History of Women in the Wei Dynasty

Chapter 95 Huai Shuo Town, Gao Huan

The door to the classroom was suddenly yanked open, and Zhang Wenzhi's fierce expression, which she hadn't had time to change, came into Hu Wuwu's view. Hu Wuwu turned around and shrank back to his original position, complaining in a voice that his partners on either side could hear: "Why does the female teacher like to eavesdrop? Did she often do this before?"

Within a day, news of Zhang Wenzhi's habit of eavesdropping spread among the servants. Two days later, even Liu Fuzi's parrot "Youlai" had learned to say, "Eavesdropping, eavesdropping!"

As for Qu Rong, after his face was scratched by a bamboo rake, coupled with his disheartened and guilty conscience, he lied to his family every day about going to school, when in fact he was going to Yingju Bookstore to read strange tales. The shopkeeper and servants already knew who Qu Rong was, so they neither deliberately treated him with respect nor deliberately distanced themselves from him; after all, servants should not meddle in their masters' affairs.

Today, Qu Rong found a bamboo scroll that tells the story of a pitiful child named "Lu Jimei" who repeatedly attempted suicide but failed because he longed for reincarnation. Qu Rong felt deeply sympathetic and saddened. Unfortunately, it was a fragmentary scroll and did not have a sequel.

Qu Rong felt that "Lu Jimei" had come alive in his heart. He didn't want to leave the equally pitiful "child" alone in the bookstore, so he gritted his teeth and decided to exchange ten sheets of paper for this scroll.

Today was Qu Rong's first time buying something, and she was so nervous that she could barely speak.

When the shopkeeper saw that it was such a ridiculous story, he confiscated the ten sheets of paper and gave them to him as a gift.

Qu Rong went out, and coincidentally, she ran into Fei Ming, who had just arrived at Zhuji Street.

Is primary school closed today?

"What's it to you!"

"Hey," Fei Ming called out to Qu Rong, trying to scare him, "Did you steal that from the bookstore?"

Qu Rong's arguing skills are now completely different: "A dog that's used to stealing bones thinks that human food is also stolen."

"You're just being a smooth talker! I'll go in and tell the servants right now!"

"Go quickly. Are you too scared to go in? Haha, you can't read, can you? People who can't read don't dare to enter bookstores."

Fei Ming pointed at Qu Rong twice with his finger, then sneered, "You can read? May I ask which prestigious school you studied at? Or the little private school in the alley behind?"

“The Military Academy. For meritorious officials and their families, it is a primary school.”

The Wei clan? Fei Ming immediately thought of the terrifying Young Master Wei Mao. Diao Nu admitted that he had misjudged this time and did not dare to retort. He limped towards the flower market.

Qu Rong's frustration dissipated after having a pointless argument with some random person. Tomorrow was the monthly joint exam, and he hesitated before arriving at the school gate, but ultimately went back to sit down and listen to the lesson during the second period.

May 16th.

While the Pingcheng Elementary School was holding its joint exams, the first group of the great hunting party had already returned. On horseback, Wei Yao looked back at the lush Junji Mountain. She knew her mother was still in the mountains, perhaps having already trekked to the Zhuoxie Mountain further northwest, where she was deeper into Rouran territory.

"Giddy up!" Wei Yao urged her horse forward, no longer indulging in useless thoughts. Having lived a second life, she saw many things clearly, yet also saw more and more things unclearly, but she would never ask anything that her father or mother didn't tell her.

Wei Yao had a premonition that her parents were hiding a secret from her not only out of love but also as a test!

Upon realizing this was possible, Wei Yao's blood boiled, and she commanded the wild horse, "Giddy up!"

Over a thousand knights raced across the vast grasslands, and with each rider she overtook, her joy grew. Letting go, she imitated the skilled riders, raising her arms and shouting!
"Run, wild horse! Giddy up! Ah Yun, Senior Brother Kong, see you ahead—"

Wei Yao, Guo Yun, and Kong Mi were not required to participate in the final hunt at Baideng Mountain. Before Wei Yao returned home, Gao Lou of Huai Shuo Town had already received the gift.

Gao Lou helped her younger brother Gao Huan down from the horse. Gao Huan, being sensible, squatted down to the side and watched his older sister untie the ropes and take out sets of bamboo slips from the wooden box.

"There are words on it, can you read them to me, sister?" The little child's voice was hoarse, which made him even more endearing.

Gao Lou patted his younger brother's head: "Of course." Each pair of bamboo slips was tied with hemp rope, and there were words written on both sides. Gao Lou read: "The first day of the fifth month, the first day of the Hengzhou Grand Hunt."

Turning the bamboo slip over, she read aloud: "Pick this flower at Cui Academy in Pingcheng. Miss Lou, let's set off."

Gao Huan's chin trembled so much it looked like a hole: "Sister, why are you crying? Don't cry, if you cry I'll want to cry too."

Gao Lou untied the hemp rope, revealing a small red flower sandwiched between two bamboo slips. The petals were dry, but the color was still beautiful and the fragrance was still strong. "I'm not sad. I'm happy that someone cares about me. People can cry when they're too happy. Come on, help your sister tie it up, and then I'll untie the rest."

"Ah."

"The second day of the fifth month, the day after the grand hunt in Hengzhou."

"I picked this flower at Hulu Lake in Liangcheng County. This is the place where Miss Lou received and returned my letter. I am here with Wei Yao."

Gao Lou wiped away his tears and continued reading, reciting each passage to his younger brother.

On the third day of the fifth lunar month... I picked this flower in Wuchuan Town... and stayed overnight at the eastern neighbor's house of my friend Gao Lou.

On the fourth day of the fifth lunar month... it seemed as if we had survived a calamity and been reborn... and started anew.

May 10th... I picked this flower at Junji Mountain, looking towards Pingcheng, looking towards Huaishuo... May 12th... 13th, 14th...

"Lou Jin, A Huan, why are you still herding horses? It's getting late, hurry home," a neighbor called to the siblings.

When Gao Lou returned to his hometown, he learned that his mother had passed away, and his father spent his days drinking and singing with the town's dissolute youths, leaving his three-year-old brother to be cared for by the neighbors, who left him as thin and dark as a monkey. His father had squandered all the family's fields and stored grain, and Gao Lou could no longer continue his studies. He could only take his brother to chop firewood and collect cow dung to barely make ends meet.

Gao Lou changed his name to Lou Jin. His mother was buried in the ground and would never return. This was the only way Gao Lou could make up for his mother's regret, as she had always wanted to have more children.

She lifted Ah Huan back onto the horse, "Big Hoof," a gift from Wei Jing. Just as Wei Jing had said, Huai Shuo Town was full of pasture, which had kept Big Hoof even better than it had been in Pingcheng.

"Sister, will you reply to that Sister Wei Yao?"

"Yes, otherwise she'll be waiting anxiously, and I can't let her worry."

"May I draw the words I want to send her on your letter?"

"Of course you can. You are my brother and her brother too."

"Sister, you mustn't cry anymore. I'll sing you a song. 'The sparrows on the Hegan Mountain are frozen to death, why don't they fly away to where they can find joy...'"

May 29th.

After resting at home for a day, Wei Yao was taken to Cui Academy by her father. This was instructed by her teacher to wait at Cui Academy until the hunting ceremony at Baideng Mountain was over, after which the teacher would return and take all the students of Xunyi Academy to give lectures.

After seeing his daughter off, Wei Yin left through the same gate he had entered through. By the time Old Cui learned that Wei Yin had been there, it was too late to catch up.

"Sigh, you really don't want to see me, cough cough cough..." As people get older, a month feels like a year. Old Cui's back can no longer be straight. Lately, he has been coughing badly and can't even get two hours of restful sleep each day.

As for Wei Yao, she missed her class today and waited for Guo Yun outside the courtyard. As soon as school was over at noon, Guo Yun was the first to run out: "Let's go, let's go to the Poetry Club for lunch. To fellow students, Shang, and Liu, I also invited Cui Ying from Shanyi Academy, let's all go."

Wei Yao happily responded with an "Mmm," and Guo Yun pulled her under the shade of a tree and whispered, "There's another annoying person who has to come with us too."

(End of this chapter)