Gemächlicher junger Meister

Kapitel 47

Aunt Zhang, the wet nurse, leisurely tended her flower garden. She was quite content with her situation, having found a very kind employer who remained grateful even after the children she cared for had grown up, treating them with kindness and care, unlike a servant. The only downside was Xiaoxiao; once her wings were strong enough, she wanted to fly away, and there had been no news of her for years, causing Aunt Zhang great worry. She had raised this child single-handedly, and after her mother's death, they were like mother and daughter.

She sighed, stood up, and suddenly a small figure threw herself into her arms, sobbing. Upon seeing who it was, Aunt Zhang was clearly surprised and hugged the little body tightly: "Xiaoxiao...your auntie bullied you again?"

Ye Xiao cried so hard she could barely breathe: "No...no, it's my father...I want to leave the fortress! He won't let me, he incited everyone in Lonely Cloud Fortress to trap me..."

Aunt Zhang sighed: "What's wrong with that? You're a grown woman, why are you always running around outside? Everyone stays at home, waiting to get married."

Ye Xiao cried out in anger, stamping her feet: "The man I'm going to marry has left! I'm going to chase after him! If anything happens to him, I won't live anymore!"

Aunt Zhang was startled, then thought for a moment: "Is it really that serious? Uh, then what do you want Aunt Zhang to do?"

Ye Xiao stopped crying, and the sobbing person looked up: "Aunt Zhang..."

The spring rain was drizzling, and the mountains of Guyunbao were shrouded in mist. Dark clouds drifted by, and even the usually bright green was covered with a layer of light gray, just like a traditional Chinese ink painting.

The armored guards continued to diligently guard the fortress gate. An oxcart slowly approached, and a guard waved it off, asking, "What are you transporting?"

An old man jumped off the oxcart: "One of my cows died of disease... I'm taking it outside the city to bury it..."

The armored guards carefully inspected the cart and found a dead ox on it. They waved for the cart to leave. The cart slowly drove out of the fortress and traveled several miles before finally stopping. The old man walked to the cart and poked the ox's belly: "Alright, it's out!"

The dead cow's belly twitched, and a waterproof leather bag rolled out, from which a person emerged. The person carefully packed the large package, muttering to himself, "I wonder how the boss is doing? Did he get out safely?"

A few moments later, another oxcart pulled up at the gate of Guyun Fort. A middle-aged man got off and said to the guards who were checking him, "One of my sheep died, so I'm taking it outside the fort to bury it..."

The guard glanced at him absentmindedly, then waved him out. Suddenly, the captain of the gatehouse ran down from the gate tower: "Wait a minute!"

The middle-aged man wiped away a cold sweat and stood up.

"How did your sheep die?" the captain asked very seriously.

"Uh... this one seems to have died of illness..." the man said, nervously wiping away sweat. In reality, he had killed it himself...

"How did they die? What were their symptoms?" the captain asked, his expression becoming even more serious.

“Uh,” the man was sweating profusely, “this guy first got sores in his mouth, and then somehow he died…”

The captain gave an "oh," carefully examined the dead sheep, even poking its belly, and nodded solemnly, "Indeed!" He waved his hand, signaling the man who had almost fainted from fright to leave, and said to the armored guards, "Quickly notify the fortress; it seems there's an outbreak of oral thrush! Two cattle and sheep have died in one day. Take immediate measures to prevent the spread of the epidemic..."

The man climbed onto the cart shakily, barely able to drive. It was only thanks to the kindness of an armored guard who came over and gave him a push: "Were you frightened? Mouth ulcers are really dangerous for livestock. Luckily, our captain is wise!"

Once outside the fortress, Ye Xiao emerged from the sheep's belly, thanked the two women, and thanked them. Fortunately, Aunt Zhang was quite popular within the fortress; otherwise, it would have been difficult to find someone willing to risk offending the fortress lord to help him…

Xiao Xun tossed his large package and laughed, "Finally, I can bring this package to Second Brother! I didn't keep any of his things for myself!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Ye Xiao threw the package away: "It was inside a dead cow, it smells terrible, you can't eat it!"

Xiao Xun exclaimed, looking at the package flying through the air with a very aggrieved expression: "How could this be? It clearly didn't smell at all, I painstakingly preserved it..."

"We'll buy it later..." Ye Xiao comforted him, then quickly led him away...

Side Story: The Legendary Childhood Sweethearts

The sky was filled with heavy, fluffy snowflakes, everything was a blanket of white, and the mountain path ahead was completely obscured. Little Luo Qingcheng took a difficult step, stepping off the path, and then slid down the mountainside with a whoosh…

"Ah..." The small, childish voice echoed through the mountains for a few moments before finally disappearing. After a long while, a small shadow slowly rose from a patch of soft snow at the foot of the slope, stumbling and falling as it made its way down the mountain.

Xiao Luo Qingcheng finally reached the foot of the mountain. He stopped, wondering where he was. He seemed to be lost. However, there was a wide road in front of him; it must be a major thoroughfare. He touched the small bundle he carried and slowly moved to the roadside, hoping someone would pass by and he could ask for directions. However, he looked at the dim, yellowish sky. Would anyone even be out in this weather?

I don't know how long I waited by the roadside. My consciousness seemed to have left my body. In a daze, I seemed to be back home. Aunt Ru was cooking fragrant mutton soup in the house. In the steaming heat, I could see Aunt Ru's stunningly beautiful figure... Suddenly, a voice said, "Brother Tian, there's a little snowman by the roadside! Oh? It's a frozen child!"

When Xiao Luo Qingcheng woke up, he felt someone vigorously massaging his legs. It hurt! He yelled, "What are you doing!" and sat up. It was a tall, young man with sharp, hawk-like eyes. The man stopped and looked at him. "Luckily, you found out early, otherwise your legs would be ruined! When you first came up, your whole legs were purple!"

"My leg's useless..." Little Luo Qingcheng moved his leg, puzzled. It was numb and aching. Still a child, he moved it a couple of times, slowly forgetting what the man had just said. Looking around, he found himself in a very luxurious and comfortable carriage. Pulling back the curtains, he saw that the snow had stopped, the sky had cleared, and a pale sun weakly illuminated the snow-covered world with its pale light.

He touched his rumbling stomach, and his keen nose caught a strong aroma, causing him to swallow hard.

A woman's gentle, pleasant voice said, "Child, are you hungry? There's some freshly stewed mutton soup here. Have some to warm yourself up. How long have you been in this snow? How could you freeze to death in this desolate place? You'd probably freeze to death if you stayed any longer! Where are your parents? How could they let a child out alone in this terrible weather?"

Luo Qingcheng didn't answer, but stared with his round, dark eyes at the steaming bowl of soup in the woman's hand, several large chunks of mutton floating in it. Suddenly, he remembered something important, "My package!" he shouted, turning around swiftly.

Several screams rang out from inside the carriage. Little Luo Qingcheng hadn't yet realized what was happening; he only felt something wriggle beneath him, followed by a loud cry of a baby that echoed throughout the carriage. Then, he was lifted up and thrown into a corner. The young man who had been there earlier yelled at him, "You're asking for it! You were on top of my daughter!"

The woman quickly put down her soup bowl and picked up a small, crying bundle from the car. The man also left Luo Qingcheng and moved to the woman's side, helplessly trying to comfort the sad and angry little thing.

Luo Qingcheng quickly saw his small package lying quietly to one side. He reached out and hugged the package to his chest, breathed a sigh of relief, and stared at the steaming bowl of meat soup in front of him again.

The baby, comforted by its parents, finally forgot the terrifying scene and nestled into its mother's arms, beginning to nurse contentedly. The frightened mother also breathed a sigh of relief, her gaze shifting to Luo Qingcheng. Seeing his expression, she sighed, "Enjoy your milk!"

Luo Qingcheng quickly picked up the bowl and wolfed down his food. Suddenly, something hit him. He reluctantly looked away from the bowl and was surprised to find it was a large white steamed bun. "Hmph! Learn from your mistakes! You almost crushed my daughter to death!" The man rolled his eyes, his voice still full of anger.

Luo Qingcheng, having eaten and drunk his fill, let out a few satisfied burps, hugged his little bundle, and leaned against the carriage wall for a nap. The baby, also full, was released from its swaddling clothes by its mother and immediately became lively, babbling and crawling around the carriage like a turtle, making its parents laugh heartily. Luo Qingcheng looked at the little thing with disdain, not understanding why this seemingly clumsy creature, capable of only performing such monotonous movements, could win the adults' favor so much.

The baby finally managed to crawl between Luo Qingcheng's legs, curiously raising her head to look at this unfamiliar thing. She hesitated for a moment, then slowly rubbed against Luo Qingcheng's calf, huffing and puffing as she began to climb up. Luo Qingcheng looked at the chubby-faced, drooling little thing in front of him with disgust, and gently nudged his leg. The little thing immediately rolled over like a turtle, lying on her back, flailing her little hands and feet, unable to roll back up for a long time.

The young mother, unperturbed, giggled and turned the baby over. The baby crawled back to Luo Qingcheng's feet and began to huff and puff as it climbed up. Luo Qingcheng glanced at the man's gloomy face, then reached out and lifted the baby onto his body. The baby, quite pleased with itself, grabbed Luo Qingcheng's shirt and burrowed all over him, only to find it disappointingly neither fun nor tasty. Bored, it simply urinated on him.

Luo Qingcheng cried out, looking at the urine stains soaking his clothes, almost bursting into tears. The woman chuckled, took the baby, and said to Luo Qingcheng with a smile, "It's alright... It's almost New Year's, we'll be passing through town soon, I'll get some new clothes made..."

In the tailor shop of the small town, the tailor was taking Luo Qingcheng's measurements. Beside him, a woman was holding a baby and talking to her husband: "This child is so beautiful! I've never seen such a beautiful child! Judging from his clothes, he's from a wealthy family. Something must have happened to his family. Why is he all alone outside?"

"Is he pretty? I can't see it. I think my Long Hanxiao is the prettiest! My little darling, come here, smile at Daddy!" The baby reached out his little hand and gently patted his father's cheek, but his expression was very serious, with a calm and unsmiling look.

The woman laughed and reached out to flick her husband's nose: "You're so protective of your own, you never speak from your conscience! When you go to Jinling to invite my parents over this time, you must be very polite."

The man nodded: "Yes, you're too kind... It's just that my wife is so attached to home, rushing back to her parents' home before the baby is even a year old... I will definitely bring your family to the fort so that my wife can stay home and raise the child with peace of mind."

Luo Qingcheng looked at his brand-new cotton-padded coat, feeling a surge of emotion. Seeing the babbling baby lying beside him in the carriage, and wanting to repay her parents' kindness, he reluctantly picked her up, placed her on his lap, and played horsey with her. The baby, Long Hanxiao, hadn't expected this person to suddenly become so amusing, and burst into laughter. Unable to control herself, she peed on Luo Qingcheng's lap again…

"Child...how old are you?" the woman asked softly, holding her sleeping daughter.

“Five years old,” Luo Qingcheng said in a low voice.

Where are your parents?

"..."

"Where are you going? If not... why don't you come with us?"

“No. I’m going to stay with relatives. I have an uncle in Jinling.” Luo Qingcheng lowered his head, suddenly looking somewhat saddened.

"Jinling? What a coincidence. We're going to Jinling too, so we can drop you off on the way. Otherwise, I'd be worried sick, always concerned about you being a child alone." The woman said, lovingly hugging her daughter tightly. If her own child were to encounter something like that in the future, she feared she would go crazy with worry. But what had happened to this beautiful child's parents?

Suddenly, the horse neighed loudly, and the carriage lurched forward before coming to a stop. The woman stumbled, and the child nearly slipped from her grasp, but fortunately, the man reacted quickly, catching his wife and child. The man frowned, about to reprimand the driver, when he heard a gruff voice shout, "Hey! Did you see a child when you came by? A boy, about five years old, dressed..."

Luo Qingcheng clutched his small bundle tightly in fear and shrank into a corner. The man quickly opened the door, lifted the curtain, and got out of the car, shouting, "Who are you? What are you doing! You almost scared my child!"

The two men blocking the road bowed insincerely and said with a forced smile, "Excuse me, sir! We've been ordered to come and seize a child. We wanted to see if the person we're looking for is in the carriage!" As they spoke, they brazenly tried to lift the curtain and open the door.

The man sneered, "Do you think you can look after my family?" Without making a move, he let out two cries of "Ah ah!" and the two men were sent flying several feet away, unable to get up.

Luo Qingcheng watched in surprise as the man climbed back onto the car. The man said in a deep voice, "Old Liu, why do I have to do this kind of thing myself?"

The coachman, called Old Liu, said somewhat awkwardly, "Yes... I was just worried that the child in the carriage might be..."

“You don’t need to worry about that… I know what I’m doing.” The man interrupted him. “All you need to do is focus and get to Jinling as soon as possible.”

The coachman muttered, "Yes," and cracked his whip, and the carriage continued its rumbling journey.

Luo Qingcheng lowered her eyelids and glanced warily at the man. The man's expression was somewhat languid and inscrutable.

"Something big has happened in the martial arts world." The coachman rushed out of the small restaurant, carrying two food boxes, and placed them on the carriage. He glanced at Luo Qingcheng in the corner. "Just now, the martial arts alliance leader Li Zhong and the Netherworld City Lord Lu Mingfei have disappeared together!"

Luo Qingcheng slightly raised her eyelids, tears welling up in her eyes, almost bursting into tears, but then she heard the man in the car say coldly, "It has nothing to do with us. We just need to make our own money and maintain good relations with the government. Why should we meddle in these other people's business?"

The coachman bowed his head and nodded obsequiously. Luo Qingcheng slowly turned his head, letting tears stream down his face.

The carriage sped along, soon arriving in Jinling. Outside, bustling streets and rows of shops came into view. Women shopped happily, while men accompanied them with doting expressions. Luo Qingcheng discreetly surveyed the area and quietly alighted from the carriage.

The baby watched him pass by, babbling and waving her little fists, hoping someone would take her out to play. Luo Qingcheng reached out to pick her up, but glancing at his dry clothes, he finally resisted. He reached out and poked the baby's chubby cheek, whispering, "Little pee-potty! All you do is pee! You've soaked all my clothes! Watch out, I'll pee on you too! I'll pee several times a day!" With that, he touched her little face, and with a whoosh, he slipped into the crowd like a fish.

Disappointed that no one would play with him, the baby kicked his little legs to amuse himself.

“Brother Tian… that child is gone.” The woman caught a glimpse of this scene out of the corner of her eye outside the car window and suddenly felt a little worried.

"Forget it, this child's origins are unknown, keeping him around might just be a disaster..."

"But she's still just a child, and I'm very worried..."

"Are you worried about our Xiaoxiao...? Her personality seems a bit like yours, so stubborn. I hope she won't be as nosy as you are..." The man kissed his young wife reproachfully.

Several years later.

The pale pink gauze lamp cast a warm and ambiguous glow on the room, the tasseled curtains half-rolled up. Luo Qingcheng let out a low growl, collapsing onto Ye Xiao, his forehead covered in sweat, breathing heavily.

"You peed all over me again," Ye Xiao teased, gently hugging him and pulling out a towel to wipe away his sweat.

“This isn’t pee…” Luo Qingcheng chuckled softly, rolled over to Ye Xiao’s side, and whispered in her ear, “Your father only has one daughter, why didn’t he let you have the surname Long?”

Ye Xiao shook her head, but couldn't shake off the man clinging to her ear like a leech. A ticklish sensation rose on her skin, and she could barely speak: "Um... my original surname was Long, and my name was Long Hanxiao. Later, my mother... died, and my father changed my name to Ye Xiao..."

Long Hanxiao? The name sounded vaguely familiar. Luo Qingcheng pondered for a moment, but couldn't remember anything. He could only continue gently nibbling at her earlobe.

Ye Xiao sighed: "My father was originally a bit arrogant, but he loved my mother very much. When my mother died, he was heartbroken. He kept everything my mother used when she was alive, and he would look at it every day and cry. Because my mother once joked with my father that she wanted to change my name to Ye Xiao, my father changed my name, saying it was to commemorate my mother. He almost never did anything against my mother's wishes."

Luo Qingcheng suddenly released her earlobe and turned over somewhat uneasily. Ye Xiao keenly noticed the change in his mood and turned to ask, "What's wrong?"

Luo Qingcheng hummed in agreement and forced a smile, "I just suddenly remembered those days when we were apart, that feeling of despair. Every time, I thought I would never see you again..."

"It's all in the past, and it won't happen again." Ye Xiao kept kissing him.

"Mmm." Luo Qingcheng hummed softly, climbing onto her body again.

What are you doing?

"I'll pee on you again." He chuckled softly, his eyes gleaming in the spring night...

Volume Four, The Bright Autumn Moon

The Young Master Who Suddenly Appears (Part 1)

Ye Xiao and Xiao Xun went into a small restaurant for a bite to eat. "The second brother has been gone for so long, I wonder where to look for him?" Xiao Xun muttered to himself.

Ye Xiao wrinkled her upturned nose and said, "Think about it... there's someone who can help us find him." Looking at Xiao Xun's innocent and thoughtful gaze, she sighed, "Shan'er, do you remember? That time in Suzhou, Qingcheng entrusted Shan'er to a friend's care. I guess he'll send Shan'er back. We can try our luck in Suzhou. Perhaps that friend has seen him recently."

The people at the next table, judging from their attire, were clearly from the martial arts world. They were eating heartily and talking animatedly. Ye Xiao listened intently for a moment, and then a piece of news struck her like a thunderbolt, knocking her off her chair and causing her to tumble to the ground.

"Did you know? The biggest news right now is that Ye Xiao, the eldest daughter of Guyun Fortress, is marrying an unknown young man named Xiao Xun. The news about Langjing Manor's marriage proposal never came to fruition, but this guy surnamed Xiao is so lucky to have become Guyun Fortress's live-in son-in-law..."