Une aura glaçante

Chapitre 20

Xiao Dao raised her red umbrella, revealing her face. She saw a chubby little boy holding a large blue-rimmed bowl filled with steaming dumplings, waving to her from the window of a house not far away, facing the river.

Xiao Dao shook the grasshopper in her hand. On the misty lake, under the red umbrellas and small boats, Xiao Dao smiled sweetly at the chubby boy from before. Her big eyes stared at the boy, who was holding a dumpling in his mouth, dumbfounded.

Just then, a plump middle-aged woman walked up behind the boy, grabbed his ear, and dragged him inside. You could faintly hear her scolding, "What little girl? All you know is to follow your father's example. You'll become a good-for-nothing sooner or later!"

Xiao Dao smiled as he pressed down the umbrella.

Xue Beifan watched her from behind as he rowed the boat. Xiao Dao's face was hidden by the red umbrella, and from behind, all that could be seen was her beautiful skirt and sleeves, which fluttered gently in the wind and rain on the river.

Xiao Dao glanced back at him. Xue Beifan's hair was damp from the rain, and his black clothes were also... making him look even darker. His face, however, was much cleaner, as if the smile and worldliness had been washed away, leaving only something that could be vaguely described as handsome? Before Xiao Dao could figure it out, he quickly turned his head back.

The small boat broke through the perfect reflection in the water and moved forward silently.

After following the river for a few more bends, the tranquility was broken by a burst of noise, indicating that we were approaching the market.

As they crossed the embankment, a woman in red suddenly rushed out of the restaurant and stood on the riverbank. "Xue Beifan, you blind fool! I invited you for a drink, and instead you're working as a boatman here..."

Before she could finish her rant, the boat had already passed through the bridge arch and disappeared without a trace.

Xiao Dao turned around and looked at him with a half-smile, "Such a beautiful woman invited you for drinks and you didn't go?"

Xue Beifan smiled and said, "The weather today is not suitable for drinking alcohol, but for drinking tea."

...

A short while later, the boat returned to the bridgehead, where they saw a large, dark-skinned man pacing anxiously on the shore. He spotted Xue Beifan and his group and pointed at them, shouting, "Thieves...thieves of the boat!"

Xue Beifan and Xiao Dao exchanged a glance, quickly left a silver ingot at the bow of the boat, leaped ashore, and ran away as fast as they could.

"Don't run!" the boatman shouted, jumping up and down. The two had already hidden in the alley!

Once Xiao Dao had caught his breath, seeing that the boatman wasn't chasing after him, he continued walking forward, holding up his red umbrella.

Xue Beifan followed, using her umbrella for support.

"Go away!" Xiao Dao shooed him away. "Don't come in. This umbrella is for one person."

"What's with being stingy? I'll try to find a partner too."

So the two of them, one dodging and the other chasing, headed back.

...

When Chonghua and Xiaoyue came out of the temple fair, they couldn't carry any more things. Their baskets were already full. Chonghua carried one basket in one hand and carefully held an oil-paper umbrella over Xiaoyue's head to shield her from the rain.

After walking for a while, Xiaoyue suddenly asked Chonghua, "Xue Beifan, is he planning to use Xiaodao?"

Chonghua paused slightly, looking at Xiaoyue. Her eyes were clear and direct, asking without beating around the bush. Chonghua smiled helplessly, "Nothing in this world is absolute."

Xiaoyue shook her head, indicating that she did not understand.

"It's like you go out just to buy something, but by chance, you bump into your crush around the corner." Chonghua's expression softened. "So tell me, were you going to buy something, or were you going to find your crush?"

Xiaoyue frowned, as if she understood something, but also as if she didn't.

Chonghua, emboldened, leaned against her shoulder and whispered, "Actually, you don't understand Xue Beifan at all."

"The young master said he's someone you can't see through," Xiaoyue replied. "Will Xiaodao suffer a loss?"

Chonghua shook his head slightly, "Those who suffer losses may not necessarily not gain advantages, and those who gain advantages may not necessarily not suffer losses. Nothing in this world is absolute."

"You speak as profoundly as the young master." Xiaoyue didn't press further.

Chonghua's smile softened slightly, and he spoke in a very low voice, almost as if talking to himself, "I'm quite similar to your young master in some ways, you just haven't noticed."

"really?"

"Yes. But in some places, it's completely different, for example..."

After that, Chonghua's voice was too low, or perhaps he didn't say it at all. Xiaoyue didn't hear it clearly, but vaguely, she seemed to hear the word "you"... Everything was like the light rain in Jiangnan, a dragonfly skimming the water, and then it left no trace.

Xiao Dao and Xiao Yue returned to the inn at almost the same time. By then, the rain had stopped, the clouds had cleared, and the weather had turned sunny.

Hao Jinfeng had already returned from the yamen. After discussing it, everyone decided that getting on the road was the priority... So they boarded the boat and left Pingjiang Prefecture while the afternoon sun was just right.

Before boarding the ship, Hao Jinfeng asked Xiaodao if he wanted to say goodbye to Wang Bibo. Xiaodao quickly waved his hand, "No way! It's better to avoid trouble. Anyway, I've already taken the money."

Xue Beifan nodded hurriedly and instructed the boatmen to set sail quickly.

The small boat successfully left Pingjiang Prefecture and departed without saying goodbye.

They traveled on the river for three days without incident.

On the evening of the fourth day, they were getting close to Jinling City. Xianyun Mountain was said to be a small mountain west of Jinling City.

Speaking of Jinling, it's a wonderful place. Xiao Dao is squatting on a stool, holding a cat in his arms, writing a long list with paper and pen.

Xiaoyue, who was grinding ink nearby, watched her and asked, "Little Knife, where did this cat come from?"

"I just saw it dozing off on the stove. Look how fat it is." Xiao Dao put away his pen, picked up the chubby tabby cat that was rolling around on his lap, and stroked its fur. "I always hear my mother say that Jinling is a wonderful place. The scenery of Qinhuai is beautiful and rich. It is said that it is also a place where beautiful women come from."

Xiaoyue subconsciously turned to look at Xue Beifan.

Xue Beifan felt somewhat wronged. Xiaoyue, after listening to Xiaodao's nonsense, now completely regarded him as a lecher.

"I don't know about other things in Jinling City, but there is a really corrupt official there." Hao Jinfeng got a little angry when he talked about this.

"Is that Cai Bian, the Jinling courtier?" Chonghua sneered.

“Exactly.” Hao Jinfeng nodded. “The position of Gongfeng is to collect treasures for the imperial relatives and high-ranking officials in the court. It is the most lucrative position. Jinling was originally rich. He was also responsible for purchasing furs, silks and delicacies, and made a lot of money.”

Xiao Dao rested his chin on his hand and exclaimed, "What a great job!"

“The Xianyun Mountain area is the most remote mountainous region in Jinling City, a desolate wilderness, with at most a few scattered small villages near the Xianyun Mountain Waterfall.” Xue Beifan reached out and grabbed the chubby little cat that Xiao Dao was rubbing and rolling around in. “It’s also possible that Cai Bian has already found the Dragon Bone Five Maps.”

Everyone felt that it was indeed possible.

As night fell, the boat turned into the wide Qinhuai River. The lake was filled with painted boats, the banks were brightly lit, and tall buildings and pavilions stood side by side. It was truly a place where fine carriages, fine horses, beautiful women, and elegant ladies mingled and chatted.

Xiao Dao ran out of the cabin, went to the bow of the ship, and took a deep breath.

Xue Beifan asked her with a smile, "Can you smell the money?"

Xiao Dao glanced at him, calculating that she carried a lot of silver with her. A girl shouldn't be indulging in sensual pleasures; she should at least travel all over the Qinhuai River and experience what it means to live a life of luxury!

Seeing her eager expression, Xue Beifan laughed, "Take it easy, or someone might kidnap you."

Xiao Dao rolled her eyes at him. "You're the one who knows that Jinling City is full of brothels and beautiful women. You'd better hold your chin up, or it might fall off and get trampled into the Qinhuai River."

"Heh." Xue Beifan genuinely admired Xiao Dao's sharp teeth. His speech was like chewing beans, and when he cursed, it sounded quite serious and pleasant.

The advantage of having a river in the city is that boats can sail all the way into the city.

Chonghua pointed ahead to the crowd and said, "Just dock at the pier ahead."

As soon as the group stepped ashore, a young man dressed in a short blue robe came up to greet Chonghua and bowed, saying, "Young Master, you're finally back! I've been waiting here since this afternoon."

Chonghua nodded. "How is Mother?"

"It's all right. The old lady cooked it herself, just waiting for you to come back."

Xiao Dao tugged at Xiao Yue and asked in a low voice, "Is Chonghua Tower in Jinling?"

Xiaoyue shook her head and whispered, "Young Master Chonghua is from Jinling, and my old mother is here."

"Oh..." Xiao Dao drawled as he looked at Chong Hua—So he brought Xiao Yue to meet his mother!

Chonghua coughed awkwardly and led the group through the bustling streets of Jinling City.

Xue Beifan remarked with emotion, "It's been so long since I've been to Jinling, it's still so lively."

Xiao Dao secretly observed Chonghua, then looked at Xiaoyue—the saying goes, to deal with a son, you must first look at the mother. Chonghua is said to have a good family background, but he wondered if his mother wanted him to be a suitable match.

After walking through a long, long wall, the group stopped in front of a grand gate.

Xiao Dao clicked his tongue in amazement. Could this entire walled area be a courtyard? Above the courtyard gate was a large plaque with the words "Chongfu" written on it, so grand that it was almost blinding.

Before Xiao Dao could figure out whether the creature standing at the door was a Pixiu or a Qilin, the door slammed open with a loud bang, and two rows of servants from the Goose Wing Team rushed out, bowing respectfully, "Young Master."

Chonghua led his men straight inside. From the second gate, maids helped an old lady rush out.

Chonghua stepped forward, lifted his robe, knelt down, and performed a grand salute.

Xiao Dao blinked—Chonghua looked like a very filial son. He was certainly dutiful, but she wondered if his mother was also arrogant and haughty.

The old lady had a kind face and a very prosperous appearance. She reached out and helped Chonghua up, calling him "heart" and "liver" repeatedly, which made Chonghua blush. Everyone couldn't help but laugh.

Xue Beifan also stepped forward to bow.

The old lady patted him, clearly familiar with him, her eyes fixed on the two maids behind her. She reached out and secretly patted Chonghua, "Son, which one?"

Chonghua felt awkward and glanced at Xiaoyue.

The old lady's gaze immediately fell on Xiaoyue, and she looked her up and down before beaming with joy.

Xiao Dao secretly observed—this mother must be a kind one.

Sure enough, the old lady stepped forward, grabbed Xiaoyue's hand, and examined her closely. Xiaoyue felt uneasy under her gaze and obediently bowed, "Madam."

"Good girl, just call me Auntie." The old lady reached out and gently touched her hand, noticing the calluses, and rubbed them a couple of times. "Just like me, you came from a poor family. Good!"

Xiao Dao's lips curled slightly. Xiao Yue finally has a mother's love. Good!

Xue Beifan watched Xiao Dao's expression from the side and was speechless. This girl was a meddlesome mother, she controlled everything.

The old lady warmly welcomed everyone into the house, where a feast had already been prepared in the backyard. She held onto Xiaoyue tightly and refused to let go, keeping her by her side as she sat.

Xiao Dao and Xue Beifan kept giving Chonghua meaningful glances, making Chonghua even more embarrassed. He wanted to persuade his mother not to be so enthusiastic, but unfortunately, his mother's eyes were only on the woman her son was interested in.

The most helpless one was Xiaoyue, who didn't know what was going on, but only felt that Chonghua's mother was very kind.

After several rounds of drinks and dishes, Chonghua asked her mother if she knew anything about Xianyun Mountain.

Chonghua's ancestors for three generations were all natives of Jinling, and his mother had grown up there. Upon hearing her son ask about Xianyun Mountain, the old lady's smile faded slightly. She put down her chopsticks, which were busy serving food to Xiaoyue, and asked, "Why are you asking about Xianyun Mountain?"

“Bei Fan is looking for something,” Chonghua said, turning the conversation to Xue Bei Fan.

Xue Beifan quickly chimed in, "Yes, Auntie, my family also has a family heirloom, which is hidden in Xianyun Mountain."

The old lady frowned slightly, "Oh..."

"Madam, is there a problem with Xianyun Mountain?" Hao Jinfeng couldn't help but ask.

The old woman's face clearly showed her embarrassment. "There are mountain women in Xianyun Mountain."

After saying that, Xiaoyue asked, puzzled, "Don't all mountains have slopes?"

"Cough cough." Chonghua coughed, and the old woman was amused by Xiaoyue, clapping her hands, "This girl is so lovable... not hillside, but mountain grandmother, the grandmother of grandmothers."