The morning breeze ushered in a new day, and Lin Shuanglan woke up to the sound of birds chirping.
There were heavy clouds in the sky, and the sunlight on the ground alternated between bright and dark. Lao Tong was sitting on the stone steps, his eyes bloodshot and his expression dejected.
Lin Shuanglan raised her eyes and looked at Zhi Changle's bedroom, then at Lao Tong, feeling frightened and wanting to ask but not daring to ask.
She quietly passed by Lao Tong and stepped into the threshold behind him.
Even though it was daylight, there was still a fire burning in the house, and there was a heat that made the small room very uncomfortable.
Du Xuan and a secret guard were sleeping at the door. They were sleeping in an undisciplined manner, with their mouths half open and occasionally snoring.
In front of Zhi Changle's wooden bed, the girl she saw kneeling there last night is now sitting on a square low bamboo stool, still busy.
A big stone fell from Lin Shuanglan's heart. If he is still busy, it means he is still alive.
"Ah Li, is there anything I can help you with?" Lin Shuanglan whispered.
"Yes," the girl's voice was thin but calm, "find someone to carry them away and find a bed."
Lin Shuanglan looked at Du Xuan and the secret guard beside him, and nodded: "...Okay."
Du Xuan was moved to Lao Tong's bed by two sturdy militiamen from the village. Before they could put him straight, Du Xuan opened his sleepy eyes.
A militiaman told the situation. Du Xuan raised his hand and rubbed his head, and asked hoarsely: "Is she still in front of the bed?"
The militiamen nodded: "Still."
"Why bother," Du Xuan said sadly, "why bother bothering a dead man."
Lin Shuanglan came in from the outside and almost failed to hold the hot tea in her hand.
"Dead man..." Lin Shuanglan said blankly, "Zhi Daxia..."
Du Xuan wiped his face and got off the bed that was still warm: "You go and do your work. After the battle last night, the village was seriously short of manpower. We don't need to worry about it for now."
While talking, Du Xuan saw the pen, ink, paper and inkstone on the wooden table in front of the window.
Old Tong is also writing these days. He originally only knew Tong. Over the years, following Xia Zhaoyi and Zhili, he has learned more and more words. He uses the pen, ink, paper and inkstone on the table every day.
Du Xuan walked up and looked at the paper pressed under the paperweight.
The young master must blame him for being useless. He sent so many people to follow him north, and finally found her, but was unable to help.
Du Xuan picked up the pen and sat down at the table.
After midnight, Zhan Jiuye, who was busy cleaning up the village, came to find Xia Zhaoyi, but was stopped by Lao Tong outside the door.
The wind of late autumn and early winter was blowing the withered vegetation in the courtyard. Master Zhan Jiu looked at Old Tong's deathly green complexion and said worriedly: "What should we do? Miss Ali's body will not be able to bear it."
"It won't be useful if anyone comes," Old Tong said weakly, "Well, that's it."
Master Zhan Jiu had no choice but to set up another formation and had to leave.
Come back in the evening and the situation is the same.
However, when I looked up and saw the room, the girl was no longer sitting, lying hunched over the bed, and fell asleep from exhaustion.
No one dared to go there. As soon as she passed, she woke up and felt terribly light. No one could disturb her anymore.
When night fell, Du Xuan and all the secret guards were discussing what to do in the courtyard.
Some people suggested that she should be forced to do it directly, otherwise she would collapse first if this continues, so why not just become a sinner.
Lao Tong quickly rejected this dangerous idea.
When I was undecided, I heard the voice of a girl in the room: "Brother Tong."
"Hey!" Lao Tong quickly turned around and said, "Ah Li!"
The girl turned around from the bed and looked at her. She had a clear and beautiful figure, and a relieved smile appeared on her lips: "Is there anything to eat? I'm hungry."
Seeing her smile, Lao Tong gradually stopped walking, and then huge joy lit up in Lao Tong's eyes.
He looked at Zhi Changle on the bed. The man who had not woken up all day and night still had his eyes closed, and his body was neatly covered with quilts. He was rising and falling occasionally, which was his breathing.
"Yes, yes!" Old Tong shouted hurriedly, "I'll go right away!"
When he turned around, he found that Du Xuan and others were gathered around the door. While the secret guard made way for him, he looked at the girl from the bed.
"Ah Li?" Du Xuan's voice was trembling.
Xia Zhaoyi curled her lips and her smile deepened: "He survived."
The courtyard suddenly burst into cheers and laughter from men.
Xia Zhaoyi slept for six full hours when the rain outside the window woke her up.
Lin Shuanglan and Feng Anan were sitting on the porch and whispering endorsements, while the cold rain splashed down. The cool touch can refresh people's consciousness and get twice the result with half the effort.
Xia Zhaoyi opened the door and walked out. Two girls stood up to greet her and said respectfully, "Miss A Li."
"It's an endorsement." Xia Zhaoyi smiled.
"Um!"
"Everything is great in the village."
"We are all cleaning up and building another house, but I heard this morning that two more wounded people could not hold on and died." Lin Shuanglan said sadly.
Xia Zhaoyi nodded: "I'm going to see Brother Zhi."
Lin Shuanglan followed up: "He hasn't woken up yet, but his complexion is better. Give him water and he can swallow it."
After she finished speaking, she reached the door. She turned her eyes and saw that the man on the bed had opened his eyes and was moving his eyes in a daze.
Zhi Changle was in so much pain that he couldn't move. When he heard the footsteps approaching, he turned his head sideways with difficulty.
"Brother Zhi," Xia Zhaoyi sat down beside the bed, "don't move."
"Ah Li..." Zhi Changle said hoarsely, "My chest hurts so much."
"Everywhere you hurt hurts," the honest girl said, "My chest hurts the most because I did a few heartbreaking things to you."
"...Tear your heart out?"
"literal meaning."
Zhi Changle sighed carefully, even such a sigh felt terribly painful.
Lin Shuanglan walked over gently, stood behind Xia Zhaoyi and looked at the man on the bed.
Zhi Changle looked at her, Lin Shuanglan looked slightly uncomfortable, paused and said, "Master Zhi, are you feeling better?"
Zhi Changle stopped talking if he could, and withdrew his gaze.
Food was always heating on the kitchen stove. Xia Zhaoyi ate something to warm her stomach, picked up the bamboo umbrella leaning against the door, and left the courtyard.
The sky was raining heavily and the wind was slightly cold. Xia Zhaoyi walked towards Qiancun and heard the sound of arguments coming from the direction of the ancestral hall in the distance.
Mo Wuye and Zhan Jiuye were still quarreling over those prisoners. One had to kill them, while the other fought to the death to protect them.
Xia Zhaoyi stopped in the formation, did not pass, and continued to move forward.
The ground was muddy and slippery. She stepped across the river and stopped on the slope.
The rain and sand flowed away from her knee-high riding boots. She looked at the messy ditch at the bottom of the mountain. The blood-stained sand floated up in the heavy rain. There were still dozens of corpses in the ditch that had not been cleaned.
After looking at the array, Xia Zhaoyi looked into the distance.
When he first met Qian Fengrong on the river, Qian Fengrong was not alone. Next to him was a middle-aged scholar dressed elegantly.
According to a normal person's character, if someone is wanted with such a high reward, he will never set foot on that person's territory again.
However, Qian Fengrong went to Congxin Mansion instead.
Xia Zhaoyi was sure that it must be related to this middle-aged Confucian scholar.
He won Qian Fengrong's trust, and to a certain extent, he seemed to be able to control Qian Fengrong.
