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Глава 36

"No need." Tang Yanchu's voice was a little hoarse as she continued to look out the window without turning around.

Yue Ruzheng stood there blankly for a long time before finally asking, "Why?"

He seemed to have thought for a long time before slowly turning around. A slight indifference lingered in his eyes, but a faint smile played on his lips: "I don't need any so-called commemorations."

Yue Ruzheng opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, he had already turned and walked out of the room. Yue Ruzheng chased after him to the door, walked to his own door, smiled slightly at her, and then silently closed the door.

The next morning, when Yue Ruzheng left her room, she placed the sachet beside her pillow, then took one last look at the familiar little house before walking out.

Tang Yanchu got up very early and waited at the door. He looked at Yue Ruzheng, who was already wearing a sword and a tight-fitting outfit, and felt a little unfamiliar with her.

"Let me carry your luggage for you." Tang Yanchu walked to her side, bit the bundle on her shoulder, and then slung it over his own. The two of them left the courtyard as if it were nothing out of the ordinary. Yue Ruzheng led the horse over and, holding the reins, walked slowly with him along the mountain path. Along the way, the two of them spoke very little, and only the echo of their footsteps remained in the valley.

Upon arriving in town, Yue Ruzheng needed to take a ferry to the other side to save time, which would lead directly to Wenzhou City. Although there weren't many people waiting for the ferry at dawn, as soon as the two approached the ferry, people around them started pointing and gossiping about Tang Yanchu.

Yue Ruzheng followed behind him, watching the curious, pitying, curious, and fearful gazes, listening to the whispers that, though varied, always revolved around phrases like, "Look, that person has no arms," "So young and already disabled, it's so pitiful," and "Living like this is such suffering." Even though she wasn't Tang Yanchu himself, she felt a heavy weight and a pang of sorrow in her heart. She couldn't imagine how he had faced himself and others all these years. Only now did she truly understand why he chose to live alone in the deserted mountain valley, unwilling to communicate with outsiders.

But Tang Yanchu didn't seem to care at all. He stood at the very front of the ferry, looked into the distance, and turned back to say, "The ferry should be here soon."

Yue Ruzheng walked to his side, while others still looked at him with curious eyes. Tang Yanchu's gaze was calm as she said in a low voice, "Take the package."

Yue Ruzheng took the package from his shoulder, slung it over her own back, and said, "Xiao Tang, you go back. I'll wait here by myself."

"It's alright." He seemed to know what she meant and smiled.

She gazed at the surging river before her; the sky was overcast, the sun was nowhere to be seen, and the river itself appeared murky.

Tang Yanchu quietly looked at her profile. After a moment, a creaking sound was heard, and a ferry slowly approached. The people waiting for the ferry hurried forward.

Yue Ruzheng remained standing still. Tang Yanchu nudged her with his shoulder and said, "Let's go."

She managed a smile at him, then slung her bag over her shoulder and hurried onto the ferry. She had barely settled in, and before she could even say a few more words of farewell, the boatman pushed off with a bamboo pole and sailed away from the shore.

Just as the boat left the ferry dock, Yue Ruzheng suddenly stood up and couldn't help but call out towards the shore, "Little Tang!"

Tang Yanchu had been standing silently at the back of the crowd when she heard her shout, so she ran all the way to the end of the ferry. But by then the wind was picking up, and the ferry quickly moved away from the shore and headed downstream.

Yue Ruzheng sat on the outer edge of the cabin, fighting back tears, watching Tang Yanchu's figure at the ferry dock gradually shrink. His handsome features, his light gray short jacket, and his sleeves fluttering in the river breeze all became increasingly blurred...

Many of the other people seeing him off were waving goodbye to their loved ones, but he stood alone outside the crowd, still standing there, gazing motionless in the direction the ferry had sailed.

The two snails haven't joined yet, the two moths have already closed up; home is west of the blue clouds. The sorrow of parting from mother, the taste of love, are like when Peach Leaf crossed the river.

The small boat has been carried away, hurrying back home, tonight mooring by the stream. Willows by the ferry, pear blossoms beyond the wall, our hearts' secrets known only to two.

--Jiang Kui, "A Youthful Journey"

(End of Volume 2)

Volume Three: Jiang Mei's Preface

Chapter Twenty-Five: Let Love and Hatred Drift With the Waves

"master……"

In the waterside pavilion of Yinxi Xiaozhu, Yue Ruzheng, weary from her journey, knelt before Jiang Shuying with a look of shame. Jiang Shuying, dressed in a plain white dress, still looked somewhat haggard, but much better than before. She stood by the rippling water, gazing at Yue Ruzheng, remaining silent for a long time.

Yue Ruzheng rarely saw her master so silent. She nervously raised her head and saw Jiang Shuying's grave expression, her phoenix eyes coldly fixed on her. A chill ran through Yue Ruzheng, and she whispered, "Ruzheng knows she shouldn't have run away secretly, making Master worry."

"You simply ran away?" Jiang Shuying closed her eyes briefly, sighed deeply, and said, "After you left, Uncle-Master Yu already told me the reason. Ruzheng, do you no longer respect me as your master? Your Uncle-Master asked you to go to Yandang, and you left Yinxi Xiaozhu without a word. Why can't you do what I told you to do, stay here and not go out again?"

"I..." Yue Ruzheng was speechless. She thought back to the time when her senior uncle told her to go back and find Tang Yanchu, and the joy she felt was beyond words. At that time, she only thought about seeing Tang again and didn't think carefully about the details.

Jiang Shuying smiled coldly and said, "Stop beating around the bush. I've already heard from Yang'er that you and that Tang Yanchu have a very close relationship. I'm afraid your master's arrangement is exactly what you wanted, isn't it?"

Yue Ruzheng's remorse deepened, but she still looked up and said, "Master, although I spent some time with Xiao Tang, we didn't cross any lines. I won't do anything to betray Yinxi Xiaozhu!"

Jiang Shuying scrutinized her and said, "Before your senior uncle left, he said he would go to Pingyang to find you, hoping to take the opportunity to ascend Seven Star Island. Why have you suddenly returned now? Has Tang Yanchu discovered your plan?"

"No!" Yue Ruzheng said urgently, "Master, it's because I don't want to do this!" She turned her face to look at the pool of spring water, took a deep breath, and continued, "I've already heard from my senior uncle about the Youth-Preserving Pearl. I know this is a disgrace to our Yinxi Cottage, and a pain in Master's heart. But Master, Xiao Tang doesn't understand the conflicts of the martial world at all. He doesn't even go back to Seven Star Island; he lives deep in the mountains, relying on himself for survival. How can I use him to steal the Youth-Preserving Pearl? If I do this, my conscience will be uneasy for the rest of my life!"

"Ruzheng, I've always seen you as a carefree person, but I never expected you to care so much about this young man!" Jiang Shuying suddenly raised an eyebrow and smiled, leaning down to pat her shoulder before whispering, "But remember one thing: I will not allow you to have any relationship with the Lian family."

Yue Ruzheng felt a weight on her shoulder. Jiang Shuying hadn't focused her inner strength, but in that instant, it felt as if a tremendous force was pressing down on Yue Ruzheng, causing her to catch her breath.

She struggled to lift her head, gazing at Jiang Shuying's smiling yet icy eyes, and said, word by word, "I've come back this time to sever all ties with him."

The night was cool and still, with the bright moon hanging in the sky. Inside Yinxi Xiaozhu, the shadows of the trees swayed gently, creating a serene atmosphere.

Yue Ruzheng returned to the small building with a heavy heart. Qian'er saw that she had not smiled since she returned, and even trying to amuse her was to no avail, so she stopped making noise and quietly made up the bedding for her.

Yue Ruzheng sat by the window in a daze for a while. Turning around, she saw Qian'er busy doing this and that for her. She couldn't help but think of the extremely simple little house she lived in in Nan Yandang. Besides the essentials like a bed and chair, there were no decorations or soft bedding. During those days, although she had no one to rely on, Xiao Tang still did a lot for her. At the time, she hadn't even appreciated his hardship. But now, watching Qian'er's busy figure under the lamplight, Yue Ruzheng suddenly thought of that reserved yet thoughtful young man far away in southern Zhejiang.

After Qian'er finished tidying everything up for her, she turned around and saw Yue Ruzheng still in a daze. She couldn't help but step forward and say, "Miss, are you too tired from traveling? You should rest!"

Yue Ruzheng snapped out of her reverie and looked at her, saying, "Qian'er, don't you feel tired doing all these things for me?"

Qian'er said with a smile, "I'm willing to clean up for you, how could I feel tired?" After saying that, she poured hot water for Yue Ruzheng and then closed the door and went downstairs.

Not long after Qian'er left, Shao Yang's voice suddenly came from downstairs: "Junior sister, are you resting?"

Yue Ruzheng opened the window and saw him standing by the swing set, his face shrouded in the shadow of the green plum tree, making it difficult to see clearly. Shao Yang looked up at her and said, "Could you get off for a while?"

Yue Ruzheng, unaware of his purpose in arriving at night, came downstairs to stand before him. Only then did she notice Shao Yang's displeasure and said, "Senior Brother, can't we wait until tomorrow to discuss this?"

Shao Yang was silent for a moment, then said, "Why did you go back to Nan Yandang without telling me?"

Yue Ruzheng no longer wanted to mention this place, so she shook her head and said, "I've already apologized to my master, so please don't press me for the reason. I didn't mean to deceive you."