There were few people on the path, and the roadside was full of purple azaleas. From above the path came the sound of wheels, and if you listened carefully, you could hear someone humming a pleasant tune.
The carriage gradually drove into the avenue. Yun Yao lifted the curtain and said to the coachman, "Pay attention to your surroundings. If you see the little monk and his accomplices, remind me. You will get your reward."
"Yes, yes, I'm very careful."
The groom responded repeatedly.
This Yun Yao, under the pretext of arresting someone, seemed to be having a good time here, and even rented a carriage and a coachman.
"How come I haven't seen them after walking for so long? Could it be that the citizen gave me the wrong directions?" Yun Yao looked around, holding his chin in thought.
The groom raised his head and asked, "Sir, we have been walking for two hours. If we were going south, most people would choose this road. Did the person who showed us the way really give us the wrong direction?"
"If he points out something wrong to me, I'll skin him alive!" Yun Yao said fiercely and got back into the carriage.
The groom curled his lips and muttered, "Rich people are just very fierce."
As soon as he finished speaking, the horse suddenly got startled, its front hooves flew into the air, and it neighed. The groom pulled the reins with all his strength, and Yun Yao poked his head out and asked unhappily, "What's wrong?"
The groom looked around at the trees and said, "Sir, this is bad. I'm afraid we've run into robbers!"
"Robbers..." Yun Yao was calm and fearless, and shouted, "Which robbers are you? Stand up for me!"
"Oh my god, please don't do that!" Seeing Yun Yao being so arrogant, the coachman tried to stop him. But Yun Yao didn't appreciate it and shouted even harder. The coachman had been to many places, so he could sense danger. He was afraid that this ignorant young master would get him into trouble, so he simply abandoned the carriage and ran away alone.
Yun Yao jumped off the carriage and shouted, "Hey, hey! Why are you running?" The coachman disappeared in a flash. Yun Yao couldn't help but sneer, "Coward!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the grass around him began to move without any wind. Yun Yao jumped onto the carriage and wanted to drive away, but the horse refused to listen to him. No matter how he whipped it, it refused to move.
"You horse, why didn't you listen at the critical moment? I thought you were a good horse, but you are such a coward!" Yun Yao said angrily, patting the horse's butt.
However, before Yun Yao finished speaking, a group of people came out of the bushes. The leaders were a fat man and a thin man. The fat man looked fierce and had two small mustaches on his philtrum, while the thin man looked clean and weak, and did not look like a robber at all.
"Who just said that I'm a coward and can only hide in the dark?" The fat man raised the iron axe in his hand to his shoulder and shouted at Yun Yao.
Yun Yao squatted on the carriage and said with a playful smile: "Brother, you heard it wrong, it's not true."
"Really?" The fat man snorted, turned his head and said to his brothers, "Brothers, go and take the carriage and the money from that guy, then strip him naked and bury him alive!"
"No, big brother. Stripping you naked will affect the city's appearance. I'll give you the money and the carriage. You dig the pit and I'll jump in myself, okay?" Yun Yao wanted to bargain, but the robbers had already rushed in front of him. He turned over and jumped off the carriage to meet these minions.
Yun Yao's little kung fu was more than enough to deal with these cunning little rats, but there were too many of them and he was unable to cope with them.
"This kid knows some martial arts, huh!" The fat man sneered and swung the iron axe in his hand. The iron axe flew out of his hand, and a chain was still in the fat man's hand.
The iron axe chopped towards Yun Yao's forehead. Yun Yao dodged backwards with a cry of "Ah!", but it seemed as if the iron axe would grow longer and chase him closely. When there was no more room for him to dodge, Yun Yao simply turned around and squatted, holding his head and resigning himself to his fate.
"Ding——" a crisp sound rang out behind him, and then the iron axe swung back into the fat man's hand. Yun Yao turned his head in surprise and saw a stone on the ground. The sound just now was made by the stone hitting the iron axe.
"Which bastard!" The fat man was extremely angry. Not many people dared to block his axe.
The thin man had sharp eyes and saw a little monk in old grey clothes standing not far in front of Yun Yao. The little monk stood quietly, clasped his hands together, and chanted: "Amitabha."
"Oh, monk!" Yun Yao raised his head and saw that it was Bian Zhen'er. He immediately got up and ran behind Bian Zhen'er, pointing at the evil bandits opposite and said, "Monk, kill them! Kill them!"
"Amitabha, I will not kill anyone." Bian Zhener refused.
"If you don't kill them, they will kill us!" Yun Yao said anxiously.
The fat man saw that it was a thin little monk and said with disdain: "I thought he was someone special, but it turns out to be just a little monk."
"Both of them were buried alive." The thin man, who had not spoken for a long time, stood aside and spoke coldly.
"Yes, big brother!" The fat man received the order and gave more instructions, and his men rushed towards Bian Zhener and Yun Yao.
"Little monk, hurry up! They are coming!" Yun Yao hid behind Bian Zhen'er and shouted hurriedly, "Let them see how powerful you are!"
However, Bian Zhen'er did not want to make them look bad as Yun Yao intended. Bian Zhen'er only defended, and whenever he was forced into a corner and wanted to fight back, he would think of the day when he accidentally killed the bearded man.
"Little monk, what's wrong with you, use that energy to beat my men?" Yun Yao yelled at Bian Zhen'er while dodging the robbers' attacks. Bian Zhen'er was distracted and got cut on the arm.
The fat and thin brothers on the side watched the two people being gradually surrounded as if they were watching a good show, hoping to reap the huge profits.
But on a small hill behind the fat and thin brothers, there was another person lying.
It’s Liu Zhuiyi!
She had come here to look for Bian Zhener. She heard the sound of fighting from a distance, so she carefully hid aside. As expected, she witnessed Bian Zhener coming to save Yun Yao.
Seeing that Bian Zhen'er and Yun Yao were injured and outnumbered, Liu Zhuiyi came up with a plan. She stroked the necks of the two horses and said lovingly, "I'm sorry, horses. Go into the crowd and roll around. Do whatever feels good to you." As she spoke, she lifted her outer skirt and took out a tinderbox from the purse inside. She opened the lid and blew gently, and flames came out of the tinderbox. Liu Zhuiyi carefully lit the human tail hair of the two horses and immediately hid aside.
The flames burned the hair on the horses' tails, and the two horses neighed and rushed towards the fat and thin duo. The fat and thin duo heard the sound and turned their heads to look, but they were unable to dodge and were knocked away by the horses. The group of robbers who besieged Bian Zhen'er and Yun Yao saw that the two strong horses were out of control and were scared and scattered.
Taking advantage of the chaos, Liu Zhuiyi jumped onto Yun Yao's carriage, whipped the horse, and the horse raised its front hooves and rushed forward.
"Little monk, Young Master Yun, get on the horse!" Liu Zhuiyi shouted to the two people who were at a loss. Bian Zhener was the first to react. He grabbed Yun Yao, jumped up in the air, and sat steadily on the carriage.
"Get in!" Liu Zhuiyi turned around and said to the two of them, and Yun Yao quickly got into the carriage. Liu Zhuiyi drove the carriage away.
The two frightened horses kept rolling on the ground, which put out the flames on their tails. The robbers helped up the fat and thin men who had chest injuries from the collision and asked, "Big brother, second brother, should we continue to chase?"
"Chase, chase, chase your uncle!" The fat man knocked the person who was asking the question hard, looked at the thin man who kept coughing, and said, "Send the big brother back, and tie up a doctor to take a look!"
"Yes!" The men hurriedly helped the thin man up and walked into the mountains.
The fat man looked at the direction where Liu Zhuiyi and the others were going, spat on the ground and said, "Pooh!"
Liu Zhuiyi whipped the horse all the way, the horse ran very fast, the road was bad, it was always bumpy, Yun Yao was almost vomiting sitting in the car. He lifted the curtain behind the car, and seeing that no one was chasing, he hurriedly said: "Hey, hey, hey, stop, stop, they are not catching up!"
Liu Zhuiyi tightened the reins and the horse stopped. Yun Yao quickly jumped off the carriage and ran to the side of the road to vomit. Bian Zhener also got off the carriage and stood on the side of the road, not daring to look up at Liu Zhuiyi.
Yun Yao relaxed, propped up the tree with one hand, turned his head to look at Liu Zhuiyi who was sitting in the carriage with a dark face, walked up to her with a smile, bowed and said: "Girl, we meet again. This time, thanks to you..."
Before he could finish his words, Liu Zhuiyi got out of the car, pushed aside Yun Yao who was blocking the way, rushed to Bian Zhener, and angrily asked: "Why did you run? I called you and you ignored me!"
Bian Zhener turned his body aside and did not answer.
"I'm asking you a question, don't play dumb." Liu Zhuiyi put his hands on his waist and stood in front of Bian Zhen'er again. Bian Zhen'er opened his lips slightly, wanting to say something, but in the end it turned into a sigh.
Seeing the looks of Liu Zhuiyi and Bian Zhener, Yun Yao guessed something in his heart, walked over, acted as a peacemaker, and said: "Little monk, you should never make a woman angry, understand? In this situation, if you are wrong, you are wrong, and if you are not wrong, you are also wrong. Just apologize quickly, won't everything be fine?"
"Is it your business?" Liu Zhuiyi did not appreciate Yun Yao's kindness. Yun Yao kept silent , feeling extremely bored.
Bian Zhen'er kept performing the one-handed salute and stammered, "This little monk... this little monk... this little monk didn't mean to leave, I just don't know how to get along with the girl. This little monk has been with the master since I was born, never... never..."
Although Liu Zhuiyi was still angry, her eyes were on the wound on Bian Zhener's arm. Even if Bian Zhener really said something, she was afraid she would not listen.
“Forget it.” Liu Zhuiyi waved his hand and turned to look at Yun Yao. Seeing that Yun Yao also had a knife wound on his arm, he said, “Both of you get in the car first. It’s getting dark. Let’s find a place to rest first. If the knife wound is not treated, it will swell with pus.”
After that, she walked to the carriage, turned her back to them and waited for them to get in.
Yun Yao looked at the indifferent Bian Zhen'er, tugged at his sleeve, and said, "You are a very rigid monk. Let's go. I am here. Are you still worried about what the girl will do to you? Besides, you are a man and she is a girl. If she is not afraid, what should you be afraid of?"
Bian Zhen'er was dragged onto the carriage by Yun Yao, but he refused to say a word from beginning to end.
Liu Zhuiyi got into the car with a sullen face, and thought to herself, "You stinky monk, it's my fault that I'm blind!" She whipped the horse and walked for a long time in anger. Finally, she found a cave, stopped, and led the carriage into the cave.
The cave was very big, and could hold dozens of people. There was an empty space above the head of the inner cave, and one could see the sky outside when one looked up. Liu Zhuiyi pointed at Yun Yao and said, "You must keep an eye on the little monk. If he runs away, I will hold you responsible."
"No, no, no." Yun Yao waved his hands quickly, then smiled flatteringly, and said, "I will definitely keep a close eye on him. Miss, where are you going? It's getting dark outside, it's dangerous to be alone."
"Why are you talking so much nonsense? Tomorrow morning, as soon as the sun rises, you will come back from where you came from." Liu Zhuiyi rolled his eyes at Yun Yao, turned around and walked out of the cave.
Yun Yao looked at Liu Zhuiyi's back and said to Bian Zhen'er, "This girl is quite hot. Oh, by the way, I didn't realize that you are just a monk, how can you understand women?" Yun Yao sat down next to Bian Zhen'er and asked, "Little monk, what's your name? I can't keep calling you little monk, can I? My name is Yun Yao, the second young master of the Yun family, the richest man in Chang'an City!"
"I know you are here to arrest me." Bian Zhener closed his eyes and said lightly.
Yun Yao glanced at the cave entrance, leaned close to Bian Zhen'er's ear, and said, "Let's exchange a secret. I'll tell you something, and you tell me about that girl, okay?"
"Not good." Bian Zhener did not respond.
Yun Yao smiled, ignoring Bian Zhen'er's words, and said, "The bearded man you accidentally killed is actually not dead."
Bian Zhener opened her eyes, her pupils lit up, and she stared at Yun Yao and asked, "Are you serious?"
"Really." Yun Yao nodded, "After the girl buried him, he woke up and crawled out of the grave by himself."
"Then why did you come to hunt down me and Miss Liu?" Bian Zhener asked.
"Her last name is Liu?" Yun Yao asked with his eyes wide open.
Only then did Bian Zhener realize that he had let the cat out of the bag, and he quickly turned his head away without saying anything.
Yun Yao shrugged and continued, "I didn't come here to arrest you for real, but to avoid my annoying father and brother. I'm only eighteen, and I haven't seen enough of the prosperity in the world, but they force me to get married and manage the family business. How boring! I might as well take this opportunity to come out and take a look."
Bian Zhen'er looked serious, and he said, "This world is not as prosperous as you think."
Yun Yao disagreed and said, "How old are you? How do you know?" Then he moved closer to Bian Zhen'er and asked, "Hey, let me ask you, what is Miss Liu's name? Where is she from? Which family is she from?"
"I don't know her background, how can I tell you?" Bian Zhener asked back.
"It turns out you're not that familiar with her." Yun Yao glanced at Bian Zhen'er and made a calculation in his mind: it's better if you're not familiar with her.
Bian Zhen'er stood up, walked to the sky gate where the night scene could be seen, took off the Jiaowei Qin on his back, and said, "I have no name or surname. My master gave me the Dharma name Bian Zhen'er, asking me to remember the truth and goodness in the world and to distinguish between right and wrong, danger and evil. So, you can just call me Bian Zhen'er."
"Bian Zhen'er? Remember the truth and goodness in the world, and distinguish between right and wrong, danger and evil. What a good name!" Yun Yao praised, and stood up and walked to Bian Zhen'er. He took out the Jiaowei Qin from the cloth package and wiped the body of the Qin carefully.
"You don't have to look at me, I won't leave. Go out and check on Miss Liu. It's getting late, and it's not safe for her as a girl." Bian Zhener said.
Yun Yao raised his eyebrows and said, "I've been waiting for you to say this. If you want me to go out and find her, I'd love to." As he said that, Yun Yao walked out of the cave, but just as he reached the cave entrance, he saw Liu Zhuiyi coming back with a few herbs in his hand.
"Miss Liu, I am..." Yun Yao wanted to show his courtesy when he saw Liu Zhuiyi, but Liu Zhuiyi ignored him and went straight to Bian Zhener. Yun Yao shut up in boredom and sat aside, looking at Liu Zhuiyi with jealousy.
In the past in Chang'an City, the girls who wanted to curry favor with the Second Young Master Yun could line up from the east to the west of the city. However, this girl named Liu Zhuiyi was so ungrateful that she looked down on everyone and only cared about a little monk who had abandoned her.
Liu Zhuiyi squatted beside Bian Zhener and said, "Let me see your wound. These herbs can stop bleeding and dissolve blood stasis. I'll apply some on it."
"Let me do it myself." Bian Zhener stretched out his hand.
Liu Zhuiyi frowned and said, "You do it yourself? Can you apply the medicine and bandage with one hand? Little monk, your master taught you not to touch evil desires and women in this world, but did he teach you to be grateful and not to be fussy? I saved you, you owe me a life, and I didn't blame you for abandoning me, but you kept your distance from me everywhere. What's the matter? Are you afraid that I will eat you, or that you will fall in love with me?"
Liu Zhuiyi was eloquent and kept Bian Zhener speechless. He had no other choice but to turn his head and expose his injured arm.
Liu Zhuiyi stopped talking to him, and threw half of the herb into her mouth, chewed it, and spit it into her palm. She lifted the clothes that were stained with blood and flesh, and applied the herb to the wound. Then, she tore off her skirt and bandaged the wound carefully.
After bandaging, Liu Zhuiyi tilted his head and asked, "Try to move."
Bian Zhener moved his injured arm and said, "It doesn't hurt as much as before, but I can move it now."
"That's good." Liu Zhuiyi stood up and walked to Yun Yao with the remaining half of the herbs. He looked down at Yun Yao lying on the ground and said in a bad tone, "You, stand up and apply the herbs!"
Look at this attitude, it's completely different.
However, Yun Yao was a man who could read people's eyes, so he quickly got up and obediently rolled up his sleeves, revealing the wound on his arm. Liu Zhuiyi applied medicine on him like he did to Bian Zhen'er, and considerately pulled his sleeves down.
Because they were close, Yun Yao could see Liu Zhuiyi carefully. She was clean and pretty, many times prettier than those vulgar girls in Chang'an City.
"Miss Liu, you are so beautiful." Yun Yao said softly, pursing his thin lips.
Liu Zhuiyi raised his head slightly, met Yun Yao's gaze, and said abruptly: "If you look at me again, I will dig out your eyeballs."
Yun Yao looked away, smiling without saying anything.
After bandaging Yun Yao, Liu Zhuiyi said, "Second Young Master Yun, your presence here must not be an accident, right? Let me tell you, I, Liu Zhuiyi, saved you today. If you still want to capture me and the little monk, I will not let you walk out of this cave safely tomorrow."
"Don't worry." Yun Yao stretched and said with a smile, "The bearded man is not dead. Besides, I am not here to arrest you. I am looking for an opportunity to run away from home. So, not only will I not arrest you and take you back, I will also go on the road with you."
Liu Zhuiyi was surprised and asked, "Big Beard is not dead? You still want to go on the journey with us?"
Yun Yao leaned close to Liu Zhuiyi's ear and said, "If I go with you, then the little monk won't leave, right?"
It seems to be true, but Liu Zhuiyi still doesn't understand why Yun Yao ran away from home.
"I don't know what you nobles are thinking." Liu Zhuiyi sat aside, hugged his knees, and said, "You have a nice mansion to live in, gold and silver treasures to spend, and beautiful girls to marry, but you insist on running away from home. If you had told me earlier that you were not here to catch us, I would not have escaped from Chang'an City with the little monk."
"Yes, yes, I was wrong." Yun Yao sat next to Liu Zhuiyi, raised the corner of his lips and asked, "How about you come back to Chang'an with me, Miss Liu? I'll give you a house to live in and lots of gold, silver and treasures to spend?"
"I don't want to!" Liu Zhuiyi stretched out his hand and slapped Yun Yao's arm fiercely, which happened to hit the wound. He immediately screamed in pain. Liu Zhuiyi didn't care about him and let him scream.
It was already dark outside, and Liu Zhuiyi lit a fire in the cave. Bian Zhener sat under the sky, where the moonlight just happened to shine through the sky and fall on Bian Zhener. Bian Zhener looked thoughtful, looking at the Jiaoweiqin in front of him, and covered the strings with both hands, playing a song.
Bian Zhen'er, wrapped in the moonlight, looked like a person from outside this world. Liu Zhuiyi was staring at her in a daze.
"I've heard sisters playing the piano in Ruyi Tower before, but none of them played as beautifully as the little monk." Liu Zhuiyi was fascinated and couldn't help but say.
Yun Yao said: "This piece of music is called "Jinse", which is about a man and a woman who can't stay together but can only look at each other. It is said that only people who have experienced the pain of love can play it so movingly. Bian Zhen'er is a monk, why can he also..."
"So he is a man with a story." Liu Zhuiyi couldn't help but laugh.
Yes, Bian Zhener must be a man with a story. He came to Ruyi Tower with a harp and a story, and let her meet him.
Yun Yao approached Liu Zhuiyi mischievously and said in a sweet voice, "Then... Liu'er, you must also be someone with a story, right?"
Hearing the name "Liu'er", Liu Zhuiyi trembled all over. She glared at Yun Yao fiercely and said in a breath: "Shut up! If you call me like that again, I will kick you out!"
"Okay, okay, I won't scream. I won't scream." Yun Yao stretched out his finger, covered his lips, and shut up obediently.
Liu Zhuiyi moved to the side in disgust, not wanting to get too close to Yun Yao.
Bian Zhen'er was too cold, Yun Yao was too enthusiastic, and Liu Zhuiyi was caught in the middle, which was really a headache. But fortunately, Bian Zhen'er did not say that she wanted to leave, and she would not avoid Liu Zhuiyi as before.
The three of them went to Tanzhou, wanting to see the scenery of the Xiang River.
However, before reaching Tanzhou, villagers on the road told them not to go any further.
"There is a drought happening near Tanzhou. I also heard that some people are drinking the blood of the dead in order to survive! You will only die if you go there, so you'd better turn back." The old woodcutter kindly reminded Bian Zhener and his group.
"Thank you for the reminder, old man." Liu Zhuiyi thanked him and turned to ask Bian Zhener, "Should we continue to move forward?"
"Of course I'm not leaving!" Yun Yao waved his hands and said, "Wouldn't it be suicide if I went? It's the drought!"
Bian Zhen'er has always been kind-hearted. He sighed and said, "I'm afraid that many people will suffer because of this. It's not good for us. It's not good for us."
"Then let's go." Liu Zhuiyi could guess what Bian Zhen'er was thinking. He was a monk and had compassion for all living things in the world, but he was also worried that it would implicate himself and Yun Yao. If he was alone, he would definitely go to Tanzhou.
Yun Yao asked in surprise: "Are you really going?"
"You can get off if you don't want to go." Liu Zhuiyi said annoyedly.
"I'll go!" Yun Yao quickly hugged the carriage lattice and said, "Of course I have to go, otherwise how can I feel at ease if I let you two go?"
Liu Zhuiyi said, "Then stop talking nonsense and go down quickly to prepare more dry food and water, so as not to die in a foreign land!"
Bian Zhen'er got off the car before Yun Yao and went to find a water source. Yun Yao felt wronged and asked Liu Zhuiyi: "Can't you treat me the same way as Bian Zhen'er, Miss Liu?"
"The little monk is going to find water now, what about you? Huh?" Liu Zhuiyi glared at him and said.
Yun Yao understood what was going on and quickly got off the car to follow Bian Zhen'er. He crossed his arms and muttered in dissatisfaction: "With the way you look, how can Bian Zhen'er like you? You mean a vicious woman!"
Liu Zhuiyi was waiting for them in the car. A quarter of an hour later, the old woodcutter who had just left came back.
"Girl, girl." The old woodcutter wrapped some round things in coarse ramie cloth and called Liu Zhuiyi from afar.
Liu Zhuiyi jumped off the carriage, walked over and asked, "What's wrong, old man?"
"This is the fruit my grandson picked on the hilltop today. You can take it." The old woodcutter put the things on the ground and spread out the coarse ramie cloth. Liu Zhuiyi took a look and saw a pile of wild fruits lying inside.
The old woodcutter said, "I have heard your conversation just now. You young people are kind-hearted and cannot bear to see life and death. Take these fruits. Eat some when you are thirsty or hungry. Water can be stored for a longer time. Keep them there for emergency use."
Liu Zhuiyi was startled, and a smile appeared on her face. She squatted down, wrapped the coarse ramie cloth and picked it up, bowed slightly to the old woodcutter, and said, "Thank you for your kindness, old man."
The old woodcutter waved his hand and said, "You're welcome. Consider it as an old man's good deeds that you will have a good place to go after you die." After saying that, he turned around and walked slowly towards the village.
After watching the old woodcutter leave, Liu Zhuiyi moved the fruit to the cart and opened it for a closer look. The fruit shell was hard, so she peeled it open with her fingers and tasted the flesh inside. The juice was thick and just right to quench her thirst.
Liu Zhuiyi thought about it and hid all the fruits in a box under the car.
Quarter of an hour later, Bian Zhener and Yun Yao came back with some dry food in their arms and three water bags filled with water.
Yun Yao climbed into the car and said, "Let me make it clear that when I go to Tanzhou, I can help others, but I can't put myself in a difficult position."
"I know that the Second Young Master Yun is afraid of death, and I won't let you down." Liu Zhuiyi whipped the horse, and the horse immediately raised its hooves and ran away.
Yun Yao sat next to Liu Zhuiyi and explained, "I'm not afraid of death. We are not officials. We are just ordinary people. Helping others is a favor, and not helping others is a duty. If you risk your life for helping others, it would be stupid."
"I have been wandering around the world for many years and I know as much as you do." Liu Zhuiyi rolled her eyes at Yun Yao and continued driving the horse.
Yun Yao never really paid attention to Liu Zhuiyi's attitude. He was a man who became more courageous when faced with more setbacks.
Bian Zhener sat in the car, listening to the conversation between Yun Yao and Liu Zhuiyi through the curtain. After a long time, he closed his eyes quietly, chanting scriptures and meditating.
When he was a child, Bian Zhen'er once pulled Master Mingyang's clothes, pointed at a beggar begging on the street, and asked: "Master, he is so pitiful, why don't we help him?"
Master Mingyang said: "Zhen'er, there is no shortage of pitiful people in this world. What is lacking is pitiful people who are worthy of admiration."
When he finished speaking, he turned around and touched Bian Zhen'er's bald head, saying, "Zhen'er, if one day your master is no longer by your side, you must remember that the great kindness and virtue spoken of by others can never compare to the peace of mind in your heart. You should only help everyone with your own ability, and never force yourself. Not everyone can be compassionate to the common people. Although you are my disciple, you have never entered Buddhism. You came from the mortal world and will eventually return to it, so don't deliberately carry great compassion and live the rest of your life leisurely."
"Master." Bian Zhener murmured, with tears in the corners of his eyes.
Two hours later, the carriage arrived at a small village in Tanzhou.
The houses were half-collapsed, the population was sparse, and there were huge cracks on the land. A woman was guarding a pitiful puddle of mud in the field. When she saw a rich family's carriage coming into the village, she ran to the village on her trouser legs and picked up the child sleeping on the couch, fearing that some bad guys would come and snatch the child away.
"No, stop snatching!" A woman's cry suddenly came from a room, and then a man ran out of a room, threw down a bowl and ran over.
Liu Zhuiyi saw milky white liquid at the corner of the man's mouth.
A woman with her shirt in disarray ran out right behind him. She fell to the ground crying, shouting, "How could you do such a sin? How could you do such a sin? That was the milk I squeezed out with great difficulty to feed my child!"
Hearing this, Yun Yao immediately jumped off the carriage and kicked the man to the ground.
"You even snatched the child's milk. Today, grandpa will take you away for the sake of justice!" Yun Yao said as he was about to step forward and teach the man a lesson.
The man immediately knelt down and said, "Hero! Hero, please spare me! I have no other way to survive! I beg you, hero."
"Pooh!"
Yun Yao kicked the man in the head, knocking him to the ground. Blood flowed from the man's forehead.
"As a man of seven feet tall, you shouldn't do such a despicable thing even if it means you want to survive!"
The fight in the village attracted the attention of the villagers. Liu Zhuiyi saw that the few villagers in the village were mostly women, children and the elderly.
"Yun Yao, stop hitting him." Liu Zhuiyi jumped off the carriage, comforted the crying woman first, then turned to look at the villagers and asked, "Are you the only ones left in the village?"
An old man leaned against the door and looked out, saying, "All the young people have left, heading towards the county town. Those of us who are old, young, and sick can no longer walk and will not move anymore." As she spoke, the old woman turned her head slightly and secretly wiped away her tears.
"They are your sons and husbands. Are they going to the county town without caring about you?" Yun Yao asked.
"Taking us along would just be a burden. We might die on the road." The woman who had just been crying said as she stopped crying. At this moment, the sound of a baby crying was heard from the room. The woman hurried in, held the child in her arms and kept coaxing him.
Bian Zhener turned around and wanted to get some food from the carriage, but Liu Zhuiyi immediately called him, "Liu Lang!"
Yun Yao was shocked, and Bian Zhener was also speechless when he heard this name and turned his head to stare at Liu Zhuiyi.
Liu Zhuiyi said to him with a smile: "Take out the wild fruits under the car. They are suitable for the chicks to eat."
Bian Zhener pursed her lips and didn't answer. She squatted down and took out the wild fruit that Liu Zhuiyi had hidden under the car. Yun Yao walked to Liu Zhuiyi, poked her with his elbow, and asked, "When did he become your..."
"Brother, why don't you go and help Liu Lang too?" Liu Zhuiyi interrupted Yun Yao, her smiling eyes filled with ferocity, and Yun Yao recognized the color in her eyes.
Okay, okay, just do as she says.
Liu Zhuiyi turned around and called to the villagers, "Come here, I have some fruit for you." She turned to the woman holding the baby and said, "Bite off a small piece of fruit pulp and feed it to the child. The pulp can fill the stomach, quench thirst, and clear away heat."
Bian Zhen'er and Yun Yao distributed the fruits to everyone. Fortunately, the old woodcutter sent some fruits, which solved the urgent problem. Although there were not many fruits, each person could get two or three, so there was no problem in getting through the day.
In the evening, Yun Yao came back from somewhere with three pheasants, saying that these pheasants were good at surviving in arid areas. Liu Zhuiyi watched Yun Yao pluck the pheasants, skin them, and then skewer them with branches and grill them.
Bian Zhen'er couldn't bear to watch it and sat aside silently.
"Second Young Master Yun, you are so decisive. I haven't eaten meat for a long time." Liu Zhuiyi approached Yun Yao with eager eyes and said while swallowing his saliva.
Yun Yao smiled and said, "Call me something nice and I'll give you this big chicken drumstick."
Liu Zhuiyi didn't buy it. She grabbed Yun Yao's wrist, snatched the roasted pheasant away, tore off a piece of meat and gave it to Bian Zhener, but Bian Zhener didn't want it.
"You'll be hungry if you don't eat." Liu Zhuiyi handed the chicken to Bian Zhener.
Bian Zhen'er suddenly thought of the meat buns that Liu Zhuiyi had tricked him into eating, and quickly hid aside, saying, "Monks abstain from meat."
"But you are not a monk now." Liu Zhuiyi walked to Bian Zhen'er and said, "You are my Liu Lang now. Hmm... what should I call you Liu? Yun Yao said that the song you played was called "Jinse", so let's use the 'Jinse Wuduan Wuwuxian' from Mr. Li's "Jinse" to name yourself. Little monk, your secular name is... Liu Wuduan!"
"Miss Liu, the Buddhist name 'Bian Zhen'er' was given to you by our master and must not be changed." Bian Zhen'er said hurriedly.
He couldn't resist Liu Zhuiyi's springy tongue, nor her enthusiasm and initiative.
What's more, I can't resist her every frown and smile.
Liu Zhuiyi tilted his head and smiled, "Look at your short haircut, how can you look like a monk? Besides, I'm not going to change your Buddhist name, I'm just giving you a lay name."
There was a cough behind him. Liu Zhuiyi turned his head to look. Yun Yao, who was standing behind him, covered his mouth and said, "Can you two stop hiding and whispering? There are so many people here who need to be taken care of."
Liu Zhuiyi looked at the villagers sitting around the fire, then turned to Bian Zhener and said, "Then you can eat some of the dry food you brought. I will share the meat with the villagers."
"Yes." Bian Zhener replied.
Liu Zhuiyi turned around and walked back, muttering as he walked: "This little monk is really something, we have been together for such a long time, but he is still so polite."
"You are a girl after all." Yun Yao interrupted.
"What's wrong with girls? Can't a little monk talk to girls?" Liu Zhuiyi didn't believe it. She just liked Bian Zhen'er. One day, she would let Bian Zhen'er look into her eyes bravely.
Yun Yao shook his head, thinking that Liu Zhuiyi was stubborn.
That night, Yun Yao and Liu Zhuiyi went to the kitchen to get some chopping boards and knives, sliced ​​the chicken, gave half to the villagers, and wrapped the other half to use as food for the villagers on the road.
"You will eat this food on the road tomorrow, and we will also give you a water bag. You will go south to the county town. Although there is a disaster there as well, it is better than being alone here. The county town has relief food sent by the court, and the county magistrate there will take care of you." Liu Zhuiyi said as he wrapped meat for the villagers.
"Thank you, lady. Thank you!" Some villagers burst into tears and knelt down to express their gratitude.
Liu Zhuiyi quickly signaled Yun Yao to help them up.
Yun Yao, who was helping, wiped his clothes with his hands, helped the villagers up, and said, "You... don't need to thank me. Hehe, I and..." He turned his head and looked at Liu Zhuiyi, and said, "I passed by here with my sister and brother-in-law. I can help you, which is also a good deed for myself. By the way, you have to save some of these foods so that you can stay safe all the way to the county town."
"Yes, yes, we understand." The villagers nodded repeatedly.
Yun Yao winked at Liu Zhuiyi, waiting for her to praise his wisdom. Liu Zhuiyi knew it but didn't show it, which made Yun Yao pout in anger.
That night, the villagers specially cleaned up the two best houses for Liu Zhuiyi and others to live in.
Yun Yao fell into a deep sleep, but Bian Zhener could not sleep all night.
His mind was full of thoughts about what Liu Zhuiyi had said. Those words were like mosquitoes and flies, circling in his mind and he could not forget them no matter how hard he tried.
If only the master were here, then the master would tell him what was wrong with him.
The next day, Liu Zhuiyi and the other two saw the villagers off and thought about how they would survive in the drought-stricken area with the next supply of dry food.
"Why don't we go north instead of south?" Bian Zhen'er looked at the dry biscuits in the car and couldn't bear to implicate Liu Zhuiyi and Yun Yao because of herself.
Liu Zhuiyi scratched his head and said, "I don't care. I'll go wherever the little monk goes."
"Then I'll go wherever Liu'er goes." Yun Yao said hurriedly, but before he finished speaking, he was hit in the abdomen by Liu Zhuiyi. Liu Zhuiyi pouted slightly, with a childish and willful look in her eyes: "I told you not to call me Liu'er!"
Yun Yao was beaten so hard that his facial features were distorted with pain, but his heart was as sweet as honey.
"You guys get in the car, I'll drive." Bian Zhener was not used to intimate play, so she climbed into the driving seat and said.
Liu Zhuiyi and Yun Yao squeezed into the car, and Bian Zhener drove away.
In the carriage, Yun Yao and Liu Zhuiyi sat face to face. Yun Yao always had a greasy smile on his face, which made Liu Zhuiyi uncomfortable, so she turned her head and looked out the window. Yun Yao pushed the issue further, and walked over to sit next to Liu Zhuiyi. Liu Zhuiyi hid to one side, so Yun Yao chased her to the other side. Liu Zhuiyi could no longer tolerate this, so she ran outside and sat with Bian Zhener, saying with a dark face, "Yun Yao is a stinky hooligan."
Yun Yao lifted the curtain. He felt humiliated by the pampering he had received since childhood. He sat down on the other side of Bian Zhen'er in a huff, with his back to Liu Zhuiyi.
Bian Zhen'er drove the car, looking at Yun Yao on the left and Liu Zhuiyi on the right. He was tongue-tied and didn't know what to say. He just thought, these two people are obviously older than him, why are they arguing like children?
Fortunately, these two people have a short memory and will make up soon. The three of them walked north for a few days. Liu Zhuiyi was very lively and would get involved in everything, but she was kind-hearted and did good things. Bian Zhener and Yun Yao were also willing to help her. But what Bian Zhener was not used to was that Liu Zhuiyi told everyone that he was her Liu Lang, which made Bian Zhener embarrassed to explain.
Yun Yao would always ask Bian Zhen'er in private: "Bian Zhen'er, do you like Liu'er? You are a monk, you cannot be emotional, please give Liu'er to me?"
Bian Zhener would always explain: "I and Miss Liu are just friends."
"But Liu'er likes you." Yun Yao said helplessly, "How could she like a little monk?"
Yes, why would Liu Zhuiyi like monks?
In fact, Liu Zhuiyi herself had not thought about this matter seriously. She had a good impression of Bian Zhener, but she herself did not know whether it was love. She had never liked anyone else, but she had seen others like others.
Although the sisters in Ruyi Tower would receive many customers and were enthusiastic in words, they really hated those men who went to brothels in their hearts. When the sisters talked to Liu Zhuiyi privately, they always asked Liu Zhuiyi to choose a man she liked in the future. Most of those men who came to the brothels were married men who came there just to have fun.
There were also many men that were liked by the sisters, who waited in Ruyi Tower with great devotion, but in the end their ideal husbands never came to them. They said that their families despised their backgrounds and thought that the women in Ruyi Tower were not clean.
Only Liu Zhuiyi knew how good the sisters in Ruyi Tower were. Liu Zhuiyi had met too many men who went to Ruyi Tower, but it was rare for her to meet someone as pure as Bian Zhener.
She developed a liking for him, perhaps because he was different from the others.
Ten days later, Liu Zhuiyi and his party arrived in Qizhou.
Fortunately, the money they had in total was enough for the three of them to live on for a few months. In order to save money, Yun Yao found a cheap private courtyard to stay overnight.
The owner of the yard was an old man who confiscated much money from them.
"After walking for so many days, I can finally sleep on the bed." Yun Yao rubbed his shoulders, turned his head and asked Bian Zhener, "Bian Zhener, do you want to take a bath together? It's the river outside Qizhou City. I took a look when I entered the city. It's quite clean." Then, he said to Liu Zhuiyi, "I'll ask grandma to boil some hot water for you to bathe. It's not suitable for girls to take cold baths."
"Well, you guys be careful. Taking a bath is one thing, but don't play too hard." Liu Zhuiyi reminded.
Yun Yao said slyly, "It's just a shower. What can two men do to have fun?"
Liu Zhuiyi's cheeks flushed with shame at Yun Yao's frivolous words. She urged, "Hurry up, grab some clothes to change into, and go back early."
Yun Yao smiled and turned back to urge Zhen Er, saying, "Let's go quickly, or the tigress will show her power."
Liu Zhuiyi was taken advantage of by Yun Yao verbally. She wanted to hit him but didn't dare to. She was afraid that Bian Zhen'er would really think she was a tigress. So she said angrily: "Go quickly! If you come back late, there will be no food!"
Bian Zhener took off the bag on her back, put the Jiaowei Qin on the couch, and followed Yun Yao outside.
After watching the two of them leave, Liu Zhuiyi went to the grandmother of the courtyard owner, boiled some hot water, and took a good bath.
It was early spring in March when they left Chang'an City, and now, a whole month has passed.