An eight-year-old kid emptied his scumbag father's warehouse and followed his grandparents into

The two yamen runners stood motionless on the shore, nor did they reach out to take the pass that Chongsan handed over from afar.

They just glanced at the boat quietly and looked carefully at the waterline outside the hull.

The traces of the waterline clearly recorded the position of the boat in the water. The head yamen runner seemed particularly interested in these details. He frowned slightly, as if thinking about something.

After a while, he suddenly said, "Put the pedal down." His voice was not loud, but it carried unquestionable majesty.

Upon hearing the order, one of the two boatmen, who were holding the bamboo poles to stabilize the bow, quickly threw the bamboo pole onto the deck and walked quickly to the railing. He untied the step tied to the railing, and then, together with the other boatman, laboriously moved the step to the bow.

The step was more than a foot wide and five or six feet long, looking very sturdy. Seeing this, Ah Qi quickly bent down and helped the boatmen to move the step sideways towards the shore.

As the pedals moved, the boat shook slightly, making a slight "creaking" sound.

Chongsan's hand tightly grasped the pass, his palms slightly sweaty. He watched all this nervously, silently praying that the yamen runners would leave quickly.

After helping the boatman, Ah Qi stepped back. He had noticed Chongsan's nervousness. On the surface, he seemed to be making way for the two yamen runners, but in fact, he took the opportunity to gently nudge Chongsan's right shoulder with his arm.

Although this small action was subtle, it conveyed an important message: Chongsan should keep his composure and act accordingly. Ah Qi still stood in front of Chongsan, blocking half of his body, as if using his body to shield him from the wind and rain, and also giving him a reassurance.

The two yamen runners boarded the ship, but ignored the pass in Chongsan's hand. They first glanced at the four men, their eyes filled with scrutiny and vigilance. Then, they walked along the two sides of the deck and along the passage to the back.

The little henchman not only watched, but also took action. He walked to the door of the utility room, pushed it open with force, and looked inside. After coming out, he walked to the stove and reached out to lift the lid of the empty pot on the stove.

Finally, his eyes fell on a large wooden basin with dozens of pounds of meat left in it. He pointed at the meat, frowned, and asked knowingly, "What is this?"

Chongsan quickly stepped forward, with a humble smile on his face, and replied, "The night before last, I asked my brothers to have a feast in Jianning County. They slaughtered a wild boar from the restaurant, and this is the remaining half." There was a hint of flattery in his tone, trying to ease the tense atmosphere.

The little minion snorted, squinted his eyes and glared at Chongsan with disdain in his tone: "You guys know how to enjoy yourself." There seemed to be both jealousy and ridicule in his eyes, as if he was saying that these soldiers were ignorant of the world and dared to be so extravagant.

Chongsan didn't care at all. He smiled and said, "Who knew that wild boars in Jianning County were so cheap? You can buy a wild boar for two or three taels of silver. My brothers all said that if there are still such goods when we go back, we must catch a few more." There was a hint of excitement in his voice, as if he was telling an interesting story and reminiscing about the deliciousness of the meal.

The little minions snorted again, looking up and not looking at him anymore. He didn't know whether they were mocking them for being worldly-wise, or saying they were wishful thinking, or perhaps out of jealousy.

He took one last look at the remaining large basin of fish. The fish were quite large and looked very fresh. He muttered, "When did the fish in Jianning County get so big? Boss, should we go over there someday and have a feast?"

As soon as he finished speaking, his boss turned around and scolded him, "When have you ever been wronged by your mouth?" The boss' tone was full of reproach. The little henchman scratched his head, stopped talking, and continued to follow his boss.

Ah Qi and Chong San followed them all the time. When they saw the head of the yamen runners stop at the door of the compartment where Ah Qi lived, their hearts tightened again.

The head of the yamen runners stepped in and was choked by the smoke as soon as he stuck his head out. He immediately took two steps back, with an unhappy expression on his face, and said a little unhappily: "Is this how you manage your soldiers in Xunyang? Be careful that you get killed as a warning to others over there, and don't blame our boss for not giving you face." There was a warning in his tone, implying that they had violated certain rules.

Chongsan hurried forward, nodded and smiled apologetically, his tone full of respect: "There were two guys who didn't know their place. They stole the boatman's hookah last night to satisfy their cravings. They have been punished by our military sticks. You must be careful next time." He tried to explain clearly to avoid causing unnecessary trouble.

The yamen runners walked along the corridor, peeking into each compartment they came across, but not stepping inside. They saw the soldiers inside, all sitting respectfully on their beds. Whenever the yamen runners peeked in, they immediately stood at attention. All were neatly dressed, their movements standard, exactly as soldiers should be. Seeing this, the yamen runners turned and walked back.

The chief yamen runner was walking in front and suddenly asked, "Why are you still wearing a military uniform?" There was confusion in his voice.

Chongsan refused to say anything, thinking it would be safer for Seven to speak alone, so as not to reveal the truth. In his opinion, it was not his turn to speak when Seven was around.

Ah Qi also noticed this, and seeing that he no longer stood up, he smiled slightly and responded: "Everyone over there has withdrawn, so how dare they show off in military uniforms? We were assigned a mission and changed into them after getting on the ship." There was a hint of helplessness in his tone as he explained the situation in Xunyang City and informed them of their current situation.

As Ah Qi answered, the chief yamen runner kept staring at him. Ah Qi added, "It's not peaceful over there, but it's still calm. There's no trouble." His voice was firm, trying to convince the yamen runner of his words.

After hearing this, the chief yamen runner nodded, seeming to be satisfied with this explanation.

The four of them returned to the deck, and both men breathed a sigh of relief when they saw they were almost at the stepping stone.

Chongsan respectfully handed over the pass again, and this time the chief yamen runner waved his hand, signaling the errand boy to take it. Chongsan's heart was filled with anticipation, thinking that they were about to get off the boat.

However, at this moment, the chief yamen runner turned his head and headed towards the second-floor stairs without saying a word. Ah Qi hurriedly followed him, his heart full of confusion and uneasiness.

Chongsan stood there casually, blocking the path of the minion. He thought the minion would follow him up to the second floor, but he suddenly caught a glimpse of the soldier guarding the entrance to the lower warehouse, and a hint of interest flashed in his eyes.

The little henchman sidled around Chongsan in a few steps and walked over, frightening him so much that he thought something was wrong. He subconsciously touched the dagger at his waist, feeling extremely nervous, but he didn't dare to act rashly.

He hurriedly followed, trying to stop the minions from taking any further action.

Once the warehouse was opened, more than 30 fine horses were exposed. If they saw it, it would definitely arouse suspicion. It would be fine if the county government sent a few dozen people to support them, but if it was a cavalry, it would be unbelievable, especially in such an unstable time.