Chapter 12: Are You a Lascivious Girl?

Those who seek kind treatment are many.

Those who treat others kindly are few.

The twilight is dim, the carts heavy.

But the girl's voice, however, is like sudden thunder, continuously rumbling:

I've also heard some storytelling books, which all say 'To be wise and preserve oneself, to avoid the world and attain understanding'; experts often hide their names in lofty mountains, but I never thought of those; compared to cultivating oneself alone, I prefer 'to benefit the world'.

"You two were escorted to Zhangpu Village entrance like stray cats two days ago, each of you looking like frost-bitten eggplants; actually, I had already decided then to take you in."

She could so quickly agree to the constable's 'lion's big mouth' demand, not just because she lacked manpower, lacked helpers.

But because she also truly took the constable's words to heart.

"The Office of Construction' sounds like a bad place at first hearing; these people entering it would surely be ten deaths, no life."

Du Shanü knows her own abilities, also knows how to quickly make a fortune, naturally wanting to lend them a hand.

What annoys her is that, after she lifts them up, they are not all of one mind with her.

This is also why she easily lets them go; she has no concept of 'seeing a good deed through to the end', she only feels responsible to those who trust her.

Since they don't believe, she also says no more.

And if they do believe......

Even if it means emptying her family's savings, she will treat him well.

In the palm, the fingers are rough, yet warm.

Du Shanü instinctively pinched it; as she followed Yu Hen step by step, he drew a little closer.

He is now emaciated, his appearance absolutely not what it once was; yet even in his emaciation there is a certain bearing.

The plain gauze covering his eyes in the twilight glows with a soft old white, making the lines of his lower face appear ever more sharp.

His robe's hem rises and falls slightly with his unhurried steps, gathering some dust and also the late autumn north wind.

Walking in the brilliant glow of the market streets, his whole person seems to be draped in a rosy robe, shining brightly.

He is handsome, good-natured; Du Shanü, holding his hand, finds herself increasingly reluctant to let go.

And just then, Yu Hen, whom she was leading, suddenly spoke in a 'startling or die' manner:

"Your thoughts are truly excellent; I greatly admire you...... but I still have a question I want to ask you——"

"Are you the 'lascivious girl' my parents warned me to beware of?"

"My parents once said, someone with his looks, temperament, and background is exactly the sort to be most wary of a lascivious girl who harbors lustful intentions!"

"Otherwise, one wouldn't even know when they'd be completely consumed!"

"Although his family background is gone, to avoid being deceived in body and mind, we still need to know clearly!"

"Hmm!"

"Just ask directly to get it clear!"

The scene fell silent; every person's face showed a hint of incredulity.

A Chou: "......?!"

Liu Wen yuan: "......"

Du Shanü: "......"

Lascivious girl?

What lascivious girl?!

I'm not—I haven't, don't spout nonsense!

Du Shanü's smile vanished instantly; she hurriedly retorted:

"Damn it! How could my plain, meager days become the subject of such rampant gossip!"

"I've never touched a man from childhood; I've worked hard these two days just to earn money to ransom and heal you...... how have I become a lascivious girl now?"

"Even if it were true, I couldn't just say it outright!"

"This unfounded accusation has chilled her heart!"

Du Shanü momentarily felt anguish and frustration; Yu Hen tilted his head, as if discerning something.

His build is not small; at a glance one sees he was well-nourished before, but when he tilts his head he always gives an impression of being cute, dainty, clever and quick-witted yet clumsy at crucial points.

Surely, the next instant, Yu Hen nodded firmly and drew a little closer to Du Shanü:

"Hmm! I believe you!"

"You give me food, drink, took me in and healed me; you must be a good person!"

"The world, loyal subjects, common folk......"

"Even all those past things have been abandoned by the Young Emperor."

"What else could he have?"

"Now, having finally met someone who treats him well, how could he be deceived?"

His scarlet lips slightly pursed, the silver mark on his lip glimmered in the slanting sun, becoming ever more alluring.

Du Shanü's heart stirred; she gained a new understanding of the innocence of the person beside her.

She wanted to speak again, but saw a long, fair hand thrust horizontally between them, thereby separating her from Yu Hen.

Liu Wen yuan's voice remained indifferent, yet for some reason, to Du Shanü's ears it always carried a hint of 'frustration that iron won't become steel'.

"She is deceiving you."

"If holding hands, one would only grasp the palm; how could one touch the sleeve? Look yourself where her hand is."

Yu Hen seemed to sense something, slightly tilting his head toward Du Shanü.

The night wind stirred his scattered strands of black hair, brushing over his pale cheeks and faint lips.

He reacted after a few breaths, then suddenly understood, saying strangely:

Oh right, why did you touch my elbow?

At the point where the two were entwined, it was Du Shanü's finger, lingering in his sleeve and creeping upward as she kept touching.

But this couldn't be entirely her fault—

The beauty is so dumb and clumsy, so soft and fragrant—how could anyone resist?

This was also an unintentional mistake—I'm really sorry, I've realized my error, and I will never do it again!

Du Shanü hastily lowered her hand, and after finishing her apology, she couldn't help but mutter to herself:

"Damn clueless brat, totally oblivious! One of us wants to touch, the other wants to be touched, yet you had to jump in and interrupt us!"

"I originally planned to have Leitie and the Ouyang father and son come out tomorrow to sell jelly for another day, letting others rest, but now I think I'll still have him come out to work!"

After Du Shanü finished muttering, feeling much relieved, she glanced sideways and saw the two people beside her wearing strange expressions, and curiously asked:

"What's wrong now?"

Yu Hen turned away, as if trying not to laugh, while Liu Wenyuan beside him, with his handsome face, looked somewhat dark...

In a breath, Liu Wenyuan spoke each word with a pause, gritting his teeth:

"I can hear what you just said, the 'words in your heart.'"

Hiss!

Unbelievable!

Du Shanü immediately muttered again:

"Damn, I didn't expect this guy to be able to read minds... terrifying, we can't let him stay!"

"What does it mean to scheme to someone's face?"

"This is what it means to scheme to someone's face!"

Even a fool could now see who Du Shanü was teasing this time.

Liu Wenyuan withdrew his hand that had been separating the two, flicked his sleeve, and walked away with his back turned.

Yu Hen finally couldn't hold back, covering his mouth as he laughed out loud.

Since the Northern Border fell, he hadn't been this happy in ages, but after laughing, he felt an inexplicable sense of familiar nostalgia, something intangible that welled up from nowhere, making him melancholy.

Du Shanü 'drove off' Liu Wenyuan, said no more, and honestly took the beauty and their belongings home together.

The four walked under starlight and the distant scattered lights, heading toward Zhangpu Village outside the city.

The creaking of the cart, the footsteps, mingled with the faint herbal scent from the medicine packet in her arms, formed the rhythm of their return.

The road was still long, but step by step, they walked firmly.

Starlight accompanied them all the way; just thinking of that makeshift 'home' seemed to give them some strength.

The road ahead stretched through the night, leading to a thatched cottage that was still rundown but now had cooking smoke, herbal fragrance, and hopes for the future.

Leitie and the Ouyang father and son, who had been waiting at home for a long time, greeted them with beaming smiles and immediately asked how much silver they had earned today.

Yu Hen was no exception; he opened the money box and began counting the coins one by one...

Copper coins were scooped out of the money box one by one and poured into a larger money jar; the clinking sound made people's eyes turn red, and they couldn't help but join in counting——

"...... twenty-one, twenty-two......"

"two hundred eighty-one, two hundred eighty-two......"

"two thousand six hundred eighty-five...... today this trip actually earned over three taels and two qian of silver! We've struck it rich!"