Oh no! Seven kids at the start, all yellow and skinny.

Chapter 375 Yunlu Sells Herself to Bury Her Father

Yunyi came down the mountain first. The guards who were in charge of driving the carriage had just finished harnessing it and didn't dare to ask anything. They hurriedly drove the carriage over.

"Miss, why didn't you wash up before leaving?" Fang Zhong asked, sitting in the car, puzzled. "We've already given you money for the incense, you should at least have breakfast."

"It's a long way to the capital, so we should get going as soon as possible. It's going to rain soon." Yunyi closed her eyes to rest.

Fang Zhong glanced out the car window. The sky was clear; why was it raining?

But it's already out, so it's too late to say anything now.

Not long after Yunyi left, Master Bodhi woke up, but as soon as he stood up, he felt unwell all over. Looking down, he saw that his body was on fire. He shouted for help and even jumped into the well, but to no avail. In the end, he was burned to death in the well.

The temple wasn't deserted; in fact, members of the Qin family were staying there. They were terrified by this bizarre scene, and some newly arrived pilgrims even screamed and ran to report it to the authorities.

Yunyi naturally knew what would happen to Master Bodhi, and she knew it would cause panic, which would inevitably alarm the government. As for how the government would handle it, that was not something she could care about.

The carriage soon entered Qingshui Town, stopped at a breakfast shop for breakfast, bought some other things, and then continued its journey.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Yunyi went to the clothing store Yiranfang and left a message for Lin Yanran.

The journey for the next two days was smooth, and they soon left Longdong Prefecture and entered Lanzhou Prefecture.

Lanzhou Prefecture was significantly more prosperous than Longxi and Longdong Prefectures, as evidenced by the fact that more grain was grown and the crops grew much better in the surrounding land.

When they arrived in Baiyin County to rest, the people there were in much better condition than those there. Although it was still a county town in the western part of Lanzhou Prefecture, the streets were already very prosperous, even more so than Longxi City. There were also more merchants and shops than in Longxi and Longdong, and the goods were more abundant.

Su Mu had someone find an inn in advance.

However, just as the carriage arrived at the inn, they encountered a girl who had sold herself into servitude to bury her father.

Yunyi looked at Yunlu kneeling there and her lips twitched. This was probably another idea that Yunhong had come up with.

Yunlu also saw Yunyi and hurriedly knelt down twice, blocking Yunzhong's way: "Sir, please have pity on me. Ten taels of silver will do. I am willing to be your slave."

"Go away." Fang Zhong took two steps back. "We're just passing through, we'll be leaving soon."

"Five taels of silver is fine too, I just need to buy my father a coffin..."

"Butler Fang," Yun Yi spoke up, "I've been the only woman on this journey, so it's inconvenient for you all. I can't even change my clothes. Why don't you just buy some? You can be my maid."

Fang Zhong frowned.

"If you don't want to, then forget it." Yun Yi went straight into the inn, but not long after she entered her room, Fang Zhong came and knocked on the door.

“Young Miss, you’re right. This servant will buy this girl.” Fang Zhong smiled amiably, then gestured for Yun Lu to step forward. “This is my young lady. You must serve her well, or I will sell you off.”

Yunlu hurriedly stepped forward and bowed: "A-Lu greets Miss."

"Your name is A-Lu?"

"Please bestow a name upon me, Miss."

"Then let's call her Yunlu." Yunyi nodded, then reached out to Fang Zhong.

"Ok?"

"Indenture."

"This……"

"Can a slave like you buy another slave?" Yun Yi frowned. "Besides, the slaves who are with me don't have their indentures with me. What if they become the next Xu'er?"

Fang Zhong was still hesitating.

"Then you can take it with you, I don't want it anymore." Yunyi said, and was about to close the door.

"Here it is." Fang Zhong hurriedly handed over the indenture.

Yunyi glanced at it and put it away before turning to Yunlu: "I want to take a bath."

Yunlu hurriedly got up and went downstairs to ask the shopkeeper for hot water.

Fang Zhong glanced at Yun Lu's retreating figure, feeling that something was off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He went back to his room and found Su Mu: "Isn't this too much of a coincidence?"

Su Mu was wiping his sword when he glanced at Fang Zhong and said, "This is Lanzhou Prefecture, not Longxi. Besides, I just investigated, and that girl has been here for three days. It's a pity that no one has made a move."

Fang Zhong finally breathed a sigh of relief, putting aside his doubts.

On the other side, after taking a shower, Yunyi sat there holding Shiba, letting Yunlu dry her hair: "Did Ah Hong teach you to play the role of selling yourself to bury your father?"

“Yes.” Yunlu nodded. “Sister Hong said this way it won’t arouse suspicion. I’ve been here for three days.”

"What about Azi? When will she appear?"

“Azi will appear as a beggar when you are almost in the capital.”

Yunyi smiled: "You guys... fine, as long as you're happy."

Nothing happened that night, and the next morning, after everyone had breakfast, they set off again.

Because of Yunlu, Fang Zhong no longer took the carriage but chose to ride a horse, since the carriage was not big and would be too crowded with more people.

After another three days of smooth sailing, they arrived at the easternmost part of Lanzhou Prefecture, where it intersects with Hanzhong Prefecture. From there, they would take a boat to the capital.

The guards were also divided into two groups, with two guards driving the carriage back to the capital.

"Miss, it will take about six or seven days to reach the outskirts of the capital by boat from here. Someone will be waiting for you at the dock." Fang Zhong instructed Yun Yi, "The waterway is shorter."

Yunyi nodded. Traveling by carriage would take at least half a month, while traveling by water would save four or five days.

Transportation in ancient times was truly a nightmare.

The location of this dock is a small town called Dagu Town, which is a major transportation hub. The Han River runs through it from east to west, and it intersects with the Grand Canal, a waterway connecting north and south, in the central part of Hanzhong Prefecture.

Their boats would then change course on the Grand Canal, passing through Hejian Prefecture and Baoding Prefecture, and finally reaching the Jingzhao Prefecture area, thus entering the territory of the capital.

"However, the passenger boat we rented won't depart until evening." After Fang Zhong spoke with the boatman, he returned to report to Yun Yi, "Do you think we should wait here, or go for a stroll in the county town?"

"Let's take a look around," Yunyi said as she got out of the car. "It's not far anyway."

The dock is right on the edge of town, and the commercial street is not far from the dock.

Fang Zhong then instructed Su Mu to take one person with him to ensure Yun Yi's safety, while he remained at the dock.

"Su Mu, you've been by my father's side for quite some time now, haven't you?" Yun Yi asked casually as she walked slowly with Shi Ba in her arms. "If I remember correctly, it's been twelve years, hasn't it?"