When I returned to the Snapdragon Club, it was late at night and all was quiet, with only the occasional chirping of insects.
In the east courtyard, Long En's study is nestled amidst tall sycamore trees and ancient, verdant foliage, offering a cool and comfortable respite from the summer heat. Outside the back window of the study, several clumps of emerald bamboo rustle gracefully, forming a natural green backdrop. In the tranquil night, accompanied by gentle breezes, the leaves whisper softly, like lovers intimately cuddling.
From a distance, the study was completely dark, except for two dim candles hanging by the door. Two wooden-carved guards with swords at their waists stood motionless, solemnly guarding the study door.
Meanwhile, the three women who had been hiding in the archway, peering in and waiting for a long time, had not yet found any opportunity to act. At this moment, the two guards couldn't help but turn their gazes to the woman's sleeve pocket.
The woman immediately understood, quickly reaching out to tightly clutch the sleeve pocket and lowering her voice, "No, you can't mess with it anymore. I absolutely forbid you from spreading this token around, lest it cause any unnecessary trouble."
Seeing her resolute attitude, the two guards had no choice but to give up and quietly turned their heads away.
A moment later, the older guard suddenly looked at the younger guard and the two locked eyes for a moment, nodding to each other as if they had reached some kind of resonance.
Then, the older guard calmly walked in first, and whispered something to the two guards on duty. The two guards immediately ran out of the east courtyard in high spirits.
The older guard surveyed the surroundings before waving to the archway. The younger guard then entered the east courtyard with the woman, leaving the younger guard to keep watch at the entrance. The older guard and the woman were thus able to enter Long En's study without any hindrance.
Upon entering, as soon as the older guard, seemingly familiar with the place, lit the oil lamp on a large mahogany desk, the woman was stunned by the antique yet grand study before her.
She paused and carefully surveyed the surroundings: on the left side of the room was the master's bed and gauze curtains, while the other four walls were almost entirely filled with large, carved bookcases brimming with various books. In addition, there were display shelves showcasing a variety of precious antiques for people to admire.
The spacious desk was fully equipped with writing brushes, ink, paper, inkstones, incense burners, and other essential items, all arranged with great care. A guqin (a seven-stringed zither) even sat on a small table against the west wall. Decorative items and potted plants were placed throughout the room, creating a clean, tidy, quiet, and elegant atmosphere, filled with the rich aroma of books.
Suddenly, several vertical landscape paintings hanging on the wall of the main hall caught her eye. Upon closer inspection, she discovered that the signature on them was none other than Long En himself.
Each painting is rendered in shades of green, depicting verdant mountains and clear waters, flowing springs, and lush vegetation, as if a gentle breeze is blowing, bringing a refreshing coolness. Several ancient pines stand tall and resilient, while houses are hidden behind the trees, creating a serene and elegant atmosphere. Clouds and mist swirl around the mountains, moving with the wind.
It is evident that the artist, like this pine tree, is resilient and broad-minded, fully displaying the demeanor of a virtuous gentleman! In this scene, with such an elegant and secluded atmosphere, it is truly difficult to associate its owner with the word 'rebellion'.
Soon, the woman's gaze slowly shifted as if she had locked onto another target. She strode over to a small table next to the guqin, close to the window, deftly rolled up her sleeves, tiptoed, and reached into a blue-and-white porcelain vase on the table, where she pulled out several keys.
Matching the clear inscriptions carved on it, the woman quickly found the key to the cabinet containing many precious herbs that the older guard was currently in, and opened it.
Suddenly, her eyes widened as she looked inside, and she exclaimed in a low voice, "Wow, this is practically a display case for rare medicinal herbs! It's full of treasures that are rarely seen in the world!"
Excitedly, she took out one of the exquisitely packaged gift boxes and opened it, then proceeded to introduce and boast to the older guard one by one, as if reciting a familiar story:
"Look, this is Rhodiola rosea, which is listed as a top-grade medicine in the Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica. It mostly grows in cold, unpolluted areas at altitudes of 600-800 zhang. Its growing environment is extremely harsh, which gives it strong vitality and special adaptability. Taking it can make you feel light and invigorated, prolong your life, and it is non-toxic. You can take it often and for a long time without harming yourself. In addition to tonifying the kidneys, regulating qi and nourishing blood, replenishing qi and clearing the lungs, and benefiting intelligence and nourishing the heart, it also has great beauty effects. This is a herb that is even more precious than ginseng."
As soon as he finished speaking, he put the box back in its original place and continued to carefully rummage through the remaining boxes one by one, saying with great relish, "There's also ambergris, all kinds of wild lingzhi, cordyceps, thousand-year-old ginseng, hundred-year-old wild ginseng, red ginseng, rhinoceros horn, tiger bone, deer antler... I didn't know Brother Long had so many good things!"
Suddenly, a rectangular box wrapped in red silk cloth stood alone in the corner of the cabinet. It looked mysterious and precious. Upon opening it, he murmured, "A sandalwood bracelet with orchid carvings. Could this be Brother Long's wife's? It seems like this should be a pair, but one is missing."
At this moment, the older guard finally understood: "So, not only did Chief Long entrust the token to you for safekeeping, but he also told you where he kept his keys. This shows how much Chief Long trusts you and how disappointed he is in the deputy chief!"
Upon hearing this, the woman quickly snapped out of her daze, glared at the older guard, and put a finger to her lips, shushing him, "Shh, keep your voice down. I've remembered everything you said to me today. It turns out, Brother Long isn't as heinous as I initially thought. Although I don't know why he said that position originally belonged to him, I believe that as long as Brother Long is there, the Xiaolong Society will be safe."
"Alas, 'may you take my good wishes, young lady,' I hope so!" the older guard said with a worried expression.
The woman pursed her lips, smiled faintly at him, and finally reached out and pulled out a box containing a century-old wild ginseng. She patted it and said happily, "Alright, this is it. With this, that person will surely be full of energy again very soon."
"This young lady is truly kind, even more so than Chief Long. She goes to great lengths to help complete strangers, treating them with such kindness. I wonder which family is so fortunate to have such a wonderful daughter," the older guard exclaimed as he locked the cabinet again.
"Sigh, I also want to know, whose family do I belong to?" the woman sighed and asked.
"How is it? How is it? Have you found it?" The young guard asked anxiously as soon as the two turned off the lights and stepped out the door.
The woman proudly waved the gift box in her hand at him, and the young guard finally breathed a deep sigh of relief, patting his chest. The woman then hurried towards her room in the backyard to brew medicine, but suddenly realized the two guards hadn't followed. She stopped, turned around, and asked in confusion, "What are you two standing there for? Hurry up and go!"
The older guard immediately began to look around, as if he hadn't heard what she said, while the younger guard hung his head and muttered unhappily, "Tonight, we have to stay here and take over the night watch!"
After a moment's thought, the woman immediately understood. A sly smile instantly appeared on her face as she said, "Oh, no wonder those two guards were so happy just now. It turns out it's because you two are going to take their night watch tonight? Is this the brilliant idea you came up with?"
“Not tonight, but for a whole month!” The young guard listlessly raised his head and said only this before immediately lowering it again.
The woman's beautiful phoenix eyes widened in shock as she exclaimed, "What? A whole month? What will happen to my courtyard? The Xiaolong Society is full of men, and Brother Long isn't here. What if... what if... what should we do?"
At this moment, the older guard came to his senses and, after a moment's thought, reassured her, "Don't worry, young lady, we will take turns patrolling the backyard from time to time. You will be fine."
Upon hearing this, the woman immediately retorted angrily, "Unless you have the ability to be in two places at once, I will never believe your nonsense again. If I had known it would turn out like this, I wouldn't have asked you for any advice in the first place. What kind of terrible idea is this?!"
Just as the three of them were feeling deeply uneasy and at a loss, in the darkness outside the archway, Long Ye's three subordinates were secretly conducting a transaction.
"Alright, alright, considering you're now a favorite of the deputy leader, a hundred taels it is. We'll take the loss and help you out this time." One of the subordinates took the bulging money bag from the cold-faced man, counted the money, and stuffed it into his pocket while saying this with obvious impatience.
The stern-faced man gladly handed over the money, then bowed to the two men to express his gratitude and instructed them, "Then I'll have to trouble you two. Please keep this a secret and don't tell anyone."
“Since you’ve said so, we will do as you say. However, as someone close to the deputy leader, it’s not right for you to be helping those people. What is your intention?” the guard asked, puzzled.
The stern-faced man sighed: "Alas, how can we, as his subordinates, know what tomorrow will bring? Who will be in charge when the sun rises again? It's always good to have more options for yourself, don't you two agree?"
The guard exclaimed in surprise, "Hey, I never knew you were so capable! No wonder you're so popular with the vice-leader. But if you were that woman in the courtyard, you'd be even more of a favorite of his, hahaha..."
"You two are too kind. I have other matters to attend to and must take my leave now. How about I invite you for drinks another time?" the cold-faced man said, then turned to leave.
"Drinking, good, drinking is good. You can go now, but remember to treat us to drinks next time, and make sure it's the best Daughter's Red wine from Zuixianfang in the south of the city!" the two guards shouted at his retreating figure.
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