Chapter 4, Eating eggs without peeling the shell

Bai Xindran turned her head to look over, meeting his deep and complex black eyes. Suddenly, she let out a laugh: "I must say, you are quite amusing. I'm just looking for someone to get me out of this Maoshan village, not to marry out of it. Why would I bother to investigate your background for no reason?"

Seeing the kind-faced middle-aged woman, Bai Xindian quickly set aside the mint leaves in her hand and wiped her dirt-stained hands on her patched clothing, then pointed to the main room, indicating for the village chief's wife to sit inside.

While washing the dishes, she always felt that something was amiss. Once the dishes were cleaned, she suddenly realized—why hadn't she seen any eggshells?

However, to be fair, she is not infatuated; having seen so many handsome and cool men in modern times, she has long since developed immunity. How could she possibly have feelings for a man who is so inexplicable?

Every half month, the sound of wheels rolling past my house can be heard. Is this what the village chief referred to as shipping?

"Wu Guanjia, I kindly ask you to speak well of me in front of the master. The lives of my entire family depend on you." From inside the room, the anxious voice of the village chief could be heard

Inside the house, the village chief was anxiously pacing back and forth. After walking two laps, he suddenly knelt down before Steward Wu, saying: "Steward Wu, you must believe me, I have no intention of betraying my master. I only wanted to increase my supply, but I never expected the court to conduct such a strict investigation... I am guilty, but I implore you, Steward Wu, to intercede with my master on my behalf. I beg him to spare my family and me, considering my years of dedication and hard work... I am guilty, but I implore you, Steward Wu, to intercede with my master on my behalf. I beg him to spare my family and me, considering my years of dedication and hard work..."

He did not expect that this woman possessed such profound inner strength, to the point that he almost failed to notice it.

As the man was able to get out of bed, Bai Xindian keenly noticed that his internal energy seemed to have recovered significantly, and his speaking tone was more robust than before. At times, he would inexplicably become angry, and his voice would become even deeper and colder, with a distinctly altered aura about him, becoming more enigmatic.

It is said that this young gentleman has a great fondness for mint, to the extent that he prefers his tea infused with it. In order to curry favor with this noble young man from the capital, the village chief and his wife encouraged many villagers to plant mint in their own courtyards, subsequently offering it to the young gentleman free of charge. Although it was free, each villager who delivered mint to that residence was rewarded handsomely.

As Bai Xin entered her main room with a furrowed brow, just as she was about to check the inner room to see if the man had returned, she noticed a tall dark figure standing in the pitch-black room. The man's ominous voice came through: "Are you the one following me?"

If placed in modern times, she might suspect that these people are manufacturing and trafficking drugs, but this is the feudal and backward ancient era. Even if the mountains are filled with poppies, it is unlikely that anyone would think of the term 'drugs', so it cannot be as she imagines.

Throughout the journey, she was utterly perplexed as to what the village chief and others were doing that could attract the attention of the imperial court

These matters, naturally, no one would discuss with a deaf-mute woman; all of it was eavesdropped by her while others were speaking

Bai Xinduan crouched under the window, her brow furrowed in suspicion. Wasn't that the amiable old steward from the mansion? How could he be at the village chief's house in the middle of the night

The village chief's wife simply smiled and waved her hand at her, then handed her a basket. Bai Xinyan took a look and found that besides a few large cabbages, there were also four eggs in the basket. Feeling delighted, she did not refuse and, as usual, accepted the offerings, carrying them into the main room.

Setting aside the woman's tattered clothing and her excessively frail figure, if one were to focus solely on her appearance, the woman before me possesses relatively delicate features, particularly her pair of eyes. The occasional glimmer that emanates from them appears exceptionally clear and bright, imbued with an indescribable cunning, making her both intriguing and thought-provoking. However, her dirty and ragged attire conceals her beautiful visage, and without a careful look, one would hardly notice that she possesses such an eye-catching beauty.

What else can be done? We can only delay it. The old steward frowned and sighed again, It is still necessary to wait for the master to return before making a decision. Given the relationship between the master and the Crown Prince of Dian Nan, it is likely that we will not be put in a difficult position.

The man pressed his lips together in silence, withdrew his gaze, and suddenly fell silent.

It must be said that this man is quite pleasing to the eye, with eyebrows like flying swords, eyes deep as pools, a high nose and thin lips, every feature seemingly chiseled from stone. Additionally, he exudes an indescribable aura of coolness, akin to a modern-day cool guy. ... Most importantly, this man's physique is exceptionally charming; he is not only tall and strong but also robust ... . ... Ahem, of course, that aspect is indeed quite impressive. Most importantly, this man's physique is exceptionally charming; he is not only tall and strong but also robust ... . ... Ahem, of course, that aspect is indeed quite impressive.

What unspeakable secrets are hidden in this isolated and backward village

On that occasion, Bai Xinzhan received a large package of provisions wrapped in oil paper, which was delivered to her by the old steward of the mansion. The person who accompanied her had mentioned her deafness and muteness to the old steward, and subsequently, every time Bai Xinzhan visited, she received more than others

But now, 'Wang Cai' has been killed by that man with a single blow, leaving the position of gatekeeper vacant. Moreover, there is a man hidden inside the house, so Bai Xinran has no choice but to guard the courtyard herself

Seven or eight days have passed

Today, Bai Xindran is harvesting the mint she planted in the corner of the yard, a task taught to her by the village chief's wife

Bai Xindran could not find the figure of a man, and had no choice but to return to her own home

After the village chief's wife left, two village women came to her yard carrying some items. One of the women even brought a bag of brown rice flour, and Bai Xinran collected some sweet potatoes and carrots to return to them.

But what exactly is the 'goods' they are referring to

That night, she was sleeping soundly on the floor of the main room when she suddenly sensed some movement beside her

What are you looking at? If you have something to eat, just eat it; otherwise, if I starve to death, I won't even bother to dig a hole to bury you!" Bai Xinyan, with her head down, frowned and said, thinking that he was being disdainful.

In ordinary times, Bai Xindran would leisurely lie in the house and sleep, with the little yellow dog "Wangcai" guarding the courtyard for her. If someone were to come, the barking of the little yellow dog would alert her, allowing her to prepare her "silly" expression to welcome the arriving guest

In the remote and impoverished Maoshan Village, besides sleeping, Bai Xindan's greatest hobby is cultivating mint. Maoshan Village enjoys a spring-like climate year-round, with ample sunlight, making it an ideal growing base for mint. This also allows her to occasionally enjoy some foods that are not available in the village.

The serene gaze flickered as he set the egg aside, lifted the bowl of boiled cabbage, took a sip, and discovered that it was surprisingly salted, prompting him to cast another glance at the woman.

After the strange movement ceased, she opened her eyes, her gaze deeply fixed on the doorway. Without much thought, she leaped up, opened the dilapidated wooden door, and disappeared into the corner of her yard.

The man raised in one's own home is clearly here for the matters discussed by the village chief and others, and he is likely a person from the court

The wooden bed in her room is elevated by two large stones, about three feet off the ground. For Bai Xindian, on rainy days, the space beneath the bed becomes the best refuge from the rain. During the day, she also allows men to take shelter under the bed; regardless of how grim or threatening they may appear, she insists that they sleep underneath in order to feel at ease

Hearing footsteps outside the yard, Bai Xinyan was momentarily taken aback, but soon continued to pick mint leaves as if nothing had happened

The man sat on the bed, looking at the warm, unwashed white boiled egg in his hand, and couldn't help but frown as he asked, "Where did this come from?"

Stealthily following, Bai Xindian only realized she had arrived at the village chief's doorstep when the dark shadow ahead vanished around a corner.

The people in Wushan...

Evening

Looking at the items in the basket, the village chief's wife smiled and nodded. It was her way of accepting the gratitude, and as she was leaving, she even reached out to pat her on the head

However, I have already promised the Crown Prince of Yunnan that I would deliver all the goods within three months. As of now, only less than half of the goods have been produced. What about the remaining ones... Steward Wu, what shall we do about this

Knowing that she cannot hear, the villagers of Maoshan have long since become accustomed to not shouting greetings to her from afar as they would with ordinary people

The village chief's wife, seeing Bai Xinyan's lonely and pitiful state, allowed her to participate in the planting of mint. Since Bai Xinyan was deaf, she personally found someone to come and teach her how to plant in the courtyard. When the mint leaves grew, she arranged for someone to come and teach her how to harvest the mint leaves, and then took her to the large mansion at the foot of the mountain

When the bowl of white heart radish was empty, and seeing that the man had also finished the cabbage soup, she silently took the two coarse bowls to the small kitchen.

Bai Xindran did not understand what he meant, but looking at his expression, it did not seem like he was disgusted. So she replied, "It's a gift from someone else, you can eat it without worry. To prove that I haven't poisoned it, I haven't even peeled the eggshell."

Only when someone patted her on the back did she turn her head, seemingly surprised, revealing a pure and joyful grin.

The man looked at her nonchalant demeanor, then glanced at the coarse bowl in front of her, where a few cabbage leaves floated in a bowl of water, while she held a carrot in her hand, savoring it with great enjoyment

A year ago, the village chief's wife arranged this job for her, instructing her to plant mint in the yard during her free time, and then to collect the grown mint leaves, wash them, and deliver them to a large mansion at the foot of the mountain. In that mansion lived a handsome young man with a disability in his leg, who was said to be the son of a wealthy family from the capital. Due to his leg impairment, he felt inferior and did not want to be ridiculed in the capital, so he came to Maoshan Village to recuperate in peace.

Sigh! The old steward let out a heavy sigh, helping him up, "You should get up first before we talk. To be honest, the master left Maoshan Village last night, and I am not sure where he went. Let's wait for the master to return before discussing everything further"

"Why don't you inquire about my background?" Suddenly, a deep voice from the man resonated.

It is the village chief's wife

Fu Ming, it is not that I do not want to help you, but this time the master is particularly angry. You are well aware that the court has taken action recently, yet you still went ahead with the shipments. Now that the goods have been seized and the person responsible for the shipment has been arrested, what do you think will be the consequences of these people and goods falling into the hands of the court

This can be considered his first time looking directly at the woman in front of him

After taking out and organizing the items in the basket, she went to the basket at the door and picked up a few large sweet potatoes and some carrots to put in the basket, and then walked up to the village chief's wife to hand the basket to her

Does that man eat eggs without peeling the shell

Let us temporarily cease work and discreetly relocate those individuals, to be discussed further upon the return of our master

Then I would like to thank Butler Wu in advance! This time, I will rely entirely on your assistance