But now that he had met Miss Lei, it was clear from her demeanor that she was not someone who changed her mind easily.
Looking again at little Hua Le, he sighed. So be it—he would risk his life to accompany her.
Besides, Madam Hua’s noodles were truly delicious. If given the chance to taste them again—why not?
“I understand what you’ve said. Rest assured—you may return and tell Miss Lei that, with beauty awaiting, I shall arrive on time tomorrow.”
Seeing A’Xuan behave, Huale finally let out a breath of relief. She nodded like a little grown-up, turned around—and couldn’t hold it for even a second before skipping away with joyful little hops.
Seeing that she had no idea what trouble awaited her back home, A’Xuan shook his head and sighed. “Ah, children with hair still tied in tufts know nothing of sorrow.”
Liaozhou City must be a living hell by now. At the thought, he instinctively reached into his robe and pulled out a wax-paper bundle. Unfolding it carefully, he revealed a handful of uneven sugar lumps.
These were the sugar lumps Shui Changming had bartered for with grain—brought back especially for Hua Le.
It was meant to cheer up the little girl—but A’Xuan saw it and shamelessly claimed half for himself.
The water stronghold brother who had come fishing with A’Xuan heard his poetic sigh and was about to ask what it meant—only to turn and see the tall, imposing man munching on a child’s treat.
“Brother Xuan, you’re a grown man—why are you eating children’s treats?”
Faced with the other man’s stunned accusation, A’Xuan didn’t even turn his head. And with that mask on, his expression was impossible to read.
He quietly wrapped the remaining sugar in its paper and tucked it back into his robe. Then, with a slow, almost wistful tone, he said, “Life is bitter enough—am I not allowed a little sweetness?”
Alas, A’Xuan’s flowery words were lost on his illiterate water village brother. Still, he gathered the general idea: this brother of his simply liked sweets.
Just as he was puzzling over the meaning, the very same elder brother who had been sighing about life a moment ago suddenly sprang to his feet. His clear voice carried a hint of excitement as he said:
“Wait—did I actually catch something? What now? What do I do?”
Indeed, A’Xuan’s long-silent fishing rod finally stirred. Even with the mask concealing his face, one could sense his excitement.
“What do you mean, ‘what do I do’? Just pull it up!”
The water village brother rolled his eyes at A’Xuan’s fussing and strode past him, reaching straight for the fishing rod.
Fortunately, A’Xuan reacted swiftly and grabbed the rod himself. “I'll do it myself—I will.”
Such a novel and delightful moment—how could he let someone else take his place? A’Xuan focused intently, summoning more spirit than he ever had during childhood cultivation. Under the water village brother’s guidance, he lifted the fishing rod...
..........
At daybreak, as the first light pierced the sky, Murong Yun opened her eyes after a night of meditation. Thanks to the aid of the Tai Su Technique, the injuries on her back had mostly healed.
She rose from bed, stretched lightly, and washed her face with cold water. Though she hadn’t slept, she felt remarkably refreshed.
Since her robes had been ruined earlier, she put on the cotton dress that Sister Mu had sent over. This time, she didn’t refuse the rabbit-fur cloak that came with it. The patchwork of mismatched fur was likely the worst thing the original host had ever worn.
Yet Murong Yun was grateful for Sister Mu’s thoughtful gesture.
Since she had arrived with almost nothing, there was naturally little to pack when it came time to leave.
Murong Yun simply fastened the pouch of frost sunflower seeds that A’Xuan had given her to her waist, picked up the wine jug from the table, and stepped out the door.
But then, something outside the house startled her.
Beneath the eaves and steps, a spacious wooden donkey cart stood piled high with sacks of grain. A’Xuan, masked as always, was holding yet another sack, preparing to add it to the already towering heap.
Beside her, Shui Changming was carrying two or three bundles with eager flattery. One hadn’t been tied properly, and an oiled paper packet slipped out. Murong Yun’s brow twitched; seeing that both men’s hands were full, she stepped forward to pick it up.
She felt something firm inside the packet—could it be candy?
Harboring a thought she herself found rather implausible, Murong Yun took advantage of the two men still busy packing to sneak a glance inside… and sure enough, it was a bundle of unevenly sized sugar lumps.
Murong Yun tried to suppress her speechless reaction. When A’Xuan noticed the sugar packet in her hand, he took it from her and, treating it like a treasure, tucked it back into the bundle and tied it securely.
Still uneasy, she took all the bundles from Shui Changming and carried them herself. At last, she couldn’t help but voice her complaint.
“Are you two out of your minds? Liaozhou City is practically a wolf’s den right now—how do you expect to stay hidden carrying all this? How are we supposed to sneak in? What is this, a delivery for the enemy troops of Pingyun?”
By now, after witnessing and hearing from Hua Le about A’Xuan’s many eccentric behaviors, Murong Yun had completely cast aside her initial impression of him as a deranged killer.
Especially—he’s a grown man, and yet he has a sweet tooth?
Seeing the faint look of grievance beneath Shui Changming’s thick beard, Murong Yun could almost imagine how he’d been coerced by A’Xuan—tears in his eyes—as he went off to procure the sugar.
At that thought, Murong Yun nearly let out a laugh of exasperation. She looked at A’Xuan—still masked, still seemingly deaf to all complaints—as he busied himself tightening the straps on each of the bundles he carried.
She took a deep breath to steady herself, keeping her tone from slipping into outrage. “So, Xuan—three years old—would you care to explain why we need this much grain?”
Good heavens—Murong Yun practically had to crane her neck to see the top of the grain pile. Had her raids not been so effective, even emptying the entire water village might not have been enough to gather this much.
Unlike now that the water village brothers were still helping to lay down oiled paper to guard against rain and snow, then carefully tying the ropes in place.
At first glance, it resembled a married daughter returning to her childhood home, with her delighted mother happily sending her off with bundles of local specialties.
This time, Murong Yun spoke with a firmer tone, and at last, A’Xuan responded.
He tightened the bundles on his body, finally lifting his head to glance at Murong Yun. Ignoring all that had been said earlier, he simply shook his head with quiet significance.
“I only did this for Miss Lei and little Hua Le’s sake. Liaozhou City likely has no food left. Bringing a little extra ensures you won’t go hungry.”
Murong Yun glanced at the cart, which now required four donkeys to pull. Her eye twitched. “Bring a little extra?” This was his idea of “a little”?
“But while it may seem excessive now, I fear that once we arrive, you’ll find I haven’t brought enough.”
Murong Yun could no longer bear to listen to his frustrating words. Seeing him wear that “I’m doing this for your sake” expression only made her head ache.
So be it—let him bring it all. He’s the one driving the cart, he’s the bodyguard, and if it pleases him, then so be it.
"Sister Lei~~"
Hua Le skipped out of the apothecary, calling out sweetly when she saw Murong Yun. But upon spotting the towering pile of grain, her little face froze in astonishment.
“So much rice… Why are we bringing this much?” Hua Le’s small mouth parted in surprise, clearly puzzled.
“This is your Brother A’Xuan's—he brought it specially, worried you might go hungry.”
Murong Yun shot him a sidelong glance, then offered Hua Le an explanation for what was clearly a non-reason.
🐇♡🐇♡🐇♡🐇
Runa's Nonsense Corner/ Translator's World
A day when A'Xuan's went fishing:
A’Xuan carefully held the fishing rod like it was a divine treasure, muttering under his breath, “Wind stirs, water moves, the fish leaps through the dragon gate…”
The water village brother frowned beside him. “Are you fishing or casting spells?”
A’Xuan replied solemnly, “Fishing. But one must respect the ritual.”
“Ritual, my foot,” the brother scoffed. “If you keep chanting, you’ll scare all the fish away.”
A’Xuan ignored him, eyes closed in concentration, as if he were about to summon a water deity.
Suddenly, the rod twitched. A’Xuan lit up. “It’s here!”
He yanked the rod—only to pull up a soggy, beat-up shoe that slapped right onto his mask with a wet splat.
The water village brother burst out laughing: “Well damn, that’s Old Li’s boot from last year!”
A’Xuan paused, then solemnly declared, “Though not a fish, this object too has found its way to me.”
“Go ahead and swear brotherhood with it,” the brother wheezed. “You two are a perfect match.”
No comments:
Post a Comment