A Lonesome Fragrance Waiting to be Appreciated 3

14

Zuiju then said, "I'll hold it." She took the torch from Pingting, her other hand carrying the little basket. She remained restless and kept on looking back to check Pingting's red eyes. She studied her, saying, "What is Miss thinking?"

Pingting walked in silence with her head lowered as if she hadn't heard her words. After a while, however, she opened her mouth to reply. "I'm thinking about the letter I wrote to him."

Hearing Pingting taking the initiative to mention "him" gave Zuiju a massive shock. She was too afraid to touch on the subject that had made her cry so often, didn't dare ask anything. She continued to walk in silence.

Not long later, she heard Pingting slowly say, "When I picked up the brush that day, although I wrote many things, my mind was a complete mess. Now that I think about it, perhaps it was a letter from the voice of my heart that even I don't understand myself."

Zuiju couldn't help asking, "What did Miss write?"

Pingting seemed to be considering to say or not. Her lips moved slightly. It then all changed to a sigh. "Even if I tell you, it'll just add to your pile of troubles."

The two fell into another silence. No one made any sound as they continued to walk back. They raised their heads to see the flickering candlelight of the little cabin in the distance. They suddenly heard a piercing, violent roar that rumbled the earth. "Damn old geezers, how dare you talk back!" The crisp sound of a slap was suspended in the night sky.

Pingting and Zuiju's hearts skipped a beat. Their nerves were hardened from the repeated escapes from the clutches of the enemy. They quickly lowered the torch into the snow, extinguishing it, and hid behind a boulder beside the road.

Under the moonlight, they quietly probed inside. They could make out blurry shapes of men menacingly blocking the entrance to the cabin.

"If it 'adn't been for us Officials standing up to Chu Beijie, then Dong Lin would have stormed inside and your heads would have become balls for the people of Dong Lin to kick around. Soldiers must be fed so they can fight. How could ya still hope to live if ya don't pay taxes?"

The Missus' kind tone had become full of panic and fear at the same time. "Officials, we have already paid our taxes for the year two days ago..."

"That was two days ago; today's is for today!" A furious voice broke out.

A crackling sound was heard. It seemed that someone had broken the old wooden door with a kick.

"We really have nothing."

"Nothing? Hmph, what's this?" The sharp voice interrupted and a man who had long broken into the cabin had plundered a pile of various objects. He sneered, "Even though ya'll so old, ya still 'av some pretty good stuff."

"Ah! Ahhh....ah..." The mute Mister waved and gestured with his hands, stopping the man.

The Missus hurriedly explained, "Sir, Sir, these are not our things. These belong to the two Misses who are staying in the cabin..."

"Piss off!" The man kicked the old Mister onto the ground, his voice vicious. "How do they not belong to you if they are in your cabin? Tell ya what, these things shall suffice as today's tax. If you still refuse to pay up in two day's time, then we'll burn this rot'en home in one go!"

Holding onto Pingting and Zuiju's bags, they left. The two waited for them to go far before peeping out to see their back view.

"Such cruel and evil henchmen." Zuiju muttered furiously. "Those are things you see everyday, even our Dong Lin has it. When seeing rich masters or ranking officials, they act like sweet puppies. In reality, they're as cruel as wolves. If they ever fall into my Teacher's hands, he will definitely punish."