Chapter 74 Punishing the Old Man, Shan He Raises His Knife
Liang Ye was taken aback, then narrowed his eyes and re-examined the old man in front of him.
He understood what the old man meant. He just hadn't expected the old man to be so ruthless.
Poor mountains and harsh waters, harsh waters and poor mountains—does the land nurture its people, or do the people nurture the land? Liang Ye felt the sage verses he once recited were crumbling little by little. What about generosity and helping the masses, what about saving the common people, what about governing the country and bringing peace to the world? Were all those "common people" he so often spoke of truly worthy of saving? Liang Ye knew he wasn't a gentleman solely devoted to the people, but he never felt that phrases like "devoted to the people" and "saving the common people" were wrong. He knew he couldn't be selfless and compassionate; if someone could, Liang Ye would admire them. But tonight, seeing this old man, seeing his relentless coercion, seeing his shrewdness and cunning, seeing him, though weak, inflict violence on the even weaker, Liang Ye suddenly felt that the phrase "devoted to the people" was truly foolish. He couldn't help but think of his grandfather; how the old man had resolutely resigned from his official post and given away his entire fortune to establish free schools—wasn't it all for these very people? Liang Ye sneered inwardly.
As he pondered this, the old man, rake in hand, returned to the coffin. He pushed open the lid, took a half-step back, and slowly raised the rake with both hands. In his youth, the old man had used this rake to kill a mad wild boar; though now a living man, he was severely wounded, but he still had the strength to kill this man. Looking at Liang Ye in the coffin, he suddenly felt a surge of anger. He had painstakingly saved up for most of his life to buy this coffin! He himself had never even lain in it! Now it had fallen into Liang Ye's lap! He was truly unwilling! But it didn't matter; with this man dead, the young woman would be entirely his, and there would be hope for a continuation of the family line. Well, it was still a good deal.
The old man gritted his teeth, raised the rake even higher, and aimed the four sharp iron teeth at Liang Ye's face.
"You dare kill him!" Shanhe had appeared by the wooden door at some point, a kitchen knife pressed against her neck. "If you kill him, I'll kill myself right now!"
The old man turned his head and saw that blood was seeping from the wound on Shanhe's neck again, beneath the blade. He was somewhat bewildered and at a loss.
Shanhe repeated in a trembling voice, "If you kill him, I will not live alone. You will get nothing in return!"
The old man swayed slightly, then turned to look at Liang Ye, who was lying inside, panting heavily, his eyes bloodshot. After only a few breaths, the old man gave in. He sighed, put down the rake, and tossed it aside.
Shanhe still pressed against her neck: "I want to take a bath!"
"Take a bath?" The old man was taken aback.
Shanhe said, "How can you go to bed if you don't wash yourself properly? Aren't you going to have a baby?"
The old man slowly smiled, his face deepening with age: "I don't mind that you're dirty."
"I hate it! I'm covered in mud and blood, I absolutely need to take a bath!"
"Alright, alright, I'll wash then..." He slowly walked into the earthen hut that served as a kitchen. "I'll boil water for you, don't be annoyed."
As soon as the old man went inside, Shanhe rushed to the coffin and stuffed the kitchen knife into Liang Ye's arms. She wiped away her tears and said, "Be careful."
Liang Ye quickly grabbed her hand and said in a hoarse voice, "You should leave... Shanshan, you can't go with him..."
Shanhe opened her mouth, but couldn't utter a word. The two remained silent, their eyes meeting, staring directly into each other's. Shanhe gave him a sorrowful smile: "We will live..." With that, she turned and went to the kitchen.
Liang Ye felt as if his heart was being torn apart. He kept calling Shanhe's name, his hoarse voice gradually rising in volume, from calling Shanhe to pleading with Shanhe, and then to cursing Shanhe. He cried and shouted at the same time as when he had forced Shanhe before, cursing, "In what way...in what way am I inferior to this filthy old man! You...you refused to be with me back then, how could you agree so easily now!" He gasped for breath as he spoke.
"You... shameless!" Tears blurred his vision as Liang Ye stared at the sky framed squarely by the coffin. "If you really give in, you won't have the face to see your grandfather, you won't have the face to see your father!"
If he really gave in, he would have no face to see his grandfather or Xue Yin.
Shanhe stood in front of the stove, watching the thin steam rise from the pot of water, filling the room with a misty haze. The old man sat behind the stove, adding firewood piece by piece.
The old man chuckled upon hearing Liang Ye's words and asked Shanhe, "Aren't you his maid?"
Shanhe answered woodenly, "She's a maid."
The old man's mouth stretched even wider, and his pair of cloudy eyes were now unusually shrewd, peering into the secrets behind Shanhe's back: "In your high-class families, do maids also serve their masters?"
Shanhe was stunned.
The old man continued, "He said you wouldn't be with him back then." He felt a surge of pride. Although Liang Ye was injured, he could tell that Liang Ye's stature, appearance, family background, and conversation were far superior to his own, a mere country bumpkin. But now, fortunes had turned. The woman Liang Ye had so desperately sought was now going to be his wife, bearing his children. Then, the old man thought again, Liang Ye still had to die. The woman Liang Ye had worked so hard to obtain was now his woman; Liang Ye would surely be resentful and seek revenge. He'd kill him after Shan He fell asleep. The old man made his decision.
Shanhe gripped the water ladle tightly, her knuckles turning white: "He forced me to do this."
The old man, puzzled, asked, "Then why did you save him?"
"He just saved my life." Shanhe smirked. "His family saved my family; they are all my benefactors."
As the old man tossed firewood into the stove, he said, "Don't worry, I will never force you like this."
Shanhe chuckled twice.
After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the water boiled. The smoke filled the room, making Shanhe cough and tear up. The old man saw this and laughed, "You'll get used to it after a few more times."
Shanhe looked at the bubbling water, scooped up a spoonful with a ladle, looked closely, and asked, "What's in the water?"
The old man stood up, dusted off his clothes, and walked closer: "What's up?"
Shanhe pointed to the hot water in the large pot: "Look for yourself, there's so much in the pot."
The old man leaned closer to look: "There's nothing there."
"Look closer, it's dark and very small, floating on the water."
The old man said, "Insects? It's alright, they're all burned to death, you can wash them." He then moved his face even closer.
“Look closely, there really is one! If it’s a bug, pick it out! I can’t stand bugs.”
The old man practically pressed his face against the pot.
Shanhe gritted his teeth.
You must not kill.
She hesitated and wavered.
But if she didn't do it this way, she and Liang Ye would surely die.
Shanhe suddenly raised his hand and poured a ladle of boiling water over the back of the old man's head.
She heard a wail, a pitiful cry that tugged at her heartstrings. But Shanhe didn't stop. She raised her blistered hands and, enduring the scalding heat, pressed the old man's head into the boiling water!
She knew the old man would be in a lot of pain, so she shouted, "I'm sorry." But she didn't realize she was in pain too, because in trying to press the old man's head down, she had also put her hand into the boiling water.
She cried from the burns, and as if possessed by some other will, her hands sprang out of the pot on their own.
"The ten fingers are connected to the heart." Looking at her two hands, which were faintly bleeding and turning red, she burst into tears. It hurt so much, it really hurt so much.
Freed from Shanhe's restraint, the old man quickly struggled out of the boiling water. Enraged by Shanhe, he covered his face and howled a few times, then, lifting a corner of his eyelid, charged at Shanhe. He slammed Shanhe headfirst into the pile of firewood. The neatly stacked firewood scattered and fell to the ground, Shanhe lying on top of it, his shriveled body curled up under the weight of the firewood.
The old man, disregarding everything else, howled and roared in pain from his face while rushing forward to grab Shanhe's hand and begin to beat her.
Shanhe wanted to retaliate with firewood, but her hand bounced back in pain the moment it touched the wood. She looked up with tearful eyes, and the old man's raised hand was already halfway up in the air.
Let them hit her. She's been hit by many people before. Ever since her father was beheaded three years ago, anyone can hit her.
But the palm strike did not land.
The old man let out a strange cry and fell to the side.
Liang Ye pulled the blood-soaked kitchen knife from his shoulder.
The old man collapsed onto the pile of firewood, curled up, clutched his shoulder, and hissed in pain.
Shanhe was stunned for a moment, and saw Liang Ye leaning against the earthen wall, slowly collapsing to the ground. She struggled to her feet, ran to the stove, and painfully scooped up a ladle of water to splash on the old man.
Liang Ye gasped for breath: "Splash...splash it on the wound..."
Shanhe then scooped up another spoonful, his hand trembling as he aimed it at the old man's wound, not daring to move.
Liang Ye: "Splash!"
Shanhe hesitated for a moment: "I..."
"splash!"
Shanhe closed his eyes tightly, gritted his teeth, and splashed the water.
A sharp, piercing scream shattered the silence of the night before abruptly ceasing.
Shanhe quickly opened her eyes. The old man had turned his head away and was already unconscious on the pile of firewood. She couldn't help but go forward to check, and with trembling fingers, she checked under the old man's nose. He was still breathing. Thank goodness, she hadn't killed him.
Liang Ye looked up and glanced into the room: "He won't die. Shanshan, go find a rope and... tie him up."
Shanhe did as Liang Ye instructed, binding the old man tightly. There were still two ladles of warm water left at the bottom of the pot. Shanhe found a slightly clean cloth, endured the pain, washed the cloth, first wiped the blood off her own face, then washed it again, squatted down next to Liang Ye, and wiped his face little by little.
Their clean skin was revealed again, and even the air seemed sweeter. Their eyes met, and both of them couldn't help but smile through their tears.
Liang Ye smiled, raised his hand forcefully, tucked Shanhe's stray hairs behind her ear, and gently chuckled, "Shanhe, we... survived together..."
Shanhe wanted to help him to the earthen bed in the bedroom so she could reheat the food and boil water herself. But Liang Ye wouldn't leave her side, leaning against the wall and watching Shanhe busy herself at the stove. Neither of them had ever done this kind of work before, and they fumbled to start a fire and boil water. The room was filled with smoke, blurring their vision, and all they could hear was the other's coughing. Liang Ye suddenly felt at ease, incredibly at ease. He thought to himself, "If I could live like this with Shanhe, it wouldn't be so bad."
Shanhe approached with a bowl of water. She had probably wiped away her tears with dirty hands; her cheeks now bore streaks of gray, making her look like a cat with grime. Her eyes, however, had regained their vitality, sparkling and moist, like dewdrops in early autumn. Liang Ye felt a dryness in his throat. He suddenly wished that Shanhe would tell him now what had clouded her vision, and then, under the guise of blowing on her eyes, he would cup her face in his hands and gently lick her eyeballs. He had to be gentle, very slow, so as not to frighten her. Once he was satisfied, he would lie down with Shanhe in the sunlight or moonlight and fall asleep. In the sunlight, their skin would glow with a shimmering white-gold hue; in the moonlight, their skin would be draped in a pale blue veil.
Liang Ye was truly content at this moment. He had survived, saved by Shan Shan. From this day forward, every night he would kiss her a thousand times. They would be together for all eternity, never to be separated again.
After they finished eating and drinking, Shanhe helped Liangye to his room to rest. The old man was still dizzy and lay quietly on the pile of firewood.
There was only a thin mattress on the earthen bed, which hurt my body when I lay on it, but it was better than nothing. Liang Ye was extremely tired. He closed his eyes and fell asleep soon after, but his hand was tightly holding Shan He's hand, as if afraid that she would run away.
The next morning, Shanhe woke up early. The sky was already showing the first light of dawn, but the sun had not yet risen high. Shanhe combed her hair with her fingers, tidied it up, and then ran to the kitchen. She saw the old man lying on the pile of firewood, panting heavily. His face was scalded and blurred by boiling water, which was quite frightening. Shanhe was so frightened that she stumbled. Hearing the noise, the old man twisted his body, which was tightly bound with hemp rope, glared at Shanhe, and cursed her incessantly.
Shanhe lifted the old man's rake into a defensive stance, only to discover that the rake was quite heavy. How could the old man have lifted it so easily last night?
The commotion in the kitchen not only woke Liang Ye but also attracted a group of riders from nearby. They rode over, stopped outside the fence, and dismounted.
Shanhe is on the verge of collapse, how come there are still pursuers!
The people in the courtyard looked around, and when they saw Shanhe, the one in front shouted, "Sir, there's a woman here!"
The man in the official robes who was walking behind stepped forward and looked Shanhe up and down. He smiled gently and asked, "Madam, do you know Master Liang Ye?"
Shanhe gripped the rake, too afraid to move. On one side were these men in official robes of unknown origin, and on the other side was the old man on the ground. Her face was filled with terror, and she asked in a trembling voice, "Who are you?"
Upon seeing Shanhe's reply, the official quickly smiled and said, "Is he inside? Don't be afraid. I am the magistrate of this county, surnamed Zhang. Quickly lead me to see your master."
Upon hearing this, and seeing that he spoke with composure and was indeed wearing official robes, Shanhe slowly put down his rake and led the way.
When Lord Zhang saw Liang Ye lying on the earthen bed, he was so shocked that he gasped and hurriedly ordered his servants to rent a carriage nearby and to bring him all the food and medicine.
Shanhe stood in the corner and suddenly felt that this Lord Zhang looked very familiar, but he couldn't remember where he was.
Liang Ye struggled to his feet and bowed to Lord Zhang, saying, "Thank you... thank you for saving my life, sir."
Lord Zhang sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), but laughed, "Liang Da, have you really forgotten me?"
Liang Ye frowned, carefully examined his face, and slowly said, "He does look somewhat familiar, but I can't quite place him."
Lord Zhang laughed: "That's right, sir, it's no wonder you don't remember me. I used to be a chief clerk in the Mizhou Prefecture, and I was colleagues with your younger brother Liang Shao for two years. He must remember me. Half a year ago, he solved the case in Yuetuo Village and gave the credit to me. Lord Liang, have you forgotten him too?"
Recalling the situation at the time, Lord Zhang said with emotion, "It is all thanks to Liang Shao that I have achieved what I have today. He secretly credited me with many merits over the past two years. This is why I am where I am today. I must repay this kindness. I heard that you had arrived in the capital region the night before last and wanted to visit you, but I was busy with official business yesterday and could not find the time. Last night I heard the bad news, but I was fortunate to find you, so I can repay Liang Shao's kindness."
Not only Liang Ye, but Shan He also stared in shock. It turned out that the twists and turns of fate were all preordained. Shan He remembered everything: that afternoon, after they returned from the funeral of Old Master Liang, Zhang Tixing personally came to their door, stood under the carriage, and invited Liang Shao to a farewell banquet, followed by the good news of Liang Ye passing the imperial examination.
At that moment, Liang Shao stood alone before his horse, slowly stroking its mane, quietly listening to others' good news, his face filled with disappointment and despair. She and Liang Ye stood on opposite sides, looking at Liang Shao with heartache. It was also at that moment that Shan He made up her mind to divorce Liang Shao and to help him achieve his ambitions.
So that's why...
The good deeds that Liang Shao once sowed are now bearing fruit in her and Liang Ye's lives.
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