Volume 1: Forgetting Each Other in the Jianghu Chapter 350

“Hero!” Zhang Xiaohua was a bit puzzled and somewhat surprised. This girl couldn’t possibly have seen him wield a flying sword, nor had she witnessed any traces of his lightness skill or other martial arts. So why was she calling him a hero?

Hearing her mistress call out, Little Orange quickly stepped aside to invite Zhang Xiaohua inside.

Zhang Xiaohua entered the room, placing the food box and writing materials on the table. By now, lamps had already been lit within the room. The thin veil of dusk, mingled with the dim glow of the lamps, left the small cottage shrouded in a gentle haze. Miss Nie was curled up on the kang bed, lying on thick bedding, her upper body slightly propped up. Her eyes, as dark as lacquer, stared unblinkingly at Zhang Xiaohua.

Zhang Xiaohua coughed and said: “Young lady, perhaps you have mistaken me for someone else? My name is Ren Xiaoyao, and I am certainly no hero.”

Little Orange, standing to the side, hurried over to introduce them. “Oh, right, Ren Xiaoyao, I haven’t introduced my mistress yet. My lady’s surname is Nie.”

Zhang Xiaohua cupped his hands in greeting. “So, you are Miss Nie. I heard from Little Orange that your health is still unwell and you need to get some medicine?”

Miss Nie nodded. “My surname is Nie, my full name is Nie Qianyu. If you do not mind, Hero, you may call me Xiao Yu or Xiao Qian.”

Zhang Xiaohua, helpless, rubbed his nose and replied: “Miss Nie, you are too polite. It’s better if I continue to address you as Miss Nie. I am but a country bumpkin with little experience, while you are a young lady from a distinguished family. I dare not presume such familiarity.”

Zhang Xiaohua insisted on referring to himself humbly, fearing that Nie Qianyu would keep saddling him with the title of hero. Yet, the more modest he was, the more Nie Qianyu felt that he had the bearing of a true master.

Nie Qianyu said: “Hero…”

Just as she began to speak, Zhang Xiaohua quickly waved his hands. “Miss Nie, please just call me Ren Xiaoyao. The title of hero makes my skin crawl. It reminds me of that pile of corpses from this morning, surely the handiwork of some so-called hero.”

Nie Qianyu pondered for a moment and said: “If that’s the case, please don’t be offended, I shall call you by your name then.”

“Mm, that is much better. Miss Nie, there’s no need to stand on ceremony. I am truly no hero.”

“Ren Xiaoyao, I’m sure Little Orange has already thanked you this morning, but I must thank you in person. Thank you for lending a helping hand in our time of peril. I will never forget this favor. Once we return to the manor, I will certainly report to my father and see that you are handsomely rewarded… oh, I mean, properly rewarded.”

Hearing this, Zhang Xiaohua’s expression grew rather odd. He chuckled and said: “Miss Nie, you’re being too polite again. I was merely passing by and brought you and Little Orange to this market town, it was no more than a small effort. How could I have done you any great favor? If you think well of me, just give me a bit of silver or gold. I wouldn’t dare covet any grand reward from you!”

“This…” Nie Qianyu looked troubled and said: “I didn’t bring much silver or gold with me when I left home. If we were back at the manor, I could certainly offer you something, but right now, it’s just empty words. Please don’t laugh at me.”

Zhang Xiaohua secretly found this amusing, but did not expose her. Instead, he feigned surprise and said: “Is that so, Miss Nie? The purse Little Orange gave me earlier already had plenty of silver, enough to buy a carriage, get the medicine, and pay for the inn. There’s still quite a bit left. You may not know, but I can return it to you right now.”

“Ah?” Nie Qianyu’s eyes flashed with surprise. She thought to herself: “Does that even count as money?”

Seeing Zhang Xiaohua about to reach into his clothes, she hurriedly stopped him. “Ren Xiaoyao, there’s no need to take it out. You keep that bit of silver. Don’t you still need to buy medicine? You’ll need money for the road ahead as well. I’ll have Little Orange give you some more later.”

Zhang Xiaohua scratched his head and said: “Very well, Miss Nie. I’m just a country fellow, not used to seeing so much silver. What Little Orange gave me is already more than enough. When it’s time for me to leave, just give me a small reward, any more and I wouldn’t be able to accept it.”

“Leave?” Both Miss Nie and Little Orange exclaimed softly.

Miss Nie glanced at Little Orange, then asked Zhang Xiaohua: “Ren Xiaoyao, from what you’re saying, are you planning to leave soon?”

Zhang Xiaohua smiled and said: “Yes, Miss Nie. I still have my own matters to attend to. Once I’ve brought you to a larger town and found a security escort agency and some guards, I’ll have them take you the rest of the way. How could I possibly escort you all the way home myself?”

“Ah? Is that so…” Miss Nie and Little Orange exchanged a glance, both eyes filled with disappointment.

Indeed, they had misjudged. All along, they had assumed that since Zhang Xiaohua had lent them a hand and brought them out of the wilderness to the town, he would surely continue to look after them, escorting them home like a hero protecting a damsel in distress, riding alone for a thousand miles. Who could have guessed he never had such intentions at all?

Zhang Xiaohua seemed not to notice the disappointment on their faces and simply said: “It’s a pity this market town is still too small, even a security escort agency can’t be found here. So, I’ll just have to accompany you both a bit further.”

“Ren Xiaoyao, could you… could you escort us all the way back to the manor?”

Little Orange bit her lip, asking in deep disappointment.

But Zhang Xiaohua still declined, saying: “Little Orange, it’s not that I don’t wish to help, but I truly don’t have the ability to protect you both. Honestly, when I saw all those corpses this morning, I was scared out of my wits. I only pretended to be calm so you wouldn’t laugh at me. Didn’t you notice how I kept quoting books? That was just to cover up my fear. I imagine, Miss Nie, that you must have run into some enemies or bandits. Even if I tried to escort you, I couldn’t guarantee your safety. It’s better to leave such matters to professionals. Besides, I really do have urgent business of my own, and not a moment can be delayed. Even these moments spent with you, I’ve been anxious the whole time.”

Nie Qianyu listened quietly, then replied with a calm expression: “If the hero is in such a hurry, then just leave us behind. The lives of two young women like us are as worthless as wild herbs, anyone can cut us down.”

Zhang Xiaohua smiled and said: “Miss Nie, no need to goad me with tricks. My old teacher used to say, ‘If you escort the Buddha, you must see him all the way to the Western Paradise.’ Though I’m not much, I ought to at least see you safely to Tianzhu, don’t you think? Now then, you’d best hurry and write down the prescription for me, and go have your meal. If you delay any longer, the medicine shops outside will be closing.” [TL_Note: Tianzhu was used to refer to the land where Buddhism originated and is the ancient chinese name for India]

“Pfft.” Hearing Zhang Xiaohua’s awkward metaphor, even the stern-faced Nie Qianyu couldn’t help but laugh. She was, after all, a young lady born with a silver spoon in her mouth and doted on at the manor. This journey was her first act of defiance, insisting on relying on her own abilities instead of her family’s arrangements. Now, faced with setbacks and Zhang Xiaohua’s refusal, her heart was already filled with bitterness and resolve; after all, it was just her life at stake. Now, hearing Zhang Xiaohua see through her thoughts and offer her a way out, she could only accept the gesture. The tension in the small cottage eased, and the atmosphere softened.

So, Nie Qianyu dictated the prescription while Little Orange wrote it down and handed it to Zhang Xiaohua. Zhang Xiaohua glanced at it, then frowned and said: “Little Orange’s handwriting is excellent, but if you take this straight to the pharmacy, it’s sure to attract attention.”

Nie Qianyu’s eyes lit up in understanding, but Little Orange was puzzled. “Writing well would make people suspicious? Why is that?”

Before Zhang Xiaohua could answer, Nie Qianyu smiled and said: “Ren Xiaoyao is indeed careful. Since this town is so small, there can’t be many who write such fine characters, and even fewer women with such delicate and elegant handwriting. If the pharmacy staff see this, they’ll remember it for sure. If anyone comes asking, it would be easy to trace.”

“Then what should we do?” Little Orange grew anxious, then looked at Zhang Xiaohua with a sudden spark in her eyes. “Wait, can you write?”

Zhang Xiaohua curled his lips. “Didn’t I say I studied the Three Character Classic for a few months? How could a little writing defeat me?”

“Three months of the Three Character Classic?” Nie Qianyu almost burst out laughing.

So, by the lamplight in the small room, Zhang Xiaohua gripped the ink brush and, with great care, copied out the prescription Little Orange had written. When he finally finished, under the expectant gazes of the two girls, he revealed his handwriting. The paper was filled with crooked, mismatched characters, some big, some small, like a family of crabs scuttling about. Little Orange nearly laughed herself breathless on the spot. After all, even the most casually educated servants at the manor wrote better than this. Nie Qianyu, though smiling, couldn’t help but begin to doubt her own judgment. She had practiced calligraphy since childhood and could tell at a glance that these were indeed Zhang Xiaohua’s genuine characters, without the slightest hint of pretense. Could this youth truly be just a country boy, and not the hero she had imagined?

Seeing Little Orange laugh so unrestrainedly, Zhang Xiaohua felt a bit embarrassed and, with a hint of annoyance, said: “Little Orange, that’s a bit much. Even if my writing is poor, it’s only because I haven’t practiced enough. If I really put in the time, I might not lose to you!”

Little Orange, still trying to stifle her laughter, said: “Alright then, Ren Xiaoyao, if you come with us to the manor, I’ll teach you how to write along the way. By the time we arrive, your characters should be nice and even, not fat and thin all over the place.”

Zhang Xiaohua curled his lips and muttered under his breath: “Keep dreaming.”

With that, he put away the paper with the prescription, tucked it into his clothes, and said: “Miss Nie, please eat something first. I’ll be back soon.”

Nie Qianyu nodded: “Thank you for your trouble.”

But in her words, there was a faint trace of disappointment.

Zhang Xiaohua cupped his hands, gathered up the writing materials from the table, and took his leave.

After Zhang Xiaohua left, Little Orange smiled and said: “Miss, did you see? I told you this Ren Xiaoyao is just a country boy, nothing more.”

“Sigh, maybe you’re right. Perhaps I’ve misjudged him. But I still feel there’s something odd about him. He’s only fourteen or fifteen, yet if he were just a country boy, how could he be so calm and composed? And look at him, he seems ready to travel far. Do you think his family would really let him journey alone? Wouldn’t they have asked someone to look after him? I remember that even the children from outside the manor, whenever they visited relatives, were always accompanied by someone.”

Little Orange was unconcerned. “He never said where he was going, maybe it’s just somewhere nearby. Besides, I’ve heard that country families have lots of children. He’s so tall, maybe he’s the eldest and has been looking after his younger siblings since he was little. Of course he knows how to take care of himself. Miss, you should eat something first. After you eat, get some good rest. If he won’t escort us, that’s his loss. It’s not like we can’t hire bodyguards ourselves, right?”

Nie Qianyu didn’t answer, lost in thought. Even as Little Orange fed her, she was absent-minded. Suddenly, she slapped her left hand on the bedding and exclaimed: “Ah! I finally understand. I was almost fooled by that boy!”

Her words were so abrupt that Little Orange was startled, nearly dropping the bowl of soup in her hands.
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