Chapter 9 Chapter 9 I'm not going to the chicken coop, it's too cruel...
The rain continued until the rooster crowed the next day; the cool spring rain softened the pine trees and the soil.
Perhaps it was because my father had worked like a slave as an accountant for so many years that he had finally made it through and saved up some money to replace the thatched roof with a tiled roof.
Rainwater streamed down the eaves of the Jiangnan courtyard, making the new tiles even more beautiful, like curtains on all four sides.
Liu Jiao loves rainy days the most; they are her happiest times.
While wading through the water in the courtyard, she would move a small stool and sit under the simple wooden pavilion in the courtyard to listen to the rain. She would hold a sketchbook in her left hand and a bright yellow pear in her right hand, munching on it as she turned the pages.
How pleasant!
The spring rain was plentiful but light; soon the damp mist cleared and the sun shone brightly.
Liu Jiao looked up at the sky, her eyes glazed over by the intense heat of the sun.
No more rest, we have to keep working.
Today, she and Sang Ji are going to the city to sell chickens.
Alright... let's get started!
Liu Jiao put down her sketchbook, swallowed the sweet juice of the pear, then took a breath, closed her eyes, and suddenly jumped up from the stool, her eyes wide open, pointing with her arm: "Master, let's get started!"
After she called Sang Ji to do the work, she attracted not only Sang Ji, but also a stunningly beautiful girl in blue who was peeking from behind the door.
Time was tight, so Liu Jiao hurriedly helped Sang Ji put on his work clothes because they would be catching chickens and putting them in cages to sell later.
Sang Ji, unlike before, was not indifferent, standing there dumbfounded, not doing any work or paying attention to Liu Jiao. Instead, he tacitly picked up Liu Jiao's blue and yellow cloth bag and smoothly slung it over Liu Jiao's shoulder (thrown it).
Liu Jiao instructed him to take the clothes drying in the house. Sang Ji, following her instructions, tore them off without saying anything amiss and stuffed them into her hands.
They were extremely proficient in their procedures.
Sang Ji's numb, death-defying actions leave one wondering whether his relationship with Liu Jiao has genuinely improved, or whether he has completely given up on the futile struggle and no longer wants to argue with a fool.
Watching the two's actions, the girl behind the door frowned her beautiful, misty eyebrows.
She didn't take Liu Jiao seriously at first.
After all, a stupid and ugly village girl could never be compared to her, nor could she possibly win the favor of her guard, Sang Ji.
She posed no threat whatsoever and never took her seriously.
But now...
The girl behind the door narrowed her eyes slightly. She was the girl who had accompanied Sang Ji, whom Liu Jiao called a "fairy."
Her true identity is Princess Xin'an, who came to Jiangnan with Sang Ji to seek help from the Gu family head. Her real name is Xinyuehu.
New Moon Fox sensed something was wrong, lifted her skirt and came in front of the two, glancing at Liu Jiao, who had bangs and was dressed in an old-fashioned earthy yellow linen dress.
She asked, "What are you all going to do?"
After giving it a quick glance, Crescent Fox looked away.
These country bumpkins are not worth my time.
When Liu Jiao saw the fairy take the initiative to talk to her, her dark eyes narrowed into slits with laughter, and she replied cheerfully, "Fairy! I'm going to the henhouse to catch some chickens! I'm going to sell them in the bustling market!"
Upon hearing this, Crescent Fox, her white, embossed lotus-shaped nails painted with crimson nail polish, gently tapped her temples, revealing a surprised expression: "Selling chickens!"
Liu Jiao, feeling shy and polite as she was stared at by her beautiful eyes, replied, "Yes, fairy, it's so much fun! I'll take you to the chicken coop sometime to see the chicks; they're so well-behaved..."
Crescent Fox didn't reply, but suddenly covered her face and said, "Go to the chicken coop! Do you want to watch the chicks that were just alive and well turn around and have their feathers plucked and their necks twisted, and then sell them to satisfy human desires?"
"I'm not going to the chicken coop, it's too cruel..."
As she spoke, she began to sob.
Sang Ji frowned, wanting to speak up and stop the two from talking, to quell the conflict between them.
Before he could even speak, Liu Jiao looked on with a silly expression and earnestly comforted the panicked Crescent Fox: "Fairy, don't be afraid, we're selling pet chickens."
Sang Ji: "..."
Crescent Fox: "..."
After a while, Crescent Fox's small face, no bigger than a palm, turned bright red, looking just like a peach blossom.
Liu Jiao was puzzled and wanted to step forward to ask the fairy why she looked like this, whether she was sick—
Sang Ji, who had been following Liu Jiao's instructions just moments before, changed his expression and coldly interrupted her.
Be careful what you say.
His voice was calm.
"You can go now."
Without a moment's hesitation, he strode out of the courtyard, leaving Liu Jiao alone.
Oh? Don't leave her alone again!
Waaah, why is he being so cold to her again!
Seeing that he had taken his work clothes and left on his own, just as Sang Ji had predicted, Liu Jiao immediately said goodbye to Crescent Fox and hurriedly chased after Sang Ji, afraid that she would be ruthlessly left behind by this eccentric eagle again.
Only then was Crescent Fox able to escape this shameful farce.
Walking on the road, Liu Jiao didn't dare to breathe loudly, being extremely careful, and occasionally stealing glances at Sang Ji, whose face was as hard as ice.
But all the way, he only showed her a sharp profile, and Liu Jiao really didn't know why he was angry again.
"Feel sorry."
By this time, we were already quite far from Liu Jiao's house.
Sang Ji suddenly blurted out.
He admitted his mistake without the slightest shame.
Liu Jiao, who was dejected and really upset about why Sang Ji was angry, suddenly looked up when she heard this, and her dark, round eyes instantly brightened.
Apologize to her?!
So he wasn't angry after all!
No, why should I apologize to her?
Sang Ji and Liu Jiao walked side by side. The deep yet gentle voice of the young man could be heard very clearly in the quiet country lane: "Actually, she's a little dramatic, but she's not a bad person at heart."
"Don't hate her."
Who is "she"?
Liu Jiao carefully racked her brains.
The only "she" who had contact with Sang Ji was a fairy.
Liu Jiao was easygoing; she hadn't even realized the sarcastic remarks were directed at her. Seeing Sang Ji apologize for such a small matter, she immediately waved her hand, saying, "It's alright, it's alright! What's the big deal, why apologize..."
As long as Brother Eagle isn't angry.
She was so happy!
Silence fell again, and Liu Jiao skipped along, carefree. But Sang Ji beside her was different; he clearly wanted to say something but hesitated.
After a while, when they arrived at the chicken coop, Sang Ji suddenly coughed softly, his tone a little stiff: "By the way, actually I'm not a bad person, do you understand?"
Liu Jiao: ?
She really couldn't understand...
*
The river swells, the moon sets, dark clouds blanket the sky, and the night is utterly pitch black and still, devoid of any starlight, save for the eerie and mournful chirping of birds.
Liu Jiao yawned, opened the wardrobe, and tried to find a change of clothes for tomorrow—but found it completely empty.
She scratched her head in confusion, just as a night breeze blew in through the open window, making her sneeze.
As I was about to close the window, I looked up and saw my clothes hanging wrinkled on the clothesline behind the door.
Liu Jiao didn't think much of it, assuming that her mother had gone through her room again, disapproving of her clothes being left lying around, and had washed them while tidying up.
So she casually grabbed a cloak from the wardrobe, and braving the dampness, quickened her pace toward the clothesline by the door.
Unexpectedly, as she turned her back to the door and started to pick out her clothes—
Her mouth and nose were tightly covered by a handkerchief that smelled of herbs.
not good.
Liu Jiao quickly held her breath and focused her attention.
Suddenly, she was gripped tightly by a pair of large, thick hands that reached out from behind the door without her noticing, and dragged straight out of the yard.
Her eyes were covered by a cloth, and it was pitch black. She was being carried on her shoulder and jostled around, which made her stomach hurt.
After an unknown amount of time, the door slammed shut, and Liu Jiao was thrown onto the kang (a heated brick bed) with tremendous force.
The sounds of unbuckling belts and men breathing heavily were all around me.
Even if Liu Jiao was stupid, she would understand what was going to happen.
He wanted to have a baby with her.
No way!
Don't panic!
Liu Jiao raises chickens, and she usually handles them by hand.
To buy time, she untied the ropes while trying to get closer to him, saying, "My family is rich. I only have my parents and no brothers, so I can give you all the money. Brother, if you need money, I'll give you money! But please don't be impulsive, after all, I'm ugly, and no one can have a good-looking baby with me!"
But the man's movements did not stop at all.
A familiar voice reached his ears, and he muttered, "You didn't faint? The medicine in this village really isn't as good as the one in the county."
Immediately afterwards, a disdainful voice came: "Stop pretending?"
The sound of the iron ox.
Liu Jiao felt a chill run down her spine.
“I know you like me, and your family can’t live without me, so why are you putting on airs and trying to control me by breaking off the engagement?”
"Never mind, even though you're plain and ugly... you look the same with your eyes closed."
Tie Niu had already stripped down to his undergarments, and his footsteps were both hurried and close.
Well, so Tie Niu saw that she wanted to break off the engagement and just force herself on her.
Liu Jiao immediately replied, "As a woman who has been outshone by other women, I am not reconciled. So I have a dilemma as a woman, and I hope Brother Tie Niu can enlighten me."
"Please enlighten me" is a phrase frequently used by storytellers.
Upon hearing this, Tie Niu's confidence soared, and he slowed down: "What?"
Liu Jiao was already acting like a madwoman, hysterically questioning Tie Niu: "Aren't you face-blind? Don't you say you're not superficial? Why do you still hate me and like Widow Qian?"
Tie Niu stopped moving completely, lost in deep reminiscence: "That's because she was as warm as my mother, especially her chest."
Liu Jiao: "..."
My goodness, is he a mother fixator?
"Let's not talk about her anymore. Tonight, I can belong to you." Tie Niu shook his head.
Just as Tie Niu's breath was about to reach her, the rope binding Liu Jiao's hands still had one last knot left untied—
Just as Liu Jiao's heart was in her throat, the man's close breath and the smell of sweat suddenly dissipated—the air instantly became fresh, replaced by a delicate and pleasant floral fragrance.
I feel very at ease.
Liu Jiao felt the slight warmth of calluses brushing against her hands. Soon, the rope binding her hands loosened, and her hands were freed.
The blindfold covering Liu Jiao's eyes was removed, and she was able to see again.
Under the fireflies carrying lanterns,
The reflection revealed a handsome face with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, his dangerous and cold phoenix eyes staring straight down at her.
It is Sang Ji.
He saved her.
Sang Ji glanced at her indifferently, seeing that she was still staring at him intently, lively and unharmed, so he didn't linger on her. He turned around and went to Tie Niu, whom he had knocked unconscious with a single blow.
They seemed completely unconcerned whether Liu Jiao was tied up or not.
But the slightly messy black hair on her forehead showed that she had been in a hurry when she came out.
After all, although Sang Ji did not care much about his own wounds, he valued etiquette the most. When he caught chickens that were jumping around, his high ponytail and small golden crown were always impeccably neat and extremely elegant.
Without drawing his sword, he impatiently poked Tie Niu's arm with the tip of the scabbard and asked in a cold voice:
"Does it need to be buried?"
ah?
Liu Jiao stopped him: "Hehe, don't kill him. It's not worth you taking a life for Tie Niu."
"Let's do something fun."
A note from the author:
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