Chapter 31 Draft - Do Not Subscribe to Drafts That Are Unwanted

Eastern Inner Mongolia.

As dusk approached, the setting sun hung low on the edge of the desert, its half-orange, half-golden glow enveloping the entire desert.

A man and a horse approached from afar.

A woman in a white robe and straw hat rode a glossy mule across the undulating sand dunes, her black gauze draped over the brim of her hat fluttering in the wind.

You Mingjiang gently pulled on the reins, and the mule slowed its pace, exhaling two puffs of white breath from its nostrils.

On the surface, You Mingjiang came to eastern Inner Mongolia to collect medicine and conduct trade, but in reality, he was there to probe the situation.

Wanmatang sealed off the road and imposed a strict curfew. None of the porters or merchants who used to bring medicinal herbs dared to touch Wanmatang.

The medicinal herbs from Mengdong, such as Saposhnikovia divaricata, Paeonia lactiflora, and ginseng grown in forests, are indispensable to her clinic. How could she manage without them? She had to come and see for herself whether she could still get the herbs back.

There's also Lu Xiaojia.

She remembered that he told her he was going to eastern Inner Mongolia, and now there was trouble in the border town, the timing was too coincidental.

She tried to convince herself that perhaps she was overthinking things. The world is so big, how could everything revolve around Lu Xiaojia? But she just couldn't suppress that lingering feeling in her heart.

Lately, she hasn't been sleeping well at night. When she closes her eyes, she feels a pounding in her chest, and her heart is always in turmoil, unable to relax...

What? You're saying she likes Lu Xiaojia?

What's this about liking or disliking?

Don't talk nonsense! We're just ordinary friends who haven't known each other for long, how could we have gotten to the point of "liking" each other?

She didn't bring him up on purpose!

Between friends, it's only natural to stand by and watch someone potentially get into trouble. It has absolutely nothing to do with that inexplicable feeling of liking someone.

You Mingjiang shook her head, banishing the thoughts that were lingering around Lu Xiaojia from her mind. She took a deep breath and patted the mule's neck: "Good buddy, you've worked hard. When we get to the oasis, I'll reward you with some tender alfalfa."

The mule understood her words and shook its ears.

As they spoke, the scenery in the distance suddenly changed. In the distance, one could vaguely see a vast lake with shimmering blue waves, lush reed beds, and yellow-green sand willow forests—a vibrant oasis.

You Mingjiang pulled on the reins and whistled.

She gently squeezed her legs together, and the mule neighed twice and started running off like a frolicker.

.

Ye Kai lay on the sand at the edge of the oasis.

Dressed in tattered clothes, with filthy hair matted into a messy bird's nest and a few greasy strands hanging down its cheeks, the brown-spotted tiger weasel carried a gerbil in its beak, intending to take it back to its nest to feed its young.

As it passed by him, it nuzzled him with its snout, then with a "whoosh," it raised its tail and disappeared in a flash.

After days of trekking through the desert, the thick soles of his boots had worn through to a large hole, and his feet were covered in blisters as big as soybeans. The oasis was only a shot's throw away; if he got up and walked a little further, he could reach the border town by nightfall.

But he refused.

With his hands behind his head, Ye Kai crossed his legs and dangled a dried daisy in his mouth. He swung his legs back and forth, muttering, "...The world is always fair. My legs deserve to suffer a little more."

After saying that, he hummed a little tune, took out a handful of warm fine sand, and pressed it on the blisters on the soles of his feet with a smile, rubbing it vigorously a few times.

"Ding-a-ling—" The crisp sound of bells, accompanied by the rustling of hooves, came from afar.

Ye Kai froze, not finding Ding Linglin, and then patted his chest in relief.

God knows, he trembled at the sound of "ding-a-ling," and wanted to run away whenever he heard "ding-a-ling."

Why ring a bell for no reason?

He turned his head and looked at the source of the sound with annoyance.

Um? !

To be precise, it wasn't a bell that rang, but a tiger-shaped support hanging next to the saddle.

The sound was "whoosh whoosh," not "ring ring."

Looking up, the person was riding a mule, wearing a black gauze hat that covered most of his face; he was dressed in a wide-sleeved robe of snow-white silk, and on his feet were thick-soled suede boots, which he stood steadily on the stirrups, with a bamboo medicine basket dangling beside the saddle.

From head to toe, they were wrapped up tightly.

Although the desert environment is unique, with the sand scorching hot during the day and poisonous insects hiding in the soft sand, but the night air is cold and poisonous insects come out in droves, it is necessary to wear a set of breathable and sun-protective clothing to avoid suffering too much; but such clothing is more precious to one's own skin than that of a pampered young lady in a secluded mansion.

Anyone who sees him would wonder: Good heavens, is this person made of ice? He'd be afraid of melting if he got even a tiny bit of sun on him.

·

Seeing that this person was dressed so "formally," Ye Kai opened his eyes wide and couldn't help but stare intently.

Ye Kai was looking her up and down, and when his eyes swept over her bamboo medicine basket, You Mingjiang raised her eyes warily.

The veil of her hat swayed gently, and her cool gaze fell squarely on him.

Like him, she was also carefully observing him.

The young man had delicate features, was tall and thin, and had eyes that shone like stars. He was like a silver fir tree, with curved eyes and lips. However, he was dressed very sloppily and had a sour smell about him.

Ye Kai's appearance was hardly neat.

Where did this disheveled man come from? His attire is barely better than the refugees I saw on my journey north; he's truly pitiful. Perhaps he's lost in the desert and is about to collapse?

Yu Mingjiang softened his heart, tightened the reins, and patiently asked, "Why are you staring at me like that?"

Seeing that the man wasn't angry, Ye Kai became amused and replied lazily and slowly:

"How do you know I'm looking at you if you're not looking at me? If you hadn't looked at me first, how would you have caught me looking at you?"

You Mingjiang asked with slight surprise, "Why are you looking at me?"

Ye Kai laughed heartily, his eyes curving into crescents, quite pleased with himself: "Perhaps it's because I'm good-looking~"

Well! He still has the energy to play these words. It seems that her previous assumption that he had difficulties was completely unnecessary.

However, this person is quite interesting.

Seeing that his lips were as dry as cracked farmland, even bleeding, it was clear he hadn't had a drop of water. She tugged at the reins, making the mule move forward a little, and asked softly, "Are you thirsty?"

The water bag was already empty. Ye Kai said in a hoarse voice, seemingly unconcerned, "No, great talents have always faced many hardships. I'm just tempering my body and refining my character."

You Mingjiang teased, "So you want to emulate Duke Huan of Qi?"

"Oh?" Ye Kai's eyes widened.

"A once mighty overlord, yet he died of thirst and starvation, his rotting corpse crawling with maggots. However..."

"However?" Ye Kai pressed on.

“You are much luckier than him. If you died of thirst here, you wouldn’t even have a chance to be infested with maggots. At most, you would be a dried-up corpse, perfectly clean.”

Ye Kai was taken aback for a moment, then laughed loudly, "Well said, it seems that men who laugh a lot are lucky."

"All I know is that unlucky men who are down on their luck usually can't smile." You Mingjiang bent down, took out two bamboo tubes from the bamboo medicine basket, and casually tossed one to Ye Kai, "Here, quench your thirst."

"Thanks." Ye Kai replied with a smile, but his body didn't move at all. He watched as the bamboo tube fell in front of him, but he didn't reach out to catch it.

·

You Mingjiang tilted her head slightly, not forcing herself, and simply popped her bamboo tube open, releasing a fragrant aroma of wine. She lifted her veil slightly, tilted her head back, and took a large gulp.

Ye Kai's eyes lit up, and he sat up straight with a "whoosh": "I smell the aroma of wine! Jimo Laojiu, made from pure millet."

You Mingjiang glanced at him and laughed, "You have a sharp nose, you glutton."

Ye Kai was stunned for a moment, then realized what was happening. He quickly picked up the bamboo tube that had fallen not far away, took a big gulp with relish, but spat out most of it: "Eek! Why is it lightly salted water?"

“I never said this was alcohol.”

You Mingjiang shrugged, looking completely innocent. "In this vast desert, salt water is more effective than alcohol."

The bamboo tube had indeed contained Jimo Laojiu (a type of rice wine), but the desert was too hot, and travelers were all drenched in sweat. She found the wine insufficient to quench her thirst, so she deliberately filled the empty tube with lightly salted water. Drinking lightly salted water could replenish vital energy—this was the wisdom of a traveling healer.

Upon hearing this, Ye Kai lowered his head and took a few more sips. The cool liquid slid down his throat, and he couldn't help but swallow it in large gulps. Water droplets slid down his chin, soaking his clothes.

You Mingjiang breathed a long sigh of relief.

She simply couldn't bear to see someone tormenting her like this.

At any time, based on the cherishing and respect for life, we should treat our unique selves with a gentleness that is hard for others to match.

Because although there are countless people in this world, the only one who can truly share your life and death, and who regards your joys and sorrows as the most important thing in life, is yourself.

So don't be too harsh on them.

Being gentler with yourself, and even gentler still, is the key to living a meaningful life.

·

At this moment, the sunset on the horizon became even more magnificent, and waves of orange-red spread across the horizon, completely dyeing the desert into a shimmering crimson-gold color.

"What a beautiful sunset!" Gazing at the magnificent sunset, You Mingjiang was lost in thought.

"It's getting dark," Ye Kai reminded him. "The nights in the desert are no joke."

The desert nights are exceptionally cold, and venomous insects and snakes are common, so even the strongest body can't withstand it.

Realizing that time was of the essence, she mounted her horse, pulled on the reins, urged the mule to go a few steps, and called back to Ye Kai: "Hey, little brother, give me a ride."

Ye Kai looked around, then pointed to himself: "Are you talking about me?"

"Besides you, is there anyone else?"

Where are you going?

“Border Town,” You Mingjiang answered quickly.

Ye Kai refused: "No, my feet need to be walked more."

“Alright.” You Mingjiang didn’t force the issue. With a slight sway of her waist, the mule trotted forward.

With a dried daisy in his mouth, Ye Kai turned around, waved to her with his back to her, and slowly walked to the side.

However, she hadn't gone far when she suddenly turned back.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed Ye Kai's belt. Startled, he dropped the daisy from his mouth to the ground.

"What..." Ye Kai was completely bewildered. What was going on?

Suddenly, I felt dizzy and the world spun around me. In the blink of an eye, I was lying sideways on the back of a mule.

"Mule, charge!" You Mingjiang laughed loudly, and then cracked his whip with a crisp sound.

The mule's ears perked up, and with a grunt, it finally unleashed all the energy it had been holding back and started running off with a trot.

Ye Kai was nearly thrown into the air by the jolting. He clung tightly to the saddle, his body swaying left and right with the mule.

"Wait—wait—put—me—down!"

·

When we arrived at the border town, the last rays of sunset had already faded.

"Ugh—" Ye Kai squatted down next to the stone tablet, vomiting violently. He vowed that he would never want to ride this man's mule again in his life.

That's insane.

When a person is mad, even a mule will be mad.

Seeing him vomit violently, You Mingjiang frowned, both surprised and amused: "So you're dizzy from being a beast?"

As she spoke, she knelt down and gently patted his back to help him catch his breath, her tone softening: "I'm sorry, I was really in a hurry just now. The night in the desert is no joke. I was afraid that if you stayed here alone, something bad might happen."

You're the one who's dizzy from being a beast! Your whole family is dizzy from being a beast!

Ye Kai glared angrily, about to retort, when his stomach churned again, and he quickly lowered his head to vomit violently.

Seeing this, You Mingjiang took out a bamboo tube filled with lightly salted water from the bamboo medicine basket, handed it to Ye Kai, and said, "Here, drink some warm water to calm down."

Ye Kai took the bamboo tube and sipped the warm water slowly.

Seeing that he had caught his breath, she pressed down on the web between his thumb and forefinger, gently pressing down with her thumb.

When You Mingjiang pressed down, Ye Kai felt a soreness and swelling in the tiger's mouth and couldn't help but hiss.

Ye Kai caught his breath and straightened up, leaning on the stone tablet. Even though his voice was still a little weak, he still retorted, "So, you're holding a grudge against me for not being grateful before, and you deliberately let the mule torment me?"

Yu Mingjiang didn't lessen her grip, and sighed, "You mouth, even at a time like this, you still won't let it go. Can't you say less of a witty remark?"

After a while, the churning in his stomach gradually subsided, and Ye Kai said, "If you press any further, this hand won't feel like your own anymore."

You Mingjiang then stopped, stood up, dusted himself off, and said, "It's good that you feel better now."

Looking at the sky and then at his surroundings, he thought, "It's getting late. I should find a place to stay. See you again sometime."

After saying that, You Mingjiang mounted the saddle, waved to Ye Kai, and gently squeezed the mule's belly. The mule took steady little steps and carried her slowly away.

Watching You Mingjiang's departing figure, Ye Kai's lips curled up slightly. He bent down, picked up his own dried daisy, and gently pinned it into the hole in his clothes.

·

.

This is a small town with rammed earth walls.

The main roads in the city are paved with gravel, and a few tall poplar trees can be seen here and there.

The houses here are mostly made of mud bricks, with small windows and thick layers of clay plastered on the walls. The swirling yellow sand finally calms down a bit when it gets here.

She decisively dismounted from the mule's back, preferring to expend more effort on her feet rather than have the horse's hooves scratched by pebbles.

Leading the mule around, I saw that there were hardly any people on the street, except for a few dirty teenagers who were reluctant to go home and were playing a game of cockfighting together.

They were just about to ask someone for directions, but as soon as they saw her approaching, the children all ran away.

They huddled under the eaves of their house, their faces dirty and their hair disheveled, biting their fingers as they curiously eyed her.

You Mingjiang took out a handful of soft, chewy candy and half-coaxed, half-pulled a bold child into her arms.

This time, she stuffed her bamboo medicine basket with lots of longan, red dates, melon seeds, peanuts, maltose, and peach crisps. Especially the dry-roasted peanuts.

Not too raw, not too ripe, each one is very plump.

Yu Mingjiang stuffed a piece of candy into his mouth and hugged him affectionately, saying, "I want to find the smartest child."

Having tasted the benefits, the child nodded eagerly, "Yes, I am! I am the smartest!"

You Mingjiang handed him another longan: "Then help your sister think, have you seen any brothers these past two days?"

"Very young, very good-looking, tall, and wields a sword. He looks cold, but he has a kind heart and is very generous." She thought for a moment and then added more details to the child.

The child tilted his head, thought for a moment, and then suddenly his eyes lit up.

Indeed, a group of men in purple robes came to the border town.

To the children, the young master of this group of purple-clad men, Murong Mingzhu, perfectly fit the criteria of "very young, very good-looking, tall, uses a sword, looks cold, and acts generously."

So the child nodded vigorously.

Yu Mingjiang was overjoyed and quickly asked, "Then where did he go?"

The maltose clumped together on his teeth. The child licked his teeth, then pointed to a spot: "Old Xiao... Boss Xiao..."

You Mingjiang quickly looked up and followed the direction the child was pointing.

An old building with red lanterns hanging from its eaves stands quietly amidst the yellow sand...

·

An unnamed residence.

Holding a pipa horizontally in her arms, her cascading dark blue hair was tied back with a ribbon. She wore a gold tassel headdress and a pea-green robe, as beautiful as a green plum blossom quietly blooming in the morning mist. Her eyes were gentle and affectionate.

She is the legendary most beautiful woman in the border town—Cui Nong.

If we're talking about the most famous person in Wumingju, it has to be Miss Cui Nong. She is exceptionally talented and stunningly beautiful. She doesn't just care about money and is very picky about the guests she entertains.

This time, it was thanks to the grace of Murong Mingzhu and Xiao Bieli that Cui Nong was able to play the strings and sing for everyone.

Xiao Bieli was hosting a banquet on the second floor and was talking with Murong Mingzhu.

Murong Mingzhu's men gathered in the hall to listen to her play the pipa.

·

A group of men dressed in purple and carrying swords sat in small groups around a carved sandalwood table, which was laden with delicacies and fine wines, the aroma of wine, cosmetics and incense mingling and permeating the air.

Murong Mingzhu has booked the entire Wumingju residence tonight, and the entire hall is only occupied by members of the Murong family.

With slender, jade-like fingers, she lightly plucked the strings of the pipa, playing and singing Xin Qiji's "Green Jade Table": "①The east wind at night releases a thousand trees of flowers, and blows down stars like rain..."

A burly man in purple robes, reeking of alcohol, staggered forward, holding a full cup of wine.

He put his arm around Cui Nong's slender shoulder, let out a burp, and said, "Miss Cui Nong, stop singing these cheesy, mosquito-whispering lyrics. Let me treat you to a glass of fine wine, come on!"

·

Suddenly harassed by a drunkard, Cui Nong was terrified and turned pale. She picked up her pipa and tried to leave. But then the burly man in purple grabbed her, pulling her so hard she almost fell to the ground.

The remaining men in purple all turned to look at the two, their lips curling into a malicious smile, and they began to jeer and laugh:

"Brother, you should always speak more politely when talking to a beautiful woman. Don't frighten Miss Cui Nong."

"Hey, you tore that girl's sleeve. What are you going to do about it? You have to buy her a new one and apologize properly, right?" The man licked his lips, his eyes lingering on the girl's arm, his tone sultry.

"Hahahaha..." A series of lewd jeers erupted.

"Get out of here!" Despite her repeated refusal, the glass of wine was still forced into her mouth. Cui Nong had no way to avoid it, and in desperation, she accidentally slapped him hard across the face.

"Slap!" The slap landed quickly and hard. The purple-clad man felt a burning pain on his face. The force wasn't strong, but it froze him in place, his eyes staring blankly, as if his soul had been taken away.

Cui Nong looked at her reddened palms, her heart pounding wildly. She belatedly realized what was happening and broke out in a cold sweat. She staggered back two steps, her eyes filled with panic.

It wasn't until the laughter pierced his ears that the big man snapped back to his senses, his eyes flashing with a fierce light, and his malice surged straight to the top of his head!

"You filthy bitch!" he shouted angrily, grabbing her wrist and roughly pulling Cui Nong in front of him.

Before she could escape, iron palms, like palm leaves, slapped her face repeatedly, one after the other.

Cui Nong felt dizzy and lightheaded. A trickle of blood flowed down the corner of her mouth. She stumbled and was knocked to the ground.

Fearing that the fall would break the pipa, Cui Nong instinctively braced herself with her arms, using herself as a human cushion. She was thrown around and saw stars, but the pipa was not seriously damaged.

Immediately afterwards, she felt a sharp pain in her scalp!

The burly man in purple had a ferocious expression. He grabbed her hair with his large hand, forcing her to tilt her head back in pain.

·

The thought of being slapped in public by a prostitute and losing face in front of his brothers made the burly man in purple furious, and he lost all sense of pity for her.

His eyes widened, and he cursed, "You call yourself Miss Cui Nong, and you really think you're a virgin? What are you pretending to be! If I don't teach you a lesson today, you'll think I'm easy to bully!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his hand and slapped Cui Nong hard from above with a whooshing sound!

Cui Nong closed her eyes in despair.

In order to gather intelligence and win over various forces, she was sent to Wumingju by Ma Kongqun when she was a child.

She was forced to become Ma Kongqun's informant, putting on a brave face and navigating the complexities of relationships with all sorts of men.

Like a bird trapped in a gilded cage, it may appear glamorous, but it is actually sinking deeper and deeper into the mud.

Indeed, fate is stingy.

They were so stingy that they wouldn't even give her the last shred of dignity.

·

That brutal slap, accompanied by a whistling sound, seemed intent on smashing Cui Nong's face to pieces.

However, before it could even reach Cui Nong's face, it was suddenly intercepted in mid-air.

Cui Nong looked up, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.

The newcomer firmly grasped the wrist of the burly man in purple.

"Want to slap her? Ask me first if I'll allow it! Either obediently kowtow and apologize, and slap your own face until it's ruined; or you won't leave this room today, and I'll make you look worse alive than dead."

.

.

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Author's Note: [Good Luck Lotus] Poetry Quotation ①: From Xin Qiji's "Green Jade Table - Lantern Festival"

[Good Luck Lianlian] Cui Nong: A victim and tool of the "evil father" Ma Kongqun.

[Green Heart] 25.8.24 Update: Minor plot adjustments, the second part of the Border Town chapter has been moved to Chapter 31; the mount has also been changed from a chestnut horse to a mule.