I will always remember it in my heart."
After saying this, he left, leaving only a young girl behind.
Chen An sat in place, looking at the girl who seemed to be asleep but was actually silently shaking her head.
After a moment, the girl stopped pretending to sleep, and stood up directly from where she was.
She watched as Song Ziyang's figure disappeared into the darkness, her expression equally complex.
"Awake?"
Chen An looked at the girl who was now awake, not surprised, and simply handed her a water kettle, "Have some water first."
The girl took the water kettle, sat there in silence.
"Speaking of which, what is he to you?"
Chen An continued to ask, curious about the relationship between Song Ziyang and the girl, "He doesn't seem to be surnamed Liu."
"He is the person my sister liked."
The girl was silent for a moment, before speaking in a hoarse voice, "I used to like him a lot, but then my sister died, and he disappeared."
"It wasn't until later, after my parents died, that he came back to take me away and brought me here."
"Then he must have liked your sister too."
Chen An listened with interest, feeling like he was listening to gossip.
Although he didn't know the specific details, he instinctively felt that the story behind this must be quite convoluted.
"Don't worry."
After a moment, Chen An patted himself off, stood up, "He's quite capable, without you, those people probably wouldn't be able to find him."
"When you reach a safe place, perhaps you'll be able to see him again."
Liu Ziqin didn't speak, just nodded silently.
By now, it was already dawn.
Chen An led Liu Ziqin away, walking slowly towards Fengcheng County.
The journey was calm and uneventful.
It wasn't until they were nearing Fengcheng County that the sound of fighting reached their ears.
There were two groups of people fighting, and from their attire, they were likely members of the Haisha Gang and the Sanhe Gang.
It seemed that the skirmishes from before had not yet ended.
Since the Haisha Gang made their move, the Sanhe Gang also retaliated, attacking several territories belonging to the Haisha Gang.
Chen An watched with interest, but had no intention of getting involved, only escorting Liu Ziqin away.
Soon, they entered the county.
Normally, at this time, the surroundings of the county should have been bustling, with streets and alleys filled with people selling goods.
However, after half a day, Chen An found the atmosphere to be very solemn.
It seemed that the conflict between the Sanhe Gang and the Haisha Gang had spread to all aspects within the county.
This was to be expected.
After all, in Fengcheng County, these gangs were the most powerful forces, and the government appeared to be much weaker in comparison.
As Chen An walked with Liu Ziqin through the streets, nobody bothered them.
This scene made Chen An glance sideways.
It seemed that Miss Liu from the Liu family wasn't being taken seriously, as not many people even recognized her as she walked down the street.
Of course, this was also due to the lack of photographs in those days.
Simply relying on a portrait could only provide a limited accuracy.
Previously, Song Ziyang had been spotted because they were both outsiders with different accents, standing out in Fengcheng County.
Now, with Chen An, the attention was significantly reduced.
However, the ongoing war between the Sanhe Gang and the Haisha Gang was also a significant factor.
In this situation, the Haisha Gang might not have the energy to pay attention to Miss Liu.
Nevertheless, to be safe, Chen An took some measures.
He took Liu Ziqin to various places, purchasing several sets of clothing for her, allowing her to change out of her previous attire and applying makeup to her face.
In this regard, the women from the brothel were quite skilled.
After these changes, Liu Ziqin's appearance was completely transformed, becoming another person.
With this transformation, even the constables and members of the Haisha Gang who only had a portrait to identify her might take a while to recognize her, let alone Song Ziyang himself.
Satisfied with these arrangements, Chen An arranged for her to stay near his courtyard.
There was a neighbor next to the courtyard, a widow who had lost her husband early on and hadn't remarried, making a living by selling steamed buns with her daughter.
Chen An was familiar with the daughter, who often peeked through the wall.
Having interacted with this family for half a year, Chen An found them decent and without any malevolent intentions, making them suitable for housing Liu Ziqin temporarily.
This was the most suitable choice at the moment.
Bringing a girl with him was inconvenient and unsafe.
As for other people?
The previous owner did know quite a few people in Fengcheng County, but with his temperament, what kind of people could he have known?
They were either from the same gangs or of a lower social class.
Putting the girl in their hands, what would be the outcome?
The neighbor was very enthusiastic about Chen An's arrival, immediately accepting after seeing the five liang silver he offered.
"Great, Ying’er is usually bored at home, so having a companion here will be good for her."
The widow, Mrs. Wang, looked at Chen An and smiled.
Behind her, a girl named Wang Ying stood there, stealing glances at Chen An's handsome face, her cheeks slightly flushed as if she had a realization, looking somewhat disdainful.
In any case, one trouble was temporarily solved.
With a hopeful heart, Chen An returned to his residence.
Upon returning to his room, he immediately took out the wooden box from before and removed the yellow jade pendant inside.
"This wooden box doesn't seem simple either."
Opening the wooden box and looking at the yellow jade pendant in front of him, feeling the palpitation in his heart, Chen An thought to himself.
After testing it, he found that the wooden box seemed to have a unique function, able to shield Chen An's perception of the jade pendant.
When the jade pendant was placed in the box, his sense of connection to it would vanish.
This was probably why Chen An hadn't discovered the pendant on Song Ziyang before.
In the night, Chen An sat quietly in place, looking at the scenery in the distance.
As for Song Ziyang, he had already left at this moment.
After confirming that Chen An agreed, Song Ziyang left contentedly.
Before leaving, Chen An had some doubts and asked, "Are you leaving like this? Aren't you afraid that after I let you go, I will take this Miss Liu from the Liu family and use her for a reward?"
To this, Song Ziyang was very carefree, "If Brother Chen really wanted to use us for a reward, he could have done it long ago, so why wait until now?"
"The kindness that day, even if Brother Chen is unwilling to admit it, I will always remember it in my heart."
After saying this, he left, leaving only a young girl behind.
Chen An sat in place, looking at the girl who seemed to be asleep but was actually silently shaking her head.
After a moment, the girl stopped pretending to sleep, and stood up directly from where she was.
She watched as Song Ziyang's figure disappeared into the darkness, her expression equally complex.
"Awake?"
Chen An looked at the girl who was now awake, not surprised, and simply handed her a water kettle, "Have some water first."
The girl took the water kettle, sat there in silence.
"Speaking of which, what is he to you?"
Chen An continued to ask, curious about the relationship between Song Ziyang and the girl, "He doesn't seem to be surnamed Liu."
"He is the person my sister liked."
The girl was silent for a moment, before speaking in a hoarse voice, "I used to like him a lot, but then my sister died, and he disappeared."
"It wasn't until later, after my parents died, that he came back to take me away and brought me here."
"Then he must have liked your sister too."
Chen An listened with interest, feeling like he was listening to gossip.
Although he didn't know the specific details, he instinctively felt that the story behind this must be quite convoluted.
"Don't worry."
After a moment, Chen An patted himself off, stood up, "He's quite capable, without you, those people probably wouldn't be able to find him."
"When you reach a safe place, perhaps you'll be able to see him again."
Liu Ziqin didn't speak, just nodded silently.
By now, it was already dawn.
Chen An led Liu Ziqin away, walking slowly towards Fengcheng County.
The journey was calm and uneventful.
It wasn't until they were nearing Fengcheng County that the sound of fighting reached their ears.
There were two groups of people fighting, and from their attire, they were likely members of the Haisha Gang and the Sanhe Gang.
It seemed that the skirmishes from before had not yet ended.
Since the Haisha Gang made their move, the Sanhe Gang also retaliated, attacking several territories belonging to the Haisha Gang.
Chen An watched with interest, but had no intention of getting involved, only escorting Liu Ziqin away.
Soon, they entered the county.
Normally, at this time, the surroundings of the county should have been bustling, with streets and alleys filled with people selling goods.
However, after half a day, Chen An found the atmosphere to be very solemn.
It seemed that the conflict between the Sanhe Gang and the Haisha Gang had spread to all aspects within the county.
This was to be expected.
After all, in Fengcheng County, these gangs were the most powerful forces, and the government appeared to be much weaker in comparison.
As Chen An walked with Liu Ziqin through the streets, nobody bothered them.
This scene made Chen An glance sideways.
It seemed that Miss Liu from the Liu family wasn't being taken seriously, as not many people even recognized her as she walked down the street.
Of course, this was also due to the lack of photographs in those days.
Simply relying on a portrait could only provide a limited accuracy.
Previously, Song Ziyang had been spotted because they were both outsiders with different accents, standing out in Fengcheng County.
Now, with Chen An, the attention was significantly reduced.
However, the ongoing war between the Sanhe Gang and the Haisha Gang was also a significant factor.
In this situation, the Haisha Gang might not have the energy to pay attention to Miss Liu.
Nevertheless, to be safe, Chen An took some measures.
He took Liu Ziqin to various places, purchasing several sets of clothing for her, allowing her to change out of her previous attire and applying makeup to her face.
In this regard, the women from the brothel were quite skilled.
After these changes, Liu Ziqin's appearance was completely transformed, becoming another person.
With this transformation, even the constables and members of the Haisha Gang who only had a portrait to identify her might take a while to recognize her, let alone Song Ziyang himself.
Satisfied with these arrangements, Chen An arranged for her to stay near his courtyard.
There was a neighbor next to the courtyard, a widow who had lost her husband early on and hadn't remarried, making a living by selling steamed buns with her daughter.
Chen An was familiar with the daughter, who often peeked through the wall.
Having interacted with this family for half a year, Chen An found them decent and without any malevolent intentions, making them suitable for housing Liu Ziqin temporarily.
This was the most suitable choice at the moment.
Bringing a girl with him was inconvenient and unsafe.
As for other people?
The previous owner did know quite a few people in Fengcheng County, but with his temperament, what kind of people could he have known?
They were either from the same gangs or of a lower social class.
Putting the girl in their hands, what would be the outcome?
The neighbor was very enthusiastic about Chen An's arrival, immediately accepting after seeing the five liang silver he offered.
"Great, Ying’er is usually bored at home, so having a companion here will be good for her."
The widow, Mrs. Wang, looked at Chen An and smiled.
Behind her, a girl named Wang Ying stood there, stealing glances at Chen An's handsome face, her cheeks slightly flushed as if she had a realization, looking somewhat disdainful.
In any case, one trouble was temporarily solved.
With a hopeful heart, Chen An returned to his residence.
Upon returning to his room, he immediately took out the wooden box from before and removed the yellow jade pendant inside.
"This wooden box doesn't seem simple either."
Opening the wooden box and looking at the yellow jade pendant in front of him, feeling the palpitation in his heart, Chen An thought to himself.
After testing it, he found that the wooden box seemed to have a unique function, able to shield Chen An's perception of the jade pendant.
When the jade pendant was placed in the box, his sense of connection to it would vanish.
This was probably why Chen An hadn't discovered the pendant on Song Ziyang before.
