Attacked
The stream near Taoyuan Village is gurgling and very peaceful.
It was also at this time that a large area of bright red suddenly surged into the originally crystal clear stream, which gradually faded as the stream flowed until it disappeared.
On the shore, several servants were digging a pit and burying the dead assassin's body.
Jiang He retracted his cleaned sword, cupped his fists, and said to Luan Zhengya, who was standing under the tree, "Sir, there are more and more assassins coming to the capital. Now that you are well, why don't you return to the capital first?"
Half of Luan Zhengya's forces and elite troops were in Southern Xinjiang, and the other half was in Shengjing. If Luan Zhengya returned to the capital, the enemy would be wary and would not dare to send anyone to assassinate him.
However, Jiang He had a feeling that his young master would still not agree. After all, Luan Zhengya had been staying in Taoyuan Village for nearly a year.
A moment later, Jiang He heard his master say, "Where is Yuyao now?"
"Sir, Miss Qin is still at the carpenter's house at the village entrance. She has been learning carving from the carpenter these days." Jiang He had some admiration for Qin Yuyao.
In a year, she learned not only music, chess, calligraphy and painting, but even begged Luan Zhengya to teach her a set of boxing techniques. However, the girl's interest always came and went quickly. During this period, she no longer stayed with Luan Zhengya, but instead learned carving from the carpenter.
After hearing this, Luan Zhengya lowered her eyes and became quiet again.
Last year she had come here in spring, and now it was spring again. The purple-leafed plum tree beside her trembled in the gentle breeze, occasionally scattering a few pink and white petals, which swirled and landed on Luan Zhengya's shoulders.
"Let's leave today and ask the messenger to go to the capital to deliver the news to His Majesty." Taoyuan Village is only two days away from Shengjing. When he returns, he will naturally deal with those who have caused him trouble during this period.
"Ah? Yes!" Jiang He thought that his persuasion today would be fruitless, but he didn't expect that Luan Zhengya agreed to go back in the blink of an eye.
At that moment, many people in the village were in action. It was the same carriage from last year, but it had been cleaned very cleanly and looked brand new.
Just before getting on the car, Luan Zhengya placed the letter and a jade pendant in her arms and handed them to Jiang He, who was still watching the movements at the door of the manor.
"Madame Liang should still be at the farm next door. Ask her to pass this letter to Yuyao for me." As she said that, Luan Zhengya lifted the curtain and got into the carriage.
Then the convoy started to move towards Shengjing. Jiang He did not see Nanny Liang on the farm, but saw two children playing.
"Little brother, have you seen Nanny Liang who is usually here?" Jiang He took out two candies from his arms and handed them to the two people who were still throwing stones.
The little boy looked up, hesitated for a moment, and took the candy: "I saw her. She went to the village entrance to look for Sister Qin."
Hearing this, Jiang He felt a pity. If the caravan was any slower, he would not be able to catch up. After thinking for a while, he took out a handful of candy and an ounce of silver.
"Brother will give you some money and silver. Please help me deliver this letter to Madam Liang or Sister Qin."
The little boy looked at the candy and silver, exchanged glances with his friends, and nodded heavily.
"good!"
Seeing this, Jiang He handed over the envelope, touched the two children's heads, and quickly chased after the carriage.
The little boy took a candy and opened it to eat. After a while, he said, "Sister Qin will definitely be back soon. Let's go to the stream and skip stones. We will definitely meet her soon."
The other boy hesitated for a moment, then happily followed him to the stream.
*
At sunset, Qin Yuyao took the two wooden figures she had carved after several days of study and admired them repeatedly in her hands. Her face was shy at one moment and feigned fierceness at another.
Looking closely at the wooden figures, one looked somewhat like Luan Zhengya, while the other resembled Qin Yuyao herself.
"When the time comes, I will give this wood carving to Mr. Luan. He will surely understand my intentions." Qin Yuyao looked at the two wooden carvings in her hands and smiled with satisfaction.
During this year together, even though she knew Luan Zhengya might leave, Qin Yuyao had asked several times, and he always said he would tell her. Since he hadn't told her yet, it must be some time yet.
So she learned the craft of wood carving, thinking of using this opportunity to express her feelings to Luan Zhengya. Thinking back to what they had done in the past year, one teaching, the other learning.
Qin Yuyao felt that this was the match made in heaven for the talented man and beautiful woman in the storybooks, a match made in heaven.
He returned to the manor in a cheerful mood, but his familiar entourage was nowhere to be seen. Even Jiang He, who was inseparable from Luan Zhengya, was nowhere to be seen.
Qin Yuyao suddenly had a bad premonition in her heart. Her breathing quickened for a moment, and she ran towards the stream near the farm with her skirt lifted up. However, the person who would usually be there was nowhere to be seen.
"Don't you even want to tell me before you leave? Was everything in the past fake? Or are you just the kind of person who acts according to circumstances?" Qin Yuyao murmured to herself.
Then she turned around again and ran towards the village entrance. Out of her sight, two little boys were looking at her leaving curiously.
"Should we tell Sister Qin about this?"
"Let's not tell anyone about it. We accidentally dropped the letter into the stream and it was washed away. If Sister Qin knew about this, she would definitely complain to Madam Liang!" The little boy grabbed his companion's hand, and the two decided to pretend that this incident never happened and trotted all the way back home.
*
Nanny Liang stood at the door with the prepared food in her hand. She saw Qingyu and Jinyu standing guard at the door, both of them looking troubled.
"Young lady still refuses to eat?"
Qingyu nodded and was about to reach out to take the food, but was avoided by Nanny Liang.
"It's okay. You've been guarding for a whole day. Go and have a rest. I'll be right this way." Nanny Liang looked at the two of them and slowed down her tone, as if she was afraid of waking up the people in the room.
Qingyu pulled Jinyu, who looked worried, and they went to the next room to rest. Three days had passed since Luan Zhengya and her men quietly left.
Qin Yuyao hadn't eaten for three days, which frightened the three of them. For a moment, even those who had originally admired the elegant young man couldn't help but complain.
After knocking on the door, Madam Liang slowed down her tone and said, "Miss, this person is made of meat. His body cannot bear not eating for three days. I feel uncomfortable with you being like this."
After a long while without hearing any voices from the room, Madam Liang sighed. Just as she was about to push the door open, she saw it suddenly open from the inside.
Looking up, I saw Qin Yuyao's eyes were slightly red and her eyelids were swollen. She had obviously just been crying for a while, but her expression was no longer as sad as the first day.
"Thank you, Ma'am. I'll eat right away, but I'll have to trouble Qingyu to help me clean up." Qin Yuyao reached out and pulled her hair, which had not been combed in the past few days, and smiled at Ma'am Liang.
Seeing that she seemed to be getting better, Nanny Liang's eyes moistened: "Okay, I'll ask Qingyu to come over, and ask Jinyu to boil some hot water so you can take a bath to get rid of the bad luck."
Qin Yuyao nodded, knowing that she looked a little embarrassed. But she still smiled, hoping that Madam Liang would not worry.
Although Luan Zhengya's sudden departure without saying goodbye had saddened her, Qin Yuyao also understood that he had said from the beginning that he had only stayed in Taoyuan Village to recuperate.
Now that she no longer needs to sit in a wheelchair, she's probably been wanting to walk for a long time. Over the past year or so, I've learned a lot, so I've kind of repaid her for sheltering me from the rain, right?
Qin Yuyao didn't know why the other party was willing to teach her for so long. She used to think that the other party had feelings for her, but now it was just her wishful thinking.
*
Qin Yuyao watched in fascination as Qingyu and Jinyu, each taking a side, gathered all the scrolls and felts into the box, hiding them along with her broken heart.
Nanny Liang knocked on the door frame. Seeing that the three of them were looking over, she smiled and said, "Miss, someone is home."
At home? Qin Yuyao stood up and walked over despite being a little confused: "It's been a long time since anyone came here. It's not a festival, so why is someone here?"
In the hot summer, unless it is necessary, there are fewer children hanging out in Taoyuan Village. Qin Yuyao walked under the eaves and slowly walked to the flower hall in the front house.
I saw a woman in a khaki brocade dress sitting over there, and two young girls standing behind her. But judging by the hairpins on their heads and their short sleeves, they were probably the maids.
Hearing the footsteps, the other party was still sitting calmly on the chair, looking over nonchalantly. However, after seeing Qin Yuyao, a flash of surprise flashed in his eyes.
Then came the unconcealed jealousy. This little girl had grown up in the manor, and the master had never sent anyone to teach her.
Today, not only is her appearance exquisite, but her manners and behavior are no different from those of the noble ladies in the capital.
She was wearing a water-green dress in the summer, and the jade hairpin on her head looked nice. I just wondered if it was something that Madam Liang secretly took away when she left the mansion.
Seeing Qin Yuyao and Nanny Liang approaching, Nanny Zhang stood up and saluted: "Greetings to the young lady. This old servant is the Nanny serving the eldest lady. The old lady's birthday banquet will be in a few days. The master and the mistress thought that the old lady was your grandmother after all, so they invited you to come back to celebrate her birthday for the sake of a lively occasion."
Qin Yuyao said nothing. She walked straight to a chair on the other side of the hall and sat down. Then she looked at Aunt Zhang calmly, "Grandma's birthday is still a month away, right? How come it's only a few days away?"
Aunt Zhang hadn't expected that she, far away in this mountain village, would actually remember the old lady's birthday. She smiled awkwardly and continued, "After all, the mountain road is long, so the old lady wanted to take you back early to see her so that we wouldn't have to travel so quickly."
Qin Yuyao seemed to be convinced by this reason and nodded slightly: "It's my grandmother's birthday, so as her granddaughter, I naturally have to go back. Then I will go back with Aunt Zhang."
Seeing her agree so quickly, Aunt Zhang felt a little contemptuous. Hearing that she was going back to Shengjing, this village girl couldn't keep her composure. She must be envious of life in Shengjing.
That's right. After all, she had been coming to the manor with Madam Liang since she was three years old, so she probably hadn't seen many good things. Although she felt disdain for Qin Yuyao in her heart, Madam Zhang didn't show it on her face.
"Okay, Miss, you can pack up today. We will set off back to Beijing early tomorrow morning." Nanny Zhang smiled and glanced at the two maids behind her, then spoke again.
"These two maids were brought here by the Madam. I thought the young lady would have no one to serve her on a daily basis and wouldn't know the rules of the mansion. So I asked these two maids to explain it to you."
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