Chapter 138
Chapter 138
Huang Yuqiong stepped forward and shut the doors and windows as she replied, “That really is strange. Most of the guests who stay at our inn are on their way to the capital. This is the first time I’ve seen guests coming from the capital.”
Ren Fengjue answered honestly, “After leaving the capital, we passed through this town. It happened to be pouring, so we came to ask for lodging.”
Huang Yuqiong nodded, then went to the counter and picked up the teapot, intending to pour tea for everyone. Only then did she discover that the teapot was empty, without a single drop of water inside.
She laughed and scolded, “I was only gone for a little while, and that worker of mine started slacking off. He didn’t even prepare any tea.”
But Ren Fengjue asked her, “Innkeeper, are you certain you were only gone for a little while?”
Then, with pointed implication, he added, “From what I can see, this main hall seems a bit run-down as well…”
At those words, Huang Yuqiong looked up at her surroundings and inexplicably froze for a moment.
In that instant, it was as if everything around her had suddenly become unfamiliar, separated from her by some invisible distance.
But very quickly, she collected herself again. “Yes, this main hall… I should find someone to repair it tomorrow.”
As she spoke, she put the teapot away, her face full of apology. “Please sit for a moment, everyone. I’ll go to the kitchen and boil some hot water.”
Huang Yuqiong fled out the door as if escaping, only to nearly crash right into Thirteen, who was coming toward her.
“Sister Yuqiong…”
The padded jacket in Thirteen’s hands fell to the ground. He bent down, picked it up, and held it out to her. “Put this on.”
Huang Yuqiong stared at the item in his hands, but for some reason, she took a step back. “Thirteen, I’m not cold.”
Her eyes were like those of a startled deer. Then she continued, “Thirteen, I think those guests are a little strange.”
“Why don’t we… give them back their silver ingots and let them find somewhere else to stay?”
Thirteen looked deeply at her and instead asked, “Sister Yuqiong, haven’t you… always wanted to save enough money as soon as possible? How long would it take us to earn three silver ingots?”
Huang Yuqiong also fell into a daze. The smile on her face gradually stiffened. “We can save money slowly, Thirteen…”
“If Sister Yuqiong promised you something, she’ll definitely do it.”
“You have to believe that we… will go to the capital together.”
Thirteen listened to her words, but turned his head to look out at the curtain of rain. His shoulders trembled, as if he were doing his utmost to suppress his emotions.
Huang Yuqiong sensed that something was wrong and could not help taking a step forward. “Thirteen, what’s wrong?”
When Thirteen turned back again, his eyes were brimming with tears. “Sister Yuqiong, we can’t go to the capital anymore…”
The smile on Huang Yuqiong’s face vanished completely. She asked, “Thirteen, what nonsense are you talking about?”
As if coaxing a child, her tone softened. “Have you forgotten? I only told you a few days ago that we’ve almost saved enough money. Once spring comes next year, we’ll be able to…”
“We can’t anymore!”
Another muffled peal of thunder sounded, driving the rain into a rustling downpour. Thirteen’s eyes reddened as he said, “Sister Yuqiong, the cicadas weren’t calling yesterday. That was half a year ago!”
“You haven’t come to the inn in half a year.”
“Can’t you see that something is different?”
Huang Yuqiong’s expression changed drastically, and she could not help retreating several steps.
She saw the raindrops spilling down from the eaves. They were clearly falling onto her body, yet she felt nothing at all.
The rain could not soak her clothes.
Nor could she feel the cold.
But Thirteen, and the people inside the main hall, were all clearly still wearing thick winter clothing.
Only she seemed to have remained in that sweltering summer day filled with cicada cries.
In an instant, everything in her mind seemed to become clear.
“I…”
Huang Yuqiong tried to speak, but her whole body was trembling violently. Her head felt as though it were splitting apart. Instinctively, she reached up to touch it, only for blood to flow down along her cheek.
“Thirteen…”
“I remember now…”
Thirteen stared at the wound on her head, his heart feeling as if it were being carved apart. He wanted to help her, but the blood kept pouring out, impossible to stop.
Just like that night. He hadn’t been able to help her then. He hadn’t even had the right to rush forward and risk his life.
“Sister Yuqiong, I’m sorry!”
“Thirteen is useless!”
“Thirteen failed to protect you!”
He blamed himself. He regretted it. He wished he could bear all of this in her place.
“The one who deserves to die is me…” Thirteen knelt weakly on the ground and sobbed. “Back then, by the roadside, I should have died…”
He would remember the scene from that day for the rest of his life.
On the broad road, people came and went. A dying little beggar lay by the roadside, ignored by all.
He was in pain and starving, hanging on by one final breath.
Then a young woman wearing a veiled hat stopped beside him.
It had been a bright spring day. The woman in the veiled hat lifted the gauze, her brows drawn slightly together, and bent down to check his condition.
When she learned he was still alive, however, she broke into a brilliant smile.
“The one who clearly should have died… was me…”
Thirteen clutched his head in agony. Looking at Huang Yuqiong before him, he wanted even less to face all of this.
Inside the inn’s main hall, Yu Lang couldn’t help rising to his feet and glancing outside, seemingly very worried about the situation beyond the door.
He asked Yan Zhengchu, “Do we need to go over and help him?”
“No.”
Yan Zhengchu shook his head. “As long as Huang Yuqiong doesn’t turn into a Vengeful Ghost, none of us need to go over.”
“Then…”
Yu Lang seemed to want to say more, but held back.
Ren Fengjue suddenly spoke. “It’s clear Huang Yuqiong doesn’t hold much hatred in her heart. More than anything, she can’t bear to part with Thirteen, or with this inn.”
Yan Zhengchu nodded in agreement. “I sensed that too.”
Outside the door, Thirteen was overcome with grief.
Huang Yuqiong, on the other hand, gradually calmed down. She looked at Thirteen in his pain, then suddenly sighed and said, “Thirteen, you mustn’t say things like that…”
“Do you know? If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have known how to get through these past nearly three years.”
Only after hearing her words did Thirteen slowly lower the hands clutching his head.
A smile appeared on Huang Yuqiong’s face once more. Her tone gentle, she continued, “After my husband died, there was a time when I didn’t want to go on living.”
“Because when he was alive, he truly treated me very well. He once said that if one day he stopped traveling as a merchant, he would find a place to open an inn, preferably one that could make things easier for merchants journeying north and south.”
“So after he died, I found this place and opened this inn.”
She sighed, then went on, “But I really did overestimate my own abilities. For a widow to gain a foothold in a place like this-how could that possibly be easy?”
“Thankfully, I had you, Thirteen. You were willing to stay by my side all this time, to guard this inn together with me.”
“It was also because of you that I came up with the idea of saving enough silver to go to the capital…”
Thirteen couldn’t stop crying. “Sister Yuqiong… you saved my life…”
But Huang Yuqiong took over his words with a smile. “Though I’m already dead now, my ‘life’ was also saved by you.”
“Sister Yuqiong…”
“Are you still going to call me Sister Yuqiong?”
Those words made Thirteen freeze, his tears coming to a halt.
Huang Yuqiong reached out, wanting to wipe the tears from his face, and continued, “Remember what I told you? I was the twelfth child in my family. You’re called Thirteen, so you’re my own younger brother.”
“You should call me elder sister.”
After a moment of dazed silence, Thirteen opened his mouth and hoarsely called out those two words.
“Elder Sister.”