Chapter 71
The night before, a persistent rain fell all night. As soon as the sky cleared in the morning, birds began chirping happily from the branches in front of the window. The night's rain pattering on the tiles, the moonlit night, had already made it hard to sleep. Finally, the rain stopped and I could sleep peacefully, but then the early birds, waking up to feed on insects, arrived again. Unable to bear the annoyance, Niu Du covered his head with his blanket, turned over, turned his back to the window, and fell asleep again.
The raccoon sleeping beside me, however, reveled in the sight. Awakened by the noise, it tilted its head back and yawned, licking its paws before leaping out of bed and running to the window. Bending its waist, it leaped onto the windowsill, chattering its teeth and making a clacking sound, hoping to attract the bird pecking at the stamens on the branch.
Yunkai was afraid that Yueming would be lonely without any playmates when she returned home, so he sent Feng Xiaosai and Li Nu over to keep her company.
Feng Xiaosai was very smart and said to Lan Yingde in person, "You play with your cat every day at the mansion, but the last few days, your master hasn't been around and he won't eat the beef dipped in egg liquid that you feed him. Every night he runs to the yard where you used to live and cries non-stop. He won't eat or sleep and is listless all day long. He used to be so fat that I couldn't hold him with my arms, but now he's so thin that I can touch his ribs. Master has no choice but to let me bring him to you. I beg you to take care of him for a few days."
Lan Yingde smiled warmly, but inwardly he cursed his master for being cunning and the servants no less. "Are you talking about the cat? Are you referring to your second young master missing my daughter so much he's losing his appetite?"
Because of his relationship with Feng Er, Changsheng and Feng Xiaosai had interacted with each other several times. Seeing that he treated entrusting a cat to someone as seriously as if it were his own life, he said with amusement, "I'm afraid this cat is missing my junior sister, perhaps it's experiencing aphrodisiac feelings. If you find it a companion, it won't run away. Is it a male or female?"
Feng Xiaosai laughed awkwardly: "It's a public one."
Yueming was overjoyed to see Li Nu. She held him in her arms, gently stroked his fur, and whispered, "Li Nu, do you miss your sister? Didn't Han Yunkai take good care of you? Come with me, and I'll give you delicious food."
He immediately called Ye Hu to go to the fish stall to buy some small fish for it.
Changsheng curled his lips and said, "It's worthy of being a chieftain's cat. Other people keep cats to catch mice, but this one has to be served by people."
Lan Yingde said to Yueming with a hint of meaning, "Play with this cat for a few days and then return it. You are not capable of taking care of such a precious thing."
Feng Xiaosai sighed inwardly for Yun Kai. With their young master's looks and talent, even the chieftains of Xincheng and Xianggeng would be overjoyed to have a son-in-law like him, not to mention the nine fierce and thirteen circles. Lan Yingde, a commoner, was picking on him, his indirect criticism almost imitating the street vendors' cursing.
He really feels sorry for the young master!
The bird wasn't fooled. After a while, the cat got bored of watching from the window. It leaped down and ran back to Yueming, curling up head to tail, ready for a nap. Just as it closed its eyes, it heard a knock on the door and suddenly raised its head.
"Miss, someone is coming to Shengweixuan. The master and Young Master Changsheng haven't come back yet after buying sheep. You have to get up and greet them." Ye Hu shouted anxiously from outside.
Lan Yingde invited Yang Laoliu's caravan to his house for a drink. Yang Laoliu was craving mutton, so Lan Yingde asked Shengweixuan to send two people to prepare and cook it. Unexpectedly, the helpers arrived before they even bought the mutton.
Yueming pulled down the quilt covering her head and said sleepily, "When you come, serve tea and wait for the master to come back." There was no need for her to greet the cooks personally.
"No." Ye Hu said hurriedly, "It's the head and wife of Shengweixuan who came."
When Yueming heard that the head of Shengweixuan had arrived, he jumped up, put on his slippers and changed his clothes, and asked Yehu, "Have the tea and snacks been served?"
"My sister has gone to make tea, it will be ready soon."
Yueming instructed, "Don't use the tea set you usually use at home. Go to the storeroom and find a new set. Although Boss Du has escaped the teachings, he still has to avoid the taboos."
Although Ye Hu didn't know what to avoid, since the young lady had given her such instructions, she hurried to tell her elder sister.
Yueming finished washing up and was about to leave the room when her raccoon, who had been lying on the bed watching her busy life, suddenly jumped out of bed and circled around her legs, meowing. Afraid of stepping on it, Yueming simply grabbed it and held it in her arms, carrying it downstairs to meet the guests in the living room.
When they arrived at the main hall, they saw only Boss Du. Yueming asked curiously, "Didn't you say your wife was here too?"
Boss Du looked at the sweet and innocent girl holding the cat in front of him and smiled faintly, "Your maid said you just got up, so my wife went to make breakfast for you."
Yueming blushed immediately. Wasn't this telling the guests directly that she was sleeping in?
She said shyly, "The rain was so loud last night that I couldn't rest for a long time. I'm sorry to have embarrassed you."
"Alas!" Boss Du sighed, "Prime Minister Yun is good in every way, except that it rains too much."
Ye Hu came in with a teacup and placed it on the small table next to Boss Du. He then went over to take the cat from Yue Ming's arms and took it outside to feed it.
Yueming invited Boss Du for tea and said politely, "It's a small matter to have a dinner at home, but I'm sorry to bother you to come in person."
Boss Du said with a smile, "The guys in the shop are all from Yunxiang. They are not very good at caring for cattle and sheep. Master Lan's treat cannot be sloppy."
The two chatted about family matters, and Ai Ye came in and invited Yueming to the dining room for dinner.
Yueming said angrily, "There are guests here, why are you calling me alone? It's rude."
Mrs. Du had just stepped over the threshold when she heard this and smiled, "Miss, there's no need to be polite with us. We just came after dinner. You can go eat first. Master Lan and Changsheng's food is warm on the stove."
Yueming was indeed hungry, so she asked Ai Ye to entertain the guests while she went to the dining room for breakfast first.
Yehu served Yueming breakfast. Since the two of them had joined the family, life had become much easier. Yehu and Aiye weren't as attentive as Aunt Yuxiang. He was truly living the life of a young master, with everything provided for him. He didn't even have to chop firewood anymore; he had the little Lahu driving the carriage!
Lan Yingde came back and saw that Mr. Du and his wife had been waiting for a long time. He quickly apologized. Mr. Du was a straightforward man. When he saw that the sheep had been brought back, he wanted to take Mrs. Du to the river to kill the sheep. Lan Yingde asked Changsheng to help.
Yueming was thinking about their breakfast and heard Changsheng was about to go out again. He swallowed the fresh vegetable noodle soup in his mouth and hurried out to Changsheng, saying, "Brother, there is noodle soup cooked on the stove. Eat it first."
Boss Du also advised, "I've already asked my apprentice to build a stove and boil water by the river. They can handle it. Master Lan, you can just stay home and entertain the guests without worry!"
Lan Yingde and Changsheng had left the city to round up sheep before daybreak and were already starving. When they heard Boss Du say they didn't need help, they went to the dining room to eat.
After eating, Yueming sat down beside them holding her cat and watched them eat. Changsheng saw that she kept the cat in her arms all day long, so he threatened her while eating, "You'd better not let your cat into the room at night. It's not good."
Yueming pinched and rubbed the raccoon's ears, and asked curiously, "What's wrong with it?"
Changsheng approached her mysteriously and said in a calm voice, "There's a spirit in Yunxiang that loves to possess cats. At night, it reveals its true form and transforms into an old woman with white hair and long nails. She specializes in eating children."
Yueming scoffed at his storytelling ability: "I don't believe it."
Changsheng frowned and tutted, "Brother, how could I possibly lie to you?" He pointed with his chopsticks at Ai Ye, who was serving beside him, "If you don't believe me, ask her if Yun Xiang has a Pu Si ghost, and if this Pu Si ghost can transform into a cat?"
Yueming turned to look at Ai Ye: "Really, there really is a Pusi ghost?"
Ai Ye nodded: "When I was a child, I often listened to the stories of Pu Si ghosts told by the old people."
Yueming looked at Ai Ye and then at the cat slave who was lying obediently in her arms, her face full of confusion.
Changsheng whispered in her ear in a sinister voice, "Before you go to sleep at night, make sure you check to see if the cat still has its tail. When the Pusi ghost possesses a cat, it hides its tail. When I first came to Yunxiang, I heard a family pick up a cat without a tail. At night, they heard the sound of chewing bones and thought it had caught a mouse. When they turned on the light, they saw a white-haired old woman squatting beside the bed, chewing on her child's toes."
It was such a vivid picture! In broad daylight, Yueming felt a chilly wind blowing across her back, making her shiver. She hurriedly handed the cat to Ai Ye: "Quick, let little Lahu return the cat to Han Yunkai.
Lan Yingde ate his meal while watching Changsheng frighten Yueming with a smile. He thought to himself that he was not the only one in the family who disliked Han Yunkai.
This was Yang Laoliu's second time in Lan Yingde's mansion. The first time, he'd only remarked on its grandeur, with its screen wall and front and back gardens. The furniture, too, looked expensive. Having followed Lan Yingde to Tengchong and seen it all, he now understood the mansion's layout, known as a "quadrangle with five courtyards." In the main hall stood a pearwood wall table, flanked by two cylindrical, famille rose porcelain vases, not vases but hat stands.
He was puzzled at the time. The flowers in the yard were blooming beautifully, but he didn't pick a bunch to put in a vase, just two bare vases on the table. Fortunately, he was full of awe for Master Lan at the time and didn't dare to say much. If he really asked, he would be so unsophisticated that Master Lan would laugh at him.
Yueming ordered Yehu and Aiye to serve tea to the caravan members. When he saw Yang Laoliu, he nodded and called out, "Uncle."
Yang Laoliu quickly took out the gift he had brought for Yueming, opened a black lacquered wooden box with carved patterns, and said to Yueming, "Niece, take this jade bracelet that your uncle promised to buy you as your dowry."
Yueming felt that although Yang Laoliu's words and actions were rough and direct, they were not abrupt. He smiled and declined, "It's amazing that you, uncle, still thought of me after going through so many hardships. You and dad have been sleeping in the open air, while I am eating and drinking peacefully at home. I am ashamed to accept this gift. You should take it back to your aunt to make her happy!"
"Hey!" Yang Laoliu scratched his head embarrassedly: "I'm your uncle and a bachelor, where can I find an aunt for you? Since you call me uncle, I can't let you call me uncle in vain. Take it." He stuffed the box into Yueming's arms without saying anything.
Yueming had never seen the shoving and chasing style of gift-giving, and looked at Lan Yingde helplessly. Lan Yingde nodded at her before she took the box and thanked Yang Laoliu.
Lan Yingde told Yueming to go play outside by herself, and Yueming took the box and excused herself. She went back to her room to put her things away, and when she left, she was greeted by the aroma of barbecue. Boss Du had already built a fire in the front yard, and a whole lamb, skewered on an iron stick, was roasting on the grill.
She ran downstairs, pulled at Changsheng's sleeve while he watched Boss Du roasting lamb, and whispered, "Brother, it smells so good!"
Knowing that she was greedy, Changsheng teased her deliberately, lifting his sleeve and sniffing: "Do I smell good? Why can't I smell it?"
Yue understood him at a glance: "I'm asking when can I eat?"
Mrs. Du, who was helping Boss Du, smiled and said, "We'll have to wait another half an hour! Are you hungry, Miss? I'll make you some snacks."
"No, no." Yueming waved her hands quickly: "I'm not hungry at all, I just smelled the fragrance and felt a little greedy. You go ahead and do your thing, don't worry about me."
The fellow horse racers invited Changsheng over for a drink, and Yueming also went over to sit next to Changsheng.
Changsheng smacked his lips and said in displeasure, "Why are you, a girl, hanging around with us old men? Go and have fun by yourself."
Yueming pleaded, "Good brother, please let me stay here! I want to listen to your stories."
Changsheng laughed when he heard this. He was so scared by the story this morning that he even returned the cat to the owner. Do you still want to listen?
When the guys who followed Yang Laoliu to race horses heard that the eldest lady wanted to hear a story, they immediately racked their brains to tell her everything they had seen and heard along the way.
Lan Yingde heard Yueming giggling and then exclaiming in surprise in the hall. He smiled at Yang Laoliu and said, "My daughter is good in every way except that she's too unruly and has no manners."
Yang Laoliu praised him, "This isn't about being unruly. He treats us like one of his own, not minding us being rough. This temperament is exactly like yours, Master Lan."
"My daughter can't stand being praised. You've just finished praising her and the moment you turn your head, she'll cause trouble for you." Lan Yingde held the teacup, skimmed the tea foam with the lid, and asked Yang Laoliu, "You can rest for two months this time. Do you want to go back to Kunming or stay?"
Yang Laoliu was waiting for Lan Yingde to ask him: "I plan to stay in Yunxiang. If anything unexpected happens, you can send me there."
He finally realized that Yun-sang was like an unpolished diamond, its brilliance still hidden! While there were not many people on the stage, he planned to seize the opportunity to show off his voice.
His willingness to stay was exactly what Lan Yingde wanted, but he still advised: "You've been away for half a year now, and I don't know what a mess your home has become. The Ghost Festival is coming soon, so you should go back and take a look."
Yang Laoliu sighed and smiled bitterly, "Master Lan, you're really flattering me. How can an orphan without parents have a home? Master Wu said I couldn't even afford a thatched cottage by Dianchi Lake. It was a joke, but it was also the truth. No matter how nice a rented house is, it can't be called a home! I have no relatives in my hometown, and Kunming is just a place to stay. As a bachelor, I can't live anywhere."
Seeing that he was determined to stay in Yunxiang, Lan Yingde nodded and said, "Alright! Then I'll take you to meet the guests when I have time. When I came back from Tengchong, my classmate asked me to take a letter to the garrison commander in Mengning. You can come with me. He has met the Fifth Master several times, so he'd be a good opportunity to introduce you to each other."
It was such a great honor to be able to make friends with the military these days. Yang Laoliu was ecstatic and kept bowing to express his gratitude.
Lan Yingde smiled and said, "We've certainly shared hardships along the way, even if we can't say we've narrowly escaped death. If you hadn't been so alert when we returned from Qingdong, those Western medicines would have been stolen by bandits. I truly owe you a huge thank you."
Yang Laoliu was terrified of being praised. He blushed and panicked when he was praised. He said a little sheepishly, "It was mainly thanks to Commander Yao's men that they came to the rescue in time. I don't dare take credit for it."
Lan Yingde waved his hand to stop his modesty: "Prime Minister Yun is not a place I want to stay for long. Since you have decided to stay, I will definitely take care of everything that needs to be done for you. This way, we will not be in vain as brothers."
Hearing Lan Yingde's words that he would not stay in Yunxiang for a long time, Yang Laoliu was stunned at first, but when he heard Lan Yingde's promise to help him pave the way in Yunxiang, he felt mixed emotions. He stood up and bowed deeply to Lan Yingde solemnly: "Master Lan treats me so well. I, Yang Laoliu, have nothing to repay you. From now on, I am willing to serve you wholeheartedly.
At night, the banquet was over. Although the courtyard had been cleaned up and the mess of wine and meat from the day was gone, the air still seemed to have the faint aroma of roasted lamb.
Lan Yingde called Yueming into the room and said, "I'm taking your brother to Mengning tomorrow. Please take good care of the house." Then he handed her a package and said, "Take this back and keep it safe."
Yueming opened it and saw a small Browning pistol, a box of bullets, and several boxes of penicillin. Without asking any more questions, she rewrapped the items and said to Lan Yingde, "Then let Little Lahu drive you and your brother there?"
Lan Yingde shook his head. "The carriage is too slow. We can return in four days by horseback, while it would take three days to reach Mengning by carriage. Besides, I'm worried about leaving you alone at home. Little Lahu knows some boxing, so let's keep him at home to guard the house!" He then asked, "Do you still remember how to fire the gun?"
Yueming nodded: "I remember."
Lan Yingde touched her hair and said, "If anyone dares to bump into you, just draw your gun. If someone dies, Dad will take care of it."
Lan Yingde was away from home all year round, so Yueming had originally thought it was nothing to worry about him being away for a few days. But when he said that, Yueming became uneasy. After a moment of hesitation, she suggested, "How about I stay at the Tusi Mansion for a few days and wait for you to come back?"
Lan Yingde was now afraid that she would enter the Tusi Mansion. He patted her hand and said, "Don't bother the Tusi family. I have arranged for the patrol soldiers to come to our door more often at night."
He would never do such a stupid thing as letting a sheep walk into the tiger's mouth again!
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