The sky over the rivers and lakes is very clear - Chapter 34
Feng Xuese sat by the window, slowly savoring Xianyun's top-grade Dongding Oolong tea. He had been carrying Zhu Huihui all the way, annoyed by the man's endless ramblings. Finally, in a fit of rage, he had to press his sword against the man's neck to force him to shut up. Although he showed no outward signs of fatigue after a night of mental and physical exertion, the wounds on his chest and back ached faintly.
Zhu Huihui looked at the four dishes on the old man's table, but wasn't tempted. Following the old custom, she asked the waiter for a bowl of rice porridge, a steamed bun, and a few pickled vegetables. She took a bite of the steamed bun first, and then picked up the bowl and prepared to go to her special seat—the threshold.
Feng Xuese looked at him and said, "Come here!"
"Yes!" Zhu Huihui ran over with a bowl in her hands. "What are your orders, sir?"
Feng Xuese had intended to have him sit opposite her and eat at the same table, but upon seeing his dirty face and black hands, she felt a tightness in her stomach. She let out a long sigh and pointed to the dishes on the table, saying, "Take whatever you like to that table over there." Who does he think he is, squatting on the doorstep eating pickled vegetables every day and pretending to be pitiful?
Zhu Huihui was a little incredulous: "Huh?" Why is the old man suddenly being so nice to me? Could there be some other ulterior motive?
Seeing his suspicious look, Feng Xuese became a little impatient: "What 'huh'? If you're not going to eat, then go over there and don't stand here in my way!"
Zhu Huihui hesitated for a moment: "I...I can take any dish?"
"Hmm." Stop putting on that victimized act and ruining my reputation as a chivalrous hero!
Aha! The sun has risen in the west! It must be that roast chicken from last night that did the trick. Pheasant, oh pheasant, you traded your life for my improved treatment; you died a worthy death...
Afraid that the old man would change his mind if he was too slow, Zhu Huihui picked up the cucumber and shrimp, lotus seed and pork slices, and scallion-flavored sturgeon fillet and took them away directly—humph! He'd been eyeing these three dishes for quite some time!
Feng Xuese looked at the only remaining plate of asparagus and rock fungus on the table and regretted her kindness once again.
Zhu Huihui pretended not to see and buried her head in her food. Mmm, the shrimp is delicious, the cucumber is thrown away, the pork belly is delicious, the lotus root dates are thrown away, the fish fillet is delicious, the scallions are thrown away…
He never had any manners to begin with, and after being treated harshly by Feng Xuese and forced to eat pickled vegetables for days, his mouth was already completely bland. This time, he finally enjoyed his meal, picking and choosing from the dishes while throwing the ones he didn't like onto the ground.
Feng Xuese found this behavior unbearable to look at. He called over the waiter and moved the thin gauze screen over to cover himself, so he could avoid seeing it and being bothered.
Just then, the sound of horse bells jingling came from the official road outside Xianyun Old Shop.
The bell's sound was clear and melodious, unlike the monotonous and dull sound of ordinary copper bells.
Maple Snow and Zhu Gray looked up at the same time and saw a carriage slowly approaching along the official road.
The carriage was spacious, mainly blue and white, and looked very elegant. It was pulled by four strong, glossy blue horses. The lead horse had a large white jade bell hanging around its neck, and the beautiful sound of the bell came from this jade bell.
The carriage stopped in front of the Xianyun Old Shop. The old man driving the carriage was dressed simply in blue, with a bamboo hat on his back. Although his hands holding the whip had some age spots, they were very flexible and strong. He had a goatee on his chin and looked very energetic. He looked more like a steward than a servant driving the carriage.
As soon as the carriage came to a stop, a waiter rushed forward, eagerly taking the riding crop and preparing to serve.
The old man blocked with his arm, and before the waiter could even touch him, he was thrown back more than ten steps, landing with a thud on the ground. With a crack, his arm was dislocated. The waiter was sweating profusely from the pain and cried out in agony.
The Sky Over the Martial World is Clear, Part Two: Chapter Eleven (3)
Her maple-colored eyebrows lifted slightly.
Just then, a voice came from inside the car: "Uncle Feng, you've hurt someone again!" The voice was soft and gentle, with a hint of reproach, and extremely pleasant to hear.
Feng Bo bowed and said, "It was an unintentional injury; this old servant will fix it for him right away."
A clear voice chuckled from inside the carriage, "You're clumsy and clumsy, it's better if you don't take it, otherwise you might break someone's arm. Let me do it."
A blue curtain was lifted from the carriage, and a sweet-looking girl peeked out, nimbly jumping down from the carriage. She was dressed in a pink shirt, but was actually a maid.
The beautiful maid came up to the waiter and laughed, "You're a grown man, what are you afraid of with a broken arm? Crying like this makes you a laughingstock!" Suddenly, she reached out and pulled and twisted the waiter's arm, and with a "crack," the waiter's arm was back in place.
Then she ignored the waiter and walked straight to the carriage, smiling, "Miss, it's still a long way to Chenzhou City. Let's stop here for a bite. I'll help you out of the carriage!"
The pleasant voice gave a soft "hmm," and from the side of the blue curtain, a delicate and beautiful hand emerged. The skin was as white as jade, the fingers as slender as spring onions, and a mutton-fat jade bracelet adorned her fair wrist. However, her slender wrist seemed unable to bear even the weight of the bracelet.
The girl in pink gently raised her arm, and a beautiful hand lightly rested on her wrist. Then, the carriage curtain was slowly lifted by another pretty maid in light green, and a young woman gracefully stepped out of the carriage.
She was a very young woman. My first impression of her was that her skin was extremely white, not the healthy, rosy complexion of a young girl, but a pale, almost sickly pallor. Her jet-black hair appeared even darker against her skin, like a raven's wing. Her eyebrows were like distant mountains, her eyes like autumn waters, but her lips were very pale, with only a slight hint of pink.
This woman may not be exceptionally beautiful, but her every move exudes elegance and natural nobility, clearly indicating that she comes from an extraordinary background.
Zhu Huihui craned his neck to look. He was always mischievous, habitually harassing women on the street, from elderly women in their sixties and seventies to toddlers of two or three years old—he'd touched women of all ages. But this woman before him, with her delicate and frail appearance, somehow prevented even this little lecher from having any improper thoughts. He just thought maliciously, "This woman is so white, it's like she's had all her blood drained. Hey, she's practically a match for that old man pretending to be an old man—she's incredibly white!"
The old man in blue went to arrange the carriages and horses, while two maids helped the woman slowly walk into the shop.
Tsk! Tsk! Last time I saw a daughter of a prefect, she was just like that. She was clearly big and strong, but she pretended to be delicate and weak, with two maids supporting her. She walked with a swaying gait, almost exhausting the maids. — This woman also had two maids supporting her, so she must at least be the daughter of a prefect, right?
The maid in the pink dress entered the shop and immediately spotted the filthy man in the corner, his lecherous eyes staring at her young mistress, looking her up and down, and swaying his head in a lascivious manner. She was furious and walked over to him, slamming her hand heavily on his table: "What are you looking at?" The table shook, dishes and bowls jumped up and down, making a loud clattering noise.
Zhu Huihui had spent years mingling in the streets and alleys. He hadn't learned any other skills, but he had become very shrewd. The maid made a simple gesture, but he noticed that she had a strange thing hidden in her sleeve. It was a black sheath, tied to her arm with a leather belt, with gold thread wrapped around the handle and inlaid with two stones that looked very valuable.
Oh no! This thing must be a hidden dagger! I remember once watching people gamble at a casino, and an old man, who had lost so much he was blinded by greed, pulled this thing out of his sleeve and started stabbing around wildly…
A quick glance revealed a short knife hanging from the waist of the green-clad maid. Although it was only a little over a foot long, it was more than enough to chop off a head!
Having been hunted down for days and learned countless lessons, Zhu Huihui saw the two maids carrying weapons and knew they were probably some people he couldn't afford to offend. Without saying a word, he shoveled all the leftover food on the table into his rice bowl, then stood up, grabbed the bowl, and ran out of the shop.
The Sky Over the Martial World is Clear, Part Two: Chapter Eleven (4)
They might be the woman who tried to kill the old man. We need to stay away, lest they get chopped up in the process! Damn it! I can't even have a peaceful meal!
Feng Xuese peered through the gap in the screen and saw that Zhu Huihui was moving faster than a rabbit. She couldn't help but smile slightly. This guy is really a coward!
He glanced at the mistress and her two servants, a slight doubt creeping into his heart. From the sound of their footsteps, he could tell that although the young lady's steps were light, her gait was weak, clearly indicating a frail body. The two maids, on the other hand, moved silently; although their martial arts skills were yet to be seen, their lightness of movement was at least quite impressive.
However, of the four, he was most interested in the old man in blue. Although the old man had only casually raised his arm to stop people, he had displayed very profound internal strength...
The window next to him rattled, and he casually turned around to see Zhu Huihui, who had run a long way but then returned to warn the old man to be careful.
Feng Xuese nodded to Zhu Huihui. Since she had rested enough, she stood up, placed a piece of silver on the table, and prepared to leave the shop.
Outside the screen, two maids were busy at work. One was wiping the tables and chairs again because she was worried that they weren't clean, while the other was urging the waiter to scald the cups, plates, and bowls with boiling water.