Interpretation by the Bureau (Part Two)
"Knock knock." The two responded and looked over. A little boy walked over shakily, carrying two cups of tea, his eyes fixed on the cups, afraid that they might spill.
Chen Zhuangmu couldn't bear to watch any longer, so she went over, took the tray, and placed it on the table, casually asking, "Why are you letting such a young child do this?"
In fact, the moment she stood up, Miao Jie's eyes were fixed on her, with a hint of surprise in them. He said directly, "I didn't expect that a pampered princess like you would notice him."
Zhao Yi hurriedly looked at Chen Zhuangmu's reaction, only to see that she didn't even blink, picked up the teacup with one hand, took a sip, and put it down again.
"Alright." Miao Xin got up, patted her bottom, and said as she walked out, "I'm going to look at the Gu book. You two don't know each other, so you can play here for a while."
So they watched as Miao Xin walked slowly, with unsteady steps, and closed the door with one hand.
"I didn't expect it to go so smoothly." Chen Zhuangmu breathed a sigh of relief. The Miao people would be resistant to outsiders because of the Miao government's suppression of them, but now they are sitting safely in the house, all thanks to Miao Xin.
Seeing that Zhao Yi was deep in thought, she asked, "What's wrong? Are you unhappy to see him?"
"I never imagined he'd grow up like this." Zhao Yi smiled proudly, but his eyes held a hint of regret. He didn't try to hide it, saying, "Hey, you know how arrogant he was when he left. How could he possibly stand life here?"
How could Chen Zhuangmu know? But Zhao Yi's words did remind her of that day. A boy dressed in bright colors, covered with jade ornaments, had a bundle full of money that jingled.
"Why didn't you bring him back in the first place?" Shen Zhuangmu asked, puzzled.
Zhao Yi moved his stool closer to Chen Zhuangmu and said, "I thought he went out to play and would come back when he was done. But as time went on, I found out he wasn't coming back."
"Let's not talk about that anymore." Zhao Yi grasped Chen Zhuangmu's hand and said, "Here, let's not talk about national grievances or family feuds, let's just focus on getting the illness cured, okay?"
Zhao Yi's eyes were sincere, without a trace of falsehood. Chen Zhuangmu looked at his eager expression and nodded firmly.
"If there is a cure, I will do my best to cooperate." Chen Zhuangmu smiled knowingly, stood up, and said, "Let's go, let's go see their library."
The soil here is more moist than in other places, and the air has a unique fragrance. Residents gather under the low wooden houses. Because there is no shade, the sunlight can penetrate every corner of the earth more fully, and the sunlight is much brighter than in other places.
Two or three children followed behind them, all with timid expressions, not daring to get close. Chen Zhuangmu looked on with fondness, constantly turning back to look.
Suddenly, someone shook her hand. She turned to look at Zhao Yi and saw him smiling, saying, "You like it?"
When asked this question, Chen Zhuangmu replied, "I like obedient children."
Before long, the two of them arrived at the Miao people's library.
They didn't recognize the characters or understand the language here, so they had to gesture to the people next to them for a long time before they understood what they meant, and then the people next to them simply led them over.
The library was a mud-brick house, about the height of a person, with no door, so the two of them went straight in. As soon as they entered, the stench of decay filled their nostrils, causing Chen Zhuangmu to cough repeatedly.
"You should leave. You can't stand the smell here," Miao Xin said as soon as she saw her come in.
Zhao Yi took out a handkerchief and covered Chen Zhuangmu's nose, which reduced the smell considerably. The two of them then walked inside.
Besides Miao Xin, there were three other people inside, all looking through the book together. Chen Zhuangmu casually picked up an old book next to her, opened it, and dry dust fell down, revealing crooked words.
Judging from the time Miao Xin left Huijing, they must have only been gathered here for a short time, and their hearts were not yet completely won over. Chen Zhuangmu didn't know what Miao Xin had said to get these Miao people to help her.
If they save her, she will have to risk her life again.
If she returns to the capital and wins, she will ensure that the people here will never have to worry about food and drink for generations to come.
Seeing that she was staring intently at one spot, Zhao Yi knew she was thinking about something again, so he pulled Chen Zhuangmu inside and asked Miao Xin, "What does she need to do now?"
Miao Xin glanced at the two of them and said, "Go back and rest."
Zhao Yi nodded, and as soon as he turned around, a little girl walked past them and stood in front of them. Miao Xin's voice came from behind, "Let her lead you there."
They thanked the girl and followed her to the small house that had been arranged for them. Chen Zhuangmu felt that Miao Xin was really thoughtful. The house was clean and tidy, and although it was not big, it was square and pleasing to the eye.
The scent of damp earth always brings a sense of peace. After Chen Zhuang finished looking around, the little girl pointed to herself, crossed her arms over her head, and made a gesture of closing her eyes.
It's clear now that the little girl wanted her to come and sleep.
"You need to rest well to make things go smoothly," Zhao Yi comforted her, and then said, "It's not that there's no way, we're just looking for a safer method. I heard Miao Xin mention it when we were in Huijing. There's a way to cure any kind of Gu worm. The most dangerous thing is when two worms fight each other. Right now, we're trying to avoid that."
Without Zhao Yi needing to explain, Chen Zhuangmu understood what he meant. Two insects fighting—it sounded dangerous. It probably involved opening a person's meridians, releasing the insects, and then the two would fight to see which one would survive. But even if they succeeded, they would have to live with the insects.
"What are you thinking about?" Zhao Yi interrupted her rambling thoughts, and then said, "You go to sleep first, I'll go look over there, I can understand some of the covers."
Chen Zhuangmu nodded. There was no point in keeping him here. If he could be of any help, he should go quickly.
Seeing that she agreed, Zhao Yi gave her a few more instructions before leaving.
Shen Zhuangmu suddenly felt strange. In all her life, no one had ever worried about her like this, treating her like a naive child. But in her own eyes, she should be a person who understands the big picture, knows the big picture, and can solve problems.
She couldn't describe the feeling in her heart. She dragged her feet to sit on the stool and pointed to the stool next to her. The little girl covered her mouth in surprise and pointed to the stool and herself in disbelief.
Seeing that Chen Zhuangmu nodded repeatedly, she finally dared to slowly touch the stool and sit down. After sitting down, she poured water for Chen Zhuangmu.
Ripples spread across the green-patterned teacup, like a verdant oasis. Chen Zhuangmu ultimately couldn't drink any more. To lull herself into sleep, she dismissed the young girl and leaned against the headboard for a short rest.
She was in a daze, dreaming of all sorts of things. Her mother's and uncle's faces were so clear. Chen Zhuangmu was startled awake. She covered her head and gasped for breath in disbelief. It took her a long time to accept the fact that she had just had a dream.
She dared not sleep. Chen Zhuangmu wiped the cold sweat from her forehead and waited until all the sweat on her body was dry before going out. As soon as she opened the door, she saw the little girl who had been squatting on the ground suddenly stand up and look at her cautiously.
Is she scary? Chen Zhuangmu was a little confused. She smiled at the little girl, and the person smiled back at her.
Chen Zhuangmu found it quite interesting and thought she should go to the library again to see how it was going. She walked to the library based on her memory, only to find that it was just a short walk to the end and then a turn.
It was still a mud room, but a lot of clods of earth had fallen to the ground. The group quickly rushed outside to put down their books, and then hurriedly rushed back into the mud room to retrieve them.
Miao Xin and Zhao Yi stood not far away, seemingly talking about something; both of them had serious expressions.
Upon seeing Chen Zhuangmen arrive, the two suddenly fell silent, their serious expressions instantly relaxing. Zhao Yi even looked up and smiled, "You're here? Have you rested well?"
Chen Zhuangmu, not wanting to pretend she hadn't seen anything, walked right up to them and asked, "What were you talking about just now?"
Miao Xin glanced at Zhao Yi, and seeing that he kept his mouth tightly shut, he remained silent. Chen Zhuangmu looked at the two of them, unsure of what to say.
After a while, she said, "If you don't explain it to me clearly, how am I supposed to know how to cooperate?" Chen Zhuangmu had her back to Zhao Yi at this moment, and her tone was filled with undisguised disappointment. Even though she tried to hold on, her voice grew softer and softer as she spoke.
Zhao Yi felt his heart clench. He turned around and walked up to her, saying, "It's nothing serious, but the Gu you've been afflicted with is quite special. We need to find a safe way to deal with it."
"Okay." Chen Zhuangmu agreed readily, her expression calm. This was something she had thought of before coming, but the feeling of having someone care so deeply about her life was truly bittersweet and heartwarming.
There weren't many books in the mud room, but they were all quite damaged due to their age, which is why they had to be carefully carried out.
"Who knows when it will collapse." Miao Xin squinted at the book for a couple of seconds, then glanced at Zhao Yi's face and said, "It's a good thing you're blind, otherwise we wouldn't have a single book left."
Zhao Yi's face turned ashen from the retort. Miao Xin had been stabbing him from the very beginning, which he had ignored, but now she was going on and on. He said to Shen Zhuangmu, "Wait a minute." With that, he grabbed Miao Xin by the back of his collar and dragged him away, no matter how much Miao Xin struggled, he couldn't escape.
Chen Zhuangmu breathed a sigh of relief. Zhao Yi was very sensitive about this place because of what happened back then. Although he pretended not to care, she could tell. If it weren't for retrieving the Gu poison, Chen Zhuangmu believed he would never have come here in his entire life.
Miao Xin was a barrier in his heart. If anyone else had challenged Zhao Yi, he would have already retorted. But she could see Miao Xin clearly, and she could see Zhao Yi clearly. These two had to resolve their own issues.
"Let me go!" Miao Xin roared as he was thrown against the wall.
Before he could even stand properly, he heard Zhao Yi's angry shouts: "That's enough, isn't it? What are you trying to do with just a few words?"
"You dare to do it but not let people talk about it?" Miao Xin also stood up, his face red and his neck thick.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Yi calmed down and asked with a stern face, "How do you think I should respond?"
It was like a bucket of cold water had been poured over Miao Jie's heart, leaving a sour, indescribable feeling. He turned his head to the side, but his eyes inexplicably welled up with tears: "How should I know?"
Seeing his expression, Zhao Yi had a pretty good idea of what was going on, and he finally stammered out the question that had been on his mind: "How did you get here all this way?"
At this moment, the boy's eyes reddened again. He raised his arm, wiped away a tear, and said in a nasal voice, "Walking, carriage."
"I really don't know where you got the determination. I thought you were just bored and wanted to go out for a walk. How did you end up here?" Zhao Yi kept asking.
These words were like a floodgate opening for Miao Xin's heart. He suddenly remembered the hardships and dangers he had faced on the road, and what hurt him even more was that the person he cared about most was questioning him. Tears streamed down his face as he cried and said, "Huijing is not suitable for me, I'm not used to it; you... I... if it weren't for getting her medical treatment, you would never have come here in your entire life, would you?"
He finally had the courage to look Zhao Yi in the eye, just like when he was a child and every time he got into trouble, he would ask for an answer: "Can you please stop scolding me?"
But Zhao Yi was very busy, so the only way to see him was to cause trouble. Later, even when he did something wrong, he was only greeted by his subordinates.
“I’m not sure,” Zhao Yi said firmly, then continued, “but I will send someone to find you. If I am no longer serving in the court, I will come to find you myself.”
“Brother…” Miao Xin wiped away her tears and threw herself into Zhao Yi’s arms. “I thought you didn’t want to see me!”
Zhao Yi was too lazy to answer his questions and said, "I will take responsibility for what I did in the past. You don't need to worry about that. You're fourteen this year, right?"
Miao Xin nodded and said, "Yes."
“In a few years, he’ll be of coming-of-age ceremony in the Central Plains.” He looked up at Miao Jie. In the few months since he last saw him, he still had an undeniable air of childishness, but here he already had the ability to guide so many people to start a new life. This child had realized his value much earlier than him.
Once a person experiences a major setback, they can't forget it. As the saying goes, "Once bitten by a snake, twice shy," which is exactly the point. Therefore, Zhao Yi didn't want to ask Miao Xin if she liked this place or if she wanted to go with him.
Miao Xin cannot leave now.
After thinking it over, Zhao Yi suddenly said, "You're a man now, leading your people to a new life. This is the meaning you've created." He put his hands behind his back and continued, "I don't have it on me right now, but I'll have someone send a message by carrier pigeon in a while. If you need anything, you can still contact me. I won't hold a grudge against you because of what happened before. If I had any other ideas, why would I have raised you all this way? And spoiled you so much? I also hope... you can try to understand me as much as possible."
Miao Xin's unease gradually dissipated; after all, it was nothing out of the ordinary for a boy his age. But Zhao Yi, though he had experienced being fourteen, hadn't had the right to think about such things at that age, and naturally couldn't perceive it immediately.
"Alright, I'll head over now." Seeing that he was alright, Zhao Yi strolled off to find Chen Zhuangmu.
But as soon as he turned the corner, he realized he had forgotten how he got here. In his anger, he didn't look where he was going. He groped his way forward and found that he was on the right path.
Because Shen Zhuangmu was standing not far from this road.
"Qingzi." Chen Zhuangmu looked up and called to him. Zhao Yi walked over and took her hand. "Let's go."
The blazing sun seemed unable to heat up this Miao region; it was always cool and pleasantly warm. It would be even better if the food were more delicious.
These days, Chen Zhuangmu wanders around the entire clan. Zhao Yi occasionally comes to keep her company, but most of the time he is looking up books. She knows that this is because Zhao Yi is worried that someone might not be paying attention and miss something important.
That night, the two of them slept in the same room. For some reason, ever since their last conversation, Zhao Yi no longer wanted to share a bed with Chen Zhuangmu.
Two days passed in the blink of an eye. On the third day at noon, Chen Zhuangmu was having her meal when she suddenly heard heavy footsteps in the courtyard. She looked up and saw the door burst open with a bang. Zhao Yi rushed in with a joyful face, covered in dust. He exclaimed, "Found her! Zhuangmu, found her!"
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