Chapter 42 Who is the elder sister? "The government ordered that all villagers in Huangtun...
Liu Yeshu was startled. She had never imagined Qi Yu would personally teach her how to ride. Looking up, she saw only his eyes, as deep as ink, making it hard to tell if he was just doing it on a whim. She bit her lip, then finally walked slowly over to the horse.
Qi Yu stretched out his hand. Liu Yeshu looked at it and felt a little timid, but she still reached out and shook it.
Qi Yu pulled hard, and Liu Yeshu was easily brought onto the horse's back and sat in front of him.
"Hold on tight," Qi Yu whispered, shifting slightly to position her securely in front of the saddle. His hands slipped around her shoulders, gripping the reins from either side, his chest pressed slightly against her back. Liu Yeshu could feel his strong breathing and the steadying force behind her.
"Don't worry, I'm right behind you."
Liu Yeshu nodded. Although she was still a little nervous, the presence behind him made her feel strangely at ease. She straightened her back and tried to maintain her balance.
Qi Yu gently gave the horse a push, and the Arabian horse took graceful and steady steps. Liu Yeshu felt the power flowing beneath her, each step carrying a powerful rhythm. She gripped the reins tightly, feeling a little uneasy, but not panicking.
"Don't be nervous. When riding, follow the horse's rhythm." Qi Yu instructed her softly from behind, his tone gentle and steady. He leaned slightly closer to her ear and spoke in a low voice: "Relax your upper body and tighten your lower body."
Liu Yeshu followed his instructions and felt the rhythm of the horse's hooves gradually merge with her. Qi Yu still held the reins firmly, occasionally adjusting the horse's direction.
"General, what would happen if... you fell off your horse?"
"Then you will be trampled to death by horse hooves."
Seeing Liu Yeshu's body tense up again and her breathing quickened, Qi Yu kindly reminded her, "So keep your eyes forward, towards your goal. If you keep thinking about falling, your body will become unstable."
Liu Yeshu stopped staring at the ground and looked ahead, her nervousness slowly dissipating. The horse moved at a steady pace across the field, its fluidity like the wind bringing a sense of ease to her heart.
"Very good. Once you get used to it, you'll be able to control it more easily."
Liu Yeshu turned around and said frankly, "With the general behind me, I really don't feel scared."
Qi Yu didn't look at her. He put his hand in front of Liu Yeshu's hand, pulled the reins slightly, and the horse stopped.
"Very good, that's all for today. You can practice more when you have time."
Liu Yeshu just realized that he had overstepped his bounds and replied in a low voice, "Thank you for your guidance, General."
After returning to the general's mansion, Liu Yeshu prepared lunch and fed Yuanbao, then went back to the room to study the agricultural machinery design drawings.
This was a new type of tillage machine, ingeniously constructed, consisting of a sturdy iron frame with several depth-adjustable plowshares mounted on the front and a simple compacting device at the rear. The entire machine not only plowed the land but also simultaneously completed furrowing, sowing, and compacting, saving the labor of making multiple trips to the fields.
She took out a piece of coarse cloth and carefully traced the design of each component. As she drew, she couldn't help but sigh softly, "If I could really make it, it would be enough to replace the work of dozens of strong men. I'm afraid I could use it to ask for credit."
Three days later, it was Liu's younger brother's birthday, and Liu Yeshu asked for leave to go home.
The room was filled with a faint aroma of food, and the table was filled with various dishes, which was warm and cozy. Liu Di looked at the table full of food with a satisfied smile on his face.
Father Liu took out an exquisitely carved jade pendant from his sleeve, placed it in front of Brother Liu, and said earnestly, "This is what Dad prepared for you."
Mother Liu took out a jacket she had sewn herself from the basket and gently draped it over Liu's shoulders: "The weather is getting colder, so I made this coat. Remember to wear it when it's cold, so you don't catch a cold."
Liu Di accepted the two heavy gifts: "Thank you, Dad, Mom."
At this moment, Liu Yeshu slapped his forehead and suddenly revealed a look of annoyance: "Oh no! I was so busy that I forgot about your birthday gift."
Seeing this, Liu Di hurriedly smiled and waved his hands: "Sister, why do you care about those things? The best birthday gift is for our family to be together peacefully."
Liu Yeshu reached out and gently ruffled Liu Di's hair, saying softly, "You are more sensible than me."
At this point, Liu's mother interrupted with a smile, "Your brother is no longer the same as he was when he was little. He can help share a lot of things now. Our family reunion is better than any gift."
The aroma of food gradually filled the air. Liu Yeshu glanced down at the steaming hot meal and said with a smile, "Well, there's no need to be formal on a birthday. Let's just have a good meal as a family."
Liu Di smiled and said, "Then I won't be polite!" After that, he picked up a large piece of meat and put it in his mouth, his face full of satisfaction.
After dinner, the two returned to the courtyard next door. When Liu Di stepped into the house, Liu Yeshu called him.
"A few days ago, I kept dreaming about a new type of agricultural machinery that could plow, dig furrows, sow seeds, and compact the land all at the same time."
After hearing this, Little Brother Liu said worriedly, "Sister, are you tired from the autumn harvest and have this dream?"
"No." Liu Yeshu smiled mysteriously and took out the prepared design. "I dreamed about it every day, so I drew it."
Liu Di took the blueprint and looked at it carefully, his excitement becoming more and more obvious: "This design is really clever! Sister, I have to study it quickly."
Liu Yeshu smiled and nodded, and reminded him, "Don't be anxious. Try making a small model first to see if it works."
"Sister, there's no better birthday gift than this!"
Liu Yeshu touched his nose. This kid is quite smart.
Liu Di was clearly fascinated by the blueprint and couldn't bear to close it. He kept reading it as he walked. When he reached the door, he suddenly seemed to remember something and turned around and said, "Oh, sister, Manager Li recently bought a lot of seasonings, a lot more than usual. It looks like the caravan should be back soon."
Liu Yeshu frowned slightly upon hearing this, pondering in his mind. The return of a caravan often coincides with a large flow of goods, and the inflow and outflow of seasonings, ingredients, and other items inevitably implies greater trading opportunities.
The scene of trading with the caravan in early spring is still vivid in my mind. Now I am afraid that I can no longer fulfill my promise to the caravan.
But she didn't say these thoughts out loud, she just smiled faintly: "Well, go to bed early."
Seeing that his sister didn't say much, Liu Di knew that she had her own ideas, so he hurried into the house with the design in his arms. Outside, the autumn night deepened, and a cold wind swept through, but inside the house, there was a quiet and warm atmosphere. The candlelight flickered until it was slightly bright, and then it was extinguished.
*
A few days later, when Qi Yu was having dinner, a servant came to report.
"General, the authorities have reported that the criminal who caused several women to disappear a few days ago has been apprehended."
Liu Yeshu stood aside, her expression unchanged, as if it had nothing to do with her.
The attendant's gaze shifted to Liu Yeshu, and he continued, "This criminal's identity is quite unusual...his parents actually live across the street from Miss Liu! They should be apprehended as well."
Liu Yeshu was stunned when she heard this, her face filled with surprise, and her heart was filled with emotions. She had already vaguely felt that this person might have some connection with her, but she had never imagined that he was so close to her! For a moment, her thoughts were in turmoil, and details that she had not paid much attention to in the past now became clear, like a thread connecting them together.
"Now the only thing left is the identity of the 'sister' the criminal is talking about. The government has ordered all villagers in the deserted village to go to the county government office and be identified by the criminal in court."
Liu Yeshu's gaze subconsciously turned to Qi Yu.
"Then go ahead." He paused briefly, glancing at the guards beside him, then added, "You guys, accompany her."
Inside the county yamen, villagers trickled into the hall, and the atmosphere was solemn. The bluestone floor in front of the yamen shone coldly, and the yamen runners stood on either side, long sticks in hand, their expressions solemn.
County Magistrate Tang sat high in the hall, with case files placed in front of him. The legal advisor beside him kept flipping through something, occasionally whispering a few words to County Magistrate Tang.
When Dazhu was brought to the court by the yamen runners, he was in a daze, his eyes were scattered, and he was still mumbling to himself. At the county magistrate's command, the yamen runners began to bring the villagers forward one by one for Dazhu to identify them.
Liu Yeshu was standing at the back, observing everything in the hall calmly. But she didn't expect that Dazhu's eyes, while wandering around, would suddenly fall in her direction, and his eyes would instantly become hot and crazy.
"Daughter-in-law, daughter-in-law!" There was a hint of fanaticism in Dazhu's eyes, his voice was filled with heavy breathing, and his lips opened and closed, obviously wanting to shout out the name that made Liu Yeshu disgusted.
The yamen runners were the first to notice something was wrong with Dazhu, and they quickly stepped forward and held him down, but Dazhu was so big and strong that the runners had a hard time and were almost able to break free from him.
Dazhu's face flushed crimson, his hands and feet struggled erratically, and he was still screaming, "Wife! My wife!"
Liu Yeshu's heart tightened. Not wanting to get entangled with Dazhu in public, she took advantage of the chaos and quietly retreated to a more secluded corner. Several servants blocked her in front and surrounded her behind them.
"Butler Liu, please rest assured," the leading attendant whispered firmly, "The general has ordered that we will never let him touch you."
Dazhu looked up and searched around, his eyes frantically scanning the area. Seeing that he couldn't find his "wife", he began to struggle like crazy, screaming incoherently: "Wife! Where have you been? Didn't you say you wanted to spend the wedding night with me? Don't run away! I won't hurt you!"
He screamed louder and louder, his eyes bloodshot and frantic, his hands struggling violently. The yamen runners could barely hold him down, one being knocked back by him, nearly losing his footing. The villagers in the hall were all filled with fear, and several more yamen runners finally managed to pin him down and secure him in the hall.
Magistrate Tang frowned, his face gloomy, and sternly addressed the crowd, "Since you're so delusional, I'll get to the bottom of this today! Come on, bring the villagers forward for him to identify!"
However, Dazhu seemed to be completely deaf to the government's orders. He twisted his body wildly, repeating "wife" and "sister" over and over again, like a wild beast out of control.
Liu Yeshu stood in the dark, clenching her palms tightly. Her heart was calm, but her eyes grew colder.
The villagers in the hall were whispering nervously, wondering who Dazhu would recognize.
Suddenly, Dazhu's eyes lit up, his expression changed from the dullness before. He stared at one direction and murmured, "Sister...? Sister, is that you, sister?"
Following his gaze, I saw it was Sun Hong!
The entire hall fell silent, and everyone's eyes were focused on Sun Hong. Her face turned pale, and she unconsciously took a few steps back, her eyes filled with fear.
Magistrate Tang, who was sitting in the hall, saw this and a hint of doubt flashed in his eyes. He then asked sternly, "Sun Hong, do you have anything to say?"
Sun Hong's lips trembled slightly, as if she wanted to explain herself, but she couldn't say anything. Her eyes were evasive, her fingers were tightly twisted around the corner of her clothes, and she looked extremely uneasy.
Seeing her panic, County Magistrate Tang became even more suspicious. He slammed the table and shouted, "Come here, bring her to the court for questioning!"
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