Chapter 393: Chapter 389: Looking for People_1
Chen Bokang ran out of the village and squatted in an unoccupied spot to cry.

If it were not for his father’s stern objection, forbidding him from taking the risky test, claiming it was a sure way to send him off to die on the battlefield, he might have been able to take part in the examination along with the children from the Jiang Family. Perhaps, he might have passed and gone to Beijing with them to become an official someday.

Even the newcomer, Wei Zhan, had passed the examination. The twelve-year-old devil child was successful too. There was no reason he couldn’t have also made it.

Now he had lost a golden opportunity. Not only was he doomed to toil the land for the rest of his life, but he might also have to bow his head to that little devil whenever they met in the future.

The more Chen Bokang pondered on it, the more heartbroken he became, and the louder he cried.

Finally, Chen Jiazhen found his son. Seeing his son in such a state, he was filled with regret too.

“Bokang, stop crying. Maybe your father can talk to the little devil. Ask him to take you along when he leaves for Beijing.”

“I don’t want that!” Chen Bokang roared, getting up and running away again.

This time, he ran down the South Slope, heading towards the old village.

Knowing he couldn’t catch up with his son, Chen Jiazhen could only turn back helplessly.

Suddenly, he remembered Chen Changping, the second son of the Chen Family.

Changping had mentioned a few days ago that he wanted to take a few children who knew martial arts to Chengzhou to serve the Commandery Prince.

The Commandery Prince was the late emperor’s cousin. Becoming a servant in the family of such a royal relative would bring honor to their family’s ancestors.

Chen Jiazhen hit his thigh excitedly and hurried off to find Chen Changping.

A few days later, Master Wu took some children along with Jiang Jie and Jiang Wu to the county town, and then they all proceeded to Jiankang City.

Yingbao prepared many medicinal pills for them to take along, and even secretly arranged a horse carriage for Master Wu and Jiang Jie to sit in.

The carriage was spacious. Two people could sit comfortably with their legs stretched out, and if tired, they could even lie down and sleep. The carriage was much better than their own.

Yingbao watched as they rode out into the distance before turning back to the village.

When she passed by Ahzhao’s food stall, she realized it hadn’t been opened.

Yingbao didn’t pay much attention to it and went to the weaving workshop for a while before visiting her elder sister, Wen Shu.

Wen Shu, who was nearing her due date, was walking about in the courtyard. Seeing Yingbao, she was delighted and whispered, “The young master is gone, and the madam is very upset.”

Wen Hengyin had been admitted to the medical department and had left for Jiankang along with Wei Zhan and the others.

Although Jiankang was a mere thousand miles away, no one knew when they would be able to return. Xiu Zhenniang was, therefore, very worried.

Yingbao blinked and said, “If the wife is really worried, when your child is born and grows up a bit, why not make a trip to Beijing. Besides, your husband will be going there for the examination, so you two can meet up there.”

Wen Shu shook her head and spoke softly, “It’s impossible. My mother-in-law is still here. How can I just leave her behind?”

“You could bring her along. If your husband is successful, you can use the opportunity to buy a house in Beijing and live there.” Given the wealth of the Wen Family, buying a house in Beijing wouldn’t be a problem.

Wen Shu chuckled, “You make a good point, I hadn’t considered that.”

After chatting for a while, Yingbao bid her farewell and left.

She noticed numerous children crowded at the martial arts hall when she passed by the school.

With Li Xu absent to take the examination, no one was left to teach at the advanced school. Many of the children were either studying on their own or practicing martial arts and archery with Zhang Meng.

The horse provided for the martial arts school by Elder Brother Jiang was given temporarily for the children’s archery practice.

“Yingbao!”

Suddenly, someone called her from behind. She turned around to see Chen Wan.

“What’s the matter?” asked Yingbao.

Chen Wan grabbed her and asked urgently, “Have you seen Ahzhao or Xubao today?”

“No.” Yingbao was busy preparing for her brothers’ trips and hadn’t noticed Xubao or Ahzhao at all.

Chen Wan wept loudly: “Ahzhao and Xubao are both missing, can.. can you help me look for them?”

Yingbao frowned: “Didn’t you ask your grandparents?”

“I did, they refused to pay me any attention.” Chen Wan wept into her hands. “It’s all my fault, I shouldn’t have left them behind…”

Yingbao: “What about your dad? Isn’t he home?”

Chen Wan paused, crying harder: “I… I didn’t see my father. Yingbao, help me find them, after all… after all, they are your sister and brother.”

Upon hearing this, Yingbao took a few steps back and coldly looked at Chen Wan: “Leave me out of your family’s affairs, Chen Wan, don’t invent relations, I have nothing to do with the Chen family.”

“But clearly you are…” Chen Wan wiped away her tears: “Yingbao, no, you should be called Chen Ying…”

“Shut up.” Yingbao bluntly rebuked: “How did you find out that I’m your sister? Did you dream it up? Chen Wan, are you out of your mind?”

Chen Wan stared at the girl in front of her in shock: “But… It was clear that you already acknowledged it, you even gave me sixty taels, why are you going back on your words?”

“Acknowledged? You’re really funny.” Yingbao retorted: “I spent sixty taels just to find out what kind of dream you had. If you’re thinking of using this to blackmail me, forget it.”

“Moreover, the fact that your brother and sister are gone has nothing to do with me, if you want to find someone, do it yourself, don’t involve me.”

After saying this, Yingbao looked at Chen Wan from head to toe, then turned around and left.

“Don’t go.” Chen Wan tried to stop Yingbao, but Yingbao skillfully sidestepped her.

Yingbao frowned at Chen Wan: “So, do I have to help you look?”

Chen Wan nodded urgently: “I…I beg you, whether you are my sister or not, for the sake of Xubao, please…please come and help me search.”

Yingbao thought for a moment before suddenly smiling: “Fine, wait for me outside the village, I’ll go home to change and return shortly.”

Chen Wan nodded repeatedly: “Okay, I… I’ll wait for you outside the village, make sure you come!”

Without a word, Yingbao turned around and went home to tell her parents about Chen Wan wanting her to help look for Chen Zhao.

Spring immediately became angry: “That Chen Wan is totally unreasonable, Yingbao, don’t pay any mind to her.”

However, Jang Sanlang frowned and asked softly: “Yingbao, is there any scheme behind her constantly pestering you to help find Chen Zhao?”

Yingbao nodded: “I feel the same way, father, instead of letting them scheme in the dark, we might as well outsmart them.”

She wanted to see, what exactly was Chen Wan trying to do.

Spring, worried, grasped her daughter’s hand: “Yingbao, what are you guys talking about?”

Yingbao patted her mother on the hand: “Nothing, mother you stay at home and don’t go out, father and I need to go out for a bit.”

With an oblivious expression, Spring hurriedly asked: “Is it that Chen Wan trying to harm you? Yingbao, mama will go with you.”

“Not necessarily, mother, you should stay at home, father and I will find a few people to go with us.”

Yingbao comforted her mother, then she and her father left the house.

To avoid alarming their quarry, Yingbao decided to meet Chen Wan herself, and let her father surreptitiously follow with some others.

It’s already late afternoon and people in the village are returning from the fields for lunch.

Dressed casually, Yingbao went to the outskirts of the village where she saw Chen Wan looking anxiously around.

“Let’s go.” Yingbao said to her: “Where should we look? Do you know?”

Seeing that Yingbao really came alone, Chen Wan was overwhelmed with joy and took her hand: “Ahzhao always goes to a particular place to dig for wild vegetables. I want to check there to see if she’s there.”

“Alright.” Yingbao followed Chen Wan towards the market outskirts.

Now, there are many dwellings on the South Slope, most of them circled around Dongchen Village, forming a residential cluster.

But, beyond the residences, there are still many wild bamboo forests. Even though some parts have been cut down, other parts remain lush.

Chen Wan led Yingbao to the wild bamboo forest, occasionally glancing around.