Golden Branch

"Nu Aman, Nu Jinniang, meet the young lady!"

Two teenage girls knelt down respectfully and saluted.

Wang Heng didn't look at them, but instead fixed her gaze on Lou Yu: "Brother, I have no shortage of people to serve me."

If they were guards, they both looked childish and thin, not strong and powerful.

Wang Heng didn't quite understand Lou Yu's approach.

"Ah Man, come and move the stone table!"

Lou Yu did not answer directly, but gave an order to the thin and dark girl named Ah Man.

The group was in the Begonia Courtyard of Wangjiazhuangzi.

Under the crabapple tree, there was a stone table and four stone benches, which were what Wang Heng was used to.

The stone table is carved from bluestone, which is solid, heavy and sturdy.

As for the weight, it is about 100 kilograms.

Daily cleaning and moving require the work of two or three adult servants.

The little girl named by Lou Yu was about eleven or twelve years old, only about one meter and five centimeters tall and weighed no more than eighty kilograms.

She is not even as heavy as the stone table, but Lou Yu wants her to lift it by herself?

Wang Heng knew that Lou Yu was not a person who would act recklessly.

Even if it's a prank, this isn't the way to do it.

So, this Ah Man——

Wang Heng guessed a possibility and did not speak to stop it.

"Yes!"

Ah Man agreed and came to the stone table. He grabbed the edge of the stone table with his two thin arms, gritted his teeth and exerted force, and actually lifted up the thick stone table.

Although it was a bit difficult and Ah Man's arms and legs were shaking slightly, he finally managed to get the stone table off the ground.

"Brother! She, she——" is a strong man?

Born with supernatural powers, perhaps a bit of an exaggeration.

But, his strength is definitely greater than that of ordinary people.

Not everyone can lift objects heavier than their own weight.

Moreover, Wang Heng could see that the girl was not in good health and must have been undernourished for years.

If she had eaten her fill and her body had grown normally, then the strength she could exert would definitely be greater than it is now.

"Okay, Ah Man, put it down!"

Lou Yu casually gave an order and then said to the dark and thin girl, "Did you hear what Jiu Niang said? Tell me yourself!"

Ah Man responded, let go of his hand, and with a dull thud, the stone table was placed back on the ground.

She clapped her hands, walked over to Wang Heng, and bowed, "Let the young lady know that I have always been strong since I was a child."

"When he was two or three years old, he could carry things weighing more than ten kilograms."

"When I was five or six, I could pull an ox. People said I had some brute strength, so my mother and I named me Ah Man!"

When talking about his own strength, Ah Man was quite proud.

She was the daughter of a farmer on a farm of the Lou family. Both her grandfather and father were farm slaves who worked in the fields.

In the countryside, strong labor is the foundation.

Being strong means that you can do more and heavier work and can support yourself and your family.

Ah Man's "brute force" allows her, a half-grown girl, to be used as a laborer, more capable than her brothers and sisters at home!

She does have reason to be proud.

But soon, thinking of something, Ah Man showed shame and uneasiness again: "It's just that I ate too much——"

One person can eat half a pot of rice, which is equivalent to the food rations of all brothers, sisters and other younger generations, and still not be full.

He is very strong and has a big appetite, which makes everyone in the family love and hate him.

At this point, Ah Man was afraid that the distinguished lady in front of her would dislike her like her family did, so she quickly made amends: "Well, lady, I, I just didn't eat enough, so I could only lift the table just now. If I, the slave, were full, I should be able to lift it!"

Ah Man tried hard to prove herself: Girl, don’t complain that I eat too much, I, I am very strong and I can work very well!

Wang Heng: ...Being able to eat is a blessing!

This is the "golden saying" that Wang Heng uses to shut everyone up.

Besides, Wang Heng's family is wealthy and powerful, so she is not afraid of having someone to eat.

In her opinion, how much could a dark and skinny little girl eat even if she let her stomach go?

Wang Heng looked Ah Man up and down, her eyes lingering on her flat stomach. "Ah Man, are you hungry now?"

"……Um!"

A'man hesitated a little, but still told the truth.

In fact, after she was taken to the Lou family fort by the manager, she ate much more than at home, and every meal included eggs, meat and other non-vegetarian food.

The kitchen stewardess wasn't like the grandmas and mothers, who would always mutter with a bitter face, "Eat less! Eat less! You've eaten all the rice, so what will your grandfather and your father eat?"

The housekeeper looked as if she wanted Ah Man to eat as much as she wanted, but Ah Man was afraid in her heart that she would eat too much and make the noble lady feel sorry for her and send her back home.

Her family really can't afford to support her!

So, even in the kitchen, with buckets of rice and pots of steamed cakes, Ah Man restrained herself.

For example, this morning, she only ate three bowls of rice, four steamed buns, and a few plates of vegetables, which made her only about 60% full.

Wang Heng's eyes widened. This skinny, dark girl ate more than her, but she looked much thinner than her.

"Um, Bai Shao, go to the kitchen and ask the chef to prepare more food."

Wang Heng made up her mind. She wanted to see how much Ah Man could eat if she let herself eat to her heart's content.

And how much strength would she have after she was full?

"……Yes!"

Bai Shao agreed and quickly went to the kitchen.

Ahem, she is curious too.

Looking at the skinny and dark girl who looked similar to me, the food she ate in one meal was equivalent to what she ate in a whole day.

The key is, I haven’t eaten enough!

Tsk, this guy must be a glutton, no wonder the family can’t afford to support him.

Bai Shao secretly complained to herself, and her feet seemed to have the wind, and she disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Bai Shao went to serve the meal, but the two young masters, Wang Heng and Lou Yu, would not just sit there and wait.

Lou Yu then called over another "female guard": "Ajiu, her name is Zhao Jinniang. She was originally a fisherman's daughter by the Yi River. Her father died and her mother was seriously ill, so she sold herself into slavery."

"She's an excellent swimmer and a fast runner. With her by your side, she can run errands on a regular basis, and if there's danger, she can rush out and deliver a message at the first opportunity!"

Wang Heng: ...good at swimming? Fast at running?

Her eyes flashed, thinking, "Brother, you haven't forgotten the "Yi River Incident" in May."

Well, okay, Wang Heng hasn’t forgotten either.

After all, when he was nine years old, it was the first time he fell into trouble, the first time he fell ill, and the first time he went crazy.

No one knew how scared Wang Heng was when she struggled to climb up the side of the boat and fell into the water with a splash that night.

While struggling in the water, she told herself more than once: As long as I get through this, I must lose weight and exercise well in the future.

Even if you cannot become a heroic female warrior, you should at least have some ability to protect yourself.

If I encounter danger again, I can save myself without relying on others.

However, the idea is good, but the reality is cruel.

After the incident, Wang Heng gradually recovered from her illness and began to prepare for exercise.

However, Wang Heng had been spoiled since she was born and really couldn't bear the hardship of tempering her body.

She could grit her teeth and bear it, but Lou Yu, Zheng Yi and others around her couldn't bear it anymore.

Wang Heng's skin is thin and extremely delicate. Even a slight touch will leave marks.

To temper your body, you will inevitably experience hardships and bumps.

After a round of training, Wang Heng's skin, which was as soft as tofu, was covered with bruises, purples, reds and swellings, which looked very scary.

Wang Heng is still fat. If she exercises too much, she will be out of breath and covered in sweat. She looks very pitiful.

"...Or, let's just forget it! That night was an accident!"

Zheng Yi couldn't hold on any longer. As the mastermind of the "turning the tables", she naturally knew that Wang Heng's fall into the water was an accident, but it was not an accident.

It was her deliberate "negligence" that put Jiu Niang in danger.

Zheng Yi thought that there was no need to be paranoid. She would not make decisions on her own again. Even if she had to design and lay out something, she would be fully prepared.

A young girl should be treated with respect and dignity. If she overworks herself, gets calluses on her hands, scars on her body, and then develops a body full of tendon muscles... she will be even scarier than a fat person.

A fat person can lose weight by just starving himself.

However, calluses, scars, etc. require medication to treat, and even using medication may leave marks.

What Zheng Yi wanted to see was a stunningly beautiful woman with an ethereal appearance, rather than a strong, robust and brave female villain.

Zheng Yi still had selfish motives, while Lou Yu was simply distressed: "Well, the fat girl is too delicate and can't bear such suffering at all!"

The point is, there's no need.

He neglected the matter of Yihe River. He only thought about giving the fat girl food and drink, but forgot to arrange a female guard for her.

As long as there are enough people around her, she can be protected even if she encounters danger again.

Instead of letting Wang Heng exercise on her own with injuries all over her body, it would be better to find a few reliable female guards.

From that day on, Lou Yu began to send people to look for a "suitable" candidate.

Even Wang Heng herself, after some painful thought, finally decided: Forget martial arts! I'm not cut out for it!

Amian is right. If you really can’t beat them, then just run away!

As long as she runs fast, she can avoid danger in the first place.

She doesn't even have to run faster than her enemies, as long as she's faster than her companions, she won't be hurt.

Of course, the last sentence is a joke.

...Since several parties disagreed, Wang Heng gave up practicing martial arts and just insisted on running every day.

After one or two months of training, Wang Heng was already able to easily run two laps around Wangjiazhuangzi.

Lou Yu also found a few Hu girls, and Wang Heng would dance with them in her spare time.

Wang Heng is still fat now, but has become very agile.

Wang Heng felt that if she were asked to climb a wall or flip over the side of a boat again, she wouldn't get stuck!

Zheng Yi had been sent away, and the connections she had secretly cultivated were quietly dealt with by Wang Heng.

Zheng Yi and her people will not have any influence on Wang Heng, whether beneficial or harmful.

Lou Yu found two female guards who were suitable for training.

Ah Man, who is naturally strong, can serve as a fighter and shield for Wang Heng.

A Zhao Jinniang, who is good at swimming and running fast, can be a runner or messenger.

They were slaves and the planned female guards, so Lou Yu naturally didn't feel sorry for them.

He will train them strictly according to the Lou family's method of raising secret guards.

They can not only accompany Jiu Niang as she grows up, but also learn skills to better protect her in the future!

"...Brother is really thoughtful."

Wang Heng collected her thoughts and brought her attention back.

She glanced at Zhao Jinniang, who was about eleven or twelve years old, also dark and thin.

But she has a slender figure, and her hands and legs are very long.

Her appearance is not stunning, but she is pretty.

Perhaps it was because he had just experienced a huge change in his family, and his childish face showed maturity and determination beyond his age.

"Since you are the one carefully selected by my brother, then stay!"

Zhao Jinniang was not like Ah Man. Her skills were also swimming and running. Wang Heng was not very interested in them and wanted to check them out for herself.

After all, Lou Yu would not harm her, and Lou Yu's vision was even more sharp, so the person he chose would definitely not have any problems.

Wang Heng didn't pay much attention to Zhao Jinniang, but Zhao Jinniang was secretly sizing up Wang Heng.

Is this the young lady on the pleasure boat that night?

The "daughter of Wang Changshi" mentioned by the thief?

That night, she lost her father and her family was broken up.

She ran to the governor's mansion to report the case regardless of anything, and later, she saw the retribution of the thief and the person behind the scenes.

When the leader of the Yi River bandits, Li Shishi and other corrupt officials and tyrants were taken to the street corner to be beheaded, Zhao Jinniang squeezed in front of the crowd and watched the heads fall to the ground one by one.

Blood was all over the bluestone floor, and the strong smell of blood made many onlookers feel uncomfortable.

Zhao Jinniang watched coldly. She did not close her eyes when the prisoner was beheaded, and she did not vomit when she smelled the blood in the air.

She was extremely calm, and her heart was filled with relief: Damn it! These people deserve to die! Yeah, you can finally rest in peace!

Afterwards, Zhao Jinniang watched the scenes of families being ransacked and exiled.

As the victim and witness of the case, Zhao Jinniang knows some inside information better than ordinary people:

The so-called water bandits were nothing more than corrupt officials like Li Shishi colluding with thieves to murder the Prince of Qi.

The little nobles on the pleasure boat are not victims like the murdered fishermen, but "baits" involved in the conspiracy.

They seemed to be robbed, but in fact they were all sent to a safe place, waiting for the plan to succeed.

What a pity, those who harm others will always be harmed!

Their plan failed and they all became prisoners.

They were once so well-dressed and unrestrained, but now they are all like animals, tied up, shouted at, and driven away.

Watching batches of prisoners being exiled, including the young men and ladies on the pleasure boats such as Lu Jialan, Zhao Jinniang felt indescribably happy.

And the Wang Jiuniang in front of us is probably one of the few "survivors" of the Yi River Incident.

Her father was not dismissed from office or beheaded, but was promoted instead.

She is still noble and decent, and she has become her own master!

Zhao Jinniang lowered her eyelids slightly, hiding her complicated expression.

She stood solemnly with her hands lowered, looking respectful and humble.

On the other side, the kitchen was ready. The housekeeper, the cook, the maids, etc., each carrying a food box, came to the Begonia Courtyard in a mighty procession.

"Ah Man, eat!"

Wang Heng's eyes were burning with anticipation, and she was truly looking forward to this thin girl's appetite...