62. The world
Meng Le assigned Yun Zhihe a job as an accountant. She was one of the few educated people in the village, and her job was simple, just recording the village's expenses and income.
At this time, there were still four days before Queen Mother Cheng's army arrived.
Yun Zhihe spent almost a day to understand the situation here. It was more like a village in the mountains than a village.
The simplicity and harmonious scene also made Yun Zhihe dazzled.
Looking at the scene of Meng Xiaojiao laughing and playing with the children, the boy smiled with his fangs showing, and his skin was as dazzling and smooth as a wheat field under the morning sun. Yun Zhihe couldn't help laughing.
Perhaps because of her fiery eyes, Meng Xiaojiao turned around, stared at her, then walked up to her and took her hand familiarly.
"I know your parents are both dead and you have nowhere to go. If you marry into the village, I will... I will..."
He raised his head and said arrogantly, "Anyway, you want to marry me, either tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. I've already asked someone to arrange the wedding!"
His arrogant and domineering appearance is somewhat similar to that of the Second Prince, but the difference can still be seen. Qin Zhiwei is unruly and arrogant, while he is a little fierce, like a wild child in the mountains, willful and naive.
After all, they had only known each other for two days and had no real feelings for each other. Yun Zhihe reached out and patted his head, treating it as nonsense, and asked again.
"Young Master, I've read some storybooks and thought this bandit village was full of vicious and evil people. I didn't expect the village to be so harmonious and peaceful—"
Before she could finish, Meng Xiaojiao made a few "Pooh, Pooh, Pooh" sounds, frowned, and looked unhappy.
"We in Heitu Village aren't home to only evil people! After you get married, don't read those ridiculous, rubbish books anymore! Those evil spirits are nothing compared to the people outside the village! How could you think that of us?!"
He was so angry that he gritted his teeth, and seemed to be annoyed. He squatted on the ground without saying a word.
Her hair was straightened up and braided into a few tiny pigtails that hung down beside her face.
This little tiger cub was ferocious and simple-minded. I wanted to say some nice things to him, but he got angry after just a few words.
She wanted to continue asking, but seeing that he was in a bad mood, she squatted down and started to coax him.
"Young Master, I can see the difference. I'm not someone who just follows the crowd. I can tell right from wrong. It's not that I despise the bandit identity."
Meng Xiaojiao then looked up at her, her honey-colored handsome face seemed to relax a little, and she reluctantly forgave her.
He also said he wanted to take her for a walk.
Following his footsteps, Yun Zhihe looked at the clear weather and the gentle breeze, then saw the smoke curling in the distance, and sighed.
"This is a good place to rest."
Meng Xiaojiao paused and said, "Of course, Black Earth Village is pretty good... You came from Longcheng, and I heard from Sister Yushan that there was an epidemic there. It was very serious, and even cannibalism was practiced. I wonder how things are going now..."
"My mother wouldn't let me hear these things. She said they were scary and she was afraid I'd have nightmares... But we're all human, there's nothing to be afraid of. I just feel a little sad."
"Besides, I'm a martial arts expert, what am I afraid of? I can even hunt tigers. Hmm..." He frowned, "I didn't catch one this time, but next time I do, I'll skin you and make clothes out of the skin, and I'll make a dagger out of the fangs. The rest I'll use to make wine for my mother..."
Meng Xiaojiao suddenly paused and stopped talking. He looked at the smoke in the distance and pursed his lips.
The voice is a little hoarse.
"Anyway, since you've entered the Black Earth Village, we will definitely not let you become homeless... The Black Earth Village will give you a home."
Yun Zhihe was stunned for a moment and nodded.
He continued walking, reaching out to push aside the dogtail grass, "Anyway, Sister Yushan, Brother Cui, Granny Liu, and Brother Bai are all like this..."
"Both, which ones?"
She was a little stunned and asked again, "How are they?"
"Are you stupid?" He rolled his eyes at Yun Zhihe, his eyes tilted upwards. "Of course I can't survive. I have no home, so I came here."
He counted on his fingers.
"Sister Yu Shan offended the corrupt officials outside and was about to be beaten to death, so she fled here... And then there's Brother Cui. He married a bad wife, couldn't afford to eat, and was sold to a brothel. After a lot of wandering, he ended up here. Granny Liu has been here for a long time, she came before I was born. She heard there wasn't enough food outside, so she sold several children but still couldn't eat, so she fled here. But I don't like her very much. How could she sell her children... And then there's Brother Bai..."
"ah--"
He suddenly stopped talking and shouted, "We're almost there."
Across the path was a bright wilderness. He suddenly smiled, and the tips of his bright white teeth reflected the light on his red lips.
He was excited and pointed at the house in front of him with a smile.
"This is the perfect place I was talking about! This is Brother Bai's house. He used to be an embroiderer for a noble family! He can make wedding dresses for us..."
And he seemed to remember something.
"Oh, right—he was taken in by the nobleman he served, and was captured and played with, and his legs were amputated. Then Sister Yu Shan took him back to the village—"
The boy's voice was clear.
It echoed in Yun Zhihe's ears.
She raised her eyes and followed his fingertips to look at the man sitting on the chair. His face was covered with scars and his legs were amputated.
Yun Zhihe's scalp suddenly felt numb, and he pursed his lips and stopped talking.
The tightness in her chest made her feel a little painful, her face turned pale, and she asked him as if she was mumbling to herself.
"Isn't it...a peaceful and prosperous time?"
"ha?"
Meng Xiaojiao turned to look at her, her eyebrows raised, her tone drawn out, and she seemed to have a dazed smile.
"Who said that?"
He seemed to be smiling, and did not notice Yun Zhihe's pale expression. He just excitedly pulled her inside.
Without hearing Yun Zhihe's lips move, he said softly.
"……Feel sorry."
Meng Xiaojiao walked forward. The Brother Bai he mentioned was drying flowers. When he saw Yun Zhihe, an outsider, he paused and hurriedly picked up the veil on the table to cover his face.
His expression was evasive, as if he was afraid.
He whispered, "Young Master, who is this?"
Meng Xiaojiao also knew that Bai Yu was afraid at this time, so she explained, "This is my wife. She is getting married in the next two days. I want to ask my brother to make a wedding dress for her."
"The boss has left a wedding dress for you, but the lady's wedding dress is a bit urgent. I don't know if it can be made in two days."
Bai Yu spoke weakly, her shoulders trembling slightly. Yun Zhihe knew that her identity as a woman was intimidating, so she quietly walked to the entrance of the yard and did not enter.
She was feeling a little depressed, and from Meng Xiaojiao's few words she learned about the man's experience and the reason for his fear.
With his legs amputated and his face disfigured, it is understandable that he is so afraid of strange women.
Yun Zhihe exhaled and closed his eyes.
It was originally thought that the introduction of the Slave Act would be able to curb this situation, but one would not have expected that if one had a clear conscience and deceived his superiors and subordinates, even those in power could deprive a man of his human identity.
I don’t know who said that the times were peaceful and prosperous, but they were only praised in the memorials of court officials, and every word was piercing.
She could only say sorry.
I feel sorry for the peace, sorry for being an official, sorry for not knowing the sufferings of the world.
She paused for a long time before walking over, standing behind Meng Xiaojiao, and asking Bai Yu softly.
"Mr. Bai, I've read some sage books and know a few officials. Could you please tell me the name of that high-ranking official so I can ask for justice..."
Bai Yu's expression froze for a moment, and he stammered and lowered his eyes.
“…No need.”
He touched the wheelchair with trembling fingers and was about to walk into the house.
“…No need.”
"I, I just want peace and comfort."
Yun Zhihe went forward to catch up with Bai Yu, but was stopped by Meng Xiaojiao again. He shook his head and said, "...Don't go."
Meng Xiaojiao was also surprised by Yun Zhihe's words. She looked up and smiled at her, "If you really knew those officials, why would you have ended up in Heitu Village? Don't think that those officials are good people just because they say they enjoy life with the people and are friends with the world... Anyway, that's what Sister Yushan said."
Yun Zhihe pursed her lips and remained silent as Meng Xiaojiao measured her size.
After a long moment, he softly asked, "Then do you know who that person is? And...who did the Sister Yu Shan you mentioned offend?"
Meng Xiaojiao shook her head. "I don't know, they never told me..." He shrugged. "They can all be summed up as the evil people outside the village."
"You still say we are evil and vicious, but who knows that hell is outside?"
Yun Zhihe remained silent.
He pursed his lips, reached out and touched Yun Zhihe's cheek with both hands, holding her face, and his beautiful eyes, raised up, met Yun Zhihe's gloomy expression.
"Don't think about it..."
Hoarse voice.
"Young Master, I know this is the problem with you scholars. What's the suffering of the world? What's the great principles and righteousness... Don't look at me like this. I have also read a few books."
He was a scholar who had fled to the village during the war. The village was full of rough people, and that scholar seemed particularly valuable. Meng Xiaojiao was still young at that time, so she learned to read and write with other children under the scholar's guidance.
He was naive and playful, which often angered the scholar, who would grab him and beat him with a ruler, scolding him harshly, saying, "You are lively and rude, you can't bear a husband, you look like a girl!"
He was indignant again and asked her, "What would the daughter look like then?"
The scholar paused for a long moment, his glaring eyes fading. He put down the ruler in his hand and chuckled to himself, "Anyway, you shouldn't look like me."
Meng Xiaojiao didn't understand her nonsense, but she knew she was a woman, so why didn't she admit that she was a woman and just laughed at her?
"You are obviously a woman, why do you say you are not?"
The scholar shook his head, then looked at the young man, who was very young and small, and could only mutter to himself, sneering and sad.
"The world is in turmoil, foreign invaders are forcing the people to flee, and the emperor is powerless to seize power from men... I have so much knowledge of sages and books, and so much ambition for a daughter, but I can only keep it within myself. No matter how much I learn, I can't save others."
She stopped talking again, her back hunched over as she faced the moon, and finally lowered her head as if she were dead.
Later, Meng Xiaojiao learned from Meng Le that the scholar was originally going to take the imperial examination. His mother died early and his father raised him alone. In order to raise enough money for the journey, he actually married himself to an old widower in the village who had nothing to do and was a domestic abuser every day.
However, the country was in chaos at that time, with the Xuanyuan and Shen families fighting for the imperial power and internal turmoil. Although she was talented and answered questions fluently, she failed the exam because of favoritism and fraud.
When he returned home in disgrace, he found that his hometown was suffering from severe drought and famine, and some evil people had taken advantage of the chaos to rebel.
In order to support the family, his father sold his own flesh during the severe drought and died early without ever seeing her for the last time.
The scholar was filled with grief and anger, so he killed the old widower. He stumbled and wandered all the way and finally arrived at Heitu Village.
Meng Xiaojiao still remembers that the scholar died of coughing. He caught a cold in winter, but was still coughing in summer, coughing up blood and laughing softly. After finishing his homework, he curled up in bed and passed away.
She whispered and cried.
"My daughter is unfilial... The world is unfair..."
"The world is so unfair, so unfair—my daughter is so unfilial..."
“Woo…”
"The Great Road is inaccessible—"
Then there is no more life.
Meng Le touched Meng Xiaojiao's head, gently closed her eyes that seemed to be open with fear of death, and sighed softly.
"She has long intended death. Now there is slaughter everywhere, the mountains and rivers are broken, and the people are suffering... Don't be sad, tiger cub."
At that time, Meng Xiaojiao covered her eyes and cried, sobbing. Although she always beat him, she still had feelings for him. People are not plants or trees, so who can be heartless?
He asked in a sobbing voice.
"Mother...what is the world? What is the Tao?"
Why did the world make her suffer so much, almost to the point of exhaustion, and finally die crying?
Meng Le paused, squatted down, and wiped the tears from Meng Xiaojiao's face with his rough fingers.
Murmuring softly.
"The great way is the moral code of scholars. Mother hasn't read much, but I know that the moral code of scholars is the same as mine: to serve the people, to serve the common people, and to serve the world for justice."
She picked up Meng Xiaojiao and carried him out. The scholar lived high up on a quiet mountain top. He could overlook the entire village just by walking out the door.
Meng Le pointed at the shrunken houses and tiny figures in the village, then pointed into the distance. The wind blew his hair, making it feel a little cold.
She said.
"This is the world, and that is also the world."
"The world is everyone's home."
"Not just Heitu Village. One day, everywhere will be like Heitu Village, and it will truly be everyone's home."
…
Meng Xiaojiao suppressed her memories and looked at Yun Zhihe again, her voice low.
"So, don't think about it."
His fingertips hooked the hair by Yun Zhihe's ear.
Yun Zhihe was stunned, lowered his head and his voice trembled slightly.
"……sorry."
Her shoulders began to tremble, and she spoke again in a hoarse voice.
"……sorry."
"……sorry."
Almost, with a slight cry in her voice.
…
Meng Xiaojiao smiled and pulled her away, "But it has gotten a lot better in recent years. Ever since that male emperor became emperor, not many people have come to Black Earth Village."
The two continued walking, and Yun Zhihe was silent on the way.
Meng Xiaojiao seemed to blush a little, and held Yun Zhihe's hand to transfer her body temperature.
"Your hands are quite warm."
Yun Zhihe suddenly came to her senses and wanted to pull her hand back, but Meng Xiaojiao had been very strong since she was a child and held her hand tightly.
"You, why are you shy..." He pursed his lips, his ears turned red, and his eyes dodged, "Master, I'm not shy..."
"Anyway, they all want to get married."
"...Master, I'm going to give birth to a child for you."
He stroked his lower abdomen with his fingertips, and his face slowly turned red as if he thought of something.
Yun Zhihe paused, and only then did she feel that... he really wanted to marry her.
She wanted to refuse, but she was afraid that he would get angry and not approach her again, so she couldn't get any more answers and only spoke carefully.
"Young Master, I, I, marriage is a serious matter. It's decided by my parents and the matchmaker. The eldest master hasn't agreed yet. Besides, my parents are already dead. This... is better to wait until later."
Meng Xiaojiao pouted, "My mother can't control me...your parents...don't you have a brother? As long as he agrees, that's fine."
As soon as he finished speaking, he hurriedly pulled her towards Lou Zhi.
Lou Zhi was being pulled by his uncles to embroider. Although he had been on the battlefield all year round, he was granted marriage by the previous emperor when he was young. Before his marriage, he was taught by the masters in the palace. His embroidery skills were outstanding, and the uncles praised him highly.
Besides, there were few embroiderers in the army, so he sewed all his own underwear.
"Xiao Lou, your craftsmanship is so great that all the girls are vying for it. You are virtuous and gentle. Although you are not good at speaking, you are also a good man."
"As long as you want to get married, you will definitely get married."
He fiddled with Lou Zhi's embroidery again, and looked at Lou Zhi's calm and handsome face with a smile. Lou Zhi lowered his eyes and blinked again.
She seems to have no idea why she is described as "gentle" by the uncles.
He killed people like crazy, and the border soldiers were all afraid of him, calling him the evil god behind his back. When he killed people, he would not blink even when his face was covered in blood. He would just wipe the blood off and continue fighting.
He pondered the last sentence, looked up, and asked softly.
"Really... is it easy to marry?"
"Of course! Uncles are always right when it comes to judging people!" Uncle Liu said with a smile, "But how old is the girl you like?"
Lou Zhi was silent for a moment, then said, "She is younger than me, seven years old."
The uncles were shocked, looked at each other, and acted reluctantly with some embarrassment.
"This... a man three years older than her is rich, but that's a bit far off." They said tactfully, "Is she a widower?"
Lou Zhi shook his head, "...she has never married."
The uncles looked at each other again, not knowing how to start.
This... the man is married for the second time, has a scar on his face, and the age difference is so big, and the woman is young, not yet a widow, and is a first-time married woman... No matter how happy they are, Lou Zhi can't tell lies.
How can it be possible?
"This... Xiaolou... yours is much worse, I'm afraid it's dangerous..."
"Xiao Lou, look at other girls? There's a girl in the west of the village whose husband died in childbirth, leaving her with a child. She's a down-to-earth, capable woman from a wealthy family, and she's pretty. What do you think of her?"
"Alas, the girls from Ceci are no good. They usually have no opinions of their own."
"The most opinionated girl in this village is probably Yu Shan, but it's a pity she already has a man."
Uncle Liu smacked his lips regretfully.
Some of the other uncles were quick to speak, "Even Bai Yu is like that... is she still worthy of him?"
Uncle Liu glared at him. "You chatterbox! No matter how much Bai Yulangjun (Bai Yu) is worth to Yu Shan, why do you care about his affairs? Are you going to marry him or not?"
The quick-talking uncle nodded awkwardly and stopped talking.
To be honest, Bai Yu didn't look like a human being when he was picked up. Yu Shan was always taciturn, and he was the second in command at a young age. He was a good person and handsome, and he took good care of Bai Yu, who looked like a monster, and barely saved her life.
After a few interactions, sparks flew between the two.
Although Bai Yu's face was disfigured and her body was disabled, and everyone could see that she was not worthy of Yu Shan, but... Yu Shan liked her after all. The people in Heitu Village were simple and kind, and they all silently blessed her.
And they were to be married in a month.
Uncle Zhang was a little confused and asked, "Why haven't I seen Yu Shan recently? Where did he go?"
Uncle Liu laughed and said, "Aren't the young couple getting married? Yu Shan said he would give a big wedding and betrothal gifts, so he went out to sell goods to make money."
Lou Zhi, who had been silent, heard this and suddenly asked, "Has anyone else left the village?"
The uncles paused, not knowing why he asked, but still spoke, "Most of them go out. It's the autumn harvest, isn't it? They keep some for themselves to eat and go out to sell the grain."
Lou Zhi nodded and thought quietly.
At this time, Meng Xiaojiao also pulled Yun Zhihe here. As soon as she entered the door, she walked towards Lou Zhi and called him "Brother" affectionately.
"Brother, brother!"
Lou Zhi was a little confused. He didn't know why he became Meng Xiaojiao's brother. He pursed his lips and looked at Yun Zhihe.
"Brother, Zihe and I are getting married! Do you think I'm a good match for her?"
In an instant, the room was filled with silence.
The uncles originally thought that the young master was joking, but unexpectedly, it seemed that he was really serious about it.
Lou Zhi's eyes darkened, and he lowered his head to look into Meng Xiaojiao's eyes. His voice deepened as he spoke softly.
"……Can't."
"You can't marry her."
She is... mine.
The author has something to say:
A very long chapter...
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