HUS Chapter 68: Warming Wine with Green Plums
HUS Chapter 68: Warming Wine with Green Plums
January 4
This was an inexplicable encounter battle.
Kang Zhengyan and the others had just rushed out of the cave when an arrow shot at them head-on.
A son of a Feng'an Estate retainer soldier was shot dead.
This time there was no need for mutual identification. They went straight into combat!
Before the cave, swords and blades flashed for a while as both sides fought fiercely.
In the chaotic battle, Kang Licheng's arm was slashed by a blade, frightening Kang Zhengyan who immediately pulled him to his side.
This was his second brother's only seedling. If he died, how would he explain to his second brother?
"Licheng, quickly return to the estate and tell your eldest uncle what happened here!"
Seeing that both sides had similar numbers but the other side's martial skills were clearly far superior to theirs, Kang Zhengyan knew things were bad.
"Third Uncle!"
"Go quickly!"
Kang Zhengyan had no time for persuasion. With one kick to his nephew's thigh, he sent Kang Licheng stumbling.
"Hurry!"
Kang Licheng gritted his teeth and, taking advantage of the darkness, plunged headfirst into the forest.
Kang Zhengyan and the others weren't clear about the origins of these fierce outsiders. However, in Longshang, many bandits weren't professional at this trade but did it part-time.
When facing stronger opponents, they were merchants.
When encountering prey they could devour in the wilderness, they became bandits.
This situation was relatively common on the ancient seas in Yang Can's world.
The reason was the same. In places without human presence, doing illegal things was also difficult to discover.
Kang Zhengyan and the others thought this group of bandits was such a group of merchants who had set their sights on their goods.
That arrow actually wasn't shot by those transporting mountain goods.
The one who shot was Wan Tai. After shooting the arrow, he knew he had succeeded.
At this time, he had already fled.
Seeing those people rush out of the cave and attack without a word, these mountain goods transporters assumed they were merchant-bandits who had targeted their goods.
These people also didn't look like horse bandits.
Professional horse bandits wouldn't attack mountain goods runners because they had a symbiotic relationship.
So what was there to say?
They could only kill to silence them!
The slaughter finally ended. Kang Zhengyan and the others all lay in pools of blood.
The mountain goods transporters searched and found four carts of farm goods. This made them even more convinced of their previous judgment. This was just a group of merchants who had temporarily turned malicious.
"Are there any survivors?"
"None. All taken down!"
"Damn it. If word of our business leaks out, the consequences will be unthinkable. Check again. Give each one another stab!"
"Yes!"
Everyone obeyed and immediately scattered.
Those bodies already lying in pools of blood each received another stab to the heart.
"We can't linger here. We must travel through the night and leave this place."
The leader issued the command. No one dared delay and immediately took all their own dead bodies and hurriedly prepared to leave.
The four carts of goods left by Kang Zhengyan and the others were also taken by them.
Although not very valuable, transporting them out together was still income.
After all, the carts and horses were ready-made and wouldn't slow them down much.
...
Light rain drizzled. This was the rain people loved most.
The rain wasn't heavy but continued for half a day, thoroughly moistening the soil and helping spring seedlings grow more robust.
A rattan chair was set in the small pavilion. Yang Can sat in the rattan chair, watching the spring rain like mist.
That Persian cat Medusa was crouching to the side, adding charcoal to a clay stove.
Yellow wine was warming on the small red clay stove.
Several small dishes for drinking were arranged on the table.
Qingmei strained out the ginger shreds from the warmed yellow wine and poured it into Yang Can's cup.
Late spring and early summer, a light rainy day. A small pavilion, a red stove, and moreover, red sleeves adding yellow wine. It was indescribably pleasant.
Across from Yang Can stood Master Jingyao.
The light on a rainy day was somewhat dim, but with her standing in the pavilion, the pavilion seemed brighter.
Her skin gave people a semi-transparent feeling.
As if it were a piece of finest mutton-fat white jade, lit from within by a soft light.
"Master Jingyao, Yang has found a Manjusri Nunnery at the foot of Maiji Mountain. I'll choose a day to send you there to practice. How about it?"
Yang Can picked up the warm yellow wine, took a small sip, and spoke.
He had quietly observed for several days and hadn't discovered this nun doing anything suspicious in his estate but Yang Can also had no need to keep her and still guard against her. Better to send her away and be done with it.
Hearing these words, Qingmei was very satisfied.
This Little Master's temperament was too noble, like a bright cloud in the sky, making people feel ashamed just looking at her.
She really worried that Yang Can would see her beauty and be moved to desire, defiling this Bodhisattva-like Little Master.
Fortunately, Steward Yang was still quite principled as a person.
The satisfied Qingmei picked up a chopstick of wild onion mixed with pig ear and fed it into Yang Can's mouth.
She didn't notice that since the day she washed Yang Can's feet, serving Yang Can had become, like serving Suo Zanzhi before, increasingly habitual and natural.
Send me to a nunnery?
Then wouldn't I have to eat vegetarian food every day?
Moreover, there must be few people near a nunnery. Wouldn't it be difficult for me to leave?
Dugu Jingyao didn't want to leave.
Since she discovered that with the protection of her ordained person identity, this young Estate Head had no designs on her at all, she was fine hiding here.
Here she could occasionally sneak to the kitchen to steal some meat. What could she eat if she went to Manjusri Nunnery? Rats?
"Estate Head..."
Dugu Jingyao's gentle gaze fell on the roses outside the pavilion, beaten by rain and swaying endlessly but with unbroken stems.
She pressed her palms together and sighed quietly, "Estate Head's great virtue, this poor nun is endlessly grateful. However..."
She changed her tone and said compassionately, "Does the Estate Head believe that the path of cultivation lies in the mountain forests or in the human heart?"
Yang Can blinked. He most disliked ordained people playing word games, beating around the bush and wasting words.
Seeing Yang Can didn't answer, Dugu Jingyao sighed again, her eyes full of clear and gentle radiance.
"In former days, when Buddha attained enlightenment, it was not in famous mountains or ancient temples but under an ordinary bodhi tree. This shows that Buddha is in the heart, not in the setting. If the heart is not tranquil, even dwelling in a temple is like a marketplace. If the heart is at peace, even in the mortal world, it is like pure land."
As expected, she started playing word games. Does this mean... she doesn't want to leave?
Yang Can's internal alarm bells rang loudly. If this fake nun didn't want to leave, she definitely had a problem.
Dugu Jingyao's household had "household-supported monks," and her family supported more than one.
Her appearance and temperament were inherently pure and holy. Having been familiar with those household-supported monks' speech and manner since childhood, pretending to be a strictly disciplined ordained person, she seemed more real than the real thing.
She pointed at the roses outside the pavilion and said slowly, "Estate Head, please look. These roses in the garden, suffering wind and rain, are experiencing hardship yet rain moistens their roots, wind tempers their stems. Isn't this swaying at this moment also a kind of cultivation? Where is dust not contaminating? Where can one not clarify the mind? Here at the Estate Head's place, with rain beating banana leaves and warming wine while listening to Zen, this poor nun, in these few days here, actually feels it easier to glimpse her pure original mind than in desolate mountains and wilderness."
Hearing this, Qingmei admired her even more.
No wonder this Little Master's temperament was so noble. It turned out she paid attention to cultivating her mind at all times.
When she discovered that after experiencing hardship, in this mortal world she could more easily strengthen her Zen mind, she actually chose to enter the world.
Such a virtuous master dedicated to worldly cultivation, sending her away seemed inappropriate.
Qingmei couldn't help tugging at Yang Can's sleeve, "Master, there are still quite a few vacant places in the fortress. Why not choose one to build as a hermitage and invite Little Master Jingyao to practice here?"
To persuade Yang Can, Qingmei added, "There are many believers in the estate. If the estate builds a nunnery, they'll have a place to worship Buddha."
Dugu Jingyao panicked upon hearing this. If that were the case, she might as well go to Manjusri Nunnery.
Leave Yang Manor and build a separate hermitage?
Forget eating meat. Wouldn't I even have to cook my own meals?
I don't know how to cook at all!
No wonder she loved eating meat. Longshang wealthy families mainly ate meat daily, and she was still at a growing age.
The diet she was accustomed to, what her body needed, and moreover, this young lady was a "foodie."
In her family, she had been a little gourmet. How could she endure clear soup and bland water all the time?
Dugu Jingyao immediately said, "Thank you, benefactor Qingmei. However, building a hermitage myself, how is it different from practicing at Manjusri Nunnery? If the Estate Head doesn't mind the intrusion, this poor nun will just practice at your noble manor. A bowl of food, a mat to sleep on is sufficient."
Yang Can remembered her looking like a little hamster, holding a pig's knuckle and gnawing away, and the corners of his lips couldn't help twitching.
Dugu Jingyao added, "This poor nun excels at making incense and also has some knowledge of medicine. I won't accept the Estate Head's support for nothing."
Upon hearing this, Qingmei's eyes immediately brightened and she quickly tugged at Yang Can's sleeve.
Seeing this fake nun reluctant to leave, Yang Can's heart immediately became alert, "This woman is indeed a spy. She came specifically for me!"
Since confirming this fake nun was a spy, Yang Can wasn't in a hurry to make her leave.
Otherwise, driving away this one who had been exposed, that unknown enemy would send another, and he wouldn't even know who that person was. How could he guard against them?
Yang Can's eyes flickered. He smiled and nodded slightly, "It's this humble one who was rigid. Since the Little Master feels this place benefits your cultivation, please settle down peacefully. For whatever you need, just ask Qingmei."
Dugu Jingyao pressed her palms together again and said serenely, "Amitabha. Where the heart finds peace, the body finds peace. Thank you to the Estate Head and Miss Qingmei for fulfilling this."
As she spoke, her gaze quickly swept over a plate of "fermented fragrant sea eel" on the table, and she quietly swallowed.
Eating pig ear? Really don't know how to eat.
Catching plump sea eels from the Eastern Sea, splitting them from the back, then rubbing them carefully with sea salt.
Hanging them under eaves facing the sea, letting the sea breeze blow away moisture and infuse them with the ocean's breath.
When the eel meat dried and firmed up, taking on a honeyed luster, soaking it in aged wine lees.
That salty-fresh taste, paired with warm yellow wine...
Gulp!
Dugu Jingyao turned around and walked unconcernedly into the light rain.
Yang Can watched her retreating figure. Hmm... this fake nun's hair seemed to have grown a bit longer.
When her hair reached her waist...
No, wait. To continue pretending to be a nun, she would shave her head bald, right?
But who exactly sent a fake nun to go undercover beside me?
Was it the Clan Head? Or Second Master Yu?
It seemed, aside from the two brothers, there was no one else, right?
At this moment, Kang Licheng stumbled into Feng'an Estate and collapsed in the rain at a deserted street corner.
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