“Alright.” Shi Jianli glanced sideways at her curved eyes and nodded gently.
Every time she saw Ming Yuelin, she was reminded of her younger self. Back then, her father was the Du Zhou Magistrate, wielding absolute authority in Duzhou.
In the mornings, she would study characters, read books, learn the qin, and practice painting with her tutor, affecting an air of elegance. In the afternoons, she would don riding attire, roam the streets and alleys, and visit villages near the prefecture to catch fish and hunt birds with others, rarely troubled by worries.
Those were her happiest times.
But since her father and mother passed away, she could no longer find joy.
Being beautiful yet having no one to rely on meant she couldn’t protect herself.
The new Du Zhou Magistrate had a fondness for catamites and budding young girls. He took a liking to her and wanted to forcibly take her into his residence.
She was only twelve that year.
She knew how to leverage influence. She claimed her aunt was the Second Madam of the Duke’s Mansion, thinking the magistrate would be deterred.
But he wasn’t particularly intimidated. Blinded by lust, the new magistrate, taking advantage of the emperor’s distant reach, repeatedly threatened her. He said evidence could be erased, and witnesses could be silenced.
Her father had been a good man, but her uncles, who had previously dared not approach their door, were cunning and greedy. They knew she was the only orphan left in the family and, hearing of the new magistrate’s preferences, sought to offer her to him voluntarily in exchange for meager gains.
She escaped. Taking Lanxing and Xianyue with her, she smashed her uncle’s head open with an inkstone and fled to the capital overnight.
Three young girls disguised themselves as grimy boys. After escaping, they received help from some but were also deceived by others.
Begging, hiding, and trekking over mountains and rivers for two months, they finally reached the capital. Her aunt barely recognized her.
Seeing the affectionate look in her aunt’s eyes, she thought she might have found support again.
But she could never return to the person she was before she turned twelve.
After arriving at the Duke’s Mansion, her aunt pleaded with her uncle to intervene. The new Du Zhou Magistrate was removed from power, and her uncles were punished. Only then did Shi Jianli gradually erase those vile faces from her memory.
“Pear Sister, why are you staring at me in a daze?” Ming Yuelin noticed her distraction and shook her hand.
Shi Jianli snapped back to reality and lifted her eyelashes. “I was thinking about some old memories from my childhood.”
“Were they happy or unhappy memories?”
“A mix of both.” Shi Jianli pinched her cheek and, seeing her bright, concerned eyes, curved her lips into a slight smile.
“Then forget the bad ones. Pear Sister, you’re so capable—everything will go your way from now on.” She hugged Shi Jianli’s arm. “I’ll protect you too.”
“Mm.”
“Pear Sister, have you ever skipped class?” Ming Yuelin leaned in and asked in a hushed voice.
“Yes.”
“Ah? You don’t seem like the type to skip class.” Pear Sister appeared to be a well-behaved girl.
“I did when I was young. I found the tutor’s lessons too simple. Once I understood, I’d skip. The tutor often complained to my father.” Remembering the old tutor glaring furiously at her father back in their old home, Shi Jianli’s eyes softened with a smile.
“Since we can drive the carriage now, why don’t we sneak off to catch some fish?”
Ming Yuelin didn’t think activities like catching fish or shrimp were crude. After too much flower-appreciating and poetry-reciting—so-called refined pursuits—one could grow weary. Since they were at the Farmstead, it was the perfect chance to seek some rustic fun.
“Alright.”
With her agreement, Ming Yuelin pulled her back quietly. While the others were engrossed in learning carriage-driving, she tugged Shi Jianli away, and they ran off.
Shi Jianli’s mood lifted unexpectedly. Since they were driving the carriage today, she hadn’t worn her Jinbu or Yajin. The feeling of striding freely was truly wonderful—running felt like being unshackled.
Lanxing and Xianyue, like Shi Jianli, usually remained silent but kept constant watch over their young lady. When they saw her run off, they exchanged a glance—Lanxing quietly followed while Xianyue stayed behind.
Ming Zhouhe stood bored with arms crossed, watching the teenagers learn to drive carriages. Noticing the spot where someone had been standing was now empty, his gaze swept the surroundings until he spotted Shi Jianli skipping class. He sighed inwardly.
He nudged Xuan Yun beside him with his foot and tilted his chin. “Follow her, but keep your distance.”
If they got too close, the girls wouldn’t enjoy themselves fully.
“Right.” Xuan Yun rubbed his numb knee and limped off to obey.
The young master’s kick had landed right on his nerve cluster, leaving him hobbling.
The farmstead had a small river where Shi Jianli and Ming Yuelin borrowed a woodcutting knife from tenants to sharpen branches for spearing fish.
“Pear Sister, you look so skilled at this,” Ming Yuelin remarked, eyeing the sharp knife warily, afraid she might cut herself.
“When I was little, my mother sometimes said I was like a wild child. Duzhou has many mountains—I often went into the hills with guards and hunters’ children to play.”
Her grandfather was a hunter who farmed, and her father frequently went hunting when not studying. He indulged her curiosity about hunting, saying while girls could be pampered, there was no need to raise them too delicately—some martial skill was good.
Though Shi Jianli wasn’t trained in martial arts, her archery was quite decent.
“That sounds so fun, Pear Sister! There’s an Autumn Hunt this year—we can go. There’s even a women’s hunting competition. With your archery skills, you’d surely rank high.” Ming Yuelin paused, then added, “Or we could just play for fun without worrying about rankings. It’s lively anyway.”
She realized Pear Sister wasn’t as fond of quiet as she’d thought.
“Alright,” Shi Jianli agreed.
By autumn, she would likely be engaged already. She hoped her future husband would have a good temperament.
After sharpening the fish-spearing branches, Shi Jianli gave one to Ming Yuelin and handed the woodcutting knife to Lanxing to return.
The two walked toward the riverbank where several large rocks stood. Shi Jianli stepped onto them to avoid wetting her shoes.
Crouching down, she and Ming Yuelin hunched over, waiting for fish to swim near.
The farmstead’s river was particularly rich with fish—likely stocked with fry for breeding.
“Pear Sister, if we spear fish, shall we take them back to eat?”
“We can send them to the manor or leave them with the tenants,” Shi Jianli replied, watching the plump fish schooling in the water. Suddenly she felt foolish.
She blinked, unusually flustered. “Since these are farmed fish, the tenants probably have nets. We didn’t need to make spears.”
“Too late now! We’re here to have fun anyway. I’ll learn how to spear fish, then we can net some to bring back to the manor,” Ming Yuelin said, thrusting her branch into the water.
The fish darted away swiftly, two even surfacing to blow bubble chains as if mocking her incompetence.
Shi Jianli glanced at her pouting cheeks and smiled silently. Spotting a lazy fish lingering beneath the rocks, she speared it deftly and lifted the branch.
The fish flapped vigorously, splashing water droplets onto her smiling eyes. “Got one.”
She explained, “Water refracts light, making fish appear shifted from their actual position. Aim slightly below where you see them to spear them properly.”
“So skilled! Let me try again!”
Shi Jianli nodded, remaining crouched as she watched Ming Yuelin hunch over, waiting for the next fish.
Ming Yuelin tried several times but always came up just short, which infuriated her. She vowed to spear one with her own hands.
Seizing the perfect moment, she thrust the fishing spear forcefully into the water and successfully impaled a plump fish.
Overjoyed, she lifted it with some effort and shouted, “Pear Sister, I got one!”
“Smack!!” A dark shadow flew before her eyes.
“Rea…” Before she could finish speaking, Shi Jianli was thrown backward by the momentum, landing squarely on a rock. Completely dazed, she sat there holding the fish, staring blankly at Ming Yuelin and blinking slowly.