Chapter 2: Lady Wei, Shao Ge'er, and Yu Lian (2)

Upon hearing this, Guo Shao was greatly enraged. He looked down and saw a few sticks of firewood nearby, picked one up, and walked forward. At that moment, the door suddenly opened, and Yu Lian rushed out, one hand covering her face and the other hugging her arms, her face full of tears. Upon seeing Guo Shao, she was momentarily stunned.

Her name is Yulian. It is said in the community that her surname is Dong, which may just be a surname she casually invented.

The sound of "ka ka" echoed as the firewood was unexpectedly squeezed by Guo Shao, producing a sound that made one’s teeth ache. With the strength to draw a three-stone strong bow during practice, if he were to swing the firewood down at a person, it would likely result in either broken bones or a shattered piece of firewood

Yulian's voice was very soft, making it difficult to hear clearly, and it was unclear what she had said. Suddenly, there was a cacophony of sounds, and the woman's cries were extremely mournful

Yulian gritted her teeth and waved her hand to signal Guo Shao to leave quickly. At that moment, someone in the room shouted: "Since you are so lewd and cheap, why not serve that adulterer for an entire night? Then you would have money to buy wine, right? Haha..."

The man in Yulian's family has a broken leg and is unable to work. She, a young married woman, is doing laundry and cooking at a bachelor’s home, which inevitably leads to gossip in the community. Guo Shao does not mind, but it seems quite difficult for her. Being the subject of whispers and speculation is clearly not a pleasant experience. Often, when Yulian goes out, she keeps her head down, walks quickly, and does not speak to anyone.

Yulian picked up the prepared basket, and Guo Shao followed her out through the back door. Outside was a narrow alley. This commercial district had shops facing the street in the front, while the back was merely a tall and narrow alley to save space; the artisans lived and worked behind, often throwing some garbage into the drainage ditch in the alley. If it did not rain for a few days and the waste was not washed away, a foul odor would permeate the alley. This commercial district had shops facing the street in the front, while the back was merely a tall and narrow alley to save space; the artisans lived and worked behind, often throwing some garbage into the drainage ditch in the alley. If it did not rain for a few days and the waste was not washed away, a foul odor would permeate the alley.

The person in the room shouted: "Who are you talking to?"

He then mingled among the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms as if he were an ancient person. The concerns from a bygone era gradually faded over the long span of four years; however, there are always a few matters that time may not be able to heal. There are some regrets, some attachments, and some unfulfilled wishes

After finishing dinner and tidying up, Yulian was eager to leave. Seeing that it was already dark outside, Guo Shao stood up and said, "I will see you off."

As night gradually fell, Guo Shao finally set aside his work. The stall outside had already been packed up, so he began to assemble the wooden boards and close up for the night. The front of the blacksmith shop was entirely open, lacking a large door to close it off. To him, these assembled wooden boards served a function similar to that of modern roller shutters.

Yulian held her breath, staring intently at his face. Her gaze was bright and sparkling, waiting for something. There was a look of pleading in her expression, yet it also seemed to carry excitement and anticipation

At this moment, Yulian from the back room called that it was time to eat, as she had already prepared the meal. The old man, who was operating the bellows, got up to fetch water and said, "Shaoge, the sun has set; we will continue tomorrow"

The light of an oil lamp illuminated the bamboo-woven, paper-covered window when suddenly a loud "bang" was heard, followed by a woman's scream. A man's voice cursed, "Shameless harlot! Off stealing another man again!" The woman sobbed softly, saying something, and then there was the sound of a ceramic container shattering with a "clang."

Listening outside the *Picture* book, Guo Shao heard it clearly. Although he sympathized with Yulian, he felt helpless. ... No matter who hears rumors about their wife and others, it would be hard to bear ... However, he is innocent, as God is his witness. Perhaps that man from the Chen family has not fully understood his situation; he has either to live in humiliation and endure a miserable existence or to end it all in death. Beyond that, can he really blame his wife?

"I can no longer walk, but my ears are still not deaf! If you dare, go ahead and collude with that scoundrel to harm me!"

However, one thing is certain: the greater a person's beliefs or desires, the more they are willing to pay in terms of cost and effort.

The old man claimed to have attained half the status of an immortal, known as the Sleeping Immortal and Fuyaozi. The reason he saved Liu Qiang was that he found the elemental energies surrounding him to be contradictory; his facial features suggested a water element, yet there was a fire-like aura emanating from him. Liu Qiang was very frightened at the time, fearing that the old man would take him to a furnace for alchemical research, and he sought an opportunity to escape. However, he was unable to flee and was caught by the old man. Fortunately, the old man did not harm Liu Qiang; instead, he tore a few pages from a book filled with diagrams and writings and gifted him an 'immortal pill,' instructing him to practice according to the illustrations to eliminate the fire attribute from his body. Liu Qiang, of course, did not consume the immortal pill; he expressed his gratitude for the gift and managed to escape.

The setting sun has disappeared deep within the towering Chongming Gate, leaving behind a brilliant orange-red glow in the western sky, which accentuates the ancient city tower's grandeur and solemnity. After a whole day of relentless heavy labor, the robust Shao Ge'er also feels somewhat overwhelmed, sensing his shoulders grow weak and his mind becoming dizzy.

Guo Shao insisted, "Tokyo only appears to be too flat."

What happened?" Yulian turned around and saw Guo Shao's unusual gaze, and couldn't help but ask.

The old man asked, "Is the imperial army really going to go out of the gates to fight?"

Yulian looked at his back, feeling somewhat puzzled... What was there to be uncertain about? A strong and robust young man serving in the military, could he really lack the confidence to defeat a disabled person who couldn't even stand up?

This shop is Guo Shao's property, purchased with accumulated military pay. There are a total of three people, but they are not family. The old man, surnamed Huang, and the young wife, Yulian, are both hired workers. Old Huang is an old blacksmith from the countryside, making tools such as hoes and kitchen knives. The market demand and prices for his goods are far inferior to those in the shops of Tokyo; however, working here offers a wage that is more substantial than his income from blacksmithing and selling in the countryside.

Yulian, walking in front, had her head down, appearing shy and somewhat embarrassed, glancing quickly back and forth as if afraid of encountering someone she knew. Guo Shao followed behind, discreetly admiring her back. In fact, her figure was well-proportioned, with a slender waist and supple curves, her hips creating beautiful folds in her skirt. Even though the skirt was quite worn, a truly good figure could not be concealed by a tattered garment. The patched gray cross-collared top contrasted sharply with her fair neck, reminiscent of a lotus flower in muddy water.

The Shao Ge'er of today is no longer the young man that the Fu family once knew

The staple food is soup pancakes made from white flour, which is probably the material guarantee that can keep people around. In this era, it goes without saying that in places of famine and death, even the local landlords are reluctant to eat white flour regularly

... ...

With a loud bang, Guo Shao forcefully swung down a hammer. The young man in his memories was too young; in his brief life, he had yet to understand how this world worked. The obsession he had for the "white, rich, and beautiful" Fu family was something that Guo Shao could no longer accept.

The young daughter-in-law of the Chen family, Yulian, had a rather interesting background. I recall that a few years ago, when the "young man" was serving as a guard in Li Shouzheng's residence, she was a maid in the Li household, and they had previously known each other. After the unpredictable twists and turns of life, they met again in Tokyo. Guo Shao learned that she was living in difficult circumstances, and out of nostalgia, he hired her to do some odd jobs in his blacksmith shop. In reality, it was likely that she took home nearly half of the shop's earnings, as Guo Shao, when it was his turn to be on duty, was unable to attend to the business of the blacksmith shop for many days while serving in the imperial guard, and thus had to let Yulian manage things as she saw fit.

Several windows nearby suddenly lit up, and the commotion here has likely brought immense amusement to the gossipers. It is difficult to conceal Shao Ge'er’s movements. The truth is, if one wishes to keep something a secret, one must not engage in it.

The noblewoman seen earlier left an impression on Guo Shao, stemming from memories belonging to the "young man". Especially the images seen just before death, which are vividly recalled... The increasingly blurred vision, the distant and fading hem of a skirt, the graceful figure; the young man lies on the ground, struggling to extend his bloodied right hand. It seems he wants to grasp something, or perhaps he wishes for that beauty to turn back one last time, to look at her once more. The scene in his vision finally comes to a standstill. The distant and fading hem of a skirt, the graceful figure; the young man lies on the ground, struggling to extend his bloodied right hand. It seems he wants to grasp something, or perhaps he wishes for that beauty to turn back one last time, to look at her once more. The scene in his vision finally comes to a standstill

Guo Shao shook his head and nodded towards a door ahead, saying, "You have arrived, go in."

I am still not certain," Guo Shao said coldly, and then he bent down to steadily and lightly place the firewood in his hands onto the pile of firewood.

Guo Shao casually responded with a sound

Clang clang ... ... With each strike, he continued to forge. What he was crafting was not ironware for sale, but a suit of breastplate armor.

His original name was Liu Qiang, and he is a modern individual. Four years ago, he suddenly awoke to find himself transformed into an ancient youth from the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, discarded as a corpse in a mass grave outside the city by the river. He was later revived by a peculiar old Taoist priest. It was then that he gradually came to understand that he had 'died' during the war when Guo Wei quelled the rebellion of Li Shouzhen in the Later Han period

Guo Shao walked into the backyard and immediately saw that the dishes on the dining table had not been touched. Yu Lian was sweeping the floor with a broom, while Old Huang sat on the threshold repairing a pair of iron tongs. It was then that Guo Shao realized that the distinctions of high and low status in ancient times were rules laid out plainly on the table, without any subtlety. Although he was the youngest, he was the host, and since the host had not eaten, no one else dared to pick up their chopsticks

Yulian hurriedly waved her hand and said: "No need, no need. Guo Lang, you should rest early. I will come to make breakfast tomorrow morning"

Um. Yulian seemed to want to say some polite words, but after a moment of hesitation, she silently slipped into the old house.

She immediately noticed the wooden stick in Guo Shao's hand and the murderous intent on his face. Her previously calm expression turned into one of fear as she said in a low voice: "What do you intend to do? The neighbors are already spreading rumors. If you kill him, won't the authorities find out?"

Soon, the man's voice was heard again: "Wine! Wine! There is no wine left!"

"You all eat first, just leave me a pancake, no need to wait for me. The Chen family lady has already eaten and still needs to hurry back to cook for her man," Guo Shao said without looking back. "I will add a few more strikes to finish this armor; there won't be time tomorrow, as I need to go to the training ground early to count heads."