Urbaner Blumentraum - Kapitel 312
The girl, covered in dirt, pushed her way through the crowd. Those she bumped into were annoyed, and someone yelled, "What are you pushing for? Are you in a hurry to be reborn?"
The girl opened her mouth to curse back, but as soon as she opened her eyes, she saw that the other party was a burly man, with broad shoulders and a thick waist, a steel knife hanging from his hip, and a height almost one and a half times her own. Knowing that she couldn't afford to offend him, she immediately shrank back three points, bowing and scraping, saying, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't see you, sir!" She reached out to pat the man's clothes in a fawning manner.
The burly man felt disgusted when he saw the pair of black claws and shoved her away, saying, "What are you doing?"
Caught off guard, the girl was pushed back several steps and nearly fell.
The young man in yellow beside her stretched out his arm and put it around the girl's waist, helping her to stand up. Without any visible movement, he had already passed through the dense crowd as if it were nothing, and in the blink of an eye, he stood opposite the burly man. His smile remained unchanged, but his eyes were like a dark river, cold and icy, leading to who knows where in the underworld.
The burly man was startled. Even someone as strong as him would find it difficult to squeeze through such a large crowd, and he hadn't seen how this young master had gotten to him at all.
The girl grabbed his arm and pulled him back into the crowd.
From afar, the burly man turned around and saw the young master standing close to the filthy girl. Passersby three feet away from her seemed to be pushed away by an invisible hand. The girl was completely unaware, her mouth curving into a wide smile. Behind her followed a large, fat pig, who strode about with steady, leisurely steps.
Sweat beaded on the burly man's forehead. Luckily, he had dodged quickly and avoided a confrontation. That young master was definitely a master! He reached for a handkerchief to wipe his sweat, but his hand slipped into his pocket—damn, his wallet was gone!
The girl slipped into a side alley, and seeing no one around, she reached into her pocket and pulled out an embroidered cloth bag. She opened the drawer and looked inside, finding several loose pieces of silver and two silver notes, totaling nearly a hundred taels.
This was the first time the girl had ever stolen so much money, and she danced with joy, shouting, "We're rich! We're rich! Brother Liuyue, Huahua, let's not go to mooch steamed buns anymore, let's go to a restaurant later!" Damn it! XX is rich now, let's see if the waiter will still kick us out!
The large pig flapped its big ears happily and swung its tail vigorously, while the young man in the yellow robe stood quietly as usual. Just then, someone in the street shouted, "They're here! They're here! They're entering the city!" The crowd in the street cheered in unison.
What's here? The girl, who loved excitement, immediately rushed outside.
At the end of the street, banners fluttered, and a well-trained army was coming through the street.
The soldiers were all young and strong, their swords and spears gleaming. Even amidst the crowds of onlookers, they remained focused, their military bearing impeccable, appearing calm and composed, yet exuding a palpable aura of menace. Though tens of thousands crossed the border, the sound of footsteps and hooves was utterly silent.
Even though the girl knew nothing, she could tell that this was a highly disciplined elite force.
Suddenly, cheers erupted from the crowd: "General! General! General! General!"
The girl craned her neck to look, and saw two large flags, one red and one white, appearing in the army. On the flags, amidst the brocade of cloud patterns, each was embroidered with a large character. The girl recognized these two characters; the one on the left was pronounced "Qi," and the one on the right was pronounced "Yu."
Beneath the banner, two generals rode side by side.
The man on the left rode a white horse, a silver spear hanging from a bird-shaped wing ring. The spear was engraved with patterns, had a three-edged tip over a foot long, and a red tassel fluttering. The rider wore silver helmet and armor, appeared to be around fifty years old, with long eyebrows and phoenix eyes, and a dignified appearance.
The man on the right was riding a crimson horse, with a large sword hanging beneath the saddle. The rider himself had a white beard, and beneath his crimson armor was a ruddy face with piercing, sharp eyes.
The two men were imposing and imposing. Against their backdrop, the bright autumn street was filled with a chilling atmosphere. People could even hear the faint sound of war drums and the deafening shouts of battle.
The girl suddenly became excited!
Yes! This is the very army that struck fear into the hearts of the Japanese pirates on the front lines! The two men under the banner are none other than Generals Yu and Qi!
Did the two generals return victorious after passing through Suzhou? This means that the Japanese pirates, who claimed to have an army of 100,000, were once again utterly defeated and driven out of Chinese territory!
So, how are they? Mother, Master, and Madam, and are they all alright? Have they returned yet?
She was lost in the crowd, watching the two generals lead their troops through the city, her heart filled with emotion.
The two victorious generals may never know that while they were leading their soldiers to bleed and sacrifice themselves on the battlefield, there was also a group of people in the martial arts world who, just like them, risked their lives to protect their families and defend their homeland.
These people may have different personalities, and it's hard to tell whether they are good or bad, but they all have noble souls. For the sake of a belief in their hearts, they shoulder the responsibility of loyalty and bravely face death without flinching.
The army was disciplined and moved swiftly, soon emerging from the streets. The people who had come to welcome the army had dispersed, leaving only the young girl standing there in a daze.
The young man in yellow quietly stayed by her side, his face still bearing that gentle, unchanging smile.
The large pig grew impatient and nudged the leg beside it with its long snout, which startled her: "What? Huh—is everyone gone so quickly?"
As she looked around, she caught a whiff of food on the breeze, and her stomach immediately started rumbling.
She pressed her stomach and sniffed the aroma intently: "I'm so hungry! Brother Liu Yue, how about we go get something to eat?"
The young man in yellow simply stood beside her without answering.
The girl sniffed as she walked forward, confirming that she had come out of the restaurant across the street.
The restaurant had three floors, with green railings and simple pavilions, and looked very elegant—if you ignored the large stove in front of the door and the several drawers on it.
The fire in the stove was burning brightly, and steam was rising from the steamer basket. The aroma of burning wood mixed with the fragrance of wheat flour, which was fatally tempting to a hungry person.
The girl's stomach rumbled even louder. She tilted her head, scrutinizing the signboard hanging in front of the restaurant, and stammered, "No, no, no, no...no what restaurant?"
She hesitated for a long time, but still couldn't utter a single word.
The young man in yellow robes curved his lips slightly, as if he couldn't help but speak, but in the end no sound came out. His dark eyes flashed with a mysterious light, and then he lowered his head.
The girl, however, paid no attention to these details and muttered, "Is this some kind of building, the Sleepless Tower?"
That person once told me about a restaurant called "Never Sleeping Pavilion" in Suzhou, where the chef makes many delicious dishes, especially the xiaolongbao (soup dumplings). He said he had invited me to eat there several times...
Pshaw! He even said he'd treat her to steamed buns, what a lie! Relying on him, she probably wouldn't even know what a steamed bun looks like before she dies. Admittedly, she wandered around, even making a special trip to Suzhou, hoping that if she couldn't find the "antidote," she could at least taste the long-admired steamed buns from the Sleepless Tower before she died!
Wow, this Sleepless Tower is huge! Normally, when I'm dirt poor, I would never dare to enter such a high-class restaurant! Even if I managed to sneak in, the waiter would throw me out!
But now—she reached into her robes and touched the cloth bag she'd "snatched" from the burly man, and suddenly her courage surged. XX is rich now; let's see who dares to look down on us!
Sigh! She had promised that person she wouldn't take anything from them anymore, but that person treated her badly, so why should she listen to him? Besides, this money was compensation from that big man for insulting her! It can't really be considered "taking" anything!
She pulled the young man in yellow, saying, "Brother Liu Yue, let's go inside and eat!"
He strode into the "nothing-name building," and as soon as the waiter came to greet him, he immediately reached into his cloth bag, shook it vigorously, and the loose silver inside jingled: "See? XX is rich. Prepare a good seat for XX!"
The boy looked at her, then glanced at the fat pig circling at her feet, and said with a beaming smile, "Please! Please come in!"