Le voyage d'un mendiant à travers le monde

Chapitre 17

Yue Ruzheng was slightly surprised. She opened her mouth, but still didn't dare to ask any further questions.

Tang Yanchu added, "Actually, you don't need to say you admire me. I don't have hands; at most, I can only protect myself. If I encounter someone more skilled, it's very difficult for me to hurt them."

Yue Ruzheng frowned and said, "But you've already gone through so much. When I was a child, I often cried while practicing swordsmanship, and my wrists would cramp up."

Tang Yanchu smiled faintly and said, "Do you think I won't cry?" He glanced at his sleeve and added, "I'll cry no less than you."

He walked to the rock face again, easily lifted his leg and pressed it under his body, then turned back and said, "Without arms, I can't even stand steadily, let alone lift my leg. My master has to hold my waist down hard so I can gradually lift my leg. And then there's the somersault; I've lost count of how many times I've fallen. Sometimes I just fall and pass out, then wake up and practice again."

"Little Tang..." Yue Ruzheng said softly, "Was it your father who made you learn martial arts?"

A cold glint flashed in Tang Yanchu's eyes as she turned her face away, saying, "No, it has nothing to do with him."

Yue Ruzheng knew she had touched on a topic he didn't want to discuss, so she sighed silently and sat down in front of the grass.

Tang Yanchu pulled her leg back, walked up to her, and said, "I really don't want to mention that person."

Yue Ruzheng nodded, her expression serious.

Chapter Twelve: The Road Ahead is Long and Winding

When they went to gather herbs, Yue Ruzheng habitually followed behind Tang Yanchu. Even when she no longer needed to hold his bamboo basket, she liked to walk behind him, watching his back as she went. He rarely spoke or turned around while walking. Yue Ruzheng quietly followed behind him, watching him walk step by step with his head down.

Even his walking was so focused and quiet. It seemed nothing could disturb his life; Lian Junqiu's arrival was practically a thing of the past, leaving no trace. Watching him struggle to maintain his balance and the slight sway of his sleeves, Yue Ruzheng still felt a pang of sadness. This sadness was inexplicable; she couldn't quite tell if it was pity for him, regret for his disability, or some other reason…

The spring breeze was gentle, and the peach blossoms bloomed even more brilliantly, their colors contrasting beautifully with the distant green mountains. The reds were more vibrant, the pinks more delicate, and the whites more pristine. Tang Yanchu gradually learned some things about Yue Ruzheng from their casual conversations. Yue Ruzheng would also mention her senior brother, wondering when he would come to take her back.

One sunny day in late February, Tang Yanchu had just returned home when Yue Ruzheng excitedly told him, "Do you know what new discovery I made today?"

Since her foot began to heal, she embarked on her own "adventure," discovering new gems in the surrounding mountains and rivers. Tang Yanchu glanced at her dismissively, and sure enough, she couldn't help but exclaim, "There are fish in these mountains!"

A faint smile appeared in Tang Yanchu's eyes as she said, "Is it strange?"

"I saw it in the deep pool at the foot of that hill when I passed by. I've never seen that kind of fish before, and I don't know if it's edible..." Yue Ruzheng's mind wandered again, and as she thought about it, she started thinking about food.

Tang Yanchu didn't reply, sitting in the courtyard tidying up the herbs. Based on his understanding of her over the past few days, he thought Yue Ruzheng was just thinking about it and would give up soon. However, he underestimated her interest in fishing, or more precisely, her interest in eating fish. Yue Ruzheng kept asking how to catch fish. At first, he did it himself, but later he had to tell her that there were nets in the house, made by his master when he was alive.

Overjoyed, Yue Ruzheng found the net and, pulling on his sleeve, led him to the deep pool she had mentioned. The water, shimmering in the sunlight, appeared clear and vibrant, seemingly carrying a hint of warmth.

Tang Yanchu looked at the pool of water and said, "If you're not afraid of the cold, go grab some yourself."

Yue Ruzheng excitedly took off her shoes, rolled up her skirt, and stepped into the pool. The moment her foot touched the water, she cried out, "Ouch!" and quickly pulled her feet back, running to the bank and stamping her foot, exclaiming, "Why is it so cold?!"

Tang Yanchu glanced at her snow-white ankles and said, "Didn't I tell you to go if you're not afraid of the cold?"

"But you didn't say it was that cold!" she said irritably.

Tang Yanchu, somewhat helpless, walked up to her and said, "You're being unreasonable again." Seeing that Yue Ruzheng's legs were still trembling slightly, he took off his shoes, walked into the pool, and said, "Hand me the net."

Yue Ruzheng hesitated for a moment, then squatted down and handed the net to his feet. He stretched out his right foot to take it and gently pressed the net into the water. His right foot remained clamped on the top edge of the net to keep it still, while he stood on his left foot in the cold water, maintaining perfect balance.

Yue Ruzheng squatted by the pool, watching his silent figure, and suddenly realized she had come up with a bad idea. She couldn't help but say, "Xiao Tang, you should come up here. I don't want to catch fish anymore."

Tang Yanchu didn't turn her head, but said in a low voice, "Don't speak loudly, you'll scare the fish away."

"No, come up here quickly." She said, her brows furrowed.

Just then, Tang Yanchu suddenly lifted her right leg, and with a "splash," pulled the net out of the water, shouting, "Come and catch it!"

Yue Ruzheng rushed forward and caught the net. Two silvery-white fish with their bellies jumped and splashed water all over her face. She happily pulled Tang Yanchu's sleeve and ran back to the shore, trying to reach out and grab the fish, but the fish's tails slapped her hands instead. They were cold and slippery, and she couldn't catch them.

Tang Yanchu walked over to her, stepping on the pebbles along the edge of the pond. He bent down to examine the fish and said, "Take it back. What are you going to do with it now?"

Yue Ruzheng looked at him with a smile and said, "Thank you, Xiao Tang."

He paused for a moment, a gentle light appearing in his eyes, and said, "What's wrong with that?" Then he put on his shoes and walked back.

Yue Ruzheng followed beside him, carrying a net bag. The peach blossoms along the roadside were in full bloom, almost entirely pink and white, clusters of them bending the branches like snowballs. A gentle breeze blew, and the earlier blooming flowers could no longer bear the weight, their white petals swirling and scattering lightly, lingering around the two of them for a long time.

Tang Yanchu walked quietly, then suddenly turned to look at Yue Ruzheng. She was smiling, gazing at the blooming peach blossoms on both sides, oblivious to his gaze. He glanced at her only once, then turned back to continue walking, looking ahead.

The two had just reached the peach grove in front of the courtyard when Tang Yanchu saw a young man leading a white horse standing in front of the bamboo fence, seemingly waiting for someone. The man was dressed in a clean and neat dark purple outfit, with a tall and upright figure, a handsome face, and a refreshing demeanor.

Upon seeing him, Yue Ruzheng was overjoyed and called out "Senior Brother" before running towards him.

The man's face lit up with surprise. He strode forward, saying with a mixture of reproach and pity, "Ruzheng, you still remember me?!"

Yue Ruzheng blushed and said, "If I hadn't injured my foot, I would have gone back long ago... But I've been worried about you all while I'm here. How is Master?"

The man sighed, "A lot has happened since you left. It's a long story, but things are calmer for now." He paused, looked at her, and said, "By the way, how's your foot injury?"

Yue Ruzheng lifted her right foot and said, "It's all healed now. It's all thanks to Xiao Tang." As she said this, she thought of Tang Yanchu. She turned around and saw Tang Yanchu standing silently not far away, watching the two of them without saying a word.

She smiled and walked over to Tang Yanchu, saying to the man, "This is Xiao Tang, Tang Yanchu."

Tang Yanchu lowered his eyes and remained silent. The man looked at him, momentarily taken aback and surprised. Yue Ruzheng quickly tugged at Tang Yanchu's sleeve and said, "Little Tang, this is my senior brother Shao Yang, the eldest disciple of Yinxi Xiaozhu. Master admires him the most."

When Tang Yanchu first arrived in Bei Yandang, Shao Yang was not at He Zhi's residence, so the two had never met before. Shao Yang had only heard his senior uncle mention the one-armed boy who had delivered the letter for Ru Zheng. Even so, he was still somewhat surprised to see Tang Yanchu in person.

But Shao Yang, having dealt with all sorts of people frequently, noticed Tang Yanchu's continued silence and, glancing at his empty sleeves, broke the awkward silence by saying, "Brother Tang, don't listen to my junior sister's nonsense; she's all talk. She's been well taken care of by you here… I thank you on her behalf."

Tang Yanchu looked up at him and said softly, "I didn't take care of her; she just stayed for a few days."

Yue Ruzheng pursed her lips, looked down, and saw that she was still holding the net bag in her arms. She said, "Senior brother, it's almost noon. Let's go inside and eat."

Shao Yang hesitated for a moment, but she had already pulled Tang Yanchu into the courtyard, leaving Shao Yang no choice but to follow behind. Yue Ruzheng turned to Shao Yang and said, "Senior brother, please sit in the courtyard for a while. I'll clean the fish."

Shao Yang nodded, and Yue Ruzheng, carrying a net, walked to the well, brought a basin, and poured the fish into it. The two fish jumped and thrashed as soon as they touched the water. Yue Ruzheng rolled up her sleeves to try and hold them down, but instead got splashed with water. Shao Yang smiled and stepped forward, saying, "Junior sister, you don't know anything, yet you try to show off." With that, he rolled up his sleeves, had her fetch a knife and scissors, and squatted by the well to clean the fish.