“Good child, don’t cry. When we get back, we’ll settle accounts with that old fellow. It’s cold in the mountains. First put on the blanket. Tsk tsk, such a pretty little girl rolling around covered in mud. Liu Jinbao, Liu Jinbao! Quickly hang up the big pot and heat water so Xiao Miao can wash properly. What a sin! Such a good child driven out by that old fellow. Have you eaten? Quickly take out the pickled fish and canned food. No yellow buns—Yingchun cakes, just bring Yingchun cakes.”
Yun Ye took out his handkerchief to help Xiao Miao wipe her face. The more he wiped, the more tears flowed down Xiao Miao’s face. This child was obsessed with martial arts practice, but her nature was still a little girl’s nature. Wandering the Great Tang alone for over a year—though her martial arts were formidable and she wouldn’t necessarily suffer hardship—she had always been loved and cherished by everyone in the Yun household. Back then, the old grandmother had even led the aunts and ladies to denounce Wu She for driving Xiao Miao like a stone person, saying Wu She had no humanity.
Now in the ancient Meiling Road, she had encountered the Yun household people. Her sense of closeness greatly increased, yet she worried Yun Ye wouldn’t pay attention to her. That’s why she hid on the beam to peek. Now hearing Yun Ye’s nagging care, how could she still hold back? Once the tears started flowing, they became a river.
The Yun household’s most terrifying weapon wasn’t the eight-ox crossbow, but rather the atmosphere created by their entire family working together. Whether it was Wu She, Xi Tong, or even man-woman hybrids like Han Zhe, upon entering the Yun household, they all felt completely at ease and unrestrained.
Whether master or servant, everyone seemed very casual. Male servants and guests frequently came and went in the Yun household’s inner quarters. For other meritorious noble families, this was inconceivable, but in the Yun household, even if you saw it, you couldn’t generate sordid associations.
A tender trap is a hero’s tomb—how could Wu She not know this? His purpose in driving Xiao Miao out to train was precisely to make Xiao Miao maintain a martial artist’s resolute heart. Only this way could she walk further on the martial path.
He forgot about the terrifying power of Yun household cuisine. It looked very ordinary—buns, congee, small dishes, noodles, dumplings—all common household foods. But once outside, one would discover that the Yun household’s were vastly different from others’. Xiao Miao had stayed at the Yun household for several years and had long developed an extremely discriminating palate. Especially having eaten all kinds of hardship in her early years, when she first ate Yun household food, the stimulus to her was even greater. It’s easy to go from frugality to luxury, but going from luxury to frugality is harder than ascending to heaven. So from the day Xiao Miao left home, she had been constantly tormented regarding food. Add to that being lonely and helpless since childhood, dreaming of having a home, and the Yun household was undoubtedly the best choice. Ever since being driven out by Master, Xiao Miao would shed tears even seeing stray dogs, feeling she was no different from those dogs.
When she passed through Yuezhou, she would go to the Yun household to steal food. Whenever she passed by Yun household shops, she would go in to browse around. This time passing through Meiling to go to Lingnan, she wanted to go to Yongzhou. As a result, discovering Yun Ye at Meiling, she followed along wanting to take another look.
“Eat slowly. There are plenty of Yingchun cakes. Cake spoils easily so I didn’t bring any. Drink some canned water to wash it down. Roast the meat buns over the fire before eating them. Eating them cold will upset your stomach.”
The perceptive Liu Jinbao spread a very large oilcloth in front of Xiao Miao. The food Li Anlan had prepared was placed on the oilcloth item by item. Before long, it was spread out fully. Those household guards who knew Xiao Miao also contributed the favorite foods they had specially preserved. The cook finally took out meat buns wrapped at Hengpu Pass from the cart, apologizing profusely, saying the journey was too hurried and the ingredients at Hengpu Pass weren’t good, so the buns weren’t wrapped well. He asked Xiao Miao to make do with them for now. When suitable materials were found, he would steam a pot of good ones for Xiao Miao.
There were those helping Xiao Miao open cans, those peeling braised eggs for her, those roasting meat buns for her, and those constantly comforting Xiao Miao. Liu Jinbao stuck his bottom up lying on the ground using a bamboo tube to blow on the fire, wanting to make the fire burn more vigorously to heat the bath water faster. Xiao Miao looked around with red eyes, her mouth stuffed full of food. Eating and eating, she began crying loudly again.
Her petite body could eat so much, yet not one household guard laughed at her. Instead, they said Xiao Miao wasn’t eating as much as when she was at home. Yun Ye finally found the half piece of yellow bun he had lost. Smiling, he broke it off bit by bit to eat. By the time he realized it, he discovered he had already finished eating that unpalatable millet bun.
Xiao Miao had eaten her fill. Shyly smiling at Yun Ye, she darted up to the beam and took down a not-very-large bundle from above, placing it before Yun Ye. By this time, Liu Jinbao had already heated the bath water, poured it into a large wooden basin, and carried it to the side hall for Xiao Miao, loudly calling for Xiao Miao to quickly go wash. He would help Xiao Miao keep watch.
Xiao Miao, like a child, took her change of clothes and skipped bouncing to the side hall to bathe. Yun Ye opened the bundle Xiao Miao had given him with puzzlement. He also wanted to see what kind of treasures Xiao Miao had actually collected.
A rotten pearl, not even as pretty as the decorations on Yun Lu’s cloth doll—keep it for Xiao Miao. Seven or eight silver coins, nothing attractive—keep them for Xiao Miao. A half-gnawed sugar cane? Still give it to her to keep. A gold-plated hairpin? This was counterfeit, copper. An ugly cloth doll? At first glance, it was Xiao Ya’s handiwork. This had no value. A thumb ring full of ancient flavor? The entire surface had marks worn by bowstrings. What did the character “Duan” written on it mean? And also a seal of General-in-Chief Huaihua?
Yun Ye quickly took out his own seal of General Huaihua from his chest. After comparing the two, he discovered his own was missing one Bi’an beast head compared to the other’s. Turning over the great seal, he laughed very happily, because written on it was “General-in-Chief Huaihua Duan.”
He himself was General Huaihua, while the other was General-in-Chief Huaihua—a full rank higher. What General-in-Chief Huaihua surnamed Duan could there be besides Duan He? No wonder today the gates of Dayu Pass were tightly closed. So it was because the general-in-chief’s seal was lost.
Haha, this was interesting! Duan He was right at Dayu Pass. No wonder his flag couldn’t be seen on the city wall. So it was because the great seal was missing. Haha, Xiao Miao really was a good child. Knowing that her Uncle Yun and Old Duan were at odds, she got his great seal for him. This child must be properly rewarded. No question—the cloth doll produced in Lingnan wouldn’t be given to Xiao Wu anymore, but to Xiao Miao. Treating Xiao Ya’s cloth doll as a treasure—how pitiful.
Xiao Miao was originally small and thin. After washing, with her dripping wet hair draped over her shoulders, her little face was highlighted to the point of almost disappearing. Wrapped in a blanket on her body, one couldn’t tell at all this was a sixteen or seventeen-year-old grown girl.
Tianmo Ji had said that practicing martial arts was a woman’s great enemy. The flesh on the chest gets trained onto the arms, the flesh on the bottom gets trained onto the thighs—where’s even half a bit of womanly charm left? So she led the Yun household women in training, all with maintaining figure as first priority.
“Warm yourself by the fire. When Liu Jinbao clears out the cart, you go sleep in the cart. We’ll enter the city tomorrow. How did you obtain this great seal and thumb ring?”
Xiao Miao smiled embarrassedly and said, “I entered Dayu city three days ago. When watching nuo opera at Jinxiu Workshop, there was a very domineering person who drove us all away. He wanted to watch by himself alone, and also wanted that female nuo ghost to wear a mask and dance the nuo dance naked for him to watch. I was very angry, so at night I went to his house wanting to beat him up. But there were many very formidable people in his house. I couldn’t get close to him, so I just took the thumb ring and this seal from the table. If you like them, I’ll give them to you.”
Duan He’s problem was hard to discuss, because Yun Ye had also done this kind of thing, only he did it at Yanlai Tower, not as unrestrained as Duan He did it. Nuo dance was only used when worshipping heaven and earth. The performers were all men. If those performing the nuo dance were women, Yun Ye could imagine what kind of place Jinxiu Workshop was. It probably wasn’t much different from Chang’an’s pleasure quarter Pingkang Ward. Those women dancing the nuo dance were originally meant to seduce men. Prostitutes dancing was their means of livelihood.
“You’re a good girl. From now on, you’re not allowed to go to those places. They’re not places good families should go. From now on, stay at home, embroider flowers, plant flowers and grass. If you get restless, go to Xinghua Ward to listen to a few songs, watch a few stories. When Uncle Yun sees a good young fellow, I’ll betroth you to him, and you can live a good life.”
Xiao Miao rarely became shy, lowering her head and rubbing the hem of her clothes as if she had something to say but was too embarrassed to say it.
Yun Ye laughed, “This is a lifetime matter—what’s there to be shy about? When the time comes, I’ll take you to look. If you like him, we’ll make a decision.” Hearing Yun Ye’s words, Xiao Miao’s face became even redder, and she darted into the cart in a flash.
The cart had been tidied very cleanly by Liu Jinbao. Two large quilts were spread in the cart. Lying on them felt soft and fluffy. Xiao Miao pulled over the other quilt for covering, wrapping herself up tightly with even her head covered inside. How could Uncle Yun say things about finding an in-law family for her in front of so many people? So embarrassing!
Only after a good while did she poke her head out. Her little face had already turned bright red. Looking up, she saw a very large bear doll hanging from the cart ceiling. Both its eyes and nose were made of jewels, sparkling brightly. Xiao Miao reached up and pulled it down, hugging it in her arms, overjoyed. This doll was even more beautiful than Xiao Wu’s.
Who knows how long she talked to the bear before Xiao Miao fell into deep sleep. Before sleeping, she said to the bear that this time after going home, even if Master drove her out again, she absolutely would not leave.
Liu Jinbao moved close to Yun Ye’s side. Seeing the marquis continuously playing with a seal, he asked, “Marquis, this doesn’t look like your seal. There’s an extra beast head.”
Yun Ye held that seal in his hand and looked at Liu Jinbao with sidelong eyes, saying, “Of course it’s not yours truly the marquis’s. It’s Duan He’s. A General-in-Chief Huaihua who loses even his lifeline—that’s truly rare. Jinbao, what do you think we should ask Duan He for when we enter the city tomorrow? Think carefully—yours truly the marquis can’t look upon ordinary things.”
Liu Jinbao curled his lips disdainfully and said, “The Duan family is famously poor. What good things could his family have? Old Master Duan’s salary was all given to relieve his subordinates. He himself ate chaff and swallowed vegetables. Who in Chang’an city doesn’t know this?”
“However, Marquis, his family’s veteran soldiers are famously formidable. Last time at the martial demonstration, our household was beaten quite miserably. Old Lai recuperated at home for half a month before he could get up. Even so, Old Lai said they held back. Otherwise, how about we ask him for a few households of veteran soldiers? His family’s burden is too heavy. Our household helping relieve a few households of veteran soldiers is also proper.”
Yun Ye nodded, “Indeed so. Watching brave warriors live in poverty—yours truly the marquis can’t bear to watch either. If we can lend a hand, lend a hand. The brotherhood of comrades-in-arms should still exist. When the time comes, ask for a few more households to save the Duan family some money and grain. Look, even the stone lions at his house have grass growing on them.”