Yet this was merely the surface; at this moment, her heart was heavy. After waiting for many days, after days of anxiety, her body had finally shown signs of abnormality. Alert to her surroundings, her legs moved swiftly. It was late, and there were few people on the road. Returning to the inn, she saw a handful of diners in the main hall.
The innkeeper, who was tallying accounts behind the counter, still had some impression of Xin Shensi and greeted her with a smile. “You’re back.”
Xin Shensi gave a light hum. “Please send a bucket of hot water to Room Thirteen, Earth Wing.”
“Won’t you have dinner?” The innkeeper beckoned a waiter over.
“I’ve already eaten outside.” Xin Shensi passed through the main hall and returned to her room. Her backpack still contained white flour steamed buns; Man Xiu had soaked dried bamboo shoots last night and specially prepared a jar of braised bamboo shoots. Although the weather had turned cooler, midday was still somewhat warm. Cooked food wouldn’t keep for long.
Entering the room, she placed the backpack beside the table leg. There was water ready on the table; she touched the belly of the teapot—it was warm. After the hot water was delivered, she bolted the door, took out a tightly tied cloth pouch from the backpack.
The white flour steamed buns were made from dough she had kneaded herself and were still soft. She took a big bite, slowly chewing while splitting the bun in half with her hands and stuffing braised bamboo shoots inside. After eating two in a row and drinking two cups of water, her stomach was full.
She put away the remaining four buns and tightly sealed the jar of braised bamboo shoots. After washing the chopsticks, she placed them on a cup to dry. Taking out a piece of fine cotton cloth, she washed her hands and face, then undressed and wiped her body before finally sitting by the bed to soak her feet.
After a moment of silence, Xin Shensi reached her hand to the back of her head; the two previous stabbing pains had been along the midline. In martial arts theory, this area connects to the Governor Vessel meridian. Pressing slightly harder, the acupoints should have felt sore, but she only felt numbness.
After soaking her feet, she sat cross-legged on the bed. What should she do? She was a bit panicked. What did madness look like? In her memory, there was only pain and rejection… No wonder, without a mirror, she couldn’t see her own condition.
Twisting her body, she lay down and closed her eyes. She wanted to sleep; when she woke, she would check out and leave.
Her thoughts were chaotic; Xin Shensi tried to empty her mind and began counting sheep. She didn’t know how long she counted, but gradually she grew drowsy. It was a night of many dreams, and she slept poorly. In her dreams, strange and bizarre scenes unfolded—one moment her mother’s gentle smile, the next Xin Liangyou’s sinister face, and Xin Yue’er gnawing on a chicken leg outside an iron cage…
Cock-a-doodle-doo… Cock-a-doodle-doo…
The rooster crowed; the sleeper’s brows furrowed even tighter, and in an instant, her eyes snapped open as she sat up abruptly. The room was pitch black; her hands tightly gripped the thin quilt on the bed, and only after a long while did she slowly release it.
Xin Shensi let out a breath. She wasn’t at Man Xiu’s home; she was at the inn now.
Just then, another stab of pain shot through the back of her head, jolting her spirit back into place and completely dispelling any drowsiness. She got out of bed, put on her shoes, and used the leftover water from last night to brush her teeth and wash her face. After hastily eating breakfast, she packed her things, shouldered her backpack, and left.
The inn’s kitchen was already bustling with activity, and the innkeeper was dozing behind the counter.
Xin Shensi didn’t want to disturb him, but she needed to leave quickly. “Check out.”
“Huh?” The innkeeper lifted his bleary eyes, the corners still crusted with thick, yellowish discharge. He stared at the woman before the counter for two breaths before snapping to attention, suddenly standing up. “You’re leaving so early?”
“Yes, I’m in a hurry to return.” When she booked the room yesterday, she had paid thirty wen. An Earth Wing room cost twenty wen per night.
Retrieving the room tag and hanging it up, the innkeeper counted out ten copper coins and returned them to the guest. “Won’t you have breakfast?”
“No, thank you.” Xin Shensi took the money and left the inn. In the early morning, the air was a bit chilly. She walked west along the street, turning right at the north-south fork and heading north. The dew was heavy; by the time she left Changhe Town, droplets had condensed on her eyelashes. In the distance, there were mountains, and she headed in that direction.
By daybreak, she had reached the main road. Gripping the shoulder straps of her backpack with both hands, she walked briskly, her gaze fixed ahead, her steps steady and light. Sweat had long since beaded on her forehead, but she made no move to wipe it away.
The mountains seemed close, but after walking for what felt like ages, the distance didn’t appear to have shortened at all. Under the blazing sun, aside from the burning sensation on her face, she felt no discomfort.
“Hyah! Hyah!” Two men with unfriendly expressions rode tall horses, whipping them into a gallop and kicking up clouds of dust.
By mid-morning, this was already the fourth group to pass by. Xin Shensi was used to it by now. Covering her mouth and nose, she continued walking along the roadside.
Travelers on the road were few and far between, mostly in small groups, rarely alone—especially a woman traveling by herself. Some had already noticed the girl with the backpack. For the past two or three hours, her pace had remained unchanged.
After walking a few more miles, Xin Shensi spotted a tea shack in the distance and quickened her steps. Her mouth was parched and dry. Later, she would definitely ask the shopkeeper where the nearest sizable town was. She needed to buy a water pouch.
Four tables were set up outside the tea shack, with seven or eight customers already occupying three of them. Hearing the sound of wheels approaching from behind, Xin Shensi broke into a small run, heading straight for the tea shack. Ignoring the gazes of those resting at the tables, she quickly claimed a corner seat.
“Customer, what would you like?” An old man in dusty short robes, hunched over, brought over a pot of tea. “We have noodles and rice here. For meat dishes, braised pork head sells the best—thirteen coins a plate. For something lighter, scallion noodles with an egg are just as fragrant, and only four coins.”
“Please bring me a bowl of rice,” Xin Shensi said, taking the teapot and pouring water. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a group slowly stopping their carriage, and added, “And fry two eggs.”
A carved carriage, flanked by four horses, followed by two plain-canopied carts. Seeing such distinguished guests, the old shopkeeper hurriedly went to greet them. “Please, everyone, come inside and take a seat.”
So there were seats inside after all? Xin Shensi lowered her head to drink her water, keeping her gaze from wandering.
Two matrons and four maids descended from the plain-canopied carts and gathered around the carved carriage. The driver of the carved carriage was young, with features more pronounced than those of the Central Plains people, his hair slightly yellowish and simply tied into a braid that hung over his chest. He knelt beside the carriage and prostrated himself.
A moment later, the carriage curtain was lifted from inside, and an exquisitely embroidered shoe emerged. The woman inside was dressed lavishly, half-veiled, wearing a crown. She stepped onto the driver’s back and, supported by a matron’s raised hand, descended from the carriage. Her entourage was highly vigilant.
Unable to conceal his delight, the shopkeeper urged again, “The sun is scorching. Please, honored guests, come inside and sit.”
Over a dozen people crowded around the woman as she entered the tea shack. The woman coughed lightly twice and said softly, “We’ve been sitting in the carriage for so long; it’s stifling. Let’s rest outside for a while.”
But there were no empty tables outside—and even if there were, there wouldn’t be enough seats for their entire group. Xin Shensi stared at the clear water in her tea bowl, with no intention of moving.
The shopkeeper glanced from one person to another, feeling somewhat troubled. They were all customers, after all. Sneaking a look at the girl sitting alone at a table, he was about to step forward and ask her to accommodate them when someone else beat him to it.
A burly man with a full beard, holding a knife in his right hand, tapped the hilt on the table. His tone was cold and commanding, like an order: “You, go sit inside.”
Xin Siansi did not hesitate to pick up her basket and stand, raising her eyes to meet a pair of beautiful, watery eyes. The eyelids of those beautiful eyes were slightly swollen and slack, with fine wrinkles already forming at the corners. A woman? She discreetly glanced over the group of people.
“Liang Tong, mind your manners.” The half-veiled woman’s eyes crinkled with a smile. “Are you alone, miss?”
That smile did not strike Xin Siansi as kind. She gave a slight nod. “Yes, please have a seat.”
“I still understand the principle of first come, first served,” the woman said slowly, tilting her head to signal the maidservant. The maidservant supporting her immediately took a brocade pouch from her sleeve, fished out a small gold ingot, and offered it forward. “Sorry to trouble you, miss.”
Xin Siansi glanced at the small gold ingot, then looked at the woman. Seeing the benevolent warmth in her smile sent a chill down her spine. Was this naivety about the ways of the world, or had evil grown old and learned to disguise itself? Several people resting a few steps away were watching the scene. She had clearly never met this woman before and bore no grudge, yet the woman wished her dead.
“Take it. It’s not easy being out alone,” the woman said, as if completely unaware of anything amiss.
After another moment of silent contemplation, Xin Siansi suddenly broke into a smile and reached out to accept it. “Thank you.” Her gaze swept over the coachman—he was dressed in Mongol attire. Moving inside to sit, she had a suspicion. Could that woman outside… be Tan Siyu’s mother?
The age matched, and she was coughing and clearly unwell, with Mongols serving as attendants. Moreover, when the female protagonist met with trouble, Hongdai Valley was busy preparing for a wedding. That would be in the next few days.
The innkeeper brought the meal and whispered an apology, “Take your time. If you need more rice, just ask. I’ll go get you another bowl of soup.”
“Thank you.” Xin Siansi ate the two golden-fried eggs, took out the oil-braised dried bamboo shoots, scooped a large portion to mix with her rice, and the aroma of scallions filled the air. Man Xiu’s cooking was truly excellent, but in this ancient era, she really didn’t know how to live frugally. The rice mixed with dried bamboo shoots glistened with oil. Unable to resist, she shoveled two large mouthfuls, feeling completely satisfied.
I wonder what kind of husband Grandma will find for Man Xiu?
It was so appetizing that Xin Siansi finished two large bowls of rice and added another bowl of vegetable soup. After eating, she was in no hurry to continue her journey. She took out her sewing kit and began weaving knots as if no one else were around.
No one outside spoke. After finishing a plum blossom knot, the group of Mongols left. She pulled out a few strands of thread to weave a fortune knot, still lost in thought. That small gold ingot must have weighed two taels, equivalent to twenty taels of silver. Not a huge sum, but the one holding it… was a defenseless, strikingly beautiful woman traveling alone.
Unable to fathom why the woman had acted that way, she didn’t want to waste any more energy trying to figure it out.
Human nature? Xin Siansi analyzed her current situation. The only thing she could rely on was her profound internal energy—more specifically, sheer physical strength. How could she make petty villains think twice before approaching her?
The masters in martial arts dramas, brimming with confidence, often kept their abilities hidden. She, however, was inexperienced, and her youth was evident on her face. She would have to reveal a bit of her strength to make a statement and intimidate others.
This display of strength required careful consideration. It should seem unintentional… casually revealing a glimpse of her skill, then indifferently returning to her own business, like weaving knots or sewing clothes.
In truth, Xin Siansi didn’t know that the few people sitting outside, lingering without leaving, were now pondering her. Where did this young girl come from? She dared to accept the gold ingot from the Mongols, and after finishing her meal, she had the leisure to weave trinkets… Either she was unaware of her predicament, or she had the ability to handle it and simply wasn’t afraid.
Which was it?
The man with narrow eyes and a thin face leaned toward the man beside him, who had one foot propped on a bench. Raising a hand to partially cover his mouth, he whispered, “Is she practicing finger exercises by weaving that thing? Look at her ten fingers—so nimble. I wonder how strong her wrist is?”
“Probably not weak. Didn’t you see how effortlessly she carried her basket?” The burly man sitting across from them, picking his teeth, gestured toward the main road with his chin. “I noticed when she arrived—her breathing was light, and her footsteps were quiet.”
“And also…” The square-faced man with his back to the door leaned toward the center of the table, his voice barely audible. “She’s clean and tidy, traveling alone…” His eyes darted around as he glanced at his companions. “Could this be a case of ‘Jiang Taigong fishing’?”
The narrow-eyed man’s heart sank with a thud. They had agreed not to bring this up.
The man with his foot on the bench chuckled. “The last one who tried that already opened sixty-three medical clinics with the extorted silver.”
“Let’s go. It’s just twenty taels of silver—we’re not short on that.” The narrow-eyed man stood up, sniffed, his eyes turning slightly red. “Old man, check, please!” That Li Shang is truly vicious! He’s ten, a hundred times more poisonous than the toxins he brews.
“No rush. I want to see if she’s really fishing.”
“And if she is?”
“There’s only one Li Shang.”
“What if her surname is Yan?”
“Yan who?”
“Yan Wang.”