Chapter 147: Matters in Liangzhou (Part 1)

“Siya, Siya~”

The door curtain was lifted, and a young woman in her twenties came out. Her skin was the typical wheat color common among the people of Liangzhou.

“Madam Zhao, what’s the matter?” she opened the door and asked the tall, strong woman standing at the entrance.

To be honest, no matter how many times she saw her, Siya envied Madam Zhao’s strong physique.

In this northwestern borderland, a healthy and robust body was the best asset one could have.

Madam Zhao was in her forties, her face full of wrinkles caused by the harsh winds. She looked much older than her actual age.

She was extremely kind-hearted. When Siya and her sister first arrived here, strangers in a strange land, they relied heavily on her help.

“The shop just received several carts of fresh cabbages and radishes, and even some turnips. You two sisters should get some to stock up for winter, shouldn’t you?”

Liangzhou was remote, and the long, bitterly cold winters could last almost half a year. The local produce was limited.

Once winter came, it was mostly the same three vegetables: radishes, cabbages, and turnips.

Therefore, every year before winter, local people would buy several carts of vegetables, either storing them in cellars or pickling them into various preserves to last until next year.

Madam Zhao knew that Siya and her sister had been away from Liangzhou for many years and might not be familiar with local customs, so she specially came to remind them.

Sure enough, Siya was very grateful upon hearing this.

“Yes, yes, thank you so much for thinking of us.”

“You’re just too polite, child,” Madam Zhao laughed. “Neighbors should help each other. Go call your sister, hitch up the cart, and we’ll go together. By the way, the flower pattern you drew last time was really nice. My daughter-in-law loved it so much. If you want to thank me, just draw another one for me later.”

Liangzhou had a bold and open folk culture. In the past, everyone had been soldiers, but in recent years, with peace prevailing, people had started to learn to enjoy life, even embroidering flowers on their undergarments.

“That’s nothing. I’ll give you a stack of them!” Siya said, quickly taking off her apron and shouting toward the house, “Chun’er, Chun’er, hurry up! We’re going to the city to buy vegetables!”

“Okay~”

A young girl responded brightly, then opened the window to greet Madam Zhao, before quickly hopping off the kang bed to dress.

Madam Zhao exchanged a few more words before going home to hitch up the cart. They agreed to meet at the street corner.

Siya and Hu Chun quickly got ready, took the money pouch and tucked it into their clothes, fed the sheep, and then hitched up the cart to head out.

At the beginning of the year, they had safely arrived in Liangzhou after many dangers, and met Madam Zhao by chance. With her help, they had rented this small courtyard, learned how to tidy it up, and even raised a few sheep and chickens.

Two girls who had grown up in a brothel knew nothing at first, learning everything from scratch with many mishaps and jokes. Now, however, they could even milk sheep and shear wool.

Their hands and feet were no longer fair-skinned, and the constant winds had reddened their faces. Even if former patrons passed by face to face, they probably wouldn’t recognize Zhao Siya as the once-famous Zhang Baoyue of the capital. But they felt very happy inside.

This place was a completely different world from Kaifeng.

How high and blue was the sky of Liangzhou! How fresh and clear was the air! Just looking at it made one feel happy.

Here, they could ride horses freely, laugh and talk loudly, go out whenever they wanted, and eat as much as they pleased, with no one to stop them.

It felt like being reborn.

Eating meat heartily, drinking milk from big bowls, sleeping soundly and exercising a lot, Hu Chun had even grown quite a bit taller. Her old clothes were now too short.

As the two drove the cart out, Siya was already planning to buy another piece of cloth to make new clothes for Chun.

The vegetable shop was packed with people. Siya and Chun struggled until they were drenched in sweat. Fortunately, Madam Zhao’s husband and son helped, and they managed to grab a cart of vegetables.

The two discussed briefly and decided to store half the vegetables in the cellar and use the other half to make pickles.

Siya also bought a piece of cloth, thinking that the New Year was coming and this was a time of new beginnings. She decided to make several sets of new clothes, bringing good luck.

While choosing the fabric, she overheard the shop owner chatting with a regular customer about a storyteller who had come from outside, telling stories about major events in the capital. Many people had gone to listen.

The capital?

The speaker spoke without intent, but the listeners had their hearts stirred. Siya and Chun exchanged glances, their hearts pounding.

Come to think of it, they had been in Liangzhou for over half a year, and they didn’t know how Ma Bing was doing.

So, why not go and listen?

The two hurriedly bought the cloth, went home to put away the vegetables, and then rushed to the place the shop owner had mentioned.

People in the central plains often said that there was little entertainment in the borderlands, but that wasn’t true.

Liangzhou was vast, and its people were bold and unrestrained. Although not as prosperous as the major provinces, they were naturally optimistic and resilient, and good at singing and dancing.

They enjoyed horse riding and wrestling in daily life, and during festivals, they celebrated with songs and dances, creating a very lively atmosphere.

Similarly, they were also very curious about the customs and events in the capital.

Hearing that there was a storyteller telling stories from the capital, everyone came to listen. Siya and Chun almost couldn’t squeeze in.

There weren’t enough tables. The two finally found a corner after much effort, and crouched down like others with their sleeves folded, when they heard the storyteller say: “…but it turned out that the young lady Ma Bing was actually a descendant of the Yan family’s army. She had endured humiliation and hidden her identity for many years. Now, finally cleared of injustice, it was truly the will of heaven!”

Ma Bing?!

Siya and Chun were stunned, staring at the storyteller’s mouth opening and closing, but they couldn’t hear anything else.

Ma Bing…

Yan family’s army?!

Actually, this spring, several imperial edicts had come from the capital, and local officials had come to repair the tomb and build a temple for the late General Yan Xiong and his wife, which caused a sensation.

Siya and others hadn’t paid much attention at first, but since so many people were talking about it, they gradually learned about it.

After learning about the past of the Yan family’s army, the two girls also felt deeply moved and went to pay their respects with others.

Later, they heard that it was the descendants of the Yan family who had caused a stir in the capital, involving the late emperor and several high-ranking officials, which was very sensational.

But the people around didn’t really know which officials were involved, only vaguely mentioning ministers and princes. At that time, Siya and Chun had a vague feeling that these names sounded familiar, but they couldn’t quite place them.

Moreover, at that time, the two had just arrived, in a situation where they could barely take care of themselves, so after a brief reflection, they gradually forgot about it.

But today, hearing this, how could there be a familiar name?!

Chun was so excited that her face turned red, and she quietly asked Siya, “Sister, do you think this Ma Bing is the same Ma doctor we know?”

Siya’s heart was also pounding, “I don’t know…”

There are many people with the same name; it might be, or it might not be.

But now, recalling, Ma Bing had always been mysterious. The people she had asked them to investigate at that time did indeed fit the description of “high-ranking officials.” Could it be that…

Siya calmed herself and grabbed Chun’s hand, saying, “Let’s listen more, and later we’ll ask the storyteller for details.”

The two could clearly feel each other’s hands trembling.

Storytelling, as it is, involves elaborating on partial facts and constantly adjusting based on the audience’s reactions, which often makes folk storytelling a mix of truth and absurdity, serious and comical.

Take this case, for example.

When Siya and Chun refocused their attention, the storyteller was just saying, “…it turned out that the young lady Yan and the young master were both reincarnations of immortals. They had to endure forty-nine trials before they could return to heaven and restore their golden forms, but in the end, it was a predestined union from a past life…”

Siya: “…”

What nonsense is this?

But Chun listened with great excitement, her little face flushed red, clapping her hands wildly along with the cheering crowd.

She even grabbed Siya’s hand, her eyes sparkling, “Sister, did you hear that? Ma doctor is a reincarnation of an immortal!”

No wonder she was so kind-hearted and always ready to help people in need. It turned out she was an immortal in human form!

Siya: “…”

You’ve been reading too much!

However, the people of Liangzhou believed it, very much so!

They even immediately showed expressions of “Ah, so that’s how it is.”

Why wouldn’t they believe it? Why should they not?

To the locals of Liangzhou, General Yan Xiong and his wife Ma Qiudi were gods who protected their homeland. Their deaths on the battlefield were not really deaths, but the completion of their trials, after which they ascended to heaven.

Many years ago, people had already built statues and temples specifically for the couple, calling them the local guardian deities or the city gods and goddesses. The temples were always bustling with incense offerings during festivals.

If the parents were gods, their daughter was naturally a goddess too!

No problem, this made perfect sense!

So many people said so, and Siya’s ears were filled with these stories. By the time the storyteller finished and the crowd dispersed, she was almost convinced!

“Uncle,” seeing the storyteller starting to pack up, Siya quickly snapped back to reality and ran forward to ask, “May I ask if you’ve seen Ma Bing, oh, I mean the young lady Yan Zheng?”

A little kid hadn’t left yet. Upon hearing this, he raised his head and loudly corrected, “That’s an immortal!”

Siya: “…”

Under the child’s clear and determined gaze, she gritted her teeth and changed her words, “Uh, do you know that immortal young lady?”

The little kid was satisfied and walked away.

Storyteller: “…”

The storyteller chuckled, “Where would I know her from?”

Siya was a bit disappointed but still persistent, “Then was she previously living in Kaifeng Prefecture and working as a doctor?”

The storyteller nodded, “Yes, didn’t I just say that?”

He suddenly became interested again, rolled up his sleeves, and enthusiastically gave her a summary of the key points, “Hey, you missed the important parts! The whole Yan family are immortals who came down to undergo trials. Since they’re immortals, their place of residence must be extraordinary. The famous fair official Tu Yao of Kaifeng Prefecture was the one who helped the young lady Yan Zheng settle there, and then the star general who reincarnated as the heir met her there…”

Chun was so moved that she hugged her face and excitedly stomped her feet, exclaiming, “Wow, wow!”

She believed it!

She really did!

Siya: “…”

Well then, wasn’t she just an immortal a moment ago? Now she’s a star general?

Tomorrow, you might say she’s a flower goddess or a monk.

But in any case, knowing that Yan Zheng was doing well, Siya felt reassured.

Seeing her unusual reaction, the storyteller casually asked, “What, do you know her?”

Siya hesitated for a moment and nodded, “She helped us a lot before.”

Without hesitation, the storyteller nodded, swung his arm in a big circle, “Of course! Look around, who in this city hasn’t benefited from the Yan family’s kindness?”

He paused and added, “Now that she’s back home, everyone is going to visit and bring gifts. I’m going tomorrow too.”

Siya instinctively said “Mm,” but then realized something was off after she did.

“What do you mean, back home?”

The storyteller laughed, “The immortal is back home! The young lady Yan has returned to Liangzhou!”

Liangzhou was the very foundation of the Yan family’s army. Returning to Liangzhou was naturally coming home.

On the way back, both Siya and Chun were clearly distracted.

When they left Kaifeng earlier, they had once persuaded Ma Bing to leave with them, but she said she had things to do, which was a pity.

Even so, they had always felt that she must have had some deep connection to Liangzhou, otherwise, how could she have obtained the official documents proving her Liangzhou residency?

So, they had held onto a small hope in their hearts:

What if Ma Bing was really from Liangzhou?

What if she knew they were here and came after finishing her business?

Never did they expect their hope to come true!

The two didn’t even need to discuss. As soon as they got home, they started frantically packing their luggage.

Ma Bing had really come to Liangzhou!

The two young women didn’t sleep all night, quickly packed their luggage and horses, entrusted the keys to their house to Madam Zhao, and begged her to look after it for a while, then set off directly.

They were currently living in a small county under Liangzhou’s jurisdiction, still over a hundred miles away from the city.

On the way, Siya and Chun unexpectedly met many people. Upon asking, they found out that they were all going to Liangzhou to visit the young lady Yan.

“Who wouldn’t want to see the Yan family’s descendants!” an old woman in her late fifties wiped her tears, “If it weren’t for them, we would have died long ago!”

In the past, when the Yan family’s army faced disaster, they all cursed the heavens for not watching over the good people, leaving not even a drop of their blood behind.

Those who were more informed and knew the inside story often cursed the late emperor.

What did the emperor matter?

If you don’t let us live, why should we respect you?

Some people even had the audacity to think that if General Wuwei had declared independence, it would have been better.

If he had become the emperor, the common people wouldn’t have had to live in such hardship…

Now, everything was better, and the general’s daughter was still alive!

How could we not go and see her?

They walked for three days straight, without even needing to ask for directions. Once they entered the city gate, they just followed the crowds.

Their destination was a small three-courtyard house, with two soldiers standing guard at the entrance.

No one went in to disturb them. They just stood outside, wiping their tears, then kowtowed a few times at the door before leaving the rice, flour, meat, and other items they had brought.

The two soldiers didn’t drive them away either. They just periodically carried the items inside, working themselves to exhaustion.

Since the young lady Yan returned, people had kept coming without stopping.

No one came empty-handed. Some brought a few eggs, a jar of milk, or a basket of vegetables, while others brought even more, like furniture, livestock, and fur, all sorts of things.

Even the other day, someone directly dragged two cows and two sheep, saying the males could be slaughtered for meat and the females kept for milk.

“Now that the child has come home, we can’t let her feel neglected!”

Let her eat!

It wasn’t until nightfall that the number of visitors gradually decreased.

Siya and Chun exchanged glances and then approached the two soldiers, asking if they could help pass on a message. They said they were old acquaintances of Yan Zheng and had come especially to visit her now that she was back home.

The two soldiers were half-convinced, half-doubtful. “Many people have said that these days.”

It wasn’t that they wanted to take advantage, but they were trying to bring someone directly to their home to worship, so these days Yan Zheng had decided not to receive any visitors and stayed inside making medicine.

Hearing this, Siya became even more convinced.

“It’s true, we really know her. If it weren’t for her, we would have died in Kaifeng long ago. Please help us pass on the message. Tell her that Siya and Hu Chun are here.”

One of the soldiers hesitated for a moment. “Alright then, I’ll go ask.”

“Wait,” Siya called him back and handed him a small basket. “Please check first if Yan Zheng is resting. If she has time, then pass on the message. If she’s busy, just leave this quietly, and we’ll come another day.”

They had come in a hurry, and besides, they really didn’t have anything good at home, so they brought a few pairs of wool socks they had knitted themselves.