Ye Xiaoxian smiled and asked, “You were so busy last night. How did you divert your attention to me?”
“You stand out so much from the crowd. I saw you chatting and laughing with that handsome man and you looked quite happy,” Jin Xiaoyu said as she approached Ye Xiaoxian. Then, she blew a breath at Ye’s face.
Ye Xiaoxian backed away to avoid it and said, “Perhaps he and I were not chatting but ridiculing each other, just like we’re doing now.”
“But why do I feel he likes you?”
“Please don’t make irresponsible remarks. How could he like a village woman like me?” Ye Xiaoxian didn’t want anyone to gossip about her.
“Village woman? You?” Jin Xiaoyu looked Ye Xiaoxian up and down before she burst out laughing.
Then, she put a hand on Ye Xiaoxian’s waist and said, “You just don’t let yourself shine. There’s a wild cat inside you. If you release it, you may become more adorable than me.”
Ye Xiaoxian didn’t like Jin Xiaoyu’s way of talking, even though she was not a man.
She pushed away her hand and said, “Please watch how you conduct yourself.”
Instead of getting angry, Jin Xiaoyu went on with her teasing. “You’re good at cooking. Were you a cook before? Did you learn by yourself?”
“I used to run a restaurant and can make some dishes. That’s it.” Ye Xiaoxian said.
“Oh, what happened then? You closed the restaurant because of the war?” Jin Xiaoyu asked with interest.
“The restaurant was closed before the war broke out. Perhaps my dishes were not delicious enough.” Ye Xiaoxian replied.
Hearing that, Jin Xiaoyu laughed and swayed like a wildly, though Ye Xiaoxian didn’t know what was funny in her words. After laughing for a long while, Jin Xiaoyu asked, “What about staying here to be my cook? I can pay you a decent salary.”
Ye Xiaoxian declined politely, “I have a big family to look after, so I’m sorry I can’t stay.”
“You mean those bumpkins who came with you?” Jin Xiaoyu raised her brows and said, “I know how to judge a person, so I can see you are different from them. Although they are your relatives, they don’t have your disposition or knowledge. Of course, Mr. Li and a little boy are exceptions.”
Ye Xiaoxian said seriously, “However different we are, we are a family. No one can change this fact.”
Jin Xiaoyu laughed again.
Then, she landed her fingers on Ye Xiaoxian’s chin. “Well, I won’t force you to stay here. I just want to make friends with people who are as intelligent, brave and principled as you are. Will you come here again?”
Ye Xiaoxian replied, “I don’t know. Perhaps.”
Jin Xiaoyu crossed her arms and said, “Okay, I’ll wait for you.”
…
Except for endless dunes, there was not much to appreciate in the desert. Sometimes one might see one or two trees that swayed like flags in the wind. Ye Xiaoxian had once heard that the desert plants, though usually small, had their roots deep in the sand. They were struggling stubbornly for life in a harsh environment. Involuntarily, she associated the plants with herself, Xiao Baoshan and many other people she knew. They were living a rough life just like the desperate desert plants. But they had a firm target, and that was to survive. Growing their roots deeply, they won a space in the desert against wind and rain.
This was the first time in recent days that she thought of Xiao Baoshan. At the very beginning, she hated him because he left secretly and let her face the misery alone. But after knowing what happened to him, she began to believe he had been trying to protect her. She swore to herself that she would get an explanation from him if she could see him again. If he hadn’t fallen in love with another woman.
…
Ye Xiaoxian and her companions checked out at noon. When they were about to leave, Jin Xiaoyu even went downstairs to see them off.
“You’re welcome here next time!”
“You’re the most special guests that I’ve ever met. It was my honor to entertain you here.”
Flattered, Squire Liu gave her a generous tip.
She turned to Li Chengru and said, “Mr. Li, you’re the most distinguished and handsome man I’ve ever met.” But Li Chengru ignored her directly.
She then looked at Ye Xiaoxian. Ye Xiaoxian curtsied and turned around. She didn’t want to hear Jin Xiaoyu speaking.
But Jin Xiaoyu still said loudly, “Ms. Ye, I’m waiting for you here. Next time you come here, I can introduce you to a handsome man, a type you will like.”
…
Ye Xiaoxian was rendered wordless. The Xiaos secretly cursed Jin Xiaoyu for her coquetry. When they stepped out of the inn, another batch of customers came to check out.
Jin Xiaoyu’s affectedly sweet voice sounded again, “Welcome here next time! You’re the most special guests that I’ve ever met. It’s my honor to entertain you here.”
Ye Xiaoxian couldn’t help sneering. They were merely passing travelers to her.
…
Dinghe county.
After a thorough discussion, Xiao Baoshan was quick to fulfill his promise to disband the new army. He did so without delay.
There was much work to do to break the troops, including allocating food, writing up official documents and making certificates. The whole process lasted for seven days before the army was finally disbanded. Qian Qi watched the soldiers leave with disappointment, batch after batch. Finally, there were only the six prince’s initial forces in the barracks.
The troops were now quite fragile. Qian Qi knew he would succeed if he attacked the sixth prince and Xiao Baoshan at this time. But he couldn’t allow himself to do this. Born in an upright family, he would neither let off a single traitor nor kill any good general.
During these days, he had been busy spreading the news that the sixth prince was a benevolent man and that Xiao Baoshan had fought bravely for the people. This time, the imperial court had no reason to kill them. Qian Qi reported the fact to the imperial court and suggested stopping the killing to avoid people’s suspicion or panic.
Now, he had to stay in Da’an county to wait for the imperial court’s reply. But Xiao Baoshan advised him to go back to the capital and help his family members out, in case they got involved. Besides, he had to do it before the report reached the capital. After his brother had died, there were only his aged mother, his brother’s wife, and his own wife and children in the family. These were the people he swore to protect with his life.