Eternal Night - Chapter 181
I wiped away my tears and looked at him pitifully.
There wasn't a trace of a smile on my father's face. His voice was gentle, but there was a hidden pain in his eyes, as if he was suppressing something and enduring me.
What did I do wrong? I felt like everyone hated me. All I did was wear men's clothes, what did I do to make them treat me like this? I suddenly jumped up and ran outside as fast as I could.
My great-uncle only called out to me once: "Come back, safe and sound!"
I hoped he would chase after me, but he didn't. I ran far away and looked back, and my uncle was still standing at my aunt's shop. In the night, only his white shirt was swaying.
Remembering my second uncle's words, I gritted my teeth and rushed out of the valley.
When I was thirsty, I drank from mountain streams; when I was hungry, I picked wild fruits to eat. It took me a full half month to finally leave the mountains.
I soon entered a small town after descending the mountain. I had no money on me, and looking at the flow of people, I felt regretful. Should I go back? My second uncle wanted me to leave, but my eldest uncle didn't come looking for me, and neither did Little Pumpkin. I had never felt so lonely before.
"Little sister, are you alone?"
I looked up and saw a smiling middle-aged woman standing in front of me. I nodded, my gaze falling on the hot steamed bun wrapped in a cloth in her hand. "I liked you the moment I saw you. How about I take you to Shengjing? You must be starving!" She handed me the bun.
I was starving, and I ate my steamed bun in large bites. I looked behind me, but there was no one from the valley. Tears streamed down my face. They all abandoned me. It didn't matter where I went; at least I wouldn't go hungry if I followed this old woman. I continued eating my bun and followed her into a very beautiful carriage.
The old lady kept asking me where I came from and who else was in my family.
I just shook my head.
There is a strict order in the valley that no one is allowed to disclose any information about the valley to outsiders.
When I was very young, my great-uncle solemnly told me that we had entered the valley to escape disaster. If we revealed even a hint of the valley to outsiders, our enemies there would come looking for us and kill us all.
No matter how unfilial I am, I don't want outsiders to destroy our family. Even if I'm gone, I won't let anyone hurt them. That would be worse than death for me.
The city of Saint Capital is too big. The old lady's house is much better than the one in the valley, but the things there are not necessarily as good as those in the valley.
"Look, this room is filled with the finest silks from the State of Chen. Do you like them?"
I touched the smooth silk; it was also found in the valley. The familiarity made me feel at ease, and I nodded.
"May I have your name?"
"Safety."
"Hmm, this name is good, no need to change it. Ping An, can you play the piano? Can you dance? Can you sing? Or, can you do calligraphy and painting?" the old lady asked in quick succession.
"I... can play the flute, but not anything else." My great-uncle always loved to play the flute on starry nights, and I learned it from him. I was very sad when I left the valley, and the sound of my great-uncle's flute playing on the western cliff kept echoing in my ears.
The old woman thought for a moment and said, "How about I find a teacher to teach you how to compose poems, play the zither, and dance? It'll be a lot of fun."
I wasn't interested in any of that, but I asked her a very honest question: "So, you can make a living by learning these things, right?"
"Yes! Ping An is so clever!" The old woman smiled broadly.
All I want is a place to stay, food, and drink. It's all the same wherever I am once I leave the valley.
The teacher the old lady found for me was very good, and I learned from her very diligently.
Six months later, the old lady said to me with a beaming smile, "Ping An is sixteen now, right? Someone wants to hear you play the piano tomorrow, Ping An, you must dress up nicely."
"Can I play the flute?"
The old woman laughed and said, "As long as Ping An dresses up nicely, she can play the flute too."
That night, many guests came to my aunt's house. I sat behind the gauze curtain and played a tune that my uncle often played. Half a year has passed; they really have forgotten me, they don't want me anymore.
The flute music turned sorrowful, so sorrowful that I wanted to cry.
The guests in the audience seemed to dislike the music, and some started making a fuss.
Suddenly, the curtain in front of me was pulled open, and the hall fell silent. I stopped, staring at them in surprise. Was there something on my face?
The commotion resumed. I heard people bidding incessantly, the price rising from one hundred taels to three thousand taels. What were they doing? I was completely bewildered; such a lively scene was only seen in the restaurants during the New Year in the valley.
During the Lunar New Year, everyone in the valley was invited by Uncle to a restaurant for dinner. Adults and children alike made a lot of noise and had a great time.
Little Pumpkin always secretly dragged me to the valley to set off fireworks. My eldest and second eldest uncles would give me lucky money.
A sudden sadness welled up inside me, a bittersweet feeling. I stood up, determined to leave. Even if they didn't come looking for me, I would go back. Even if I had to cry myself to death in front of my second uncle, I would go back.
Suddenly, someone blocked my way, saying, "Miss Ping An, where are you going? My young master has already spent three thousand taels of silver. It wouldn't be right for you not to offer him a cup of wine, would it?"
He looked like a rat, and his breath reeked of alcohol, making me utterly disgusted by him. I frowned and said, "What business is it of mine if your young master pays the money?"
"Haha!" Everyone in the hall burst into laughter.
"My young master paid for the young lady's virginity, didn't the young lady know that?"
I was dumbfounded. Even someone as dense as me would understand what he meant. I couldn't help but fly into a rage: "If you keep talking nonsense, I won't be polite!"
He laughed and reached out to pull me, but without thinking, I turned away and slapped him across the face.
Several people immediately stood up in the hall. The young master he mentioned looked at me with a sneer and said, "Take him down."
Is this what my great-uncle meant by being able to intervene when there's danger? I leaped into the air and quickly beat the rat-like man until he screamed in agony. The frustration in my heart was instantly released, and I felt relieved and started talking a lot.
I ran out of the building, and many people chased after me. I leaped onto the roof and ran faster than a rabbit. Little Pumpkin said I had a talent for light-body skills, and Grandpa also said that if I couldn't beat someone, I could just run away. Therefore, light-body skills are my best skill.
The person chasing me seemed to be highly skilled in martial arts, and he kept a close watch on me from a distance. I found myself running to the edge of a lake, with no way to turn back.
The people were closing in bit by bit. My best skill, lightness of foot, couldn't shake them off, and I knew I couldn't win. I looked at the lake, gritted my teeth, and jumped in.