Chapter 26: Pinggui, the Hero, Saves the Beauty

Deep autumn, the roadside was littered with fallen leaves, the forest was desolate, and the scene was bleak.

Since Xue Pinggui had taken his sister Xue Qi from the Wei Mansion, they had nowhere to stay in the city and could only live in a dilapidated temple with Ge Da and his group of beggars.

Xue Qi had previously lived in a village at the foot of the mountain. Although her family was not wealthy, they had enough to eat and wear. Suddenly, she lost her beloved father, and she was in a very heavy mood, having fallen into such a state with her brother.

She couldn’t get used to the food they begged for, and Ge Da and his men could only use their meager copper coins to buy her some steamed buns, cakes, and pastries to fill her stomach.

One day, Ge Da caught a cold, and they didn’t have any medicine. Ge Da’s younger brothers wanted to go into the city to beg for medicine, but Ge Da stopped them. He told them that there was a small mountain ten miles west of the suburbs, where there were herbs that could cure colds.

Xue Pinggui immediately took his men to the mountain to collect herbs.

They climbed halfway up the mountain and collected a lot of herbs. Besides the ones for treating Ge Da, there were also many precious herbs. Xue Pinggui thought that since Wei Bao was targeting him and wouldn’t allow anyone in the capital to hire him, he could always sell herbs to the pharmacy.

No matter what, he had to make his sister live a good life. She was now at the age of flowers, and she couldn’t stay in the dilapidated temple with them, a bunch of smelly men, day after day.

They were carrying the herbs and chatting and laughing as they walked along the official road when a runaway carriage came rushing towards them.

The carriage driver had already rolled off the carriage, and a woman’s screams came from inside.

Xue Pinggui didn’t have time to think. He immediately chased after it, jumped onto the carriage, and grabbed the reins tightly, trying to control the frightened horse.

The horse was like a madman, completely out of control. The carriage was about to crash into the depths of the forest.

“Miss!” Xue Pinggui controlled the reins with one hand and reached into the carriage with the other, “Give me your hand, I’ll help you jump off.”

“Sir! Ah! I… I’m scared!”

“Quickly give me your hand, it’s too late!”

Xue Pinggui grabbed the woman inside the carriage without hesitation, pulled her into his arms, and then jumped off the carriage with her.

In an instant, the carriage crashed into a tree, and the immense force shattered the carriage.

Xue Pinggui held the woman in his arms tightly, protecting her head and body.

The girl was terrified. At this moment, she felt like she had grasped a lifeline and held him tightly, afraid to let go.

“Miss, it’s okay now.” Xue Pinggui helped her up. Her limbs were weak, and she couldn’t stand on her own. Most of her weight was leaning on Xue Pinggui.

She looked at the handsome face so close to her and couldn’t help but blush.

“Thank you, kind sir, for saving my life.”

“It’s nothing, just a small act of kindness.” Xue Pinggui helped her stand up.

“Why did the horse suddenly get scared?”

The woman blushed and stammered, unable to explain.

Xue Pinggui looked around, and after a long time, he saw someone riding a horse towards them.

The woman gracefully bowed to him, “My name is Xu Wanning. I don’t know your name, kind sir?”

“Xue Pinggui.”

“So you’re Mr. Xue.”

Xu Wanning walked towards the person who had come. The leader was a middle-aged man, dressed like a steward.

“Miss! Are you alright?”

“Uncle Fu, I’m fine. It was this Mr. Xue who saved me.” Xu Wanning said shyly.

Uncle Fu dismounted, holding the whip tightly in his hand, “Thank you, Mr. Xue, for saving our miss.”

“Aning! Are you alright?”

Then, a man who looked like a wealthy gentleman got off the carriage. Beside him was a woman who was crying like a tearful person.

“Father, Mother, I’m fine.”

The lady complained, “I told you that horse has a fierce temper, but you wouldn’t listen. If something had happened to my daughter today, I wouldn’t live either!”

Xu Wanning walked over to comfort her, “Mother, I’m fine. It was Mr. Xue who saved me.”

This middle-aged man in a wealthy gentleman’s attire was not a local landlord or gentry, but Xu Da, a censor from the Censorate, who was visiting his family.

Xu Da walked towards Xue Pinggui. Seeing that he was dressed plainly but had a handsome appearance and the demeanor of a righteous gentleman, he said,

“Young man, you saved my beloved daughter. Tell me, what reward do you want?”

Xue Pinggui picked up the herbs on the ground, smiled and waved his hand, turning to leave.

Xu Da stopped him, “I am not someone who doesn’t know how to repay kindness. You saved my daughter, I should repay you.”

“Here, this is two hundred taels of silver. Consider it a reward.”

Xue Pinggui refused his kindness righteously, even feeling that Xu Da’s actions were an insult.