A Three Inch Adorable Wife Hidden in the Sleeve of the Chu King

Chapter 17

"A ghost-catcher?" Xie Xun noticed that Jiang Xiaoxiao was dozing off and lowered his voice. "I've never heard of such a thing."

Chen Sixi became curious. "Then what are you two going to the county town for?"

"Some business."

"Oh, I..." Chen Sixi was about to say something.

Xie Xun cut him off. "If you have anything to say, we can talk about it when we get to the town."

Upon hearing this, Chen Sixi had no choice but to close his mouth.

Although he was a chatterbox, having no one to talk to on the journey made him feel stifled.

But who was he to complain when his life-saver Jiang Xiaoxiao was sitting in the same carriage?

The two remained silent until the donkey cart entered the county town, with the noisy sounds of the busy streets filtering in from outside.

Jiang Xiaoxiao opened her eyes.

"We're here," said Xie Xun.

Jiang Xiaoxiao nodded and was about to get off the carriage with Xie Xun.

Suddenly, a commotion arose not far ahead.

Soon after, they saw an old man wearing a gray robe running swiftly towards them, as if his feet were greased.

Behind him, a woman wielding a cleaver was in hot pursuit.

The woman looked ferocious, chasing him while cursing loudly, "Gu Ergou, how dare you hide your private savings! I'm going to chop you up!"

The old man, called "Gu Ergou," seemed accustomed to being chased by the cleaver, deftly dodging the people on the street.

He had intended to turn into a side alley.

But he hadn't expected a donkey cart to be parked there.

Before he could stop, he collided with the cart with a "bang."

Fortunately, he wasn't knocked unconscious.

He nimbly jumped onto the donkey cart and climbed into the carriage, then promptly instructed the driver Chen Sixi, "My good man, please help me avoid my wife."

Chen Sixi couldn't help but grimace.

When he saw that woman, the first thing that came to his mind was the female disciple from Mount Cangwu that his father wanted him to marry.

He was only sixteen years old, yet he didn't have the agility of the old man. If he were to be chased and hacked at like that in the future, wouldn't he be doomed?

Thinking of this, Chen Sixi broke out in a cold sweat before he was even married.

Inside the carriage, Xie Xun, Jiang Xiaoxiao, and the suddenly appeared old man exchanged glances.

The old man flashed a polite and courteous smile. "Pardon me, but the situation is urgent, and I've borrowed your carriage for a moment."

Jiang Xiaoxiao didn't say a word, while Xie Xun gave the old man a few extra glances before falling silent as well.

Chen Sixi couldn't help but ask, "Hey, old sir, was that woman just now your..."

"My wife," the old man said.

Chen Sixi clicked his tongue. "She's so fierce. How can you still live with her?"

"Ah, my good man, you speak too rashly," the old man sat up straight. "A wife may occasionally throw a tantrum, but us husbands must be more tolerant. It won't escalate, it won't escalate."

This was the first time Chen Sixi had heard someone describe being afraid of his wife in such a refreshing and elegant manner.

"Your wife has a rather...unique way of throwing tantrums," Chen Sixi remarked.

After talking to Chen Sixi, the old man looked over Xie Xun and Jiang Xiaoxiao.

"Young man, where are you two headed?" the old man asked Xie Xun.

"Just wandering around," Xie Xun replied.

From behind the donkey cart, the woman's enraged voice rang out, "Gu Ergou! How dare you hide from me? Get down here right now!"

The old man leaned out the window and shouted back, "Don't worry, my dear. I'm just taking a stroll and will be back soon."

Chen Sixi was genuinely afraid that the woman would catch up and hack his donkey cart to pieces.

"Old sir, why don't I pull over and let you off? If there's anything, you should talk it over with your wife."

"No need, no need," the old man replied cheerfully. "Just keep driving, young man. I'll treat you to some tea once things have settled down."

With everyone on the street staring at a crazy woman chasing and slashing at a donkey cart with a cleaver, how could Chen Sixi stay calm?

He trembled as he shouted, "Xie Xun, say something, will you!"

Xie Xun said, "The donkey cart is yours. If you want to stop, stop. If you want to go, go. No one can stop you."

With that tone, how could Chen Sixi dare to stop?

He could only keep whipping the donkeys' backs.

Donkeys were not horses, after all, and could never run as fast.

Yet the old man remained calm, parting the curtain to precisely direct Chen Sixi in avoiding obstacles, gradually leading them into the alleys until they finally shook off the woman.

The donkey cart eventually stopped in front of a small teahouse that didn't have too many customers.

Chen Sixi was shaken up, his forehead and back drenched in cold sweat.

When he turned and saw the old man disembarking calmly and nonchalantly, he felt somewhat disgruntled.

The old man seemed to know every pothole, wooden post, crowded area, safe passage, and secure alleyway like the back of his hand.

How many times must he have been chased and hacked at to gain such familiarity?

"My friends, I promised to treat you to tea, and this is the place," the old man said after dismounting, his tone courteous and scholarly.

No one could have imagined that just a moment ago, he was being pursued and hacked at on the streets by his wife.

Chen Sixi remained silent, looking towards Xie Xun and Jiang Xiaoxiao as they disembarked.

"Thank you," Xie Xun said.

A smile appeared on the old man's face. "This way, please."

The teahouse was located deep in the alley, not as lively as those on the main streets where one could listen to tunes or storytelling.

This place was exceptionally quiet.

But it had one advantage – it was clean.

At a glance, although there weren't many furnishings, everything was neat and orderly.

The few customers spoke softly, not causing any disturbance, making the atmosphere feel comfortable.

The old man must have been a regular here, as the waiter, upon seeing him, didn't ask any questions and simply arranged for them to sit in an inner private room.

Since the old man offered to treat, he went to the counter himself and ordered a pot of tea, a plate of salted peanuts, and a plate of braised duck tongues.

While the old man was away, Chen Sixi whispered to Xie Xun, "Do you think he'll want to ride our cart back later?"

Xie Xun couldn't be bothered to discuss such matters with him. "He treats you as a carriage driver, so take his money."

"Yeah, right!" Chen Sixi sneered. "Didn't you hear what that crazy woman said? The old man was hiding his private savings. If I take his money, and it's from his secret stash, I might be the one getting hacked at!"

At this point, he became fearful again. "If you ask me, we shouldn't even drink this tea. Why don't we sneak away while he's still not back? We don't know him anyway, so let's just consider this my bad luck for not checking the almanac before going out."

He then looked towards Jiang Xiaoxiao. "Master, could you take a look and see if I've offended some evil spirits lately?"

Otherwise, how could he have such rotten luck from the moment he stepped out?

Jiang Xiaoxiao said, "You've offended the spirit of excessive talking. Keep your mouth shut, and it'll be resolved."

It took Chen Sixi a while to realize that Jiang Xiaoxiao was calling him a blabbermouth.

He had to swallow the words he was about to say, but he couldn't sit still and peeked his head out of the private room.

He saw the old man standing at the counter, talking to the shopkeeper.

Although Chen Sixi couldn't hear what they were saying, he could tell from the shopkeeper's demeanor that he was being very respectful towards the old man.

Chen Sixi was puzzled. "This old man's dressed so plainly, and there's nothing special about him. Could he be some important figure?"

"No, no!" He then refuted his own speculation. "That crazy woman called him Gu Ergou. What important person would have such a lowly name? That would be demeaning."

Xie Xun, unusually, didn't remain silent and continued the conversation, speaking slowly, "The Dean of Luming Academy."

Chen Sixi was stunned. "???"