Da Liu was also an experienced man. When he saw Tang Little North coming out of Jin Feng’s room, he immediately knew why Jin Feng had given him a sour face.
After all, she was a young lady. Seeing Da Liu, Tang Little North’s face turned red at once.
Da Liu did not know what he was thinking. He even waved his hand and greeted her. “Little North girl…”
Tang Little North was already both shy and annoyed. If Da Liu had pretended to see nothing, the matter would have passed.
But he just had to greet her.
Tang Little North could not pretend anymore.
With a cold face, she walked to Da Liu’s side and stomped hard on his foot twice, then stormed off angrily.
“Making you talk too much!”
Da Liu came to his senses at this point and slapped his own face.
“You know you talked too much, so you are not beyond saving.”
Jin Feng glanced at Da Liu without good grace. “Where is Deputy Captain Xiao?”
“In the courtyard ahead.”
By now, Zhang Liang’s main force should be arriving soon. Tang Dongdong had booked three more courtyards at the inn yesterday.
Jin Feng was staying in one of the newly booked ones.
Da Liu was in the small courtyard previously booked by Tang Little North.
After saying that, he quickly ran ahead to lead the way.
Passing the courtyard gate, Da Liu pointed fiercely at the two veteran soldiers guarding it.
These two clearly knew Tang Little North was with Jin Feng but did not remind him when he came. They were obviously setting him up.
The two gate guards looked up at the sky, completely ignoring Da Liu’s threat.
“Deputy Captain Xiao, thank you for the trouble this time.”
Jin Feng smiled and cupped his hands.
No matter how the garrison soldiers usually were, they had indeed contributed much to successfully rescuing Tang Little North this time.
Jin Feng did not like socialising much, but he was not truly ignorant of worldly affairs. He knew how to say the necessary polite words.
“No trouble. Little North girl was abducted by villains in broad daylight. Finding her back is our garrison soldiers’ duty.”
Deputy Captain Xiao also smiled and returned the gesture. “I came just to ask, sir, now that Little North girl is found, can the city gates be opened?”
“Of course.”
Jin Feng said, “Thank you to the garrison brothers these two days.”
Deputy Captain Xiao breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.
Many wealthy families now had no vegetables left. The garrison soldiers had faced great pressure sealing the gates.
He had truly feared Jin Feng would insist on finding the culprit before opening.
“Then I will not disturb you, sir.”
Deputy Captain Xiao was eager to go back and open the gates. He cupped his hands and prepared to leave.
“Deputy Captain Xiao, wait a moment.”
Jin Feng stopped him, then said to Da Liu, “I remember there are still twenty boxes of scented soap in the warehouse. Go get them all.”
Da Liu agreed and ran off quickly.
Soon, he returned hugging a small box.
“Deputy Captain Xiao, we have troubled you and the garrison brothers much these two days.”
Jin Feng signalled Da Liu to hand the box to Deputy Captain Xiao. “A small gift. Take it back to share with the brothers. Consider it my token of appreciation.”
“This will not do. It was our duty anyway.”
Deputy Captain Xiao said he did not want it, but his eyes showed longing.
Scented soap was the hottest commodity in the prefectural city. On the black market, twenty pieces could sell for two hundred taels of silver.
And it was not even certain you could buy them.
Especially the jasmine scented ones, which were rare.
His newly wedded concubine had long wanted one, but Deputy Captain Xiao had never obtained jasmine scented.
The concubine was currently favoured and had been unhappy for days over this.
If he took these soaps back, she would be overjoyed.
Giving a few pieces to his subordinates would make them even more obedient.
“Oh, old Xiao, sir says to take it, so take it. Why be so polite?”
Da Liu forced the box into Deputy Captain Xiao’s hands. “I messed up this time already. If you do not accept, how do I explain to sir?”
“Then I will accept without further refusal.”
Deputy Captain Xiao, hearing Da Liu say that, half-heartedly took the box.
Watching Deputy Captain Xiao leave, Jin Feng turned to Da Liu. “Have the kidnappers’ mouths been pried open?”
“No need to pry. They are two softies. They say whatever asked.”
Da Liu replied.
“So, what was asked out of them?”
“The kidnappers said the employer who hired them was always masked. They did not know what he looked like, only that his skills were very good. Definitely an expert.”
“Does that need them to say? Dodging A Lan’s two arrows and carrying Little North over a one-zhang-high wall, he is definitely no ordinary person.”
Jin Feng said, “What else was asked?”
“These two brothers are rough men. Afraid of retaliation, they did not dare look much at the masked man at the time.”
Da Liu said, “But the woman they hired to care for Little North said she glimpsed him in the carriage and saw a sesame-sized red mole at the tip of his left eyebrow.”
“A red mole only sesame-sized, right by the eyebrow. Impossible to notice without looking closely.”
Jin Feng said, “No good. The scope is too broad. We cannot scatter people on the streets staring at everyone’s eyebrows, right? Any other discoveries? Like height, build, voice, clothing style, what the eyes looked like.”
“This…”
Da Liu scratched his head, not knowing how to answer.
He was formerly just a big soldier from the mountains, could not even read. No special training. Leading men in fights or as a guard, he was adequate. Mind sharp enough.
But interrogating prisoners was like a tiger eating a hedgehog. No idea where to start.
“Forget it. Where are they locked up? I will go ask myself.”
Jin Feng had no energy left to be angry with this blockhead.
Just as he finished speaking, A Mei and Qing Mulan walked in from the door. “No need, sir. A Mei has already asked.”
“A Mei is reliable in handling things.”
Jin Feng praised happily and asked, “Any discoveries?”
“Yes,” A Mei said. “I asked A Lan. This person is at least five chi seven cun tall, weight around two hundred jin.”
“Still a tall giant!”
Jin Feng’s eyes narrowed at once.
Da Kang had no concept of metres yet, but units of length and weight were basically the same as his previous life. Five chi seven was about one metre ninety.
As the saying goes, the poor study literature, the rich practise martial arts. Poor families’ children could not even eat enough, no conditions to train bodies. Could only change fate through reading.
Only well-off families, with full bellies, had energy to practise martial arts.
Similar to white-collar workers in his previous life paying for gyms.
Jin Feng had never seen a migrant worker lifting dumbbells in a gym. With that strength, better to carry a few more bricks on site. Train and earn money at once.
Da Kang’s productivity was backward, material conditions scarce. Most common folk were not tall. The old blacksmith had good skills. Host as a child rarely went hungry, grew to about one metre seventy-eight. Already tall in Da Kang.
A burly man one metre ninety, over two hundred jin, walking in crowds would stand out like a crane among chickens. Visible from afar.
Search scope narrowed by ninety-nine percent at once.
