Chapter 556: with translation of chapter title

Setting out from Qu Ren Li, Li Er embarked alone on the road to the Zhou dynasty capital Cheng Zhou (Luo Yi, that is, Luoyang).

He walked and rested, traveling at sunrise and stopping at sunset.

When hungry he would nibble some dry rations; when thirsty he would drink the creek water by the road.

The fields of Chen State gradually fell behind him, replaced by stretches of unfamiliar land.

For the first six days, all was peaceful and uneventful.

On the seventh day.

Boom—

A clap of thunder exploded, rolling black clouds surged up on the horizon, instantly blotting out the sun.

The sky darkened as if it were dusk, the wind howled, lifting dust and fallen leaves from the ground.

Li Er glanced up and quickened his pace.

But the rain came too quickly.

Bean-sized raindrops pattered down, clattering, and in an instant turned into a torrential downpour.

Li Er was soaked through, his clothes clinging to him, shivering from the cold.

He looked around, hoping to find a place to shelter from the rain.

Not far ahead, a vague black shadow could be seen.

He narrowed his eyes to look—

It was a wooden house.

Or rather, it was a wooden house that appeared to have been abandoned for a long time.

In front of the wooden house ran a ring of earthen wall, overgrown with weeds, some already waist-high.

The weeds in the courtyard were even more luxuriant, nearly completely burying the small path leading to the door.

But at this moment, Li Er had no time to worry about that.

He splashed along the muddy path, running swiftly toward the wooden house.

He pushed open the half-closed wooden door; it creaked, and a wave of damp, musty smell hit him.

Inside it was dark, a thick layer of dust covered the floor, cobwebs clung to the corners, and several broken wooden tables and chairs lay askew, some missing legs.

Obviously, no one had lived here for a long time.

Li Er stood in the doorway, let his eyes adjust to the gloom inside, then began to tidy up.

He lifted the fallen tables and chairs, picked one that was still fairly intact, and moved it to the side of the doorway.

He also gathered some dry grass from a corner, spread it on the floor, and managed to clear a spot where he could sit.

Having done that, he walked to the doorway, crouched down, and watched the heavy rain outside.

Since he had brought nothing to read, he carried only a little money and some dry rations.

The rain was falling heavily.

Bean-sized raindrops struck the ground, sending up little splashes.

When they hit the earthen wall, they made a dull thumping sound.

The earthen wall looked solid, yet drop by drop, day after day, the rain could actually dent it.

Those dents filled with water, which overflowed and ran down the wall; where it flowed, the soil was gradually washed away, slowly forming narrow gullies.

Li Er stared at those gullies, lost in thought.

He reached out his hand, extended it beyond the eaves, and caught a handful of rainwater.

The raindrops struck his palm, one after another, feeling slightly numb but not painful.

The water gathered in his palm, cool and silky, trickling down between his fingers.

He looked at the water in his palm, then at the wall eroded by the rain, and suddenly thought:

What would happen if his fist struck that wall?

It would definitely hurt.

He might even bleed.

But water is different.

Water is so soft, so yielding, it has no shape of its own.

Yet drop by drop, year after year, decade after decade, it can dent that hard earthen wall and carve gullies.

The earthen wall is hard, yet it cannot withstand water's erosion.

Li Er's gaze grew somewhat distant.

He murmured to himself:

"Water, soft, yet strong..."

"Strong, yet soft..."

In his mind it seemed as if something was surging, colliding, merging.

The truths he had seen, learned, and pondered over the years were like droplets of water, gathering together................

But just then——

Footsteps sounded.

Disordered, hurried, they splashed in the mud with a puff-puff sound.

Li Er came to his senses, lifted his head, and looked.

Three people burst out of the rain curtain.

Three men, sturdy and strong, dressed in sewn animal hides, carrying bows and game on their shoulders.

Their skin was dark and rough, clearly the mark of those who spend years wandering outdoors.

His face bore traces of wind and frost, and between his brows and eyes lay an unhideable killing intent.

The kind of ferocity only someone who hunts year‑round and fights wild beasts would have.

They rushed to the wooden house door, saw Li Er crouching there, and didn't pause at all.

"Move aside, move aside! Don't block the way!"

The leading brute shoved with a raised hand, pushing Li Er aside, and the three of them came crashing into the house.

Li Er staggered a step from the push, then steadied himself by gripping the door frame.

He glanced at the three of them, saying nothing.

He simply stepped aside, kept crouching there, and watched the heavy rain outside.

The three entered the house, set down their game, shook out their soaked clothes, and muttered complaints about this damned weather.

They glanced at Li Er, saw he was just a youth, lost interest, and went on to build a fire to dry their clothes.

Li Er didn't mind either; he kept watching the rain, lost in his own thoughts.

But not long after——

The sound of wheels rang out.

Two carriages came through the rain curtain and stopped at the wooden house door.

Four people jumped down from the first carriage.

Four men, in their early twenties, though their clothes were damp from the rain, the fabric was clearly not something ordinary folk could afford.

They wore silk brocade robes, jade pendants at their waists, and caps on their heads.

Typical young nobles.

They held something in their hands that resembled an umbrella, yet not quite.

Made of oilcloth stretched over bamboo ribs, it could shield the head from rain, but in this raging storm it could only protect roughly.

As soon as the four got down, they hurried toward the second carriage.

The second carriage was more refined than the first, its curtains hung low, obscuring the interior.

The young man in the lead, wearing a blue‑green brocade robe, stepped forward, bowed slightly, and spoke with a hint of earnestness:

"Miss, the rain is heavy; why not share a rain cover with us? I still have extra umbrella cloth."

As his words fell, a corner of the carriage curtain was lifted.

First to alight was a girl about fifteen or sixteen, with a delicate visage, dressed in a plain‑colored dress.

She looked like a maid.

She held up her umbrella, stood beside the carriage, then turned and reached out to steady a hand extending from inside.

That hand was white as jade, slender as a green onion.

Then the person inside the carriage stepped out.

At that instant, the gazes of the four young nobles locked onto her.

Her skin was fairer than snow, yet with a faint pink, as if a light dusting of rouge had been washed on by the rain.

A mass of black hair, half‑wet, hung over her shoulders, a few strands sticking to her cheeks, making her face appear even more petite and refined.

She wore a pale‑green dress that showed her slender figure, her waist so narrow it could be encircled in one hand.

Rainwater slid down her hair tips, dripped onto her shoulders, then ran down her collar.

She simply stood there in the rain, letting the maid hold the umbrella to shield her, her gaze sweeping coolly over the four stunned young men, without expression.

That gaze was clear and cold like water.

"Miss!"

The man in the blue robe was the first to regain his composure, stepping forward a pace and thrusting his umbrella toward her, almost reaching the top of her head.

"Miss, you're getting wet—quick, use my umbrella! This cloth is top‑grade tung oil cloth, completely waterproof!"

The man in the dark‑blue brocade robe, unwilling to be outdone, shoved forward and offered his umbrella:

"Miss, use mine! My umbrella ribs are made of Xiangfei bamboo—light and easy, you won't tire holding it!"

"Use mine, use mine! My umbrella is big enough to shield two people!"

"Miss, I also have a dry handkerchief—first wipe the water from your face!"

The four talked over each other, crowding forward, their umbrellas nearly poking the girl's face.

The girl stepped back half a pace, avoiding the umbrellas thrust toward her.

She glanced at the four men; her gaze remained cool, without the slightest ripple.

Then she spoke, her voice not loud, yet clear enough for everyone to hear:

"No need."

She tilted her head slightly, looking toward the maid beside her.

"Xiaochun, let's go."

The maid called Xiaochun nodded, raised her umbrella, protected her mistress, and walked toward the dilapidated wooden house.

The four young nobles stood frozen, staring at one another.

The man in the blue robe reluctantly lowered his umbrella, muttering something under his breath.

The other three also followed, grudgingly, their eyes still flickering toward the girl's retreating back.

The group arrived at the wooden house door.

The maid Xiaochun was the first to notice Li Er crouching by the door.

She paused, then glanced back at her mistress, and at the hunters inside who were stoking a fire, feeling a bit hesitant.

The girl also saw Li Er.

A youth about fifteen or sixteen, soaked through, crouched by the door, staring blankly at the rain outside.

His clothes were plain, made of coarse cloth; at a glance you could tell he wasn't from a wealthy family.

The girl hesitated slightly, then took half a step forward and gave Li Er a slight nod.

"Sir," she said, her voice clear and cold like raindrops falling on a jade plate, "the rain is heavy; we wish to take shelter inside for a moment—may we?"

Li Er came back to his senses and glanced at her.

Just one glance, and he withdrew his gaze.

"Feel free," he said in an indifferent tone, "it's not my house anyway."

The girl was slightly startled, then nodded at him and, with her maid, walked inside.

The four noble youths behind her also followed up, and when they passed Li Er, they were not as rude as those hunters.

Even the man in blue robe stopped, cupped his hands toward Li Er:

"Young brother, we also want to borrow a place to get out of the rain—sorry for the intrusion."

Li Er nodded, saying nothing.

The man in blue robe didn't mind, greeting his companions to go inside.

In a moment, the dilapidated wooden house became lively.

On one side were three fierce hunters, occupying the left half of the house, roasting meat over the fire and tearing into dried meat.

On the other side were four young nobles, crowded in the right half of the house, pulling out handkerchiefs to wipe the rain from themselves and occasionally glancing toward the girl.

Meanwhile, the girl, with her maid, chose a corner of the house, not too close nor too far from either side.

Xiaochun took out a clean cloth from her bundle, spread it on the ground, and helped her young lady sit down.

Li Er remained crouched at the doorway, watching the rain outside.

It seemed as if all of this had nothing to do with him.