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墨書 Inktalez
As the onlookers dispersed, Liu Ya sat in a lounge chair in the courtyard, her gaze icy as she looked at Ye Chen leaning against the low wall. Narrowing her eyes and sizing him up, she finally spoke, "What do you want? Say it now."
Ye Chen lowered his head, a barely noticeable smirk curling at the corner of his mouth. His grand display today was meant to force Liu Ya to make a concession. After all, in this world, he needed something to move freely, much like an identification card in modern society. This was something Sun Mao had informed him about.
Holding his stomach, Ye Chen raised his head. The thirteen-year-old boy's eyes were devoid of tears; only the deep black orbs reflected a resolute determination as he said, "You give me Lu Ying."
Liu Ya's brows furrowed slightly. What did this kid want with Lu Ying? Did he create such a ruckus today just for Lu Ying? Wasn't he after silver or food?
Doubt filled Liu Ya's mind as she slowly stood up and gracefully walked over to Ye Chen, slightly bowing her head to look down at him.
At this moment, Ye Chen appeared severely underdeveloped; at thirteen, he was shorter than his peers by more than half a head and even shorter than Sun Mao, who was younger than him. This left the once six-foot tall Ye Chen feeling extremely insecure.
Seeing Liu Ya towering over him only added to his frustration. It was bad enough that he couldn't measure up to that brat Sun Mao; now he couldn't even compare to this woman. It infuriated him.
Liu Ya extended her slender fingers and lightly pinched Ye Chen's face, applying just enough pressure to force him to look up and meet her gaze. With a cold expression, she asked, "What do you want with Lu Ying?"
Ye Chen turned his head sharply, shaking off Liu Ya's hand. He glared at her and stated clearly, "I want to leave here."
"Leave here?"
Liu Ya laughed lightly as if she had heard the most ridiculous joke in the world. The sound echoed in the silent courtyard before she turned away from Ye Chen, flicking the handkerchief in her hand as she walked toward the dilapidated door panel lying on the ground. "Where in this world is it any different? No matter where you go, you might not find food to eat. If you stay here, at least you won't starve."
"I don't need your kindness." Ye Chen rejected Liu Ya's offer without gratitude and quickly stepped forward. Gripping another door panel tightly with both hands, the veins on his pale arms slightly protruded as he exerted all his strength to lift it and gently place it against the wall. He said firmly, "Wherever I go, there will be a way to survive. Just give me Lu Ying; you don’t need to worry about anything else."
Liu Ya and Ye Chen stood at the door, gazing at each other. Under the bright moonlight, their shadows stretched long on the ground. After a long pause, Liu Ya averted her gaze and said, "Alright, I will give you Lu Ying. If anyone asks about you, I'll say you went to join the army."
Ye Chen felt a surge of joy in his heart and nodded in agreement. "Okay, no problem."
With that, the farce of the night finally came to an end.
The next day, when Ye Chen slowly woke up, sunlight had already poured through the window, and it was well past noon.
Rubbing his sleepy eyes, Ye Chen got out of bed and immediately spotted Lu Ying on the table. His heart leaped with joy as he opened it to find an official seal and his registered name printed inside. It seemed this was the "ancient version of an ID." He then checked his sleeve pocket and was relieved to find that the silver was still there. Liu Ya hadn’t suspected him; it looked like he could plan his escape in the next few days.
Stepping out of the house, he noticed that the courtyard gate had been repaired. He wondered which man Liu Ya had hired early that morning; he certainly didn’t believe that such a delicate woman could manage it herself.
In the kitchen, Liu Ya had already prepared radish dumplings. The radish filling was merely dusted with a thin layer of flour; while it wouldn’t fill him up completely, it would suffice to stave off hunger. Ye Chen casually chewed on a few dumplings before hurriedly leaving with Lu Ying to find Sun Mao.
Watching Ye Chen’s anxious figure disappear through the door, Liu Ya leaned against her doorframe, her expression growing increasingly inscrutable.
A thirteen-year-old boy inexplicably wanting to run away from home—thousands starved in this chaotic world. Once he stepped outside, there was no guarantee he would return alive. She couldn’t help but wonder where he found the courage to ask her for Lu Ying; did he think that his deceased parents had left him some hidden wealth?
That wouldn’t do; she had to keep an eye on him. The Jin Yin treasure must also have her share. She thought about the sacrifices she made to raise their son; even today, when she went to fetch water from the river, a group of women surrounded her and scolded her. With that thought in mind, Liu Ya tightened her grip on the handkerchief in her hand.
“Hey, Sun Mao! Are you there?” As soon as Ye Chen stepped out of the the Ye Family gate, he hurried toward Sun Mao’s house.
The two families were somewhat distanced from each other. As Ye Chen walked along, word had spread throughout the village about last night’s scandal. People gathered around him with concerned expressions, bombarding him with questions.
Ye Chen awkwardly greeted a few people, squeezed out of the crowd, and called out to Sun Mao in the backyard of his home.
At that moment, Sun Mao was feeding chickens in his backyard. Hearing Ye Chen's call, he hurriedly set down the tray and small bowl he was holding, climbed up the low wall with both hands and feet, and poked his head out.
"Hey, Ye Chen, what brings you here?" Sun Mao said, leaning on the earthen wall with both hands, his toes perched on a wooden box in the yard. He gasped excitedly, "It's still early today. My mom has some tasks for me that I haven't finished yet. I'll come find you later to play in the village at Back Hill Slope."
Ye Chen stood under the mulberry tree at Sun Mao's back door, slightly tilting his head up to look at him. He waved the item in his hand, Lu Ying, and deliberately lowered his voice as he said, "I got Lu Ying. I need to talk to you about something."
Seeing Ye Chen looking anxious, Sun Mao turned around and jumped down from the wooden box. He opened the back door and looked at Ye Chen with some surprise. "How did you get Lu Ying? I heard about what happened at your house last night. I didn't expect you to be going through such tough times."
Ye Chen felt a headache coming on; was this "entertainment news" spreading too quickly?
He waved his hand dismissively. "That's not important, brother. What's important is that Lu Ying and Liu Ya gave it to me. I'm leaving the village in a few days, and we might not see each other again."
"Huh?" Sun Mao, who was slow to catch on, finally reacted. He scratched the back of his head in confusion and said, "Then where are you going? You have no money or food; where can you go? Isn't it better to stay in the village?"
Ye Chen shook his head and raised a finger in the air, speaking earnestly. "It's not about whether it's good or bad in the village; it's just that your Brother Ye has always been free-spirited and loves freedom."
Sun Mao: "……"
Brother Ye was starting to show off again…
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