Chapter 54 First Release "You scared me to death."...
"No need, just stay by the side! Be careful!"
A Yuan fixed his eyes intently on the water. The soft mist of the night lightly covered the water with a layer of gauze, and the alternating light and dark waves flowed in A Yuan's pupils.
The lake was moist, but Ayuan's eyes felt dry. However, thinking of his sister, he stared at the water without blinking. Suddenly, Ayuan's sharp eyes caught sight of a plump crucian carp.
A Yuan was overjoyed. In fact, he didn't have much experience and was not sure whether it was a crucian carp.
But he finally waited for one, and there was no way he could let it get away!
A Yuan no longer hesitated, and quickly dived into the water, with almost half of his body submerged in the water.
"Ayuan!"
The young man behind him cried out in surprise, frightened by the scene. He was older than A-Yuan, but was afraid of water, so he didn't rush ahead. Who knew A-Yuan would fall into the water?
If he had known earlier, he would never have asked Ayuan to come and slack off at night!
"Ayuan! Ayuan!"
His voice became more rapid and high-pitched each time, and in the end it was mixed with anxiety and crying. While shouting, he ran towards Ayuan with one foot deep and one foot shallow.
“Crash—”
Along with the sound, water splashed in all directions, flying high and then falling shallowly. The water droplets entered the water and naturally disappeared without a trace.
The one who emerged from the sound of water was A Yuan, who was holding a crucian carp tightly in both hands.
"I'm here! Yanzi!"
A Yuan's response was an unconcealable joy. He held the fish tightly in his hand and raised it above his head, signaling to his companions.
The fish was lively and agile, with crystal clear water droplets between its scales. It kept swinging its tail, splashing the water on Ayuan's head and face.
"You scared me to death!"
The young man who was talking to A Yuan was relieved when he saw him stand up and respond, and he scolded A Yuan with a hint of panic.
After saying this, he waded through the dark water and moved closer to A Yuan.
Ah Yuan held the fish in his hands, unable to move his hands, so he raised his arms and wiped his face with his sleeves. He blinked and shook the water off his forehead.
"Don't come over here! I'll be right there!"
A Yuan's voice rose, filled with the joy of victory and harvest, and he spoke out to stop his companions' actions.
At this moment, just as A Yuan finished speaking, a vague cry came from afar -
"Brother Ayuan! Brother Ayuan!"
The voice was tender and weak, and the anxiety and worry in it came with the wind and soon reached Ayuan's ears.
"Ayuan, listen! What's that sound?"
A Yuan listened attentively for a moment and recognized the person who came. He blurted out:
"It's Ah Zhu!"
He held the fish to his chest tightly, and with one hand he pushed aside the waves and walked towards the shore, sinking one foot deep and one foot shallow in the mud, but he did not forget to respond out loud:
"Azhu! Don't run so fast! Be careful!"
The sound of A Yuan and the other person tumbling in the water drowned out the girl's cries coming from afar, making it impossible to hear them clearly. Only a few vague echoes could be heard.
After a while, before Ayuan and Yanzi reached the shore, the thin figure quickly appeared in Ayuan's sight, accompanied by the rustling sound of shoes rubbing against the sand and gravel on the road.
"Azhu! Yanzi and I caught a fish!"
A Yuan was so anxious to tell the girl who was running towards him the good news that he didn't even notice the tears on her face.
"That's right! Let's go back and make fish soup for Sister! Today is really thanks to Yuan!"
The young man named Yanzi raised his hand, his words full of praise and admiration for Ayuan.
It's a pity that when the little girl on the shore heard what they said, there was no joy on her face. Instead, her eyebrows curled up and the corners of her mouth drooped, just like a rabbit with its tail caught - wilted.
"Sister...Sister..."
Ah Zhu's voice was weak, and gradually became tearful, and she herself began to sob and could no longer utter a complete sentence.
"What's wrong, sister?"
Seeing that something was wrong, A Yuan gradually realized that something was wrong and asked quickly.
Yanzi also chimed in, but seeing her tearful face, she advised, "Don't be impatient. Tell Ah Zhu to talk to us slowly. Don't scare her anymore."
But these words somehow irritated Ah Zhu, causing her to burst into tears! She sobbed so hard that her voice became hoarse and dry, and her throat was in pain.
"Sister has a stomachache! Sister said she has a stomachache!"
Ah Zhu shouted it all out, then she felt relieved and then choked with sobs.
“Crash—”
The sound was echoed by a fish falling into the water, splashing water everywhere. Drops of water fell on Ayuan's wet clothes, leaving no trace.
A Yuan was stunned for a moment, looking down at his empty hands, with only a few traces of transparent water remaining between his fingers.
"What did you say?"
A Yuan asked in disbelief, his mind completely not on the fish waiting for an opportunity. He lost strength in his hands, and the fish took the opportunity to escape and disappeared into the water without a trace.
"Sister said her stomach hurts! She's already passed out! I called her but she didn't respond!"
Ah Zhu explained it again breathlessly, supporting herself on her knees with her hands, bending over and breathing deeply and heavily.
"Ayuan! Let's go back quickly!" Upon hearing this, Yanzi was no longer as cautious as before. She let go of her hands and feet and walked towards the shore.
Ah Yuan remained silent, his brows knitted together. Despite his young age, he possessed a certain composure. However, the fine beads of sweat on his forehead, mixed with the water, betrayed the uneasiness he was trying hard to suppress.
No wonder, after all, he had never experienced such storms.
Ah Yuan quickened his pace and paddled forward. He was more familiar with the water than Yan Zi. Before long, he had reached the shore before Yan Zi.
He didn't bother to wring out the water stains on the hem of his clothes, and ran as fast as he could, all the way to the path that Ah Zhu had come from.
Ah Zhu and Yan Zi followed closely behind, and the three of them ran back and forth on the narrow road.
The night poured down like water, spreading under the feet of the three people, making them feel as if they were stepping on shining silk, heading towards the invisible distance.
***
It is night by the Yuanshui River.
The cold wind was particularly biting in early spring in March. On the dark and quiet river beach, flames were jumping in groups of three or two, illuminating a small area of the river beach.
The officers holding torches cordoned off a spacious open space, and standing tall and gracefully in it were none other than Song Linsheng, Wen Yu, and Mu Tong.
"I came in such a hurry that I didn't prepare any sedan chair or carriage."
Mu Tong turned to look at the servants who were getting ready to go home, and then took another quick look at the horses. Now, with Lord Song and Madam Wen, there were so many people that no matter how they were divided, they could only afford one horse.
His eyes flickered between Song Linsheng and Wen Yu. How could he possibly ask Master Song to return home? It wasn't his fault. He simply thought that security couldn't be neglected on a day off, so he planned to bring some people out for a round of inspection, just in case any civilians were in trouble and couldn't be rescued in time.
Who would have known that during this inspection, he would visit Lord Song and Madam Wen?
Mu Tong took a deep breath, considered it for a moment, and finally said, "I wonder if Master Song and Madam Wen could ride on the same horse?"
If he didn't want to, then he would have to go back to the Jiangyang government office first, and then drive the carriage over to pick up Master Song and the others. But this trip back and forth would really delay him for who knows how long...
Mu Tong was a person who always thought three steps ahead and ten steps ahead. He always took "Planning is the key to success, while lack of planning leads to failure" as his guiding principle. He always made no mistakes when handling cases in Jiangyang government office. Now he was thinking about how to find a foolproof plan.
"That's as it should be."
Song Linsheng's words were like a sharp iron spike breaking through ice, completely shattering the thoughts in Mu Tong's mind. But this was also good, they could all go back together, without leaving anyone behind.
This way, he could best ensure the safety of all his group.
Song Linsheng took the reins handed to him by an attendant and tilted his head to look at the horse carefully.
Obviously, Mu Jingli gave him the best horse. Song Linsheng could tell it at a glance from the horse's hair, eyes, and muscle movements.
Song Linsheng raised his hand and patted the horse's long neck. Its reddish-brown mane was soft and shiny, indicating that someone had regularly groomed and cared for it. The horse seemed quite human-like and appeared quite docile.
He leaned over to Wen Yu, inviting her to ride with him. Song Linsheng didn't say much, but it felt like he had said countless words. His eyes were fixed on Wen Yu, then suddenly turned away as if burned.
"Would you please ask Madam Wen to ride on the same horse with Lord Song and return home together?"
Mu Tong was in a delicate mood, and seeing that no one spoke first, he couldn't help but join in.
Wen Yu wrapped her clothes around her, responded vaguely to Lord Mu, and walked towards Song Linsheng with her arms folded.
Even in this situation, he did not forget to tease Song Linsheng: "So, Lord Song can ride a horse? I thought you always rode in a carriage or sedan chair and never rode a horse."
Song Linsheng was stunned for a moment, then smiled slightly, and his eyes and eyebrows became lively.
"A gentleman's six arts, five virtues and four cultivations naturally include horse riding and archery."
"Please come in! Madam Wenyu!"
"Then I'll have to trouble you, Master Xiao Song."
Wen Yu climbed onto the horse as she spoke, and with Song Linsheng's help, she settled firmly on its back. When she was a woodworker, birds often rested on her head, so how could she have the chance to ride anyone else? Later, in heaven, she had only ridden Chi Huang's cow, never a horse, and this immediately struck her as incredibly new.
Soon, he and his group, led by Mu Jingli, set out for the city, followed closely by Song Linsheng and Wen Yu, and behind them were a group of officials from the government office.
Along with the sounds of horse training, the sound of horse hooves gradually faded away, and clouds of sand and dust floated in the night.
But the noise was so loud that it completely obscured the traces hidden in the dense bushes on the riverbank...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
