At that moment, thirty miles outside of Yangcheng, at the Northern City Posthouse, serenity had taken over the night.
The Northern City Posthouse, situated on the border between Yangcheng and Gaoping, held an awkward position in terms of location and jurisdiction. A swift horse could quickly reach either city, so there was hardly a need to stop at this simple and increasingly shabby station set amid sloping ditches.
But tonight, the rarity of having all rooms occupied by Taiyuan prefecture officials made the stables too small to accommodate all the horses, causing the animals to be tied messily in the front yard or even outside the entrance.
In the posthouse, a lone relay station deputy, assisted by an old soldier, was kept so busy they had to ask their families to help.
As the night deepened, most of the officials had retired to rest, yet lights still shone in a few rooms.
After all, the events of the past days had been baffling, and inevitably spurred private discussions.
There were only a few good rooms at the posthouse, naturally reserved for officials of high rank like Prefect Ma. At this moment, in one small adobe room, a lower-ranking official resided.
He and his servant were crammed into one room. He slept in a bed; the servant had no choice but to sleep on the floor.
The summer night was hot and stuffy, the window left open. One could see a man in plain clothes making the bed inside, while another man, a plain-looking servant with a beard, stood by with a thoughtful expression.
"When did they actually find out?" he asked quietly in a submissive and gentle tone that matched well with his station.
The bed-making man immediately turned around.
"It's hard to say with these things," he responded.
His voice was sonorous, carrying a hint of authority. Yet under the dim glow of the oil lamp and facing this servant, his expression was respectful, strangely incongruent with his status.
"Sir," the bed-maker continued.
But before he could finish, the servant suddenly raised his hand, his gaze sharply turning toward the window.
"Who's there?" he shouted.
With his shout, he had already reached the door and flung it open.
A cry of surprise came from the front, and someone staggered back.
It was a fourteen- or fifteen-year-old girl, dressed simply, her hair a mess. In the darkness, only the darkness smeared across her face was visible. She was carrying a wooden bucket, steam rising from the hot water within.
She seemed to have been merely passing by with her water bucket when the sudden appearance scared her, causing her to stand panicked, not daring to move.
"What are you doing?" the official demanded harshly as he stepped outside.
The servant had already retreated to his side, eyes downcast, observing the girl.
"I—I am delivering water," the girl stammered, her voice hoarse and trembling as she pointed to a nearby room.
There was light in that room too, indicating some were not yet resting.
This girl... was likely part of the posthouse soldier's family.
The posthouse soldier had an old wife and a daughter who had been bustling around the courtyard for a while.
The official was not really concerned.
"Is there any hot water left?" he asked casually.
The girl looked terrified.
"This is, this was requested there first," she explained, quickly worried about the official's anger, "I'll go heat more. Please wait, sir."
The official wasn't truly after hot water. He waved his hand dismissively and turned back inside.
In a flurry, the girl awkwardly bowed and then hurried toward the room next door, still carrying the bucket.
The servant stood at the doorway watching her as the girl knocked on the nearby room's door. A man, already changed into his inner clothes, opened the door.
"Sir, your hot water," the girl said.
The man grunted, took the bucket with one hand and closed the door.
The girl sighed, lifting her sleeve to wipe the sweat from her forehead and face which, smeared with soot from the fire, only got more blotched. She patted her shoulder and, not daring to rest long, rushed back toward the courtyard.
The servant's gaze followed her intently.
The girl walked slowly, her loosened gait that of an untaught country girl, occasionally shrugging her shoulders and shaking her neck to ease her fatigue.
The servant's gaze was fixed on her, following each of her steps until she turned the corner.
The servant silently stood for a moment before turning and entering his room, shutting the door behind him.
"Is there a problem?" asked the official in the room.
The servant smiled.
"I can't think of any at the moment," he said, stopping the official's inquiry. "It's getting late; let's rest for now."
The official didn't ask further and respectfully agreed, blowing out the lamp in the room.
The room plunged into darkness.
"The bed is ready, you should rest now."
A soft voice spoke in the dark.
Accompanied by rustling sounds, silence soon followed.
In the quiet of the deep night, a shadow climbed over the crumbled half-wall of the posthouse. Guided by the faint starlight, one could see it was a girl, clad only in her undergarments, holding her outer clothing in her embrace.
Her face was as dark as the night, with only her eyes shining like stars.
Today was not in vain; calling someone "adult" had confirmed one thing—that was enough. She could not stay here any longer.
Run.
Run.
She climbed over the wall, not bothering to dress, and sprinted off, disappearing among the undulating gullies.
...
Outside Lin Family's Alley, Liu'er's crying continued.
Old Lady Fang felt suffocated by the sobbing.
"What are you babbling about!" she exclaimed. "How can she be dead or alive all of a sudden? Are you cursing Miss of your family?"
"That's not your Miss; you talk lightly," Liu'er cried out.
Old Lady Fang felt a pain in her chest.
"She is my granddaughter," she exclaimed.
"And how about your granddaughter? She's not as important as your grandson," Liu'er cried, pointing at Fang Chengyu, "He's cured now, and my Miss is no longer useful; there's no need for you to offend anyone for my Miss."
Old Lady Fang's face turned ashen, and she staggered, struggling for breath.
Fang Chengyu quickly reached out to support her.
"Liu'er, stop talking," he said. "Grandmother didn't mean that."
"I don't care what you mean," Liu'er cried, rushing straight toward Lin Family's Alley. "If you won't look, I will."
The clansmen of the Lin Family had been guarding against her. They crowded and blocked her, and although they didn't beat her up like before, they took advantage of Liu'er's intrusion to push her to the ground.
Liu'er wiped her tears and got up to charge again.
Fang Jinxiu averted her gaze.
"Look at this," Clan Leader Lin said, sighing. "Step aside, let her go look."
The people from Lin Family then stepped aside, and Liu'er rushed in crying.
Old Lady Fang's ashen face had not yet recovered when Fang Chengyu gently patted her chest.
"Perhaps, Old Lady Fang, you could rest and wait here with us," suggested Clan Leader Lin. "It's not that we aren't looking for her; of course, we must look for her."
Just not so disruptively, looking calmly and peacefully.
The officials also nodded repeatedly; this was the best solution. It was beneficial for both sides, saving face for everyone and could dispel the discussions caused today.
Before Old Lady Fang could speak, Fang Chengyu smiled at them.
"Please wait a moment, I still have something to discuss with my grandmother," he said.
*****************
The double points for the monthly ticket started today.
Many people have specifically saved their monthly tickets until now for me, thank you. It's now time to cast them during this final sprint.
And for those who have already voted early to help lay the foundation on the leaderboard, thank you for allowing us not to chase so hard.
In any case, thank you everyone. I leave the last three days of the month to you; I'm going to prepare the uploads for the upcoming seven-day holiday—there will be another battle then.