Chapter 593: Chapter 541: Floating Life is like a Dream
Songfeng City.
Yinn Shuwei and Zhao Fuyi stood on the newly repaired city wall, looking out to the east and west, as the defensive formations of the three cities had successfully merged into one.
The light of the Great Array spanned from east to west, shining brightly in the night like the auroras of the frigid lands, reflecting off the Ziwei stars in the sky, stirring the heart.
"It’s thanks to your help that we were able to connect this Great Array within half a month."
Yinn Shuwei bowed sincerely to Zhao Fuyi.
Zhao Fuyi lightly supported her, "This is what I should do, besides, I promised Wangshu I would complete the Array as soon as possible. She is still waiting for you in the Taixuan Mountain Range; the longer she stays there, the greater the danger."
Yinn Shuwei nodded, "She’s quite impressive. I’ve read all the information she sent back, revealing almost all of the Demon Clan’s defenses. Rest assured, this time the coalition of the three cities will surely reclaim the Taixuan Mountain Range, eradicate the Demon Clan, and bring your good apprentice-niece back safely."
"Then I leave it to you."
Yinn Shuwei, thinking about the departure tomorrow, still felt some concern, "Are you really able to hold this place alone?"
Zhao Fuyi chuckled softly, "This Array was the one I used when resisting the Ghost Tide in the Earth Spiritual Realm back in the day, with the help of my friend Lii Jiuchuan. It held against tens of thousands of ghosts for three days."
"Nowadays, I have enhanced and perfected this Great Array, merging it with my Primordial Spirit, making it equivalent to my life-bound Array. As long as you can return to support within five days, even if the Demon Clan sends a hundred thousand troops, it will not be a problem here."
Yinn Shuwei looked towards the direction of the Taixuan Mountain, with a glint of certainty in her eyes.
"Rest assured, we will reclaim the mine in just three days, not five."
*
"Yue’er, what are you looking at?"
Jiang Yuebai was pierced by the intense sunlight, the sharp ringing in her ears made her dizzy, causing her to stagger back, and a broad hand supported her back.
A dark-skinned man squatted in front of her, lifted off her conical hat that shielded her from the sun, and wiped the sweat from her face with a sleeve.
"You silly girl, standing under such a scorching sun staring at it, aren’t you afraid of going blind and not being able to get married in the future?"
Her nose was pinched by the man’s rough fingers, carrying a scent of rice.
Jiang Yuebai was dazed, staring blankly at the man before her, her mind a blank, unable to remember anything, just feeling particularly... twisted, like something wasn’t right.
Just like getting heatstroke under the blazing sun, everything spinning, the noise and the sounds of insects and frogs creating an irritable and nauseating sensation.
"Yue’er, go rest under that shade and have some water. You’ll go to the private school to pick up your brother afterwards, your mother’s lunch should be almost ready, leave this last bit of rice to dad."
Her head was patted, the conical hat was placed back on to shield from the sun.
Jiang Yuebai slowly regained her memory, realizing it was midsummer, the rice was ripe, and she was gathering the last bit of it with her dad in the field.
That’s right, she was already twelve years old, capable of working in the fields, assisting her parents.
If she didn’t help more now, in three years upon coming of age, she would have to marry, and then it would be hard to see her parents and brother again.
Jiang Yuebai walked to the edge of the field, opened a pottery jar filled with water and poured a bowl, the sweet well water flowing down her throat refreshed her entirely, as if she came back to life.
"Yue girl, bring a bowl to Grandpa too."
An old man carrying a scythe walked to the shade, hunched over, and as soon as Jiang Yuebai saw him, she smiled.
"Sure, Grandpa Tao."
Elder Tao took the bowl with one hand, stuffing a piece of jerky into Jiang Yuebai’s mouth with the other.
Jiang Yuebai ate while smiling, "Grandpa, you’re so good to me. Ever since my grandparents passed, you’ve been the nicest to me in the whole village."
Elder Tao laughed, "Grandpa just loves seeing you smile, it feels like my heart’s filled with honey when you do. Alright, go pick up your brother, and remember to come to Grandpa’s house after finishing the farm work to read the rest of the book you didn’t finish yesterday."
"Okay!"
Jiang Yuebai agreed joyfully, wearing her conical hat and heading west towards the Jiang Family Village.
White walls and black tiles lined the village, every household’s chimney smoke swirled, filling the air with an aroma that made her salivate.
Jiang Yuebai recalled that Elder Tao was an outsider, seemingly because he lost his wife early, and wandered here in despair, taken in by the village chief.
He used to be a private school teacher, and although girls in the village couldn’t attend private school, he was willing to teach them how to read.
Walking along the road, Jiang Yuebai reminisced about every moment spent in the Jiang Family Village. She was content with everything, except for the looming concern of marriage.
She didn’t want to marry, there was a deep-rooted refusal in her heart, she always felt her life shouldn’t be like her mother’s, becoming a wife, cooking and making soup.
Then what should she do?
Jiang Yuebai lifted her conical hat once more, gazing at the glaring sun.
The twisted feeling hit her again, making everything seem slightly out of place and awkward, but she couldn’t figure out why.
As she arrived at the private school, the morning class had just ended. Jiang Yuebai stood in the shade by the wall.
Under the poplar trees across the road, two luxurious carriages waited, both with servants waiting by them.
One was hung with lanterns bearing the ’Lu Family’ insignia, the other with the ’Xie Family’.
The Lu Family was a noble family in this area, while the Xie Family was a wealthy merchant family, extremely rich.
Since Mr. Lii at their private school was a reclusive esteemed scholar, enjoying seclusion in rural areas, a lady from the Lu Family and the only son from the Xie Family came to learn from him.
The lady from the Lu Family was disguised as a man, a fact only Jiang Yuebai knew.
"It’s a pity I can’t afford the entry gift, otherwise I’d disguise myself and listen to the lectures too."
Jiang Yuebai hung her head, pondering how to earn a substantial amount of money, wishing she could find a gold mine in the mountains.
"Yue’er!"
A joyful voice called from the entrance of the private school, Jiang Yuebai lifted her gaze to see Lu Nanzhi in disguise smiling at her.
"Anan!"
Lu Nanzhi walked briskly over to Jiang Yuebai, turning to take a stack of papers from her page.
"These are the articles Mr. Lii discussed today, I’ve noted them all down for you."
Jiang Yuebai took them with a smile, "Anan, you’re the best."
She and Lu Nanzhi met through a nonviolent confrontation, initially debating over articles by the river with her brother, their differing views overheard by the excursion-going Lu Nanzhi.
Lu Nanzhi, unable to win the argument, was neither angry nor disdainful of her humble origins and pledged sisterhood with her as sworn sisters.
Since then, Lu Nanzhi would copy down the articles Mr. Lii taught and give them to Jiang Yuebai, discussing them together.
"Cough cough, what are you two doing, don’t you know the rules between men and women!"
Upon hearing this voice, Jiang Yuebai turned her head and rolled her eyes; it was Xie Family’s second generation, Xie Jingshan again.
The richly-dressed Xie Jingshan approached Jiang Yuebai and Lu Nanzhi with two attendants, casting a hostile glance at Lu Nanzhi before switching to a friendly smile towards Jiang Yuebai.
"Jiang Yue’er, I brought some pastries my family’s cook made, would you like to try them?"
Jiang Yuebai took a deep breath, refusing, "Young Master Xie, men and women should maintain a proper distance. Please stay away from me."
"Sister!"
Her brother emerged from inside, and Jiang Yuebai said goodbye to Lu Nanzhi, tucking the stack of papers into her clothing and leaving with her brother.
On the way, Jiang Yuebai asked her brother what he learned today. Unable to articulate more than a few words, Jiang Yuebai’s anger rose, and she began to scold him, pinching his ear.
"Spare me, sister! I really can’t keep up with this learning, tell Mom and Dad to let me learn carpentry from Dad, why don’t you go study?"
"If only it were that simple!"
"It is possible, it really is. Today Mr. Lii said in our Yun Country women can become officials. He even saw the articles I copied from you and wants to meet you."
Jiang Yuebai stopped in her tracks, that’s right, in Yun Country women can become officials; how could she have forgotten such an important thing?
But merely becoming a female official didn’t seem to satisfy her.
Jiang Yuebai looked up at the blazing sun, the twisted feeling growing stronger. No, this wasn’t all she wanted.
"Hey, sis, look, that wanderer is here again. How is he so good-looking?"
Her sleeve was tugged by her brother, Jiang Yuebai looked up at the courtyard’s sidewall to see a green-robed swordsman standing there, as gentle as a breeze under the clear moonlight.
Jiang Yuebai sighed and took her brother over.
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