Back Mountain
After explaining this to Uncle Xu, Jiang Nian rushed to the competition field without stopping.
The number of people who showed up on the second day of the competition was less than in the previous days, but the number of people gathering at Liangdu Pharmacy and Xu's Pharmacy did not decrease, but increased instead.
Many people gathered together, talking to each other about the number of insects they observed in the rice fields before the start of yesterday. Their eyes were fixed on the rice fields in front of them, still watching the growth of rice in the water, trying to spot subtle changes in the rice fields.
Jiang Nian stood outside the crowd, took a breath, and then his eyes fell on the row of people belonging to his own competition field. He observed from outside to inside for a moment, and suddenly Xiao Yingzhu's figure appeared in his sight.
"?"
Why is he here too?
There shouldn't be anything here that interests him. As for the effectiveness of the insect repellent... before this competition, she had written down the estimated effect on a piece of paper and asked Qing to deliver it.
There was a bustling crowd coming from behind. Jiang Nian moved aside to make room for them and looked at the open space on the other side again.
The people guarding the rice fields at Xu's Pharmacy were the same ones from yesterday. A servant was standing behind the stage, holding an insect repellent powder in his hand, introducing their products to the crowd of onlookers.
Jiang Nian paused for a moment and looked at the place where Manager Xu had stood yesterday.
The place was empty. There was no one coming for this competition which was so important to him.
...Is Manager Xu so scared by Sun Dun’s head that he dares not come out?
Jiang Nian pondered for a moment and walked forward.
People passing by noticed Jiang Nian's arrival and made room for her. Some of those who had bought things at Liangdu Pharmacy saw her and cheered her on, hoping that she would win the competition and get into Xu's Pharmacy, which loved to make a lot of money.
Just as there were loyal customers of Liangdu Pharmacy, there were also naturally loyal customers of Xu's Pharmacy. Because of their different opinions, the two parties started arguing with each other again.
Jiang Nian had no intention of paying attention to this place. His gaze moved away from the place where Manager Xu stood yesterday and fell again on the crowd in front, but he no longer saw Xiao Yingzhu.
"?"
Just as I was wondering, I heard Guizhi's voice calling from beside me: "Miss! You are here."
Finding a place to stand without getting his shoes dirty, Jiang Nian lowered his head to shake off the mud on his trouser legs, then looked up at the source of the voice: "Well, I'm here."
The people passing by dispersed, and after checking that there was no one else around, she continued to ask, "Have you seen that young man today?"
Guizhi nodded, turned her head and looked towards the rice fields for a moment, then raised her hand and pointed to one of the spots: "Over there! The one with Mi Li."
Looking in the direction Guizhi pointed, I saw the figure of a handsome young man.
Seeing the young man's slightly exposed profile, Jiang Nian's original plan suddenly changed. It was as if there was a subtle hint telling her what the young man should do more.
“…”
Seeing her young lady lost in thought after looking at the young man, Guizhi patted Jiang Nian's shoulder questioningly: "Miss, do you have any questions?"
"No, nothing." It felt very strange.
Jiang Nian came back to his senses from his random thoughts and suppressed the strange feeling in his heart.
"When did he come to our rice fields yesterday?"
Guizhi thought about it. If she was asked to tell the exact time, she would definitely not be able to answer. After a moment of recollection, she only gave a rough answer: "It was in the afternoon..."
Recalling the sky that was gradually turning yellow, the young man seemed to have appeared beside the rice field in an instant. Guizhi couldn't make a direct conclusion.
"He must have arrived yesterday evening and stood there for a long time, until the servants guarding the rice fields for the competition were replaced, and then the young man left."
Jiang Nian pondered for a moment and was about to walk towards the young man when he saw Guizhi hesitated, as if she had something to say.
When Jiang Nian shifted his questioning gaze to Guizhi's face, Guizhi responded with a start: "Actually, there is one thing I haven't said yet!"
"That's right, that's right..."
Recalling Xiao Yingzhu's cold expression and his frugal nature with words, Guizhi feared he would execute her if she misrepresented him, so she hurriedly continued, "Duke Xiao told me that if you have nothing to do, you can go find him... on the hill behind the competition field."
Seeing Jiang Nian's somewhat surprised expression, Guizhi calmed down and sighed, "Is this really the first time Miss has heard of this? There are usually not many people going to the back mountain. I was just wondering if Duke Xiao had seen Miss and told her about it."
"..." Jiang Nian was silent for a moment, perhaps remembering something. He glanced at the spot where Shopkeeper Xu had stood yesterday and replied, "I understand. I'll go this way. You can stay here and continue watching the insect repellent on the table with them."
Knowing the importance of insect repellent, although Guizhi wanted to accompany Jiang Nian to the back mountain, she nodded hesitantly and watched Jiang Nian walk to the other side.
It was not until Jiang Nian's figure disappeared on the lush dirt road behind the mountain that Guizhi withdrew her gaze and looked towards where the young man had just stood.
In the bustling crowd, the veil stood out particularly among the black heads. The young man was still standing there, with the white veil covering most of his face, leaving only the jade-like outline of his profile faintly visible.
Could it be that he is here just for the young lady?
A strange thought suddenly appeared in her mind. Guizhi quickly shook off the scary thought and looked at the insect repellent on the table.
Perhaps it was the strong midday light that dazzled her, but Guizhi's eyes fell on the insect repellent on the table and she hesitated for a moment.
When I was talking to the lady just now, was there so much water in the insect repellent?
—
Jiang Nian avoided the sight of people around him, found a secluded corner where no one noticed him, put his hands on the weeds and vines next to him, and climbed up with the help of them.
Since crossing over, he has been working hard every day. He is either on the way to Yantan, or on the way to the pharmacy or experimental field. During this period, he also received some training from Ai. Now his body is much better than before.
But climbing up and down continuously will still make you tired.
Standing on the slope, Jiang Nian sighed slowly and patted the gravel in his hands.
She didn't know what Xiao Yingzhu wanted to do by calling her here this time. She had a vague guess in her mind, but Jiang Nian couldn't make a direct conclusion.
She stood on the back mountain and looked around. Through a grove of lush trees, she finally caught a glimpse of Xiao Yingzhu.
There.
Just go over there first.
Jiang Nian took a step forward, stretched out her hand to push aside the tangled branches, lowered her eyes to look for a place to step on, and avoided the sharp grass leaves. When she reached Xiao Yingzhu's side, she suddenly saw a road paved with stone steps not far away.
"?" Why didn't she see it just now?
Xiao Yingzhu caught a glimpse of the surprise and doubt that flashed across her face, and even though he knew what she was surprised about, he suddenly arched his eyebrows.
"...What are you laughing at?" She was not familiar with this place.
Jiang Nian looked away for a moment with a little embarrassment, then turned his eyes away again.
"What's the matter? Is it about the Second Prince?"
"Um."
Xiao Yingzhu looked down the mountain.
There is a new mountain behind this mountain, and the mountains are connected with a river flowing in the middle.
The river water is emerald green, reflecting the azure clouds in the sky.
A few small boats were stained with white ink on it, and the scene a thousand years later suddenly overlapped with the present.
Jiang Nian was about to ask something, but his eyes fell here and he suddenly stopped.
...so much time has passed.
She no longer felt any attachment to her own era.
Xiao Yingzhu walked down the stone steps on the mountain. Although Jiang Nian didn't know where this stone road would lead to, he still followed.
The stone steps ahead became wider and wider, and gradually the pace changed from walking alone to walking side by side with two people.
The figure of the young man I saw in the rice field just now is still lingering in my mind and I can't forget him at all. His face is looming under the fence in the curtain-like white mist. In a trance, the pavilion built on the side of the mountain appears before my eyes.
The narrow field of vision suddenly opened up, and the oncoming wind lifted the black hair on her temples. Xiao Yingzhu, who was walking in front of her, suddenly stopped, turned to the side, and glanced sideways at the empty pavilion.
Jiang Nian stayed there for a moment. The wind here was very gentle, but his words could be well covered by the breeze.
"Is it the Second Prince?"
"The second Second Prince...?"
Xiao Yingzhu stood in the wind, but his tied-up black hair was not messed up by the breeze that passed by him, and even the corners of his plain clothes were not wrinkled.
"Well, your guess is not wrong."
"He sent the message in the past two days."
“…”It’s an open-book test.
Jiang Nian wanted to laugh for no reason. There was indeed no one else around except Xiao Yingzhu, so he simply lowered his eyes.
“…Isn’t this a little too easy?”
Xiao Yingzhu's expression didn't change much. Everything that was happening right now had already been deduced from those chess games. As long as the general situation did not deviate, these changes would be just some unsmoothed edges.
He slowly sat down on the chair in the pavilion, raised his eyes and looked at Jiang Nian, with a faint smile on his lips.
"Or do you want something more complicated?"
“…That’s not necessary.”
If Meng Jian changed his mind again and suddenly decided to dig up all her insect repellent formula, then the already piled up tasks would be piled up endlessly.
Jiang Nian smiled helplessly for a moment, but did not sit down in front of Xiao Yingzhu. Instead, he walked to the edge of the pavilion and looked down.
The river below could not see the way it came, nor the direction it was going.
It was different from the water she had seen in the sect. Compared to that ethereal river that was almost bottomless and seemed to have an empty space underneath, this river felt more solid to her.
"...After this incident, I plan to spread all the knowledge I know."
Jiang Nian stared at the winding green ravine with lowered eyelashes, his mind heavy with thoughts. After a moment of silence, he turned around.
"Xiao Yingzhu, I'm ready."
Emperor Changde has been paying close attention to their movements, especially the insect repellent.
Since he is the developer of the insect repellent and the accomplice chosen by the Duke, he will show up sooner or later.
Now the time has come and she should make up her mind.
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