UCTOOT CH110

Xie Wuchi’s birthday was getting closer day by day.

There had been continuous drizzling rain. Shi Shu had been idle for a few days; many things were put on hold due to the rainy weather. Nothing could be done.

Shi Shu frequently appeared in the kitchen. The basket contained fruits and vegetables washed by rainwater and cured meat. He planned to cook a table of delicacies for Xie Wuchi’s birthday.

However, after researching for a few days, all he made was trash that tasted bad. He was very annoyed, thinking that he was destined to be insulated from cooking in this life.

During these few days, Shi Shu and Xie Wuchi stayed in the courtyard. When the rain was light, they would wear bamboo hats and go out, walking around, picking some dew-covered wild fruits in the fields. After the heavy rain, the river ditch swelled, and fish were washed ashore where they could be picked up by hand. Shi Shu also picked up a few fish and kept them in the water tank.

However, they encountered a small ripple. Many villagers said that two handsome young men lived at the head of the village. From time to time, children came over to peek through the fence, wanting to take Shi Shu out to play.

These children were of mixed Han and Min blood. Tea merchants, mountain foragers, and hunters traveled everywhere at the foot of Mount Meng, so no one was particularly surprised.

Fine rain like ox hair.

Shi Shu carried a bamboo basket, picking mushrooms on the hilltop. In the weather after rain, many people came to pick mountain goods.

Xie Wuchi held an umbrella for him. Shi Shu bent down, pondering: “What mushroom is this? What is this? And what is this?”

Walking unsteadily, they met a villager also picking mountain goods up the mountain. The man chatted: “How much have you picked?”

Shi Shu: “Half a basket.”

“Let me see.”

The man came over to look at his mushrooms and threw some out: “This can’t be eaten. Do you have lard at home? Pan-fry it in oil, it smells so fragrant. Then stew it with tofu; the soup is extremely delicious!”

Shi Shu: “Is that so?”

“Yes. Eating mountain goods is all about simple freshness. Adding too many seasonings makes it tasteless instead.” The villagers were quite enthusiastic, probably thinking they were long-term residents. “Come to my house for a meal? My wife doesn’t like working, but her cooking is delicious.”

Shi Shu thought about it and said: “Ah, won’t trouble you.”

Seeing their cold reaction, the villager walked away. Shi Shu lowered his head again to dig through the grass piles.

Forest vegetation included tall arbor trees and coniferous forests.

Xie Wuchi took out a handkerchief and wiped his sweat: “What’s wrong?”

Shi Shu looked around: “It’s better not to know them. Once things happen, we’ll go back to Yanzhou. But the villagers who have spoken to us will probably be convicted, let alone going to their house for a meal—a matter of life and death.”

Xie Wuchi said: “Learned to be smart.”

Two figures walked in the drizzle. Shi Shu carried a bag of unknown wild mushrooms, pondering: “It’s your birthday in two days, right?”

In their line of sight, not far away, Xin Bin hurried over.

“My Lords.” Xin Bin looked hurried.

Xie Wuchi: “What’s wrong, running so fast?”

Xin Bin said: “Yuan Guan and Yuan He sent a message through someone, saying the next few days are the God’s Birthday festival worshipped by the Min people. The city is bustling. Those minor king tribes also have to come to the city to sell mountain goods and worship the Great God Rahu. They invite My Lord to the city to discuss matters while it’s lively.”

Xie Wuchi: “Oh?”

Shi Shu half-understood: “Great God Rahu?”

Xie Wuchi said: “The Great God Rahu worshipped by the Min people. In the Min epic, he was born between rivers. Due to the Ice Age and grassland degradation, he rushed to the west to tear apart the evil serpent, a warrior who reclaimed the green land for the nomadic people. Later, when the mountains ignited with the fire of sin, he threw himself into the fire, extinguishing the sin with his blood, bringing back the green waters and green mountains.”

After Xin Bin finished speaking and waited for Xie Wuchi to nod, he went to arrange road safety. Xie Wuchi held Shi Shu’s hand: “In ancient human myths, many imagined deities are expressions of humanity’s desire to conquer nature. Hou Yi shooting the suns represents helplessness against drought; Kuafu chasing the sun is the ancients’ questioning of time and life.”

Shi Shu let him hold his hand, walking into the courtyard together.

Xie Wuchi: “Great God Rahu used his life to reclaim the grasslands, mountains, and rivers that the Min people rely on for survival, so he became the god they worship. Praying to gods is also praying for the desires in one’s heart. As long as people have desires, people can be conquered.”

Shi Shu was very used to hearing Xie Wuchi say these things: “When you go to the city, how will you persuade them?”

“Worshipping the God of Grassland and the God of Mountains, their interest demand is only one: precisely the grassland and mountains. To make others cooperate with you, you can only start from interests. As for specific means, there are nothing more than two types: light and dark.”

Shi Shu thought about his words: “You plan to give them grasslands and mountains?”

“This is the light means—giving them benefits others can’t give, persuading with kind words, playing the good cop. The dark means, playing the bad cop. You talk about Wu Song and Pan Jinlian every day; guess?”

Shi Shu: “…”

Shi Shu: “Huh?”

“The methods of Wu Yong’s disciples: kill your whole family, or coerce with your whole family’s lives, or kill your enemy’s and superior’s whole families and frame you, cutting off your way of living, forcing you up Liangshan in desperation.”

“…”

A layer of cold sweat rose on Shi Shu’s back. Xie Wuchi was still like this; his careless words made one’s back tingle.

Xie Wuchi’s dark brow tips were damp with water vapor. After pondering for a moment, he said: “I’ll go to the city to see what the situation of this King Zhouchi’s family is now. If they can’t be lured by profit, we can only entrap them with schemes.”

Saying Xie Wuchi was Papiyas (Demon King) was not wrong. Wherever he went, someone’s family would surely be ruined and dead.

In the courtyard, Shi Shu and Xie Wuchi entered the door. Xin Bin had finished deployment and sent other capable guards who were already waiting.

Shi Shu took out anti-inflammatory medicine and ointment: “Drink a little first; the leg wound hasn’t healed yet.”

Xie Wuchi drank the medicine: “You don’t need to come. I’ll be back soon.”

Shi Shu: “Alright, I’ll wait for you.”

They were rushing for time and had discussed it. Xin Bin put a rain hat on Xie Wuchi. Amidst disguises, his figure left the mountains.

Shi Shu now felt somewhat like Xie Wuchi was saying “I’m going to kill someone; you hide first.” After he left, another capable guard stayed in the house to protect Shi Shu’s safety personally.

Xie Wuchi was the main general, his identity extremely important. Even though Yuan Guan knew his identity, when officially meeting, he still wouldn’t expose himself personally; it would still be Shi Shu appearing.

Shi Shu suddenly remembered: “Wait, I also need to go into the city. It’s Xie Wuchi’s birthday; just right to buy him a gift.”

But the person had already gone far. Shi Shu hesitated whether to chase after him. After thinking, he decided to wait a bit longer.

Shi Shu was suddenly separated from Xie Wuchi again. Although the time wasn’t long, it was in the Min area.

…Inexplicably, as soon as Xie Wuchi left, a sense of loneliness arose in his heart. The other guard was already busy, helping to cook and wash clothes. Shi Shu hurried: “No need, I’ll do it myself.”

The sky gradually darkened, and the sense of loneliness grew stronger.

The guard rested in the front room. High professional quality, cold-faced and silent. Shi Shu ate dinner and entered the room, looking at the empty wing room. For the past few days, he had stayed with Xie Wuchi in this simple small house. Now he was left alone.

Shi Shu thought: “Fine, sleep first. He’ll be back tomorrow.”

Lying on the bed, it also had his familiar scent. He seemed to suddenly understand Xie Wuchi’s feelings when he left back then.

Shi Shu really couldn’t sleep, so he had to get up and light the lamp in the kitchen.

He hesitated for a long time before asking the other guard: “Big brother, do you know how to knead dough?”

Under the dim yellow light, Shi Shu mixed dough, kneaded dough, rolled dough, and cut noodles. After learning for four hours, he still didn’t do it very well. The cut noodles were either uneven or the rolled dough was bumpy.

Summer night, silence. Afraid of wasting the rolled noodles, he had to cook a pot of noodles and ate with the guard.

Shi Shu held the bowl and slurped the noodles. After eating a few mouthfuls, he felt like his life was doomed.

He missed Xie Wuchi.

He had only been gone for less than half a day, and missing him made his heart ache.

Shi Shu: TvT.

Shi Shu lowered his head, feeling a sense of silence in his heart, and sped up eating noodles.

Guard: “My Lord, slow down. It’s very hot.”

Shi Shu: “I’ll finish early and sleep early, to pick him up tomorrow.”

Shi Shu ate a bowl, and the guard also ate a large bowl. Fortunately, they were young and had good digestion, so they weren’t uncomfortably stuffed.

At night, Shi Shu lay on the couch, unable to sleep for a long time, repeatedly confirming the fact that he loved Xie Wuchi. A very strange, unfamiliar feeling became very clear and certain.

Straight guy, walked half a life, became a man’s dog.

Tell Zihan, wonder what his reaction will be.

Shi Shu hugged the quilt, so restless he wanted to punch the air in bed. Finally, after waiting for who knows how long, he fell asleep. The next morning was sunny. Sunlight just shone into the room; Shi Shu had already gotten up and washed.

When he was about to go out, the child at the door came again, holding a bunch of flowers picked early in the morning. Shi Shu didn’t want the villagers to be implicated with the crime of communicating with the enemy after he left, so he endured ignoring him, watching the child put the flowers on the threshold.

Shi Shu apologized in his heart: “It’s not that brother doesn’t want to play with you. The situation is special now. When we become one family later, I’ll talk to you again.”

Shi Shu dressed well and walked toward the city.

The guard followed for a while: “Second Young Master is running so fast; is there something wrong?”

“…” Shi Shu, “Am I running?”

Shi Shu suddenly remembered a long time ago, waiting for Xie Wuchi to inspect the whole country for the new policy. When he came back three months later, Shi Shu hurriedly washed his hair and ran to the relay station to find him—it was like this every time.

Shi Shu was a bit embarrassed but didn’t slow down.

Before his eyes appeared the city tower of Yuan County in Yong’an Prefecture, the extraordinarily lively God’s Birthday. Many Min people knelt and kowtowed three times and nine times all the way into the city gate. Inside the city was the Fire Sacrifice of the Great God Rahu, handled entirely by the great noble King Zhouchi’s clan. On the God’s Birthday, they fasted in the temple, invited friends, and appreciated treasures and precious plants. At this time, it was also often the liveliest season for the market—stalls set up selling mountain goods, performers smashing large stones on chests, pastries and roast meat, colorful ribbons fluttering, shamans divining, men and women going out on dates, god statues parading, ghosts and monsters running rampant, dancing around bonfires at night—nothing was too strange.

Many remote tribes would come into the city at this time, selling animal skins, teeth, spices, tea leaves, cheese, and other items to people once a year, also known as the “Ten-Day Market of God’s Birthday.”

Two days later, it happened to be the same birthday as this god, and also Xie Wuchi’s birthday.

Shi Shu originally wanted to pick Xie Wuchi up to go home, but unexpectedly walked all the way into the city.

Someone had already gone to report and came back saying: “Second Young Master, My Lord is having morning tea at the market of the God’s Birthday Temple. Going over now?”

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