In the early morning, Chan 'er and Juan' er placed the bowls and chopsticks on the table and scooped some porridge. Then, under Tan 'er's instructions, they also sat down at the side. In the early morning light, the family of five sat at the table and ate breakfast.
Last night, Su Tan 'er, Juan' er, and Xing 'er also came back late. After Chan' er cried, she sat in the pavilion with Ning Yi and chatted for a while, wiping away her tears. The little girl was more pitiful. First, she was worried that Ning Yi would leave her behind to meet some vixen. Then, when she saw the banging of the gongs outside, she was worried that the son-in-law would meet with an accident. Then, she began to worry that if the son-in-law went to meet some vixen and didn't bring her along, he would have no money on him …
"If the son-in-law goes, he will be looked down upon by those people because he doesn't have money. Actually, those women are all pretending to be nice. They are the most snobbish …"
The little girl sat in the pavilion and wiped her tears while seriously worrying that he would lose face because he didn't have money. Ning Yi felt warm in his heart and comforted her. The two of them chatted in the pavilion under the starlight, and Xiaochan finally felt a little relieved.
Su Tan 'er came back late yesterday and didn't sleep for long. Although it wasn't the first time, she still looked a little tired during breakfast. She just washed her face and forced herself to be awake. Juan' er and Xing 'er were similar.
"Last night, when I was returning to the city, I was stopped. I saw that the security at the exit of the city was very strict. It was said that an official of the imperial court was assassinated. I'm afraid that today's Courtesan Competition can't be held in Egret. But I don't know how it will be arranged … the dragon boat race in the morning …"
While eating porridge, Su Tan 'er talked about some things as usual. Ning Yi shook his head. "Go to sleep in the morning."
"Huh?" Su Tan 'er looked up at him.
"You, Juan 'er, and Xing' er too. Go to sleep in the morning and leave the matters in the courtyard to Chan 'er. As for the rest, we'll talk about it in the afternoon. "
"En, en." Xiaochan hurriedly puffed out her chest and nodded vigorously, "Leave it to Xiaochan, Miss should rest a bit more."
"I'll listen to Husband." Su Tan'er smiled and nodded. Juan'er and Xing'er also smiled happily. "Thank you, Young Master."
"It's just that Husband is going to watch the dragon boat race alone in the morning …"
"I'm not going to see the dragon boat. I'm going to the academy."
"Isn't there no class today?" Su Tan'er was puzzled.
"Nothing much. I had some ideas yesterday, so I went to do some experiments today. I'll be back at noon."
After that, they talked about random things. Su Tan'er asked about yesterday's match and what happened in the city before she returned. In fact, in addition to the fatigue from lack of sleep, Su Tan'er, Juan'er, and Xing'er were also in low spirits. It seemed that their technological breakthrough had failed again. However, this kind of thing was the norm. Nine out of ten times, it was enough to wait for the last success. Thinking about it, it was not too depressing.
After breakfast, Su Tan'er, Juan'er, and Xing'er went back to their rooms to sleep. Ning Yi said goodbye to Xiaochan and drove the carriage to the market. Today was the Dragon Boat Festival, so the market was lively and joyful. Many people gathered by the Qinhuai River to watch the dragon boat race. However, there were also many soldiers on guard. It seemed that the Jiangning government was having a headache. It was difficult to disturb the people during this festival. They could only increase their vigilance and strictly control the people entering and leaving the city to trap the assassins in the city.
On the road towards the school, there were fewer pedestrians, but the sound of firecrackers and gongs could still be heard. On the way, he greeted a nearby resident that he knew. After the horse carriage arrived at the rented courtyard, Ning Yi picked up a bundle from the carriage and alighted. He walked all the way into the courtyard, the room, and when he pushed open the door to the inner room, he found that there was no one there. He walked in and took a look, noticing a few small clues. He noticed that the window that was closed last night was now open, so he closed the door and left.
On a beam about three to four meters above the ground, a woman wrapped in a long robe sat there. She looked down at the scene of Ning Yi closing the door, then turned around and jumped down. The man's robe unfolded in the wind, revealing her naked body wrapped in bandages. Her slender legs spread in the air for a moment, then she landed on the ground. She pulled up the robe to cover her body, revealing her white calves and bare feet. She took the long sword and knocked on the shelf next to her.
Hearing the sound, Ning Yi waited for a few seconds before opening the door again. With a clang, the hilt of the sword blocked the door from the inside. He handed the bundle in through the opened opening. When he closed the door, he saw the woman's white wrist and faintly frosty side profile.
"Clothes to wear, food, lunch, and dinner have also been prepared, but I'm afraid this kind of food is not nutritious. I will find a way to get some good food. You are injured now, if you need any medicine, you can let me know. Don't worry, I will buy them separately, so it will not arouse suspicion. Later, you can take off your bloody clothes and other things that might be troublesome to me. I will take care of it. "
There was a moment of silence. "You know how to take care of it?"
"A little."
As he said that, he went to the side to pick up a chisel, a hammer, or something similar, and knocked a few times on the brick that was pierced by the long sword last night. Immediately, there was a response from inside, probably to change clothes.
"What are you doing!"
"This is too obvious. One look and you can tell that it was pierced by a sharp weapon, so I need to take care of it a little."
He knocked on the brick until it was out of shape, then he used kerosene to blacken it, polished it, and blackened it again. After a few times, he knocked on the door, then walked into the inner room and did the same thing on the opposite side. There was no one in the room, and the bloody clothes and other things that he tore off last night were placed in the bundle on the table.
On the beam, the woman sat there in a light green dress. After watching the man finish, she seemed to check the bloodstained things on the table. In addition to the outer clothes, there were also some personal items. For a moment, she felt a little angry, but then she heard the man say from below, "Sorry, I forgot to buy you shoes. I will bring them tomorrow." Then, he took the bundle and turned to walk out.
The feeling of anger faded. The woman shrunk her legs on the beam. The trousers at most reached her ankles, and her delicate feet were still bare. She subconsciously reached out to cover the back of her feet, then let go and curled up on the beam.
There were all kinds of experimental equipment in the outer room. In fact, there was a stove that Ning Yi had specially built. It was burning with coal. Ning Yi threw the bloodstained clothes and some small things into it, and after a while, it was completely burned. While he was burning, he casually said a few words about the inspection by the soldiers outside, and then he did not speak again.
Quietly outside, he did his own experiments, mixed the solution, or wrote some messy characters on the blackboard. The porcelain bottle was burned once, so he hurriedly cleaned it up. Outside, the sun shone down, and it was not very hot. The wild flowers in the courtyard swayed with the wind, and the lively noise of the Dragon Boat Festival came from afar. In this small courtyard, the atmosphere became more and more quiet. Lu Hongti hugged her sword and sat on the bed, eating the meat buns that Ning Yi had given her. Occasionally, she would look at the strange experiment through the slightly larger gap. The man's expression was focused. Occasionally, he would take out a brush and record something in his notebook.
After a while, someone pushed open the courtyard door. It was light footsteps, but it was not an adult. She packed her things, jumped up again, and held her breath to listen. The voice of a little girl came from the other side, "Young master, I am coming!"
It was a little servant girl, and she looked very happy.
"Be careful, there may be broken porcelain over there, and it is best not to touch the water on the table."
"Yes, yes, I know …"
"Why are you here so soon?"
"Sister Xing 'er has already woken up, so she asked me to come out to find young master. Oh yes, young master, I bought two bells on the way. Do you think I should hang them outside? "
"Go and hang them."
"Yes."
The tinkling sound was crisp and sweet. Occasionally, the little girl seemed to have moved a chair out and hung the bells under the eaves outside the door.
"Young master, when I came over, I saw a lot of soldiers on the street. Everyone was talking about the assassin yesterday, saying that she was very powerful. Did you hear about it?"
"I heard about it."
"Hmm? What did young master say when he heard about it? I heard that it was a female assassin, isn't it the same as that female thief Yuan Xi? "
"I did hear that it was a female assassin. When I came over, I heard that someone saw it with their own eyes last night, and it was very vivid …" The man said casually, "It said that the female assassin was very powerful. She was eight feet tall, and her waist was also eight feet. She held a large golden ring saber in her hand and killed all the way from Vermilion Bird Street to Changye Street. The heaven and earth changed color, and the sun and moon lost their light. As for Commandant Song Xian, he used a set of Buddhist martial arts called The Buddha's Palm. He had already reached the realm of perfection, but the woman's shocking saber was even more powerful. The two of them fought for 120 moves, and there was no clear winner …"
The little girl laughed, "No, young master, you're talking nonsense again. She was eight feet tall, and her waist was also eight feet. Isn't that a square?"
"The waist refers to the circle, so it should be in the shape of a pillar. A pillar-shaped female assassin holding a large golden ring saber, how powerful is that?"
"What does a large golden ring saber look like?"
"Uh, maybe it's the kind that Protector Tang used at home. There are a few circles on it, and it makes a jingling sound …"
"… Young master, tell me a story."
"How can I listen to stories all day long?"
"Oh …"
"Alright … Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, there was a scholar named Ning Caichen. It was said that he failed in his exams, and when he returned home, he took on a job collecting accounts for others …"
Rays of light shone through the roof of the tiled house. The woman hugged her sword and sat leaning against the beam of the house. She looked at the light and listened to the sounds coming from outside. The little girl busied herself among the flowers and plants in the courtyard for a while, picking a few wildflowers. The man performed a strange experiment while telling a strange story. The morning was unusually quiet.
At noon, the two of them finally left. They said that they were going to watch the dragon boat race and the Courtesan Competition with their families. The flames outside extinguished, and the things were put away one by one. The door opened and closed.
"The bell is so beautiful."
"I bought it."
"Alright, alright …" The voices of the two of them faded away, and then the man's casual voice came, "Bell, see you tomorrow."
The little girl also turned around and said, "Bell, see you tomorrow."
The courtyard door finally closed, and the horse carriage left. The woman quietly walked out and looked at the pair of wind chimes hanging under the eaves. When the bustling sounds of the Dragon Boat Festival came from afar, the woman thought of the strange and dazzling story called "A Chinese Ghost Story". Compared to the acting told by those storytellers, this story was much more pleasant to listen to.
She hadn't finished the ending yet …
At noon on the fifth day of the fifth month, Lu Hongti stood under the eaves eating a cold meat bun. Listening to the sound of the wind chimes, she faintly thought …
*****
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