The next day in the afternoon, the boat slowly stopped at the dock.

  There are frequent boat traffic on the river, and many docks have been built along the way for boats to rest and buy supplies.

  On the dock, in addition to the porters who transport goods, there are more vendors selling things. There are also some astute businessmen who have built neat shops not far from the dock, either selling local specialties or tea leaves, silk and porcelain, as well as cosmetics stores.

  "Let's go take a look at that shop over there together, sister," Ling Jingyan said excitedly.

  It was also a chance to relax after getting off the boat, so Ling Jingxiao didn't want to spoil the mood and smiled as she nodded in agreement.

  Ling Dàyé and Sun Shi did not disembark, but the younger ones could no longer bear it and all got off the boat together. Unmarried girls should not show their faces, so Ling Jingxī and Ling Jingyān both wore veils. Jiang Shi also followed suit and wore a veil.

  However, the group of people was still very eye-catching.

  Ling Xī's tall and majestic figure stood out in the crowd. Ling Xiǎo's exceptionally delicate and beautiful face also attracted everyone's attention. The tall and slender Jiang Shi, with every gesture, exuded the charm of a young woman. The lovely and charming Ling Jìng Yān had a laughter like silver bells. Not to mention the stunningly beautiful Ling Jìng Shu.

  A thin veil on her head, only vaguely covering her face, but unable to conceal that breathtaking beauty.

  The coolies and peddlers on the dock had never seen such a beautiful girl before, and they couldn't help but keep looking over at her.

  Fortunately, Ling Xi had brought more than a dozen sturdy servants who surrounded Ling Jingyu and the others tightly in the middle. The crowd looked up at them over the dense heads of people, satisfied their curiosity, and then wisely withdrew their gaze.

  After sitting on a boat for several days, once I stepped onto flat ground, walking felt somewhat soft and unsteady, quite unfamiliar.

  Ling Xiao tightly grasped Ling Jingyu's hand, excitedly whispering: "Ah Yu, it's so lively here." The ears were filled with the constant chatter of voices, interspersed with the loud hawking of vendors, and it was really interesting to listen to.

  Ling Jingxuan glanced around and sighed inwardly: "Yes, it's indeed very lively!"

  Not to mention Ling Xiao hadn't seen it before, but had she ever experienced such a scene?

  She was raised in the boudoir all those years, and then married off to Ji Zhou. From one exquisite cage, she changed into another even more exquisite cage.

  She and Lu Hong were most affectionate when he was diligently studying for the imperial examination, without any leisure time to take her on outings. Later, she became pregnant and gave birth, having to stay at home even more conscientiously in the Lu family. And later...she was confined to her room, unable to even leave the courtyard gate...

  Ling Jingxu didn't want to think about those painful past events anymore, and quickly changed the subject: "There's a store over there that sells stationery, I'll go with you to take a look!"

  All book lovers can't leave the Four Treasures of the Study. Ling Xiao, although blind and unable to read books, was not affected in his fondness for the Four Treasures of the Study. Upon hearing this, he immediately smiled and responded.

  Ling Jingxian smiled and asked Ling Jingyan and Jiang Shi: "Are you coming too?"

  Ling Jingyan hastily replied: "Sister and I will go to the cosmetics shop, anyway the two shops are not far apart, we'll meet up again later."

  Ling Jingyan has already said so, and Jiang Shi also found it inconvenient to disobey the young lady's intentions. Smiling, she agreed: "Let's split up into two groups then. For safety reasons, let half of our servants follow you. After you've finished watching, we'll go find you."

  It's also good this way.

  Ling Jingxu nodded and pulled Ling Xiao's hand, with five or six family servants following behind her, they walked into the Wen Fang Si Bao shop.

  The sister and brother entered the shop.

  A thin and weak beggar crouched not far from the shop, staring at Ling Jingxu's figure, with a glimmer of surprise and greed in his eyes.

  ......

  This beggar is over twenty years old, with a thin and long face, and one lame leg. He spends his days begging at the dock.

  People who make a living on the dock are used to such beggars and no one pays attention to him.

  The lame beggar quietly got up and left, limping into an alley on the other side of the dock. After entering the alley, the lame beggar's walking speed increased significantly, neat and astonishing.

  The lame beggar stopped in front of a low house and knocked on the door with a special method, knocking three times before the door opened.

  The one who opened the door was a sturdy man with scars on his face: "Lame guy, you're not watching the fat sheep at the dock, how did you come back so early?"

  The lame man replied excitedly: "I'm back to spread the news. Where is the second master?"

  The scar-faced man cursed and said: "The second master slept with two whores last night, and is still sleeping in bed. I'm not going to touch this unlucky guy."

  The lame man was usually in charge of scouting for fat sheep, and his sharp eyesight made him a valuable asset to the second master. Upon hearing this, he smiled wryly and replied, "This time I've really found some good stuff. If I report back late and delay things, and the masters blame me later, it won't be my fault."

  The scar-faced man glared at the cripple and reluctantly went into the inner room to call someone.

  After a while, the second master finally came out.

  The scar-faced man was already quite robust, but the second master was half a head taller than him. A pair of triangular eyes gleamed with ferocity, and standing there made people feel intimidated.

  The second master asked impatiently, "Lame guy, you said you found the real good stuff, what does it look like? If it's like last time, lifting the curtain to reveal a pockmarked face, I'll tear you apart without the big master having to lift a finger!"

  The cripple, in front of the brutal and cruel Second Master, suddenly became much more honest, and hastily accompanied him with a smile: "Second Master, please rest assured, this time I will not misjudge. The sister and brother are about the same age, they should be twins, both only 14 or 15 years old. The girl is wearing a veil, her face can't be seen clearly, but just by taking a glance from afar, it's clear that she's a rare beauty. The young man also has an exceptional good looks."

  The second master, upon hearing that she was a beauty, immediately became interested and cursed: "How can you tell it's an absolute beauty just by covering the curtain? If not, I'll dig out your dog eyes."

  "Second Master, just trust me this time!" The lame man said solemnly: "I've been watching for years and I really did miss it before, but this time I absolutely won't be wrong. If I'm wrong again, no need for Second Master to take action, I'll dig out my own eyes."

  "I've taken note of the appearance of that official boat. Still following our old ways, we'll secretly tail them for a day or two first. Once we find a secluded spot in the river, we'll sneak onto the boat in the dead of night and snatch the person away."

  A stunning beauty from a noble family, kidnapped and sold to the northern barbarians, can be exchanged for 100 fine war horses. With another transaction, it becomes a huge profit of tens of thousands of taels.

  And that handsome young man is also a rare and excellent product.

  If one can successfully complete this task, the enormous profit is enough to make people willing to take the risk of being beheaded.