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墨書 Inktalez
San Chun knocked on the door of a farmer's house and asked for two dry steamed buns and a bowl of cold porridge, sharing half with him. She thought he wouldn't eat such leftovers, but to her surprise, he devoured them with great delight.
Not knowing if it was because she had become picky after leaving Niushan Village, she found it hard to chew on the dry buns and only took a few bites before stuffing them into her pocket. Looking at him, he had already finished one bun and drank half of the porridge.
Suddenly, she felt a sense of admiration for him; he could adapt to circumstances, enjoy wealth and luxury, and endure poverty and hunger. No wonder he had become a figure that instilled fear in the servants in just a few short years.
What was especially commendable was that he understood the importance of sharing, leaving her half of the porridge. Unfortunately, the cold porridge with a bit of flavor was not easy to swallow. Pinching her nose, she forced down half a bowl while muttering some curses at him.
Zhong Xue didn’t mind at all; his smile was radiant as if being a beggar was an incredibly joyful thing.
Originally, San Chun wanted to escape, but for some reason, following him didn’t feel too uncomfortable. In fact, there was a long-lost joy within it. It felt as if she had always wanted to live this kind of life—unclear and strange.
They traveled from the village to the main road and entered Jicheng. Zhong Xue bought a piece of jade pendant, and they finally ended their days of half hunger and half fullness, planning to have a good meal at a restaurant.
Upon entering the restaurant, Zhong Xue asked her what she wanted to eat. She thought seriously for a moment and replied, “Something light: a whole chicken, a plate of meatballs, and some pig head meat.”
Zhong Xue laughed, “Where’s the lightness in that?”
“Using scallions when cooking,” she nodded, pulling chopsticks from the holder and eagerly waiting for her "light" meal to arrive. After being hungry for several days, she finally could enjoy a good meal.
As they walked in as a handsome couple, they attracted attention wherever they went. People in the restaurant occasionally glanced over, perhaps surprised by how much they could eat or curious about how such beautiful individuals could be so ravenous.
After being hungry for days, they couldn’t eat too much at once. Zhong Xue still took it easy while watching her eat with grease dripping from her mouth. He quickly pushed the pig head meat aside, saying, “Eat less so you don’t feel uncomfortable later.”
San Chun swallowed the last bite and hadn’t even had time to speak when someone outside shouted, “The officials are coming!”
Zhong Xue immediately grabbed her and jumped out through the window. Whether it was “bad luck” or “really bad luck,” there happened to be a puddle of excrement on the sidewalk outside. She stepped right into it and felt disgusted enough to want to throw her shoes away.
He also caught a whiff of a foul smell, frowned, and suddenly bent down to take off her shoes and throw them away. She let out a startled cry, about to ask how she would walk without shoes, when she saw him pick her up horizontally and stride down the street.
The customs of the Yan Kingdom were far less open than those of the Chu Kingdom; how had they ever witnessed such a scene? Passersby stared wide-eyed, and in an instant, the Main Street was packed with people, blocking the already narrow street completely. A group of officials chasing from behind was stopped in their tracks, unable to reach them, watching helplessly as they elegantly made their escape.
San Chun buried her face deep in his embrace. Even though she had thick skin, this was still too embarrassing.
He ran quickly, and she could feel his heart pounding violently in his chest. He breathed heavily, his chest rising and falling, causing her face to tremble slightly. She closed her eyes, pretending that everything around her was just air—unseen, unheard, and not feeling sad at all.
They crossed two streets and finally shook off the officials. Zhong Xue carried her into a shoe shop.
The Shopkeeper was astonished to see a man carrying a woman inside. It took him a moment to collect himself before he hurriedly prepared a cushion.
Zhong Xue set San Chun down and said to the Shopkeeper, "I need a pair of women's shoes."
The Shopkeeper brought out several pairs of exquisitely crafted shoes for him to choose from. He picked up a pair of pink satin shoes embroidered with peonies and gently lifted her foot to put them on for her.
San Chun felt quite embarrassed and curled her toes slightly, but he pulled them straight again.
She shyly protected her feet, saying, "I can put them on myself."
"Don't move," he said softly, his voice deep in a way that sent shivers down her spine.
San Chun felt her face flush. Her foot rested in his palm, surprisingly fitting the length of his hand. His hands were large and warm, with a thin callus—nothing like the hands of someone who lived in luxury.
After trying on the floral shoes, which were slightly large, he chose another pair in light blue to put on her feet.
Just as it fit perfectly, he was very satisfied, and without asking the price, he tossed out Ten Gold and pulled her outside.
Thinking about the days without food or drink, her heart began to bleed; he was simply a spendthrift. Once he had money, he spent it recklessly.
Once outside, the officials had already left after failing to find anyone.
San Chun asked him to hand over the money from selling the jade pendant to count their remaining funds, which amounted to about two Ten Gold and some loose coins. She couldn't help but complain that he shouldn't be so extravagant.
Zhong Xue listened, a smile unconsciously appearing on his lips. He felt sweet inside; even her complaints sounded particularly endearing to him. They seemed like a couple worrying about their daily lives, bickering and making their way through life in a uniquely enjoyable way.
He laughed and said, "Don't worry, I won't let you starve."
San Chun rolled her eyes at him; she wouldn't starve, but frugality was inevitable. From now on, she would be the one spending this money; they certainly couldn't go begging at someone else's house again.
As they walked down the street bickering, they suddenly noticed several places in the city posted with notices. On one wall was a portrait with the words "Capture River Pirate, Murderous Maniac," and the bandit depicted looked exactly like Zhong Xue. No wonder they had been stared at by many people as soon as they entered the tavern; someone must have reported them, leading the officials to come and capture them.
Zhong Xue speculated that this notice was likely commissioned by Uncle Qi to be spray-painted everywhere. As for why he was labeled a bandit, it was probably to satisfy his dirty little mind. Uncle Qi secretly had a crush on his older brother and hated everyone around her, wishing that no one was worthy of her.
He gritted his teeth; he hadn't yet avenged the last time he was splashed with lime. If he married his sister and became his Brother-in-law, that would be one thing; otherwise, he would definitely blind him so that he would know what it meant to be unable to see.
With too many people around, Zhong Xue found a straw hat for disguise, and they made their way toward the South City Gate while trying to keep a low profile. Passing by the county office, they noticed a prisoner kneeling at the entrance wearing shackles.
The prisoner was disheveled and wore a heavy wooden collar, kneeling in an orderly manner. However, after a long time, the heavy collar pressed against his neck, making it difficult for him to lift his head.
Those in the know understood that this person had definitely committed a crime; the authorities had deliberately placed him there for public humiliation. It served as a warning to others: do not commit crimes; if you do, this is how you will end up.
San Chun saw the prisoner feeling ashamed and deliberately made a joke about Zhong Xue. If he were caught, he would definitely make an appearance at the yamen. Perhaps Uncle Qi would even leave him out in front of Daliang Palace.
Zhong Xue smiled and asked her, "If I were to end up like this, would you bring me food?"
She nodded, "Of course, as you wish." However, it would definitely be placed far away, so he could see it but not reach it.
Zhong Xue could tell what she was thinking just by looking at her expression, and the sight of the shackled prisoner reminded him of the times they spent together in the past.
Back when they were in the State of Chu, there was a time when he and Ji Xun went out with her and saw a prisoner in shackles at the yamen in Ying City.
They had just finished eating, and she was holding a packet of cooked beef that she had brought out from the restaurant.
Seeing the dejected state of the prisoner, she suddenly felt a pang of compassion and held out the beef to him, saying, "You eat, you eat."
The prisoner was shackled and couldn't reach it; he just stared at the piece of beef with wide eyes, occasionally glancing at her with longing.
At that time, he asked her, "If you're giving food, why not feed it to him directly?"
Her expression turned serious. "Giving meat is my act of compassion; not being able to eat it shows the seriousness of the law. Once he's released, he'll surely turn over a new leaf. If you don't believe me, ask him what he'll do after he's freed."
He did ask, really asked, "What will you do after you're released?"
Then the man opened his mouth and nearly bit his nose off. He covered his nose, feeling that it stank. With a mouth full of rotten teeth and saliva spraying out as he spoke a few words, he said, "I'll kill... that one who gave me meat." It was truly cruel to show food but not let him eat it.
Thinking back to that situation made him chuckle involuntarily; it was impressive how she managed to maintain a calm expression while snatching the beef back from the man's hands and biting into it piece by piece.
That year, he was thirteen and she was twelve.
The scene was so amusing that he still remembers it clearly even now, and for a long time afterward, he would bring it up. However, this only resulted in her growing closer to Ji Xun while drifting further away from him. Perhaps no matter what he did, her heart would always be directed toward Ji Xun...
The guards in the county town were not very strict, and the two of them managed to sneak out of the city. However, they dared not take the main road to the town and instead chose to follow the mountain paths. This way, they could spend the night in the wilderness with just a bag of dry rations, saving a lot of silver. The only downside was that winter nights were cold; if they froze outside for a night, they would wake up with headaches and fevers the next day.
Zhong Xue knew that given her current physical condition, she could not withstand the cold. So, she found a hunter's home in the mountains to stay temporarily and recuperate.
San Chun only caught a slight chill and was not seriously affected. After being forced to drink countless cups of hot water and herbal soup by him, she would recover in two or three days.
Zhong Xue felt sorry for her and decided to return to the main road. They had to travel at night and find an inn to stay in; if there were none available, they would have to seek shelter with local farmers.
Along the way, she kept asking him where the people he arranged were. He always replied that they were close, yet no one ever appeared. It made one wonder if anyone was actually following him. Would someone like Lord Jun really be alone for such a long time?
On this day, they arrived in the vicinity of Green City, where the terrain was complex with many mountains. As they were walking, suddenly a group of people jumped out from the forest—there were at least twenty or thirty of them, all dressed in black and masked.
San Chun was startled and exclaimed, "These can't be the people you arranged for us, right?"
Without needing his answer, just by looking at their fierce expressions, it was clear they were not his people unless he enjoyed sending his own men to their deaths.
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