Small House

On the second day of the Lunar New Year, firecrackers exploded. Some of them flew out of control and ignited the brothel. The fire spread, turning the lively night into a blazing inferno.

The fire burned all night, and countless camp prostitutes were killed or injured. Camp prostitutes' lives were worthless, and no one would punish them if they died. However, when the prostitute camp burned down, they were not rescued in time, and the fire almost affected the military camp, which was a serious crime.

The general was furious. All the soldiers who had fun in the brothel camp that night were whipped twenty times and fined half a year's salary. Feng Ji, as the manager of the brothel camp, was also to blame. She was whipped ten times and fined half a year's salary, which almost cost her half her life.

The brothel was reorganized after at least half a month, and the women finally had some free time. After escaping the fire and surviving the disaster, they hugged each other, crying and laughing.

"I found an old subordinate of my father, and he promised to look after the people in the mansion..." Wen Jingzhao covered his abdomen with his hands, his eyes gloomy. When he opened his mouth, blood oozed from the corner of his mouth.

He Yingchun nodded and hurriedly wiped the blood off him with her sleeve. "I know, I know. Stop talking. You're bleeding again."

But He Yingchun and her mother had special status, and it was late at night, so they didn't dare go to the clinic.

The group followed Wen Jingzhao through many twists and turns and walked into a small alley. After turning a corner, they entered a small courtyard. There was a lantern lighting the door, but the stone steps in the courtyard were covered with moss, and it was unknown how many years no one had lived there.

The stone brick floor in the courtyard was uneven and cracked from the wind and rain. The wooden door was half-closed, and the ivy above the eaves hung down, casting a mottled shadow. The copper ring on the door was rusty, and it creaked faintly when it opened.

The fallen leaves and weeds piled up in the corners were intertwined, and someone must have cleaned them up. There was also a well on the west side of the yard, but I didn't know if it could be used.

Without taking the time to carefully appreciate the courtyard, several people entered the house. There was a strong smell of dampness, and the house looked quite large. They supported each other and entered the east wing.

Zhang Chao lit the oil lamp and there was a little light.

Mom woke up after smelling the fresh air, but Wen Jingzhao staggered and knelt on the ground without waiting for everyone to react.

He kept holding his abdomen. Zhang Chao reached out and checked, "It's broken! It looks like a bone is broken!"

"What?" If it was an internal injury, drinking the spiritual spring water would heal quickly, but the bones were broken, and she was not sure if they could be reconnected.

"How could the bones be broken?" He was clearly not hit in this place during the fire!

"Oh my, that's not bad. If you had a huge stone on your chest, you might have been smashed into a pulp! Oh! Why am I wasting my time talking to you? I'll take him to the clinic first. If we delay any longer, I'm afraid his life will be in danger!" Zhang Chao was about to run with Wen Jingzhao on his back.

"etc!"

"Ding! You have redeemed the elixir, and your points are 18." Tsk, it hurts.

He Yingchun took out the elixir from her arms and stuffed the small black pill into Wen Jingzhao's mouth, "Come, take the medicine!" Wen Jingzhao was still conscious at this time, his Adam's apple rolled, and he swallowed the pill.

"What? What kind of medicine is this! Do you know what's wrong with him? You're just blindly treating him!" Zhang Chao punched Wen Jingzhao's chest twice. Seeing that he didn't spit it out, he threw it behind him. "It's over! If he dies, my lord will skin me alive!"

"When the time comes, I will drag you down with me!" Before he could finish his words, Wen Jingzhao placed one hand on his throat, making a throat-locking gesture, but his hand was weak and not threatening.

"Fuck!" Zhang Chao whistled. The sound of horse hooves came, and he took two leaps and jumped onto the horse.

"Girl!" Before leaving, Zhang Chao shouted at He Yingchun, "If someone dies, it's your fault!"

"Fuck! Wen Jingzhao! I'm saving you!!"

The sound of horse hooves gradually faded away. He Yingchun was still worried and paced around the room. "It's okay, it's definitely okay." It's produced by the system, so it must be guaranteed. She touched her chest, and if there was no reaction, there was no problem.

Mom patted her shoulder and said, "It will be fine! We have come all this way!"

Still feeling restless, the two men found a piece of cloth, drew some water from the well, and began to clean up.

You know what, the water in the well is quite sweet.

They wiped from the east wing to the west wing, and from the front of the house to the back, and both of them were sweating.

"This place is quite big!" Mom sighed as she sat down to rest.

He Yingchun nodded. After finishing the work, she felt much more at ease. "Mom, you should rest first. You haven't recovered yet. Don't rush to work."

She drank some spiritual spring water and continued working. Mom was very envious. "You are so young. You don't know that when I first saw you, you were so small and skinny, like a kitten."

"It seems like she has grown a little taller?" Before, she was either busy on the road or faced with many crises, and had no time to think about anything. Now that she has taken a break and taken a closer look, she finds that He Yingchun is a little taller than before.

But compared to people of similar age, she was still far behind. "Almost catching up with Xiaozhi..." Mom's smile fell in an instant and she slapped herself in the face.

"Mom, it's okay. Xiaozhi, Suhe, and Zhang Bo are definitely thinking about us. Let's talk more. Maybe you will dream about them at night! Talk to them." He Yingchun comforted.

Mom nodded with tears in her eyes and started working silently again.

The east and west wing rooms both have earthen kangs, with a thick layer of felt on top.

"Let's boil some hot water!" Although the room was a little damp, everything was there. The two of them busily boiled the pot, heated the water, and wiped the dust off their faces.

“Hey! Hey!”

He Yingchun opened her eyes dazedly. Yu Ling was standing in front of her. "Where are my books?"

"Yuling? You're still alive! That's great! Here! Yes, it's here with me." He Yingchun took out a book from her arms, "Here, your book!"

Yu Ling didn't reach out to take it. She smiled and said, "No, I'm giving it to you. Please keep it well!"

Her figure was like a fragile painting, gradually dissipating like a wisp of soft mist, leaving only a blank space and a sigh.

"Yuling!!" He Yingchun woke up in shock, and everything in front of her eyes was dark. She touched the book in her arms and realized that it was a dream.

Is this really a dream?

"You're awake." When Wen Jingzhao sat on the edge of the kang, He Yingchun realized that she had fallen asleep on the kang without knowing when. The fire had been burning for half the night and it was starting to get hot.

"How is your injury?" He Yingchun asked hurriedly.

"It's okay now." Wen Jingzhao's broken ribs were tied with wooden boards and the wound had been fixed. The doctor said that he had strong bones and was young, so the wound would heal soon. It was just that the burns were a bit serious, one on his shoulder and one on his back, so he had to apply medicine every morning and evening.

Zhang Chao walked in with the medicine and rambled on, "Remember to put the medicine on again at night. I have to go now. I'm exhausted after a long night!"

"Thank you!" Wen Jingzhao clasped his fists, and Zhang Chao waved his hand, "Okay, let's go!" He came and went in a hurry, riding away on his horse.

"Who is this person?" He Yingchun thought to herself that this person seemed quite weird, but he was quite reliable when doing things.

"Master Ma's subordinate, Zhang Chao."

He Yingchun nodded.

"We are just going to come out like this? Is that okay?" They are all criminals. Is it okay for them to come out like this openly?

Wen Jingzhao looked at her and said, "From today on, you and your mother will die in the fire. From now on, you will start a new life and we will live here temporarily."

He Yingchun nodded, and she told Wen Jingzhao everything that had happened since they parted three days ago until today.

Wen Jingzhao patted her head and said, "I'm sorry for putting you through this."

He Yingchun shook her head. "Those innocent women who had done nothing wrong were forced to become slaves and prostitutes..." She couldn't bear to recall the past. "Stop talking about it. Tell me about your story too!"

"Me?" Wen Jingzhao didn't know where to start. He started by talking about Zhao Wu. "My grandfather gave Zhao Wu a large amount of money, so he took care of me along the way. He also bought this house."

"No wonder." He Yingchun nodded, that's why Zhao Wu gave him a dagger.

He Yingchun returned the dagger to him, but Wen Jingzhao confiscated it and said, "Keep it for self-defense."

He Yingchun put away the dagger and Wen Jingzhao told her about the other people.

"Everyone else in the mansion has been arranged. The work on the farm is easy and there is no need to worry about their lives. They can spend this period of time safely." Ma Tongguang is in charge of many farms. Working under him, you don't have to worry about food and clothing, but you will have to spend the rest of your life as a criminal slave.

He Yingchun nodded and said, "That's good." It's enough to survive the exile, eat enough and wear warm clothes.

Wen Jingzhao went on to tell how he found Ma Tongguang. No matter how heartbroken He Yingchun was, her heart was trembling with fear. This was much more thrilling than her own experience.

When asked why Ma Tongguang didn't die because his father was dead, he replied, "My father wants me to live."

In the darkness, Wen Jingzhao choked up.

He wanted to die! Why not? Countless times, countless nights, he wanted to end it all.

But how could he die? His father asked him to live, and those who risked their lives to save him and helped him in times of crisis were like heavy shackles, pressing him firmly in this purgatory-like world.

Although he stayed with Ma Tongguang as a military advisor, he was the son of Wen Ding'an and was under the watchful eyes of the government. If he was Wen Jingzhao for one day, he would be a criminal slave for life.

"Don't think so much!" He Yingchun interrupted his thoughts and patted the kang. "Come up and lie down for a while. You haven't rested all night." "You did a good job." He Yingchun saw his dejection and patted his shoulder. "Just stay alive first."

Wen Jingzhao lay down side by side, yes, stay alive first.

The restless heart suddenly calms down. Life is so difficult, yet so beautiful.

"After the storm is over, you will be a free man. What do you want to do next?" Wen Jingzhao asked He Yingchun.

"Me? As for me, I want to open a restaurant, and then turn it into a big hotel to make money!" He Yingchun said happily.

After thinking for a while, He Yingchun said, "If possible, I would like to help those women."

Wen Jingzhao realized that he was talking about the group of camp prostitutes.

"Then... it would be best if I could meet a man who treats me well and get married. If not, that's fine too... I'm supposed to live a peaceful, quiet, and happy life!" Earning a lot of money every day! He Yingchun added silently in her heart.

Wen Jingzhao's heart slowly settled down, then again became more tense. Finally, he nodded, "Okay."