Finest Servant

Chapter 640

Chapter 640 The Whole Story

The stilted houses of the Miao family were built along the mountainside, harmoniously integrated with the terrain. Behind the mountain hamlet lay a steep cliff, offering no handholds for climbing.

Yilian clutched his hand, running wildly until they reached the mountain's peak. Their sprint was so swift and fierce that her cheeks flushed red, and she panted, looking back over her shoulder.

The torches on the opposite mountain were now clear, and through the dim light, one could see hundreds of men carrying torches and weapons, loudly charging towards them.

"Ah Lin Ge, this way!" Yilian lifted the dense grass to reveal a dark hole among the cucumber vines, its interior shrouded in blackness.

Lin Wanrong hurriedly shook his head, "Yilian, I'm not afraid—"

"Why won't you ever listen?" The girl was slightly annoyed. "I told you to run, and you hesitated. Now I'm telling you to hide, and you're reluctant! Ah Lin Ge, do you realize that you've killed the son of the county magistrate? If they catch you, not even ten lives would save you! Hurry, get in!"

Without further discussion, she pushed Lin Wanrong into the cave. Nestled midway up the mountain, the cave was narrow, barely large enough for one person to reside, its entrance well concealed by dense vines, making it incredibly difficult to discover. Inside, it was clean and fresh, with a bed of thick straw, a pile of Miao women's clothing to one side, and a small box of the cheapest face powder available in the markets.

"This cave was a discovery of mine while hunting wild boars; I'm the only one in the village who knows of its existence," Yilian quickly hid the face powder behind her back, her face flushed with embarrassment. "Whenever father pressured me to marry, I would hide here. After staying for a couple of nights and stewing in anger with father, they could never find me in the village, and he would dare not force me to marry again!"

No wonder the cave was well-stocked with straw, clothes, and face powder; there was indeed a story behind it all, and Lin Wanrong shook his head, smiling.

"Don't you dare laugh!" It was evidently the first time the girl had shared such embarrassing stories in front of someone else. Blushing, she stamped her foot, "Ah Lin Ge, just stay hidden here, and don't go anywhere! Once the officers leave, I'll come back for you! And your two friends, I'll find a way to hide them as well!"

Seeing her resolute demeanor, Lin Wanrong knew that any further excuses would probably lead to her hitting him, so he nodded in agreement, albeit with a wry smile.

"And this," Yilian had carried a bamboo basket on her back as they ran, and now she stuffed it into his arms, "the vegetable buns are all inside. It's going to be a long night, so eat as much as you need! Once they're gone, I'll dig up some wild vegetables to make you pancakes! Father says my pancakes are very fragrant!"

Looking at the cold, dry vegetable buns, Lin Wanrong felt a heaviness in his heart and didn't know what to say. He fumbled around his waist and pulled out a few pieces of cake that were left over from before they crossed the river, quickly handing them to the girl, "Yilian, for you, eat these!"

These dry cakes, bought along the way, although not as exquisite as those made at home, were still many times better than the rough vegetable buns, comparable to rare and fine delicacies.

Yilian's expression dimmed, and she silently took a vegetable bun from the basket, quietly holding it in her hand, and stealthily hid it behind her back, no longer daring to present it.

"No, Yilian, please don't misunderstand! I didn't mean it that way!" Lin Wanrong was visibly agitated, gesticulating wildly, at a loss for words. The tongue that he prided himself on for its eloquence had become awkwardly clumsy.

The girl silently shook her head, wordless.

Lin Wanrong, feeling a rush of anxiety, abruptly reached out, snatched the vegetable bun from her palm, and stuffed it into his mouth in one determined gesture.

The bun was bitter and astringent, stubbornly clumped together, hardly easy to swallow. He choked down one in a single breath, so hastily that it blocked his throat, provoking a fit of coughing, his cheeks flushing as red as a monkey's bottom!

Yilian was startled and quickly grabbed a water flask to help him drink. After a fierce bout of coughing, Lin Wanrong finally managed to swallow the vegetable bun and gulped down mouthfuls of water, exclaiming, "Delicious, delicious! Yilian, when will you make me buns again?"

Her eyes glistened with gratitude as she looked at him, saying, "Ah Lin Ge, you are truly kind!"

Lin Wanrong shook his head, frustrated, "I'm not kind! If I were, why wouldn't you like the cakes I gave you?"

Yilian let out a soft laugh, looking at the delicate cakes, she whispered, "Ah Lin Ge, it's not that I don't like them, I wanted to save them!"

Lin Wanrong, puzzled, asked, "Save them? Why?!"

She lowered her head and said softly, "I wanted to let father, mother, Kunshan, and the other brothers and sisters in the village have a taste." Lin Wanrong felt a lump in his throat and quickly turned away, "Sister, these were for you! I have more saved for them!" ȑᴀƝo͍ʙË𝐬

"Ah Lin Ge, please, don't be so informal!" Yilian blushed, chiding him hastily, "Among our Miao people, we can't just casually call each other 'brother' and 'sister,' there are rules for that!"

What rules were there for calling each other 'brother' and 'sister'? Lin Wanrong was puzzled but then heard the clashing of swords and spears below; the hundreds of officials had descended from the opposite hill and were heading straight for the village. The girl, in a panic, concealed the cave entrance with grass and vines, "Stay hidden here, and don't move! I'm going to check on father and the others!"

With rustling footsteps, Yilian's figure gradually merged into a small black dot in the night, disappearing from sight. Lin Wanrong sighed deeply, his heart heavy with numerous emotions.

Without visiting Sichuan, one could hardly understand why An Biru developed her personality. Only after walking through this Miao village did he begin to empathize with Sister An's past feelings. Her seemingly reckless exterior and sensitive interior weren't unfounded; they had their origins. And in this Miao girl, Yilian, he vaguely saw a reflection of Sister An's younger days.

Parting the grass, he couldn't see the situation below, hearing only faint noises of commotion that soon fell silent. The night sky was strewn with stars, and the sounds of cicadas and frogs at the end of summer were distinctly audible.

He had waited, not knowing how long, drifting towards sleep, when he heard a soft rustling outside, "Ah Lin Ge, Ah Lin Ge—"

Yilian was holding a bamboo tube. She parted the entwined vines, and upon seeing him still inside, she breathed a long sigh of relief, "You scared me to death. I didn't hear your voice, and I thought you had run out!"

Lin Wanrong laughed, "I am indeed frightened by your scolding, without your command, I dare not rashly act."

"Your courage is not so small," Yilian replied with a pursed lip, looking at him with concern, "Ah Lin Ge, are you cold?"

At the cusp of summer's end and the onset of autumn, the mountain nights were exceedingly cool. Hiding in the cave provided some respite, but stepping outside would make one feel the bone-chilling cold.

Seeing him nod slightly, the girl handed him a bamboo tube with both hands, "Here, drink this to warm up!"

A faint fragrance wafted from the tube. Lin Wanrong looked puzzled, "What's this?"

"Just try it!" she said softly.

Upon opening the tube, a burst of alcohol aroma enveloped him. Inside was a clear liquid, which Lin Wanrong tasted. It was like rice wine with a very low alcohol content, a bitter sweetness with a hint of aroma, not exactly refreshing. Yilian watched him eagerly, "Is it good?"

"Uh-huh, it's good!" Lin Wanrong handed it back to her, "You try it!"

"I can't, our Miao women cannot drink before they're married!" Yilian waved her hands hurriedly, looking at him with concern, "Does it warm you up?"

The alcohol content of the Miao wine was low, and it wouldn't help much against the cold, but Lin Wanrong didn't want to disappoint her and quickly nodded, "It warms me up, truly warms me!"

"That's good!" Yilian patted her chest, relieved, "This is the last bit of rice wine from home, reserved for honored guests. Father forbids anyone from touching it! If you weren't warmed by it, wouldn't I have—taken it in vain?"

Lin Wanrong shook his head, smiling, "Yilian, why are you so good to me?"

Her eyes widened in surprise, "Because you are a good person!"

"Good person? I don't feel it," Lin Wanrong laughed heartily.

"Why are you laughing?" she asked lightly, caressing the jade pendant in her hand, her expression slightly annoyed, "I just think you are a good person! You're different from the other Hua people. I noticed it on the boat! You can row, swim, talk nonsense, but you don't bully people, don't look down on us Miao people, and you even help us fight the bad guys! You always talk about money, yet you're not greedy, and you even deliberately damaged such a fine jade pendant to give to us—"

I have so many virtues? Lin Wanrong smiled, at a loss for words, "By the way, Yilian, why have you come back? What's happening below the mountain?"

Yilian shook her head gently, "The officials have stopped on the road to the village, neither advancing nor retreating, plotting something for sure. Father and Kunshan are guarding below. I was worried you wouldn't be able to hide alone up here, so I hurried to find you."

Her clothing was torn in several places from the trek, and her delicate frame trembled slightly in the cold mountain wind. Lin Wanrong felt a chill in his heart and urged, "Yilian, it's cold outside, come in. I'll keep watch outside."

Yilian stubbornly shook her head, "How can that be? What if the officials come up? Don't worry, Ah Lin Ge, it's not cold at all outside, I'm used to it from living in the village! You stay hidden, I'll keep watch for you."

Hiding be damned! He huffed and leaped out from among the grass and vines, startling the girl, who had no time to react before he shoved her into the cave, “You stay inside! If you dare to come out, I’ll have to rough you up!”

The Miao girl was not one to submit so easily. Yilian paid no heed to his threats, stepped out boldly, and glared at him fiercely.

Lin Wanrong paused for a moment, then retracted his hand sulkily and said with a smile, "Alright, I won’t hit you! If you wish to stay outside, then so be it, but I won't hide inside anymore! Let's talk out here. If the officials really come up the mountain to catch me, there's still time to hide." He took all the clothes from the cave and draped them over the girl.

The warmth enveloped her, and Yilian, looking at him, spoke softly, "Ah Lin Ge, I've always said, you're different from the others!"

Lin Wanrong chuckled and gazed into the distance. In a hollow of the mountains, the lake was clear and wide, the moonlight scattered across the surface, sparkling like jade, with glimmering ripples. The shallow moon's reflection in the water swayed gently, like a silver boat adrift. The Miao villages, scattered near and far across the lake, moved with the moon's reflection, trembling like a scene in a shaken landscape painting.

"What a splendid Yingyue Hamlet (Moon Reflection Hamlet)!" he sighed deeply, "It truly lives up to its name!"

Yilian sat beside him, boasting with a smile, "Of course, among the nine villages and eighteen hamlets, our Yingyue Hamlet and the Holy Maiden’s Biluo Hamlet are the most beautiful! All the Miao households envy us!"

Such beauty was indeed enviable. Lin Wanrong nodded and asked, "Yilian, do those officials often come to bully you?"

The Miao girl hummed angrily, "Indeed, they do! They lord over our village, and it's entirely up to the officials how much tax they collect! Not to mention the three or four taxes a year, but after those, they still impose all sorts of levies under various pretexts. Every official, building temples, celebrating birthdays, organizing gatherings, demands contributions from all nine villages and eighteen hamlets. Whoever donates less, pays more! Over the years, they've shaved three feet off the land of our Miao villages, and every one of our kin is suffering, to the point where life is unbearable!"

"Isn't there anyone to manage this?"

"Who would there be?" Yilian said helplessly, "You've seen it. Without bridges or boats, we Miao people can't even leave Sichuan. This place is the officials' world. Even the Emperor in the capital doesn't live as freely as they do."

Lin Wanrong snorted coldly, then suddenly asked, "What about the Black Miao? What grudge do they have with you? They're also Miao, so why do they conspire with the officials against you?"

"Ah Lin Ge, you're not Miao," Yilian looked at him solemnly, "These are things that normally shouldn't be shared with outsiders. But you're a good person, and I know you won't harm us! The Black Miao are targeting us, actually, to fight against the White Miao and the Holy Maiden, and it's also because of the rivalry for the position of the chieftain of the nine villages and eighteen hamlets!"

"Sister An?" Lin Wanrong was shocked, "What on earth is going on?"

Yilian hummed affirmatively, "Among our Miao people, there are nine villages and eighteen hamlets, with thirty-six clans totaling over a hundred thousand individuals. The chieftain has always been from the White Miao, revered and deeply beloved! The last chieftain, before his passing, designated the Holy Maiden as his successor. However, at that time, the Holy Maiden was wandering abroad and did not return promptly, so it was agreed that the leader of the Black Miao, Zhaguo, would act as the interim leader."

At that time, Sister An was leading the White Lotus Sect, plotting grand aspirations for the Miao people, and naturally, she had no time to return. It went without saying that Zhaguo intended to take her place.

"Ah Lin Ge, with your wit, you should be able to guess what happened next," Yilian shook her head, "Leader Zhaguo was bent on becoming the true chieftain of the Miao villages. After assuming power, he colluded with the officials, eliminated dissent, and brought disaster upon the Miao villages, leading to the dire state of the nine villages and eighteen hamlets we see today. My father has significant influence among the Red Miao and is unwilling to heed Zhaguo's commands; therefore, our Yingyue Hamlet has been repeatedly troubled by him. The other branches, the Green Miao and Flower Miao, have suffered the same fate."

"Seeing the Miao villages in such distress and the people's grievances growing, the elders, unable to bear the suffering, decided in secret to invite the Holy Maiden back to reorganize the Miao villages. This spring, my father and I secretly set sail to send an elder north."

Lin Wanrong suddenly understood why Sister An had left the Prince Cheng residence in such a hurry; there had been a crisis in the Miao villages. The rest was self-explanatory; Zhaguo had been entrenched in the Miao villages for years, and with his connections to the officials, it would not be easy for Sister An, the rightful chieftain, to overthrow him.

"What about the Holy Maiden's courtship?" he suddenly remembered and asked urgently.

Yilian smiled, "Although Zhaguo is narrow-minded, he has a special affection for the Holy Maiden. She had wandered for many years, and he remained unmarried, steadfastly waiting for her. Seeing the Holy Maiden return to the Miao villages alone, he naturally wanted to fulfill his long-held wish. It's said that he lives at the foot of Wulian Peak and visits the Holy Maiden at Biluo Hamlet daily, intent on pressing for marriage! As for this year's Flower Mountain Festival, everyone is eager to see how the Holy Maiden will decide!"

This Holy Maiden must undoubtedly be Sister An! Lin Wanrong had no more doubts, his hand waving dismissively.

Yilian looked at him, astonished, "Ah Lin Ge, you're not seriously considering courting the Holy Maiden, are you? I advise you to give up that notion; all the young men in Sichuan have their eyes on her!"

Lin Wanrong chuckled, "I'll just go and see, see what happens. Who knows, maybe the Holy Maiden will fancy someone like me! By the way, Yilian, you'll be going to the Flower Mountain Festival, right?"

The girl hummed in agreement, "The Flower Mountain Festival is our Miao festival. Everyone from the village, mi duo and mi cai, will go!"

"Great!" Lin Wanrong gave a thumbs up, "Then what kind of mi duo do you like?! Tell me, and I'll give you some advice!"

"I don't know!" Yilian glanced at him shyly, shaking her head, then turned to look down the mountain, suddenly exclaiming in surprise, "Eh, the officials are retreating?!"

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