Chapter 138

What if Mu Nan Zhao has an emergency here? If we don

It was just a passing thought, and Gu Xixi made her decision.

Look!

She pried off the wax seal on the bamboo tube lid in a couple of motions and pulled out one of the scrolls inside.

Gu Xixi had expected the letter to contain something important, but when she unfolded it there were only a few words:

"Village gate tree, left ten, right thirteen, gentleman hollow."

Disappointed, Gu Xixi grew even more puzzled.

What does this mean?

The village gate tree...

At the entrance of Huachi Du Cun, the most conspicuous thing is the large pagoda tree hanging with a bronze bell.

"Gentleman hollow," bamboo? But this locality doesn't produce bamboo.

Thinking this, Gu Xixi bent down and rubbed the flower cat's head, "Good little flower, go find Shitou gege and come back."

Xiao Hua understands human speech quite well.

It looked at Gu Xixi, mewed softly twice, and darted off on cat's feet.

Given the current atmosphere at home, this morning Gu Xixi specially sent Shitou to the Qin household to practice writing with Gouwa.

Xiao Hua had seen him off early this morning, so naturally she could find him back now.

Gu Xixi waited outside the gate for a while, then saw a person and a cat walking back along the path.

Shitou lowered his head to look at Xiao Hua, walking and asking, "Xiao Hua, you called me back—is something happened at home that urgently needs my return for rescue?"

"Oh dear, you only know how to meow and can't speak human language!"

Gu Xixi found it amusing, stepped forward a few paces, and said, "You know Xiao Hua can't speak, yet you keep bullying it like this?"

Hearing her voice, Shitou stopped in his tracks, embarrassed to be caught by Sister Xixi muttering to Xiao Hua.

"I was just teasing Xiao Hua!"

He quickly turned serious, "Xiao Hua called me—does Sister Xixi have something for me to handle?"

Gu Xixi nodded, "I'm going out for a bit; it shouldn't take too long."

"You know the situation at home; while I'm away you must bolt the gate tightly, stay inside and not go anywhere—except when I return, don't open the door for anyone who knocks. Understand?"

Shitou didn't ask for the reason, just readily agreed, "Understood, Sister Xixi, rest assured—I've memorized it all!"

Gu Xixi felt the small satchel slung across her front, then patted Shitou's little shoulder encouragingly:

"I leave the house to you; I'm at ease."

After Gu Xixi left, Shitou immediately called Xiao Hua into the courtyard.

He shut the two main doors tight and, mustering his strength, pushed both door bolts into place.

Then he brushed off nonexistent dust from his hands, planted his fists on his hips, stood squarely facing the gate, bearing the air of "One man holds the pass—who else could it be?"

"Hmph! I knew it—without me, this household would fall apart!"

"Xiao Hua, before Sister Xixi returns we must guard this door—did you hear me?!"

Xiao Hua perhaps understood, lifted her head and let out a mighty meow, then extended her sharp foreclaws on the ground.

Gu Xixi walked all the way to the big pagoda tree at the village gate.

Since the cipher taught by Mu Nan Zhao matches that of the sea-east-green messenger, this secret letter is likely not an enemy's ploy to lure one into a trap or a feint.

Rather than puzzling over it here in vain, it's better to follow the letter's instructions and investigate on the spot.

Gu Xixi walked ten paces to the left, looked around, and saw no path turning right beneath her feet.

However, not far ahead, there was indeed a trodden little path in the grass that turned right.

Considering that everyone's stride varies, it's normal for the measured distance to have some error.

So Gu Xixi took a few more steps, stepped onto that little path in the grass, and continued walking thirteen paces to the right.

She stopped and looked around; wild grass grew everywhere, with no trees, let alone bamboo.

Could it be a misunderstanding?

Could the numbers ten and thirteen not refer to steps?

But surely it wouldn't make her walk twenty-three li to fetch something, would it?

Almost at the same moment, Zhang Shen heard someone knocking at the door and ran out from the kitchen.

She saw Shitou standing stiffly in the middle of the road, both disdainful and amused, "Are you standing here as a screen? Go play aside—didn't you hear someone knocking? You don't even know how to answer the door, this child!"

Shitou hurried two steps, arms outstretched to block Zhang Shen's path.

"Can't open!" he said solemnly in a low voice, "As Sister Xixi said."

"Before she returns, no one who knocks may be let in!"

From outside the door came Lao Qian's doubtful voice, "Is nobody home? Gu Xixi's niece shouldn't be recuperating at home, should she?"

Zhang Shen, hearing Shitou say that, composed her expression.

She nodded at Shitou, then pointed at the main gate.

Lao Qian has often looked after their family; this time he also planted fruit trees together with Gu Xixi.

We can't treat Lao Qian with the pretense of being away from home.

Quick-witted Shitou immediately understood, calling out, "Village Chief Uncle, Sister Xixi has just eaten and fallen asleep—do you have any urgent matter?"

Outside, Lao Qian's brows relaxed as he smiled, "Our niece can eat today? That's good."

"I don't have any major business either—I just wanted to let her know that the chicks and ducklings I bought have arrived."

Shitou replied crisply, "All right, I'll tell her when Sister Xixi wakes up."

Lao Qian responded, and it sounded as if he had placed something on the ground.

He said, "Also tell her, the eggs her aunt had been saving—I've left a few at the door for her to strengthen herself; you all, when you open the door later, be careful."

Footsteps faded away.

Zhang Shen looked through the door crack, then opened the door and brought in the grass-woven basket on the floor.

She turned toward Shitou.

Shitou immediately spread his hands, "I also don't know where Sister Xixi went."

"But she said she'll be back soon."

Zhang Shen shook her head helplessly, sighing, "Really, I'm getting more and more unable to understand."

She carried the basket toward the kitchen, "Forget it, forget it, I won't ask."

In the wilderness grass, Gu Xixi looked around, pondered for a long time, still no solution.

She was preparing to give up.

Such a riddle, better wait for Mu Nan Zhao to wake up, let him solve it himself.

Just as she was about to turn around, suddenly a gust of wind blew, causing Gu Xixi to squint her eyes, shielding with her hand.

The wind of Xi Bei in spring is like that—comes when it says, sometimes gentle, sometimes wild.

The wind blew over some deep grass ahead, a patch of dark cyan flashed in Gu Xixi's field of vision.

She immediately pulled apart the waist-deep grass with both hands and waded forward.

In the grass there actually lay a huge stone.

Gu Xixi circled the stone, feeling with her hands, and indeed found a hole at the base.

She casually picked up a grass stick, poked into the hole, made sure there were no living creatures, then dared to reach inside.

Gu Xixi struggled to dig for a while, pulling out a small package.

A waterproof oilcloth package, flat and flat, you couldn't tell what was inside.

She hesitated a moment, then opened the package.

On top was an envelope, beneath it a stack of paper covered in red-inked characters.

I originally thought this was a secret letter from the contact person to Mu Nan Zhao.

Gu Xixi opened it, but immediately recognized Mu Nan Zhao's handwriting.

The content was as simple as the riddle sent by Hai Dongqing, readable at a glance:

"All that has passed has caused you much trouble; saying more is useless, I can only make up for a little."