When I woke up, I saw a girl in coarse clothes helping me remove the warm towel from my forehead.
She was very surprised to see me open my eyes: "Oh, girl, you are awake."
I opened my mouth to speak, but found that my throat was almost dry as if it had been burned by fire, and no sound came out.
"You have a fever now," she looked at me worriedly, "and you may not be able to speak..."
Then, as she kept talking, I realized that I had finally escaped from the capital.
That night I was carried by the horse all the way and eventually fell off the horse and rolled into a puddle of mud on the side of the road. I was still unable to move.
Should I say that I survived a disaster?
The girl in front of me was called A Ling. She went out with her husband to do business. At night, she couldn't help but want to relieve herself, so she got off the carriage and went to the bushes. As a result, she was scared by me.
A Ling softened her heart and finally persuaded her husband to take me, a person of unknown origin and unconscious, back home.
"I saw you," A Ling sat beside my bed, "and I thought that if I ever got into this situation, I'd need someone to help me, so I brought you back..."
The place where I live is very small, like an old storage room, with brooms, dustpans and other cleaning tools in the corner.
“I’m sorry…” She seemed to notice my gaze surveying the room and whispered, “I’ve tried my best.”
I was speechless and could only try to smile at her.
I am lucky to be able to save my life, what else can I ask for?
What's more, she saved my life, so I should be the one to thank her.
Even though the fever was gone, my throat was still extremely hoarse, as if I had a handful of dry sand in my throat. I guess it was from sniffing so much smoke during the fire.
A Ling would bring me some food every day and chat with me about her family matters.
You can tell that she is a simple and lonely girl.
Her husband was away on business for most of the year, so her parents arranged a marriage for her and sold her to the businessman when she was very young.
Sometimes she would proudly say that she was her husband's only wife and that he had never married any other girl.
But sometimes I feel sad. My husband always says that I am not good-looking. Am I really that ugly?
She was indeed not a very pretty girl, with a round face, a flat nose, and thick lips... Every time this happened, I would hold her hand.
It was not convenient for me to go out. The merchant's family was not actually wealthy. Apart from an old lady, there was no one else. Aling said that she had argued with her husband because she saved me. She lowered her head guiltily: "I was afraid that he would see you and we would quarrel again..."
Of course I understood, and when my throat felt better, I was already thinking about leaving.
I've been quiet these past few days and have sorted out a lot of things. It was really fate and a series of coincidences.
The book says, "Three days after the mutiny, on the fifth day of March, Song Heng married the princess." I originally thought the mutiny took place on the second day of March, but after further consideration, the first day of March is also possible.
When I thought of Wang Cairen and Xiaofeng, I felt a little uncomfortable again.
I once saved them. They were kind and loyal people, but in the end they still died because of me.
This is actually a small village not far from the capital. You can hear the noisy croaking of frogs in the fields at night.
I was penniless, and the clothes I was wearing were all coarse cloth clothes that A Ling had changed for me. Only the head of the bed had that storybook.
When I have nothing to do, I would flip through the storybook over and over again in the house. I can recite all the contents by heart, but my heart still aches every time I read it. It has never changed.
I began to use my fingers to trace the appearance of another man next to the dashing woman in the illustration. Yes, it is so nice to have someone to accompany you when you travel around the world.
But he belongs to a wealthy and magnificent family.
The injury on my leg is slowly healing, and I think it’s almost time to leave.
No matter what, I have to go back to Beijing.
I have to take the money out of the money shop.
Although I know that there is another voice in my heart, I want to go back and take a look, even if it is just to see the land and people closest to him.
It still has a good reputation and is praised by all people.
The grand wedding between him and the princess in spring with a ten-mile-long red wedding dress must be a story known to everyone, including women and children.
"Where is Aling? Where did she go? She hasn't even cooked dinner!" Suddenly the door was pushed open. I was still sitting on the bed holding the storybook in my hand.
The newcomer was fat and had a big belly. When he saw me, his eyes were stunned. Then he gave me a look that made me feel extremely uncomfortable: "You are the girl who fell in the bushes! Ouch! It took me so much effort to pick you up that night! You see, I have been so busy recently that I haven't come to see you..."
I covered my notebook and forced a smile at him, my voice hoarse and unpleasant: "Thank you for rescuing me, uncle."
He was obviously stunned when he heard me address him, then he smiled and walked out: "Then take good care of yourself first, girl, hahahaha..."
I frowned, knowing I had to get out of here quickly.
At night, I opened the door for the first time when it was late at night and everyone was asleep. My legs were able to walk, but they still hurt a little when I moved, but I could bear it.
This was just a small, unfinished courtyard. It looked like this businessman hadn't made much money. Or perhaps, this was just one of his houses...
Thinking about what happened today, I can't help but feel bad for A Ling.
After that, I must find another opportunity to return some of the money from the money shop to A Ling.
It’s really hard to repay the favor of saving my life.
Before I could take a few quiet steps, the light in another room suddenly came on. I was so scared that I quickly hid behind a wall.
All I heard was a crisp slapping sound: "Since you haven't given birth to a child yet, what's wrong with me taking a concubine?!"
"I, I, isn't that because you're away from home all year round?!"
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