Chapter 139 The Price
The tavern was deserted and desolate.
Although the door was closed, Ying Ziye gently pushed it open. No one was tending to it, indicating that the tavern owner didn't care if anyone tried to steal anything.
Xiao Qing frowned and asked Ying Ziye, "Has it always been like this?"
Ying Ziye said, "The door should have been completely open. I closed it for him when I left. No one has cleaned it since."
Xiao Qing nodded. "Let's go check the back first."
It's only a dozen or so steps from the front hall to the backyard.
As soon as they arrived at the backyard, they saw the door to the back room open. Inside, Qiao Bai, dressed in thin clothes, was kneeling in front of the bed with her head bowed. The person on the bed was covered with a quilt, revealing a calm and peaceful, but pale and stiff face.
It was quiet all around, not only quiet, but also very cold.
But Qiao Bai seemed completely unaffected.
His silhouette resembled a stationary statue, only this statue was dressed up.
Although Xiao Qing could sense the despair and sorrow emanating from his back, she knew very well that she couldn't let him continue like this.
Human physical strength has its limits. Qiao Bai, a scholar who doesn't exercise and only knows how to read, has been kneeling for who knows how long.
Does he not want his knees anymore?
Or had he already lost hope for life?
Xiao Qing made a gesture, indicating to Mingxiu, Ying Ziye, and Ma Hong not to follow, while he himself walked step by step into the house.
Mingxiu felt uneasy and instinctively wanted to pull Xiao Qing back, but Ma Hong stopped her.
"His Majesty will know what he's doing," Ma Hong said calmly.
Xiao Qing stepped over the threshold and tiptoed inside, walking right up to the bedside.
"I've heard that the lingering attachment of the living can preserve the souls of their loved ones." Her voice was slow and serene, carrying an understated tranquility in this time and place.
It's very special.
Qiao Bai snapped out of his daze almost immediately.
But he didn't turn his head to look.
Moreover, he knew his body was extremely stiff. So stiff that it felt as if any movement would break his bones.
"But if the soul cannot return home, where can it find rest?"
After a long while, Qiao Bai finally spoke.
"He has no soul at all." Because he hadn't spoken for a long time, his voice was hoarse and unpleasant, and his throat hurt terribly just from saying that one sentence.
He had to move his tongue to swallow a little saliva to relieve the pain in his throat.
Mingxiu placed her medicine box on the ground and stretched her wrists.
As long as this young master Qiao is willing to speak, the rest will be easy.
"If that's the case, why doesn't Mother come to find me?"
Xiao Qing said calmly, "You're not your mother, how do you know she hasn't come looking for you?"
"I waited for two days."
He paused, then said, "Do you believe me? I knew you would come."
Xiao Qing raised an eyebrow.
So, he was waiting for me?
“My mother died of anger because of me. She won’t come back for me, it was me… I…”
His expression twisted.
Moreover, his breathing became rapid, and his chest heaved violently, clearly indicating a great emotional fluctuation.
Xiao Qing was startled and was about to turn around to call Ming Xiu, but Qiao Bai acted quickly. He grabbed Xiao Qing's clothes tightly, not letting her move an inch.
"It's my fault for being unfilial!"
Where does this come from?
Xiao Qing remained silent.
Those outside couldn't hear what they were saying; they could only judge the quality of the communication inside based on Xiao Qing's behavior.
Seeing that Qiao Bai was holding back his emperor, Mingxiu couldn't resist wanting to go in again.
This time, midnight stopped her.
Mingxiu was worried, "Won't he hurt His Majesty?"
Ying Ziye shook his head. "If he dares to harm His Majesty, I'll be the first to cut off his hand."
Mingxiu glanced at him speechlessly, but managed to calm down.
A frail scholar has no way to harm His Majesty.
"It was my fault for disobeying Mother. I didn't mean to say those things to upset her..."
Once he starts speaking, there are many things he has to say that he has to say.
Although he hadn't spent much time with Xiao Qing, he instinctively trusted him.
“My mother was worried about me and always told me to study less and do more work. She was happy when she saw me selling wine, but she would start to worry when she saw me reading.”
“I used to think it was because my family didn’t have money.”
Qiao Bai's eyes welled up with tears again.
Actually, that's not the case.
"Xiao Qing, tell me, if I don't want Mother to leave, will she come back? I will never make her angry again, I will never read books again, I will sell wine every day as she instructed, I will earn lots and lots of silver, so that Mother won't worry about our lives, and won't be so angry, won't..."
Qiao Bai hadn't spoken for several days. Now that he had, it was like a floodgate that couldn't be closed; the words that came out were like beans being poured out. Even though they were incoherent, there was plenty of them.
Xiao Qing then tried to find useful information in what he said.
She finally understood how Qiao Bai's mother had died.
Qiao Bai's mother and Qiao Bai had very different ideas.
In Qiao Bai's subconscious, reading can change one's destiny.
But for his mother, studying only brought misfortune to their family.
If it weren't for studying, Qiao Bai wouldn't have such a stubborn personality.
If it weren't for studying, Qiao Bai wouldn't often be overwhelmed with a sense of justice and do things that are out of step with the people of their world.
If it weren't for studying, Qiao Bai wouldn't be so lonely and withdrawn, without friends or wanting to interact with others. When he encountered difficulties, there was absolutely no one to help him.
Qiao Bai's mother could give a thousand or ten thousand examples of how those around them who didn't read managed to survive. And in her view, they all lived safe and happy lives.
In contrast, consider Qiao Bai.
She was too sick to keep an eye on him, which resulted in him getting into trouble with some bad people and being arrested.
She only has one son. Although she doesn't expect him to take care of her in her old age, she hopes he can at least live a relatively good life and not get into endless trouble.
Qiao Bai couldn't do it.
She wanted Qiao Bai to give up his studies, stop thinking about the imperial examinations, stop dreaming about those unrealistic dreams, and just honestly run the tavern business.
Qiao Bai couldn't do it.
Ultimately, nothing can be said rationally.
Qiao Bai firmly disagreed with what his mother wanted him to do and described to her a perfect future in his mind.
But his mother couldn't understand, and was very disappointed, even desperate.
When her neighbors told her that her son had gotten into trouble again for meddling in other people's business, this time it was even more outrageous, as he had offended a group of thugs who were skilled in martial arts and had already been arrested, she almost fainted.
She finally managed to hold on until her son came back, but he's still so stubborn!
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