Be my bodyguard

Upon hearing the noise, Pei Qingwu's hand trembled, and the ashes almost spilled onto the ground.

Did the desserts make someone sick? She knows exactly how she makes them and where the ingredients come from; there's absolutely no way that could be!

The shouts and curses outside grew louder, mixed with cries of pain that were hard to discern, and whispers from onlookers, clearly attracting a crowd of onlookers.

Pei Qingwu forced himself to calm down, quickly grabbed a clean cloth and covered the boy's exposed upper body and hide his gruesome wounds, then stuffed the blood-stained tattered clothes and cloth into the innermost part of the bed.

After doing all this, she stood up, straightened her clothes, and tried to make her voice sound steady. She called out to the door, "Who is making a fuss outside? Speak reasonably! My pastries are clean and pure. They have not made anyone sick. If you want to argue, wait until I open the door and then you can explain yourself."

The commotion outside was like boiling water. Pei Qingwu took a deep breath and did not fully open the door. He only cautiously pulled the bolt open a little, revealing a narrow crack. He half-hid behind it and peered out through the crack.

Outside the door stood a couple dressed in coarse linen. The man was sallow-faced and tall; the woman sat beside him, wailing and wailing, slapping her thigh and crying out, "You heartless wretch! You black-hearted thief! My son ate your pastries and is now in excruciating pain, on the verge of death! You will pay for my son's life!"

Upon closer inspection, a boy, about thirteen or fourteen years old, was indeed curled up on the ground, clutching his stomach tightly with both hands, rolling and screaming pitifully. This drew pointing and whispering from the surrounding neighbors.

Pei Qingwu looked at the man's fierce appearance, and his eyebrows and features seemed somewhat familiar, but at this moment, he really couldn't remember who it was.

She steadied herself and, through the crack in the door, spoke in a low but clear voice: "Young master, young lady, please calm down."

"You keep saying that my pastries ruined your son, but is that just empty talk? Do you have any proof? There are millions of people in Qinzhou City, and countless people have eaten my pastries. Have you ever heard of any problem with them?"

"Your son is currently experiencing severe abdominal pain. When did this begin? How long after eating the snack? How much did he eat? Did anyone else eat with him and remain unharmed? Is the abdominal pain cramping or bloating? Are there any symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting, or fever? Are there any other unusual dietary patterns at home?"

Her series of calm questions momentarily silenced the woman crying and cursing outside the door, and even the cries of the boy rolling on the ground seemed to weaken.

The man was clearly taken aback by the sharp tongue of this seemingly young and delicate woman. Her questions hit the nail on the head, and she remained calm and composed. His face flushed even redder, his eyes darting around. Enraged, he suddenly became arrogant: "You sharp-tongued, vile woman! Stop your nonsense! My son ate your poisoned pastry and is dying right now! You're hiding because you're guilty! Open the door and pay for my son's life!"

As he roared, he disregarded everything else and kicked the slightly ajar door, his large, fan-like hand reaching in to force it open, all the while cursing, "If you don't open the door today, I'll smash up your shady business! I'll make sure you regret it!"

Pei Qingwu felt a chill run down his spine, realizing something was wrong.

This brute clearly wanted to cause trouble and force his way in!

She instinctively took a step back, about to call for help or seek something to defend herself, when a strong gust of wind carrying a heavy smell of blood suddenly swept out from the darkness behind Pei Qingwu.

The tall figure staggered to the door and stood in front of Pei Qingwu; it was the seriously injured young man.

At some point, he struggled to get up from the bed, his pale face covered in cold sweat, his lips bloodless, clearly enduring excruciating pain. His wounds seemed to have been torn open again, bleeding and staining the cloth red. His eyes were as fierce as a young beast, staring intently at the people outside.

That was bad enough, but he also held a kitchen knife that gleamed with a cold, eerie light in his hand, its blade gleaming. He held it across the narrow crack in the door, pointing it directly at the nose of the man who was about to break in.

For a moment, all was silent.

The boy let out a hoarse, low growl: "Get out!"

The man suddenly met those eyes, as if he were being stared at by a venomous snake, his hair stood on end, and his outstretched hand froze in mid-air.

"Who...who are you?!" The man's voice changed, and he roared fiercely but was actually weak inside. He involuntarily took a step back, which made his wailing wife and the boy rolling on the ground fall silent. They stared in horror at the evil star that suddenly appeared through the crack in the door.

The crowd gasped in surprise, and the whispers suddenly grew louder, like a tidal wave that was impossible to distinguish.

Pei Qingwu was the most surprised. He never expected that the seriously injured and dying boy would be able to stand up, let alone protect him in such a fierce way.

She instinctively wanted to support his swaying body, but dared not move lightly, for fear of agitating the people outside the door or him.

Taking advantage of the couple outside being stunned and bewildered by the sudden ferocity, Pei Qingwu's mind raced. He quickly seized this brief opportunity to suppress the intimidating aura and raised his voice sharply: "You have seen it! You have trespassed into a private residence with the intent to commit violence, and there is even suspicion of extortion. I, Pei Qingwu, am upright and honest, and my innocence is clear as day! If you truly believe that your child is unwell, you may go to the local official and have a doctor examine him, or you may go directly to the Qinzhou government office to beat the drum and appeal for justice, where the law will make a fair judgment."

"But if you dare to cause trouble here again, incite the neighbors, or even attempt to break down doors, destroy property, injure or kill people..." She paused, her gaze sweeping over the gleaming kitchen knife in the boy's hand, her tone carrying a hint of arrogance: "The 'Commentary on the Law' states, 'Anyone who enters another's home without cause shall be punished with forty strokes of the cane; if the homeowner kills him on the spot, no further punishment shall be given.' You committed violence in broad daylight, in full view of everyone, forcibly breaking into a private residence first. If you dare to cross this line again, you will bear the consequences today!"①

The sallow-faced man turned deathly pale, cold sweat pouring down his face. He had only come up with the idea of ​​extorting some money on a whim, but he never expected to run into such a tough opponent. At this rate, forget about extorting money; if he stayed any longer, he might not even be able to save his life!

"Madmen! Madmen! They're all madmen!" the man shouted, his voice trembling with fear. He dared not linger any longer, and pulled up his wife, whose legs were also trembling with fright. Amidst the increasingly noisy discussions, pointing, and even faint laughter of the onlookers, they hurriedly pushed through the crowd like stray dogs and fled in a sorry state.

Seeing that his backer had run away, the boy on the ground quickly got up and slunk away after him.

Only a group of terrified neighbors remained outside the door, discussing the matter amongst themselves.

The boy had been struggling to get up, but now he couldn't hold on any longer. The kitchen knife in his hand finally fell limply to the ground with a "clang," and his body went limp as he fell backward.

Pei Qingwu reacted quickly, opening her arms to catch him. Blood seeped out again from under the cloth, staining Pei Qingwu's sleeves.

Ignoring the murmurs outside, she gritted her teeth and dragged the man back inside.

Given the situation, simply applying wood ash wouldn't be enough, so Pei Qingwu could only spare a few copper coins to hire a doctor to come to his door.

The physician had never seen such a severe injury before. After carefully taking her pulse, he hesitated for a moment and said in a low voice, "Madam, may I speak with you in private?"

Pei Qingwu knew something was wrong. After glancing at the boy whose eyes were still tightly closed, he followed the doctor out.

"Young lady, taking in this man has probably gotten you into trouble." As soon as they entered the courtyard, the doctor said anxiously, "There are quite a few wounds, which could not have been caused without torture. Some of them... look like the methods used by madams in brothels to punish disobedient people."

Pei Qingwu gasped.

It seems her previous vague guess was correct. People in ancient times were very open-minded in certain aspects, without any taboos between men and women. This young man is handsome, so it's hard to guarantee that he won't be targeted by someone with ulterior motives. But who would be willing to do that kind of business?

"Doctor, just tell me if his injuries can be healed?"

"It's possible, he's still young and has a good constitution. With a few days of rest, he can recover. However..." The doctor didn't finish his sentence, but it was probably implied that the medical expenses would be considerable and that this person was very likely to cause trouble.

"Please tell me what medicine you need, doctor."

After all, she was the one who found the person, and she couldn't just stand by and watch him die. Besides, if it weren't for him today, she might have been extorted by that big man.

It also served as a reminder to her that as a young woman with no strength to even kill a chicken, she would likely suffer if she encountered trouble without a bodyguard.

“My lady is kind-hearted. I’ll go get the medicine and bring it to you in a bit.”

After thanking the doctor, Pei Qingwu went back to check on the boy, who was still unconscious, but should be fine for the time being. He then went to the kitchen to think about making some snacks.

Besides dragon beard candy, she also wanted to make some flower cakes.

The lard that was prepared earlier was still warm. It was poured into finely sifted wheat flour and slowly stirred, kneaded and pressed with bamboo chopsticks until a smooth and delicate oil dough was formed. It was then set aside to rest. Another flour was taken, and a little well water and a little cheese were added. It was kneaded repeatedly until a soft and pliable dough was formed.

Once the dough has rested, roll it out into a thin sheet, wrap it around the oil-based dough, pinch the edges tightly, roll it out again and fold it up. Repeat this process three times to obtain a flaky pastry with distinct layers.

Take a small piece of puff pastry, fill it with a generous spoonful of honey-soaked rose jam, and shape it into a flat, round cookie about the size of a child's fist. Finally, find a small, goose-shaped ceramic mold with a simple intertwined floral pattern, and gently press it onto the surface of the cookie to leave an elegant design.

The charcoal in the stove was burning bright red, and the prepared dough pieces were carefully stuck to the inner wall of the stove while the heat was being carefully controlled.

Under the intense oven temperature, the pastry puffs up rapidly, turning from white to yellow, and gradually developing an enticing golden-brown crust.

Before long, a rich, sweet aroma mixed with the scents of wheat and oil broke through the smoky atmosphere of the kitchen, filling the small courtyard in wisps.

With a soft "sizzle," Pei Qingwu used a long-handled iron shovel to remove the first batch of fresh flower cakes from the oven.

The pastry had distinct layers of flaky pastry with golden, crisp edges. The patterns pressed out by the mold were clearly visible, faintly revealing the deep, vibrant color of the filling inside. It lay steaming hot on a rough earthenware plate, its aroma surging and wafting.

Just then, a faint, painful gasp came from the bed behind me.

Pei Qingwu turned around and looked.

The boy on the bed was already awake. His clear black and white eyes were wide open, like a frightened fawn, fixed on her. His body was stiff, full of vigilance and unease.

He clearly heard the sound of shoveling pancakes and smelled the rich, sweet aroma, but his severe injuries and uncertainty about the unfamiliar environment overwhelmed his hunger.

Pei Qingwu understood immediately. Instead of approaching right away, he calmly picked up a freshly baked flower cake, blew on it gently, and slowly walked a few steps away from the bed before stopping.

"Awake? After all that commotion, your stomach must be empty. You need to eat eventually." She held out the golden, tempting pastry in her hand, steaming slightly. "A freshly baked snack, at least it'll fill your stomach so you have the strength to heal."

The boy pursed his lips, but his Adam's apple bobbed noticeably.

The sweet aroma was too tempting for a starving person. After struggling for a moment, the instinctive desire for food finally overcame the doubts. He hesitated for a moment, then reached out and grabbed the piping hot pancake, stuffing it into his mouth almost immediately and taking a big bite.

The crispy outer layer crumbled and fell away, instantly filling his mouth with the piping hot, sweet filling. The rich, almost overwhelming flavor of rose honey, combined with the creamy, savory lard crust, brought him a sweetness and satisfaction he had never tasted before.

The boy was starving and didn't care that it was hot. He swallowed the food in big mouthfuls, eating quickly and hurriedly, as if he wanted to stuff the whole pancake inside.

"Cough cough cough..." While wolfing down his food, a large piece of bread suddenly got stuck in his throat.

The boy's face flushed red, and he pounded his chest in pain, coughing violently until the veins on his forehead bulged.

Pei Qingwu was startled and quickly stepped forward, supporting his thin shoulder with one hand and patting his back urgently and firmly with the other to help him catch his breath: "Slow down! You're choking! Lower your head!"

Perhaps her patting had an effect, because the boy coughed violently for a while before his breathing gradually calmed down. However, his face was as red as a ripe shrimp, whether from choking or from feeling embarrassed by the sudden physical contact was unknown.

Seeing that he had caught his breath, Pei Qingwu withdrew his hand. Looking at his rare disheveled and embarrassed appearance, a smile couldn't help but flash across his eyes. He felt that this fierce boy, who was like a young wolf, also showed a bit of childish cuteness.

"How is it? Is the cooking to your liking?" Pei Qingwu asked gently, handing over a bowl of warm water.

The boy lowered his head, silently took the water and gulped down a few mouthfuls, avoiding her gaze, and only mumbled an "Mmm".

"My name is Pei Qingwu," she said, sitting down on a low stool beside the tatami mat. "You seem quite young. How old are you? Do you have a name?"

The boy was silent for a moment before saying in a muffled voice, "Gu... Gu Heng... fifteen."

"Fifteen?" Pei Qingwu raised an eyebrow slightly, her tone teasing. "That's about the same age as me, though I'm a year older than you. So, you should call me 'elder sister'."

Gu Heng suddenly looked up and met Pei Qingwu's clear, smiling eyes. His face turned even redder, his lips moved, but he stubbornly turned his head away, refusing to make a sound.

Pei Qingwu didn't press the matter and changed the subject: "Gu Heng, where is your home? What do you do for a living? How did you end up so badly injured and stranded here?"

She paused, then added, "We need to know the background before we can report to the authorities and allow guests to stay."

Mentioning this, Gu Heng's body tensed instantly, his eyes became wary and defensive again, his head was lowered, his hands tightly gripped the coarse quilt covering him, and he pursed his lips without saying a word.

Seeing his reaction, Pei Qingwu had already guessed what was going on. She sighed softly, "Gu Heng, look at me. I'm just a defenseless young woman in this vast Qinzhou city, renting this humble abode to make a living by selling snacks. You saw it during the day. If I had no one to rely on, I would have no chance of clearing my name if I encountered some ruffians."

After a pause, he looked at him honestly and said, "You seem to be quite skilled and brave. I'm looking for a guard to protect my home and deter troublemakers. If you're willing, I'll hire you. You'll only need to provide room and board, and the monthly salary will be separate. How about it?"

Gu Heng suddenly looked up, staring blankly at Pei Qingwu, as if trying to confirm the truth of her words.

“But…” Pei Qingwu changed the subject and said seriously, “If you stay, your identity and background cannot be ambiguous. The government and household registration are very strict. I dare not accept people with unclear backgrounds.”

A long silence enveloped the small room, with only the occasional soft crackling of the charcoal fire in the stove.

Gu Heng's chest heaved violently, as if he were going through a fierce internal struggle.

Finally, as if he had exhausted all his strength, he closed his eyes and spoke in a dry, hoarse voice, each word filled with humiliation and pain: "My family lived in the Drunken Moon Pavilion in the southwest alley of Dashifang. My mother was a courtesan there, but I don't know who my father was... Later, the madam saw me, saw how handsome I was... and forced me to become... to become..." He struggled to utter the shameful title: "to become a male prostitute to entertain customers... I refused, and I was... beaten like this... It was only because my mother secretly let me go..."

By the end, his voice was barely audible, his body trembled slightly, and he buried his face in his arms, not daring to look at Pei Qingwu's expression.

Born into a lowly profession, the son of a courtesan, who nearly became a plaything, would only be despised in this world.

However, the expected ridicule did not come.

A warm hand, with gentle pressure, landed on the top of his head, which was trembling slightly from nervousness, and gently rubbed it.

Gu Heng froze, raising his tear-filled face in disbelief.

Pei Qingwu showed no contempt or disdain on his face; his eyes were calm and even carried a hint of gentle pity.

"Understood." She withdrew her hand. "Don't worry, you can recover here. Once you're better and can walk again, I'll take you to the prefectural government office."

Gu Heng stared in astonishment.

Pei Qingwu smiled slightly: "Once you've cleared that damned lowly status, you'll never have to worry about the people from Zuiyuelou coming after you again."