Chapter 16
After a small disturbance, peace returned to the sect.
The yard was warm and sunny and quiet. A few hens led their chicks, flapping their wings and chasing rabbits nibbling on the grass. It looked like a lively little market.
Shen Ahheng was lying in a bamboo rocking chair under the porch. Her half-worn light blue cloth skirt was starched and turned white, and her two lotus-like legs were exposed under the skirt, swaying to the rhythm of the rocking chair.
Watching Ashina Yu busying around in the kitchen, he seemed to be working harder than before, as if that was his little world where he could display his talents and ambitions. He felt deeply that his decision to pick him up at such a great risk was truly wise and intelligent.
It really is like picking up a treasure.
If she had known that supporting someone would be so helpful, why would she have suffered so much alone for the past two years?
Shen Ah Heng sighed at the air, swinging his legs in the sun. Just as he was about to close his eyes for a while, a sweet medicinal fragrance suddenly wafted to his nose, mixed with the refreshing scent of osmanthus.
"I've made some sugar water. You...try it."
Ashina Yu's voice sounded behind him, and the Central Plains dialect was still a bit awkward.
Shen Ahheng opened his eyes and looked up to see him holding a coarse porcelain bowl. In the bowl, round poria cocos floated on the amber syrup, with a few peeled chestnuts and dried osmanthus flakes floating in the air. The red wild jujube meat sank to the bottom of the bowl, looking more exquisite than the snacks in the pleasure boats in the south of the Yangtze River.
“Is Poria cocos added to this?”
Shen Aheng took the bowl, his fingers touching the warm porcelain wall, and asked casually.
Ashina's ears turned slightly red, her fingertips curled up, and she spoke more slowly: "A few days ago, under the pine trees behind the mountain, I dug them up. After drying them for a few days, I put them away. The old lady at the foot of the mountain said that adding sugar water...it won't be bitter and it can calm the mind."
He tried to say a long string of words, as if he was afraid she wouldn't believe him.
Shen Aheng raised his eyebrows. In the past, apart from being willing to go to the mountains with her to collect herbs, he always liked to stay in the mountain temple. Now he is willing to communicate with the farmers at the foot of the mountain.
Shen Ahheng scooped a spoonful of sugar water into his mouth. The Poria cocos was stewed until soft, mixed with the powdery sweetness of chestnuts and the slight sourness of wild dates. The sweetness was clear and not greasy, and there was no taste of medicine at all.
"hiss--"
Shen Ah Heng couldn't help but take a breath, shaking his legs to tease him deliberately: "Your craftsmanship is much better than that sweet soup shop in town. Did you steal the recipe from somewhere?"
Ashina Yu's face flushed all the way to her ears, and her fingers gripping the wooden tray turned slightly pale. After a long while, she managed only one sentence: "No, no... As long as you like it... that's good."
After saying that, he turned around and went back to the kitchen, his steps were much more unsteady, as if he was afraid that she would tease him again.
Shen Ah Heng had no awareness of being a “female hooligan” at all, and she leaned back in the rocking chair and continued to drink the sugar water in the bowl leisurely.
Ashina Yu came out of the kitchen after a long time. Shen Ahheng caught a glimpse of him looking at her, as if confirming something, and then turned away and walked to the other side.
Chen Ah Heng raised her head and saw Ashina Yu bending over to turn the soil by the vegetable patch. The hem of his gray cloth shirt was stained with mud, and beads of sweat slid down his forehead along the side of his face. The sunlight fell on his body, and his skin was whiter than snow, even more dazzling than the peach blossoms she had seen when she followed her master to Kyoto.
Shen Ah Heng scooped another spoonful of sugar water, and the sweet taste of Poria cocos slid down his throat. He couldn't help but shout at his back: "This sugar water is delicious. Cook more next time. I can even eat a few steamed buns with the sugar water."
Ashina Yu's back paused, the tips of her ears seemed to become even redder, she didn't turn around, but hummed softly.
A gentle breeze blew through the long corridor in front of the hall. Shen Ahheng bit the spoon and squinted his eyes, unable to help sighing.
She lives a more comfortable life in her early retirement than the emperor.
Delicious sweet soup and the company of a beautiful woman are the greatest joys in the world, what can be greater than this?
How wonderful!
After saving up another bag of medicinal herbs, Shen Aheng and Ashina Yu went down the mountain with the herbs to sell at dawn.
Shen Ah Heng grunted as he carried half a bag of herbs. He looked back to see Ashina Yu still following steadily behind him. In the morning mist on the mountain path, he was dragging two large bags of herbs on his back. His gray robe swayed slightly with his movements. His steps were steady as if they had taken root under his feet, and the lines of his profile were clean and neat.
Shen Ah Heng couldn't help but sigh. She had really neglected her skills these days. She was only carrying a few herbs and was out of breath after walking a few steps. She was the leader of a faction. If this got out, what would happen?
Perhaps because he saw her grinning face, Ashina Yu walked over a few steps, the hem of his grey robe lightly brushing the ground, revealing a face that was dazzlingly clean in the sunlight.
Only when he reached her did he stretch out his hand, his long knuckles about to touch the cloth bag in her hand.
Shen Ah Heng's eyes widened, and he quickly hid the bag behind him, straightening his back. "What are you doing? Are you looking down on me? I'm telling you, I'm just gathering my strength! Didn't you see how far I left you? Later, when I'm done, it won't be a problem for me to throw you ten or eight feet away. Do you believe it?"
Ashina Yu looked at her, his eyes still gentle, like a spring flowing by a mountain stream. The hand that had been extended halfway paused, then slowly withdrew, his fingertips brushing against the hem of her clothes, curling up imperceptibly, and replied softly, "Okay."
After saying that, he leaned towards her again, blocking the deep valley next to her for her. With two large bags of herbs on his back, his figure, although thin, was as steady as a hill that seemed to be able to shelter him from the wind and rain.
Shen Ah Heng breathed a sigh of relief, put the herbs on the ground back on his shoulders, and followed.
"Really? Do you have enough energy? Why are you walking so fast?"
The two of them dawdled until they reached the foot of the mountain. Shen Ahheng originally wanted to go straight to the pharmacy she often visited in town, but when she arrived, she was stunned.
The spot where the wooden sign "Hui Chun Tang" once stood is now gone. A scaffolding stands at the doorway, and several craftsmen are chiseling wood. A piece of faded red paper is taped to the door frame, with large characters written on it: "Shop for sale, under renovation."
"No way! I only saved up half a month's supply of medicine, and the shop owner ran away?"
Shen Ah Heng looked out of despair and happened to see a young man carrying wood passing by. He quickly grabbed him and said, "Young man, do you know why Huichuntang here is gone? Did they owe money or move to another place?"
The clerk wiped his sweat off his forehead and lowered his voice, "Miss, you don't know, do you? I heard that half a month ago, the shopkeeper suddenly sold the shop at a low price. He took the money and packed up and left the same day. When someone asked him why, he just said, 'I'm in a hurry to go back home,' and said nothing else."
He paused, then leaned in and added quietly, "But the neighbors around here are saying that a while ago, the medicine man there suddenly went crazy and even bit the shopkeeper! They say that the shopkeeper offended the mountain god when he was buying the medicine, and that's why he encountered an evil spirit!"
Shen Ah Heng suppressed the smile on the corner of his mouth, deliberately opened his eyes wide, and cooperated with a bit of panic: "Offend the mountain god? This is too scary. No wonder he is in a hurry to transfer it. If it were me, I would have to pack up and run away."
"Yes, yes! The shopkeeper is so scared that he doesn't dare to stay. Otherwise, why would he be so anxious to sell it at a low price?"
After sending away the frightened young man, Shen Ah Heng turned around impatiently, grabbed Ashina Yu's sleeve and shook it, his eyes shining like stars: "See? My method of teaching the evildoers is not enough, right? I have taught the bully a lesson without having to show up. Isn't this a powerful god?"
Ashina Yu lowered his eyes and looked at her. His eyes were as calm as the bright moon in the valley, but with an unconcealable tenderness. He said nothing, but just reached out to help her hold the cloth bag. After she shook it enough, he spoke again, speaking slowly but clearly in the Central Plains dialect: "I know, you didn't hurt anyone, and you helped a lot of people. That's very good."
Shen Ah Heng felt a little embarrassed when he looked at her, but he still nodded honestly and said, "Yes, that's what I call chivalrous and righteous. When the mission is done, I will leave, hiding my merits and fame!"
Ashina Yu didn't respond, but just looked at her and smiled. The curve at the end of her eyes looked like willow leaves blown by the wind, which was very beautiful.
Shen Ah Heng pursed his lips, shook the cloth bag in his hand, and dragged him to the street: “Come on, come on, I know there is a medicine shop up ahead, after we sell it, we will go to sell delicious food, just as a celebration.”
Ashina Yu followed her footsteps and replied softly, "Okay."
The two walked two more streets and finally found a shop with a wooden sign that read "Jishitang".
After they went in, the shopkeeper came up to them with a smile. After carefully examining the herbs, he took the initiative to praise them, "Miss, these herbs are dried and picked cleanly. They are much better than what I bought before. I'll give you ten more copper coins." After saying that, he counted the copper coins and handed them over. He was not picky at all like the shopkeeper of Huichun Hall.
Shen Aheng was overjoyed. She took the purse and weighed it, overjoyed. This money was enough for her and Ashina Yu to use for more than half a month.
After leaving the medicine shop, Shen Aheng dragged Ashina Yu into a small stall on the street. He first bought two strings of sugar paintings, handed him a string of bunny shapes, and chewed the tiger shape himself. He also picked out a piece of soft cotton cloth from the cloth shop, thinking of going back to make some cushions for the small wooden stools for eating. When passing by the grocery store, he also picked up two bags of needles and thread, and even replaced Ashina Yu's coarse cloth handkerchief with two new ones.
"No, no, no! If I keep buying, I'll spend all my money this month." Shen Aheng looked at the bags on Ashina Yu's shoulders and the bunch of gadgets in his hands, interrupted his thoughts of buying more in time, and pulled Ashina Yu back.
In the past, every time I returned home after selling medicinal herbs, it was usually sunset. The shops along the street were about to close, the waiters in the small restaurants were clearing away the customers' tea bowls, and the peddlers carrying their loads stopped shouting and slowly walked home.
This scene should be no different from the past.
But at this moment, there were few people talking and laughing on the street, and even the vendors were hurriedly packing up their stalls, as if they were on guard against something.
Shen Ah Heng felt that the atmosphere was a little strange, and couldn't help but pull over an auntie who was hurriedly walking with a basket on her shoulder, and asked in a low voice: "Auntie, what's going on? Why are there so few people on the street suddenly?"
The aunt looked around and said, "Young lady, are you from out of town? The government has been checking people these days! They don't watch closely on the streets, but I heard they're going door to door at night, questioning people who are from out of town and don't have household registration! Oh, who knows what they're up to? We ordinary people don't dare to say anything, so we quickly finish our shopping and go home."
Shen Ah Heng's heart skipped a beat, and he subconsciously clenched Ashina Yu's hand, but he smiled and laughed: "So that's how it is, thank you for reminding me, we will go back now!"
After the aunt walked away, Shen Aheng turned around and said to Ashina Yu with a slightly pale face: "It seems that we have to be careful when going down the mountain in the future. Let's go back to the mountain first."
With Ashina Yu's identity, no matter whether the government wanted him or not, once he was arrested, it would be extremely difficult to rescue him. But if he fell into the hands of a group of greedy jailers, he would inevitably suffer physical pain.
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