Nothing unexpected happened for the rest of the time, until after they had eaten at a hundred different homes, the latter took a wood-chopping knife and helped chop firewood in the courtyard.
It wasn't until evening that someone from the village came over. It wasn't Zhao Er, but he wasn't exactly a kind person either. The village chief, Niu Fen, a robust old hunter, led three men carrying torches and called Dao Cheng out to question him.
Doggy Aba Aba seemed to want to say something, but was pushed aside by one of the tall and burly villagers. Dao Chengyi then walked out, leaning against the wall.
"Is there anything I can help you with, village chief?"
This was still not the local dialect but the official language. The villagers who heard this smiled disdainfully. The village chief did not react. He understood the official language and could speak it, but he usually didn't bother to speak it with Daocheng.
Do you know where Little Green Sprout is?
Upon hearing this, Dao Chengyi's feelings became complicated. The reason things had turned out this way was because of this little sprout.
"Has she left?...Yes, she's gone...It's good that she's gone."
In a daze, Dao Cheng muttered several sentences until the village chief confirmed that she was gone, along with her mother, and no one else in the village knew where they had gone.
"The blacksmith doesn't know either?"
Dao Cheng asked, "Three months isn't a particularly long time, but I know the blacksmith likes Xiao Qingya's mother, especially after Xiao Qingya's herb-gatherer father died a week ago."
"I already said nobody knows! You idiot, all you know is how to eat? Can't you understand? Tell me! Do you know where Little Green Sprout went? Otherwise, why were you stopping Zhao Er and the others from coming into the house!"
A villager behind him cursed unhappily. He was neither particularly tall nor particularly strong, and was the weakest among them, but he looked down on Dao Chengyi.
"Shut up! Didn't you see he was injured? You guys really have no conscience! Cheng Yi has helped the villagers with a lot of work these past three months, and this is how you treat him? You just watched him get beaten up by Zhao Er?"
The village chief scolded the group, then looked at Dao Chengyi standing with Gou'er, and offered him some words of comfort with a gentle smile before continuing to ask questions.
"If you knew, why did you try to stop Zhao Er yesterday?"
"Because Xiao Qingya said she didn't want to be with Zhao Er and hoped I could help her, she said she would be with me."
Ignoring the arrogant sneers, Dao Cheng understood their thoughts. Xiao Qingya was considered one of the best girls in the village. Her father did not favor boys over girls and treasured her as well. In addition, her family had some savings due to her unique herb-gathering skills, allowing her to afford school and escape poverty.
Naturally, she couldn't be compared to ordinary peasant women with dark, yellowish faces, thick shoulders and waists, and rough, wrinkled skin. Dao Chengyi initially liked Xiao Qingya because she was indeed quite attractive and willing to get close to him.
"I see. Then let's sit down and talk some more. Niu An, take those things inside!"
Because of malnutrition, Dao Chengyi, who could not see very clearly in the dark, saw the bedding, dried meat, and some daily necessities being carried by someone.
This was not a good sign. He never did this before, but now he was doing it. He was probably selling his life to the dead. That's what he thought in his heart, but on the surface, Dao Chengyi really wanted these things, and he even became gentle and respectful to the village chief.
The remaining questions and answers went very smoothly. Dao Chengyi ignored the rough sounds of searching and told them about Tian Xiaoqingya's situation.
Xiao Qingya's full name is Niu Qingya. The last two characters are nice, after all, they were given by a teacher. Unfortunately, the teacher wasn't very good at it, and the character "Niu" didn't suit him. So Xiao Qingya became the common name used to address her.
When Dao Chengyi first arrived, she often came to watch over him. After a week, she lost interest. But when Dao Chengyi started telling stories to the children, she often came to listen again, especially the love stories, the ingenious hand shadows, and the knowledgeable descriptions.
The two people in the latter part met often. Dao Chengyi also encountered other people's displeasure during this process, especially because he was not quick in his work and did not speak the local dialect well.
The frequent beatings made him distance himself from Xiao Qingya, but the latter didn't think that way. Every time she returned from the city with a rosy complexion, she would pester him for stories.
The beatings became increasingly forceful, and once he almost lost his child. Life was only good for a week after Xiao Qingya's father died, when he could eat meat and be beaten less often, even though the meat was mostly swill, and he was still humiliated.
Xiao Qingya was even more beautiful then. There's a saying that goes, "If you want to be pretty, wear mourning clothes." Xiao Qingya often brought food to Dao Chengyi and Gou'er, who were on night watch. She would tell them about her unfortunate fate, about the troubles she was going to suffer, about all the good things her father had done for her and the possible hardships she might face in the future. Then she would say that she didn't want to be bullied by Zhao Er and that she hoped he could help her.
That night the lights weren't particularly bright, but up close the clothes and faces looked very white. Dao Cheng vaguely agreed, just like the dog.
Upon hearing this, the village chief looked at Gou'er, who nodded without hesitation. Seeing this, the village chief said nothing. He pondered Dao Chengyi's words and then looked at the man who had become reserved.
“Don’t worry, it seems that Xiao Qingya’s house has been robbed and is in a mess. In addition, she has been missing for a day and a night, so everyone in the village is a little worried. The blacksmith asked me to come and ask if you know anything about the situation.”
"Just focus on recovering and don't worry about anything."
The people inside the house came out and shook their heads. The village chief then comforted Dao Chengyi and led his men away. On the way, Niu An asked the village chief, Niu Fen.
"That coward should be fine; he was just used as a scapegoat by Little Green Sprout."
Niu An had absolutely no liking for this outsider. What kind of class did he have? How dare he speak official language!
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