Chapter 8, Affairs

She held up the wooden box and said, "Senior Brother, I saw this outside the mountain gate."

Qiyang looked at the dark bowl of medicinal soup and asked, "What is this?"

When Shang Yu saw that girl, he was clearly taken aback, and Qi Yang was also stunned. Both of them stopped in their tracks, their expressions so serious that Si Tian had a premonition; she had done something wrong

The young lady was extremely unwilling to be sent away by Qi Yang

She picked it up and found that the wooden box was not heavy, so she took the wooden box and delivered it to the Qinglong Courtyard

Salvia miltiorrhiza, Astragalus membranaceus, ants, etc

I see, Si Tian nodded, thinking to herself, how would I know that? She claimed to be a friend of Shang Yu, and I thought she was a confidante.

Upon hearing his tone, Si Tian felt as if he had a deep understanding of the Seven Forces Gate, and she couldn't help but be curious about his identity

The young woman exclaimed, "This is neither a temple nor a Daoist monastery, so why can't there be feelings between men and women?" Suddenly, she pointed at Si Tian and said, "Isn't she just a woman?"

It is the senior apprentice who specifically asked me to fetch water

Where did you get the medicine from

Early the next morning, Si Tian took a broom to sweep the courtyard. After sweeping the courtyard, she went to the kitchen to fetch water. There was a well in the lotus courtyard, but Shang Yu insisted that she fetch water from the spring behind the Shengxia Terrace. Si Tian generously thought that he was training her arm strength, so she took the water bucket and went.

She ran away quickly, fearing that she would be hit by a heavy iron object if she was late. She returned to the house to fetch the shoes and insoles, handing them to the young woman with a deep sense of shame and apology. Alas, now others might misunderstand her as someone who likes to take advantage of others. In truth, she genuinely felt it was a waste to throw them away and had no intention of being opportunistic. This injustice, if it were June, would likely feel as if it were snowing.

The old man laughed: "Ha, you little girl, you have a good mind, even speaking up for him."

A surge of murderous intent rose on his face. She, being very perceptive, immediately left the Qinglong Courtyard.

You follow me. Si Tian smiled as she led her towards the Qinglong Courtyard, thinking to herself that Qi Yang, you are worrying for nothing; the senior brother will not have trouble finding a wife. He also has a beautiful confidante, who looks quite lovely and even came to visit in person.

The next day, she was not so fortunate; while fetching water, she ran into Shang Yu. Si Tian timidly called out "Senior Brother," bracing herself for a scolding

She is not speaking on his behalf. Although his punishment is somewhat severe, she cannot blame others since her failure to master the skills came first. Moreover, receiving ten taels of silver from the Seven Forces Sect each month cannot be without reason. Therefore, even if she finds the tasks assigned by Shang Yu challenging, she has little room for complaint. There is no such thing as a free lunch in this world; anything obtained without effort is ultimately fleeting.

She feels wronged and risks her life to plead her case: "Senior Brother, I think it is truly a pity to throw away something good. I have no other intentions; I am just here to return this to the young lady."

She stood on the bluestone at the shore, lowered the bucket into the water, and pulled it up with all her strength. To her surprise, the bucket was so heavy that she nearly stumbled and fell into the water.

Qiyang scratched his head and looked at the young lady with difficulty, saying: "Miss, our Seven Forces Sect has very strict rules, and romantic relationships between men and women are strictly prohibited. If you have feelings for Senior Brother, please do not involve him. Fortunately, the Master is not here these days; otherwise, the consequences would be unimaginable"

"Little girl, are you from the front yard? You must be new here, as I don't think I've seen you before." Suddenly, an old man emerged from the bamboo grove by the stream. He had a long white beard, was slender and tall, and exuded an air of ethereal grace.

He held himself with the demeanor of an emperor and waved his hand as if bestowing a reward: "Hmm, you may leave now"

"What is it?" Shang Yu did not intend to invite her in. Leaning against the courtyard gate, he looked at the bowl in her hand, somewhat surprised and also somewhat impatient, his gaze sharp, clearly still not having forgiven her

His complexion was filled with murderous intent

She felt quite guilty; indeed, this matter was a result of her lack of consideration and her unilateral decision, which led to misunderstandings for the young lady and caused her senior brother to become upset. After some thought, she decided to atone for her mistakes by taking action.

He raised his eyebrows slightly and glanced at her. She was indeed sincere; her gaze was earnest and endearing

Si Tian opened the wooden box and saw that this time it had been upgraded; it contained a pair of cloth shoes, deep blue in color, much more subdued than the insoles.

The old man stroked his beard and chuckled softly. Si Tian carried away half a bucket of water.

Qi Yang hurriedly said: "Ah, this is Si Tian's intention; it would be good for you to take a sip."

She gritted her teeth and poured out half a bucket, straining as she carried the half-full bucket of water back.

Ant? '' He let out a violent retch, and the medicinal soup in his mouth sprayed onto her body

She let out a sigh of relief and hurried to Zhuque Courtyard, planning to stay in the courtyard as much as possible over the next two days and to see Shang Yu as little as she could

Shang Yu's voice continued to drop ice shards: "I have already thrown it."

At the pharmacy, the shopkeeper opened the door and helped me select the medicine

After a while, Qi Yang arrived at Zhuque Courtyard and said with a smile, "Si Tian, when you see her in the future, be sure not to let her in. She is the girl who fell in love with the senior brother at first sight."

That is not the case. A few days ago, didn't the senior brother ask me and Lin Xiyan to memorize a book of folk remedies? I selected one from it, which I found to be very suitable for the senior brother's symptoms

Shang Yu coldly said, "Qi Yang, see the guests off." Then she walked straight into the Qinglong Courtyard, the door closed with a loud bang, causing her to shiver slightly.

The old man smiled indulgently and said, "Silly girl, there are wells in the courtyard of the Seven Forces Gate, why do you need to run so far to fetch water?"

"Everyone has eaten." A voice that brooks no resistance or refusal

She gritted her teeth and took the wooden box to Shang Yu again, thinking that once it was delivered into his hands, she would leave quickly

The young lady, with a look of astonishment, said: "No way, something happened in the wooden box. Ah, you even left a note saying thank you. I thought you liked it very much, which is why I came to find you."

Si Tian avoided the situation in a hurry, shrinking her body and shifting to the side, wishing she could become invisible. How could she be so unfortunate as to get entangled in her senior brother's "romantic affairs"?

This is the medicinal soup I prepared for my senior brother. I noticed a bump on his head, which must have been caused by the incident yesterday that greatly angered him. This matter originated from me, so I consider this my way of making amends to him

Si Tianyan smiled sweetly, feeling very happy. He also had times when he was called a "little brat," hmph.

Shang Yugang had just returned from practicing at Shengxia Terrace and was about to take a shower after grabbing his clothes. Beads of sweat clung to his brows, as if he had come down from the misty mountains, standing before him was a surging and aggressive masculine aura.

Shang Yu's eyes seemed to shoot out arrows, with the arrowheads pointing directly at Si Tian

What is it that you want? The tone of Shang Yu's voice was so cold it could freeze icicles.

She timidly raised her eyes and saw him staring at her, clearly wearing an expression that said, if you don't eat it, I will. She looked at the plate of beef and two eggs with a headache. The eggs were manageable, but the beef troubled her; she had always preferred light meals, and such a large plate of meat was simply too much for her to handle, even over two days.

In the afternoon, she nervously approached the entrance of the Qinglong Courtyard holding a bowl of medicinal soup. After contemplating back and forth, she still felt a bit afraid, so she first ran to the Xuanwu Courtyard to call Qi Yang out to accompany her in delivering the medicinal soup to Shang Yu.

Upon arriving at Qinglong Courtyard, the moment Shang Yu opened the door, perhaps due to the brilliance of the sunlight, Si Tian felt that the bump on the forehead of the senior brother truly required medication; otherwise, it would indeed detract from his beauty

He stared at her with such intensity that she had no opportunity to cut corners, silently lamenting as she stuffed a plate of beef into her stomach, feeling herself become immediately "heavy".

Threw it away

She turned to leave, when suddenly there was a loud "bang" behind her. Startled, she looked back and saw him frowning as he said, "Throw this outside the mountain gate, box and all"

May I go meet him? The young lady was somewhat excited yet a bit shy

What is going on? His ice shards came piercing through, and she had no choice but to brace herself and honestly confess

On this day, Si Tian was practicing diligently in her room until Lin Xiyan returned to Zhuque Courtyard after dinner, and only then did she reluctantly go to He Courtyard for her meal

It is present

As she passed by, Si Tian noticed a boil had formed on the smooth forehead of the senior brother. This must have been caused by her allowing the senior brother's "intimate confidante" to enter yesterday, which, in a fit of anger, led to his heart being inflamed and resulted in this condition

She stood outside the mountain gate, feeling quite hesitant. This wooden box was of no use, but the insoles, made of perfectly new cloth, would be a waste to throw away. It would be good to give them to Brother Tie Niu. He is so reluctant to wear even shoes, when would he ever use insoles

She gritted her teeth and moved the plate in front of herself, silently protesting with an expression of unbearable pain, and began to stuff her mouth with food.

This time, she acted on her own accord based on the principle of frugality. She simply threw the wooden box at the foot of the stone lion, thought for a moment, and then placed a note inside: Thank you. It is truly embarrassing, and she does not even know who gave it to Shang Yu. She decided to keep it and give it to Tie Niu Ge later, as it would be too wasteful to throw it away.

Si Tian was taken aback; it turned out that the owner of the wooden box was her

Fortunately, I did not encounter Shang Yu

The next morning, she went to sweep the courtyard. At the moment she opened the mountain gate, she was astonished to find a small wooden box placed outside the threshold, with the words "商雨" written on it in brush strokes. The characters were somewhat crooked and stiff, which did not match his graceful demeanor and exceptional character. She felt a slight regret, thinking that if she had written it, she would have certainly used running script to better convey the elegance of those two characters

To fill a water tank, Si Tian ran back and forth a full twelve times. I had planned to practice the piece "Red Sleeves Add Fragrance" in the afternoon, but my arms could hardly be lifted.

Si Tianxin picked up the wooden box from the ground in fear and trepidation, not knowing what was happening

At dinner, she deliberately arrived very late, fearing that Shang Yu would ask her about her homework. Unexpectedly, just as she sat down, Shang Yu walked in. She called out "Senior Brother" and quickly focused on her meal, appearing to embody the principle of "no talking while eating, no speaking while sleeping," hoping he would do the same.

He softened a little in his heart, finally took the medicine bowl and brought it to his lips to drink a few sips, then frowned and said, "This medicinal soup tastes so strange, what kind of prescription is this?"

She placed the wooden box under the feet of the stone lion at the mountain gate

The young woman felt somewhat surprised, but more so, she was saddened. Holding her belongings, she did not even glance at them, but instead gazed at Shang Yu and asked, "Do you really have no feelings for me at all?"

Thus, she took the initiative to keep the insoles. Frugality is a virtue, and this has been her greatest realization over the past six months

Shang Yu cast a glance at the herbal medicine and scoffed, "What man is so delicate? Just because of a bump, he needs to take medicine?"

The young lady, with a face full of joy, gazed directly at Shang Yu and asked, "Do you like the gift I gave you?"

He stared at her, tapping the beef platter with his chopsticks, producing a crisp "ding" sound. She had a feeling that if she did not move her chopsticks soon, the next thing he would tap would be her head

The young lady woke up from her fall, quickly got up and asked, "I am a friend of Shang Yu. Is Shang Yu here?"

Suddenly, a plate of beef and two eggs appeared in front of her

Old man, I take my leave

Si Tian bit her lip and brought the medicinal soup to him: "Senior Brother, I will not do it again in the future"

Qiyang boldly pointed at her and said: "Although she is a girl, in our eyes, she is actually like a brother. Miss, please leave now and do not come back in the future, otherwise, the senior brother will truly face severe punishment from the master"

Qiyang praised, "Hehe, Sitian, you are still very meticulous in your heart"

Alas, what bad luck it is that she happened to encounter such an incident while sweeping the courtyard

Shang Yu's complexion improved slightly as he furrowed his brows and said: "Si Tian, do not think that just because you entered on the day the mountain gate was wide open, it is always so at Qishi Gate; that was a special circumstance. Normally, outsiders are strictly prohibited from entering and exiting here. In the future, you must not allow anyone to enter casually. You actually brought a stranger in without even asking; have you never heard the saying that the world of Jianghu is perilous? Are you even fourteen years old?"

To her surprise, on the morning of the third day, the moment she opened the mountain gate, she was startled to find a young girl leaning against the gate, dozing off. As soon as she opened the gate, the girl fell in with a thud, nearly landing on her foot

Shang Yu did not even let out a snort through her nose, instead giving her a cold glare and brushing past her.

Old man, I am the newly accepted disciple of the Seven Forces Sect, here to fetch water

A wooden box was thrown at his feet, and a pair of extremely vibrant insoles fell out, adorned with a floral pattern, very colorful and bright, featuring embroidered mandarin ducks playing in the water, along with red mandarin ducks and green lotus leaves

On the west side of Shengxia Terrace, there is another small path. Following Haili's guidance, Si Tian walked along the path for a short distance and faintly heard the gentle sound of the stream. After walking a few dozen steps, she indeed saw a small bridge, beneath which the water flowed gently, with the golden sun casting its rays, creating a shimmering surface.

This time, Shang Yu actually did not answer the call, coldly instructing: "Open and take a look"

Si Tian was taken aback, as she had not expected that there were still people living in this bamboo forest. She thought that the Seven Forces Sect consisted only of a few of them, yet this old man had never been mentioned by Qi Yang. Judging by his attire and demeanor, he did not seem to be a mountain dweller

Is the prescription written by you

Under his gaze, she felt both wronged and unfortunate, her heart racing as she began to anticipate how he would deal with her shortly.

Si Tian felt a sense of relief after surviving the "oppression" of her senior brother. She began to worry whether there would be a daily feast of beef and eggs, or if her senior brother was merely in a whimsical mood today, and this would be a one-time occurrence. She hoped it would be the latter.

His face turned pale with anger, glaring at her fiercely, his rage reaching a boiling point, as if he wanted to devour her. How could his words be less important than a pair of insoles? How could she be so duplicitous, and now that someone has come to confront her, how could she act this way? He felt a deep discomfort in his heart, as if he had been betrayed; in reality, the issue was not that serious, yet he could not shake off the feeling of being sold out. Why was it like this?

The old man shook his head with a smile: "That brat Shang Yu has finally learned to bully girls; I will teach him a lesson later."

He still does not respond, his expression one of great disdain

The next day, she was astonished to find that the wooden box was once again placed outside the threshold. Remembering the murderous look on Shang Yu's face from yesterday, she hesitated for a long time, contemplating whether or not to give it to the senior brother

Qiyang said with a smile: "Senior Brother, Si Tian saw that you were angry and upset, so she made you some medicinal soup as an apology"

She stared with wide eyes and said pitifully, "Senior Brother, I have finished eating, can I leave now?"

He could no longer bear it and said in a tone reminiscent of a dog biting Lü Dongbin, not recognizing a good person's heart: "You must understand that beef is very hard to come by. Your appearance, as if you are in unbearable pain, is truly a waste of resources"

She whispered, "Senior Brother, this is a recipe I selected from a book on folk remedies. Please give it a try, Senior Brother."

At the dining table, there were only her and him, and the silence was so profound that even the sound of chewing rice grains became distinctly audible

She swallowed a mouthful of "heavenly goods" and quickly concealed her expression of unbearable pain

He smashed over like a heavy iron lump, saying: "Why aren't you going quickly?"

Shang Yu and Qi Yang walked out from the gate of He Yuan. Both had just taken a shower, looking refreshed and handsome, exuding a vibrant demeanor.

Old man, it is not really bullying; it is that the master asked him to train with me first. My foundation is too weak, so I cannot blame others

Shang Yu furrowed her brows as she took the wooden box, first examining it carefully before cautiously opening it