Chapter 24: When Will the Bright Moon Appear (2)

  In the small kitchen, I listlessly rolled up my sleeves, kneaded the dough, and occasionally slapped it weakly.

  "Third Master loves to eat this chicken heart cake the most, Madam's craftsmanship is the best in our mansion. When Third Master was young, Madam often personally cooked for him, and the taste was so good that even Qing Da Ye and Er came over to eat. One time, Third Master ate too much and had a stomachache all night, which worried Hou Ye to death and scolded Madam severely. From then on, Third Master didn't dare to eat too much anymore." Xie San Niang said while teaching me how to make the heart cake in the kitchen.

  My heart skipped a beat and I couldn't help but exclaim: "Third Master is truly a filial son!"

  Xie San Niang saw that I had finally spoken up and excitedly said: "That's right, when the mistress was alive, she would always cry secretly, but Third Master has never liked to talk since he was young. However, whenever he saw his mother crying, he would always try to make her laugh by opening up and talking more. He's a very considerate person, so Mu Gu Niang, you're a lucky person, you must take good care of Third Master..."

  The topic suddenly changed and became a lecture on the ideology of personal worship, I stood there with a wry smile, forcing myself to listen.

  Suddenly, there was a commotion outside the door, and a cold-faced guard came in to say that Qi Bo Tian, the leader of the peasant uprising army who had been imprisoned in the imperial court of Kyoto, had escaped from prison. He might have escaped into our garden, so Jin'niang brought people to take a look around. I wiped my hands covered with flour and thought to myself: "That's the leader of the largest peasant uprising army in the history of the Eastern Imperial Court!" After a thousand years, he would still be written about in history textbooks! So I asked the guard: "Has San Ye also returned?"

  The voice had just fallen when the silvery laughter like brocade came: "Now it's really close to San Ye, just separated for a while, can't think of it?"

  I helplessly said: "You little hoof is getting more and more unscrupulous, San Niang just made chicken heart cake, wanting to let San Ye try it."

  Jin Xiu laughed and hugged me from behind, then picked up a piece of chicken patty and stuffed it into my mouth. Her chin rested on my shoulder as she giggled and said, "Third Madame, you say I'm being too sentimental, but it's clear that Third Master is thinking of you! Don't pretend! Look, even the little daughter-in-law has personally gone to cook."

  San Niang knew that Jin Xiu was Qing Jiang's right-hand woman, so she respectfully gave her a courtesy and called out "Jin Niang hao". Upon hearing this, she looked at me with a warm and ambiguous gaze, covering her mouth to laugh. I hastily explained, looking at them and stuttering: "You, you mustn't, don't spread rumors, if you say it again, I won't give you food."

  I brushed away her little demon claws reaching for the chicken heart cake, but her martial arts skills were surprisingly strong, dodging left and right, I couldn't touch her hand no matter what.

  "Mmm, it's really delicious, indeed full of the taste of love. Do you remember? You used to make pancakes for me and always said that. Come on, pick a small piece and let me try." She was giggling there, and the face of the man dressed as a woman was even more captivating. The guards outside couldn't help but stare, including those two new ones from Xifengyuan who were known to be very professional and expressionless cold-faced bodyguards.

  Just as we were laughing and chatting, the guards finished their search and came to report back. Jin Xiu nodded slightly and pulled me to a quiet place: "Mu Qi, tomorrow is our birthday, what gift do you want?"

  I shook my head with a smile and poked her cute nose: "Nothing at all, as long as you're safe and sound, that's all I need. So what gift do you want me to give you?"

  She suppressed her smile and gazed at me: "Mù Jīn, at that time I also thought the same as you, as long as you're safe and sound..."

  A pang of sadness hit me, and tears fell from my eyes: "Jinxiu, you're not talented, I've let you suffer..."

  "Mu Xun, don't cry. Jin Xiu has never blamed you and will never forget. I want to be with you forever, so you won't be lonely in your old age. Don't cry."

  I cried even harder, Jinxiu wiped away my tears for me, and her own eyes also overflowed with tears: "You big fool, always thinking of others, so infuriating..."

  Jinxiu and I looked at each other, burst into tears and laughed, wiping away each other's tears, as if we had returned to our childhood, twisting each other's buttons, braiding each other's hair, washing each other's faces, wiping away each other's tears, blowing each other's noses...

  Jin Yu helped me adjust my clothes before I left: "It's getting cold, wear more clothes. You're also a young lady now, don't let people laugh at you. Tomorrow, I'll send someone to deliver some nice things to you."

  "Don't worry, I've already prepared everything for San Niang. I have everything here, just keep it for yourself and don't worry about it, Jin Gu Niang!" Xie San Niang insisted on letting her bring some chicken heart cakes to the noble guests who were admiring the moon in the Zi Garden, saying they were homemade and freshly baked, so I also packed some for Jin Xiu and sent her off with a smile at the door.

  She helplessly pouted at me, then suddenly leaned in close to my side and asked in a voice that only I could hear: "It seems that Third Master's skills are not bad, but you guys should also hold back a bit."

  I didn't understand at first, and I was foolishly staring at her sly smile. When I came to my senses, my face turned red all the way to the base of my neck. My hands were shaking as I pointed at her annoying yet detestable smile: "You little brat, you're a wicked little scamp! What are you going to spout off about now?"

  She said loudly in the room, "Who's a little fart? You've all done it, and you're still afraid I'll say something. Look at that cherry mouth of yours, I'm surprised which cat is stinky."

  All the guards looked at me with a warm and ambiguous gaze. Fine, this time I'd jumped into the Yellow River and cleared up the mess. I stomped my foot in annoyance, turned around and left, while Jin Xiu laughed coquettishly behind my back.

  I turned into my own room, my face still burning, looking at the copper mirror with lips that were exceptionally beautiful because of redness and swelling. I was also a little dazed. Why did Jinxiu deliberately tease me in front of so many people today? She wasn't like this before.

  It's all right, this fuss about the brocade will spread even more rumors about me and Yuan Fei being intimate. What if it reaches Nianzhu's ears? How will he think of me then?

  Just as I was worried, a black shadow flashed by, and my goosebumps stood up. As the saying goes, "the higher the skill, the greater the courage", I touched the reward and stabbed out, but in fact, I overestimated my three-legged cat kung fu, and it absolutely belonged to "blind bravery". After a few moves, I was tongue-tied and found that my reward had successfully helped the other party cut off the iron chain, and then landed smoothly in the other party's hand, pointing directly at my throat: "If you make a sound, I'll kill you."

  A single lamp, under the dim light, only saw a person with black hair scattered and tangled with mud, with a beard and tattered clothes, with heavy handcuffs and shackles on all four limbs, but with bright eyes and a hint of mockery at the corner of his mouth. I remembered that Jin Xiu had just said to search for a prisoner, was this man Qī Bó Tiān?!

  I looked at this person who would have an important position in the history of peasant uprisings, quickly turning my brain, slowly nodding to him. He went around to my back: "You take me out, I'll let you go, otherwise, I'll make you never see your lover for a lifetime."

  My fingers touched the wrist ring on my right hand, which was made by Zhang Demao's help. It was delivered just yesterday and looked more exquisite than the original one. The small arrows inside were also coated with a powerful poison. I named it "Hu Jin".

  Yesterday I took out the snow pearl from the right ear pendant that Song Minghui gave me and put it into my bead gun's exclusive antidote.

  I was just about to quietly turn the pearl wheel, aiming at his thigh, when I heard his last sentence. It seemed that he had listened to all my conversations with Jin Xiu. A flash of inspiration struck me - this is an extra opportunity to go see Fei Niao! People in love are indeed bold and reckless, blind and unreasonable!

  I floated out a hint of an invisible smile and said to him: "Alright, I'll take you out, please don't kill me."

  He glared at me viciously: "Don't play any tricks, otherwise I'll make your head fall to the ground and all your wealth and glory will disappear into thin air."

  This kid is quite interesting when he talks, but if I go out like this, those two guards will definitely be suspicious, and they won't let me out either?

  I turned my head to look at him and said, "Zi Zhuang Shi, with this dignified appearance of yours, you'll be recognized as soon as you go out. I suggest you tidy up a bit, change your clothes, and then leave. You take me over the wall, and I'll take you out through the west corner gate. We can escape into the mountains and hide for a night. Tomorrow, we'll come out dressed in gold and silver, and no one will be able to recognize you."

  I spoke with great enthusiasm, he stared at me blankly for a moment, then began to think seriously and nodded: "This plan is excellent, why do you want to help me? Are you trying to deceive me?"

  "Good heavens! Is this really the leader of that peasant uprising? How simple-minded can you be? You ask me like that, and I'll definitely say no. So I spoke with utmost sincerity: 'I'm not lying to you, General Qi, my son and I are also from a poor family background. We bought the original house to raise money for our father's illness. You stood up for us poor people, so we've always admired you deeply in our hearts. Heaven is above, I dare not deceive General Qi.' I made an oath there, with my hands clasped behind my back, thinking to myself: 'Heavenly Father, this doesn't count, this doesn't count.'"

  He was there, looking at me with a mixture of suspicion and doubt, slowly putting down the wine cup. I said to him: "Quickly use my dagger to shave off your beard and hair, in my wardrobe there is a set of replacement clothes for Third Master, quickly change into them, then before Third Master returns, I will send you out of Purple Bamboo Mountain Villa."

  I pointed to the cabinet, he told me to go get it, I moved my feet as slowly as possible, took out that set of clothes, and Qi Bote's luck was really good. The original non-white had a piece of white satin jacket with a broken mouth, Xie San Niang insisted that I sew it myself, I had no choice but to take it back. Just the other day, Biying helped me sew it, and I hadn't even had time to return it to Yuan Fei White yet. Otherwise, relying on my craftsmanship, Yuan Fei White would absolutely not wear a shirt with an ant crawling up the front, let's give it to this peasant uprising leader today.

  He saw that I was still quite obedient and honest, so he put down some of his guard, slowly shaving his beard in front of the copper mirror, while cautiously looking at me from the mirror. After a while, a young man with a clear-cut face, a handsome appearance, and a strong masculine flavor appeared before me. He had really transformed, just like an old man in his 40s or 50s, but now he looked like a young man of 23 or 24 years old.

  He put on the original non-white clothes, and I couldn't help but laugh out loud. It's really true that temperament is more important, the original non-white wore this dress with a noble air, as if floating like an immortal, while this comrade wore it and looked like... like a nouveau riche who was trying to be elegant.

  He looked at me with a glance, his face turned red, and he showed the rustic simplicity of a peasant: "Don't laugh, I've never worn such good clothes before."

  I suddenly felt I was being too much, so I bowed my head and apologized: "Sorry, Qi Zhuang Shi, I shouldn't have laughed at you. Here's an apology."

  He was about to come and support me with a smile, I was so scared that I quickly hid, he twisted his face red there, and I became more suspicious that this gentleman was not the one who rewarded silver with one thousand two hundred taels of silver, saying it was a cunning and treacherous imperial court prisoner.

  His lightness was quite good, and he took me lightly over the high wall of Xifeng Garden. We passed through the terrifying Western Forest, and in a moment, we left the large courtyard of Ziqiu Mountain Villa. I looked at the radiant jade plate in the sky, took a deep breath, and cupped my hands: "Alright, Qizhuang, I've sent you out of the mountain villa. You can hide here for one night and leave tomorrow."

  I pulled out two silver hairpins from my head, took off two jade bangles and stuffed them into his hands: "We rushed out in a hurry, didn't bring any silver notes on us, take these ornaments to pawn, buy some new clothes to escape with your life, live a good life."

  Nazhi Bo Tianhu's eyes welled up with tears, and he fell to his knees with a thud: "This... this... I forced the young lady to send me out, which is already overstepping my bounds. If someone sees us, it would also implicate the young lady. How can I still accept her gifts?"

  I quickly helped him up, smiling and shaking my head: "I have always admired heroes, it's really admirable. And I don't think Qi Zhuangshi is that kind of fugitive who commits evil deeds, why does Qi Zhuangshi want to rebel against the imperial court?"

  "Without deceiving you, miss, the insect plague in our hometown has become too severe. The county magistrate doesn't allow us to exterminate the locusts, and as farmers, our harvest is our lifeblood. With no harvest in sight, my parents and three siblings have starved to death. Their bodies weren't even buried yet when they were devoured by those locusts. Then, the landlord's son, Qi Zixiong, claimed that I was a bandit and took my wife away as collateral for debt. When I went to the landlord's house to demand her back, they accused me of rebelling against the imperial court." As he spoke, tears and blood flowed together.

  I sighed silently in my heart, since ancient times, farmers have indeed been at the bottom of life. No wonder the emperors of old always emphasized agriculture and suppressed commerce, while those who preyed on the poor villagers like dogs, still had to cruelly oppress and bully the good people under the bright sky. As the saying goes, "force the people to rebel", the people cannot help but rebel. In those places where the mountains are high and the emperor is far away, many evil landlords are just like local emperors, truly evil to the core, deserving of heavenly punishment and earthly destruction.

  I secretly took down the name of that landlord, Qi Zixiong. I asked Qi Bo Tian if he knew how his daughter-in-law was doing now. His tears flowed even more violently: "After Xiulan was taken into the Qi Manor, she couldn't bear the torture and hanged herself. It's said that Qi Zixiong, in a fit of rage, had Xiulan's corpse fed to the dogs. I was so enraged that I really rebelled."

  I nodded heavily: "Zi Zhuang Shi, don't worry, within a year, someone will surely avenge your great injustice and let you return to your hometown. Now it's late, you should hurry on the road, the mountains are high and the waters are long, we'll meet again."

  He moved me to bid farewell, just about to turn around, I suddenly remembered that the gift was in his hand, and I really liked Yu Feiyan's gift, so I called him: "Qi Zhuang Shi, this dagger is a gift from my brother, can you return it to me?"

  Just as Zibotian was about to hand me the dagger, a cold voice came: "Big brother, stop, don't be deceived." A cold blade was placed on my neck, and my sweat slowly flowed down. However, this voice seemed a bit familiar.

  Zi Bo Tian hastily said: "Little brother quickly put down your sword, this young lady is my lifesaver, come and thank her for me."

  "That voice came again: 'Big brother is really muddled, no matter what, she saw your true face, let her go, and there will be endless troubles. Moreover, you forced her with martial arts, she must have a grudge in her heart, and bringing you out was just to escape temporarily. If you return this peerless sword, she will definitely find an opportunity to kill you. Why not let me cut the grass and eliminate the roots, and settle everything once and for all?'"