Сокровищница Цзянху

Глава 4

Half asleep, she heard Qingdai whisper in her ear, "Miss, it seems that Shitou has returned."

You Tong was startled, quickly opened her eyes and glanced out the window. In the dense woods, a shadow slowly approached—it was Shi Tou. "Quickly close the door," You Tong immediately got up, packing her things while instructing Qing Dai, "If he calls later, don't make a sound." If he found out they hadn't gone out at all, Shi Tou would nag for a while, then insist on dragging them to that damn celebration. Heaven knows, she'd rather stay home and nap than go out.

Qingdai had followed her for so many years, so she knew exactly what she meant. She quickly got up, went outside to lock the door, jumped in through the window, and then closed the window tightly. From the outside, it looked as if she had gone out.

This show of force indeed fooled Shi Tou. He called out but didn't respond, just stood blankly at the door for a long while before leaving with a stiff face. You Tong peeked through the crack in the window a few times, feeling that something seemed off about him today.

As darkness fell, not only had Bai Ling and the others not returned, but even Steward Lin was nowhere to be seen. You Tong figured they might have been kept there by the farmers, so she didn't think much of it. She and Qing Dai ate something casually, read for a while, and then went to wash up and go to bed.

She was still somewhat restless, feeling as if something bad was about to happen, and tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep. Seeing her like this, Qingdai naturally didn't go to sleep either, but stayed by her side, talking to her while working on her embroidery under the lamp.

Around midnight, Youtong finally realized something was wrong. She could faintly hear the sound of horses' hooves coming from the woods outside. Startled, she immediately got up, blew out the lamp, and grabbed the long sword from the box by her bedside. Qingdai was also astonished by her actions and followed suit, taking a dagger from the box and hiding it on her person.

"Miss, who are those people outside?" Although she had learned some martial arts, she had never actually fought a real fight, and Qingdai's voice trembled slightly.

You Tong pressed her ear close to the ground and listened carefully for a while, her face growing even more solemn. "There are at least twenty or thirty of them. Breaking in in the middle of the night, what good people could they be? They're obviously bandits. But—" But their voices were clearly getting closer and closer; they weren't trapped in the formation. You Tong didn't believe those rabble could easily break her formation. The only explanation was…

Is it the forest manager or Stone?

You Tong clenched her fists tightly and slowly exhaled. "There are too many people. We can't beat them. The only thing we can do now is to escape through the back door."

"Okay." Qingdai quickly agreed, and was about to turn around to peek through the back door when she suddenly remembered something and turned back, saying, "Then this estate—"

"We're about to lose our lives, what's the point of worrying about this estate?" You Tong said angrily, grabbing Qing Dai's hand, opening the back door, and rushing quickly into the darkness...

Although the bandits were unfamiliar with the terrain, they were still on horseback, and if they really wanted to chase, how could they possibly escape? Thinking of this, Youtong didn't head towards the main road, but instead ran wildly north. It had been drizzling all day, and the forest was extremely damp. Coupled with their hurried pace, they were only wearing long, thin garments over their inner clothes, which were soaked by the drizzle. The cold wind made them feel icy and biting. The two ran wildly through the forest, their minds filled with panic, and they didn't even feel the chill.

The sound of horses' hooves and shouts came from afar behind them, along with the faint glow of torches, growing ever closer, as if they would be upon them in an instant.

You Tong didn't have time to turn around. With her left hand tightly gripping Qing Dai's sleeve and her right hand gripping her long sword, she ran straight to the small lake outside the forest without stopping.

"What...what should we do?" Qingdai asked breathlessly, her face wet, it was hard to tell whether it was rain or tears from fright. This place was all barren mountains and fields, there were no farmers nearby, and there was no way to call for help.

You Tong remained calm, released Qing Dai's hand that was tightly gripping hers, groped around by the lake for a while, broke off two withered lotus stalks, handed one to her, and said, "Hide in the lake and breathe on it."

Qingdai readily obeyed, took the lotus stalk, put one end in her mouth, and carefully waded into the lake. In late autumn, the lake water was as cold as ice, and Qingdai couldn't help but shiver several times, but in the end, she had no choice but to grit her teeth and slowly sink, leaving only the other end of the lotus stalk.

The lake was about ten acres in size. Although it was late autumn, there were still withered lotus leaves in the lake. During the day, it looked like a withered brown, and the view below the lake was almost invisible, let alone in the pitch-black night. You Tong looked around and wiped away the footprints left by the two of them. After confirming that there was nothing else, she also sank into the lake.

Before long, sure enough, a dozen or so people came chasing after them, their torches illuminating the surroundings brightly. They searched around for a while but couldn't find anyone, and they all started cursing loudly, but no one thought to come and take a look at the lake.

After those people had gradually gone far away, Youtong listened carefully for a while, and only after confirming that it was safe did she slowly get up from the lake and whisper "Qingdai" twice. Qingdai quickly emerged from the withered yellow water plants by the lake, her face blue and shivering from the cold, and looked at her, calling out "Miss" in a trembling voice.

The two helped each other climb ashore. As they stood, Qingdai stared motionless at the direction of the manor behind her, her eyes filled with despair. Youtong also turned to look, only to see a bright light in the woods; in the light drizzle, the manor was engulfed in flames…

The master and servant spent the night huddled together in a nearby cave, only getting up at dawn to head towards the manor. After such a night, both were utterly disheveled, but neither spoke, forcing themselves to walk step by step into the cave.

Because it had rained all day, the fire didn't burn for very long last night, and because there was a large open space outside the yard, the nearby woods didn't suffer much damage; only the garden was reduced to ashes. You Tong stood in the ruins for a long time, her face ashen, her fists clenched so tightly that her fingers almost dug into her flesh, but she didn't shed a single tear.

She didn't know how long she had been standing there until she heard Qingdai calling her from behind, her voice trembling with tears. Only then did Youtong turn around, expressionless, and rummage under the stone chair in front of the courtyard for a while. She pulled out a black lacquered and gilded wooden box from the ground, cleaved open the copper lock with a sword, and found it full of silver notes and land deeds.

Qingdai finally breathed a sigh of relief. Although she knew that Youtong was always cautious and would never lock all the valuables in the storeroom, she was still a little worried. Now that she saw it with her own eyes, she was finally at ease.

The two left the woods in silence. When they reached the crossroads, You Tong finally managed to say something: "It's a stone."

Qingdai's heart skipped a beat. She secretly glanced at her, and seeing that her face remained calm and expressionless, her worry deepened. "Then Bai Ling—"

“She had better be alright, otherwise—” You Tong’s face contorted with rage, “otherwise, I will seek revenge no matter where I am.” With that, she picked up the box and walked away without looking back.

The bandits were clearly after Youtong and her companions. Apart from the burning of the manor, the tenants outside were unaffected, but the fire last night had alerted everyone, prompting them to come out and investigate. When they saw Youtong and Qingdai emerge, they all came over to inquire, but seeing that the two were dressed in women's clothing, their faces were filled with strange expressions.

Manager Lin was also in the crowd. When he saw You Tong and the others, he burst into tears. He sat down on the edge of the field, wiped his tears, and choked out, "Thank God, thank God, the master is alright."

You Tong stared at him and asked, "Have you seen Bai Ling?"

Manager Lin asked in surprise, "Isn't Miss Bai Ling with Young Master Shi Tou? Oh, where are Shi Tou and the others?"

You Tong chuckled coldly a few times and stopped asking questions.

Author's Note: I was invited by a friend to play mahjong this afternoon. It's been so long since I've touched a tile. Ugh, I lost terribly, three against one! o(╯□╰)o

thief

eight

After only one day at the farm, Youtong packed her things to go to Huzhou City to gather information. She had originally planned to have Qingdai wait at the farm, but Qingdai refused and insisted on coming along. Youtong had no choice but to comply.

These bandits were clearly after them. You Tong didn't need to guess to know they were accomplices of the group who had been harassed in the forest last time. Several of them had been sent to the authorities by Abbess Jingyi and lost their lives, so they were here specifically for revenge. But last time, she had barely even seen their faces, let alone interrogated them, and now she couldn't even find a place to seek revenge. Of course, more importantly, there was Bai Ling.

Regarding Bai Ling's disappearance, You Tong tried her best not to think about the other possibility. However, Qing Dai, who was always thoughtful, couldn't help but cautiously raise questions. She didn't say it outright, but only mentioned in a roundabout way that Bai Ling and Shi Tou were good friends and told her to be careful.

Youtong understood her unspoken meaning perfectly. After a long silence, she slowly said, "Among the servants in the Yu household, Bailing is not as honest and dutiful as Emerald, nor as perceptive as Mingzhu, and certainly not as meticulous and capable as you. She has a lively personality and is sometimes loud and disrespectful. In the past, Emerald and the others didn't like her at home, but over the years, I have always favored her, even sometimes excessively. Do you know why?"

Qingdai replied in a low voice, "Miss's favoritism towards Bailing is naturally for a reason."

You Tong gave a bitter laugh, a trace of sorrow flashing in her eyes, and said in a low voice, "You only see my resolute nature now, but you don't know that I was once weak and easily bullied when I was young. At that time, you hadn't entered the manor yet, and I only had Emerald and Bai Ling to serve me. My mother was a vegetarian and a Buddhist, and she didn't care about household affairs. She would spend several days a month eating vegetarian food in the mountain temple. One winter, there was a heavy snowfall, and my mother was stuck on the mountain and couldn't come down. I had a falling out with my father over some trivial matters, and he slapped me hard and made me kneel in the ancestral hall for two hours as punishment." That evening, I fell ill. The old man, who had always disliked me, assumed I was deliberately causing trouble again. Despite Bai Ling's pleas, he never sent anyone to fetch a doctor. Finally, Bai Ling braved the heavy snow, walking for over an hour, pleading and begging until she finally brought the doctor back, saving my life. Bai Ling, she saved my life. If she were captured, I would risk my life to save her. If she truly is… I suppose this estate will repay her with my life. But regardless, I must investigate thoroughly.”

This was the first time Qingdai had heard of this matter. Although she had long known that Master Yu favored his concubine over his wife and neglected his eldest daughter, she never expected that he would disregard even the life of his own daughter. No wonder Youtong had no fatherly affection for him whatsoever. Fortunately, she was of this kind of personality; otherwise, she would have been devoured alive by the Yu family long ago.

The topic was too heavy, and Qingdai dared not bring it up again. Youtong, as if nothing had happened, continued searching for clues about the bandits. After much thought, she decided to ask Liu Sheng, the prefect of Huzhou, since he was the one who committed the murder last time. She figured she had already asked him everything she needed to know.

Upon entering the city, they first found a quiet little inn to stay in, and then gave Qingdai some silver to find a purchasing agent to buy a small courtyard in the city so that she would have a place to stay in the future. Qingdai knew that she couldn't help with anything else, but at least she had something to do now. After receiving the silver, she immediately went to do the work.

You Tong changed into men's clothing and prepared a letter to visit the prefectural government office.

To their surprise, upon arriving at the gate of the yamen, they found it heavily guarded, with a menacing constable standing every two or three steps around the gate and the courtyard. You Tong went to hand over her invitation and slipped a two- or three-ounce silver ingot to the gatekeeper, but the gatekeeper didn't even glance at it, saying that the prefect was busy suppressing bandits and that no unauthorized personnel would be seen.

You Tong tried to persuade him for a long time, but still couldn't get through to him. She had no choice but to turn back and call a table in a nearby restaurant. While drinking tea, she listened carefully to the conversations of the other customers.

Perhaps the prefectural government's entourage was too grand, for the townspeople had all witnessed it, and many were discussing the matter loudly in the restaurants, which suited You Tong's wishes perfectly. After listening for a while, You Tong finally understood what was going on. It turned out that bandits from nearby Jiutou Mountain had sent a threatening letter, saying that Lord Liu had killed their brothers and they were coming to take revenge, and so on...

The customers in the shop had never been robbed by the bandits, so they spoke without a care in the world. Several men, oblivious to right and wrong, loudly praised the bandits' skills, describing how brave the leader was, how skilled the second leader was in battle, and how the newly appointed seventh leader, known as "Jade-Faced Scholar," was not only handsome but also incredibly intelligent. It was said that just two days ago, he had led the bandits to avenge the brothers who had been beheaded in the previous incident.

The chopsticks in You Tong's hand were immediately broken into several pieces.

It is said that there are several hundred bandits in Jiutou Mountain stronghold. You Tong knows that he is no match for them on his own. The only way out is to join forces with the government. But judging from Liu Sheng's cowardly appearance, You Tong seriously doubts whether he has the guts to actually go and suppress the bandits.

In any case, I still have to go and talk to Liu Sheng.

Since Liu Sheng refused to meet people through normal channels, You Tong had no choice but to become a thief and search for him from the rooftop.

This is something that shouldn't be told to Qingdai, otherwise, she would definitely stop Youtong from going out.

She went to bed early that night. When she heard Qingdai snoring softly, Youtong got up, changed into a black outfit, covered her face with a handkerchief, and then jumped out of the window.

It was late at night, and the streets were quiet and deserted.

You Tong leaped and bounded, quickly arriving at the prefectural government office. Soldiers still guarded the area, but fortunately, You Tong was nimble and, taking advantage of a gap between the two rows of guards, slipped inside in the blink of an eye.

The layouts of the various government offices were all similar, and You Tong quickly found the location of the main house in the backyard. The house was pitch black and silent, but the side room in the west wing was lit. After a moment's thought, You Tong decisively turned and went to the west wing.

She climbed onto the roof and listened intently. It sounded as if two people were whispering, but it wasn't very clear. You Tong carefully moved the roof tiles aside and cautiously peered out.

This was clearly a study. The middle-aged man with a short beard was presumably Liu Sheng, the prefect of Huzhou. Although You Tong had never seen him in person, she had heard Master Jingyi describe his appearance. Another man was sitting directly below You Tong, his head slightly lowered, so her face was not clearly visible. She could only vaguely sense that he was very young.

Liu Sheng was extremely polite to this young man, speaking in a noticeably lowered voice and with a constant smile on his face, unaware that anyone else in Huzhou City could command such respect.

Yutong became suspicious and couldn't help but move even closer.

It was her first time doing something like this, and she was clumsy. Before she knew it, she bumped into a tile lying to the side, making a slight "creak." The man below suddenly looked up and met You Tong's eyes.

Because of their close proximity, You Tong could clearly see his eyes—deep and sharp, making one afraid to look directly at him. It was none other than the elegantly dressed man in charge of the horses whom she had seen at the city gate before. Thinking of his terrifying strength, You Tong broke out in a cold sweat and, forgetting all about finding Liu Sheng, turned and fled.

The man in fine clothes immediately rushed out of the house, leaped onto the roof, and relentlessly pursued the slender, graceful figure ahead.

It wasn't Qiantang after all, and You Tong wasn't familiar with the terrain. Coupled with her panic, she quickly lost her way after running a short distance. What was even more terrifying was the man who was following her like a ghost. Several times she almost lost sight of him, but every time she turned a corner, she would see him again. He was like a leech.

Back when Youtong was learning martial arts, Abbess Jingyi praised her for her excellent physique and talent, calling her a prodigy. However, because she was a woman, she lacked natural strength, so she focused solely on learning lightness and agility, believing she had made considerable progress. Even Abbess Jingyi repeatedly praised her. Unexpectedly, she was now being chased around so thoroughly by this burly man. For the first time, Youtong began to doubt Abbess Jingyi's judgment.

Lacking experience, You Tong initially exerted all her strength, but as she ran further, she became increasingly exhausted. Seeing the man getting closer and closer, she grew more and more panicked. In the blink of an eye, the man shouted, suddenly leaping two feet into the air and lunging straight at You Tong.

You Tong hurriedly dodged to the side, drew her longsword, and thrust it at the man according to the moves taught by Abbess Jingyi. The man showed a slight look of surprise, and with a slight movement, he dodged her attack.

"Who are you?" The man, who only defended and did not attack, asked while carefully examining You Tong's moves.

You Tong naturally didn't reply. With a flick of her longsword, she unleashed two sword flowers, creating a flurry of sword shadows, before suddenly thrusting the tip towards the man's ribs. The man's expression hardened, his face immediately turning serious. He solemnly took two steps back, narrowly dodging You Tong's sword strike.

You Tong was overjoyed and was about to stab again when the man suddenly disappeared. She was stunned and lost the initiative. The man's hand was already in front of her, and he deftly removed the veil from her face.

"Wen Feng?" Upon seeing her face, the man was immediately shocked and stood there dumbfounded.

If not now, when? While he was still in a daze, You Tong took out a handful of lime powder from her bosom and threw it all over his face, then ran away in the chaos.

After wandering around the city several times, You Tong finally found her way back to the inn. Too tired to even take off her coat, she lay down on the bed.

The next morning, Qingdai finally noticed her unusual behavior. Upon learning that she had sneaked into the prefectural government office at night, she turned pale with fright, repeatedly patting her chest in relief, saying how close she had come to disaster. However, Youtong kept thinking about the name the man had blurted out the day before—Wen Feng—why would he call that name to her face?

————

Qingdai was very capable; she found a suitable house in just one day and made arrangements with the purchasing agent to see it in person today.

The courtyard was located in a cobblestone alley in the west of the city. It wasn't large, but it was kept fairly clean. You Tong looked around briefly, had no objections, and decided to stay. In the afternoon, she paid the money and exchanged the deed for the house. That evening, the two of them, master and servant, moved in.

Author's Note: I made a huge blunder today.

I went out to the gym last night and came back around 9 pm. Then I did some shopping, had a late-night snack, chatted with friends, and dawdled until after 10 pm. When I got to the door, I realized I hadn't brought my keys...

I had to go all the way to my colleague's house to get a spare key, and as a result, I wasted so much time and effort before I finally got in. What bad luck!

~~~~(>_<)~~~~

Qingdai's Marriage

Nine

Having just moved into their new home, the yard still needed furnishing. Plus, Youtong had almost been caught by that man that day, so she dared not make any rash moves. Therefore, she unusually accompanied Qingdai to the market to buy some daily necessities. A whole pile of odds and ends, including bedding, clothes, pots and pans, was brought back in one go, all hauled back in an oxcart.

The neighbors only then noticed that new people had moved into the courtyard. A few of them, who loved a good chatter, came over to say hello and subtly inquired about the two of them. You Tong, still dressed as a man, lied and said that he and Qing Dai were siblings, that their parents had passed away, and that they originally lived in Huangqiao Town outside the city. They said that they had bought this courtyard in the city to stay temporarily because You Tong wanted to go to school there.

When the neighbors heard that Youtong was a scholar, they immediately showed her respect and spoke to her with a touch of politeness. One older woman even asked with great interest about her age and whether she was engaged or married. Youtong simply replied that her late mother had arranged marriages for her and her siblings long ago. The older woman then left dejectedly.

It took two days of work to set up the courtyard. Youtong lived in the main house, while Qingdai lived in the east wing. In the flower hall, there was a long black lacquered couch and four pine chairs. Two paintings hung on the wall, and a bamboo curtain hung from the side door on the east side. There used to be a well in the corner of the west wall, but it had long been abandoned. Youtong asked someone to rest there for a while and then built a foot-high railing around the well.

In this way, the courtyard does look quite presentable.

Qingdai was afraid that Youtong would go on adventures alone, so she always insisted on taking her with her whenever she went out. This day, she was going to the shop to buy fabric to make two winter outfits for Youtong. Young women are usually very indecisive when it comes to buying things, but Youtong was a bit impatient, so she told her that she would go to the teahouse next door to wait for her.

After drinking two cups of tea without seeing Qingdai come looking for her, Youtong couldn't help but feel anxious. Just as she was about to go downstairs to look for her, she suddenly saw two people coming out of the fabric shop one after the other. One was Qingdai, and the other was none other than Gao Heng. Youtong immediately stopped and quietly retreated back inside.

Because Youtong was at a high place and felt uneasy, she didn't dare to get close enough to listen to their conversation. However, seeing them chatting and laughing, and even a faint blush on Qingdai's face, some thoughts flashed through her mind. But, the Gao family was, after all, a prominent family in Qiantang, and Gao's mother was someone who valued rules and social standing very much. Qingdai's status seemed rather inappropriate.

With this thought in mind, You Tong abandoned her original plan once again.

After talking for a while, Gao Heng politely took his leave of Qingdai. After he had gone, a slight reluctance appeared on Qingdai's face, but she quickly concealed it, sighed softly, and then turned to go to the restaurant to find Youtong.

They walked in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Once back in the courtyard, Qingdai spoke first, seemingly casually mentioning, "Miss, guess who I ran into at the shop just now?" Before Youtong could reply, she added with a smile, "It was actually Young Master Gao! The Gao family has several businesses in Huzhou. He came to check the accounts and just happened to run into me. What a coincidence!"

"Oh," You Tong replied softly, her head down as she read, without asking any further questions.