Chapter 4, Signs of Crisis

The diminutive companion once again stealthily grabbed the burly man, smiling with a facade of friendliness yet lacking genuine warmth, and said: "We truly harbor no ill intentions; we are merely the young master's servants. The young master has gone missing, and we are anxious beyond measure... If the young brother happens to know anything, we would be grateful if you could inform us. If we can find the young master, there will surely be a generous reward."

Father Han and Han Yi set out early, heading to the nearest town to purchase grain, while the task of supplementing their meat supply was entrusted to the two younger brothers. Thus, Zhang Fang and the Han brothers were indeed going up the mountain to hunt.

... ...

Han Chongxi said: "This is a good thing! Did you bring them here?"

The Han brothers looked at each other, their faces filled with confusion

Breakfast consisted of thin porridge and vegetable dishes. Zhang Fang pinched his nose and forced himself to eat half a bowl of this tasteless, oil-free, and bitter food that was difficult to swallow. After filling his stomach, it was indeed hard to eat another bite. However, the Han brothers were eating heartily, showing no signs of discomfort, clearly accustomed to this diet. Zhang Fang finally understood the reason why this family, or rather, almost everyone in the village, appeared gaunt and emaciated.

Han Jun stepped forward to help her unload the wicker basket and asked, "Is there a dog chasing you? Why are you running so fast"

In a state of discouragement, Qingyan lost the interest in keeping the suspense and said in a dispirited tone: "I actually wanted to speak the truth, but just then a gust of mountain wind blew by, and I could smell a strong briny odor coming from those two men from a distance. This smell... is all too familiar; my elder brother always had this scent on him..."

The Han brothers looked at each other in astonishment and exclaimed, "It is salt!"

Could they be the servants of the young master?

The short man nodded and smiled, saying: "Indeed. In that case, I apologize for the disturbance; we shall go look elsewhere"

Qing Yan raised her delicate chin, carrying a rattan basket, and walked away briskly

Another man, slightly shorter in stature, tugged at his companion's sleeve, cast a glance, stepped forward, and forced a grimace, revealing his yellowed front teeth, which still had bits of food stuck between them: "My brother here is a rough fellow, please do not take offense, young brother. May I ask you a question? Have you seen a young man dressed in luxurious attire?"

Tuo Luo Mountain is located in a remote area, and Qingxi Ju is indeed a mountain settlement. Although there is a supply route opened by the military decades ago on the other side of the mountain, which provides a shortcut to the county seat of Ma Ling in the northern region, it has long been abandoned. Generally, unless one is in a hurry, very few people travel this mountain path. Throughout the year, apart from the officials responsible for tax collection and labor conscription, one rarely encounters any noble young masters. In all these years, Qingyan has only truly seen one noble young master, Zhang Fang. Without a doubt, these two individuals have come to seek Zhang Fang.

Salt mining is a grueling and torturous labor, compounded by years of hunger and cold, as well as the abuse from guards, resulting in a high mortality rate. This has led to frequent occurrences of salt miners fleeing. Most of these fleeing salt miners are prisoners serving their sentences, including many who have committed murder and robbery. After these criminals escape, they find themselves without a home to return to and lacking legitimate means of livelihood, which inevitably leads them to revert to their old ways.

Qing Yan shot him a glance, took the bamboo tube handed over by Han Chong, drank a few sips of water to moisten her throat, and while panting, said: "Two people are looking for... looking for the young lord, claiming to be his... household servants."

It turns out that more than one hundred li to the northwest of this place, there is a location called Yanchi, which is the site of the official salt mining overseer of the current dynasty. The salt workers who extract the salt are referred to as salt laborers. The sources of salt laborers typically fall into two categories: one consists of commoners who serve annual corvée labor, working only a few months each year before returning home; the other consists of prisoners from various regions, who must work until their sentences are completed, and if their sentences are long, they may even have to work until death.

Zhang laughed heartily.

Qing Yan walked while looking back to confirm that the two men were not following her. Her steps quickened, and she eventually broke into a near jog, rushing to the three men in front of Zhang Fang, bending over with her hand on her chest, gasping for breath, unable to utter a word

Walking along the country path, I occasionally encounter villagers, and their gazes are all filled with astonishment... These people find it hard to believe that a noble youth would willingly don the coarse cloth tunic of a commoner... Especially seeing his demeanor, he actually seems to be enjoying it.

Qing Yan was feeling annoyed. Yesterday, she was startled by Zhang Fang, and today it was the same again. Moreover, the other party's words were extremely unreasonable, which truly made her furious. She picked up the rattan basket and said with displeasure, "You two have found the wrong person. I am just an ignorant young person, how could I possibly understand anything?" Her words subtly mocked the other party for being "ignorant," delivering a light yet pointed jab.

Qingyan set out to the mountains at dawn, carrying a wicker basket to gather wild vegetables. It is currently the transition between spring and summer, the season when mountain flowers and wild vegetables are in full bloom. In order to last until the autumn harvest, it is essential to have wild vegetables to accompany the coarse grains to stave off hunger

Qingyan did not respond, her eyes fixed on Zhang Fang. However, what puzzled and annoyed her was that on that extraordinarily handsome face, there was an air of calmness and composure, as he smiled and nodded at her, saying: "Little sister Qingyan's actions must have deeper meaning; these two who claim to be my family's servants may have some suspicious aspects."

The Han brothers and Qing Yan were both young men and women who had never ventured out of the mountains, and it was originally impossible for them to know such matters. However, Qing Yan's elder brother, the only son of the elder, had also served in labor many times and was well aware of the various events that occurred in the salt pond, often sharing stories with the three of them, which is how they came to understand.

Although they are both wearing coarse cloth short shirts, when Zhang Fang stands side by side with the Han brothers, he stands out like a crane among chickens, which cannot be concealed in any way

Han Mo and Han Chong actually did not have any extra clothing, and their body shapes also differed from Zhang Fang's. In the end, it was Han's sister-in-law who took out a well-preserved, but not new, piece of linen clothing that had been used as a formal outfit for her husband's wedding, which had been washed very clean, and handed it to Zhang Fang, thus resolving the issue.

Zhang Fang removed the sword that hung at his waist, which constantly struck his hips while walking, significantly hindering his movements, and instead inserted it into his back. Then, without any regard for his image, he sat down on the grass, leisurely observing the waterfall in the distance, where pearls splashed and jade flew. He patted the grass beside him and said to the Han brothers: "It’s no problem, it’s still early; let’s sit and wait a while. Don’t you know that girls always have the right to be late?"

Zhang Fang struggled to recall the process of undressing from last night, but unfortunately, his mood was heavy and complex at the time, and he paid no attention. Otherwise, with his memory and observational skills, he could have simulated it quite accurately after just a careful look. In this regard, the remnants of his soul consciousness could not provide him with any assistance. After experiencing the terror of last night, Zhang Fang finally understood one thing: why he had instinctive and correct reactions to certain aspects such as etiquette, language, and behavior. This was actually a form of subconscious response, a subconsciousness of the original owner's soul fragments in his body. In this regard, the remnants of his soul consciousness could not provide him with any assistance. After experiencing the terror of last night, Zhang Fang finally understood one thing: why he had instinctive and correct reactions to certain aspects such as etiquette, language, and behavior. This was actually a form of subconscious response, a subconsciousness of the original owner's soul fragments in his body.

Fortunately, I was able to buy food today; otherwise, I fear that sooner or later, it would become like this. As the saying goes, regardless of the era, being without money is absolutely unacceptable

Whenever Qing Yan goes out to work, she dresses in men's clothing. Firstly, her physique has not yet fully developed, and secondly, she indeed possesses a somewhat androgynous quality. Unless one has keen observational skills like Zhang Fang, it is generally not easy for an ordinary person to recognize her at a glance

If what Qingyan said is not false, why are these escaped salt officials looking for me? Zhang Fang also cannot understand this matter. Well, if it is unclear, let's set it aside for now and focus on the important tasks at hand

The Han's bullseye stared: "Kid ... ... "

At present, it is the period of corvée labor, and the elder brother has not yet returned. If there are salt officials lurking about at this time, it must be ... ... '' A trace of fear flickered in Qingyan's eyes

At this moment, just across a mountain peak, Qing Yan, who was eagerly awaited by Zhang Fang and the other two, encountered a minor inconvenience

Zhang Fang, feeling a sense of longing, carefully tucked the money pouch away, bid farewell to Han's sister-in-law, and set out with the Han brothers, who were armed with bows and arrows.

Seeing Zhang Fang with a puzzled expression, the two brothers took turns explaining.

Zhang Fang clapped his hands and said loudly, "Alright, let's ponder this matter slowly on the way, let's go."

The three individuals crossed the small bridge and arrived at the place where four people had met yesterday. The Han brothers looked around and said, "Qingyan mentioned that she would also come, so why have we not seen her yet?"

Now even Han Jun is curious: "What is the reason for this?"

Qing Yan did not intend to pay attention to these two individuals. Just as she was about to lift her leg and leave, she suddenly heard this sentence, and her heart sank—these two ruffians had actually come to seek that young gentleman!

The broad-faced man angrily said: "This Qingxi is closest to the mountain path. If that kid were to escape... that young man is naturally the most likely to come here. How could such an obvious person not be seen? It is clearly a deliberate concealment..."

The broad-faced man opened his mouth, but was too angry to speak

The clothing of commoners is much simpler than the elaborate garments of the nobility, featuring narrow sleeves and a cross-collared design, paired with impoverished trousers (the Han dynasty's split-crotch long pants, commonly worn by commoners, also known as "kuan"). It is simple and convenient, not much different from modern attire. Although the fabric cannot compare to silk and satin, and the material is coarse, causing skin irritation with prolonged wear, akin to wearing a burlap sack, Zhang Fang has no other choice but to make do. On his feet are a pair of hemp shoes, and at first glance, yesterday's elegantly dressed young nobleman has transformed into a village youth.

As the figures of the four young men and women just vanished into the forest, a hundred steps away, behind a large camphor tree, emerged two fierce-looking men—none other than Liu Kuailei and his companion

Qing Yan widened her eyes—she was a girl with single eyelids, her eyes were narrow and no matter how she stared, they did not appear large, yet they sufficiently conveyed her inner astonishment—could it be that the young gentlemen beyond the mountains are all this clever? Perhaps so, as A Weng said, those noble offspring can read and write, and they must be much more intelligent than the children of the countryside

Qing Yan shook her head: "On the contrary, I have dismissed them."

Qing Yan hesitated a bit. Judging by their attire, these two were dressed similarly to him and did not seem much like servants from a wealthy family. However, he had never encountered true servants from affluent households, so it was hard to say for certain. A-Weng mentioned that the young master had suffered a head injury and was afflicted with a condition known as 'soul separation,' causing him to forget his family, which was truly pitiful. If these individuals were indeed his servants, it would be the best outcome.

Two men, both with their heads wrapped in black cloth, had dark complexions and wore tight-fitting trousers. They each carried a long, rectangular cloth bag tucked under their arms. One of the men, a broad-faced giant, spoke in a rough voice: "Hey, you there, come here, I have a question for you"

Qing Yan's lips moved, and she was about to tell the truth. Suddenly, her delicate nostrils twitched a few times, as if she had caught a whiff of something, causing her heart to leap. The words were on the tip of her tongue, but she swallowed them back. She shook her head, indicating that she had not seen anything.

The broad-faced man said angrily: "The adults and children gathered here in Qingxi are all detestable, they are extremely wary of outsiders, and not a single one is willing to speak the truth... I said, Liu Kuailei, are we really going to search the several places that kid mentioned just now?"

By the time the sun had risen to three poles, it was evident that the time was nearly up, and half a basket of wild vegetables had already been gathered. Qingyan was preoccupied with the agreement made with the Han brothers yesterday, so she hurriedly tidied up and prepared to return to the village. As she turned around, she was almost startled into exclaiming—behind her, two disheveled men with unkempt beards had unexpectedly appeared.

The short-statured Liu Kuaile fixed his gaze on Qingyan's slender figure, his triangular eyes narrowing ominously as he shook his head: "Those few places are taken care of by other brothers; you and I will search this area. That kid's eyes were darting around as he spoke, hehe, a kid who hasn't shed his fur yet thinks he can play tricks in front of me, Liu Kuaile..."

Qing Yan had already sensed something amiss from the careless words of the Han, and her earlier suspicions were further solidified. How could she still be honest about it? She curled her lips and said, "You, sir, truly have a way with words. The Tuo Luo Mountain is not just home to our Qingxi settlement; there are also several places like Zhao Family Ridge, Sparrow Valley, and Eighteen Bends. Is it not possible that your young master has gone to those locations?"

In other words, whatever the original owner of this body could do, Zhang Fang can do as well; if he cannot do something, then there is no way around it. It is quite evident that this young nobleman is mostly attended to by servants in his daily life and does not need to lift a finger himself, hence his awareness in this regard is quite vague. Ultimately, Zhang Fang had no choice but to borrow a set of clothes from the Han brothers to wear

Upon waking in the morning, the first headache is getting dressed. Zhang Fang never imagined that he would actually struggle with how to dress. No matter how he fiddled with it, he could never achieve the same fitted feeling he had yesterday. It was at this moment that he truly understood why in ancient aristocratic families, there was always someone to assist with loosening clothing. It was not merely for show; more importantly, without help, it was simply impossible to properly wear such intricately wrapped Hanfu.

Although he had only interacted for a brief half day and night, Zhang Fang quickly won the favor of the Han brothers with his excellent communication skills and amiable demeanor, coupled with a similar age. The initial awkwardness and unfamiliarity had largely dissipated, and they were essentially engaged in lively conversation. Furthermore, Zhang Fang was dressed in the same attire as them, spoke calmly, and displayed no airs of superiority, which almost led the Han brothers to mistake him for a local youth.