"I beg you to wait, ouch!" called Zhi Xiang, then Ming Hao turned around.
"Emm Ming Hao," muttered Zhi Xiang while nodding his head, on the other hand Ming Hao glanced at Zhi Xiang and his gaze shifted to Zhi Xiang's bleeding shoulder.
"It looks like it hurts, better treat it first so it doesn't get infected, if left unchecked it will be dangerous," said Ming Hao, then Zhi Xiang held his shoulder to cover the wound.
"Ahh this em no~k ah!" Zhi Xiang's hand was pulled by Ming Hao and fell into his embrace.
"Bugs!"
"My goodness! Sorry sir, I'm sorry, I didn't see you there, sir. Sorry sir," said an old mother.
He threw the wash water carelessly and nearly got doused by it. Ming Hao smiled and nodded his head at Old Mother. But Ming Hao's clothes got wet from being splashed with the washing water.
"Hah! Your clothes. The fine must be expensive for getting wet like this. I tore this shirt and even got my blood on it. Maybe the stains will be difficult to remove and you get the clothes wet. Our fine must be huge," Zhi Xiang said with a languid face thinking about the fine.
"Haven't I been too good to you? You better go home and treat your wound," Ming Hao said then walked away ignoring what Zhi Xiang said.
"Aish.. he really is a very cold man," Zhi Xiang muttered sarcastically.
Zhi Xiang secretly follows Ming Hao and he knows that Zhi Xiang is following him. Ming Hao ran fast, then Zhi Xiang was startled and also ran after Ming Hao. Finally they did a chase action, Ming Hao tried to hide but felt there was no way to hide because Zhi Xiang ran so fast. Then Ming Hao suddenly stopped, Zhi Xiang accidentally bumped into Ming Hao's back quite hard.
"Bloody hell!"
"Ouch!" Zhi Xiang shouted in surprise and rubbed his head in pain.
"Master Bai Cang, why are you here at night, don't you join in celebrating the lantern festival?" Ming Hao asked Master Bai Cang.
"I'm looking for it," said Master Bai Cang as he glanced at Zhi Xiang.
"Him? Master Moju knows him? Master please tell him not to follow me, he is really scary." Ming Hao said looking at Zhi Xiang while shaking his head.
"Aish.. this guy," Zhi Xiang annoyed while glaring at Ming Hao.
"You'd better come back to my house," Master Bai Cang said to Zhi Xiang.
"Wanna have some herbal tea with me?" Master Bai Cang asked Ming Hao.
"Ah yes, of course sir," replied Ming Hao, unable to refuse.
Then Mr. Bai Cang left to go home, Ming Hao followed him and Zhi Xiang ran after Ming Hao and walked beside him.
"Hey! Your back is as hard as a rock, it's suitable for laying foundations," Zhi Xiang whispered to Ming Hao.
"Aish.. he doesn't know that the body under this shirt is so tempting," Ming Hao hissed annoyed and glared at Zhi Xiang, Zhi Xiang responded with a smile then stuck out his tongue, he looked happy as he mocked Ming Hao.
On the way home Zhi Xiang saw a small child carrying food towards the back of the market and Zhi Xiang followed him. He saw that there was a shrine behind the market, he didn't expect that there was a small shrine hidden here. Zhi Xiang followed the boy, he entered the temple and the boy entered a small door behind a Buddha statue. Zhi Xiang was attracted by the Buddha statue and touched it, suddenly the bell rang and a grandmother came out of the small door. The old woman was very surprised to see Zhi Xiang, so she cried and paid her respects to him.
"Miss is still alive? Let Grandma check for a moment." The grandmother said through tears, then approached Zhi Xiang and hugged him.
"Your Miss is really still alive, Grandma is really worried about you. I'm sorry Grandma couldn't take good care of your mother, I'm sorry Grandma.." said the grandmother making Zhi Xiang confused.
"Stay with Granny, I don't want to lose you anymore," continued the grandmother.
"Wait, what does Grandma mean? I don't understand," Zhi Xiang replied.
"I am your Grandmother, you are Ling Zhi Lui. Your mother has died, people from the Palace killed her, stay hidden here Miss.." Grandma pleaded.
"I don't know what Grandma means, I'll go home first Grandma it's already late," Zhi Xiang replied.
"Please.." the grandmother begged as she held Zhi Xiang's hand.
"I'm sorry Grandma," Zhi Xiang said as he let go of the grandmother's hand, then left to go home. Suddenly, a person in a black veil blocked Zhi Xiang, then that person gave him a pendulum bearing the dragon's symbol.
"This belongs to your mother, you must be curious about your past. I know all about you, join me and you will find out everything, even we will help you to avenge your mother's death. Think about it, if you have decided, come to this temple again. Ling Zhi Lui," said the black-veiled man and left Zhi Xiang.
***
They arrived at Mr. Bai Cang's house, they sat in Mr. Bai Cang's room while enjoying the herbal tea he made.
"Brags!" Zhi Xiang enters Master Bai Cang's room.
"Hao, your clothes are wet what happened?" asked Master Bai Cang curiously.
"Ah it's okay Master, it's just a small mistake." Ming Hao smiled then glanced at Zhi Xiang sharply.
"You hurry to your room, I have prepared medicine and clothes, if you need help I will call someone to help you," Master Bai Cang said to Zhi Xiang.
Zhi Xiang stood up and bowed, he left Ming Hao and Master Bai Cang, but before he left, he took his tea cup and brought it to the room, Master Bai Cang and Ming Hao were surprised by his strange behavior.
"Sir, who is he? Sorry if I say he's weird, but his character is different from the others, especially his language," Ming Hao asked curiously.
"It seems that kid really doesn't remember what happened, and only remembering his childhood, I will let that kid stay here until his memory completely returns," Master Bai Cang muttered in his heart.
Master Bai Cang was silent for a moment then drank his tea without giving Ming Hao an answer. He smiled at Ming Hao and was instantly reciprocated by Ming Hao.
"Ahh he's my nephew, he came here to help me, want me to prepare dinner?" Master Bai Cang asked distractingly.
"Oh nephew, no need sir, I have to go home soon, if I come home too late you know what kind of mother I am, my mother will surely tear my body apart if I make her worry," Ming Hao replied with a playful smile.
"Alright, before going home have another cup of tea to warm up," said Master Bai Cang, then poured the tea into Ming Hao's cup. He drank it then stood up and bowed. Suddenly Ming Hao sat back down and Master Bai Cang was shocked because he seemed to have dropped his body to the floor.
"What is it?" asked Master Bai Cang.
"Sir, earlier when I was at the market with your nephew he suddenly talked about kidnapping residents in this village and he said during his trip to the market, he met a woman whose child was taken by force because she could not pay taxes, even your nephew said that taxes what they are asking for is not only money tax but rice tax as well, are the two cases related?" Ming Hao explained making Master Bai Cang very surprised.
"Isn't the rice tax collection abolished? Why is this still in effect? It's not two cases but one case, you'd better go home since it's already late at night," said Mr. Bai Cang with a serious face.
"Very well. Thank you sir for the tea." Ming Hao said paying his respects and then left.
Suddenly there was a woman standing in front of Master Bai Cang's house in a neat dress, that woman was Zhi Xiang. He was looking at the garnari tree. Ming Hao just stared at Zhi Xiang from a distance waiting for what else Zhi Xiang would do next.
"He always surprises me," Ming Hao muttered.
"I miss you Mom, Dad, I can't go home now, I don't have money to take the bus, I will work here until I have enough money to go home and will give you a wedding anniversary present, and what happened to me, who are they? Who is Ling Zhi Lui exactly? Why do they call me by that name, do I need to find out who Ling Zhi Lui is? Should I join them?" said Zhi Xiang in his heart, he slightly held back his tears from falling.
Then Zhi Xiang turned around, he saw Ming Hao was there, their eyes met and looked at each other. Ming Hao blinked his eyes then continued walking.
"I am Zhi Xiang!" said Zhi Xiang shouting his name, immediately Ming Hao paused and then continued on his way home.
"Your name is Zhi Xiang? Why didn't you tell me that?" asked someone behind him, it turned out to be Master Bai Cang's voice, then Zhi Xiang turned around. Master Bai Cang orders Zhi Xiang to rest in his room.
"I want us to talk tomorrow," said Master Bai Cang then left Zhi Xiang alone.
Zhi Xiang sat in his room, he thought about what the grandmother and the veiled man had said. He was frustrated then lay down and distracted his mind, how to get him back home.
"Ahh dizzy!" said Zhi Xiang annoyed then covered his face with the blanket and went to sleep.
The next day Zhi Xiang cleaned his room and found a parcel. Suddenly someone knocked on her door, Zhi Xiang quickly hid the parcel so as not to be found out.
"Enter!" Zhi Xiang replied, it was Mr. Bai Cang who came, then Mr. Bai Cang closed the door.
"Sir, what's the matter? Do you need my help?" said Zhi Xiang, Master Bai Cang then sat down opposite Zhi Xiang.
"How are you? Does your wound still hurt?" asked Master Bai Cang.
"I'm fine sir, don't worry too much and thank you for helping me," Zhi Xiang replied.
"Call me Uncle, you will stay here until you are completely healed," said Master Zhi Xiang.
"What happened Uncle? I fell during the festival and I passed out, but why is my shoulder bleeding like this, it hurts so much," Zhi Xiang said as he held his wound.
"You were hit by an arrow that missed when you went to the festival, luckily Uncle helped you quickly. So don't be afraid, you will be my nephew that's all you will do and don't act weird, life here is not safe. Just stay here don't mind anything, if you can close your eyes and you will live," said Mr. Bai Cang sternly, Zhi Xiang was silent, he was not sure what to say.
"I'm going to the market to buy medicine," said Mr. Bai Cang and then left Zhi Xiang.
Zhi Xiang just stared at Master Bai Cang leaving him, then he daydreamed thinking about what Master Bai Cang would say to be his pretend uncle. He sensed that there were a lot of oddities, so he decided to follow it.