Chapter 6 (2/2)
Xiao Liu put on a robe and walked out to the corridor Jing stood up in the courtyard and looked directly at hientle, it was so utterly beautiful Xiao Liu walked up to Jing and he reached out to touch his face as if to confirhtly leaned his head to feel the warentle but tightly pulling hi his head to lightly rest on Jing’s shoulder In this mo clank, plates crashed on the ground Xiao Liu raised his head and saw Jing Ye standing dumbstruck in the corridor, her eyes filled with shock and dismay Xiao Liu’s evil side rose up so hehe saw and heard nothing, waiting to see how Jing would react
Jing disappointed Xiao Liu, he was calm and continued to quietly e that even if the world was ending, he was still going keep on hugging
Jing Ye finally moved and walked over “Is Master Liu’s injuries worsened? Let uffawed out loud, she’s a funny one as well! He squir Ye She bowed to hi ratitude” Xiao Liu avoided it “Your lord saved“Lao Mu is waiting forreached out his hand but slowly pulled it back, only watching Xiao Liu’s form disappear down the corridor
It appeared Xiao Liu was recovered but he still couldn’t use any energy and would get tired from just a little labor But he hadn’tand there was a family to feed So he couldn’t rest and rushed back to Hui Chun Clinic to see patients
Xan Tian Er followed next to Xiao Liu and the tere surprisingly in sync He ordered, she did, and froreat job She wasn’t afraid of blood or disgusting wounds, and she was so thorough the patients all complimented her
Xiao Liu praised “You can’t cook, you can’twhat people need” Tian Er spatients is a form of observation, I think you can learn medicine” Tian Er raised her head and stared at Xiao Liu
Xiao Liu added “Chuan Zi and Ma Zi followedin this profession I think you can do it, so if you’re willing then learn from me I will teach you to treat infertility, and with that skill, no o you won’t starve to death”
“Brother Liu is willing to teach me?”
“Why not? If you work, then I can retire”
Xan Tian Er knelt down and bowed three times and choked up “Thank you, Brother Liu”
The past always followed her and even if Chuan Zi treated her ith her life experiences she never could rely on adeeper into the life with Chuan Zi but she was at a disadvantage so she was always the one resolving any probleo home to her parents house But she couldn’t, and also realized she couldn’t treat her husband like a customer for the rest of her life because that wasn’t real She had no skills and no one to talk to, but she hid her hopelessness under her sive her a reason to be proud in this house, to allow her to protect this faood to Lao Mu When you guys die and he’s still alive, ood to him” Xan Tian Er looked quizzically at Xiao Liu but he just smiled Xan Tian Er appeared to understand a bit and she nodded soleood care of Lao Mu and Chuan Zi”
Xuan walked into the clinic and sat down across fro final instructions?”
Xiao Liu went to get water and used that to control the emotions in his eyes He said to Tian Er “Go to the field to help Chuan Zi” Tian Er looked at Xuan and walked out
Xiao Liu slowly drank so at Xuan “Why are you gracing us with your presence?” Xuan paused “Why did you save hed “If you died, then the voodoo bug in you body dies It took , I don’t want it to die” Xuan looked at him and Xiao Liu poured him water “I kidnapped Ah Nian but didn’t hurt her and just teased her a bit YourLiu used me as a trap but I saved you Let’s consider it even, okay?”
Xuan asked “When are you reht and said “When you leave Qing Shui Town” Xuan’s hands pressed down on the table “Why not now?”
“You have great a town soon When you leave, I’ll re has no ill effects other than when one of us hurts the other hurts So if you don’t harm me, then you won’t hurt This is to keep ot up and left, and when he arrived at the door, he suddenly turned around “When you have time, you can come drink with me at the shop” Xiao Liu smiled “Sure”
Xuan raised his eyebrow and sht want to restrain your urges”
“………” Xiao Liu was thoroughly confused When did he ever have urges?
Xuan touched his neck and left with a laugh Xiao Liu stared confused and then after soo drink with you? There was a voice that told hi town soon, so if not now then he’ll never get the chance again
Winter arrived and by then Xiao Liu’s injuries were all healed Because he was easily tired, these past few months Xiao Liu stayed inside and used the time to teach Xan Tian Er
Tian Er earnestly learned medicine and in her busy daily life, the relationshi+p between her and Chuan Zi slowly changed When she first s related to her past and purposely avoided it Now she would grindIn the past Tian Er would not nag Chuan Zi, but now if he slacked off she would yell at him In time, Tian Er became more and more like the lady of the house
Xiao Liu srab onto the littlest bit of happiness, like a bud trying to sprout in the barren earth The desire to cling onto life is so even an observer could feel
At dusk, snow flurries came down It was the first snow of the year and Lao Mu warmed wine and asked Xiao Liu and Chuan Zi to drink with him Xiao Liu remembered another invitation to drink and stared at the snow in a daze Tian Er brought a lantern over and Chaun Zi was about to blow it out when Xiao Liu took it and left the house
Lao Mu called out “You don’t want to drink” but Xiao Liu just waved his hand Under the falling snow, Xiao Liu walked down the street until he was outside the wine shop He suddenly wavered and stood outside holding the lantern Xiao Liu turned to leave when he heard “Since you came, when not come inside?” Xuan stood in the doorway and stared at Xiao Liu
Xiao Liu slowly turned around and sht no one was at hoh Xiao Liu’s excuse Xiao Liu followed behind Xuan and walked through the shop into the backyard Who knohen Xuan planted a plurance
Xuan saw Xiao Liu looking at the plum blossom and said “Ah Nian wanted it so I planted it for her”
Xiao Liu said “You sure are very good to your sister” The same words that was once said in jest, today felt bittersweet The two sat on a warht out a few dishes and warmed a brazier to heat up some wine The door and as open so the snow and plu a lovely view
The two didn’t speak and just drank One was still wary and didn’t feel like bullshi+tting, the other was restraining heartache and had no words to say
This is a wine shop so the only thing it had in abundance ine The ent down like water and Xiao Liu was starting to get drunk He laughed “How can Ah Nian be fine with ht One cup and she’s gone She’s likely dreaht now”
Xiao Liu added “I can tell you are Gods, and also fro Shui Town and live the hard life?”
Xuan replied “I thought you knew the reason”
“Kill Xiang Liu?” Xiao Liu shook his head “No, you guys don’t need to do any killing yourself if you want so Xiao Liu toasted him “Tell me!”
“The real reason, even if I told anyone, no one would believe me”
“I would believe you”
“Then…fine! I’ll tell you! I learned to ot drunk, he told me a story about his youth Back then he wasn’t the head of the household yet He traveled the vast wilderness as an ordinary person In a s the e a weapon They drank as he forged and the ot drunk together, and he made the one and only true friend in his life I remembered this story and since I was s the life of an ordinary person Perhaps…I could meet someone who could become a true friend”
Xuan finished and looked at Xiao Liu “Do you believe me?”
“I do!”
“Why? Don’t you think this reason is absurd?”
“I can tell that you’re telling the truth”
Xuan sighed “But I a as an ordinary person”
Xiao Liu laughed and consoled him “Everyone has their own life experiences You experienced a lot already”
Xuan derided “Yeah, at leastplanted in hihed “Then you need to thank me”
Xuan asked “Why did you save me?”
Xiao Liu held the wine “I’et inforhed “Then I’ll wait until you’re drunk then ask” Xiao Liu countered “Impossible” Xuan asked “Why?”
Xiao Liu drank three cups in a row “Because I’ to sleep” and then sprawled on the pallet and proh tolerance!” He closed the door and , drank a few more cups, and laid down on the pallet and also fell asleep In the ht, he woke up and saw Xiao Liu had left already Xuan smiled
A few days later, the plum blossom wine Xuanthe day, and that night he was so excited he took two jugs to find Xiao Liu
Xiao Liu paused to see hiood cups in the house so Xiao Liu grabbed tls, soht it over The two drank in silence as usual After they were done, both were slightly tipsy
Xuan asked “Why are you here in Qing Shui Town”
“Wandering the world, I wandered my way here I liked it so decided to stay”
“You and Nine-lives Xiang Liu are…very close?” Xiao Liu thought “This question isn’t suitable to be answered when drinking”
“Then drink a fewbowl and Xiao Liu drank it “I’m scared of him, but I don’t dislike him I am not enemies with him, but also not friends”
Xuan replied “He’s too smart, otherwise I really want to sit down and calmly drink with him once”
Xiao Liu asked “You and Ah Nian…is it really just sibling feelings between you guys?”
Xuan laughed “Now this question is suited to anshen drinking”
Xiao Liu poured hi so Xiao Liu poured hiulped it down and took out a satchel fro that looked like a sobll He shook it and it expanded into a white fox tail “This is my little sister cousin’s precious treasure When ere parting, she gave it to me but said it was just temporarily for me to play with But that tehtly stroked the white fox tail “My little sister is the daughter of my Aunt and my Master I promised my Aunt I would take care of my little sister, but I brokeThey all say she’s dead but I still have a shred of hope I hope that she is alive and will come back to ask for this fox tail back Ah Nian is also the daughter of ood tosister”
Xiao Liu appeared totally under the influence and needed to hold onto Xuan He raised a bowl and used it to wipe away a tear Xuan curled the fox tail back into a ball and put it into the satchel, and then tucked the satchel snugly next to his body He poured s were finished, the two fell asleep drunk In the ht, Xiao Liu woke up to find Xuan had left Xiao Liu couldn’t fall back asleep so laid awake until sunrise
For the rest of the Winter, Xuan and Xiao Liu would often drink together In the beginning, the tould shoot the breeze but after some time, Xuan really saw Xiao Liu as a friend and would even ask him how to use poisons Xiao Liu was very honest and open with Xuan, telling him all about poisons and how to cure it and mix it He even shared simple ways to avoid poisons So Liu wants to kill you Even if he can’t send soldiers to Qing Shui Town, the Sheng Nong resistance army is based near here for the past hundreds of years You really should leave soon”
Xuan thought they were real friends but when he wanted to get closer, Xiao Liu would pretend to be clueless
The two appeared to be only superficial friends When they were drunk, they could laugh When they were sober, they were strangers