Li the Trapped

"Today is Yun'er's coming-of-age ceremony. Don't ruin this important occasion. Come out."

Lin Yu grabbed Meng Jian by the hair and led her out of the main room. They walked along the wall for a while before finally pinning her down next to the side door. Then the side door opened and closed, and Meng Jian was thrown out.

Before he could feel the pain, Meng Jian scrambled to his feet and rushed back to the door, trying to squeeze his fingers through the last crack in the door.

It seemed to have worked; the door did indeed open again, but before she could see what was behind it, she slammed it back out.

The door closed again. She no longer had the strength to stand up and could only lean against the wall, panting heavily. Her mouth moved as if she wanted to say something, but there was only silence, except for the rustling of fallen leaves.

"Once you step out of this door, don't even think about coming back. From this day forward, you, Meng Jian, have nothing to do with our family."

The person who said these words was Lin Yu, Lin Yun's father, and also Meng Jian's father.

A gust of wind blew by, forcing the fallen leaves on the ground to move, and suddenly Meng Jian was all alone.

The sound of firecrackers and cheers suddenly rose from behind the door, making it seem like two different worlds separated by just one door. Inside, Lin Yun was surrounded by people, her long hair combed and dressed in new clothes; outside, Meng Jian watched as the wind swept away the newly fallen, withered leaves, his long hair scattered on the ground, and his skirt covered in dust.

I and my sister share the same parents and are only one year apart in age. One of us was able to take our father's surname, while the other has grown up entirely thanks to our mother's protection.

Meng Jian opened his mouth, then swallowed the mouthful of dirt with difficulty.

Yes, she was born mute. Her mother sought medical treatment for her for a long time, but her condition did not improve. Her father had mentioned in private many times that he wanted to abandon her in the suburbs. It was only thanks to her mother's strong opposition that she was able to stay at home until now. Her father disliked her for not being able to speak and was ashamed of her. Therefore, Meng Jian took her mother's surname and received the name given by her relatives.

She wanted to cry; she had been shedding tears for a long time, or perhaps the tear stains had dried, but she couldn't make a sound, not even startling a bird flying by.

The midday sun was scorching and intense, burning her with excruciating pain. She staggered unsteadily, not knowing where she was, when suddenly the sunlight dimmed, only to find that an umbrella had come over her head.

Turning back, she saw an elderly man with white hair and beard looking at her kindly.

The old man called himself "Crutch Li," but Meng Jian didn't see his cane. He didn't say anything and walked ahead to lead the way, taking Meng Jian to a cold porridge stall.

Observing his limp gait and considering his name, Meng Jian guessed that the old man had a leg ailment, but he left the umbrella for her, and she was willing to follow him.

"Three cold dishes, bring two bowls of porridge."

Li Chong, the shopkeeper, greeted him and then casually sat down, leaving a shady spot next to Meng Jian.

"Master! What brings you here? Is the girl behind you your junior sister?"

I couldn't see clearly from a distance, but when I got closer, I realized that the shopkeeper only had one arm, and he was using that one arm to serve cold porridge to the cripple Li.

"I met a girl on the road, and since you live nearby, I thought I'd bring her over for a meal."

Li the cripple placed the bowl of sugar beside him, stirred the cold porridge in front of him, and fed it to his mouth. Seeing that Meng Jian still refused to sit down and pondered for a while, the shopkeeper took the white spoon from the bowl, rummaged through the cabinets in the back kitchen, and returned a pink spoon with small flowers on it.

"Cold porridge doesn't taste good when it's heated up."

Li the cripple didn't try to persuade him anymore. He asked the shopkeeper about his recent situation, and when a customer arrived, he naturally turned around and took over the customer service for him.

Meng Jian was a little dizzy from the heat. When she came to her senses, the porridge in the bowl was already empty, leaving only the porcelain white bowl and the pink spoon with small flowers painted on it.

She wanted to express her gratitude and bow, but tears rolled down her cheeks and fell into the bowl first.

"What's wrong, miss? Is there not enough sugar? Please wait, I'll serve you another bowl."

Stopping the shopkeeper, Meng Jian shook her head and looked at the mute Li. She didn't know how to express her emotions and thoughts. For the past ten years, she had only ever listened to others speak, and no one had ever tried to hear what was in her heart, this mute.

"Is it inconvenient for you to speak, young lady?"

Li the Cripple had seen people hiding their identities and people who were injured and unable to speak. They would use sign language or write, and he would always wait for them to finish speaking.

Meng Jian nodded and shook her head again. She could only write a few crooked words with the paper and pen handed to her by the shopkeeper. She didn't understand sign language and didn't know many words. The only two things she recognized and could write were her own name, which her mother had taught her.

The name "Meng Jian" appeared on the paper. Both Guai Zi Li and the shopkeeper were silent for a moment. After a while, Guai Zi Li said seriously, "Miss, you were not chosen to be mute, nor is it your fault. Would you be willing to come back to the valley with me to learn a skill? It is difficult to change your physical ailment, but you should not let your mind be mute as well."

The shopkeeper had served her a bowl of fresh porridge at some point. After listening to what Li the Cripple had to say, he showed her his one arm and said, "Yes, young lady, I lost an arm when I was young, but now I can still make cold porridge for everyone with it, helping many people avoid the heat in the summer."

The cold porridge was sweet and helped Meng Jian shake off her dizziness. She suddenly realized that there were still many things she could do in her life, and that things were not as bleak as her relatives had described.

She followed Li the cripple for a long time, and the magnificent stone gate was where she would live from now on.

"Master has come home!"

"Junior Sister is home!"

Unlike the tranquil valley she had imagined, the senior disciples here greeted her and Li the Cripple noisily as they entered the valley. Without even needing to observe carefully, Meng Jian could see what everyone here had in common.

He has a disability.

But most of the time everyone was laughing, welcoming each senior brother and sister who had left the valley back home, and then everyone threw themselves into their own busy work.

A magical valley, a strange group of people—that was her first impression of the place.

In the blink of an eye, Meng Jian had been in the valley for almost three years.

.

Good morning, Senior Sister Yan!

Good morning, Sister Yan!

Meng Jian, now Meng Yan, is working on her half-finished new invention. If it succeeds, the people in the valley won't have to worry about not being able to see each other for months at a time.

From conception to completion, Meng Yan spent nearly a year developing this mechanical kite. In addition to considering how it should fly, she also fully consulted the opinions of her hundreds of siblings: it should be comfortable to ride, look good, have a long battery life, and be safe and reliable...

Admittedly, it was as unattainable as a dream, but she simply waved her hand, signaling her fellow students to put the books and equipment she wanted into their laboratory.

Difficult doesn't necessarily mean impossible; failure doesn't mean defeat.

Countless sunrises and sunsets have passed. A thick stack of blueprints has accumulated on Meng Yan's desk, detailing everything from structure to explanation. She has even listed the available materials on the paper. There is only one problem left—how to make the mechanical kite fly in the sky for a long time without being affected by take-off and landing.

The problems and progress quickly spread throughout the valley. When Meng Yan woke up, she felt something piled up at the door. Sure enough, as soon as she opened the door a crack, she was slammed back in, door and all, startling her junior sister who was still leaving things outside.

"What's going on here?" she asked, gesturing with her hands amidst the mess on the floor.

"It's nothing, Sister Yan!" The junior sister quickly pulled Meng Yan up from the ground and cleared a path for her while saying, "Everyone heard that you've had some free time recently, so they brought over the things they wanted to send you but were afraid of bothering you. Oh, and some of the senior brothers and sisters gave some suggestions about your mechanical kite, which are all in the envelope by the window!"

After tidying up the entrance with his junior sister and clearing a path, Meng Yan picked up the envelope and lay down on the rocking chair in the courtyard.

The rocking chair was one she had improved. In the spring, lying on it while basking in the sun, whether sleeping or studying, was a pleasant experience. This pleasure quickly spread throughout the valley, and everyone had a rocking chair in their yard.

At that moment, Meng Yan was opening the envelopes and looking at them one by one. Her skirt touched the ground as the chair swayed, leaving a short line of dirt on the ground.

Senior Brother Qi said he has made several mechanical devices that can quickly change shape. If needed, you can come and pick them up. The blueprints are ready.

Senior Sister Yu said that since it was Meng Yan's mechanical kite, it would naturally look more impressive and beautiful than the mechanical sparrow that was also made by her. She also happened to have recently acquired some unusual colored beads and paints, so she could ask her for help anytime.

...

I thought a few pages wouldn't contain much content, but it turned out that it was pieced together by senior students one after another, with both sides densely covered, all wanting to help.

It was afternoon, and the sun was warm. Meng Yan felt a little dizzy from reading and decided to put the matter aside and take a short rest. However, a gust of wind sneaked in and blew the pages she had placed on the table away. In her panic, she could only grab the nearest piece of paper, but she caught a glimpse of some unusual words in the corner of the page.

Senior Brother Li said he knew a few friends who were somewhat knowledgeable in magic and could summon fire and water with the help of a talisman. He figured they must have other abilities as well. If Meng Yan had any questions or needed help during the experiment with the mechanical kite, he could contact them on his behalf.

The drowsiness that had just surfaced in his head was dispelled by joy. Other issues could be discussed later, but the flight of the mechanical kite was the only thing Meng Yan could discuss with anyone. Senior Brother Li's message was truly a lifesaver!

With eyes still closed from several days of sleeplessness, Meng Yan sent a letter to Senior Brother Li using a mechanical sparrow, outlining his needs and requests. Only then could he finally lie down and rest in peace.

Senior Brother Li replied quickly, only explaining how to use the talisman without mentioning its origin. Meng Yan was worried about what to do if there weren't enough talismans to test them when a commotion came from the sky.

Saying goodbye to one mechanical sparrow, another arrives...

She was no longer worried. What she was more curious about was where her senior brother had gotten this wall-high stack of talisman paper. The paper was of good color and quality, and the red sand writing on it was similar yet different. It must have been drawn by the same person.

However, since her senior brother wouldn't tell her, he probably didn't want her to know. Meng Yan wasn't one to pry, so she casually picked up a stack of papers and went out to conduct experiments.

She had previously tried using mechanical means, but with little success. This time, she was trying a different approach and gambling on her luck. If she failed once, she would try again, and if she failed a hundred times, she would try a thousand times.

But a successful idea she had never had before suddenly happened right before her eyes.

.

A clear bell rang out in the valley, and everyone knew that Meng Yan had arrived, but they couldn't find her anywhere.

Ring ring—

Someone looked up as if possessed, their mouth agape even wider: "In the sky! Above us! Senior Sister Meng Yan is on the mechanical kite!"

Upon hearing this, everyone stopped what they were doing and looked up. They saw Meng Yan smiling and shaking a bell next to the wings of a huge wooden kite.

She had tested the internal mechanism of the mechanical kite countless times, and the only long-term power required was replenished through talismans. Now, the mechanical kite could easily carry her freely through the valley.

According to the plan, Meng Yan should have carried out the next step of inspection and improvement after the successful test flight, but the news from outside the valley forced her to postpone the plan.

My mother is seriously ill and has been bedridden for a long time without improvement.

Meng Yan had thought that once he had saved enough money, he would bid farewell to his master and family in the valley, like the other senior brothers and sisters who had left the valley, and find a secluded place to buy a small house so that he could bring his mother over to enjoy a life of comfort with him. However, good things often don't come easily, and the first time he and his mother had met after being separated for so long was under these circumstances.

Upon hearing that Meng Yan was leaving, Guai Zi Li did not try to stop him, but several of the newly arrived junior brothers and sisters cried and begged to see him go.

"I'll go out and take a look, then I'll be right back," Meng Yan promised.

Before she left, her third senior brother called her back at the valley entrance and stuffed a small bag into her arms. "This is a token of our master's and our senior brothers and sisters' kindness. Keep it for emergencies. If it's inconvenient, make a few more little things to return to us later. It's rare for you to leave the valley, and we won't feel at ease if you don't bring enough things with you."

The mechanical kite had not yet completed all the tests, so it was impossible to determine whether it was safe to use directly. Meng Yan could only walk back along the path he had taken three years ago.

Three years have passed so quickly. The sapling that used to shade her is now home to birds. The path she carefully traversed through mud and withered grass back then now resembles an ancient road leading to a fairyland, thanks to the efforts of her senior brothers and sisters.

She seems to have changed, yet she also seems to be the same person.

She is already Meng Yan.

.

Returning to the Lin family's gate, the doorposts that had been decorated for his sister's coming-of-age ceremony had faded completely in the past three years. The red and white patches were peeling off from time to time, and the wood core inside had been riddled with holes by insects. It was in terrible condition.

Hesitating for a moment, Meng Yan knocked on the old door and soon saw someone after the creaking sound; it was Lin Yun.

She didn't recognize him, but simply lowered her head and welcomed him into the house. However, Lin Yu recognized her at a glance.

"Who gave you permission to step into my Lin family's house? I told you to open the door, why did you bring back such an unlucky thing?"

As Lin Yu angrily rebuked her, Lin Yun lowered her head even further, while the elders around her silently raised their heads to watch this family farce.

"Is that Meng Jian? Wasn't she kicked out three years ago? How is she still alive?"

"I guess so. She's the only one who could make Lin Yu say something like that. She's the only mute among all our families."

"It's not that she's uneducated or can't speak properly. Judging from her clothes and jewelry, she seems to be living a very comfortable life. I guess some young master has taken a liking to her and made her his concubine."

...

Meng Yan is unable to speak, but she can still hear clearly. However, she has never had the power or opportunity to express herself, so much so that almost everyone has forgotten that she can actually hear people talking to each other.

Several senior female students made her change into this outfit before she left. She usually focused on mechanical creations and knew nothing about these things. Fortunately, she had the help of a senior female student who specialized in clothing.

"I heard that my mother is bedridden, so I came back to visit her and will leave soon."

Meng Yan gestured in sign language to everyone in the room. After pointing and whispering for a long time, the relatives could only come up with a guess: "Is she casting a spell on one of you? I think you'd better be careful."

Seeing that he couldn't explain it to them, Meng Yan decided not to waste any more words on them and turned to walk towards his mother's room.

"Who gave you permission to leave? It's all different now that you've hooked up with someone rich, you even dare to disobey me!" Lin Yu shouted at Meng Yan's back, but Meng Yan pretended not to hear and pushed open the door, cutting them off behind him.

Unaware of anyone's arrival, the mother lay quietly in bed with her eyes closed. Her illness had been raging for some time, and even the flowers by her bedside had wilted. She lay listlessly on the edge of the bed.

Sitting by the bedside, Meng Yan couldn't discern her mother's condition. She only regretted not having asked her fellow students, who were skilled in medicine, to come along.

The room was damp, and the windows were tightly closed, probably due to several heavy rains and no one ventilating the room. She got up and opened the window, and a cool breeze and warm sunshine rushed into the room. Behind her came the sound of violent coughing.

"Jian'er, is it you who's back, or has your mother become delirious from illness?"

The mother reached out to try and see if it was real, but Meng Yan quickly took her hand and helped her sit up. For the first time, the real touch was transmitted back to her hand; it wasn't a dream.

She sat by the bed listening to her mother recount fragmented stories. The light stretched their shadows long, swaying gently in the breeze. Illness had separated relatives, but it had not separated her from her mother.

The owner finally remembered the cloth bag on his body. In his haste to leave, Meng Yan hadn't bothered to check what was inside, assuming it contained only dry rations and loose silver.

Several packets of medicine caught her eye first, each accompanied by a prescription and explanation, with a note stating they were tonics and not considered medical treatments. Several amulets and an empty sachet were placed together, seemingly intended for Meng Yan to fill in personally. Some colorful slips of paper then drew her attention; upon closer inspection, they turned out to be vouchers for items like rice cakes, candy, and sesame cakes, which could be exchanged for food or tools at her senior brothers' and sisters' stalls. Each slip also thoughtfully included the shop's location at the end…

Fortunately, there wasn't anything particularly valuable, otherwise she really wouldn't know how to repay this kindness.

Something at the very bottom accidentally bumped into Meng Yan. She casually flipped it over, and gold and silver ingots reflecting the light appeared in front of her. They dazzled her eyes before she covered them up.

Meng Yan: "..."

Isn't it said that we should cherish every grain of rice and every bowl of porridge and every meal, and remember how hard it was to come by?

She left some of the practical items on her mother's table, and hid the rest in the wardrobe. The gold and silver were left untouched at the bottom, to be returned to her mother when she returned to the valley.

Looking around but not finding a medicine pot, Meng Yan took out a packet of medicine and went outside to brew it. As soon as he stepped out, he ran into his relatives who had been waiting for him.

"So you still know how to come out? I thought you were putting on this show of motherly love and dying inside, but you still want to beg us to save your mother, right?"

Lin Yu launched into a tirade against Meng Yan, his relatives beside him joining in with their own numbers, and a barrage of speculations about Meng Yan's experiences over the past few years ensued.

Not a single one of them is correct.

"Xiao Jian, which young master did you marry? Don't blame your father for speaking harshly. We're short of money lately. See if your husband's family can spare some for your mother's medical treatment."

Something created out of nothing.

"Yes, Xiao Jian, you just saw your mother's condition. If your husband's family is unwilling, well, you have a younger sister, Yun'er, whose looks are not much different from yours. Why don't you try to match them up? As the birth mother of both you and your sister, your husband's family can't just refuse to pay for your medical treatment, can they?"

A daydreamer.

Meng Yan had no mood to listen anymore. He rummaged through the storeroom and found a dusty medicine pot to brew medicine for his mother. While he was checking the medicine, the group of people had already rushed into his mother's room and started searching.

"There are only a few doses of medicine and a tattered sachet on this table, not even a trace of copper coins." The prescription was carelessly torn open, and bitterness quickly filled the small room.

There were a few vouchers left by the pillow. They were picked up and thrown away many times. When no one was looking, my mother hid them under the covers.

"I already said she's a concubine. This outfit was probably given to her to save face if it got out. What money could you expect from her?"

Meng Yan listened silently and added a pot of cold water to the medicine pot to boil together.

The time hadn't come yet, but the hot water was already boiling. Meng Yan smiled and knocked on the door.