In the Xiguan Town military camp, since the stolen military rations were recovered, Deputy General Wang Zishan's attitude towards Xue Yuanchu, Li Hechuan and others has become much more relaxed.
At this moment, Xue Yuanchu, the quartermaster, was busy distributing winter coats to the soldiers to protect them from the coming severe cold.
Centurion Yu Heng hurried over, his brow furrowed, obviously troubled by something.
He said in a deep voice, "We've searched everywhere for that kid named Meng Liang, but there's no trace of him. I guess he's either hiding somewhere or has already escaped from town."
Xue Yuanchu heard this and his hands kept moving. He handed a thick winter coat to Yu Heng and said calmly while thinking, "I have asked the county government to post an arrest notice at the city gate. It has a detailed description of Meng Liang's appearance. If he dares to come back, he will definitely not be able to hide."
Yu Heng took the winter coat and nodded, a look of relief on his face. He knew Xue Yuanchu's ability to get things done, and since he had already made arrangements, he didn't need to worry too much.
…
In the orphanage, Guanyan finally found some free time and was concentrating on repairing two old houses that had been damaged by a fire. He was building walls and painting meticulously.
Manager Li also came over to help, carrying a heavy load of bricks on a shoulder pole and walking steadily towards them. Looking at Guan Yan's busy and silent back, Manager Li couldn't help but feel a little worried.
He put down the brick, dusted his hands, walked over to Guanyan, and softly consoled her, "Guanyan, you need to cheer up. Meng Liang's decision to join the Western Rong was a moment of confusion, a wrong choice. It's not your fault. Everyone has their own aspirations, and you can't blame yourself for his choices."
Guan Yan stopped what he was doing and looked up at Manager Li. A hint of gratitude flashed in his eyes. He sighed and said slowly, "Manager Li, I know. It's just that Meng Liang and I grew up together. Now that he has gone astray, I feel really bad."
Steward Li nodded in understanding. He patted Guan Yan on the shoulder and said encouragingly, "You are a kind and righteous child, but you must also understand that everyone has their own path to follow. Meng Liang has chosen his path, and you must continue on yours."
Manager Li carried two more loads of bricks. Suddenly, the call of a cuckoo was heard in the front yard. The unique rhythm made him realize in an instant that this was Meng Liang's unique imitation.
Guan Yan heard the familiar cuckoo's call and looked around. He saw that the orphanage was still peaceful, but the call came into his ears clearly again.
"He's back?" Guan Yan whispered to himself, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes. Now there was a portrait of Meng Liang posted at the city gate, and he dared to come back so boldly. This was undoubtedly an extremely dangerous behavior.
Manager Li also heard the cuckoo's call. He frowned and looked at Guan Yan, "Is this Meng Liang?"
Guanyan nodded. "It's him. He used to imitate this voice to amuse us."
Manager Li's expression turned serious. "Guan Yan, you can't go see him now. You know who he is now. If anyone finds out you're in contact with him, it will bring you trouble."
Guan Yan was silent for a moment, then sighed softly, "I know. But I still want to go see him, at least to know why he did this."
"You..." Manager Li wanted to say something, but finally shook his head, "Forget it, just be careful."
Guan Yan glanced at Manager Li with gratitude, then put down his tools and quietly walked out of the orphanage. He followed the cuckoo's call, his heart filled with anxiety and anticipation.
At the edge of a dense forest, Guan Yan finally spotted Meng Liang. He was wearing shabby clothes, and his face was full of fatigue and vicissitudes. Seeing Guan Yan, Meng Liang's eyes flashed with a hint of surprise, but then turned dim.
"You're here." Meng Liang said in a low voice.
"Why?" Guan Yan looked at him straight, "Why did you do this?"
Meng Liang smiled bitterly, "Guan Yan, some things are not as simple as you think. I... I have my own difficulties."
"What hardship?" Guan Yan frowned. "What kind of hardship would make you betray us and join the Xirong?"
Meng Liang was silent for a moment, and suddenly, he rushed towards Guan Yan and tried to catch him.
Guan Yan was startled and reacted quickly, and the two of them immediately clashed. Meng Liang's strength seemed much greater than before, and his movements became extremely fierce.
"Why did you betray the Great Zhou?" Guan Yan asked loudly while struggling to resist.
But Meng Liang did not answer. He just desperately dragged Guan Yan to the nearby river. Guan Yan realized Meng Liang's intention and began to struggle hard, but Meng Liang's strength was unexpectedly great. For a moment, Guan Yan could not break free.
Suddenly, Meng Liang pushed Guan Yan hard, and Guan Yan lost his balance. The two rolled into the river together. In the cold river water, Guan Yan and Meng Liang continued to wrestle, splashing water everywhere.
Guanyan is no longer the skinny boy he used to be. He has also developed a lot of strength during his time in the orphanage.
The two men fought fiercely in the river, fighting from one end of the river to the other.
At the orphanage, Li Guanshi was becoming increasingly worried about Guanyan. He hurried to the county government office, found the official, and breathlessly said, "Quick, go find Guanyan! He might be in danger!"
Fortunately, Xiguan Town was not big, and the officers guessed that he might have gone to the woods west of the city, so everyone immediately split up to look for him.
At this time, in the icy river water, Guan Yan and Meng Liang's fight had reached a climax. Both of them were exhausted, but neither of them was willing to let go. Suddenly, Meng Liang felt his feet slip and he began to sink. He struggled hard, but the river water kept pouring into his mouth and nose, making it impossible for him to breathe.
At this moment, there was a noisy sound on the river bank. It turned out that Li Guanshi had arrived with the officials.
Several officers jumped into the river and rescued Guan Yan and Meng Liang to the shore. Both of them were exhausted and lay on the shore gasping for breath.
"Guanyan, are you okay?" Manager Li asked anxiously.
Guan Yan shook his head, indicating that he was fine. He looked at Meng Liang, who was being subdued by the officers. He could never understand why Meng Liang had become like this, even betraying them and trying to kill him.
Meng Liang's left shoe was soaked in river water, and a faint trace of bright red blood seeped out.
He tried to stand, but fell back to the ground in pain, obviously seriously injured. He took off his shoes with difficulty, revealing his injured foot, and his wet toes looked particularly pale.
In order to stop the bleeding, he tore off a piece of cloth from the corner of his clothes and prepared to bandage the wound simply.
At this moment, Guan Yan, who was sitting next to him, accidentally caught a glimpse of Meng Liang's left foot.
He was shocked to find that Meng Liang had an extra little toe on his left foot, which was different from the six toes of ordinary people.
It was also the old lady of the Marquis' Mansion who asked him to keep searching at the border for a young man of the same age as himself with six toes on his left foot.
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