Chapter 2 The Future Wife of the Refugees
.
The corpse on the bed twitched twice, then half-propped itself up. Its usually dull eyes were gone; instead, they were bright and lively. It blinked three times, its eyelids widening.
The corpse, whose burial clothes were not yet properly put on, suddenly spoke: "Hey! Sister! Sister!"
Qingwu: "?"
The corpse rose up as if struck by lightning!
A white light flashed through the air.
Lin Xihe had already pounced on Qingwu, tightly hugging her legs with both arms.
Qingwu felt her legs being barely supported by the corpse, and her hair stood on end as she screamed, "It's come back to life!"
She closed her eyes, steeled her resolve, and her determination to die reached its peak. Once she was dead, she would no longer fear the corpse demons.
She kicked the stool over.
hiss……
The sound of fabric tearing.
Sizzle!
Lin Xihe below looked up in alarm.
The white silk ribbon snapped on its own, and the hanging woman fell straight down like a giant object from the sky.
The terrifying scene crashed heavily into Min's eyes.
As if in response to this terrifying scene, thick clouds rolled in the sky above the courtyard, and a storm was brewing.
The boudoir of the eldest daughter of the Lin family was decorated like a mourning hall, with white curtains hanging low and a ghostly figure in the middle, his clothes fluttering, exuding a sinister aura.
A thunderclap exploded, silencing Min's scream.
"Ghost, ghost! Aa ...
Chaos broke out in the Lin family mansion, and Lady Min fainted.
Lin Xihe saw several people in ancient costumes rush forward and hurriedly carry the woman in gorgeous clothes away.
She randomly grabbed a woman dressed in ancient costume, a nanny, shook her hand warmly, and asked, "Are you sent by General Manager Li?"
As if struck by lightning, Granny Wang cried out in a hoarse voice, "Ghost! There's a ghost! Ghost, ghost, ghost, ghost, ghost..."
"..." Lin Xihe glanced at her plain white dress, then raised her hand to wipe her face. "There's nothing on my face."
Is it really necessary to be this scared?
The girl who had just hanged herself fell to the ground and was then carried away. Lin Xihe strolled out of the house and looked around under the eaves: "Was she taken away by an ambulance?"
She almost got crushed by that girl. She rubbed her ribs and thought to herself: Which company does this girl work for? Judging by her build, the cafeteria food must be plentiful and filling!
An old woman popped out from a corner, staring at Lin Xihe with a terrified expression: "Ghost... Miss can talk?!"
Lin Xihe politely stepped forward: "Excuse me, which store is this in the convention center?"
The old woman instantly collapsed to the ground: "I...I don't want to go to the underworld! Don't take me there!!!"
Lin Xihe: "..."
Was she taken to some ancient-style themed venue? This immersive service is too realistic.
She swayed her sleeves and strolled around in her burial clothes.
Everywhere were NPCs whose souls had vanished, and no one dared to stop a single ghost.
Lin Xihe stepped out of the gate and onto the long bluestone path.
Looking back, the sky above the Lin family mansion plaque was about to rain.
What a strange place.
In short, let's ask someone first.
On the other side of the alley, there is another plaque with the same name – Wenfu (文府).
Lin Xihe didn't have high hopes. She picked up the door knocker and gently tapped it three times.
Is anyone home?
There seemed to be voices coming from inside the door.
Lin Xihe pressed her ear against the crack in the door, listening intently. Unable to hear clearly, she squinted and peered through the crack.
A servant carrying a birdcage said urgently, "Second Young Master, I'll go out of the manor to look for it."
The servant's "Second Young Master"—his gaze lingered on the empty birdcage, his face darker than the sky: "Wen Qi, go to the Lin residence to look for him."
The servant named Wen Qi said, "I heard from the servants of the Lin family that the firecrackers were not set off by Miss Lin."
Lin Xihe felt inexplicably guilty. She had heard the firecrackers, but she hadn't set them off.
The second young master Wen's thinking was clear: "First, Miss Lin is dead. Second, that plump woman wasn't Miss Lin. So who set off the firecrackers?"
Wen Qi managed to squeeze out a name: "I heard it was Young Master Lin who released it."
Wen Zhixu was in a bad mood. He had spent a lot of money to buy this bird and had taken meticulous care of it for a whole year. Now that the bird could finally speak, he felt a sense of accomplishment, like raising a child from scratch.
It's fine if the scoundrel Lin Pinyan doesn't go to help with the funeral arrangements at the Lin family's residence, but instead he becomes a troublemaker.
Lin Pinyan set off firecrackers, which scared away his beloved pet!
He was determined to teach Lin Pinyan a lesson today.
Where is that bastard?
"Young Master Lin has gone to Lisu Academy."
The gates of the Wen Mansion suddenly opened, and Wen Zhixu was about to step out.
Caught off guard, Lin Xihe lost her balance and stumbled forward in a sorry state.
Just then, a thunderclap sounded from the horizon.
Lin Xihe's earlobe pressed firmly against a warm chest through her clothes. The terrifying thunder, upon hearing it, transformed into the drumbeat of her heart, gradually pushing the wind and rain away.
Wen Zhixu lowered her eyes. The person who bumped into her was not too short. After the thunderclap, she was shocked and forgot to move forward or backward, stiffly leaning against him.
It resembled a small tree struck by the sunlight.
.
The rumbling thunder mingled with his pounding heartbeat. Wen Zhixu only knew that the woman in his arms was a woman. Her black hair was like a waterfall, her sideburns were disheveled, and she was dressed entirely in white.
She resembled a female ghost who had stepped out of a Chinese opera.
The preface to the text is not afraid of ghosts.
The people around him were afraid.
A terrified voice gurgled from the servant's throat: "Ghost! There's a ghost! Protect the Second Young Master!"
This lad is quite loyal, Wen Zhixu felt a warmth in his heart. He wanted to lift the woman who was in his way away, but then he thought that men and women should not touch each other, so he quickly moved aside.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the gatekeeper grabbing a stick and shouting to protect his master, but he was actually taking steps back.
Suddenly, he felt a warmth on his back as his "loyal" servant pressed close to him, his voice trembling as he said, "Second Eunuch, Eunuch..."
He was so scared he blurted it out.
At that moment, Wen Zhixu missed his old friends terribly. He shouldn't have kicked that brat Wen Qi out of the manor!
As soon as the thunder stopped, Lin Xihe tripped on the stone steps. In her haste, she grabbed Wen Zhixu's sleeve.
A cool fragrance drifted into her nostrils, like the sandalwood mist swirling around an ancient temple. The person before her was handsome and refined, his face resembling an ancient painting on display in an art gallery, his nobility subtly revealed in the brushstrokes, his character understated and refined.
Being unfamiliar with the place, Lin Xihe wandered into some exhibition hall by mistake. The setting was magnificent, the servants and NPCs were dressed impeccably, and the young master whose sleeve she unintentionally tugged at was incredibly handsome.
That company is really attentive!
Lin Xihe secretly compared the sleeves of the two people. The staff member playing the handsome young man had dark blue cuffs embroidered with cloud patterns, while she, on the other hand, had been covered by a white long gown by some damned colleague, with frayed edges on the cuffs.
Is her company about to go bankrupt?
"May I ask which company you work for?" Lin Xihe asked politely, straightening the other person's cuffs.
Preface to the text: "?"
A bolt of lightning suddenly tore through the sky and fell into his eyes like a streak of fire.
Lin Xihe felt a chill run down her spine, but she forced herself to ask again, "Do you know where Hall B is?"
The preface to the article remains silent.
Ningchao was prosperous, with neither famine nor drought, and very few people in the streets were dressed in rags.
Even in a glorious and prosperous era, there are hidden corners that cannot be illuminated—what has life forced this perfectly fine girl into such a state?
Lin Xihe mimicked the gestures of a hearing-impaired person: "You...can't speak?"
A head popped out from behind Wen Zhixu, acting like a bully, and angrily shouted, "How dare you!"
“Wen Ba,” Wen Zhixu’s voice rang out, and the head behind his shoulder disappeared in shock, “Go and get two steamed buns from the Imperial Academy for this young lady.”
The servant lowered his eyes and said respectfully, "Second Young Master, my name is Wen Qi." You just gave me this name, have you forgotten?
"Call Wen Qi back." Wen Zhixu rolled his eyes at him. "You're Wen Ba now."
Wen Ba: "..."
Lin Xihe held the two buns in her palms and examined them carefully: the dough was smooth, shaped like a gourd, and the belly was round and plump.
She had never seen this new type of snack before.
The refugee in front of him had never seen such exquisite food. Wen Zhixu, unusually patient, told her, "The filling is shredded meat, seasoned with salt and pepper and other spices."
How delicious could it be? Lin Xihe, sitting on the stone steps, took a bite.
Smack smack, the taste is indeed not bad.
She took another bite, and wow! This is just a big meat bun!
Li Su Academy is not far from the Wen Mansion.
Thinking of his beloved pet, Wen Zhixu didn't care that the sky was getting dark and quickened his pace toward the academy.
Behind me were the sound of footsteps following closely.
He quickened his pace, and the sound of his footsteps followed suit.
Didn't they give steamed buns to the Imperial Academy? Why would a refugee follow him?
Wen Zhixu deliberately started running, and his footsteps indeed slowed down.
Turning right leads to the academy. Wen Zhixu, using the corner of his eye, gazes at the long alleyway between the Wen and Lin residences.
The high walls flanked the passageway, exuding an imposing aura. Ordinary people dared not set foot there.
The figure was crouching in the distance, curled up in a small ball, while a dirty stray dog surrounded it, wagging its tail happily.
Lin Xihe asked softly, "Little Black, you live here?" She pointed with her finger, which landed on the plaque of the Duke of Wen's Mansion.
The dog barked and howled, its tail wagging and leaving afterimages.
"Guarding the door? Who's your owner?" She gave half a steamed bun to Xiao Hei.
Half a bun was not enough to fill Wen Zhixu's hungry stomach. Wen Zhixu watched as the dog pressed its front paws against the refugee's forearm, and in a flash, snatched the other bun from her hand! It turned and ran away, as fast as a black shadow, slipping into the Wen residence before the gatehouse closed.
Wen Zhixu was not happy: "Where did this stray dog come from? It has no manners and dares to compete with the refugees for food?"
Wen Ba hurriedly replied, "Second Young Master, this is the guard dog of the manor. I heard from Wen Qi that you personally bought it."
"Mo Hu?" Wen Zhixu chased back to the mansion, tucking in a piece of his sleeve to vigorously wipe the dog's face.
Only after wiping away the yellow mud can its clean and elegant true appearance be revealed.
"It really is you." Wen Zhixu patted the dog's head and chuckled softly, "So mischievous, where have you been running around today?"
Wen Ba swallowed hard, keeping the matter of "the black tiger falling into the cesspool" to himself. If he didn't say anything, and the tiger didn't say anything, how would the second young master know?
At that moment, the second young master bent down, and the sound he made while teasing the dog was exactly the same as the sound the refugee had made earlier: "Suck suck suck~"
Wen Ba silently stepped back a few paces. "It stinks!"
.
Lin Xihe wandered around aimlessly for a few minutes, but couldn't find any trace of the young master.
There were several bookstores in the market. Lin Xihe looked around the store with curiosity. The decor was in the ancient style, and the bookshelves were neatly arranged with thread-bound books.
"Ancient book café?" She peeked through the window, very politely. "Hello, may I borrow your phone to make a call?"
A voice came from inside: "Go away, go away, tomorrow is the day when the Shushi Nunnery will distribute porridge."
Clang.
If she had been even a second slower, her head would have been snapped off by the window.
Lin Xihe stood blankly outside the Yan Guanwen Bookstore.
What's going on in this godforsaken place? There are no streetlights, no security cameras, nothing that connects us to modern times... Is this The Truman Show?
Passersby on the street stared at her, as if she were the one who didn't fit in. Are extras these days really this dedicated?
"Sister, I've lost my phone. Can I borrow it? My colleague will transfer some credit to your phone."
The woman leading the child turned around, her gaze falling on Lin Xihe's burial clothes, and her face instantly turned deathly pale: "A ghost!!!"
The woman scooped up the child and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Lin Xihe was bewildered by the reactions of passersby.
She looked down at her dress; it was plain, but not so plain as to make her look like a ghost.
"Hey! If you don't want to lend it, then don't. Why are you so scared?" She fiddled with her clothes, her gaze returning to the signboard of Zhao Family Scripture Shop.
It's another bookstore.
As rain threatened, the shop assistants were moving discounted books that had been displayed outside the shop into the store.
"Hello, there's a phone call—" Lin Xihe tried to smile.
The waiter met her gaze, and with a thud, the stack of books he was carrying fell to the ground.
Lin Xihe, her temper flaring, retorted angrily, "Fine, don't lend it! Is it really necessary?"
The thunder drowned out her voice.
The long street stretched forward, with mounting shops, gold paper shops, and fan shops lining both sides in succession. Lin Xihe was once again in a daze, as if she had stepped into the "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" scroll, and the prosperous scene in the painting was slowly unfolding before her eyes.
She looked up at the sky. There were no white contrails, no drones humming, only a pristine, low-hanging sky overhead.
The murky gray clouds pressed down, sealing her tightly inside.
She moved her feet, determined to find the kind person who had given her the steamed bun.
That moment of kindness was like a lifeline.
.
Li Su Academy.
Lao Tzu said—
Lao Tzu said.
The air above the academy was filled with the drowsy sounds of students reciting their lessons, mixed with the rustling footsteps of sorghum stalks.
The teacher put down his book, and all the students craned their necks to look out the door.
The young man in brocade robes bowed respectfully to the teacher, humbly requesting him to continue the lesson. Though his demeanor was respectful, he strode straight ahead to a corner.
Wen Zhixu took his seat among a group of teenagers.
The boy who had been squeezed into the corner pouted and whispered, "Second Brother."
“You set off the firecrackers,” Wen Zhixu said with certainty.
Lin Pinyan bit her lip, her ears turning bright red: "Second Sister asked me to order this... Second Brother, I didn't know it would turn out like this!"
Lin Zhirou dared not set off firecrackers and insisted that he light them. Only after he finished lighting the firecrackers did she learn that her eldest sister had already passed away.
He's really out of his mind.
Wen Zhixu stared intently at the boy's pale lips: "You scared away my Cuihuang! You'd better find her and bring her back!"
Lin Pinyan was taken aback upon hearing this.
Ah, so it wasn't because he was making a fuss about the funeral? Why didn't you say so earlier? I was quite nervous!
Lin Pin-yan's stiff shoulders relaxed considerably.
This boy wasted eleven years of his life, born to a concubine of the Lin family, surnamed Min.
He disliked studying and drove away several tutors in succession. His father was at his wit's end and had to beg the Duke of Wen, who then forced him into the most famous Li Su Academy in Shengjing.
It's been a while since I've seen Lin Pinyan.
"Two days." He lowered his voice, giving Lin Pinyan a cold look. "Give me back Cuihuang."
Lin Pinyan carefully chose her words: "Second brother, what if we can't find one? I'll find you another one exactly the same."
"I only want Cuihuang." Wen Zhixu's eyes blazed with fury.
The gilded birdcage was meticulously crafted by someone he commissioned, but after only a few days, the precious birds were frightened away by the sound of firecrackers.
"Second brother, your bird can't talk, I'll buy you a smarter one."
"It has a name! Emerald Phoenix."
"..."
Lin Pinyan immediately sensed that something terrible was about to happen.
If a cat or dog goes missing, he can simply send people to search the entire city.
But the bird that got lost was a myna with wings! It could fly!
He couldn't sit still any longer. Was it too late to go and search now?
.
Lin Xihe's gaze swept over the plaque of "Li Su Academy," but she did not stop and stepped forward.
Where is Baozi, the good person? She had no clue.
A knock sounded behind her, and her gaze swept back to the main gate of the academy.
The doorman answered, "Who is it?"
A young man dressed as a servant said, "Wen Qi from the Duke of Wen's residence. I'm looking for my second young master."
In the blink of an eye, Lin Xihe watched the boy enter the room.
Her pupils shifted slightly.
Duke Wen's Mansion, Wen Qi and Wen Ba.
Knock knock knock.
A voice came from inside the door again: "Who is it?"
Lin Xihe copied the gourd in the same style: "Wen Guogong Mansion, Wen Jiu".
The door creaked open, only halfway, and the gatekeeper looked her up and down with suspicion, muttering, "Why is she a woman?"
Lin Xihe lowered her eyes: "I am the second young master's maid."
"Come in."
Phew, correct password! Agent 009, looking fresh and vibrant, sneaks into the academy.
.
Inside the hall, the sound of reading aloud filled the air. Wen Zhixu, however, had long since drifted off into his own world. Gazing idly, he noticed that someone had appeared outside the door at some point.
Wen Qi, who was expelled from the manor for neglecting his duty in caring for Cuihuang, was waiting outside the door with his hands at his sides.
Could it be that Cuihuang has sent a message? Wen Zhixu was about to get up.
The private tutor proclaimed in a loud voice: "Lao Tzu said: The ultimate state of perfect order... Lin Pinyan."
Lin Pinyan, who was called out, stammered, "The meaning of 'the ultimate in governance' is... second brother, second brother."
Wen Zhixu didn't even look up: "Don't ask me, I don't know."
The Master, with a solemn expression, moved his lips beneath his long beard: "You shall answer the question regarding the order of the text."
"..."
Inside the academy's classroom, two figures, one tall and one short, stood like two telephone poles being punished. Lin Xihe's dark eyes suddenly brightened, her gaze clearly reflecting his silhouette. She saw him stand there for a mere second before casually sitting back down.
Lin Xihe was worried for him: "You don't even know how to deal with the teacher? How can you be a bad student?"
Then I heard the Master reciting, swaying his head: "Lao Tzu said: 'In the ultimate state of good governance, neighboring countries are within sight of each other, and the sounds of chickens and dogs can be heard between them...' Who can understand its meaning?"①
Lin Xihe, who was eavesdropping, picked her ear and said, "Tch, it's just translation, right? I'm fluent in English and French, Korean is top-notch, and I can even speak Japanese fluently."
Upon hearing this, the teacher's face immediately darkened: "Whose brat is this? Talking nonsense!"
A haughty head poked through the window, and the girl, striking a pose like Pangu creating the world, declared: "I say, 'Pee-pee, woof-woof...'"
"Hahahaha!" The bored young men burst into laughter.
"Nonsense, nonsense!" The teacher collapsed to the ground, unable to get up.
Wen Zhixu propped himself up on his elbow, his gaze falling to the ground. It was time to change the old man's act of feigning unconsciousness. He sat in the corner, lazily raising his eyes, and caught a glimpse of someone peeking out of the window.
His view was mostly blocked by Lin Pinyan's chubby body. Wen Zhixu casually turned his head, and the view that was originally half blocked suddenly opened up—there was a very familiar girl lying on the window frame.
Her eyes, washed clean, shone with a clear, lustrous light, like carved jade.
It was her—that pitiful refugee.
She had given him meat buns to fill his stomach before, but he promptly fed them to the dogs. Now, with an empty stomach, he dares to sneak into the private school to beg?
This woman is quite bold.
Lin Pinyan, standing to the side, met the eyes of the refugee, her gaze filled with horror: "I... save... a ghost..."
Lin Xihe was quite annoyed. She wasn't a ghost, and she made a face at the pale, doughy-faced girl: "Hehehe."
Lin Pin-yan was extremely frightened.
Seeing that his face had turned purple, Wen Zhixu quickly pinched his philtrum and said, "You're just a refugee, why are you so scared?"
"Second Brother," Lin Pinyan slumped down, her voice barely audible, "Sister, my sister..."
Wen Zhixu was caught off guard: "Who?"
Lin Pinyan's eyes widened: "My sister...she's come to take my life...firecrackers...I was wrong..."
With a thud, Lin Pinyan fainted on the spot, and a "corpse" appeared next to Wen Zhixu.
The servants were in a panic.
The preface to the text asks the seventh author: "Who is that madwoman?"
Wen Qi wasn't sure either: "Second Young Master, she seems like your future wife."
Preface: "?!"
A note from the author:
----------------------
① Quoted from: Sima Qian, Records of the Grand Historian, Biographies of Merchants
The shops in this chapter are based on "Daily Life of Citizens in the Song Dynasty".
Imperial Academy Steamed Buns: Inspired by "Song Dynasty Life in 'Along the River During the Qingming Festival'"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com