Chapter 113 Walking in the Wilderness "Now I recognize it."

Xue Chan set off quickly, leaving the capital in just two or three days.

Before she left, Jiang Ji assigned some people to accompany and escort her, on the way there and back.

When the carriages reached the city gate, someone on horseback caught up with them, forcing them to stop temporarily.

Xue Chan lifted the curtain and saw Cheng Huaizhu dismount and leap directly onto her carriage.

"Why are you here? Do your aunt and uncle know? Why didn't they let anyone come with them?"

Cheng Huaizhu said firmly, "I want to go with you!"

Helpless, Xue Chan gently advised her, "The journey is long and not for sightseeing. What are you doing following me?"

"I want it! I want it!" Cheng Huaizhu interrupted her as she tightly gripped Xue Chan's hand, her voice softening and pleading. "That's precisely why I want to go with you, to stay by your side. How can I let you go alone?"

Xue Chan felt a lump in her throat and, holding back her tears, exchanged a glance with Yun Sheng outside the carriage.

Yun Sheng nodded slightly.

Xue Chan hugged her tightly.

"Huaizhu..."

Cheng Huaizhu remained stubborn and said directly, "Let's set off quickly, or we'll waste time."

Unable to dissuade her, they continued their journey.

The group exited the inner and outer city gates, crossed the moat, and arrived in the outskirts of the capital in the afternoon. Cheng Huaizhu lay on Xue Chan's lap and dozed off, while Xue Chan gently patted her noticeably thinner shoulders.

After crossing a stone bridge, Xue Chan heard the sounds of water and birdsong.

The carriage slowed down, and Chu Tao whispered into the carriage, "Miss, we've arrived at the Wei River."

Xue Chan lifted the curtain and saw the pavilion by the Wei River, where tall apricot blossoms grew, their flowers now blooming densely like snow.

Xue Chan said, "Let's stop the car."

Cheng Huaizhu woke up groggily and sat up: "What's wrong?"

"I want to go down and take a look," Xue Chan said with a gentle smile.

The two got off the carriage and walked together by the water.

The weather was warm and pleasant as summer approached, and the sunlight blew through the water's edge, releasing waves of warm fragrance from the reeds.

Xue Chan stood by the water, carefully observing every scene along the Wei River.

Across the river was a small village, with wisps of smoke rising from chimneys and fields of yellow and white rapeseed flowers visible in the distance. Along the riverbank in front of them, there were also patches of lush green vegetable gardens.

The weather was fine, the water and sky were sparkling, the tall willows and green locust trees provided shade, and a group of white birds nestled and slept under the shade of the trees.

She had been to this place twice, once in spring and once in autumn.

One time, Jiang Ce and she came here to ride horses and fish; another time, she came out with Zheng Tan and three other people from Jiangji to enjoy the autumn scenery.

When Jiang Ce left, he told her to wait until the weather was nice and ride Green Eyebrows, bringing Niannian and the others to play here. Now the weather is perfect, and Green Eyebrows is by her side, but the trip is too rushed for her to enjoy the scenery.

Who knows when the next time will be?

Xue Chan looked at Cheng Huaizhu standing beside her and spoke softly.

"Huaizhu, let's leave her here."

Cheng Huaizhu's eyes immediately reddened and her nose stung. Although she didn't shed tears, her voice was heavy with sobs: "You're going to abandon me? You don't need me."

She remembered something and hurriedly flipped up her sleeves, but her movements were too hasty and fast, and the contents inside scattered all over the floor.

Cheng Huaizhu hurriedly picked them up, carefully blowing away the grass clippings and dirt, and tearfully presented them to Xue Chan.

Do you remember these things? Do you remember these things?

She was very anxious, speaking rapidly and urgently, her eyes already brimming with tears.

Xue Chan stroked the little trinkets in her hand and smiled through her tears, "Of course, when you were little you didn't like attending Master Cao's classes. You would always daydream or sneak away, and as a result, your studies were a mess. That was bad enough, but your aunt would also spank your hands for it every time. You would be punished by the teacher during the day and beaten by your aunt at night, but you were too playful and would forget about being punished every time."

“When I went to your house, you were crying and reciting your lessons, wailing that you didn’t understand and couldn’t memorize them. Your aunt stood outside the door and said that if you couldn’t memorize them by night, she would ‘hang you up and beat you.’ You were scared, crying and reciting your lessons, while also urging me to eat and play with your toys. The tears you shed could fill a whole vat.”

Cheng Huaizhu nodded, tears falling to the ground one by one: "You felt sorry for me, and you were annoyed by my crying, so you made these things to play games with me. As we played, I memorized them all. My mother and teacher even praised me, saying that God had opened my eyes and I had finally figured it out."

She burst into tears as she spoke, just like when she couldn't recite a poem as a child. She was anxious, scared, and helpless.

"You really...you really can't...let me go with you? Are we really going to be separated?"

Xue Chan knew she was heartbroken. Xiao Yangjun had married far away to the northern frontier, Fang Youxi had returned to Changzhou, Zheng Shaoyu was at Dongxian Academy, and she was leaving too.

"I've accompanied you for a thousand miles, but we must part ways eventually. We come into this world alone, and through various coincidences, we meet and accompany each other. This is both a blessing and a stroke of luck. However, the road is our own, and some roads can only be walked by ourselves."

She reached out and gently wiped away Cheng Huaizhu's tears: "But no matter where I go, I will remember you, and I will never forget you."

Cheng Huaizhu sobbed, her face cradled in Xue Chan's hands, her eyes blurred with tears, yet Xue Chan's hands remained warm.

She knew she couldn't keep Xue Chan.

How can a person cage a bird?

They were born together on the fragrant islet, living and accompanying each other day by day, but one day they were to part. She was a bird that flew away, and she was a blade of grass by the water.

"Remember, wherever you go, I will always be your best friend."

"good"

"You're not allowed to make other friends! No, you can, but you can't be better friends than me."

"good"

"You need to write to me more often, at least once a month. If that doesn't work, you need to send me a letter every two weeks."

Xue Chan nodded seriously: "Okay."

Another carriage arrived on the stone bridge; it was Mr. Cheng and Mrs. Zhou.

They did not go forward, but simply stood in front of the carriage and waited.

Xue Chan led Cheng Huaizhu over.

They weren't angry, nor did they blame Cheng Huaizhu for sneaking away; they just sighed with heartache.

"Qiao Niang, be careful on the road, and remember to let us know you've arrived home safely."

Xue Chan responded.

She said to Cheng Huaizhu, "Let's go. This time, I'll watch you leave."

Cheng Huaizhu was reluctant to part, but she still let go of her hand and got into the carriage.

After they left, Xue Chan continued her journey.

After leaving the capital, we passed a mountain covered in lush greenery and blooming with many pink flowers.

She guessed it must be peach blossoms.

However, summer is approaching, and the peach blossoms have mostly faded.

However, Xue Chan still thought they were peach blossoms.

They had been traveling for more than half a month and were now far from Shangjing and close to Yuchuan.

When they arrived at Cangming, in order not to travel through the night, the group rested temporarily at the Cangming post station.

It was only evening when Xue Chan settled in, and she ate dinner first.

The inn wasn't large, but the food was exceptionally good, and Xue Chan couldn't help but eat two more bowls of lotus seed soup.

Yun Sheng and the others were tidying up their things, while Xue Chan stood by the window looking out. In the backyard of the post station, two clumps of cool green bamboo rustled in the wind.

She suddenly remembered that she had stayed at this same post station when she came to the capital from Yuchuan.

However, the food at the post station back then was far less delicious than it is now.

It was winter then, and there was a plum tree in this courtyard. The innkeeper said it was a hundred-year-old plum tree, even older than the inn itself.

However, the flowers did not bloom at that time, and she did not go to see them.

Naturally, the flowers hadn't bloomed yet, and she wanted to go and see them.

Xue Chan decided to go downstairs to find the plum tree.

Xue Chan walked downstairs slowly, fanning herself with a fan.

As evening approached, I walked along the bamboo path and watched the sun slowly sink below the leaves, leaving only the afterglow of sunset.

Hibernating insects chirped softly, and the sound of reading aloud filled the air.

Xue Chan tiptoed and listened for a while behind the bamboo grove.

"Who's eavesdropping there!"

The sound of reading aloud ceased, but shouts arose again.

Before long, a little girl, about ten years old, appeared in front of Xue Chan, holding a book.

She sized up Xue Chan, frowning, "Why are you sneaking around eavesdropping here?"

Xue Chan smiled and said, "I didn't mean to eavesdrop. I was just strolling around here when I heard someone reciting their lessons so earnestly, so I didn't want to disturb them. If I did bother you, then I apologize."

The girl softened: "It's okay, you can go for your walk."

She walked back.

Xue Chan also walked forward, and after passing through the path, she saw a small pond with rippling water, where a little girl was sitting on a stone by the pond continuing to read.

She walked slowly and quietly, circling the small pond in search of the plum tree.

But they were all green trees with leaves, and it was impossible to tell which one was a plum tree and which one was a cherry tree.

Perhaps it was Xue Chan pacing back and forth, for the little girl closed her book and looked up: "Why are you pacing back and forth like that?"

Xue Chan chuckled, her face flushed slightly by the setting sun: "I heard there's a century-old plum tree here, and I wanted to come and see it, but I couldn't find it after searching for a long time."

"Look," the little girl rolled up the book and held it up, "it's the one right next to you."

Xue Chan looked up and saw a lush, verdant tree beside her.

"Is this a plum tree?"

"...Yes, it's a plum tree. It just hasn't blossomed yet."

Xue Chan lowered her head and smiled: "So this is what it looks like when it's not in bloom. I never noticed before, so I didn't recognize it. So this is what it looks like. Now I recognize it."

They'll recognize them from now on.

The young girl sized her up for a while before saying, "Judging from your clothes and appearance, you must be from a noble family. You've read so many books, how come you don't recognize a plum tree?"

Xue Chan walked over to her, fanning herself, and tilted her head with a smile, saying, "Because I haven't read any books about plum trees. Besides, what good is reading a lot of books if you're not completely knowledgeable? I've read so many books, but I still can't recognize a plum tree, can I?"

The little girl snorted, "At least you have access to education, but many people don't..."

Seeing her dejected.

Xue Chan sat down on a stone next to her and asked, "You can read, but you've never been to school?"

The little girl nodded: "My mother is the cook at this inn. My father died a long time ago, leaving behind a lot of debt. I want to study, but going to school is too expensive, and I can't afford a tutor. I can only save up some money to buy a couple of books to read on my own."

Xue Chan asked, "You learned all of this on your own?"

The little girl shook her head: "Years ago, my mother worked as a cook for a private school teacher, and I would sit outside the window and listen. I listened for about two years and learned quite a bit."

“You probably won’t believe it if I told you,” she laughed proudly. “Those who listened to the teacher’s lectures didn’t learn as well as I did.”

"Later, my mother stopped helping in the kitchen, and I never attended any more classes..." Her voice trailed off, and she sighed. But the look on her face as she looked down at the book in her hands was one of deep affection and longing.

Xue Chan said softly, "I believe you."

The little girl turned her gaze away from the surface of the small pond and blinked at Xue Chan.

She then asked her, "What's your name?"

“Hmm…” The girl seemed to be thinking, and after a moment of silence, she replied, “Pei Ji, the Ji as in Tianyu Kaiji.”

Xue Chan smiled at her and said, "My name is Xue Chan, Chan as in Chanjuan."

She flipped through the book with a rustling sound, then pulled out a flower and gave it to Xue Chan: "I'll remember you. Consider this a small gift."

Xue Chan accepted it and said with a smile, "Thank you, I'll remember you too."

"Jin Hua!"

A woman's voice called from behind the bamboo grove. The little girl responded with an "Eh," and ran away, seemingly a little embarrassed.

They run incredibly fast.

He didn't even pick up the book when it fell on the ground.

Xue Chan picked up the book; the pages were blown open by the wind, revealing several pieces of paper with writing on them.

She looked at them and found they were a few short poems.

The poem was quite good, even better than hers, except the characters were a bit crooked.

Xue Chan slowly walked back, waving her fan, her steps light and quick.

She went back into the house, sat by the window, flipped through a book, and picked up a pen as she read.

"Beep beep beep"

Someone knocked on her door.

Yun Sheng got up and opened the door, looking down to see a little girl carrying a bowl of lotus seed soup.

She glanced at Xue Chan's back as she sat by the window, then lowered her head and said, "The lotus seed soup you ordered."

Yun Sheng accepted it: "Thank you very much."

She closed the door and had just placed the lotus seed soup beside Xue Chan when the knocking sounded again.

This time, Chu Tao opened the door, and the same little girl was standing there. She bent down and asked, "Little sister, is there anything else you need?"

Pei Ji clenched his fists hesitantly, only looking at Xue Chan's back without saying a word.

"I……"

Seeing her like this, Chu Tao frowned in confusion.

"Chu Tao, let her in."

Xue Chan spoke up, and Chu Tao stepped aside, saying, "Come in."

Pei Ji pursed her lips and walked to Xue Chan's side, and Yun Sheng immediately brought over a small stool.

Xue Chan put down her pen and said, "Please sit down."

Pei Ji slowly exhaled and slowly sat down.

Xue Chan turned her face and said with a faint smile, "Is there something you need?"

Pei Ji took the fallen book out of his sleeve: "Thank you for returning the book to me."

Xue Chan said, "This was originally your book."

The little girl was a bit embarrassed and lowered her head, fidgeting shyly.

"I...I lied."

"What lie did you tell?"

"Actually, my name isn't Pei Ji. I just chose it because I thought it sounded nice."

“A person has many names, such as name, courtesy name, and pseudonym. What kind of lie is this?”

Pei Ji breathed a sigh of relief, smiled slightly, and looked at the table.

"Your handwriting is beautiful."

Xue Chan took out a new sheet of paper and handed her a pen: "You can write, right?"

Pei Ji didn't respond: "My writing isn't good."

"No one is born a natural writer," Xue Chan smiled gently. "Where did your confidence go?"

Pei Ji felt somewhat ashamed, but still reached out and took the pen.

She thought for a moment and wrote the character "霁" on the paper.

A person who can read and write.

She was so envious.

Holding his book, Pei Ji mustered his courage and asked Xue Chan, "You must have read a lot of books. Could you tell me about this book? There are many parts that I don't quite understand."

She looked cautiously at Xue Chan's face, trying to see what kind of expression would appear on it.

But Xue Chan still smiled faintly: "I don't know if I've read a lot, but it's probably more than you."

Pei Ji immediately shook his head: "No, no, no, no one has ever read to me before, this is the first time."

Her voice weakened again...

"May I?"

Xue Chan said, "Okay."

She had Pei Ji sit down next to her, opened the book, and began to read to her slowly. The two of them, one big and one small, talked and listened, asking and answering questions, for a long time.

Pei Ji had never had a teacher, and he didn't know if all teachers were like the people around him.

Patient, meticulous, gentle, and knowledgeable about both ancient and modern times.

She learned more in one night than she had in a year of trying to figure things out on her own.

The oil lamp burned down to its last flame.

Xue Chan said, "It's already very late, let's come again tomorrow."

Pei Ji, eager to learn, immediately shook his head: "I'm not tired."

Xue Chan said, "But I need to rest."

She immediately stood up from the stool with the book in her hand and bowed respectfully to everyone in the room.

"Thank you so much, I'm sorry to trouble you."

Chu Tao opened the door and escorted her back. When she returned, Xue Chan was writing a letter.

As she wrote, she said again, "Yunsheng, is there a picture of a bluebird among the paintings we brought?"

Yun Sheng glanced at the pile of paintings and pulled out one of them: "Yes, I brought it."

Xue Chan said, "Give it to me."