Senior Green Tea Turned Into an Abused Heroine Chapter 17
Chapter 17: Storytelling
The two finally left Dongling City. Along the way, they saw dilapidated villages, with no people in sight. They could even see shadows of jackals and wild dogs, in those abandoned houses.
The ravens perched on the withered trees at the entrance of the villages occasionally cawed.
Lin Xiaocha asked the system, [Xiaotong, do you know what's going on with these villages?]
System: [These are the villages that have fallen victim to the demons’ rampage. The survivors flocked together, then sought solace in Dongling City and became the refugees you saw.]
Lin Xiaocha: [It's so pitiful.]
System: [Well, if things followed the course of the original story, most of them would have frozen to death in some corner of Dongling city this winter and then thrown into the burial ground. However, because of your interference, they signed up for the Vermillion Bird Terrace’s repair, thus were promised shelter and food as payment. You saved their lives and that's why they like you.]
Lin Xiaocha reflected on how her actions had unexpected repercussions on the refugees. In fact, her intentions were solely focused on gaining favor with the male protagonist, but she inadvertently helped them along the way. It seemed that all was well in the best of worlds...
Since they left the city, Lin Xiaocha has always maintained a suitable distance between her and the man sitting in front of her.
Han Yu too, was sitting straight like an I on the horse and the smell of pine and snow on his body seemed to be a thousand miles away.
He didn't say a word, and Lin Xiaocha didn't bother him.
Neither of them mentioned what happened a moment ago with Tao Ji.
She stayed silent, until she saw these desolate villages, and asked, "Xianjun, Tianyu Mountain is so powerful. Is there really no way to exterminate these demons?"
"There are too many of them."
"Does the Empress not care?"
Han Yu was silent for a moment, then he explained, "The people of Zhu Yun Country use creatures called spirit beasts to fight. These so-called spirit beasts are in fact demons with a certain level of cultivation that those people captured, and tamed into spirit beasts for their own use, or gifted them to others. For example, Feng Ziying's cultivation level is just at the Foundation Building stage, but with an 800-year-old black panther as his spirit beast, he can dominate most people who get in his way."
"Those beasts are quite powerful, that is why in order to capture stronger demons and consolidate their own strength, not only will the royal family not kill them, they will also allow them to populate the Ten Thousand Demon Forest. They even opened three entrances to the forest so they could easily enter and exit with their prizes after they’ve hunted them."
After a momentary pause, Lin Xiaocha said, "Xianjun, this is the first time I heard you say so much. Your voice is so nice. Can you talk more in the future?"
Han Yu didn't want to say so much either, but he told her about these things because she looked like she really cared about them.
Lin Xiaocha noticed a few pedestrians bustling on the road, but their condition was completely different from refugees. They were looking nice and tidy, and many even had weapons in their hands.
"Xianjun, what are these people doing?" Lin Xiaocha asked.
"They are going to the Ten Thousand Demon Forest."
"The Ten Thousand Demon Forest you just mentioned?"
"One of the entrances to the Ten Thousand Demon Forest is under Feng Ziying's jurisdiction."
At this time, Han Yu heard a gurgling stomach sound behind him.
Lin Xiaocha touched her belly and held her breath, embarrassed that Han Yu could hear her hungry stomach.
Han Yu has not eaten any worldly food for many years. The word "hungry" seems to be unknown to him.
At this time, the sun began to set, and he remembered that she hadn't eaten anything since the banquet.
"Why didn’t you tell me that you were hungry?" He asked lightly.
Lin Xiaocha bit her lip and said nothing.
On the side of the road, he saw a stall with the word "noodle" written on it. Actually, the word was embroidered on a faded cloth flag.
The shopkeeper was kneading dough peacefully as flies hovered around him.
Han Yu frowned involuntarily.
However, after looking around, it seemed this was the only food stall here. The other ones were low-level implements and elixirs boutiques, as well as an inn.
He pulled the reins and stopped the horse.
Although there were new clients in sight, the shopkeeper merely glanced at them indifferently before lazily asking, "What do these guests want?"
After he said this, he took off the rag from his shoulder and perfunctorily wiped the table.
Lin Xiaocha lowered her head and softly said, "A bowl of vegetable noodles, please."
"Noodles?" The shopkeeper repeated while putting the rag back on his shoulders with a tone of disdain. He looked at Han Yu, "What about you?"
"Nothing for me." He answered simply, then looked at the stool, "Clean up the stool."
The shopkeeper looked down at the clean stool and became even more annoyed. He placed the rag on the stool and messed with it a few times before leaving to cook the noodles.
Han Yu stared at the stool as if still dissatisfied. He condensed a layer of ice on it, and then he sat down.
The shopkeeper came back and put the vegetarian noodles in front of Lin Xiaocha impatiently and then went to cut some meat.
Han Yu curiously looked at the bowl of insipid noodle soup.
Lin Xiaocha understood his expression and explained to Han Yu with lowered eyes, "I prefer vegetarian meals." After saying that, she buried her head in the bowl and ate her noodles.
Han Yu calmly said, "Boss, add a plate of meat."
Lin Xiaocha put her chopsticks down and waved her little hands. "No need, I don't like meat."
Han Yu ignored her words.
The shopkeeper ignored her as well.
Soon a plate with a handful of cut meat was impatiently thrown in front of her.
Lin Xiaocha looked at the meat for a moment and pursed her lips. Her eyes filled with mist, and she whispered, "Thank you, Xianjun."
She bit on a piece of meat, and her eyelashes trembled. Not long after, she confessed in an almost inaudible voice, "I lied to you just now. I actually like meat."
Han Yu looked at her with sympathy in his eyes and remembered what she had said to the refugees, "Heaven and Earth are impartial; they treat all of creation as straw dogs. The Master doesn't take sides; he treats everyone like a straw dog."
Dongling City was in an unfavorable state. She probably had suffered a lot during her time there and even experienced starvation. He felt some pity in his heart.
Lin Xiaocha ate and chewed slowly without a sense of urgency.
She spent half an hour eating that bowl of noodles and still hadn't finished it yet.
The sky was getting darker, and the flies buzzing around the shopkeeper's cutting board was giving him a headache.
Han Yu asked, "Have you eaten enough?"
Lin Xiaocha, who was earnestly eating her meal, raised her head and looked like she was trying not to cry. She answered with pain in her voice, "Xianjun, I will finish right away. It would be a pity to waste good food."
This time Lin Xiaocha wasn’t acting. She grew up in a poor family and couldn't help but feel distressed when she saw food being unnecessarily wasted. Although her family didn’t starve, everyone would only get a small bowl of rice with a piece of meat for super. She had lived like this for a long time.
Looking at her pale face, Han Yu grabbed her bowl and pulled it over.
"Enough, let's go."
"Okay."
Although she obediently agreed, Xiaocha continued to eat the noodles while getting up and asked the shopkeeper to wrap up the rest of the meat.
Han Yu did not stop her, but just took his purse out, and went to settle the bill with the shopkeeper.
Lin Xiaocha blushed and promised , "Xianjun, thank you. When I find my father, I will definitely return the money to you."
Han Yu dismissed her words and asked the owner for the meal’s cost.
Shopkeeper: "Three hundred Zhu Yun coins."
Lin Xiaocha didn't know how much three hundred Zhu Yun coins were, so she asked the system for help.
[300 RMB, the exchange rate is one to one. ]
Lin Xiaocha: !!!
"Boss, isn't this a bit too expensive?" she asked.
"500." he shot, raising the price.
Lin Xiaocha has seen the price of a piece of jade drop from 20,000 to 200, but she has never seen a bowl of noodles rise from 300 to 500.
She wanted to argue about the unjust price but Han Yu stopped her.
Lin Xiaocha's eyes were very apologetic, "Xianjun, I'm so sorry, I cost you money. Tomorrow morning, I will sell my clothes and return the money."
Han Yu glanced at the clothes she just mentioned. She only had this piece of clothing on her body. If she were to sell it, what would she wear?
When he thought of this, his heart jumped inexplicably, so to be at peace, he stopped thinking about it.
"No need." He vaguely replied.
"I should have kept some of the City Lord's rewards instead of distributing it all to the refugees?" She lamented regretfully.
"Wait a minute." The shopkeeper pulled the rag off his shoulders and pointed it at her, "Are you the Xiaocha girl from Dongling City?"
It was very surprising that the shopkeeper knew Lin Xiaocha. Even Han Yu was taken aback by the fact.
"How do you know me?"
The shopkeeper shook the rag and said, "There is no one, inside or outside of Dongling City, who doesn't currently know of your existence. This meal… you don’t need to pay for it."
"Ah?"
"My ancestors were refugees, and I have high regard for anyone who helps other refugees. I originally planned to charge you more money so I could give it to them, but you are Xiaocha…" As he said this, he picked up some more meat he had just cut up and stuffed it into Lin Xiaocha's hand.
"Girl, take it to eat on the way."
Lin Xiaocha tried to decline but ended up accepting the meat he handed over.
Then she waved her hands to say goodbye to the shopkeeper.
What a nice girl; the shopkeeper thought.
Under the moonlit sky, Lin Xiaocha was shaking like an uncoordinated puppet behind Han Yu.
She had been dozing off for a while now.
So Han Yu directed the horse towards a slower cadence to prevent her from falling.
But the person behind his back swayed more and more severely. He lost count of the number of instances she nearly fell off the horse but woke up just in time, narrowly avoiding disaster.
"Be careful," he warned.
Lin Xiaocha rubbed her eyes, and she said in a daze, "Okay."
"Xianjun, I’m usually afraid of the dark,” she suddenly admitted under the rhythmic pace of the horse. “But right now, I am not afraid at all. I am just a little sleepy." She added with a cute yawn.
"Xianjun, can you talk to me so I can stay awake?"
Han Yu acted as if he didn’t hear her incessant talking.
And Lin Xiaocha didn't seem to be discouraged, "Then you can tell me a story, okay?"
"No."
"Oh~" She replied, her voice filled with regret. "Then, Xianjun, let me tell you a story, okay?" she added in a forced cheerful tone.
"It's up to you."
Lin Xiaocha thought for a while about which story to tell.
"Once upon a time, a fairy prince resided on the Kunlun Mountain, donning white attire. Curious about life beyond the mountain, he ventured down to a village. There, he met a beautiful woman destined to be sacrificed to an ugly monster. Determined, he saved her from such fate."
Han Yu couldn't help but raise his eyebrows at this familiar story.
"The fairy prince fell in love at first sight with the simple and kind-hearted beautiful girl, but she was in no mood for love. She only yearned to achieve immortality through cultivation and be strong enough to save the common people. Thus, the prince concealed his love, holding it deep within his heart."
Han Yu was about to interrupt her, but the person behind him was quite spirited. She vigorously continued to tell her story, "Unfortunately, a demon saw the girl and was instantly captivated by her heavenly beauty. He wanted to have her by any means necessary, and to keep the demon from wreaking havoc on the world, she agreed to commit herself to him."
"On the night of their wedding, the fairy prince’s love for her overwhelmed him. Driven by desperation, his heart grew dark, and he defied the demon to reclaim the girl..."
Han Yu: ...
"After the fairy prince took the beautiful girl home, they fought for seven days and seven nights..."
Han Yu frowned when he heard this, and his temple became tense.
"The fairy prince was shocked that the girl had such outstanding talents. Little did anyone know that she possessed immense power as a cultivator with five elemental spiritual roots, having cultivated for a millennium and recently ascending to the immortal realm. It was impossible to predict who the winner would be since she went toe to toe with the prince."
Only then did Han Yu's brows loosen up.
Lin Xiaocha wanted to continue speaking, but Han Yu interrupted her in a calm voice, "Stop talking."
Lin Xiaocha was surprised when she was interrupted, "Xianjun, don't you like the story I told you? "
Han Yu's thin lips slightly opened, but he closed them again, paused for a moment, and said, "Well, it is so-so."
She let out a depressed, "Oh," and stopped talking.
Before long, she was groggy and dozed off again.
However, she sobered up and shook her head the moment she made contact with his back, "I can't fight it, I'm really going to fall asleep. Xianjun, why don't we play a game instead? I will write something and you will guess what it is."
Han Yu felt like she might really fell off the horse and he knew that denying her from finishing the story might have hurt her.
Thus he hummed in response, agreeing to play along with her.
Lin Xiaocha stretched out her index finger, pressed it down on his back, and then slowly stretched out a "1."
Han Yu: ?
—
Author's Note:
Lin Xiaocha: I have a lot of tricks. Are you surprised?
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