You've Got Mail: A Cautionary Tale

Chapter 25 - Let’s Just Plant Cucumbers

Chapter 25 — Let’s Just Plant Cucumbers

Edited by DancingDolphinsYo

The carriage was not the fastest way to travel. In consideration of Wu Xingzi’s health, Hei’er always paid some attention and took care of him. By the third evening, the other three guards had caught up to them on their horses.

It was very apparent that these four tall and sturdy men had been thoroughly tempered on the battlefield. Their expressions were cold and stern. Although they were good-looking, the frostiness in their appearance could not be disguised, and their eyes contained vague traces of bloodlust. One of them had a long scar on his face which split his exotic-looking face into skewed halves.

Wu Xingzi remained huddled up in the carriage. He had always been timid, and he would even unconsciously detour around the head constable and his team, to say nothing of these military men who had spent so much time killing on the battlefield.

His feelings could not be described as fear, but more like holding them in awe and respect, as well as feeling at a loss on how to interact with them.

Fortunately, the four guards all knew about his character, and they silently spurred the horses on as they protected him. Other than Hei’er, no one else tried chatting with him. Of course, all these were instructions that had been specially given by Man Yue. The guards did not understand the reason behind it, but they still obeyed the instructions.

A few days later, Wu Xingzi got used to them, and he was no longer as reserved. He could even have a short, casual conversation with Hei’er, inquiring about the scenery of Bastion City.

When they were about half a day away from Bastion City, Fang He released a pigeon, reporting to Man Yue. This journey had been a little longer than usual, lasting for seventeen days. They were ten entire days later than Guan Shanjin, and the four guards were all a little puzzled. Man Yue wanted them to slow down and not hurry, and also did not want them to stop the general. No one knew what he was scheming.

If not for the fact that everyone knew Man Yue never liked Mr. Lu, they might have thought that he wanted to solidify Mr. Lu’s position, and was deliberately rejecting Adviser Wu.

Half a day later, the group arrived at the gates of Bastion City. From afar, they could see a tall, handsome horse with a red, silver-speckled coat. On its back was a round, plump officer in silver armour, and under the sun, he was extremely conspicuous.

“Vice General Man.” The group quickly made their way over. They had a thousand and one thoughts in their head, and they could not help wanting to complain a little.

“It’s good that you’re back. Follow me.” Man Yue glanced at the carriage, and Wu Xingzi happened to just lift up the curtain to look outside. Their eyes met, and Man Yue revealed a simple and honest smile. The adviser felt a sudden relief and was no longer as nervous.

So this person, who looks like Maitreya when he smiles, turns out to be the Vice General Man that everyone has been talking about. He seems like a good person and completely does not have the bloodlust of a military man.

“Vice General Man.” Wu Xingzi cupped his hands at him. However, he forgot that he was still in a carriage. Staggering, he nearly fell out, but luckily Hei’er was fast enough and deftly caught him, pushing him back lightly into the carriage.

“Please be careful, Adviser.”

“Ah… Thank you, thank you, I’ve troubled you again.” Wu Xingzi blushed, rubbing his nose in embarrassment and no longer dared to move around. Only his eyes darted about curiously, looking at this border city that shared no resemblance to Qingcheng County or Goose City.

Bastion City was originally called Nan’an City. However, the southern barbarians had staged a long, aggressive campaign against the city, and the city barely experienced many peaceful days. 1

The young and strong males in the city either had permanent disabilities or were part of the troops stationed there. Most of the citizens were either very old or very young, and those who were able to leave had long been gone. Now, it was mostly the females who were left in charge, and therefore, in Bastion City as well as the four counties surrounding it, the females were highly respected. The status of a female was no less than that of a male, and sometimes, they were even of a higher status.

As there were too many deaths, Bastion City did not bury their dead, but cremated them instead. They would store the ashes in little earthen jars and bury them under their beds at home. This way, they could prevent the enemy from digging up the graves and tarnishing their ancestors, and it was also much safer for them when they paid their respects to their ancestors. However, in the eyes of outsiders, although the ashes belonged to family members, it still felt extremely creepy to have them buried under their beds.

After a long time, this strange practice was referred to as Horse-Face, a shortened name from Ox-Head and Horse-Face2. After using this name out of habit, it naturally became part of the city’s name. 3

The folk customs of Bastion City were unwavering. Although peace had returned to the city five years ago, and the city had also flourished after that, all that they saw were still strong and fortified buildings. Practicality outweighed everything else, and there were barely any decorations. All they could see was a greyish, muddy tone. There was no sign of the elegance that was special to the south.

By the road, females could be seen with exposed arms. They were dressed in trousers, their shirts tucked under their waistbands. Huffing and puffing, they were transporting goods up the ox carts. Mixed in with the males, it seemed like no one found it strange.

It really was an eye-opener. Wu Xingzi looked left and right, his body stretching further out, and he nearly stumbled off the carriage again. Hei’er sighed lightly, and decided to just help Wu Xingzi out of the carriage and sat him beside himself. In a low voice, he introduced the sights of Bastion City.

After travelling for about the time it took for a joss stick to burn, the crowd finally arrived at the estate of the Southern Garrison General. Wu Xingzi stared at the bold and unconstrained writing on the plaque, his mouth falling open to the point where two eggs could be placed within, and he forgot how to blink.

A moment later, he heard himself ask, “Hai, H-h-h-haiwang is the Southern Garrison General?”

“Yes.” Man Yue smiled at him, his eyes curving. “Has the general never mentioned it before?”

“No…” Wu Xingzi shook his head stiffly. Something Guan Shanjin had said before suddenly flashed across his mind; that there was no one in Bastion City who could do anything about him… That was true, no one was able to do anything about the Southern Garrison General! How did he not think of that?!

Wu Xingzi patted himself on the chest as he heaved a sigh of relief; he had been lucky in his escape from his feelings, and an inexplicable wistfulness welled up within him at this thought.

He did not dare to think about why he had always avoided speculating about the possibility of Guan Shanjin being the Southern Garrison General. The reputation of the general had clearly spread far and wide, and there were also many discussions about him in Qingcheng County. Other than being famed for his prowess in battle, many often mentioned how young and promising the general was.

Should he not have guessed it long ago? With Guan Shanjin’s age, as well as his impressive family background, although his appearance was not the savage and frightening face that the rumours had described, and he did not even have any scars on his face and had a god-like beauty, all signs pointed to Guan Shanjin being the Southern Garrison General… And it was just Wu Xingzi who was unwilling to draw the conclusion…

His slender shoulders slumped slightly, and he urgently needed The Pengornisseur to soothe himself.

Despite being unwilling to admit it, Guan Shanjin’s care and concern over the past month had made him lower his barriers around his heart by a lot.

“The general has arranged for Mr. Wu to stay in Shuanghe Yard in the west. Please follow me.” Man Yue seemed to completely ignore Wu Xingzi’s apprehensive expression. He did what he had to, and led him into the estate.

“Right, the four of you, quickly go see the general.”

“Yes.”

Unconsciously, Wu Xingzi looked at Hei’er. Ever since he returned to the general’s estate, Hei’er was no longer as warm as he had been during their journey. He was even colder and sterner than when Wu Xingzi first met him, and he straight away turned and left. Wu Xingzi felt even more uneasy. He was in a foreign place with no one familiar next to him. Although Man Yue seemed as though he was easy to get along with, he was still a stranger. Wu Xingzi twisted his own sleeves, almost ripping them apart.

“Don’t be nervous, we’re all good people here in the general’s estate.” Man Yue comforted him down at the right moment. No matter how Wu Xingzi looked at it, Man Yue’s smiling, cheery face looked warm and friendly. He gradually calmed down and shyly nodded at Man Yue to express his gratitude.

Shuanghe Yard was a rather small courtyard, and the rooms were very simple. A patch of mallow plants were growing in the yard. There were even some vegetable patches, and despite the overflowing weeds, they allowed Wu Xingzi to give a sigh of relief.

“The general is especially afraid of you getting bored. Bastion City doesn’t have much for entertainment as compared to Goose City, and so by planting some vegetables, you should be able to while away some time. The soil here can be considered quite fertile. Mr. Wu can just let me know what sort of vegetables you’ll like to plant.” Man Yue led Wu Xingzi around the courtyard, then pushed open the doors and brought him into the rooms.

The scent of wood filled his nose. It was apparent that the furniture within was all brand new.

The furnishings within were cozy and comfortable. Bastion City was further to the south than Qingcheng County. As long as it was not raining or the wind was not blowing, it did not feel like winter at all.

After pushing the windows opened, the house seemed even brighter. The plum blossom tree outside the window had only just started budding, and when it would be in full bloom, the rooms would definitely be filled with its scent.

Wu Xingzi liked this little house very much. Every decoration and furnishing was to his liking, and there was even a small kitchen by the side. He did not know if it had always been there, or if they had built the kitchen only later.

“Mr. Wu, please take a rest first. Later on, I’ll get Hei’er to bring two maids to come take care of you.” Man Yue was about to leave. He was, after all, the busiest person in the general’s estate. If not for wanting to take a look at the sort of person Wu Xingzi was, he would not have appeared to handle such matters.

“There’s no need for any maids!” Wu Xingzi hurriedly rejected him. What status did he have to need any maids?

“That’s not possible, in the general’s estate, we cannot slight any important guests. Mr. Wu, don’t worry. The maids I’ve selected are all smart and capable girls, they won’t disturb you.” Man Yue was smiling, but his tone was irrefutable. With his mouth left open, Wu Xingzi was unable to say a word, and he could only nod his head and accept it.

Man Yue’s round and fair figure vanished quickly into the distance. The courtyard immediately quieted. The wind occasionally brushed against the mallow plants, and the light scratching sounds made Wu Xingzi shrink into himself, a little fearful.

After contemplating for a moment, he decided to first toss away all the anxiety that he was feeling. Since he was already here, he should go along with it. All he had to do was wait until he saw Guan Shanjin and then he would ask him to send him back to Qingcheng County. He would be able to return home before the new year… right?

After exploring the entirety of Shuanghe Yard, Wu Xingzi finally stopped at the vegetable patches. Picking up the corners of his robe and tucking them into his belt, he started to pluck out the weeds earnestly.

When all the weeds were cleared, Wu Xingzi piled them up by the side. He entered the kitchen to look for a flint, wanting to burn the weeds to make fertiliser.

The soil of the vegetable patches was dark, fertile earth. With the smell of fresh dirt, Wu Xingzi almost forgot that he was in the general’s estate, and instead felt as though he was home.

Finally managing to find a flint, he saw an unfamiliar man when he returned to the yard.

It was a pretty man with a refined appearance. Like a willow, his temperament seemed as gentle as water.

Adviser Wu, who always appreciated a beautiful face, could not help but stare at the man. Only when the man frowned slightly at him, as though he was quite displeased, did Wu Xingzi hurriedly lower his head. With a red face, he cupped his hands in apology, “Apologies to this Master for the offense.”

“Mn.” The man made a small sound of acknowledgement. His voice was extremely pleasant, and even the owner of House of Taotie, Su Yang, did not have a voice as melodious as him. His voice was like the bubbling sound of a brook, as sweet as a nightingale. The tips of Adviser Wu’s ears reddened slightly.

“You’re the one from Qingcheng County?”

“Yes, yes, yes. I’m Adviser Wu Xingzi from Qingcheng County. My pleasure to meet you.”

Ah, this voice is really lovely, only a little worse than Guan Shanjin’s voice.

“Wu Xingzi…” The man recited his name softly, ending with a mocking lilt. “This name is quite special.”

“No, no. My father named me on impulse, and there’s no profound meaning to it. It can just be called out smoothly.” Wu Xingzi blushed a little. His name had no relation with any literary anecdotes, and if it had to be explained, it could only be said that the name came from his parents’ sincere love for their child.

“I’m Hua Shu.”

“Master Hua.”

“I’m Mr. Lu’s caretaker. The general will be staying at Mr. Lu’s abode for the next few days, and so, he may neglect his honoured guest. Mr. Lu has specially sent me here to seek forgiveness from Mr. Wu, and he hopes that Mr. Wu would not be mistaken about anything. He sends his wishes and hopes to prevent you from getting upset.” Hua Shu haughtily raised his fair and sharp chin slightly. A pair of limpid eyes glanced slowly over at Wu Xingzi, and his lips curled in a faint smile.

“What?” Adviser Wu blinked at him. He could feel that Hua Shu looked down on him, but that was nothing. After all, he was someone from the general’s estate! It would be normal for him to be arrogant. However, he did not really understand what Hua Shu was saying. On his way here, Hei’er had told him that the reason Guan Shanjin had rushed back was because Mr. Lu fell down and broke his leg.

Since Mr. Lu was currently recovering from his injury, it was human nature for Guan Shanjin to spend more time with him. Were they not a pair of teacher and student? A teacher was like an adoptive father, and the younger generation should take good care of the older generation in the first place.

As such, he quickly cupped his hands together and answered, “I hope Mr. Lu will recover well. As they say, a disciple should serve their teachers. Haiwang is the junior, and it’s expected of him to stay by Mr. Lu’s side.” However, he did not expect that Hua Shu’s face would suddenly change. A dark glimmer flashed across his limpid eyes, and Hua Shu snorted coldly. “Mr. Wu has a very sharp tongue.”

What?

Wu Xingzi looked confused. Did he say something wrong?

“You think that the general has really fallen for you? Hmph! In the general’s heart, you can’t even compare to a strand of Mr. Lu’s hair. You should quickly realise your own status, and stop daydreaming!” Hua Shu shook his sleeves fiercely before turning around and leaving.

Left behind once again, Wu Xingzi was at a loss. He did not have any time to defend himself and could only foolishly stand there and watch as Hua Shu departed. He then sighed heavily, “Let’s just plant cucumbers.”

The people of this city had really bad tempers!