The fishing village dock was brightly lit.
Upon hearing that A Ying had encountered sea pirates, the villagers were all on tenterhooks. They dropped their trivial chores and were eager to welcome her back.
Needless to say, Granny Sun and A Man had been waiting anxiously. Seeing Li Ying return safe and sound at last, they finally heaved a sigh of relief.
Commissioner Lin and his wife were also there. Seeing her unharmed, Mrs. Lin softened her expression. Stroking the pearl Buddhist beads in her hand, she said, "Amitabha. The Buddha is merciful. He has finally protected Miss Li."
Li Ying bowed to them. Zhang Lu and the others had already dragged the pirates onto the shore. Commissioner Lin frowned and went to deal with the thieves himself.
Du Zhong stumbled out of the crowd. His legs went weak, and he almost fell to the ground uncontrollably.
"Boss Li, it's all my negligence! If the knockout drug I gave you had been more effective, you would never have suffered such a great disaster!"
His expression was sincere, and he really seemed heart - stricken, not like he was faking it.
Li Ying helped him up and said softly, "Shopkeeper Du, don't blame yourself. Those sea pirates roam the seas and live a life on the edge of the sword. It's only natural that they are more vigilant and have seen different kinds of knockout drugs. It's really not your fault."
There were still many doubts in her mind. After simply exchanging a few words with the villagers, she hurriedly took Du Zhong back to question him.
"Shopkeeper Du, Deji Hall has always been in the business of saving people. May I ask where you got this knockout drug?"
Du Zhong told her everything he knew without reservation. He answered honestly, "Boss Li, you may not know. I was originally in a dilemma, not knowing how else I could help you. Coincidentally, Old Man Zheng from the donkey stable brought a batch of brand - new black donkey hides. When he heard about my trouble, he immediately took out the knockout drug for me."
Old Man Zheng?
Li Ying murmured the name and nodded softly.
"No wonder. Uncle Zheng was once the big boss of the horse caravan. Naturally, you would believe that the knockout drug he brought was of the highest quality."
Du Zhong was stunned for a moment and then nodded honestly.
Few people knew about Old Man Zheng's past.
After all, when he defected from Ping An Bank back then, he had a very ugly falling - out with the big boss. Moreover, after the bank encountered a great disaster, many well - informed employees were replaced.
So, now, there were very few people who could recognize the lame Old Man Zheng in the donkey stable as the second boss of Ping An Bank, who was once a powerful figure in the horse caravan.
If the horse caravan hadn't passed by the fishing village several times when transporting salt and grain back then, how could he, a mere shopkeeper of Deji Hall, have had the chance to see the elegance of Second Master Zheng?
That day, when Li Ying introduced him to Zheng Ji, he recognized the dejected old man at a glance and was so shocked that his jaw almost dropped.
Who could have imagined that after leaving Ping An Bank, Zheng Ji would end up in such a state!
Du Zhong was a nostalgic person. Even though everyone under the big boss now avoided mentioning Zheng Ji, he really couldn't bear to watch a hero decline. So he pretended to be ignorant and facilitated this cooperation.
Now, seeing Li Ying instantly recognize Zheng Ji's identity, Du Zhong thought that she must have won the trust of the big boss and got a glimpse of the past of Ping An Bank. He secretly felt lucky.
Fortunately, he had never treated Boss Li badly.
Li Ying looked at his reaction and secretly crossed Du Zhong's name off the list of suspects in her mind.
After seeing Du Zhong off and looking at the big and small packages of tonics he left behind, Li Ying frowned slightly.
If it wasn't Du Zhong who colluded with Lian Ji and tampered with the knockout drug, could it be Old Man Zheng?
Recalling the first time she met the old man, Li Ying still remembered that although he had a stubborn and old - fashioned temper, he was very kind and polite to her.
When the night market in the fishing village opened, just upon hearing a message from Lu Xunguang, the old man had come from afar despite his lame legs to perform the rolling lantern show to liven up the occasion for her.
Every move of his when they got along was vivid in her mind. Li Ying just couldn't believe that he had joined Lian Ji's side.
Li Ying took a deep breath, put on a cloak, led Wu Zhui, and rushed straight to the north of the town.
"Lian Ji, you look so furious and come here in the middle of the night. If I'm not wrong, you must have failed again, right?"
Zheng Ji was still leaning against the bluestone, stroking the bamboo pipe in his hand.
"Zheng Ji! Didn't you promise me that this time it would be absolutely foolproof? Why did that bitch manage to escape again! Don't try to deceive me with your sweet talk!"
The scratches on Lian Ji's face hadn't healed yet. Now, glaring angrily at Zheng Ji with her willow - like eyebrows standing on end, she tugged at the scabs on her cheeks, which made her grimace in pain and look even more hideous.
Li Ying quietly hid in the shadow of the trees, and her eyebrows furrowed even more tightly.
Zheng Ji hid the pipe in his bosom and snorted disdainfully.
"Lian Ji, I should be the one asking you this question."
"After all these years, your useless subordinates still haven't improved at all. I really should think carefully about whether I should continue to cooperate with you."
Hearing this, Li Ying felt as if she had fallen into an extremely cold ice cave, and her blood instantly turned cold.
Lu Xunguang lost his mother at a young age and had a strained relationship with his father. It was Old Man Zheng who accompanied him, taught him how to tame horses and hunt with falcons, and taught him all his skills.
In his heart, Uncle Zheng seemed even closer than his own father.
If he knew that Old Man Zheng had been two - faced and betrayed him...
Li Ying hardly dared to think about it any further.
When he first came to the fishing village, he had a cold face, as if nothing in the world could attract him.
Now, this man had finally let down his guard a bit. If he suddenly learned that he had been stabbed in the back by someone close to him...
"Which little mouse is eavesdropping? Why don't you come out?"
Just as Li Ying was in a complete mess, she suddenly saw Zheng Ji turn his head in her direction.
She simply stopped pretending and stood out straightforwardly.
Li Ying took a deep breath and still bowed to him. Lian Ji beside her, seeing this, laughed triumphantly.
"You're really impatient. I was just about to go find you, but I didn't expect you to come to me on your own initiative."
Li Ying didn't bother to waste words with Lian Ji. She just stared steadily at Old Man Zheng.
"Uncle Zheng."
Her eyes were like a sharp arrow, shooting straight at Old Man Zheng, as if waiting for him to give her an explanation.
Zheng Ji didn't look at her. He just said indifferently, "Girl, since you've heard it with your own ears, don't keep asking questions."
"A smart person should know when to stop."
He didn't even prepare to defend himself. This frank attitude made Li Ying even more suspicious.
"Uncle Zheng, you don't need to play along with this woman. Maybe I'm not her match now..."
Before she could finish her sentence, Lian Ji laughed maniacally towards the sky.
"Play along? Li Ying, stop your naive daydreaming!"
"Brother Zheng and Ping An Bank are already on bad terms. Now you're a guest of my husband. How could he be honest with you? It's you who's being kept in the dark like a fool!"
She shouted arrogantly. Li Ying remained silent and just stared at Zheng Ji with her eyes.