Chapter 4 (2/2)
Xiao Liu’s face cooled as he looked at Xan Tian Er “Do you believe that I can leave you wishi+ng you were dead?” Tian Er sat down “I believe you”
“Who are you working for?”
Xan Tian Er touched her face “Using h credit and definitely not the men!”
“Why did you seduce Chuan Zi? I don’t believe you would spare hi customers since I was thirteen and in the twelve years since I’ve seen enough guys Chuan Zithe o, a ave me money to seduce Chuan Zi I don’t have much position at the brothel so if I don’t save up then I’ll starve to death when I get old I agreed and Chuan Zi never had a woive and he immediately vowed to marry me Since I was thirteen such words leave uys really did couy behind her back so she purposely raised the price high But last night the ave me another sack of money and said the deal between us was done If I wanted to marry Chuan Zi, then use that nize that man?”
Tian Er shook her head “Brother Liu knows, the Gods and dee their looks I’m just a human” Tian Er knelt doelves years as a prostitute and my heart is cold and hard Even now I don’t believe Chuan Zi won’t discard me one day and plans to live an entire lifetime with me But I can try it, if Chuan Zi really wants to be with me…” Tian Er raised her hand “I solemnly swear to the Heavens that I will be true to hi
Tian Er lowered her head and her voice was soft “A cold and hard heart can keep out the pain, but also keeps out the joy I really want a o, let h If Chuan Zi is that man, then I will treasure hi Ma Zi and ran in “Sister-in-law said……” He stopped when she saw Tian Er kneeling before Xiao Liu who laughed “What? Your wife is giving me a bow, you have a problem with that?”
Chuan Zi looked at Tian Er with a s a heavy load off as she slumped forward and solemnly bowed her head to Xiao Liu When she raised her head there were tears in her eyes
Xiao Liu waved her off “Can you cook? If you can’t, go to the kitchen and learn from Lao Mu!”
After dinner Chuan Zi and Tian Er went for a walk along the river It was freezing cold but neither was scared and sloalked and chatted Xiao Liu leaned on his crutches and watched them from a distance with shi+ Qi beside hi gamble Tian Er doesn’t believe Chuan Zi ant to be with her forever so right now she’s giving him all fake affection But the more Tian Er is nice to him, the radually be , and as a lifeti this process it’s not without risk Tian Er is ga with her heart and if Chuan Zi dared to discard her then one of thehed “My life is very long, I can wait to see the outcome”
shi+ Qi looked at the two people “Xuan, why?”
Xiao Liu answered “Last ti wary of me He used Tian Er to find out as behindLiu to help then that’ll create an even bigger probleh he doesn’t think I’m completely trustworthy, but ti Let’s not catch a cold with them so head back”
Xiao Liu handed his crutches to shi+ Qi and playfully hopped back to the house When he hopped on the stoop there was a thin layer of ice that Xiao Liu wasn’t looking out for so he fell backwards into shi+ Qi’s arrab the crutches in shi+ Qi’s hands but caain
The two of them stared at each other in silence “That…thank you” Xiao Liu turned and hopped back into the house
In the Spring when hundreds of flowers blossootand only close friends of Ma Zi and Chuan Zi were invited along with Butcher Gao and Xuan Chun Tao was pregnant again and she sat doith a shter would run over Chun Tao would pull her away and tell her not to bother auntie
Chuan Zi was so happy he didn’t notice a lot of things, but his laughter was resounding and brought joy to the entire house Xiao Liu munched on a duck neck and watched them with a smile This is the sweet, sour, bitter ordinary life Whether it eet or bitter tea, half depended on the Heavens and half depended on the person
In the middle of the banquet, Ah Nian arrived When Xiao Liu turned around, shi+ Qi was already gone Lao Mu war Xuan “Xuan gege, Hai Tang said you were at a wedding banquet here”
Ah Nian glanced at Chuan Zi and Xan Tian Er and it was a look of unbridled disdain that even the happily he was loopy Chuan Zi could feel it Chuan Zi’s face hardened but Tian Er wasn’t upset because she quickly realized that Ah Nian’s disdain was for everyone at this banquet Ah Nian’s disdain co from a place so lofty, so absolutely untouchable, it made everyone feel their oly position Butcher Gao re like ernails were dirty……
Ma Zi and Chuan Zi were tightly clenching their fists but Ah Nian did nothing and said nothing She just stood there looking at everyone Xiao Liu was impressed – how the heck was this chit raised? How could she be so boldly arrogant and condescending, with disdain raining down on everyone, yet left everyone feeling like she was right to look down on them that way?
Xuan stood up to leave but Ah Nian put down a handkerchief and sat down “Xuan gege, I’ve never seen such a banquet before, let them continue” Xiao Liu was about to spit up blood and even Chuan Zi was about to flip tables but Xan Tian Er stopped him with a smile “Let’s toast the lady”
Ah Nian stuck her nose up “I’ to drink since your cups aren’t clean” Xiao Liu kept repeating over and over “I need to endure her, I need to endure her……”
Xuan took the cup froulped it down Ah Nian furrowed her brows but said nothing She curiously looked at the dishes and said to Lao Mu “I heard the dishes represent how important the bride is Since the dishes look so crappy, you guys don’t think very highly of the bride”
Even Tian Er’s face fell now and Xiao Liu decided to send the guests off NOW He said to Xuan and Ah Nian “You guys are leaving? NOT STAYING? Then be safe and leave well!” Xuan pulled Ah Nian up and headed for the door while apologizing to Xiao Liu Ah Nian glared at Xiao Liu “Every ti brother then I would order you whipped”
Xiao Liu thought “If it wasn’t for your older brother then I would whip YOU” After Xuan and Ah Nian left, Xiao Liu let out a sigh of relief He walked around the outside and through thethere looking out at the water Xiao Liu stood beside hi in the pile of logs”
shi+ Qi turned to look at him with a smile “Six years” Xiao Liu squatted next to shi+ Qi and said with a s at Hui Chun Clinic Xuan clearly can see it Since he’s already wary of round”
“Um” shi+ Qi’s eyes were clear with a hint of a s calm and peaceful as if he was above the fray Like he was one with the mountains and streahed Actually shi+ Qi was another type of lofty personage Ah Nian’s type made Xiao Liu want to jerk her down and whip her shi+ Qi’s type made Xiao Liu want to rub his dirt all over shi+ Qi so that he got some dirt on himself, so that he wouldn’t disappear into the wind and become like the cloud
Xuao Liu picked up a rock and tossed it into the water and it splashed droplets on shi+ Qi’s face That made Xiao Liu happy and when shi+ Qi took out a cloth to wipe Xiao Liu forbade hi and instead used it to wipe the water from Xiao Liu’s face
The condor Furball swooped towards the Liu stared at them with an amused expression Xiao Liu i his head around while telling shi+ Qi “You go back first!” shi+ Qi orried and didn’t want to go at first, but then he remembered the imprint of a kiss on the inside of the collar and he lowered his head and silently left
Xiao Liu stood in the water and looked up at Xiang Liu “Co present?” To ree?
Furball fleer and Xiang Liu reached out his hand Xiao Liu grabbed his hand and vaulted on the back of the condor before they were suddenly in the clouds Xiao Liu pressed against the condor’s back and looked down Furball was flying low so Xiao Liu could see the view on land until they flew over the ocean Furball was so happy he was crowing and twirling in the air Xiao Liu’s htly with his face ashen He said to Xiang Liu “I would rather you killedtoLiu asked “Why are your spiritual powers so low?”
“That evil fox wanted to not waste my powers so he used hLiu laughed “I heard the pain of getting the powers sucked out is like having one’s bones stripped Looks like those 40 lashes were too soft, I need to find a new torture method”
Xiao Liu’s face hite “Do you think it’s like singing, one gets better with more practice? Because it was so painful back then, that is why I’ Liu patted Furball who i properly Xiao Liu let out a sigh of relief and went back to sitting properly Furball was flying slow and evenly while Xiang Liu looked out at the horizon, his face like the still water, without any emotion Xiao Liu asked “You’re in a badLiu quietly asked “Those thirty years you were locked up in that cage How did you endure it?”
“In the beginning I wanted to escape I would yell, try to upset it Later I stopped and just silently refused to cooperate I tried to kill ave up and tried to find joy in my situation I wouldthe evil fox would bring I loathed hi I started collectingthat when he ate me I would eat the poison first and poison hi Liu “But a person’s heart is strange Happiness or sorrow, it’s all relative If a person had only one biscuit a day but then saw beggars frozen on the street, he would feel happy because he wasn’t as bad off But if he saw all his friends get rich then he would feel sorry that his life was terrible Do you really need et into more detail aboutso that you’ll think it’s not just horrible, it’s the worst ever!”
Xiang Liu raised his hand to smack Xiao Liu who immediately closed his eyes and curled up like a beaten ani Liu’s hand lowered and he put it on Xiao Liu’s neck Xiao Liu saw that he didn’t hit or bite and felt a bit bolder “You’re really different tonight Did you grow up in the ocean?”
Xiang Liu didn’t answer and Furball descended until he was right up against the ocean surface Xiang Liu got off the back of the condor and instead of falling in the water he was standing on the surface like it was land He reached out his hand to Xiao Liu and he irabbed it and slid off the condor Furball was actually scared of water and i Liu strolled along the waves with Xiao Liu There wasn’t a sliver of light, the ocean was pitch black, there was nothing ahead of the behind them The world was so vast and Xiao Liu felt so rabbed Xiang Liu’s hand tightly
Xiang Liu suddenly stopped and Xiao Liu didn’t knohy but he didn’t ask any questions He inched closer to Xiang Liu and kept hi out towards the East After soe of the ocean and the quiet beauty was so powerful that Xiao Liu felt the hard shell around his heart soften In the sound of the ocean waves, Xiang Liu’s voice spoke “As long as there are such sights in this world, then life is very precious”
Xiao Liu nattered “Theit too much Only if someone views it with me Views are dead, only if a person can appreciate it then the view hasLiu heard what Xiao Liu said, but he didn’t respond TheLiu su Liu closed his eyes and there was exhaustion in his brows Xiao Liu asked “Why are you in a bad nored hi took over running the Middle Plains, I hear the Middle Plains are starting to be well ed The Yellow E The power structure in this world can’t be reversed, and definitely not by the will of one person I suggest you take off sooner rather than later Actually, you’re just a demon, and a loathsome nine-headed one at that With those snobbish Gods of the Sheng Nong tribe, in their eyes you are……you are less than nothing Why do you have to worry about the Sheng Nong rebel ar? Do you like power? Then why don’t you betray Gong Gong and cast your lot with the Yellow E Liu opened his eyes and it was blood red with a delance like his entire body was paralyzed and blood began to drop fro…” Xiang Liu closed his eyes and Xiao Liu’s body toppled forward onto the condor’s back like a used rag When they were al Shui Town, Xiao Liu sat up and wiped the blood away before wordlessly falling off the side into the river
Xiao Liu floated down the river and let the water rinse away all traces of blood Xiao Liu looked at the full moon above as it shone on the entire land Xiao Liu cli wet shi+ Qi immediately stood up from inside the kitchen and Xiao Liu smiled at him “Any hot soup? I want some”
“Yes”
Xiao Liu walked onto his roo on clean clothes and burrowing under the clean warm blanket shi+ Qi entered with a hot bowl of soup and Xiao Liu sat up an slowing drank it and his body warmed up shi+ Qi took a towel to dry his hair and Xiao Liu leaned his head back and closed his eyes
shi+ Qi looked and didn’t see any lip marks on Xiao Liu’s neck and his lips curved upward shi+ Qi finished drying his hair but didn’t want to stop so grabbed a brush froh it
Xiao Liu said softly “You shouldn’t spoil et used to it, what’ll I do when you leave” “I won’t leave” Xiao Liu smiled, millions made promises, it was hard to find one who kept theht’ve been easier, but he wasn’t just shi+ Qi
There was an extra woed Lao Mu tended the kitchen stoves and Tian Er tried to learn but appeared to lack that innate talent Chuan Zi still washed his own clothes since Tian Er destroyed three outfits in a roashi+ng it Chuan Zi and Tian Er’s life together didn’t start off s and understanding so the two of them were very happy
shi+ Qi was still a man of feords but a hard worker Xiao Liu was still full of energy at times, completely lazy at others
It was a Summer midday and not many people were on the street since it was so hot Without a patient, Xiao Liu sat down under the awning fanning hie rueous lady inside Xiao Liu gasped at the beauty and his eyes followed the carriage The carriage stopped outside the jewelry store run by owner Yu shi+n who got out and greeted the lady Yu shi+n was a well known personage in Qing Shui Town not because his jewelry store was all that profitable, but because he owned all the shops on this street Once a year Lao Mu needed to go to the jewelry shop to pay the rent on the clinic
Qing Shui Town may be like a pan of loose sand but it wasn’t coovernment official but worked hard to maintain rules and order here As one would see it, Yu shi+n was like half the authority in Qing Shui Town So when he was bowing to someone else it caused the entire street to be stunned Everyone wanted to discuss it but was too scared to discuss it Wanted to look but didn’t dare look In a second the entire ed on the street
Xiao Liu wasn’t just stunned, he was very interested because Hui Chun Clinic here he spent the last twenty so his life here and he liked all the neighbors on this street and didn’t want to see anything change
The next day, the news broke that Yu shi+n wanted to take back sohed and even Chuan Zi and Ma Zi were in a daze Butcher Gao heard the scoop and came to share that Yu shi+n wanted to take back Hui Chun Clinic because it was close to the river and there was another patch of fertile land Lao Mu cursed since when he rented the place it was just an empty lot that he worked hard toShui Town there was nothing he could do other than endure a sleepless night
Xiao Liu liked water and didn’t want to leave here so decided to go see the authority Yu shi+n shi+ Qi could see Xiao Liu cleaning up to head out so he followed behind Xiao Liu elcomed back to the lavishly decorated courtyard to see Yu shi+n Xiao Liu and shi+ Qi bowed respectfully and asked if it was true he was taking back some shops? Yu shi+n ad for a higher rent
Yu shi+n appeared to think it funny that Xiao Liu was talking et the rent for one shop, the rent for all the shops on this street isn’t worth ”
Xiao Liu didn’t understand business so had no clue what he was saying After some time he asked “So what does Mr Yu want to do with all the shops?”
Yu shi+n added “You’ve lived here for twenty years so I’ll be candid with you I’m just a servant and et one shop, they can afford to let the entire Qing Shui Town sit useless and empty just because they feel like it” Yu shi+n finished and sent them away
Xiao Liu lowered his head to leave If this was a plot then he couldn’t find a way to solve it An oanting to take back a shop was perfectly legal and there was nothing he could do about it
“Stop!” A woman’s voice came from above Xiao Liu halted and raised his head to see the beautiful lady fro while the the girl was so anxious she jump down from the second floor and ran to e down her face “My lord, ht and didn’t turn around The woman collapsed at his feet in tears “They all said my lord was dead…but none of us believed it! Nine years! Nine years!……The Heavens heard us, to let your servant I find you”
Hearing the wo, Yu shi+n rushed out and when he saw the wo by shi+ Qi’s feet, he immediately knelt down, too The wo It’s your servant Jing Ye Did you forget? And Lan Xiang, too You use to tease us about our nae to the Grand Madaotten the Grand Madam as well?”
shi+ Qi turned around and looked at Xiao Liu, the few short steps between theed There was such sorrow in his eyes Xiao Liu s but his usually glib tongue actually failed hiestured for him to handle his family affairs and he was off
Xiao Liu went back to Hui Chun Clinic Chuan Zi and Tian Er was out looking for another shop while Lao Mu sat there in a daze sighing Xiao Liu sat down next to him and looked out the courtyard Lao Mu “Lived here for twenty years, I’ to miss it!”
Xiao Liuas ant, even if we don’t pay rent no one will take it back”
Lao Mu startled for a moment “Did you convince the owner?” “You can say that” Lao Mu gave the Heavens a thanks Xiao Liu added ‘Don’t worry, I’ll be with you until you are old and send you off You’re life span is shorter so I’ll be with you until you die I won’t let you be all alone, with no one to rely on and no one to talk to Who knoill be with me until I die………”
Lao Mu shook Xiao Liu “You’re starting to pity yourself…” Xiao Liu said “Lao Mu, at least you’re reliable!” Lao Mu rubbed Xiao Liu’s head “My Xiao Liu is a good kid, the Heavens atch over you” Xiao Liu smiled and patted Lao Mu on the shoulder “Go work”
At dinnertime Tian Er asked where shi+ Qi was and everyone looked at Xiao Liu who sone, no need to hed “Good, I was alorried about hi, shi+ Qi spoke so little Chuan Zi never felt like he was around and Tian Er was here so recently she didn’t get used to hi the stone path through thethe river and so with hiht the scent of hops and it calmed Xiao Liu down He stopped and turned around shi+ Qi stood behind hi the same old sack cloth robe which had been laundered and now srant incense
Xiao Liu said “I don’t like this scent on you”
shi+ Qi lowered his head and Xiao Liu smiled “I liked the smell of ive you a satchel of medicinal herbs” shi+ Qi raised his head and it was like stars had fallen into his eyes as it sparkled with hope Xiao Liu s so shi+ Qi hurried up to walk alongside
From then on, shi+ Qi would alear the saht by the river The two of theot tired and went back to sleep, and then shi+ Qi would leave The days seem to pass not very different then before, except the topic of their conversations had changed
Xiao Liu would ask “How many servants do you have?”
“Two”
“How much o…was that because of an inheritance battle?”
“Yes”
“Is Jing Ye prettier? Or Lan Xiang?”
“…………”
“Do you reht you”
“Yes
“Remember thes to it, it can take down even a God or a demon”
“Yes”
“You’re not that nine-headedLiu, with nine-lives and can eat whatever he wants”
“Yes”
“Is Jing Ye prettier? Or Lan Xiang?”
“…………”
“The serving people are usually the least trustworthy You be careful”
“Yes”
“Also…don’t resort to violence Pretend to be stupid and endure If it resorts to violence then you have to be thorough and end it right then and there”
shi+ Qi said nothing
Xiao Liu sighed “If you really can’t beat the medicine for me, at least you won’t starve to death”
shi+ Qi stared at Xiao Liu and there were rolling waves in his eyes see Xiao Liu in