Horse-head Wall Reflects the Qing Dynasty

Chapter 99 Having long since abandoned worldly desires, I have already embarked on my journey to escape this mortal realm—this is not life.

Spring thunder passes, summer rains linger, the wind blows without a trace, only the green mountains remain.

The moon cast a long, lonely shadow in the mid-autumn sky. Guan Yin and Cheng Heng took the opportunity, under the pretext of visiting the Cheng family couple, to also pay a visit to Liu Jiao'an and Ling Xiao.

"I bought some small shrimp from the river today. Try them and see if they suit your taste." The news of the execution of the Liu family members in the autumn has spread throughout Huizhou Prefecture, and opinions on Liu Jiao'an's actions are mixed.

Some praised Liu Jiao'an for his selfless act of sacrificing his own family, saying he truly cared about ordinary people. Others, naturally, criticized him from the perspective of filial piety, arguing that he should have concealed the truth for his father, or even died alongside him.

Liu Jiao'an's current appearance clearly showed that she was not affected by the outside world. Guan Yin was very pleased and picked up a shrimp with his chopsticks. It was light and sweet, and tasted very good. Guan Yin had eaten the same dish in the real world, but it was too oily and salty. Although it was fragrant, it lost its original flavor.

The courtyard, nestled amidst verdant hills, and the salty, fishy smell of the river, transformed into a wisp of earthy and misty aroma that wafted into Guan Yin's nostrils—a truly unique experience.

"There's not much oil or salt at home, so please make do with what you have." In just a few months, Ling Xiao seemed to have adapted to life here, living in a small courtyard built against the mountain in the countryside, playing out his own identity.

Anhui cuisine is heavy on oil and salt, and ordinary families in those days couldn't afford much meat, and the same goes for salt.

The meal was enjoyed in a pleasant atmosphere, with conversations about recent trivial matters. No one brought up the Liu family's affairs, nor did anyone worry about how Guan Yin and Cheng Heng would return to their own worlds—the full moon in the sky shines brightly, and one shouldn't let emotions get entangled in so many separations.

The Cheng couple brought a fish, and the room, which was originally cramped with four people sitting down, now had six people standing.

“Let’s go to my house… It’s so empty, it lacks a bit of life.” Father Cheng wasn’t good at taking the initiative, but after seeing his children for a while, he felt a pang of longing for the joy of having his children around him, so he felt comfortable speaking up. “This courtyard is so small, there’s no room for so many people.”

"Besides, your presence will make things more lively, and my wife and I... would also like to hear you talk more."

After much hesitation, Cheng's father finally spoke the words he had kept hidden in his heart, and the weight that had been pressing on his heart was finally lifted. Everyone knows that there are no "what ifs" in what happened back then, but... if he could have directly expressed his unease to the younger generation, perhaps things wouldn't have turned out this way.

There weren't many dishes on the table, and they weren't difficult to move. The two girls weren't exactly poor on a daily basis, but they could only afford to eat dishes with fish and meat during festivals.

The six of them carried the food over, and along the way they could even stop to look at the moon and the people around them.

"There are some dishes at home that I, Mrs. Tong, cannot finish. You may all have some with me."

Now there will always be plenty of oily and salty meals.

"Can you even stomach that stinky mandarin fish?" Cheng Heng asked Guan Yin, putting down his chopsticks as they sat down.

"Can't eat it."

"I think it tastes good."

Stinky mandarin fish from Huizhou, stinky tofu from Changsha, and fermented mung bean juice from Beijing... these are all famous "stinky" foods that tourists must try, but locals may not be able to accept.

"It's still edible while it's hot," Guan Yin said, smoothing out what she had just said. "But I really can't stand the smell."

Guan Yin seemed to recall the pungent smell of rotten mandarin fish, and suddenly frowned, losing his appetite at the sight of the food in front of him.

"Hahahaha, many of my friends can't eat it either, but quite a few of my classmates who often come to visit can eat it, and some even like it." Cheng Heng shrugged.

A meal, a moonlit night—they all passed by so quickly, it felt like the people had just met and it was time to part ways.

"Jiao'an, take good care of yourself. Next year..." Could he not go back next year? Guan Yin opened his mouth, wanting to make a promise for a spring day, but in the end, he took back the words he was about to say.

"Sister Guan, you don't need to worry so much. I'm here, so why are you still worried about Sister Jiao'an?"

Ling Xiao sometimes acts like a little girl who hasn't grown up, and when she has no one to rely on, she also seems mature enough to support the whole family on her own.

"Okay." Ling Xiao's words made up for the awkwardness of Guan Yin's half-spoken words. The latter nodded and turned his head to give Cheng Heng an affirmative look.

After exchanging greetings, Guan Yin and Cheng Heng left without much further conversation.

The dawn light obscured the sky and earth, and the thick fog made it difficult to see the mountains. Following the path they had come from, the two walked a short distance, turned a bend, and could no longer see the four people standing behind them.

“Come chat with me more often. Your uncle can’t speak, and he’s always in the fields during the day. I’m bored by myself… When you’re free, come over more often.” Mother Cheng took one of the girls’ hands and held it together, her eyes filled with expectation as she looked at the two of them.

“If you don’t come, I will go to the courtyard to look for you whenever I have free time. You can’t leave an old man like me standing there.”

The two girls were reserved, somewhat like my son Mian'er. They didn't like to publicize what they did—a trait that made them vulnerable to being taken advantage of.

Ling Xiao glanced at Liu Jiao'an and saw that the former had already silently nodded. He smiled brightly, raised his other hand, and shook her hand back: "Alright, since Madam has arrived, we will naturally keep you company."

The rain brought a chill, the mist dissipated from the mountains, clouds drifted through the pines, and the mountaintops were covered with a layer of white frost.

Autumn is in full swing.

"Yes, autumn is in full swing."

"Put on some clothes."

"it is good."

Liu Jiaoan and Ling Xiao always spoke so little, stopping just as they were about to explain themselves.

"Aren't you going to the market today?" The sun's shadow was already high outside the window. Liu Jiao'an looked at Ling Xiao, who hadn't moved, with some surprise. "Is Zhang Shuwen coming to pick you up?"

Ling Xiao was clearly hiding something from Liu Jiao'an, and when asked about it, he became flustered.

"Today... I'll take a day off and spend time with Sister Jiao'an." Ling Xiao had been in the brothel for a long time, so it was impossible for him not to know how to say sweet words to make people feel comfortable. But when he was in front of someone he really cared about, Ling Xiao couldn't open his mouth.

"It must be them."

"Who? Who are they?" Ling Xiao looked around as if he wanted to pull someone out from a crack in the wall, then reached out and grasped Liu Jiao'an's hand. "My dear sister, who are you?"

Liu Jiao'an didn't dodge, but let Ling Xiao hold her hand like that... until Liu Jiao'an held her hand back and spoke again: "Them, the Liu family, and those people behind the corruption case back then."

"Those people who should have died long ago."

Only the most well-informed people in the market heard the news, and it was only after Ling Xiao had been keeping an eye on the matter and had given them silver that they heard about it.

When did Liu Jiao'an in the village find out? Since it could no longer be hidden, Ling Xiao stopped trying to hide it.

"Yes, news has come back that the Liu family members have been executed."

"When are you leaving?" Liu Jiao'an didn't continue Ling Xiao's words. "Now that the case is closed, Zhang Shuwen should be less busy. We can welcome you to the capital then, and everything will be settled."

Hearing Liu Jiao'an's words, Ling Xiao felt inexplicably uneasy. She rarely gave such detailed explanations; what had she remembered today?
"Sister Jiao'an..."

"If Zhang Shuwen comes to pick you up then, ask Cheng's parents. Getting married from the Cheng family would be much better than this little courtyard."

Liu Jiao'an naturally understood the doubt hidden behind Ling Xiao's hesitation, but she continued speaking to herself. "This courtyard is also very nice. Going to the Cheng family would probably be too much of a disturbance." Having heard about Cheng Mian's past, and knowing that Cheng's father and mother came from scholarly families, Ling Xiao had always intentionally avoided the Cheng couple.

Ling Xiao felt that his background and past were shameful, and even though the Cheng family had never treated him differently because of it, he did not want to tarnish the Cheng family's reputation.

"Mother Cheng likes lively atmospheres, so she won't refuse."

"Oh." Liu Jiao'an knew what she was thinking, and there was no point in saying more. Ling Xiao nodded in response, "Okay."

“Cheng’s father is always sharp-tongued, but you don’t have to always give in to him. Sometimes he just needs someone to argue with him so he can speak his mind properly.”

"It's gotten much better lately."

"Okay, I'll do whatever Sister Jiao'an says."

Liu Jiao'an said nothing more, and the two of them continued their lives as usual. They cooked and ate, and frequently visited the Cheng family.

They endured it all until snow began to fall on the mountaintop. In the early morning, they walked along the muddy road, the chill penetrating their clothes.

As sunlight streamed into the courtyard, Ling Xiao suddenly awoke, looked around, but couldn't find Liu Jiao'an anywhere.

"Sister Jiao'an?" Ling Xiao rushed out in a panic, but unexpectedly, as soon as he pushed open the door, he saw a figure from behind.

Liu Jiao'an was in the yard, looking at the still lush and green trumpet creeper: "When it blooms again next year, there will be even more flowers, and they will probably be even more vibrant."

"Yes, perhaps I won't be able to see it then. Shuwen said he would come to marry me next spring."

Liu Jiao'an smiled, her smile as bright as the most vibrant bloom of a trumpet creeper: "That's a good thing, it won't be long..."

"Yes, it won't be long." Ling Xiao suddenly felt a little nostalgic for the days he spent with Liu Jiao'an and the Cheng family.

Time flies like an arrow. He entered the music hall, left the music hall, entered the courtyard, and was about to leave the courtyard again—it seemed that everything was beyond his control, and Lingxiao could not stop.

"Let's go back, it's getting cold."

Looking up, Liu Jiao'an glanced at the clouds in the mountains: "It just rained, and judging from the sky, another rain is brewing. You shouldn't go to the market today."

“Okay.” Ling Xiao always listened to Liu Jiao’an; whatever she said, Ling Xiao would agree.

And so, day turned to night. Ling Xiao once again did not see Liu Jiao'an. He pushed open the door, but she was not in the courtyard either.

Finally, I found a letter on the desk, with neat handwriting, line after line.

"Didn't you say you wanted to open a small shop and live a good life? Why did you have to..."

The distant mountains are layered upon each other. I've heard of Baiyue Lingxiao mentioned in the letter, but I've never seen her. I don't know how Liu Jiao'an will manage to walk there alone and find her cousin.

The rain outside the courtyard was so thick that the road was invisible, as if a veil had been put over one's eyes, and even the Cheng family's house in the distance could not be seen clearly.

The road ahead is one that Liu Jiao'an must walk alone...

"Before my uncle went out to visit a friend, he said that someone would come looking for her within three days. Now it seems that it must be the young lady."

"Who is your martial uncle?"

“Master Cheng’an,” the young Taoist replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, “If you have come to find someone, then it must be the person that my master told us to wait for.”

It was reasonable for her cousin to be able to predict the future, so Liu Jiao'an didn't show too much surprise.

“I want to…” Liu Jiao’an raised her head and met Zhenwu’s gaze. Suddenly, she couldn’t say what she was going to say.

"My master said I should settle you down, young lady. As for anything else, we'll have to wait for her return before making any plans." The young Taoist boy sized up Liu Jiao'an, his eyes filled with curiosity. "Young lady, please come with me first. Since you're acquainted with my master, then this is the right choice!"

The young Taoist was clearly determined to achieve his goal. Liu Jiao'an, having failed to speak once, lacked the courage to speak again in front of the young Taoist. She nodded and followed a few steps behind him to the alchemy room where the female Taoist priests were.

"Don't go yet, I'll go and call my master to entertain you... Don't be afraid, my master is also a woman."

"Hmm." The little Taoist's words were inexplicably cute, and Liu Jiao'an nodded in agreement again. Then, she hurried into a pill-making room.

Liu Jiao'an, who remained in place, looked around.

Firstly, I was wondering what it would be like to stay here, and secondly, I was also wondering what my aunt meant by insisting that I wait for her to come back.

"Please come with me, young lady."

After a while, a female Taoist priest emerged from the alchemy room. She was a little younger than Liu Jiao'an's cousin. She nodded to Liu Jiao'an and led her into the room.

“Then you can stay and eat with us. If you can get up in the morning, you can practice some boxing with us to relieve your worries.”

"When Cheng'an returns, you can discuss your thoughts with him. Whether you stay or leave, and what your plans are, is entirely up to you."

Clouds come to the mountain, incense goes to send people off. Liu Jiao'an stayed there for half a month. All the female Taoist priests became familiar with Liu Jiao'an, and Liu Jiao'an also learned the style of the female Taoist priests' boxing.

"She's really a smart girl."

"Cheng'an anticipated her arrival, and since half a month has passed, he's not in a hurry to come back... Miss, what is your relationship with Cheng'an?"

The nuns were vegetarians and did not marry, Liu Jiao'an thought, these could be considered "monastics," and speaking of her aunt's worldly connection with her, perhaps...

"Cheng'an mentioned that she has a cousin, which must be you, young lady?"

"Why waste such precious years with us?"

The Taoist priest next to him nudged the one who was about to speak, and then looked at Liu Jiao'an: "Alright, you can come with us and take care of your tired and thoughtful body. When Cheng'an comes back, you can tell her what you don't want to tell us."

"It's not that I'm unwilling, actually..."

It wasn't that she was unwilling, but that she didn't know how to say it. She wanted to escape the rights and wrongs of this mortal world, but all the female Taoist priests seemed to disagree.

Now, I can't bring myself to speak, I can't bring myself to speak, and I finally lack the strength to express my true feelings.

"Jiao An'er, is it really you?"

The familiar voices rescued Liu Jiao'an from her predicament: her aunt had returned, and Master Cheng'an had returned.

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