Chapter 7 Sunrise at the Mountain God Temple

Chapter 7 Sunrise at the Mountain God Temple

Chapter Summary: Admiration for young women has nothing to do with social status.

"Ooh ooh ooh"

At dawn the next day, the rooster's crow echoed through the city and mountains, and a hundred birds sang in unison in the forest.

Pan Yue opened her eyes amidst the birdsong and pine breeze. In her sleepy state, she saw a ray of morning light shining through the rose bush wall, the flowers swaying gently, and the light and shadow dappled at the cave entrance. The imposing Wu Song, like an ancient martial god riding the wind, carried a staff on his shoulder and held a bouquet of flowers in his hands. Bathed in the shimmering morning light, he strode leisurely into the cave.

"This is?"

Pan Yue sat up and waited for him to enter before she could see the delicate bouquet of flowers in his arms, glistening with morning dew. His body, however, looked as if he had rolled in a mud pit, wet and muddy.

She frowned subconsciously, looked down at the bouquet in his arms, and asked, "Did you just pick them when you went out?"

"Yunyun is awake?"

Upon hearing her voice, Songsong's eyes lit up, and she strode briskly forward.

The morning sun brushed past his brows and eyes, accompanying his steps as he entered, and condensed into a drop of morning dew before his eyelids; the shadows of flowers and people were reflected in the water, his clear eyes shining brightly, seemingly more dazzling than the spring flowers.

"Give this to Yunyun!"

He shoved the bouquet into Pan Yue's arms, his cheeks flushed with an unconscious shyness, and he glanced up at her furtively.

Seeing her staring blankly at the bouquet, Songsong scratched his head, then, remembering something, quickly untied a bunch of wild fruits from his staff, sat down beside her, and held the fruits in his hands, saying in a clear voice, "Yunyun hasn't eaten much since yesterday, are you hungry? These fruits are sweet and sour, very delicious. Yunyun, try some, do you like them?"

Pan Yue noticed the mud stains under his clothes, lowered her eyes, and remained silent.

Songsong subconsciously withdrew her outstretched hands, then followed her gaze to the bouquet in her arms. Assuming she disliked wildflowers and weeds, she said uneasily, "Yesterday I was talking to Yunyun about the fragrance of grass on the eastern slope of Jingyang Ridge after the March rains... This was picked from the eastern slope this morning..."

Pan Yueqing's eyes flickered, and she was about to say something when she looked up and saw the wild fruit he was holding in his hands, and her expression froze again.

"cherry?"

"Cherries?" Songsong looked blankly at the wild fruit in her hand, then at Pan Yue, and asked in confusion, "Does Yunyun recognize these wild fruits?"

"It doesn't seem like it."

Pan Yue frowned slightly, put down the wildflowers, took the wild fruit from his hand, sniffed it lightly, and then held it up to the light to examine it closely.

"They're a bit small, and the stems are too short...cherries don't have such hard skin."

"You can't eat the skin of the fruit!"

Song Song put down the wild fruit in his hand, picked the roundest and plumpest one, and after confirming that Pan Yue did not mind, he wiped his hands with the hem of his clothes, and then carefully peeled off the slightly prickly "shell" of the wild fruit with his hands, which were not long in development and were still too nimble.

Until the crystal-clear, soft flesh inside the shell was revealed, Songsong smiled and presented it to Pan Yue. Remembering something, she said, "By the way, Yunyun, when I went to the north slope to pick wild fruits just now, I seemed to smell the scent of mulberry leaves from the Zhao family's young lady. There is a mountain god temple that has been abandoned for many years on the mountainside of the north slope. I guess the two of them are probably hiding in that dilapidated temple."

"really?!"

Upon hearing that Zhao Wan had gone somewhere, Pan Yue suddenly stood up, slipped on her shoes, and walked toward the cave entrance.

"us……"

Before she could utter the word "go," she turned around and saw Wu Song standing there, stunned, holding a peeled wild fruit in his hand, looking completely innocent. Pan Yue felt a pang of pity, gritted her teeth, and quickly returned to the bedside. She took the wild fruit from his hand, stuffing it into her mouth as she said, "Alright, let's go, ouch!"

Before she could finish speaking, her teeth just barely broke the mountain fruit, and a taste more sour than aged vinegar and more astringent than wild persimmon filled her mouth, rushing straight to the top of her head, choking her so much that her face contorted and tears streamed down her face.

"Yunyun?!"

Songsong immediately panicked, frantically wondering what to do.

Pan Yue grabbed his wrist and looked up to see the steamed buns that had been sitting on the stone platform all night. Without thinking twice, she picked up a steamed bun and stuffed it into her mouth, trying to suppress the agonizing sourness.

After chewing a couple of times, Pan Yue paused, looking at the steamed bun in her hand with some disbelief.

"Yunyun!"

Thinking that she was stunned by the double attack of wild fruit and steamed buns, Songsong was so anxious that she kept pacing around. She quickly cupped her hands into a bowl and held it to her mouth, saying, "Yunyun, spit it out quickly!"

Pan Yue swallowed the flavorful steamed bun, glanced at his hands still resting in front of him, then looked at the half-eaten bun in her own hand, and suddenly smiled, "I'm fine."

"Are you alright?" Songsong stood up, looking puzzled. "It's not sour anymore?"

Pan Yue shook her head, looked at the steamed bun in her hand, and smiled, "I didn't know before that the phrase 'two negatives make a positive' could be applied to the food industry!"

"What father, father?" Songsong looked at the steamed bun, then at her, his face full of confusion. "Is Yunyun really alright?"

Pan Yue smiled, put away the steamed buns, picked up the still vibrant bouquet of flowers, stood up and said, "Let's go! Let's head to the Mountain God Temple!"

After passing through a whole forest and three or four wild waterfalls along the mountain path, and rounding a towering stone wall, a short while after turning onto the main road, a dilapidated mountain god temple suddenly appeared not far ahead, accompanied by ancient locust trees.

"...What should we do?"

"Wan'er, don't be afraid! Even if it costs me my life, I won't let that scoundrel succeed!"

Pan Yue and the other woman exchanged glances and were about to approach when a faint sob was heard carried on the breeze passing through the hall.

Hearing the words of the two people inside the door, Pan Yuexin's heart sank. She turned to Wu Song and said, "Let's go in and take a look!"

"good!"

"Knock knock!"

"Fan Cheng, Zhao Wan, young lady?"

At the entrance of the mountain god temple, Wu Song knocked on the stone wall and pushed the door open. Upon seeing the cramped interior, he instinctively turned around and left, almost bumping into Pan Yue who strode in.

"how?"

Pan Yue stopped abruptly, grabbed his outstretched hand, and peered inside.

“There are two people!” Wu Song grabbed Pan Yue’s wrist, his expression terrified.

"Two people?"

Using the slanting spring sunlight, Pan Yue could see the cramped and dimly lit interior of the mountain god temple.

As Wu Song had said earlier, the mountain god temple in front of them had obviously been abandoned for a long time.

As the morning sun shines, the walls are mottled, the vermilion paint is peeling off, and most of the paper used to cover the windows is torn and shivering in the wind; the beams and windows are covered with cobwebs and dust, which fall to the ground with a rustling sound when a breeze blows.

In the center is an altar with a missing leg, on which is placed a mountain god with a missing leg. The statue is covered in mold and ash, and in the sparse spring sunlight, its muddy, dilapidated, and unseen interior is revealed.

The two people Wu Song mentioned... Under the incense table slanted into a trapezoidal shape, Pan Yue could see clearly the two exhausted and disheveled students, Fan Cheng and Zhao Wan, who were dressed in rags. Zhao Wan was still as gentle as ever, like a pair of quails huddled together for warmth in the reeds in winter, with their heads lowered and shivering, not daring to open their eyes.

Pan Yue looked at Wu Song, who looked terrified, and remembered his occasional flare-ups of "crowd phobia." She grabbed his wrist, patted it lightly, then stepped forward, leaned on the incense table, and squatted down, saying, "Excuse me for disturbing you. Are you two, Fan Sheng from Qingchen Academy and Zhao Xiaoniang from the back alley of Zishi Street?"

Without waiting for a response, she leaned forward and continued, "Don't be afraid, you two. We are not here for Young Master Li!"

Upon hearing the name "Young Master Li," Fan Cheng, who was protecting Zhao Wan, suddenly raised his head.

"hiss!"

Before he could even speak, Fan Cheng's left elbow struck his left knee, causing him to grimace and gasp in pain.

"Fan Lang!"

Before Pan Yue and the other could see the injury clearly, and upon hearing the cry of pain, Zhao Wan, who was in the corner, forgot her fear and rushed forward with a start, holding his slightly trembling left knee, her eyes bloodshot and on the verge of tears.

"Don't worry! It's just a minor injury, nothing serious!"

Clearly, he was in so much pain that he was covered in sweat and his face was deathly pale. Upon seeing Zhao Wan's face, Fan Cheng clenched his left hand, which was supporting him on the ground, into a fist. He forced a smile, put his right arm around Zhao Wan, and shook his head, saying, "It just looks scary!"

Outside, Wu Song took a deep breath, his clear, fox-like eyes widening as he looked at this and that, tilting his head as if utterly bewildered.

As Zhao Wan sat up with bloodshot eyes, Fan Cheng tightened his grip on her shoulder slightly, then looked up at the two uninvited guests and said cautiously, "You two seem a bit unfamiliar. Could it be that you are not from Yanggu County?"

"Your legs..."

Upon seeing the wide, bone-deep wound on the outside of his left leg, Pan Yue, without explaining her purpose, frowned and said, "It needs to be bandaged quickly!"

She stepped aside to give way, then looked up at Fan Cheng and asked, "Can you still stand up?"

Fan Cheng's lips were pressed into a thin line, his right arm was outstretched in front of Zhao Wan, his face was tense, and he remained silent and motionless.

Pan Yue looked puzzled. Following his gaze, she looked to her side and saw Wu Song standing there bewildered, holding a cudgel. She suddenly realized and asked, "How did you two manage to hide here all night without incident?"

Fan and Cheng looked up blankly.

A slight smile appeared on Pan Yue's lips as she pointed at Wu Song, then turned to the two men and said, "Do you two know Wu Er, who a few days ago rid the people of a menace and killed that monstrous tiger with glaring eyes and a white forehead that was causing trouble on Jingyang Ridge, and who has now been promoted to the position of infantry captain by the county magistrate?"

“My lady means,” Fan Cheng’s eyes lit up, and he suddenly forgot the pain in his left knee, leaning forward halfway with a look of admiration, “this is the famous Commander Wu?”

"Exactly!"

Seeing Zhao Wan get up and support him on the left, Pan Yue leaned forward to support Fan Cheng on the right. As they walked toward the two prayer mats in front of the hall, she nodded and explained, "Don't be afraid, gentlemen. No matter how powerful that young master Li is, Chief Wu is righteous and will definitely protect you both!"

Wu Song, who was standing below the hall, smiled and stepped forward to help.

"It's alright!"

Fan Cheng waved his hand to indicate that he was alright, then helped Zhao Wan to sit down while greeting Wu Song and the other man.

"I hope you and my wife will forgive my disheveled appearance today!"

"You're too polite, sir!"

Pan Yue curtsied in return, then looked up to see the two gazing at each other with such deep affection. She asked, puzzled, "Since you two are truly in love, why would Master Fan misunderstand..."

"Uncle Fan? Madam, are you referring to my father?"

Upon hearing the name Fan Bo, Fan Cheng suddenly looked up, his eyes sweeping back and forth between the two men before his gaze darkened.

"The constable's presence here today is because my father... went to the yamen?"

"You don't know?"

A flicker of surprise crossed Pan Yue's eyes. She glanced at Wu Song, then understood what was going on. She sighed softly, "My lord, you may not know this, but you didn't return home last night. Your father went to the county office early this morning to complain, and then went to the Zhao family's house in the back alley of Zishi Street, crying and accusing the young lady of the Zhao family of seducing you..."

"What?!" Zhao Wan stepped forward, her face pale, her voice trembling, "Mother, is Mother alright? Young Master and the others..."

"Don't worry, my lady!" Pan Yue stepped forward, handed over a handkerchief, and gently comforted her, "Granny Zhao is alright! Commander Wu left two accompanying county officials at the mansion to protect your mother!"

"We will never forget the great kindness shown to Chief Wu..."

After much gentle persuasion and a long explanation of the whole story, it took Pan Yue and her companion more than half an hour to understand where Fan Bo's "misunderstanding" of Zhao Xiao Niangzi came from.

Knowing his son's true feelings, Fan Bo still blurted out that Zhao Xiaoniangzi was a vixen. Ultimately, Fan Bo's dissatisfaction boiled down to nothing more than "sexism."

Although Zhao Xiaoniangzi was exceptionally beautiful, she came from a humble background and had a low social standing.

The Fan family once produced a minister and two vice ministers. Although they have declined in status, they have always considered themselves a prominent family.

Thanks to the blessings of his ancestors, Fan Cheng was able to enroll in Qingchen Academy.

Fan Bojiu had not been away from home for a long time and was unaware that even academies today, with their high moral character, could not completely avoid the situation where "family background was valued more than talent and learning."

In short, no matter how glorious his ancestors were, Fan Cheng's life at school was not easy as a son of a fallen family.

About four months ago, on a snowy day in Yanggu County, a group of students, led by the "school bully," enthusiastically invited him to have a snowball fight after school.

Fan Cheng had no right to refuse.

More than half an hour later, when the night watchman found him, he had been buried in the snow for a long time, his body was ice cold, and he was on the verge of death...

On his way home, passing the vast expanse of white ice along the Qingniao River, Fan Cheng looked at himself, soaked to the bone. For some reason, his feet seemed to move on their own, drawing ever closer and closer to Qingniao Lake, until the thin ice covering its surface was right before his eyes.

"My lord! It's cold tonight, you should go home early!"

Fan Cheng subconsciously turned around.

Zhao Wan, who stood on the shore with an umbrella that day, was the only bright spot in his life, which had been as barren as snow for more than twenty years, amidst the swirling snow and wind!

After that day, the Evening Glow Pavilion by Qingniao Lake became the only way for Fan Cheng to go home from school and for Zhao Wan to deliver silk.

Admiration for young women has nothing to do with social status or reason.

But if there were no hardships and dangers to stop them, who could see through true intentions and false ones?

Two days ago, after school, Fan Cheng rushed to the Evening Glow Pavilion again, but Zhao Wan was nowhere to be seen.

Perhaps something came up that delayed things, or maybe something else did.

He tried to calm himself down and put down his schoolbag, but he still couldn't sit still. He paced back and forth under the pavilion, craning his neck to look around.

Even as the sun began to set and the moon rose above the willows, and the curfew was imposed, Zhao Wan still did not appear.

Breaking one's word is not like what Wan'er would do.

After hesitating for only a moment, Fan Cheng picked up his schoolbag and headed straight for Zishi Street.

It doesn't matter if you don't go, because after inquiring, you'll find out that something big happened in the back alley of Zishi Street today!

The young lady of the Zhao family caught the eye of Li Yanei, who happened to be passing by!

No one knew better than Fan Cheng at that time what it felt like to be struck by lightning from a clear sky!

"...As long as I can be with Wan'er, I would give my life for her!"

The shadows cast below the hall grow shorter, the spring breeze is gentle, and the spring sun rises ever higher.

Pan Yue stood by the window, watching Wu Song run out for some unknown reason. Looking down, she saw the two people below the hall locked in a tender gaze, their eyes meeting. Her throat tightened, and she couldn't utter a sound for a long time.

The vow to be together through life and death is touching...

She had never read the entire Water Margin, but she still remembered how Lin Chong, the instructor of the 800,000 Imperial Guards, was repeatedly forced to become an outlaw after his wife was taken in by the playboy Gao Yanei.

In the world of "Water Margin," if even the wife of the instructor of the 800,000 Imperial Guards could not escape, what choice did Zhao Xiaoniangzi, who was also favored by the young master, have besides death and submission?

"Yunyun!"

Pan Yue was feeling down when she heard footsteps outside the door. She looked up and saw Wu Song returning, his brows covered in sweat.

The two people below the hall looked up.

"Yunyun, look!"

Wu Song, oblivious to everyone else, went straight to Pan Yue. His clear pupils trembled with the glistening light of spring. He tilted his head, opened his hands that had been clasped tightly the whole way, and asked with a smile, "What is this?"

"Sanguisorba officinalis?"

Upon seeing the herbs in his hand, Pan Yue was startled and subconsciously looked up.

Another Sanguisorba officinalis?