Shocking Mountain Moon

Chapter 77 Freedom

Since the officials who investigated the "hemp paper" case admitted to accepting bribes from the Yuan family, it is certain that there is something wrong with Yuan Chenghai.

Emperor Jingping naturally understood this principle.

Yuan Chenghai's parents, wife and children were all in the southeast. Emperor Jingping quickly arranged for people to go to the southeast to thoroughly investigate Yuan Chenghai's crimes and escort his relatives to Beijing.

At Yuan's house, no one paid attention to the arrangements for the three concubines for the time being, but Yuan's house was thoroughly searched to search for evidence of Yuan Chenghai's illegal activities.

Nie Sanniang pulled Nie Si Niang to kneel before an official from the Dali Temple and said, "Sir, my sister was kidnapped by a man named Yuan on the street. After coming to Beijing, living here is like being imprisoned. Not even a sharp object is allowed in her house. Now that the man named Yuan is dead, I beg you to show mercy and let me take my sister away from this den of danger..."

After Nie Sanniang and Nie Si Niang cried and complained, the official did not dare to make a decision and reported it to his superiors.

Several officials in charge of the case asked the servants of Yuan's house and confirmed that what Nie Sanniang said was true. After some discussion, they set the Nie sisters free.

On the day when Nie Sanniang took Nie Si Niang away, Hui Niang followed them silently to the corner gate and watched them leave with envy in her eyes.

It’s great that I can still live my own life away.

They all said that the master was doomed, and when the people who went to the southeast to investigate the case came back, women like them would be exiled to the Jiaofangsi, where a life of darkness would be waiting for them.

Hui Niang walked back step by step, her steps weak.

She thought about dying, but when she really stood on the stool and put her head into the ring, she backed off.

It turns out that giving up one's life requires so much courage, and she doesn't have it.

When she was about to enter her yard, Hui Niang heard crying and shouting.

Li Niang is making trouble again.

She just glanced over there and went back to her room.

The shadow that shrouded the Yuan residence had been left behind. Nie Sanniang pulled her sister along, walking lightly and faster and faster.

"Sister, where are we going?"

"Let's go find a place to live."

Nie Sanniang asked around along the way and found a rental agent and successfully rented a private house.

The house was in an alley, and Tao Da and his two friends also lived in the same alley. This was not a coincidence, but they had chosen this place from the beginning.

Maybe the house was rented out by someone else before she left Yuan's house, and maybe she would never be able to take her sister away from Yuan's house. But everything was realized according to the best expectations, what a good luck.

Nie Sanniang stood in the house she had just rented and shed tears.

Nie Si Niang was calmer on the contrary, until that night when Nie San Niang took her to knock on the neighbor's door and met Tao Da and his two companions.

"Fourth Sister, this is Brother Tao, this is Brother Liu, and this is Chen San."

Nie Si Niang bowed to everyone one by one and looked at her sister in confusion.

At this time, Nie Sanniang finally felt relieved and said, "Si Niang, I was able to rescue you thanks to Brother Tao and the others."

As for the magpie, Nie Sanniang did not mention it.

It’s not that he doesn’t trust his sister, it’s just that the Que brothers are so mysterious that even the four of them haven’t seen their true faces. It’s obvious that they don’t want to reveal their identities, so there’s no need to mention it for the time being.

"Thank you, three brothers." Nie Si Niang bowed again.

Tao Da hurriedly said, "Sister Si Niang, there is no need to be like this. We are not only trying to save you. San Niang is the same as us."

They have the same goal. Sanniang is not the one being helped. They are helping each other and are partners.

Nie Sanniang pulled Nie Si Niang to sit down and talked about how the righteous men gathered in the southeast and vowed to eradicate the thief Yuan, and then talked about going to Beijing.

When Nie Si Niang heard the last part, she burst into tears.

Nie Sanniang embraced her sister and said, "Now that the thief Yuan is dead, we will have a good life from now on. Don't cry, sister."

"Yes, we will be together in the future, so it will definitely be fine." Chen San comforted.

Nie Si Niang lowered her eyes and nodded slightly.

After returning to the new home that had been arranged during the day, Nie Si Niang washed up and came to Nie San Niang: "Sister, I want to sleep with you tonight." Nie San Niang was stunned, and then smiled: "Okay."

The two sisters lay together on the bed, covered only with a thin quilt.

The mattress is also new, just like the new life that is about to begin.

"Sister." Just when Nie Sanniang thought that Nie Si Niang was asleep, Nie Si Niang suddenly spoke.

Nie Sanniang turned sideways and looked at her sister.

"Sister..." Nie Si Niang called out again, gathering her courage, "Is Brother Shuang at home? If we stay in the capital and don't go back, I want to send him a letter. I... miss him."

Nie Sanniang clenched her fists.

After hiding it for so long, she knew she couldn't hide it any longer.

"Sister." Tears appeared in Nie Si Niang's eyes.

Nie Sanniang gritted her teeth and said, "Lu Shuang...is gone!"

Nie Si Niang, who had been mentally prepared, trembled with tears in her eyes, "How did Brother Shuang die?"

Nie Sanniang knew from her sister's reaction that she had not believed those words of comfort, so she had to tell the truth: "Lu Shuang went to stop Yuan Ze and asked him to let you go home, but before he could get close, he was hacked to death in the name of assassination..."

Nie Si Niang covered her mouth and cried.

She knew that Brother Shuang was gone. If Brother Shuang was still here, he would come to see her no matter what.

Nie Sanniang hugged Nie Si Niang tightly and let her vent her pain.

Perhaps because she had a premonition of her lover's death, Nie Si Niang did not cry for long. She choked up and said, "Sister, let's go buy some paper for burning tomorrow. Buy lots of it. It's still July, so Brother Shuang will definitely receive it."

"Okay, buy a lot." Nie Sanniang breathed a sigh of relief after hearing Nie Si Niang's suggestion.

It’s good that my sister can still think of these things. After a while, she will cheer up.

The next day, the two sisters went to a funeral street and bought many offerings. When they were walking back, they saw the Mohele on the stall and Nie Si Niang stopped and said, "Sister, I want this."

"Whatever Si Niang likes, feel free to pick it."

The Qiqiao Festival had just passed, and the Mohelos on the stall were leftovers, and they were very ordinary. However, Nie Si Niang enthusiastically picked out three clay dolls, one boy and two girls.

"Sister, do these two girls look alike? One is you, and the other is me."

Nie Sanniang looked at the two Mohelos side by side seriously. They looked just like she and her sister slept together last night. She nodded and said, "Same."

After returning to her residence, Nie Si Niang suddenly burst into tears.

"Fourth Lady?"

Nie Si Niang hugged Nie San Niang: "Sister, why can't I do anything right? Before I went out, I was thinking that Brother Shuang loved to eat persimmons, but I forgot to buy them..."

Nie Sanniang said hurriedly, "There's persimmons for sale at the end of the alley. I'll go buy some now."

Seeing that Nie Sanniang was about to walk out the door, Nie Siniang called out, "Sister."

Nie Sanniang turned around.

"Fourth Lady, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, sister, go early and come back early."

"I'll be right back."

Nie Sanniang went out and walked quickly to the persimmon stall, where she carefully selected a basket of persimmons and took them home.

Her hometown is too far away and there is too much pain. From now on, this will be her and her sister’s real home.

When the door was opened, the bamboo basket fell to the ground and the bright red persimmons fell into the mud.

"Si Niang--" Nie Sanniang cried and ran towards her sister who was lying in a pool of blood.

(End of this chapter)