A Glimpse of Thirteen
Using the brush and ink brought by Xianying, Mu Chuan laid out a framework on the Xuan paper and assigned tasks to each member of their group.
Unfortunately, he was being watched and unable to move, so he could only stay at Wang Pan'er's estate. He also had to wear various dresses every day because of Su Lingzhao's frequent visits.
He felt that Wang Pan'er and Wang Xiaoyao had no good intentions. They said they were wronging him, but their actions in braiding his hair and the way they looked at him showed no remorse whatsoever. Especially Wang Pan'er, every time she changed her hairstyle, it was like a monk seeing porridge or a wolf seeing meat. They dressed him up like a little girl every day, and Mu Chuan had completely been reduced to the same treatment as Wang Chengxi.
Thinking of this, Mu Chuan rolled his eyes, then handed the Xuan paper to Xian Ying and Mo Feng, telling them to go out early the next morning and make all the arrangements.
As soon as Xianying and Mofeng left, Wang Pan'er immediately clung to them, saying, "I'm so tired today, I can't even stand up anymore, carry me back to my room!"
Mu Chuan scanned her from head to toe. She was indeed so tired that even her eyes were a little dim, but she was still far from being unable to stand. Mu Chuan pouted: "That's a lame excuse. Find a more decent one next time."
Despite his complaints, Wang Pan'er made a request, and he obediently walked around to her side, half-squatting down: "Come on up."
Wang Pan'er lightly leaped up, wrapped her arms around Mu Chuan's neck, and giggled, "Ah, this is such a wonderful life."
Mu Chuan supported her leg, stood up, and walked quite steadily.
Wang Pan'er couldn't help but pinch his arm: "You look thin, but you're actually quite sturdy."
Mu Chuan was still proud of his muscular physique: "I've been practicing martial arts since I was a child. Anyone could have become solid from that. The hard work wasn't for nothing."
Wang Pan'er continued to praise: "Others may be sturdy but not necessarily good-looking. I like you the most. You look slim in clothes but have a muscular build when you take them off."
"Always talking nonsense."
"Hey, which way are you going? This isn't the way back to the east wing."
"There's one more thing. I'll take care of it and then send you back."
Mu Chuan carried Wang Pan'er into the kitchen.
There were still young women doing the final cleaning in the kitchen. When they saw Mu Chuan carrying the master in, they looked at him with a mocking expression.
Mu Chuan, being more easily embarrassed, spoke first: "I have things to do today, you should go back to your room and rest. Just come back early tomorrow to clean."
The woman immediately rinsed the rag in her hand again, wrung it out, and half-hung it on the cutting board. After leaving the house, she thoughtfully closed the door behind her.
Mu Chuan: "..."
This makes it seem like they're up to something shady.
Mu Chuan blushed furiously, while Wang Pan'er, like an octopus, clung to Mu Chuan and didn't want to get down.
She was easygoing by nature and didn't ask for much. It was always Mu Chuan who made the requests for her, and Mu Chuan was also the one who liked to be close to her.
Today was unusual, but even though Wang Pan'er had made herself much more radiant, she didn't weigh much. Even with his back to someone, Mu Chuan's movements weren't affected at all; he felt the warmth behind him and was secretly delighted.
Despite the joy, the work still needed to be finished quickly so that Wang Pan'er could be taken back to her room to rest as soon as possible.
Mu Chuan took two small bowls, mixed a bowl of white vinegar water, and then asked Wang Pan'er where the alum was.
In ancient times, alum was often used to make tofu, fried dough sticks, and preserved eggs. However, alum is not healthy, so Wang Pan'er did not allow it to be used frequently in the kitchen.
She pointed to the miscellaneous basket in the corner, picked up a small bottle, Mu Chuan opened the bottle, poured out some powder, and then mixed a bowl of alum water.
Wang Pan'er then realized: "You want to write a secret letter?"
Mu Chuan froze, his eyes widening: "I only prepared two bowls of water, and you already knew I was going to write a secret letter?"
I was mistaken. For modern people who have taken high school chemistry classes, these are common sense, but for the ancients, they were considered to know too much.
Wang Pan'er buried her forehead between Mu Chuan's shoulders and neck, mimicking a quail.
Wang Pan'er's commotion was quite adorable, and Mu Chuan couldn't help but tease her: "No wonder everyone suspects you're a spirit in disguise."
Wang Pan'er raised her head, startled: "Who suspects me!"
"Alright." Mu Chuan raised his hand and gently tapped Wang Pan'er's forehead, soothing her: "Let alone ordinary women, even noble ladies would find it hard to have your insight. I'm not stupid; how could I convince myself that you're just an ordinary village woman? But whether it's a spirit or a reincarnated soul, the body is merely a vessel for the soul. I remember you once said that your parents drugged you into a ghost marriage, so the original owner of that body is probably no longer here. Even if you've never done anything to harm anyone, I'll make my own judgment on right and wrong, and I'll help you hide it."
Wang Pan'er couldn't explain to Mu Chuan that this world was just a book, and she was merely a soul from another world, but that no longer mattered. Over the past year, she had met many people, built her own career, and completely integrated into this place.
In the modern world, since the passing of her grandparents, she seemed to have lost her connection to the world. Alone, despite her hard work, she achieved nothing; the world was vast, yet she had no place of her own. But this world, which evolved from a book, gave her the "warmth" she had always dreamed of.
From childhood to adulthood, she was always the one who felt superfluous. Her parents disliked her gender, and whether in school or at work, she had no friends because of her introverted and withdrawn personality. She came into this world alone and left alone. Compared to the vibrant and colorful year she spent in another world, the twenty-odd years in the modern world seemed like a dream.
Wang Pan'er admits that she started her business by exploiting information asymmetry, but her relationships and connections with Mu Chuan, her two younger sisters, Tao Shuo, and many other women in the shop are not solely due to her access to information. She clearly recognizes that she is a wonderful person, a being with meaning and value.
She lay on Mu Chuan's back, refusing to speak. Mu Chuan didn't press her for answers. The two of them tacitly agreed that one would continue hanging while the other would spread out a pen and ink to prepare to write a letter.
Mu Chuan first dipped his brush in alum water and wrote down the secret message he truly wanted to convey. After the alum water dried, he washed the nib, dipped it again in white vinegar water, and wrote a letter pleading for help. Only lastly did he use charcoal ink, resulting in an unremarkable letter home.
Good heavens, it's triple imaging!
Whether it's because they didn't expect there to be a third layer, or because they mishandled the second layer, or because the order was reversed, they will all be unable to see the true message the secret letter is trying to convey.
In Wang Pan'er's view, the second layer of the secret distress message was already deceptive enough.
Mu Chuan walked out of the kitchen, blew his whistle, and summoned a carrier pigeon. The secret message was tied to the pigeon's leg, and it immediately spread its wings and flew away. Wang Pan'er was finally able to go back to her room to rest.
The next day, as soon as the sky began to lighten, Wang Pan'er washed up and left her room to visit the leader of the Xinglong Gang.
The cook had already steamed the buns, and Xianying and Mofeng had gotten up early and were enjoying their meal.
Xianying saw her and called out loudly, "Miss Wang, would you like to come with us?"
It's not impossible.
Before she could speak, the talkative Xianying continued on her own: "Back in the cherry blossom grove, the young master taught you horsemanship, and you and Taxue also became masters. Now that the young master can't go out, Taxue has been confined for a long time as well. Every time we go out, we watch her longingly. If you come with us, you can let her get some fresh air."
Ta Xue was Mu Chuan's beloved horse, named for the white hair that grew around all four of its hooves. Ta Xue was gentle and intelligent, and agile, making it a rare and excellent steed. Even though it could only mount and dismount and trot on horseback, there was no need to worry too much. Besides, with Mo Feng and Xian Ying around, let the poor horse have some fun.
After finishing her meal, Wang Pan'er followed Xianyin Mofeng over the wall and out the door. After walking about a mile, they saw three foals playing in the woods. She was very curious and asked, "Don't you need to tie your reins?"
Mo Feng chimed in, "They've all been trained, and besides, Young Master never hesitates to give them extra food, so naturally they're obedient."
Mo Feng waved his hand, and three horses came galloping over.
When Ta Xue saw its new master, it affectionately nuzzled the new master's hand with its nose, then half-lifted its hind hoof to invite Wang Pan'er to mount the horse.
Wang Pan'er climbed onto Taxue's back, hugged her neck, and said sweetly, "Good Taxue, I'll buy you carrots for a treat later!"
Ta Xue cheerfully kicked off, following behind Mo Feng and Xian Ying's foal.
Xianying and Mofeng escorted Wang Pan'er to the entrance of the escort agency.
Wang Pan'er showed the iron plate, and the waiter dashed into the inner courtyard to inform the master.
Since the owner was free, he asked a waiter to welcome her into the inner room.
Because it was a security escort agency, and backed by the Xinglong Gang, Wang Pan'er assumed that the gang leader, Fang Jiming, would be a burly man like Mangye. She was surprised to find him to be a refined, middle-aged man dressed like a clerk. However, his gaze was open and honest, his pupils clear and bright, his brows broad, and his nose straight. Judging from his appearance, he was not unlike the upright and righteous person Wang Pan'er had imagined, and she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Perhaps noticing Wang Pan'er's surprise, Fang Jiming nodded and smiled slightly, inviting Wang Pan'er to sit down.
The Xinglong Gang doesn't issue many iron tokens; they're symbols of their own people, and even ordinary bodyguards within the escort agency don't all receive one. Now, a young girl has come knocking on his door with an iron token, which piqued Fang Jiming's interest.
He took out a tea canister from under the tea table, knocked off a small piece of tea cake, and performed a smooth and elegant tea ceremony for Wang Pan'er.
Wang Pan'er immediately showed a look of amazement to show her appreciation. This was a sign that they were treating her like a VIP, and she couldn't afford to be negligent.
The tea from the fairness cup was poured into the small tea cup, filling it about seven-tenths full. Fang Jiming placed the cup in front of Wang Pan'er and lightly tapped it with two fingers.
Fortunately, she had secretly learned a thing or two about tea etiquette from Mu Chuan.
First, appreciate the color of the tea soup, then savor the aroma, and finally take three small sips to moisten the throat, enjoy the fragrance, and savor the aftertaste.
Wang Pan'er put down her teacup: "Thank you for your hospitality, Chief."
Fang Jiming added, "It's not really a treat. Shanhe Medicinal Cuisine Restaurant is a VIP restaurant for our escort agency, and besides, the iron plaque is a symbol of our Xinglong Gang. I just wonder where you obtained this iron plaque, young lady?"
Wang Pan'er briefly recounted Mang Ge's story to Fang Jiming.
“It’s that kid, no wonder.” Fang Jiming shook his head and chuckled. “Judging from the young lady’s personality, she doesn’t seem like the type to bother people. She must have something important to ask of me by bringing this iron plaque.”
Wang Pan'er nodded: "Since the gang leader treats me like one of his own, I'll be frank with him."
She slowed her speech, carefully selecting some confidential information, and explained to Fang Jiming the reasons why she had to elaborate.
Upon hearing what Wang Pan'er said, Fang Jiming's originally bright eyes darkened slightly: "According to what you're saying, young lady, I've also become a part of the Liuyun Chamber of Commerce's iron smuggling operation?"
"It's unfortunate." Wang Pan'er shrugged regretfully. "Brother Mang said you are a chivalrous person. We were struggling to find evidence, so we brought the iron plaque to your door, hoping to get the gang leader's help."
“Hey.” Fang Jiming disagreed with his offer of assistance and waved his hand at Wang Pan’er. “If the Liuyun Chamber of Commerce is indeed smuggling and has implicated the Xinglong Escort Agency, endangering the safety of the border people, then I, as a member of the agency, am not just talking about helping them, but also about my duty to work with you to solve the case.”
Fang Jiming paused after saying this.
Wang Pan'er pressed further, "Does the gang leader still have other concerns?"
“What you say, young lady, is of great importance, and we cannot take your word for it.” Fang Jiming pondered for a moment. “How about this, I will first have my guards keep an eye on the goods leaving the pass. If there is anything unusual as you say, then we can follow your arrangements.”
Wang Pan'er placed the iron token on the table and pushed it to Fang Jiming's side: "In that case, thank you, Chief. Since you are willing to help us resolve this important matter today, the token should be returned to its rightful owner."
Fang Jiming shook his head: "I think the young lady is very righteous and has the same spirit as my Xinglong Gang. The token should be left by the young lady, as a way to make a good connection."
Without any hesitation, Wang Pan'er deftly put away the token, clasped her hands in a fist salute to Fang Jiming, and said, "Then I will respectfully accept your offer!"
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