Three days passed in the blink of an eye. Although the snowstorm in the valley had subsided, it did not stop.
There were almost no animals in the valley, so the two trapped in the cave could only look for dry food that fell from the carriage in the snow. Li Qiuxue, cold and hungry, stayed in the cave wrapped in fur. Chu Shaoqin, who had just returned from a long walk, came against the wind and snow, holding a large pancake dug out of the snow. When Li Qiuxue saw him walk into the cave, she hurriedly took the pancake and took a bite. The pancake, which had turned into ice, almost broke her front teeth.
"This cake has been buried in the snow for several days. I don't think it will be easy to bite it open." Chu Shaoqin, who had dug for most of the day before finally finding a piece of cake, smiled awkwardly. He hid the cake in his arms and used his body temperature to warm it up. "Let me warm it up for you."
"Will we freeze to death here?" Li Qiuxue looked at the dying bonfire, a little scared. They could no longer find branches, and if they continued like this, they would starve to death here before anyone found them.
"Will not."
I will not die here until I have taken my revenge. Chu Shaoqin thought to himself, but smiled faintly, pushed Li Qiuxue's shoulders and sat by the campfire, and said: "Li Biaotou will definitely find us."
"Xue'er, Shao Qin..."
"Miss..."
The voices of Li Bai Ze and others were heard outside the cave, mixed in the wind and carried into their ears.
"It's Daddy!" Li Qiuxue was overjoyed when she heard the voice and hurried out of the cave.
The escort agency was looking for them in the heavy snow. Li Bai Ze saw Li Qiu Xue and quickly gathered everyone to greet her. Li Qiu Xue threw herself into Li Bai Ze's arms, looking happy and wanting to cry. Li Bai Ze patted Chu Shao Qin's shoulder, as if to thank him for saving his daughter.
After the two returned to the escort team, they devoured the snow fox hunted by Li Bai Ze. The fur of the snow fox was peeled off and made into a scarf around . While eating the roasted snow fox on the campfire, Li Qiu Xue told the story of self-reliance in the valley. Li Bai Ze pretended to listen seriously, and Chu Shao Qin was amused by her exaggerated words and laughed out loud.
"What are you laughing at?" Li Qiuxue glanced at Chu Shaoqin and snatched the barbecue from his hand. "You don't have to eat it. Just laugh until you're full."
"Stop, I won't laugh anymore." Chu Shaoqin didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and was busy coaxing Li Qiuxue.
Li Qiuxue ran around with the barbecue, but she refused to give it to Chu Shaoqin. Li Baize couldn't help laughing as he watched the two of them chasing each other. He opened the small wine flask he carried with him, took a sip of wine, and then chatted with others.
The next day, the snow stopped and the sun finally came out. Although the snow on the trees had not melted, the branches were exposed. Although the carriage had fallen into the valley, two horses were left behind. At this moment, Li Baize and Li Qiuxue, father and daughter, each rode one horse, and the others followed behind the horses and continued on their way.
Xue Mansion is at the northernmost end of Qingyang City, far from the downtown area, so you need to go around a mountain road and pass a post station to get there. Riding on a horse, Li Bai Ze looked into the distance, and the flag of the post station fluttered in the wind. Before Li Bai Ze could speak, Li Qiuxue started yelling, kicked the horse's belly with both legs, and galloped in that direction.
"The post station is ahead. We can take a rest now. Let's walk faster!"
"Xue'er, ride slower." Li Baize was worried that his precious daughter would fall, so he hurriedly rode his horse to catch up and shouted to others to catch up.
A dozen soldiers were drinking and warming themselves outside the post station. When they saw the escort agency, they exchanged glances and went forward to ask where they were going. Li Baize protected Li Qiuxue behind him, explained the origin of the matter to them, and tactfully gave the leader of the soldiers a piece of silver. The leader weighed the silver, nodded, sat down and continued drinking, and ignored them.
When Chu Shaoqin saw the soldiers, he lowered his head slightly. He hid in the crowd and entered the post station with the people from the escort agency.
"Bai Shaoqin, why are you walking with your head down?" When Li Qiuxue said this, the leader of the soldiers paused, looked in the direction of Li Qiuxue, and his eyes met Chu Shaoqin's. Chu Shaoqin quickly shifted his gaze and followed Li Bai Ze into the post station.
Li Baize found the merchant at the post station, bought a new carriage, and replenished the food. After the merchant counted the money, he helped them take the horse to the stable and put it there.
"Let's go have a drink to warm ourselves up." Li Bai Ze, who had taken care of everything, patted his big belly and led everyone to the cafeteria of the post station.
"I feel a little uncomfortable. I'm going to rest for a while." Chu Shaoqin said pretending to be dizzy.
"Weren't you fine just now? Do you want to escape?" Li Qiuxue pouted and gripped the sword at her waist.
"You've been tired these days, go and rest first." Li Baize pulled the ignorant Li Qiuxue behind him and allowed Chu Shaoqin to leave.
Chu Shaoqin turned around and looked back at them as he walked through the corridor. Their backs disappeared around the corner of the corridor. Chu Shaoqin looked solemn, and turned around and slipped away to the stable.
Li Baize, who was about to drink with the others, moved his ears and seemed to hear the sound of horses' hooves. He left for a while under the pretext of going to the toilet, and when he walked to the stable, he narrowed his eyes slightly, as if he had seen something.
It is easiest to get lost in a snowy mountain. Although Chu Shaoqin had a fine horse, he soon lost his way in the forest. The horse was circling in a grove of almost identical trees, not knowing where to go. Chu Shaoqin also frowned. The soldiers should have noticed him just now. If he didn't leave, he might get into trouble.
"He's over there!" The soldiers who came out to search for Chu Shaoqin have already discovered his trail. The soldiers followed him secretly following the horseshoe prints all the way. Their goal is to kill him in a place where no one can see him.
"Surround him!" The leader's voice was extremely loud. When Chu Shaoqin was about to ride away on his horse, the soldiers on horseback behind him had already surrounded him.
"Do you know who I am?" Even when facing a desperate situation, Chu Shaoqin remained calm, while the soldiers surrounding him burst into laughter.
"You are a tiger that has been trapped in Pingyang, yet you still dare to be so arrogant. We are here to kill you. It doesn't matter who you are. Kill you!" The leader drew his sword and rode towards Chu Shaoqin. The other soldiers also drew their swords and gathered around.
Seeing this, Chu Shaoqin quickly jumped onto the tree trunk. During this period, he had been learning martial arts from Li Baize. Although he was not strong enough to fight ten people at once, he was much more agile than before.
"Shoot!"
"Oh no!" Chu Shaoqin stood on a tree trunk without any shelter, watching several arrows coming towards him.
With a "crack" sound, the tree trunk Chu Shaoqin was standing on was broken by a small stone, and he fell to the snow, avoiding the arrows. Li Baize, who came on horseback, did a somersault over the soldiers and protected Chu Shaoqin behind him.
"Shao Qin, what's going on?" Li Baize had the momentum to sweep away thousands of troops. He glanced at the soldiers surrounding them, put his hands on his waist, preparing for something.
"They want to kill me."
"You still have helpers? Let's die together! Shoot!" As soon as the leader finished saying this, a diamond-shaped dart hit his skull and he fell off his horse and died. Seeing that the leader was dead, the other soldiers raised their swords and chopped at them. Li Baize wielded his sword and killed them in a few strokes.
"There's another one!" Chu Shaoqin saw a captured soldier preparing to escape and wanted to chase him to kill him, but Li Bai Ze raised his hand to block his way and said, "Don't chase after a desperate soldier."
Chu Shaoqin opened his mouth but said nothing more.
"Why are there soldiers chasing you? Who are you?" Li Bai Ze looked at him with suspicion and finally asked about his life experience.
"I..." Chu Shaoqin hesitated. If Li Bai Ze knew his true identity, he would definitely be implicated. He didn't want the Li family to get involved in this mess, so he lied. "My father and my uncle are twin brothers. Our family is doing business in Yandu, and we are wealthy. My father, as the eldest son, was supposed to inherit the family business, but my uncle was greedy for money and power, so he murdered my father and bribed the government to kill me and take his place. I ran away all the way from Yandu until I met you, but I didn't expect my uncle would not let me go."
"How hateful! How can there be such a hateful person in this world! Tell me which family in Yandu it is, and I will bring people to help you get justice!" The righteous Li Baize punched the tree angrily, and the snow on the tree fell on their shoulders.
"The poor should not fight the rich, and the people should not fight the officials. Whether it is financial resources or power, we cannot compete with them. Moreover, when will the cycle of revenge end? Now I just want to live a peaceful life." Chu Shaoqin said hurriedly, fearing that Li Baize would really gather people and go to Yandu to cause trouble.
"That's true. I didn't expect that you have such awareness at such a young age. Well, let's go back, otherwise Xue'er will look for us everywhere again." Li Baize patted Chu Shaoqin on the shoulder and smiled naively. The two of them rode their horses and went back along the way they came.
White smoke rose from the chimney of the post station, and more and more people settled in the post station. Dusk fell on the white snow. Li Qiuxue stood outside the post station, guarding the snowy road, until Li Baize and Chu Shaoqin came back on horseback, chatting and laughing.
Before Chu Shaoqin got off the horse, Li Qiuxue grabbed him and dragged him harshly on the ground.
"Now your wings are strong enough and you can fly, right? You dared to leave my sight without my permission. Are you tired of living?" Li Qiuxue domineeringly stepped on Chu Shaoqin under her feet and declared her sovereignty with her hands on her hips.
"Xue'er, why are you so ignorant? How can a girl be so rude?" Li Baize, who got off the saddle, stepped forward to help Chu Shaoqin up. He helped Chu Shaoqin pat the snow and dust off his body like a father.
"Daddy, he obviously wanted to escape, why were you helping him?" Li Qiuxue stomped her feet and acted coquettishly.
"Daddy is just taking him for a walk. You, don't bully Shaoqin in the future. Shaoqin is a good boy. You have to change your willful and unruly behavior, otherwise who would dare to marry you in the future?" Li Baize explained while scolding Li Qiuxue.
"I don't care, Chu Shaoqin, you get upside down in the corner for an hour!" Li Qiuxue continued to drag Chu Shaoqin to punish him, but Chu Shaoqin ran back to his guest room and made a face at Li Qiuxue before closing the door.
"Li Biaotou said that if you continue to be so rude, you will never get married."
"Open the door and come out!"
Li Qiuxue was so angry that she punched and kicked the closed door.
"Xue'er, stop making trouble. We still have to travel tomorrow, so you should go back to the guest room and have some rest." Li Baize persuaded her. He looked at the sky and yawned sleepily.
Li Qiuxue couldn't kick the door open, so she had to throw down some harsh words, pout and turn away.
"Bai Shaoqin, just wait for me, humph!"
The next day, at daybreak, the escort agency had packed up and were on their way. Along the way, Li Qiuxue ignored Chu Shaoqin and Li Baize, and seemed to be still angry about what happened last night. Although Chu Shaoqin tried to coax her all the way, it didn't work. Finally, Chu Shaoqin gave up coaxing her and followed Li Baize on his way.
Li Qiuxue became even angrier when she saw the two people who were in collusion with each other. She got into the carriage and never came out again.
When they arrived at Xue's house, the wind started to blow again, and soon, snow began to fall. Li Bai Ze looked up at the big house in front of him. There were two stone sculptures of Pixiu in front of the house, and the plaque on the door read "Xue's House".
"This should be it." Li Baize went forward and knocked on the door, his loud voice seemed to penetrate the entire Xue Mansion. After a while, the door of Xue Mansion opened from the inside. The person who opened the door was a pale-faced scholar, wearing a white fox fur robe, with his hands folded into his sleeves, looking very weak.
"Who are you?" The man who opened the door took a look at them and quickly realized, "You are from the Zhengda Escort Agency, right?"
"Yes, yes, yes. May I ask if Xue Shaoheng is in the mansion? We need to hand over the paintings to him personally."
"Oh, I'm Xue Shaoheng. Please come in first. It's windy and snowing outside." Xue Shaoheng smiled politely and opened the door to let them in.
"Are we there yet?" Li Qiuxue's voice caught Xue Shaoheng's attention. He looked in the direction of the carriage and saw a slender white hand coming out of the curtain. The hem of a green silk skirt was dragged down, and a navy blue cotton robe was draped over the woman.
Xue Shaoheng was a little distracted when he saw her plain face, and he didn't come back to his senses until she stepped over the threshold and walked past him. He followed her back, muttering, "There is a beauty in the north, peerless and independent. One glance from her can make the whole city fall in love with her, and another glance from her can make my heart fall in love with her."
Chu Shaoqin followed the escort agency into Xue's mansion. The layout of Xue's mansion was somewhat similar to that of Zhengda Escort Agency, but the difference was that it seemed that only Xue Shaoheng lived here. There were no maids or servants in the mansion, only plum blossoms and murals all over the yard, which looked deserted but also poetic. Xue Shaoheng led them to the hall for entertaining guests and talked about the escort bill.
"Mr. Xue, we have delivered your painting as agreed. Please also pay for the remaining amount for the escort." Li Baize pushed the wooden box containing the painting in front of Xue Shaoheng, but Xue Shaoheng's eyes never left Li Qiuxue.
He watched Li Qiuxue eat the cakes on the table unscrupulously, her dimples showing satisfaction, which was very pretty. He didn't seem to hear a word of what Li Baize said, but just nodded absentmindedly.
"Li Biaotou, who is that girl?"
"Oh, that one is my little girl."
"May I ask the name of the daughter of the head of the pear dart?"
"My name is Li Qiuxue, regarding the escort..."
"Oh, yes, yes, this is the remainder, please keep it." Xue Shaoheng hurriedly took out a silver note from his sleeve and handed it to Li Baize.
Li Baize was counting the money and didn't notice that Xue Shaoheng was looking at Li Qiuxue. When he put away the banknotes and prepared to leave, Xue Shaoheng had already stood up and walked in front of Li Qiuxue.
"Miss Qiuxue, would you be interested in walking in the garden with me?"
"No, the escort has been delivered, we have to go back." Li Qiuxue glanced at Xue Shaoheng. She didn't like it when a grown man called her "little man". It sounded awkward. She patted the cake powder on her hands, stood up, straightened her robe, and prepared to leave Xue's house with the other people from the escort agency.
"Captain Li, there's a sudden heavy snowstorm outside. I'm afraid we can't move." The man guarding the carriage at the door hurried to the hall to report the situation to Li Baize. Xue Shaoheng was particularly happy and quickly stepped forward to invite them to stay for a few days until the snowstorm stopped.
"Then I'm sorry to bother you, Mr. Xue." Li Baize thought about it and agreed, worried that something unexpected might happen on the way back.
Xue Shaoheng led them to the guest rooms and deliberately reserved a room closest to him for Li Qiuxue.
Li Qiuxue didn't like seeing the pedantic scholar as soon as she opened the door, so she insisted on changing rooms with Chu Shaoqin.
Although Xue Shaoheng was dissatisfied, he smiled and said, "As long as Miss Qiuxue likes it."
For some reason, the heavy snow never stopped, and the sound of the whistling north wind outside the house was like a wolf howling. Every time Chu Shaoqin opened the window, he could see Xue Shaoheng reciting poems and writing couplets in the corridor, sometimes following behind Li Qiuxue. His literary appearance gave people goose bumps, so Chu Shaoqin simply never opened the window facing Xue Shaoheng's door again. He leaned against the wall, and seemed to hear a clue from Xue Shaoheng's poems.
"Could it be that Xue Shaoheng has taken a fancy to Li Qiuxue?" Chu Shaoqin pounded his palms. To confirm what he was thinking, he turned around and opened the window a crack. Through the crack, he saw Xue Shaoheng following Li Qiuxue, chanting "The orioles are singing on the island in the river. The beautiful lady is the ideal match for the gentleman..."
"Are you annoying? Can't you just talk properly? You keep reciting some scriptures I don't understand, and don't keep following me!" Li Qiuxue put her hands on her hips impatiently and frowned. But Xue Shaoheng, who firmly believed that sincerity can move mountains and open rocks, still did not give up. He picked a plum branch from the yard and handed it to Li Qiuxue affectionately.
"Miss Qiuxue, this plum blossom branch represents my love. If you don't mind, I will come to your house with generous gifts and ask for your hand in marriage when I become successful."
"By the time you become successful, my sunset will have already arrived." Li Qiuxue pushed away the flowerless plum branch with disdain and continued walking forward arrogantly.
Chu Shaoqin, who was hiding in the window and peeking, laughed out loud and then continued watching.
"Miss Qiuxue, I drew this picture for you last night." Xue Shaoheng still did not give up and took out a piece of silk with a portrait of Li Qiuxue from his sleeve. He wanted to give it to Li Qiuxue as a token of love. But Li Qiuxue was completely impatient, so she took the silk and tore it into several pieces, then threw them away.
"Xue Shaoheng, listen to me, I am not interested in a scholar like you who is good for nothing except reciting poems and writing couplets!"
Xue Shaoheng was stunned, and seemed to have suffered a great blow in his heart.
Li Qiuxue continued, "Can you pick the stars from the sky? Can you eat raw meat? If I fall into the valley, will you protect me with your life? Will you put the frozen cake in your chest to warm it up for me to eat?"
"I……"
"A scholar is good for nothing."
The excessive words came out of Li Qiuxue's mouth very naturally. She turned her head and disappeared at the end of the corridor. Xue Shaoheng, who had suffered a great humiliation, clenched his fists and lowered his head.
"Li Qiuxue, you will regret this! Definitely!"
Chu Shaoqin looked at Li Qiuxue's departing back, with mixed feelings. He closed the window and leaned against the wall, thinking about what Li Qiuxue had said. Could it be that she fell in love with him?
"What am I thinking about?" Chu Shaoqin shook his head, crawled into the quilt, and stopped thinking about these romantic affairs.
The blizzard stopped on the third day of their stay, the ground warmed up, and the snow melted. Li Baize led the escorts to pack their bags and prepare to return. Xue Shaoheng also politely went out to see them off. After they left, he put away his hypocritical smile and turned back to the Xue Mansion. Just as he was about to close the door, a big knife stretched out and got stuck in the gap of the door, just facing the tip of Xue Shaoheng's nose.
The sword with a cold glow slowly retracted, and the door opened as Xue Shaoheng retreated. Several officers and soldiers with swords entered the door, and they laughed at Xue Shaoheng who staggered back a few steps and fell to the ground, trembling.
"You, what are you going to do? I have never committed any crime . Did you come to the wrong place?"
"We are chasing a fugitive. Have you seen the person in the painting?" The sturdy leader of the soldiers unfolded a scroll.
The person in the painting looked very familiar. Xue Shaoheng searched for the person in the painting in his mind and suddenly remembered who it was. He raised the corners of his lips and stood up from the ground.
"I know where the person in the painting is..."
The men from the escort agency sang ballads along the way. The road back was easier to walk on without the heavy snow. They soon passed the post station they came from and entered the forest path. Riding on a horse, Li Qiuxue also hummed ballads with the others. Her voice was clear, with the brightness of a woman and the toughness of a man.
Chu Shaoqin didn't know how to sing the escort agency's ballad, so he could only listen to them singing along. Li Qiuxue saw that he didn't say anything along the way, so she grabbed his ear and forced him to learn the ballad. Chu Shaoqin had no choice but to sing along with her sentence by sentence, and when he sang the high note at the end, he suddenly broke his voice.
Li Qiuxue burst out laughing, and the others in the escort agency couldn't help but burst into laughter. Chu Shaoqin blushed with embarrassment and refused to sing anymore.
As night fell, they decided to rest for the night and set off again tomorrow. Li Baize took a few people to cut wood and hunt, and soon they came back with a pile of dry firewood and pheasants and hares. They lit a bonfire with a tinder, shaved the prey and roasted it.
Chu Shaoqin watched them work together and stepped forward to help. He had never experienced such a life before. He thought that only poor people needed to be self-reliant, but he never thought that self-reliance was a happy thing. Although this group of people was rude, they were righteous and upright. They would stand up for the people around them and would risk their lives for their reputation. They made Chu Shaoqin feel what sincerity and happiness were.
"Shao Qin, can you play a tune with leaves?" Li Bai Ze picked a green leaf from the bushes, placed it between his lips and gently played a tune.
Chu Shaoqin shook his head. How could he, who had always lived a life of luxury, know these folk things?
Li Bai Ze picked another green leaf and handed it to Chu Shaoqin, saying, "I'll teach you."
Li Baize taught Chu Shaoqin how to play the music step by step. When Li Qiuxue looked at Chu Shaoqin, she saw a trace of sadness in his eyes. He learned for a long time before he could barely play a piece of music. Li Qiuxue was no longer by the campfire.
"Captain Li, come here, let's have a drink!" Others raised their wine bowls and called out to Li Baize.
Li Baize patted Chu Shaoqin on the shoulder and walked towards the campfire to drink.
Chu Shaoqin climbed up the tree branch and played his favorite childhood song. He looked up at the half moon and thought of many past events. Before he knew it, the moonlight had deepened, and everyone by the campfire fell asleep with their swords in their arms. Chu Shaoqin looked in the direction of the carriage. Li Qiuxue was probably asleep in the carriage. He was the only one awake at night, and he couldn't help but think of the pursuers a few days ago.
The troops in the capital have already chased him to Qingyang City. I believe they will find Zhengda Escort Agency soon. Hiding a criminal is a capital crime. If he continues to stay in Zhengda Escort Agency, sooner or later he will bring disaster to their family. Although he selfishly thought of using the people of Zhengda Escort Agency to help him, Li Baize's family has done him a favor, and he cannot harm them.
Chu Shaoqin quietly looked at everyone who was sleeping. Maybe he should leave. It would be better for everyone.
"Thank you for your care along the way, but all good things must come to an end. See you again someday if we are lucky." Chu Shaoqin climbed down from the tree carefully. He said to himself and turned away reluctantly.
It was pitch black in the night, and Chu Shaoqin was walking while blowing on a tinderbox, trying to use the weak flame to illuminate the road ahead. But before the tinderbox could spark, he fell into a deep pit.
"Bai Shaoqin, ah Bai Shaoqin, why don't you use your brain to think about it. Am I the kind of person who would let you go so easily?" Li Qiuxue squatted on the edge of the deep pit with a lantern in her hand. The flickering candlelight swayed on her face, making her smile look very strange. "I have seen that something is wrong with you, but I didn't expect you to really want to escape. Since you don't like to keep warm by the fire, then sleep in this pit for one night."
"Li Qiuxue, you misunderstood, I just wanted to come out to pee... Hey, don't go... Hey, leave a lantern for me... Li Qiuxue..." Chu Shaoqin watched Li Qiuxue turn around and leave without sympathy, and lay in the deep pit for the whole night with a miserable look on his face.
On the second day, Li Qiuxue squatted outside the deep pit again, looking down at Chu Shaoqin to see if he had been taken away by any wild beast.
"Did you sleep well last night?" Li Qiuxue teased, playing with the little braids on her chest.
"Master Qiuxue, after a night of reflection, I have realized my mistakes. Please be magnanimous and forgive me. I will never run around outside your sight again. I promise!" Chu Shaoqin raised three fingers and swore to the sky, "If I don't keep my word, I will be struck by lightning!"
A thunderous sound rang out, and Chu Shaoqin was so frightened that he leaned against the wall. Li Qiuxue couldn't help but laugh: "See, even God won't help you."
"Hey, you look at me like this all day, are you attracted to me?" Chu Shaoqin changed his communication method. He thought Li Qiuxue would deny it shyly, but unexpectedly, Li Qiuxue nodded very frankly. This unexpected reaction made Chu Shaoqin at a loss for words.
"I just like you, so what? You keep trying to run away, don't tell me you have a crush on someone?" Li Qiuxue changed the subject, grasped the hilt of the sword and prepared to draw it, "Tell me who it is!"
"No, no, no, I don't have a lover." Chu Shaoqin hurriedly denied.
"Do you like me?"
"I dare not dislike it."
"What do you mean you dare not dislike it? You are just trying to be perfunctory with me!" Li Qiuxue pouted, a little angry.
"Ah, no, no, what I mean is that if you could be a little gentler to me, I would like you more." Chu Shaoqin gestured with his fingers that "a little", waiting for Li Qiuxue to let go of the rope with anticipation in his eyes.
"Well, I'll trust you this time reluctantly." Li Qiuxue turned around proudly and threw the prepared rope into the deep pit.
Chu Shaoqin climbed up little by little pulling the rope. When he finally reached the cave entrance, Li Qiuxue suddenly came over and scared him so much that he almost fell back.
"If your mother and I jump into the water at the same time, who will you save?"
"Save you!" Chu Shaoqin answered without thinking, but he was thinking in his heart: Who would jump into the water for nothing?
"That's more like it." Li Qiuxue puffed her cheeks with satisfaction and reached out to pull Chu Shaoqin. The two walked towards , like a young couple who had just had an awkward argument.