"Professor Sanruwi, is this... did I win?" Minnie stared at the board for a few seconds and asked in disbelief.
Sanruwi put down the piece in his hand and nodded. "You won."
"I actually won." Minnie couldn't help smiling, then said, "It's because you were distracted. That's the only reason I won."
Was it that obvious? Sanruwi closed his eyes and leaned against the carriage wall without replying.
He had rarely stayed at home in recent years.
The longest time was when his mother passed away, and he stayed for more than half a month.
After that, he left like he was escaping.
He even found an excuse not to return when Roxanna got married.
Thinking of this, Sanruwi gave a bitter smile.
He wondered if Roxanna resented him for it.
Why did Sanruwi seem unhappy about going home?
Even someone as slow as Minnie could sense it.
She didn't dare to ask him directly.
When they got off for a break, she quietly asked Jax.
"Well…" Jax looked troubled. "You'll understand when you get to Ningshui."
"Huh?"
Could it be that Sanruwi didn't get along with his family, and even all of Ningshui knew?
"Just don't bring it up in front of Sanruwi."
Jax whispered, "This is probably the thing he cares about the most besides his looks."
"I know, I know." Minnie nodded quickly.
Good thing she held back and didn't ask, or she would've been in trouble again.
"Young Master, are we continuing or…?" Shuran asked Sanruwi.
If they kept going, they might reach Ningshui by evening.
If they rested, it would be tomorrow.
Sanruwi didn't answer right away.
After a long pause, he said, "We'll stay here tonight.
We'll continue in the morning."
So he still minds after all, Shuran thought to himself.
"This is Ningshui." Minnie lifted the curtain and looked out.
"This city gate looks even bigger than Feng City's."
"Miss Minnie, you might not know.
Ningshui is considered the biggest city besides the capital."
Shuran said, "Really?"
Minnie looked again at the approaching gate.
"Ningshui has a seaport.
Maritime trade is booming, and there are many goods here that the capital doesn't have."
Shuran got a bit excited talking about his hometown, and his words increased.
"In recent years, many foreigners have come to Ningshui for business too."
"I heard they're from places like Liu Island and Li Island. Those people are strange…"
When Jax heard Shuran mention the port, he glanced at Minnie.
Seeing her smiling without any odd reaction, he relaxed.
The line to enter the gate was long, and it moved slowly.
Minnie got impatient waiting, so she crawled out of the carriage and sat next to Jax, chatting.
"Do they check people when entering the city?"
"They do, but normally it's not strict. Just a glance."
"If they're being this detailed today, something must've happened."
"What kind of thing?"
"There might've been a case in the city."
"The authorities could be looking for thieves or something."
"Oh, then how do they check?"
Do they look at ID cards?
What were ancient ID cards?
Minnie was curious.
"They usually check travel permits."
"What's a travel permit?"
Jax paused. "You don't have one?"
Minnie shook her head. "No."
Jax suddenly remembered Minnie's identity.
If she wanted to stay long in Ningshui without a travel permit, it might be troublesome.
He climbed back into the carriage and explained the situation to Sanruwi.
"It's not a big deal.
We'll get her a travel permit and household registration later."
"I'm afraid it won't be that easy."
Jax disliked dealing with officials.
Sanruwi took out a jade pendant from his robe and showed it to Jax.
Jax's eyes lit up. "Rhett gave it to you?"
Sanruwi nodded.
"Next time I see Master, I'm definitely asking for a few tokens too."
Jax muttered, "With this jade pendant, Sanruwi could practically do whatever he wanted in most parts of Huaguo."
No wonder he dared challenge the Sixth Princess.
When it was their turn for inspection, a young man about the same age as Shuran jumped out.
"Officer, this is our Sanruwi family's carriage."
"Yes, yes, you've said that dozens of times already."
The officer replied, but still lifted the curtain.
"Young Master Sanruwi, sorry for the trouble."
Sanruwi nodded and let him inspect.
Minnie didn't dare move.
She had just realized she was technically undocumented.
She had no ID.
Ugh, she'd always been a law-abiding citizen.
Although the officer was surprised to see a woman inside, he didn't make things difficult and soon let them pass.
Minnie patted her chest and let out a long breath.
"That scared me."
"What are you scared of?"
Sanruwi glanced at her.
"What if he arrested me?"
Minnie looked miserable.
"I don't have a permit."
Seeing her pitiful expression, Sanruwi found it amusing.
He didn't tell her that getting a travel permit was nothing for him.
Watching her act like a frightened bird along the way filled him with a dark kind of joy.
"Something happened in the city?" Jax asked Yno.
Since Yno and Shuran had accompanied Sanruwi during medical studies, Jax recognized him.
"I heard a few pirates got in."
Maritime trade brought profit, but also pirates.
When they couldn't rob ships, they harassed coastal towns.
"Pirates?"
Jax frowned.
"How did they get into the city?"
"They probably sneaked ashore at night in small boats."
"They killed two guards."
"The authorities are catching them now."
"When did this happen?"
"This level of inspection has been going on for three days."
Three days.
Not too long, not too short.
If the pirates hadn't escaped, they were hiding.
Once they changed their clothes, they'd be hard to find.
If they were only after money, that was fine.
But if they were desperate, it could get dangerous.
Jax grew uneasy.
"Young Master, Miss originally wanted to come greet you."
"But after what happened, Master and the others didn't dare let her leave the house."
Yno explained, afraid Sanruwi would feel upset.
No wonder there were barely any women on the streets, Minnie thought.
There were already so few women.
If one got hurt for no reason, it'd be a huge deal.
Sanruwi didn't respond, so no one knew if he heard.
The Sanruwi family had lived in Ningshui for over a hundred years.
Their ancestors ran Yuqing Hall, which had become a well-known traditional medicine shop.
Because they'd always been charitable, their reputation was strong.
Business had also kept growing.
The Sanruwi residence wasn't in the same location as the medicine shop.
It was the family's ancestral home.
As the business expanded, it had been renovated and enlarged in recent years.
The moment the carriage stopped in front of the Sanruwi residence, the gate opened.
A woman in light-colored clothing ran out first.
"Brother Sanruwi, Brother Sanruwi."
Minnie saw clearly from inside the carriage that Sanruwi paused mid-step when he heard the voice, then got out.
"Brother Sanruwi!"
Roxanna lit up when she saw him step out and rushed forward.
Her voice choked. "You finally came back."
Sanruwi stiffened, then gently patted her back.
"You're a grown woman.
Don't act like a child. People will laugh."
Roxanna stepped back and smiled sheepishly, wiping her eyes with a handkerchief.
She bowed slightly to Jax and said, "Young Master Jax, thank you for bringing Brother Sanruwi home."
Jax returned the gesture.
"Miss Roxanna, no need to thank me.
It's only right."
Roxanna looked at Minnie but didn't greet her right away.
She kept staring, her smile growing wider.
Sanruwi cleared his throat and said to Minnie, "This is my tenth sister, Roxanna.
She's the one managing the household now."
Minnie looked at the young woman in front of her and felt impressed.
She was already in charge of the family?
That's amazing.
Before Minnie could say anything, Roxanna stepped forward and warmly took her hand.
"Hello, Sister Minnie."
She smiled, "It's your first time in Ningshui. You might not be used to it yet."
"If anything's not to your liking, just let me know.
Treat this place like your home."
"Uh, okay, thank you."
Minnie glanced at Sanruwi as she spoke.
Behind Roxanna stood a young man in his twenties, wearing a sky-blue long robe and a jade crown on his head.
He looked elegant and relaxed.
Smiling, he said, "My wife, the weather's hot.
Why don't you invite Brother Sanruwi and our guests inside to rest?"
"They must be tired from traveling."
He was Biyon, Roxanna's official husband, married less than half a year ago.
"I was so happy I got confused." Roxanna quickly pulled Sanruwi's hand and walked into the house while calling Jax and Minnie to come in too.
When Roxanna stood next to Sanruwi, anyone with eyes would say they looked like siblings. Their facial features were similar, but Roxanna was the simple version, and Sanruwi was the refined one. Roxanna was beautiful on her own, but when standing next to Sanruwi, she was overshadowed.
Very few women could outshine Sanruwi. Minnie saw Roxanna and finally understood why Sanruwi cared so much about his looks and didn't want to go home.
If your family had a woman who looked like you and kept reminding you that you had a woman's face, it wouldn't be pleasant. If he and Roxanna had switched places, it might have been even better.
Everyone sat down in the main hall, and soon the servants brought in tea. Biyon picked up a cup from the tray and handed it to Sanruwi respectfully, saying, "Brother Sanruwi, please have some tea."
Sanruwi looked at him, then at Roxanna. Roxanna stood beside her husband and said, "Brother Sanruwi, when we got married you weren't home. Biyon didn't serve you tea, so today we're making up for it."
Sanruwi reached out, took the teacup, and took a sip.
Biyon quietly breathed out in relief. Roxanna cared a lot about this brother, and if Sanruwi didn't accept him, she'd be in a tough spot.
Roxanna smiled and gently held Biyon's hand.
Sanruwi put down the cup and said, "I missed your wedding, so I'm giving you your gift now. I don't know if you'll like it."
As he spoke, Shuran handed over a wooden box. Sanruwi took it and gave it to Biyon.
Biyon opened it and saw a pair of jade pendants shaped like paired fish. The jade was warm and delicate, clearly high quality.
Roxanna beamed. "Thank you, Brother Sanruwi. I love it."
Sanruwi nodded. "I hope you have a long and happy marriage. When you two are well, the Bai family can truly prosper."
Biyon and Roxanna responded together, "Yes."
After the tea ceremony, Roxanna and Biyon finally took their seats. Roxanna, now head of the Bai family, naturally sat in the main seat, with Biyon sitting beside her.
"Father and the others went to the medicine hall. They won't be back until dinner. Brother Sanruwi, are you hungry? Should we eat now?"
Sanruwi nodded.
Since the elders weren't around, the meal was more relaxed. Roxanna kept putting food on Sanruwi's plate and sometimes smiled at Minnie and Jax, telling them to eat more. She even forgot to take care of her own husband.
After the meal, they had tea. Roxanna said, "Brother Sanruwi, your room is ready. You've had a long journey. Why don't you go freshen up and rest?"
Sanruwi put down his cup. "In a while, I'll take Minnie to the government office to register her residence."
Roxanna paused in surprise. "Sister Minnie is going to get household registration? I'll come with you."
Biyon opened his mouth to speak but didn't get the chance before Sanruwi said, "There are still pirates out there. Better you stay home."
"But…"
"Jax will come with us. You have someone get your invitation card and let them know first." Sanruwi turned to Jax. "It's not safe outside. You should stay at the Bai house too."
Jax smiled and agreed.
Roxanna thanked him repeatedly. She knew Jax was capable. Having him stay at the Bai house meant more protection.