Jian Zhaoxing

Chapter 256 This Goose Is Not That Goose

She had already been planning to find the "goose" before, so she went along with it and ordered a dish with "goose" in it, hoping to get some information out of the waiter.

She did manage to get some information out of him, but it was completely different from what she wanted.

Lin Zhiqing laid out the Xuan paper again and used charcoal to heavily circle the two characters "white goose".

Besides representing the animal goose, the character for goose also seems to be able to be broken down.

Lin Zhiqing thought about it briefly and realized that the character "goose" had four other interpretations.

First, it has symbolic meaning, representing loyalty and trustworthiness.

Secondly, geese were often used as important gifts in some ancient betrothal ceremonies.

Third, military applications: In ancient armies, the goose's keen hearing was sometimes used to anticipate enemy attacks.

Fourth, it is a name.

However, the first three interpretations do not seem to connect with Zheng Kuo or his son's words.

After writing it down, Lin Zhiqing crossed out the first three options, keeping only the name option.

She broke down the character for "goose" into three parts: "white," "I," and "bird."

After thinking for a long time, I still had no clue.

She temporarily focused her attention on the possibility of a name.

A white goose? Would anyone actually call that?

The possibility is small, but not impossible.

Lin Zhiqing sighed. Just then, Lin Yangyang returned.

She seemed to be in a good mood, but Lin Zhiqing was clearly very troubled, and her smile disappeared.

There is no doubt that things have reached a stalemate.

They left in a hurry, and at most had only one day to return to Shengjing. Lin Zhiqing didn't want to waste any time.

"Cousin, let's look around for anything related to willow trees, and also keep an eye out for anyone named White Goose."

Lin Zhiqing was certain that these two clues pointed to Zheng Kuo's whereabouts, but they were not as simple as they seemed.

Lin Yangyang immediately agreed: "Okay."

As soon as the two stepped out of the inn, they saw the little beggar outside.

"Hey? You silly boy, aren't you home yet?" Lin Yangyang called out.

The little beggar ran over with bright eyes: "Brother, are you going out again? I can take you out; I know this area very well."

His cheekbones rose, and his eyes relaxed naturally, carrying a hint of probing, as if afraid of being rejected:
"I don't want the coins anymore. You've been so kind to me, and I want to repay you."

Having confirmed that the person in front of her had no ill intentions, Lin Zhiqing nodded slightly: "Take us to see if there are any unusual trees or herbs around here."

If she and Lin Yangyang were to search for it, it would be as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack. He had originally planned to hire a guide.

But she had a good impression of the little beggar in front of her.

Furthermore, he wandered around Yongqing County all day long, so he must have been extremely familiar with the surrounding area.

A beggar knows his surroundings better than anyone else.

Seeing that Lin Zhiqing had agreed, the little beggar nodded happily, seemingly knowing what was going on, and led the others into the alley.

He was still just a child... Lin Zhiqing and Lin Yangyang followed him for half an hour, during which they constantly guided him with words.

The little penguin naturally focused its journey on the willow tree and the white goose.

Yongqing County is not large. After another two hours, Lin Zhiqing had looked at almost all the willow trees and white geese, but he could not see anything different.

After ruling out the literal meanings of those two things, Lin Zhiqing focused his attention on people.

Before she could think for long, the little beggar stopped in a secluded place.

His face flushed slightly as he touched his head. "Sister, is this the place you're looking for?"

Lin Yangyang didn't notice anything amiss. He frowned and looked around, and saw a rather elegant-looking room hidden away.

The area in front of the house looked very lively.

Lin Yangyang asked curiously, "Wanliu Pavilion, what kind of place is that?" The little beggar seemed hesitant to speak, his voice barely audible.

"Previously...previously, many wealthy people came to Yongqing County and would ask us to lead them to Wanliu Pavilion for entertainment. Our boss said that the people inside are the most beautiful."

"You've been talking about willow trees all along, so you must be looking for this place."

So this place is... a brothel?
Lin Yangyang had spent her childhood wandering around and had heard of such places.

She understood that the little beggar had mistaken them for shy young masters, which was why the misunderstanding had occurred, so she spoke up to explain:
"we are not……"

“Cousin!” Lin Zhiqing interrupted Lin Yangyang with a sharp look in her eyes, staring intently at the little beggar with clear eyes: “What did you call us just now?”

The little beggar was startled, and seemed to realize that he had said something wrong, so he subconsciously covered his mouth.

After being reminded by her, Lin Yangyang, who had an extremely slow reaction time, also realized that they were currently dressed as men.

Furthermore, after Lin Zhiqing applied makeup, most people couldn't tell that she was a woman, let alone a child.

But the little beggar had just called them "sister".

The smile on Lin Yangyang's face vanished completely. She looked at the little beggar with a wary expression and shielded Lin Zhiqing behind her.

Seeing their actions, the little beggar's face turned pale, and he began to tremble all over: "I..."

He choked for a long time, unable to speak.

"Who exactly sent you, and what is your purpose in approaching us?" Lin Yangyang exuded a chilling aura.

The little beggar's pupils trembled, he bit his lip, shook his head slightly, and his brows furrowed together. This was a wronged expression and gesture, full of childish innocence, as if he was afraid they would ignore him.

His behavior didn't seem like that of someone with ill intentions.

Lin Zhiqing sensed a misunderstanding, patted Lin Yangyang's hand, and then looked at the little beggar:

"How did you know our identities? Give me a reasonable explanation, or I will kill you."

These words were spoken bluntly and with unwavering certainty, and the little beggar's lips began to tremble, tears welling up in his eyes:
"I... I just saw a flaw in this woman and analyzed it." He pointed at Lin Yangyang, pouting.

"Me?" Lin Yangyang pointed to herself, looking incredulous. "How is that possible? How did you figure it out?"

Due to her personality, Lin Yangyang's usual behavior is quite different from that of a typical woman.

She could believe to some extent that he recognized Lin Zhiqing.

But Lin Zhiqing did not question this. She looked at the little beggar and said, "Go on."

"When this woman grabbed me in front of the manor, she used coordination and skill to exert force, while men usually use their muscles to do so." He was referring to Lin Yangyang.

"Furthermore, this woman doesn't seem to have any reservations when she has physical contact with you."

"For example, when I stopped you behind me, I just grabbed your wrist. Men don't usually do things like that."

“You were speaking very close together.”

He pointed out all the unusual things Lin Yangyang had done in one go.

Lin Yangyang touched her head; she knew that these points were all correct.

Lin Zhiqing became more and more interested as she listened.

The little beggar's facial expression wasn't lying; he was telling the truth.

Lin Yangyang habitually disguises her actions or expressions to make herself look more like a man, but she is unaware of this.

She was unprepared for her behavior and expressions.

This little beggar was very observant, and even after he knew something, he didn't point it out. He was indeed clever.

She did think of her own method of discerning minds; if possible…

"Yan Yu, I'm here to see Yan Yu. He really thinks he's something special, daring to defy me..."

An argument interrupted Lin Zhiqing's thoughts.

Yan Yu?

Upon hearing the name, a flash of inspiration struck her.

So that’s it!
This goose is not that goose!