Chapter 205 - Chapter 205: 205. I am going to die

Chapter 205: 205. I am going to die

Translator: 549690339

As they approached Bei’an County, the weather got much warmer than before, and the flourishing vegetation showed a thriving scene.

Since leaving Su Family Village last time, until now, Su Liang finally experienced the feeling of being carefree again.

By the time they entered Feiyan Town, it was already afternoon.

Both of them dressed up as men and went to Luoyan Restaurant for a meal.

The signature dishes were still the ones that the restaurant had bought from Su Liang last time. Su Liang and Ning Jing ordered them all and the taste was quite good.

After the meal, they bought some daily necessities and took them back to the village.

At halfway, Ning Jing took the small path to avoid people, while Su Liang found a place to remove her disguise and walked on the main road alone.

Nearing the entrance of the village, Su Liang saw many people coming out of Su Family Village, dressed neatly and joyfully in groups.

She saw the heavily made-up matchmaker with bright blushes on her cheeks, talking excitedly, and swinging her handkerchief in the air, “Nowadays, which girl in our surroundings doesn’t want to marry into our Su Family Village? Even girls from the town and the county want to marry here! Our village is a blessed place; we have produced two top scholars!”

This matchmaker was the one who had arranged the marriage between the original master and Ning Jing.

In just half a year, the matchmaker had gained a lot of weight and panted while walking, clearly showing that her business was doing very well.

Someone in the village was holding a wedding ceremony today. Now, as the guests left, the matchmaker was at the village entrance to send off the relatives.

A few people noticed Su Liang, who was riding on horseback.

However, as many people leaving the village were from other villages and had come to attend the feast, no one recognized her for a while.

It wasn’t until the matchmaker looked up and saw Su Liang that she let out a shriek, which scared everyone. Then she opened her huge mouth, the powder on her face falling off and her thickly drawn eyebrows shaking, her eyes narrowed into slits, looking exaggerated as if performing in an opera. She shouted in a roundabout way, “Su, the Top Scholar, is home!”

In an instant, Su Liang became the focal point, and even an old man subconsciously wanted to kneel down for her, as it was rumored that she had become a high official in the capital city.

Su Liang dismounted, reached out to support the old man, smiled, and said, “I just came back to take a look. There is no need for formalities.”

After making sure the old man was steady on his feet, Su Liang led her horse through the village entrance’s archway under the eager gaze of the villagers, and her name was mentioned again and again.

The villagers all recognized Su Liang, and before long, the news of the Martial Arts Champion’s return spread.

When Su Liang first crossed over to this world, it was autumn, and the barren season was soon upon them.

Now, it was summer, and the stream running through the village had risen a bit. The clear water and lush aquatic plants were accompanied by children playing by the stream.

Green mountains, clear waters, peace, and tranquility.

Su Liang saw the bridge that had once been destroyed by a rainstorm and subsequently repaired by Ning Jing and others.

Then, she quickly arrived at the bridge leading to her home.

A surprised call came from the opposite bank, “Liang girl?”

It was Bai Da Niang, carrying a basket and about to cross the bridge. With a beaming face, she hurried over.

“Da Niang, I’m back,” Su Liang felt very close to Bai Da Niang and her smile was as warm as ever.

Bai Da Niang looked Su Liang up and down, her expression excited, “Why are you back now? I heard from Lei Zheng that you became the Martial Arts

Champion and even became a General!”

Su Liang nodded, “Yes, His Majesty granted me leave to visit my hometown, so

I came back to stay for a few days.”

“That’s wonderful!” Originally planning on going to work in the field, Bai Da

Niang decided to walk home with Su Liang instead. “Where’s Young Master

Ning? Didn’t he come back with you? Have you two gotten married yet?”

Su Liang shook her head, “Not yet. He didn’t come back this time.”

Qi Jun was still in the capital pretending to be Ning Jing, so they could not let anyone know that Ning Jing was in Su Family Village.

“How long will you stay this time? Will you leave soon? My two boys have been talking about you and Ning every day. I’ve grown calluses on my ears listening to them!” Bai Da Niang laughed.

“How is Zhuzi? Where are those two?” Su Liang asked.

Bai Da Niang nodded again and again, “Zhuzi is doing well, and now he’s even wilder than his brother! Thanks to your and Ning’s blessings, both our boys are studying now and are at school at this moment! ”

“Did their second uncle get married?” Su Liang chatted with Bai Da Niang about their daily lives as she saw her own front door appearing in her sight.

Mother Bai chuckled and said, “He just got married last month, to a girl from the town. As for the second one, he’s still thinking about studying and plans to take the exam next time! His in-laws are very supportive, and we don’t expect him to work and make money, so just let him be!”

Bai He once studied, but later gave up due to poverty at home and needing money for his nephew’s illness. Now that he has a family and is financially stable, he has picked up his studies and aspirations for a successful career again.

Su Liang thought it was a good thing, and it was never too late to have a dream.

Mother Bai was even happier upon hearing Su Liang’s approval. She specifically mentioned Liu Huilan, the widow Bai He once liked, saying that after marrying the carpenter from Liu Family Village, she was living a good life and was now pregnant, rumored to be having a chubby little boy.

“That’s nice.” Su Liang smiled.

“Little Tiger’s mother is also pregnant, and we’re all hoping for a little girl this time!” Mother Bai was much more talkative than before.

Su Liang hurriedly congratulated her.

When they arrived at the front gate, it was locked and covered in dust. Mother Bai cleaned it off and said to Su Liang, “Since it’s just you returning, it’s not worth cooking. Just come to my house and eat whatever you want, I’ll cook it for you!”

Su Liang whispered, “Actually, I have a guard with me, but he doesn’t like meeting people.”

Mother Bai immediately understood, “Alright, you decide. If you want to come to my house, you’re welcome anytime. Little Tiger’s mother doesn’t work in the fields anymore and is at home. I’ll go back now and tell your uncle; he always talks about you!”

Without entering the house, Mother Bai left with her basket.

Su Liang opened the front gate, brought in the horse, and closed the gate behind her.

At the same time, she heard the sound of the back door opening, knowing that Ning Jing had also arrived. He took a longer detour.

Standing in the courtyard, Su Liang felt everything was so familiar.

The pine tree planted last year didn’t seem to have grown much, but it had “fattened” a bit and had a few more shades of fresh green.

Various weeds had grown in the sparsely filled courtyard, some of them quite tall. Su Liang bent down to pluck a foxtail grass and wrapped it around her finger.

She unloaded the items from the horse’s back and led it to the backyard. There, she saw the vegetable patch, unattended and full of weeds, but also filled with some vegetables that had grown from last year’s fallen seeds.

There were two round and purplish eggplants that were already ripe.

The pumpkin vines had climbed onto the roof. Tender green pumpkins hung from the tendrils, shining in the sunlight as if their damp fuzz was gently dancing in the wind.

Su Liang and Ning Jing tied up their respective horses in the stable, and she excitedly shared with Ning Jing the happy news she had learned from Mother Bai.

After listening, Ning Jing nodded slightly, “That’s nice. I saw a lot of mushrooms in the forest at the foot of the mountain.”

Su Liang chuckled, “That’s also good news. Let’s clean up the house first, then go pick them and make chicken stew.”

By the time the two returned to the front yard, they each carried the ingredients originally placed on Ning Jing’s horse, and Ning Jing also held a freshly picked large eggplant in his hand.

The kitchen was dusty, needing cleaning. They placed the ingredients under the eaves to avoid sunlight.

Ning Jing took a bucket, planning to go to the backyard and fetch water to clean the kitchen first.

Su Liang had a foxtail grass still wrapped around her finger. She rolled up her sleeves, preparing to pull out the weeds at the kitchen door first.

At that moment, they suddenly heard the sound of the door opening from the room that had initially been a firewood room but was later cleaned up for Yan Shiba’s stay. This abruptly changed the previously relaxed and happy atmosphere.

Su Liang turned around, thinking it was Yan Shiba just coming in.

However, the person who came out of the room was not Yan Shiba. Ning Jing furrowed his brows and called out, “Uncle Liang.”

The skinny, gray-clothed old man’s eyes swept over Su Liang’s face, and upon seeing Ning Jing, his expression brightened, “Young Master!”

“Why are you here again?” Ning Jing asked the old man.

The old man glanced at Su Liang again, “I initially planned to go to Qian Country’s capital city to find the Young Master. I just happened to pass by here, so I decided to take a rest.”

Su Liang understood from the old man’s gaze that they wanted to talk privately, asking her to leave.

She went to Ning Jing’s side, took the bucket from him, and said, “You two talk,

I’ll go fetch water.”

Watching her figure disappear into the backyard, the old man came over and looked at Ning Jing. “Young Master has lost a lot of weight.”

Ning Jing shook his head slightly, “I haven’t.”

“Let’s go inside and talk,” the old man said.

As the two entered the room, the old man looked outside and closed the door.

“Sit down, Young Master, ” the old man pointed to the only chair.

“I don’t want to sit,” Ning Jing refused. “Haven’t I told you before? I don’t want Uncle Liang to come here again.”

“It’s a coincidence,” the old man explained. “I was going to the capital city of

Qian Country, and I just happened to pass by and wanted to see if Young Master was still living here. What if the Ning Jing in the capital was an imposter? I didn’t expect you to come back today!”

“What do you want with me?” Ning Jing asked.

“Does Su Liang know about your identity?” the old man lowered his voice.

“You don’t need to worry about that. Answer my question.” Ning Jing’s voice was slightly cold.

The old man sighed, “Always hiding like this is not a long-term solution, Young Master. Why not come back to Liang Country with me? Over there, you can walk around openly and do whatever you want, without having to put yourself in such a difficult position!”

Ning Jing shook his head, “I’ve already said it before.”

“But…” the old man hesitated, and after a moment, he bent his knee and knelt in front of Ning Jing. He raised his hand and slapped himself hard, “I should die! King Yue found me and asked about Young Master’s whereabouts. Seeing his earnest longing, I…’

Seeing Ning Jing’s eyes turn cold, the old man quickly said, “Young Master has a grudge against King Yue, but he truly cares about you. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have asked me to bring you to him. I can assure you that he never intended to use you for any ulterior motives!”

“Just leave, I don’t want to see you again,” Ning Jing said coldly.

“Young Master…” The old man’s face looked bitter. “I’m doing all this for your own good! Are you bewitched by that woman? She hid herself so deeply before; her motives must be significant. She might betray you someday!”

Ning Jing’s eyes narrowed slightly, “Get out! I won’t say it a second time!”

The old man’s eyes dimmed, and he slowly stood up. “It’s all my fault for doing something that displeased Young Master. I’ll leave now and tell King Yue that you don’t want to be disturbed.”

As the old man finished speaking, he left the room, walking slowly, and glancing back three times at each step. However, he didn’t hear Ning Jing call for him and left with a disappointed look.

Su Liang returned from fetching water in the backyard just in time to see the old man’s figure leaping over the courtyard wall. She felt that something must have happened, but she didn’t eavesdrop on Ning Jing’s conversation with the old man.

“What did Uncle Liang want with you?” Su Liang asked.

Ning Jing’s expression was calm, “It’s nothing.”

Not believing that it was nothing, Su Liang was surprised that Ning Jing intended to hide it from her. However, she didn’t pursue the matter, and carried the water bucket to clean the kitchen.

Ning Jing was weeding the courtyard.

After Su Liang tidied up the kitchen, she heard a knock on the door. She opened it and saw two little boys shouting for her in unison, “Sister Su Liang!”

Bai Xiaohu and Zhuzi, the two brothers, had grown taller. They looked different after schooling, wearing identical blue shirts, carrying small satchels, and each having one hand behind their back.

With a smile, Su Liang rubbed their heads and said, “You’ve both grown up.”

Then, the brothers showed the hands they had hidden behind their backs, revealing two bunches of brightly colored wildflowers to Su Liang, making her eyes light up.

“These are for you, Sister Su Liang!” Zhuzi said with a grin. “We heard you were back after school, so we rushed home. My brother even tripped on the way!”

Bai Xiaohu gently kicked Zhuzi’s leg. The boy had reached the age where he cared about his dignity and didn’t want others to know about his embarrassing moments.

Ning Jing was in the backyard. Su Liang accepted the flowers and invited the two boys in, giving them the gifts she had specially bought for them—two sets of stationery.

Bai Xiaohu and Zhuzi were very happy to receive the gifts. Now they both enjoyed reading and writing and had become the “well-behaved, studious children” in the villagers’ mouths. It was a great honor for their mother, who was very proud of them.

Actually, it was because of the influence of Su Liang and Ning Jing. The couple served as role models for the brothers, who longed for the wider world even though they had never left Bei’an County. They were determined to study hard and become great people like their Sister Su Liang and Brother Ning Jing.

When the young brothers wanted to help clean the courtyard, Su Liang persuaded them to leave and promised to visit their house in the evening.

Zhuzi ran out and then ran back, poking his head through the door, his eyes sparkling as he said, “Sister Su Liang, you must come!”

Su Liang smiled and nodded, “I’ll definitely go.”

Watching Zhuzi leave, she took two bouquets of wildflowers to the backyard and handed one to Ning Jing, “This is for you.”

If they knew Ning Jing was back, they would definitely give him one too.

Ning Jing had removed the disguise from his face and took the bouquet of flowers, lifting them to his nose and smelling them.

Su Liang picked a tender yellow flower, bent its stem, and stood on tiptoe to tuck it into Ning Jing’s hair. Stepping back, she nodded in satisfaction, “So beautiful.”

Ning Jing couldn’t see the little flower on his head, had no notion to take it off, and didn’t get angry. Instead, he reciprocated by picking a flower for Su Liang, tucking it into her hair, and said, “Not bad.”

Su Liang snorted lightly, “Yes, you’re the most beautiful.” Then she went back to the front yard.

It wasn’t until the evening that they had cleaned the house. The two bouquets of wildflowers were placed in vases on the windowsill, and the small flowers on their heads hadn’t fallen off.

As usual, Ning Jing started the fire, and Su Liang cooked.

In the meantime, Bai Xiaohu brought a bowl with six steaming white and plump steamed buns – three with shepherd’s purse and egg filling, and three with radish and pork filling.

Compared to before, the buns alone showed that the Bai Family’s living conditions had really improved.

However, since Su Liang returned today, Bai Damu specially steamed buns with pure white flour filling and made both meat and vegetable fillings, thinking she would like them. Usually, they ate mixed flour at home, but having meat more often meant their situation had improved a lot.

Su Liang made crispy eggplant and vegetable and shredded pork noodles for

Ning Jing, which he loved. They ate dinner in their usual spots, paired with the steamed buns from Bai Damu, making Su Liang feel like she had never left.

The moonlight outside the window was perfect. After eating a steamed bun, Su Liang looked at the little yellow flower on Ning Jing’s head and laughed, “Shall I make you a little yellow hairpin? I never returned the favor for the wooden hairpin you gave me.”

Ning Jing nodded, but said, “I won’t wear it if it’s ugly.”

“I’ll do my best.” Su Liang was determined to make Ning Jing wear it, otherwise it would be a waste of effort.

After dinner, Ning Jing cleared away the plates and went to the kitchen to wash them, also heating some water.

Su Liang stopped by the Bai Family for a while and chatted with them, then checked Bai Xiaohu’s mother’s pulse before returning, saying she would come back for dinner the next day.

When she came back, Su Liang laid the bed, took the damaged medical book gifted by Master Pu Qing and prepared to continue reading.

Ning Jing had bound a blank book for her, and Su Liang read and copied the legible content, completing some parts based on her own understanding. Unfortunately, there were still many contents that Su Liang was interested in, but couldn’t be deciphered due to the severe damage to the pages.

Su Liang was fully focused, reading and writing. After writing three pages, she heard Ning Jing knock on the door.

“Come in.” Su Liang didn’t look up, busy drawing a medicinal herb she had never seen before.

Ning Jing entered and sat down, not disturbing her.

It wasn’t until Su Liang finished drawing the herb, placed a bookmark, and gently closed the book on a piece of silk that she looked at Ning Jing, “What’s up?

Ning Jing nodded, his thin lips slightly parted, saying four words, “I’m going to die.”

Su Liang was startled and instinctively leaned forward. Across the table, she grabbed Ning Jing’s arm and took his pulse.

But soon she realized that he couldn’t suddenly have a terminal illness or be poisoned, and that wasn’t what he meant.

Su Liang let go of Ning Jing’s wrist, threw it back, and frowned, “Did Uncle

Liang tell someone else about your identity and hiding place today?”

Ning Jing lifted his arm, which Su Liang had slammed onto the table, and straightened his sleeve. He nodded, “Yes.”

Su Liang sighed deeply, “Big trouble. You have to die quickly, abandon this identity, or who knows what will happen.”

More and more people are related to them now. If it was just Su Liang, it would be fine; she could hide after taking her revenge. But the Qin Family, Xing Family, Lin Family, Wan Family, and even many people in Su Family Village couldn’t bear the consequences of being implicated with the rebellious Gu Ling.

Su Liang realized that Ning Jing hadn’t told her immediately during the day, not because he wanted to hide it, but because he didn’t want to ruin her good mood.

However, this matter needed to be done quickly, before Su Liang returned to the capital. As long as “Ning Jing” was dead, even if someone knew that Gu Ling once impersonated him, there would be no evidence.

“It’s just as well that I’m on an approved leave for half a month from the emperor. I’ll stay in Su Family Village, but you’ll have to work harder and go back to the capital to kill yourself.” Su Liang looked helpless, “Oh, and ‘frame’ Duanmu Cheng. I’ll take revenge on him when I return to the capital..”