Chapter 17: Shadow of the Pear Garden (Seventeen) Devour her, and you will be free. ...

The two were used to moving together, and when Ye Qingzhan saw Wen Gu leave, he followed him, quietly following Ah Yang.

Ah Yang came to the backyard, which was rarely visited, and scooped a bucket of water from the water tank and poured it on his hands. Then he suddenly raised his hand and threw the bucket to the ground.

The bucket broke into several pieces and fell to the ground. Ye Qingzhan, hiding behind the stone door, was startled and hugged Wen Gu's arm.

Wen Gu glanced at her, patted her shoulder, and pulled his arm out.

The two listened to the suppressed roar from inside:

"Why!"

"Why on earth!"

"Why are you so good to me..." Ah Yang knelt on the ground, looking up at the sky, "Why your sister?"

"And why me?"

The young man asked Tian Tian without answering, and the young man knelt on the ground without answering.

Ye Qingzhan blinked, feeling that he was so pitiful.

In a moment, Ah Yang stood up from the ground, wiped the tear marks on his face, swept the broken water scoop on the ground to the wall, and brushed the dirt off his knees, then walked out as if nothing had happened.

Wen Gu and Ye Qingzhan hurriedly turned around, but they ran into the newcomers.

Qinghuai was about to speak when Wen Gu covered his mouth and nose and dragged him to a big tree nearby. However, because of his hasty movements, something fell off him.

Ye Qingzhan saw it and picked it up.

It was a sachet. He felt familiar, but without thinking too much, Ye Qingzhan hurriedly put it into his sleeve and hid behind the tree with the two of them. Ah Yang walked past the tree without looking away . 

Three people poked their heads out. 

Seeing the people walking away, Ye Qingzhan took out the sachet from his sleeve and wanted to hand it to its owner. As soon as he took it out, Qinghuai's face changed. He looked very anxious and stretched out his hand to grab it. 

Wen Gu was one step faster than him and took the sachet from Ye Qingzhan's hand. 

"Give it back to me!" 

Since entering the customs, it was the first time that the two heard anger from Qinghuai's hoarse voice. 

Wen Gu looked at him, tore open the sachet, and opened it in front of Ayang. Ye Qingzhan thought that this was not good, and was about to stop him, but saw Wen Gu spread out the note and said slowly: 

"I remember this is the sachet that Miss Ye asked Ayang to pick." 

Ye Qingzhan suddenly remembered that this was the sachet with Ayang's name on it. She was planning to steal it last night, but she forgot about it because of the interference of County Magistrate Jin. 

Why did Ayang's sachet appear on Qinghuai's body? 

Ye Qingzhan stretched her head to take a look. The handwriting was exactly the same as hers, but she knew that it was not written by her, but must be from Miss Ye's hand. After seeing what was written, she widened her eyes. 

There were two words written on the paper - 

Qinghuai. 

"Don't you want to explain?" Wen Gu asked with a slight tilt of his head. 

*** 

stayed in the front yard to watch Xie Zhiyan's exiled immortal. Seeing that Ayang had returned but his three children were missing, he couldn't help but feel anxious, but he didn't dare to leave. Just as he was worrying, the three young people came back. 

But the three looked strange, especially Qinghuai, who was the last one walking and the most well-behaved and obedient. He shrank his body and looked like he had done something wrong. 

Miss Ye finally waited for the three people and said anxiously: "You are finally back." She turned and said to the people in the yard, "Okay, let's go to the reed marsh to row a boat. We won't disturb the masters. Let them prepare for tonight's shadow puppet show." 

Sui and the troupe smiled and responded: "Okay!" 

The group set off towards the reed marsh in the southwest courtyard of Ye's mansion. 

Mr. Ye rented a few boats, and the members of the troupe met in twos and threes. Ye Xiao pulled Zhao Jinfan aboard, Xie Zhiyan beside her. She looked back, seeing Ah Yang still standing on the shore with his head bowed. Fearing he'd be left alone, she called out, "Ah Yang, what are you standing there like an idiot for? Get on board!" 

Xie Zhiyan, standing nearby, snorted coldly, glaring at Ah Yang as he boarded the boat. 

Ye Qingzhan and Wen were in the same boat. Li Zhixing, after boarding, pulled the exiled immortal up. After Li Zhixing boarded, he called for Qinghuai to join him, but he remained trembling, his face pale, as if afraid of the water. 

"It's okay," Miss Ye reassured him, noting Qinghuai's hesitation on the shore. "These boatmen are very steady and skilled sailors, so feel free to get on board." 

Qinghuai glanced at him, and despite his reluctance, he nodded and boarded. 

Once everyone was settled, Miss Ye said with satisfaction, "Boatman, we can sail now." 

The sun was about to set, and the sky was filled with sunset clouds. A gentle breeze rustled the waterweed and swayed the reeds. The water and sky are one color, and the surrounding fields are silent. 

The boat sails between the water and clouds, and ripples bloom with the wind. 

Everyone looks at the sunset that has spread across half the sky, and strokes the reeds on both sides. In the quiet and selfless silence of the crowd, Miss Ye suddenly said to the young man sitting in the same boat: "Ayang, did you bring your reed flute? Can you play a tune for me?" 

She turned around and asked. The young man quickly withdrew his gaze from the face of the person beside him, and replied: "I brought it." As he spoke, he took out a somewhat old reed flute from his sleeve and placed it to his lips. 

Lingling and melodious music rose with the wind. 

Zhao Jinfan stared at the young man playing the flute in a trance, and listened attentively. 

In the gentle and clear flute sound, Xie Zhiyan also put aside his previous sarcasm and listened attentively. 

On another boat, the exiled immortal was also intoxicated, tapping his knees to beat the rhythm with his fingertips. 

Ye Qingzhan also closed his eyes, shook his head and admired it quietly. 

Wen Gu seemed out of place among this group of people - he sat upright, expressionless, but with contempt in his eyes. 

He felt very bored and glanced at the person beside him. 

The afterglow of the setting sun sprinkled on her fair face, and her eyes, which sometimes flickered on weekdays, were now closed, quiet and well-behaved. There was a faint light on her thick eyelashes, a smile on the corners of her lips, and her head swayed to the rhythm, seeming to be very happy. 

For some reason, his heart felt like it was being gently stroked, itchy. However, what followed was the accumulation of evil spirits that wanted to break free from the shackles and gushed out. 

The black fog that shrouded his heart, the clamor of thousands of words turned into one sentence - devour her, and you will be free. 

His heart was beating violently, Wen Gu bent over, gritting his teeth to restrain himself. 

The song ended, and everyone woke up. 

Miss Ye smiled and said, "Ayang, you play the flute so well. Who taught you? I want to ask him to be my teacher!" 

Ayang's expression did not change. He put away his old flute and said, "My mother." 

"Your mother is amazing," Miss Ye praised seriously. "She even considered taking a disciple—" 

"She's dead." 

Before he finished speaking, Ayang looked at Miss Ye and said expressionlessly. 

Everyone looked at each other in silence. Miss Ye hurriedly apologized, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to." 

Seeing this, Zhao Jinfan also said, "I'm sorry, we didn't know your mother..." 

Ayang looked at her again, and the fingers in his sleeves suddenly clenched. After a moment, he said, "I don't blame you."

When Li Zhixing heard what he said, his brows slightly raised, and he thought to himself: What does this "I don't blame you" refer to?

The young man said he didn't blame you, but his expression did not relax at all. Zhao Jinfan looked at him, suddenly smiled lightly, and said gently: "I also lost a close relative, and I feel sad every time someone mentions it. Ah Yang, Qingzhan didn't do it on purpose, just forgive her."

The young man said nothing.

"If you are really sad, why not listen to my story? It may make you feel better after listening to it."

Xie Zhiyan, who was standing beside her, probably knew her usual behavior and hurriedly said: "Jinfan, you..."

Zhao Jinfan smiled at him and said suddenly: "It's okay, it's been ten years."

Miss Ye lowered her eyebrows and pulled her sleeve, perhaps guessing what she was going to say - if one person is sad, and another person tells a sadder thing than what he has experienced, will it comfort him?

Use one's own pain to comfort another person's sadness?

Ye Qingzhan, who was on another boat, shook his head and asked himself: Why are there so many sad things in the world? Can there be a comparison of misery and suffering?

She hugged her knees and sat, tilting her head to look at the person who was telling the story.

Qinghuai beside her lowered his head.

In the twilight, fireflies danced. The storyteller started with a smile and ended with a sparkle in the corners of his eyes.

The people around were sad and shed tears when they heard it. There were ripples in the young man's cold eyes.

The two people and the fairy on the other boat came back to their senses from the story. In addition to sadness, they were mostly shocked.

Zhao Jinfan's sister, Zhao Jinyi, died of illness.

Zhao Jinfan just said that after being rescued by Xie Zhiyan, she continued to travel north with Hua Niang. Zhao Jinyi was already weak and relied on pills and nourishing soups to survive. After the Zhao family encountered misfortune, they had to flee for their lives and were caught in the rain. They were exhausted by the long journey and were blocked by bandits. They were frightened before their grief subsided, and their body and mind could not bear it.

It was also at this time that they met Mr. Ye while performing. Mr. Ye learned of Zhao Jinyi's illness and sought out several qualified doctors, but none could save him. Zhao Jinyi died after a bout of fever.

"Why didn't I know all this?" Miss Ye asked, throwing herself into Zhao Jinfan's arms.

Zhao Jinfan stroked her hair and smiled, "You were barely five then. How could you possibly understand life and death?" She paused, then added, "You grew up, and there was no need to tell you these sad things."

"The veteran artists in the troupe knew about this, but perhaps they were afraid to upset me. Over time, everyone kept it a secret and never mentioned it."

Zhao Jinfan recounted her story, completely unaware of the two men and the immortal on the boat, who were lost in confusion because of her words:

Zhao Jinyi's death, did Ah Yang still need revenge?

Or perhaps, there was another possibility—Dr. Fox had deceived Ah Yang, and the unknown actor was someone else.

"Sister, all these years, haven't you ever considered seeking revenge or overturning the verdict?" Miss Ye whispered.

Zhao Jinfan pinched her cheek and said with a smile, "Ten years have passed, and the government has changed several times. The Xie family..." She glanced at Xie Zhiyan, who shook his head, indicating that she was fine. She then said slowly, "The Xie family is gone too. Who would be willing to investigate a case with no evidence?"

Miss Ye muttered a muffled "Oh."

"Let's not talk about that," Zhao Jinfan wiped the tears from her face and looked at the young man, whose expression fluctuated. "My sister and I have loved opera since we were young. My sister sings better than me. At sixteen, she was known as the 'Shuangsheng' alongside the city's famous actresses."

"My sister and I also love stringed instruments, but unfortunately, we can sing, but we don't know how to play any instruments."

"My sister wanted to learn to play the flute, but she never learned until her death," Zhao Jinfan continued. "She always wanted to own a flute, but she had never seen one in person."

"The other day I saw you quickly make a reed flute out of reeds," she smiled, her tone filled with regret. "If I had met you earlier and become your friend, we two sisters would have many flutes and would have played them well."

Upon hearing this, Ah Yang was stunned.

The two people and the immortal on another boat looked at each other, each wondering the same thing: Zhao Jinfan was a man who wouldn't lie. So—who is the opera actor? Why did Dr. Fox lie?

Just as she was puzzled, Ah Yang, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly asked, "When did you arrive in Changning County?"

Zhao Jinfan was a little confused by his question, but she saw that he looked surprisingly serious, his brows filled with anxiety. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Ten years ago, in the first year of the Yonghe era." Seeing the doubt still in his eyes, she pondered for a moment, then said, "In late autumn."

"When we passed through Sui'an County, the reeds were already dyed with autumn colors," she added.

As if a heavy stone had been lifted from his heart, Ah Yang felt a sense of relief, and suddenly said, "Thank you."

"Hmm?" Zhao Jinfan was stunned by the young man on the boat. She smiled and asked, "Thank me for what?

" Ah Yang blushed again at her smile, and stammered, "Nothing, nothing."

"Nothing, why are you blushing?" Xie Zhiyan asked, arms folded and eyes narrowed. He had been annoyed since Ah Yang suddenly asked when they would arrive in Sui'an County.

"None of your business!" Ah Yang met Xie Zhiyan's eyes and said in a serious tone.

It was choking.

That should be all right then.

The young man finally smiled. Miss Ye breathed a sigh of relief, glanced up at the moon, and said, "That's good. Let's go back to the shadow play!"

Having heard the story, and now being able to watch another story, everyone responded with a chorus of "Okay."

Ye Qingzhan glanced at Zhao Jinfan, then at Ah Yang, then at Xie Zhiyan. She sensed a delicate atmosphere between the three of them. She wanted to ask the exiled immortal for advice, but he held his hand to his forehead and sighed, "All in vain again."

"No." Qinghuai looked at the people on the nearby boat, his eyes filled with longing, echoing the exiled immortal's words.

Wen Gu glanced at him.

Li Zhixing glanced at Qinghuai, hearing him say, "

Everything is about to end."

Back

at the Ye Mansion, the stage had already been set up in the front yard. The performers stood behind Liangzi. As the drums and music began, the string-pullers carried the shadow figures onto the stage. The male and female characters, the good and evil, the loyal and the treacherous, appeared one by one, speaking and singing. Sometimes glaring, sometimes frowning, sometimes bending and nodding, sometimes rolling and kicking... the four strings twanged, the flutes blew, and the gongs rang.

"Great!"

"Excellent!"

The seated crowd applauded, the applause never ceasing.

"You remember everything, and you're still pretending to be an immortal?" Li Zhixing, who had been lecturing his "disciple," let go of Qinghuai's ear as the show began, and focused on watching the puppet show. "We'll settle the score later!"

The show ended, and the artists bowed in thanks. They then invited the rest of the group from Suihe to come up behind the curtain and personally manipulate the puppets. Everyone smiled at each other and rushed forward.

Ah Yang followed Zhao Jinfan closely, standing beside her, fiddling with a small shadow figure, a smile on his lips.

Zhao Jinfan exclaimed, "That's the first time I've seen you smile. It's so pretty!"

Xie Zhiyan, who was leaning against her side, heard this and tugged hard at the bamboo string in his hand.

The old artist saw this and quickly reached out to snatch the puppet from his hand, angrily saying, "I won't let you play with it anymore—it's our treasure!" He then carefully put the puppet into his bag.

"You were too rough and made the old man angry." Zhao Jinfan laughed at him.

Although Xie Zhiyan was angry, he still stayed by her side and heard the gentle words coming from the other side of Zhao Jinfan.

Ah Yang manipulated the shadow figure in his hand, his eyes as gentle as water, watching its shadow cast on the white screen, light and bright. He said: "If only I were a shadow figure."

Ye Qingzhan and Wen Gu whispered around the few people, and together with Zhao Jinfan, they listened quietly to the whispers of this silent young man:

"Since I was created, I have been cherished. Going on the stage to sing and make people laugh and cry, and forget the worries of the world for a while."

"After the show, it will be well put away and stay safely with other shadow figures, like a family, never to be separated."

The exiled immortal who had finished scolding his "disciple" came over silently and heard these words from the young man. Looking at the smiling "big shadow figures" around him, he thought to himself: You really came true!

Forget it...

Ye Qingzhan and Wen Gu looked at each other, and then looked at Ah Yang. He turned sideways to look at Zhao Jinfan and said seriously, "

Master Jinfan, wait for me to come back."