c6 (2/2)
When Yun Ge raised her head, their eyes met and both startled before quickly turning their heads away. “Yun Ge, do you think I’m someone without any purpose in life?” In the darkness, Liu Bing Yi’s profile was to her so Yun Ge couldn’t see his expression clearly.”
Yun Ge softly replied “Big brother, the things you wanted to do you can’t so you’ve decided to do nothing. Those hooligans may not be doing serious things, but they have their own loyalty and friends.h.i.+p. Compared to the ordinary people of the world who seek riches and power by stepping on the powerless and poor, they are more worthy of beings friends with.” Liu Bing Yi was quiet for a long time. Yun Ge could see that Liu Bing Yi was in a very down mood day. If he didn’t want to talk about it, then she wasn’t going to ask. She sat there silently keeping him company.
Liu Bing Yi suddenly asked “Yun Ge, do you want to go for a walk?” Yun Ge nodded. Liu Bing Yi took Yun Ge deeper into the wilderness. The moonlight shone down through the trees, there was a slight breeze, the leaves and the shadows moving in tandem. Their footsteps would sometimes disturb a bird on the branch and it would caw before flying away, leaving silence once again.
Past the copse of trees it was suddenly an open s.p.a.ce under the moonlight. Between all the weeds there was a burial mound. This isolation actually made Yun Ge s.h.i.+ver unexpectedly and she wrapped her arms around herself and scooted close to Liu Bing Yi. He laughed “Some guys like to lure a girl out here to get the girls to cuddle with them. The girls are afraid of dead people, but they don’t know that live people are scarier than dead people.”
Liu Bing Yi’s casual “go for a walk” took them to this burial site, but Yun Ge didn’t seem bothered and just followed him as they walked through the tombs. Liu Bing Yi stood before a tomb and Yun Ge looked but saw it was an unmarked grave. The weeds have overrun the entire grave already and even the tombstone was dilapidated and crumbling. Liu Bing Yi stood for a long time, his face somber and different than his usual demeanor “Did you hear about what happened today?”
“What?” Yun Ge asked. “The comedy outside the North gate.” “Oh, I heard! All of Chang An was sealed so I couldn’t go inside to cook today.”
At dawn today a man came to the North gate claiming to be Crown Prince Wei and asking all the ministers, dukes, and generals to come see him. He answered all the details about the Crown Prince correctly. He chastised Emperor Liu Fu Ling for being unfilial and unjust, letting his spirit unable to rest. Everyone came to gape until the officials dispersed the crowds and grabbed him. After Huo Guang held a hearing, the man admitted he was a taoist priest who wanted money and was paid off by people still supporting Crown Prince Wei and told to spread evil lies to disrupt Chang An. He was immediately executed as a warning to all.
Liu Bing Yi looked at the grave “This grave in front of you belongs to the woman who was once the mother to the entire Han world, Empress Wei. After she died she was just tossed in a remote grave wrapped in a straw bundle. When she was at the height of her riches and power, the Wei family had three daughters and one son in the Great General Wei. Thank G.o.d Wei Qing and Wei Shao Er died young and wasn’t around to see the Wei family fall from power. During the Crown Prince revolt, Empress Wei committed suicide, and the Crown Prince Wei and his wife and concubines, and his three sons and one daughter, were all executed.”
Yun Ge kneeled down and lightly touched the tombstone. When she was small she heard the story of Wei Qing, and her Second Brother told her about this lowly born woman who became the Empress, so Yun Ge suddenly felt sad “If people had money to pay off that taoist to go cause a scene, why wouldn’t they spend the money to fix up Empress Wei’s tomb? If they are loyal to Crown Prince Wei, why didn’t they think about his filial love for his mother?”
Liu Bing Yi laughed out loud “Such simple logic yet most people wouldn’t understand it. These people have been dead for years, yet they cannot be allowed to rest in peace.” His laughter rang out through the entire burial site, making it seem even more desolate. Yun Ge softly said “I heard Uncle Chang and others whispering about Crown Prince Wei, everyone feels bad. He was supposedly a reformer who looked after the needs of the people, completely different than Emperor Wu of Han’s tax and military spend philosophy. Because the people still miss Crown Prince Wei, then those in high power can never rest easy. They can kill him, but he cannot kill the hearts of the people. If Crown Prince Wei knew this now, he ought to rest better.”
Liu Bing Yi stopped laughing and stood there quietly. Yun Ge got up her courage to ask “Liu dage, you mentioned that someone wanted to kill you. Are you a Wei family relative?”
“You can say that! During the Crown Prince revolt, it affected a wide swath of people. At that time Chang An was running with rivers of blood. My family was also not spared.” Liu Bing Yi didn’t want to remember anymore so he smiled at Yun Ge “Let’s go back!”
The two of then walked side by side through the weeds and gra.s.s. Liu Bing Yi returned to his normal att.i.tude, and Yun Ge actually felt like he was happier than when they first arrived. “Yun Ge, are you scared?” “No way.” “Really?” “Of course!”
“The let me tell you a story. A beautiful woman was discarded by a faithless lover, and after she immolated herself she became a vengeful spirit. Because she hated beautiful women, she loved to find pretty girls and quietly follow behind them, lightly breathing on them, so you can feel a cold on the back of your neck……”
“Ah!” Yun Ge screamed, her face scared “She got my leg, help me big brother…..”
Liu Bing Yi saw that her skirt in the weeds was tinged with red blood and he was so scared he started cold sweating “Yun Ge, don’t be scared. I made up that story, there isn’t a female ghost.” He thought that an animal had bitten Yun Ge, but after he brushed the weeds aside, he found Yun Ge’s leg standing there just fine. He stared dumbly and then realized there was only the scent of flowers and not of blood in the air. No smell of blood? He touched Yun Ge’s skirt hem and angrily said “Yun Ge!” Yun Ge made a face at him and then took off running.
Yun Ge laughed and yelled “Next time big brother wants to scare a girl, remember to bring some props! Otherwise the effect isn’t good enough. Spraying some lip stick with water and smearing it on my skirt, in the dark it looks like blood. And there are more tricks I know as well……”
Liu Bing Yi laughed and chased after Yun Ge “Yun Ge, you slow down. There might not be ghosts but there are snakes and rats hiding in the bushes.” Yun Ge laughed “I. Am. Not. Afraid!” Liu Bing Yi asked “Where did you learn all your tricks? You know more than my band of hooligans how to trick people. Next time they want to bring a girl here, they ought to consult you first.”
Yun Ge pouted “I won’t help them trick us girls! But if big brother likes a certain girl and wants to embrace her, I would teach you.” After she said this, she suddenly remembered Liu Bing Yi telling her a ghost story to scare her, and her face turned red. She turned and ran like the wind.
The two of them in the wilderness, one running, one chasing, their laughter was.h.i.+ng away the eerie mood of earlier. The dark night, a desolate cemetery, it suddenly became very tender.
…………………………………………………….
Under the lamplight, Yun Ge was going over the account books. Ay, such a hard life! She had never needed to do this before, but now she needed to because she had to figure out how long it would take to pay Meng Jue back. Yun Ge thought of Meng Jue and her face turned red. She unconsciously touched her forehead.
Would she think of him? Humph, she owed him money, how could she not think of him? Every penny she earned she thought of him, every penny she spent she thought of him, doing the books before bed she thought of him, even in her dreams she thought of him.
Before he left he shouldn’t have asked whether she’ll think of him. He ought to ask “how many times will you think of me everyday?”
Why did he kiss me? And ask me that question? He……was he…… Yun Ge was thinking all these things when there was a rap on her window. “Not asleep yet?” Liu Bing Yi asked? Yun Ge opened the window “No! Did you eat yet? I have some roasted sweet potatoes.”
“I ate, but I’m kinda still hungry.” “It’s cold so let me heat it up.” “I don’t care about those things.” Liu Bing Yi took a sweet potato and started eating it as he leaned against the window. “Did you drink? Why is your face so red?”
“Oh? No…..I…..I’m just a little hot.” Yun Ge’s face was turning more and more red. Liu Bing Yi laughed “It’s already early Fall, and the sun has set a long time ago.” Yun Ge humphed and decided to be unreasonable “One can’t be hot in the Fall? One can’t be hot after the sun has set? Some people even sweat in the Winter!”
“Yun Ge, Meng Jue is back in Chang An.”
“What?” Liu Bing Yi’s words didn’t follow what she had said so it took a few moments before Yun Ge registered what he just said “If he’s back, why didn’t he come see us?” “He’s likely busy! I heard from my guys, someone saw him and Ding Wai Ren entering the Princess’s estate a few days ago.”
A few days ago? Yun Ge said “He seems to know quite a lot of rich and powerful people. I wonder how big his businesses are.” Liu Bing Yi appeared to be considering what to say, but then he finally smiled “I’m off to bed! You should sleep earlier as well.” Yun Ge’s good mood suddenly plummeted. She looked at the account books on the table and didn’t have any desire to work on it anymore. She put it aside and went to bed.
She laid on the bed tossing and turning, even late into the night she couldn’t sleep. Right when she was feeling frustrated, suddenly she heard the sound of music from outside. “Cai Wei”? She immediately sat up and hopped to the front door in a few quick steps and opened the door.
Under the moonlight, Meng Jue was wearing a blue robe, his figure tall and straight, and he was smiling at Yun Ge. His smile was warm and das.h.i.+ng, like the first ray of sunlight in the morning. Yun Ge’s frustrations immediately lessened. The two of them stood there looking at each other for some time, neither saying anything.
Yun Ge forced a smiled “I already saved some money, I can return a portion to you now.”
“You’re not happy to see me?” “No!” “Yun Ge, do you know that your fake smile looks dreadful? You’re giving me the gooseb.u.mps.” Yun Ge lowered her head, and Meng Jue called her a few times “Yun Ge” and still she ignored him.
A few small white puffs floated near Yun Ge’s nose and she accidentally snorted some up her nose. “Ah choo, ah choo” she sneezed, whiping her nose and looking really miserable. Meng Jue started to chuckle. Yun Ge angrily wondered if this person was here just to prank her, so she grabbed his sleeve and wipe her snot on it and cleaned herself up before turning to smile beatifically at him.
Meng Jue stared at his sleeve “Not angry anymore?” Yun Ge made a face “Why did you pick so many dandelions for?” Meng Jue smiled “For you. You gave me stars on the ground, so I’m giving you snow in your palm.”
“For me, it’s to tease me so I sneeze!” Yun Ge pointed at her nose, though her heart felt a sense of warmth. Meng Jue grabbed Yun Ge’s arm, and a quick jump on the ledge and they were sitting on the roof. He handed her a dandelion “Played with dandelions before?”
Yun Ge held the dandelion and looked at it for quite some time “Picked so many dandelions, must’ve taken you quite some time?” Meng Jue continued to just smile and look at Yun Ge.
Yun Ge softly asked “You’ve returned to Chang An for quite some time now, why did you come see me in the middle of the night? Where did you go during the day? What did you do these past few days?”
Memg Jue’s eyebrows raised “Did Liu Bing Yi tell you I returned to Chang An? I was taking care of some matters and didn’t want people to know that I knew you. Even coming to see you tonight, I’m not sure if I did the right thing.”
“You’re in danger?” “Are you afraid?” Yun Ge smiled and took a deep breath before putting the dandelion next to her mouth and blowing. “Whoosh” and all the little white tufts floated into the air. Some flew high, others twirled in the air, and some drifted to the ground.
Meng Jue gave another one to Yun Ge and she did the same thing again. As Yun Ge blew more and more, and the two of them continuing to sit on the roof, the entire courtyard appeared to be covered in falling snow.
Yun Ge put her chin on her knees and looked at the entire courtyard full of snow flakes. Meng Jue had a slight smile as he looked at the at the entire courtyard full of snow flakes. Liu Bing Yi opened his window and looked up to see the entire sky filled with swirling tufts. Xu Ping Jun put on a robe and got up, leaning against the door and looking at the entire sky filled with swirling tufts.
Under the bright moonlight, the misty and floating white tufts appeared to transform their little world into a very light, very soft, very clean, very happy dream.
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