Chapter 4 Settling in Yanggu

Chapter 4 Settling in Yanggu

Chapter Summary: Finding out what Wang Po looks like as soon as possible will help avoid a lot of unnecessary trouble.

"This is?"

Pan Yue picked up the little fox with its glazed eyes. Before she could get up, she caught a glimpse of its left hind leg, which had been cut by vines, and her delicate eyebrows furrowed suddenly.

"He's injured and still charging forward?!"

With a hint of reproach in her eyes, she lightly tapped the little fox's brow with her right index finger.

The little fox was pure white except for a touch of vermilion between its brows, resembling a burning flame.

Looking around, she stood up with the little fox in her arms, returned to the shimmering riverbank, and carefully washed away the mud and grime from the scab on his left leg wound with a handkerchief dipped in water.

The river water was still cold at dawn in spring.

The moment the wet cloth touched her left hind leg, Songsong instinctively shivered, but fearing that the cold water would wet her wound, she immediately tucked her head into her arm, staring wide-eyed at her clear body, motionless.

It seemed as if it truly understood human nature, just like in the storybooks.

Pan Yue couldn't help but chuckle. She tightened her arms and sat down again, letting the little fox sit securely on her lap. She then carefully wiped the wound dry with her hands against her clothes.

A ray of spring sunshine swept across the shore and caught her eye. Turning her head, she saw the little fox carrying "weeds" all the way, and Pan Yue was stunned.

"Sanguisorba officinalis?"

She turned to pick up the herb, looked at the bright-eyed little fox on her lap, then at the burnet in her hand, her face full of disbelief, and muttered to herself, "Could it really be sentient?"

The little fox remained silent, only twitching its ears and resting its head against her arm; its fluffy, soft tail wrapped around her wrist, staring at her without moving as if asking for a reward.

"With Sanguisorba officinalis, things will be much easier!" Pan Yue rubbed the fox's head and said with a smile, "Little lucky star, although crushing Sanguisorba officinalis directly is not as effective as sun-dried rootstock, it's enough to stop the bleeding since your wound is healed!"

As Pan Yue muttered to herself, she stood up and glanced at a hollowed-out tree stump that had been struck by lightning not far away. Overjoyed, she immediately quickened her pace and walked forward.

After quickly cleaning the rotten leaves from the wooden stake, Pan Yue left the little fox inside and returned to the riverbank. She found a stone slab shaped like a mortar and a stone pillar shaped like a pestle, and carefully washed the burnet. She looked up at the little fox, who was wagging its tail and had bright eyes, and returned to the wooden stake with a smile in her eyes. She sat down on the ground and picked up the pestle and mortar, making a "clink-clink" sound.

"Thump thump thump! Thump thump thump!"

After an unknown amount of time, when the burnet in the "bowl" had turned to mud, the sun had risen high, and the spring sun brushing against our cheeks had a heat that could not be ignored.

Pan Yue rubbed her sore left wrist, wiped the fine sweat from her temples with her right hand, and was about to get up when she suddenly felt warmth at her left foot.

Looking down, she saw that the little fox had somehow escaped from the wooden stake and was leaning against her feet as if keeping her company. Its head was resting on her feet, and its eyes were looking towards the village. Its tail occasionally brushed the ground, and it looked quite content.

"You seem to be having a good time!"

Pan Yue picked up the little fox, holding the medicinal mud in one hand and scratching its chin with the other, and laughed, "Bored?"

Without waiting for a response, she gently placed the little fox on her lap, grabbed his curled-up left hind leg with one hand, and used a stone shard to scoop out a large clump of medicinal mud with the other, muttering "just in time." Before the little fox could react, she swiftly applied the mud to his wound.

Looking down into his vaguely resentful eyes, Pan Yue chuckled, lightly touching the small flame on his forehead with the tip of her nose. She then took out a handkerchief that had been washed and dried and carefully tied it into a bow for him.

"alright!"

She straightened up, ignoring her aching back and waist, and gently rubbed the little fox's head, saying as if to comfort it, "Don't be afraid! Tomorrow will be better!"

As if it truly understood her words, the little fox looked up at her, twitched its ears, spread its belly, and lay flat on her lap in a posture of complete trust.

Pan Yue rubbed his soft little belly, but the smile in her eyes vanished the moment she looked at the smoke rising from the chimneys in the distance.

After a long silence, she carried the fox to the wooden post, gently stroking its soft head with a look of reluctance. As she placed it in the post, she said, "It's a pity you appeared at the wrong time... Now I can barely take care of myself, I can't give you a home..."

As she mumbled, the little fox in her arms suddenly opened its eyes, its two front paws gripping her wrists, its eyes bright as a spring lake, seemingly puzzled yet filled with reluctance.

"Can you understand what I'm saying?"

Pan Yue gently pinched his little nose, then hugged him and rubbed his neck vigorously.

The aroma of cooking smoke carried on the wind grew stronger. She sighed softly, set the little fox down, and gently touched the small flame on his forehead, carefully instructing him, "Avoid crowded places, and be careful! I'll come to see you whenever I have time!"

The little fox's bright eyes reflected the clear spring water and the vibrant colors of spring.

As Pan Yue picked up the wooden basin from the shore and turned away, looking back every few steps, the little fox propped itself up, lay on the tree stump, and squeaked as if it were waiting anxiously.

Until Pan Yue's figure blended into the spring scenery and disappeared, the little fox tilted its head, and after a short while, as if it had made up its mind, it suddenly leaped off the wooden stake and sped off towards the bustling market.

Half an hour later, in front of Qinghe County, on the second floor of the Wu family's house.

Pan Yue sat blankly by the window, staring at the unfamiliar streets and alleys outside. She watched the spring sunshine pass through thousands of households, and her neighbors wearing spring flowers and spring clothes, bustling about in the streets and alleys... The beautiful spring scenery was clearly lively, but in her eyes, all she saw was bees and butterflies dancing around, making her feel uneasy.

I inexplicably found myself in a world vaguely reminiscent of "Water Margin," but alas, Wu Song is not the same Wu Song, and Jinlian is not the same Jinlian...

There is no system here, and the reason for the transmigration is unknown. If she cannot return to the present world, she can only live as Jinlian from now on. This place is similar to Song but not Song. The original owner was a maid, and now she is married to a poor woman. How will she make a living?

The teacup in her hand had long since lost its warmth. People came and went outside the window, butterflies frolicked and danced, but she remained sitting blankly by the window, her heart filled with confusion.

In a daze, a creak was heard, and hurried footsteps came from below the hall, occasionally accompanied by the creaking of a carrying pole.

"Wife?"

Wu Dalang?

Pan Yue's eyes flickered, and her delicate eyebrows suddenly furrowed.

The sun is noon, what is he doing back at this time?

Before the other person could speak again, she quickly stood up, opened the door with a blank expression, and walked to the stairwell.

Upon seeing the two figures standing side by side under the porch, seemingly inseparable, Pan Yue froze, her grip on the railing tightening unconsciously.

She thought that Wu Song would not repeat the "flirting with his sister-in-law" incident in the near future, since he left without saying goodbye yesterday; but now he appears with his brother, could it be that the villain is the one who made the accusation first?

"you……"

Pan Yue's eyes were filled with wariness as she glanced at Wu Song, who was limping for some reason, and then looked at Wu Da, who was carrying a carrying pole and fanning himself. She said in a deep voice, "You sold out so quickly today?"

"The steamed buns haven't all been sold out..."

Wu Da looked up at her, his face full of smiles. He took off his headscarf to wipe his sweat and waved to her, saying, "My lady, my second brother came looking for me on the street just now and told me..."

"cough!"

Wu Song coughed lightly at the door, and Wu Da paused in his speech.

Before Pan Yue could examine their expressions closely, Wu Da, as if suddenly remembering something, grinned broadly and continued cheerfully, "Wife, my second brother just received a message last night from a hunter in the neighboring county. He said that the county magistrate, considering him a hero for killing the white-browed tiger on Jingyang Ridge and ridding the people of a scourge, is willing to recommend him for the position of infantry captain!"

Before Pan Yue could think it over, Wu Da stepped forward again, rubbing his hands together, and said, "Qinghe is nice, but everyone in the neighborhood knows about our backgrounds... Plus, those few idle folks, especially the leader who loves to gossip... My second brother and I have discussed it, and if my wife doesn't mind, why don't we move to Yanggu County together and start over?"

"Move to Yanggu County?"

Pan Yue looked at the Wu brothers under the sunlight, and her heart sank.

Wu Song, who killed the tiger with piercing eyes and white forehead, was not immediately honored as the infantry captain by the magistrate of Yanggu County, but returned to Qinghe first; Pan Jinlian, who was forced to marry Wu Dalang, did not "have a love affair with her lover", but resolutely went to the Yellow Springs in the bridal sedan chair... The story had clearly taken a turn, but who in the dark was writing the story, forcing it to be on the right track, forcing the three of them to move to Yanggu County?

"Wife?"

Seeing her uncertain expression, Wu Da subconsciously looked at Wu Song behind him, then frowned and said to her, "My wife is worried about something, what is it that you can't let go of?"

Worried? She's new here and all alone, what could she possibly be worried about?

If there was anything she couldn't let go of... Suddenly, a pair of clear, bright fox eyes flashed through Pan Yue's mind, as still as water, as if she were the only one she could rely on.

Pan Yue slightly curled her fingers as she gripped the handrail, lifted the hem of her dress, and said to the two men as she went downstairs, "You two pack first, I'll be back in a bit!"

"Where is my wife going?"

Wu Da stamped his foot anxiously, wanting to catch up quickly. He glanced back at the carrying pole still under the eaves, then turned to Wu Song and said, "Quick! Second Brother, keep up with your sister-in-law! Don't get lost!"

With a slight twitch of his nose and a tilt of his head, he nodded and said, "Don't worry, brother, I'll be right back!"

At the village entrance, the spring river murmurs gently, amidst the wild forest where green willows turn crimson.

Seeing Yunyun lingering in front of the wooden stake where he had been earlier, Songsong subconsciously slowed his pace. He must have been in too much of a hurry when he caught up. Seeing her anxious expression, the little fox's cheeks suddenly felt a little hot.

"Yunyun?"

He strode forward, glanced at the empty wooden stake, then looked at Yunyun, his tone unconsciously expectant, and asked, "What are you looking for?"

"fine!"

Looking around but not seeing the little fox, Pan Yue grew anxious. Forgetting the inappropriate way the other person addressed her, she ran back to the empty wooden stake and looked around again.

This is?

A small tuft of fox fur embedded in the jagged wooden stake came into view. Pan Yue's pupils contracted slightly as she carefully picked up the tuft of fox fur and put it away with a handkerchief.

"Yunyun?"

As she tucked the handkerchief wrapped in fox fur into her bosom, a suspicious blush suddenly appeared on Songsong's face. Looking into Pan Yue's eyes, she seemed to shyly ask, "Yunyun, why... why did you..."

The little fox's cheeks were dry, and its two dimples were so red they looked as if they were about to bleed.

"how?"

A strange look appeared in Pan Yue's eyes. She glanced at him, stood up, and said, "It's getting late. Let's talk about it when we get back."

Songsong hesitated for a long time, then looked at her chest covered with fox fur and nodded, saying, "...Okay."

Three days later, in Yanggu County, Zishi Street.

As dawn broke, Wu Song went to the Yanggu County government office to report for duty, Wu Da went to set up a stall in front of the county to sell steamed buns, and Pan Yue was the only one in the huge rented house.

The table below was piled high with melons and fruits, which Wu Da had brought back from the county town the day before. He had repeatedly instructed that since the three of them were newcomers, they should distribute some melons, fruits, and snacks to the neighbors as a matter of courtesy.

Pan Yueshen agreed.

Find out what Wang Po looks like and where the teahouse is as soon as possible, and walk around it every day; you can avoid a lot of unnecessary trouble.

Half an hour later, after tidying up the house, Pan Yue slung a basket full of fruits and vegetables over her shoulder and closed the door.

The silver shop owner's name was Yao Erlang, the paper horse shop owner's name was Zhao Silang, the neighboring wine shop owner's surname was Hu, and next to Wang Po's teahouse was a shop selling dumplings, where a long-faced man's surname was Zhang...

The real Zishi Street alleyway is far more bustling and vibrant than the few cold lines of text in the book.

Along the way, chatting and laughing, Pan Yue only managed to remember the surnames of the families, but she couldn't recall their given names at all.

It was half an hour later when they arrived at the Qiao family's house in the back alley, their mouths dry and parched.

Pan Yue was secretly reminiscing about how the skinny monkey Yun Ge, who had a lot of screen time in "Water Margin," was originally a skinny and clever guy when suddenly a loud crash and the faint sounds of cursing and smashing came from the neighboring alley just across the street.

"This is?"

Pan Yue subconsciously looked up in the direction from which the sound came, her expression inscrutable.

"It seems to be Zhao Erlang's house in the back alley!"

Before it was clear, Yun Ge kicked the willow basket full of fruits and vegetables by the door inside, lowered the curtain, and turned to her, saying, "Come on! I'll go with you to take a look!"

"Zhao Erlang?" Pan Yue caught up with Yun Ge and asked, "Does this Master Zhao have enemies?"

"Zhao Erlang has always been kind to others!"

Yun Ge quickly waved his hand, leading the way while turning back to explain, "To be honest, Sister-in-law Wu, Zhao Erlang passed away from a serious illness more than two years ago. Now, only Granny Zhao and her daughter Zhao are left at home. They are usually friendly to the villagers. I don't know which deity they have offended today."

In the time it takes to exchange a few words, after rounding the alley entrance, the Zhao family's residence, nestled three layers deep, is now right in front of us.

"Sister-in-law, wait!"

Just as Pan Yue was about to step forward, Yun Ge grabbed her and stopped her. Then, with a furrowed brow, he pointed at a few men in the crowd who were holding sticks and had a sleazy appearance, and said in a deep voice, "Judging from this, could it be that the Zhao mother and daughter have offended Young Master Li?!"