Dear Brother, Your Chest Wrap Has Fallen Off - Chapter 5

Everyone in the study had been sent away, and besides Zhao Yong, there was only another young man left.

The young man was only twenty-three years old. He was not wearing armor, but a black casual suit. He had a book on learning Tocharian open at hand, the edges marked with notes on what he had learned.

Zhao Yong knew that this was the Grand Protector Xue Lang, the once famous Southwestern King.

He had met Xue Lang once several years ago. At that time, the man in front of him was still a boy of sixteen or seventeen years old, skillfully wielding a long spear in the training field, attracting cheers from the people around him. Now, seven years had gone by in a flash. The noble young man who was full of vigor and vitality had transformed into a young general through experience on the battlefield, exuding a compelling aura that could not be overlooked.

Especially after pacifying the turmoil in the southwest, this young general could let go of his achievements, turned around and came to the Western Regions where everything was in ruins. This kind of aspiration and ambition was truly remarkable.

Such a person suddenly wanted to see him and dismissed his attendants, he naturally did not believe that it was really because of the pastoral matter.

Xue Lang did not exchange pleasantries, but asked mildly, “Has Mr. Zhao been in contact with the family of General Cui, the former Protector General, recently?”

Zhao Yong didn’t know the intention behind Xue Lang’s question, so he said vaguely, “We have been exchanging letters for many years.”

“What about Fifth Lady Cui?” Xue Lang asked again.

Jiarou was the fifth child in the Cui family. It’s inappropriate for outsiders to call her by her maiden name and often called her “Fifth Lady Cui”.

But why ask about Jiarou for no reason?

Zhao Yong had been in the army for many years and had developed a good acting skill. He showed a doubtful look at the right moment and asked, “Why does the Grand Protector ask this?”

Unlike him, Xue Lang didn’t beat around the bush, he just stood up and walked to the bookcase.

The bookcase was completely packed with books. In addition to various historical books and military strategies, there were also books on flood control, veterinary medicine, farming, metallurgy and other specialized books.

Xue Lang took out an object wrapped in a square cloth and placed it in front of Zhao Yong.

Spreading out the square cloth, what appeared before his eyes was a used and old copper bowl, which was thick and very valuable.

Xue Lang’s bony hands touched the circle of patterns on the edge of the copper bowl, “Does this pattern look familiar to you, Mr. Zhao?”

How could Zhao Yong not be familiar?

In the past, Madam Cui often asked someone to send handmade clothes to General Cui and there would be such a circle of winding branches and lotus pattern on the cuffs or corners of the clothes. He was General Cui’s personal bodyguard, and these items were usually collected and put away by his hands.

He followed Xue Lang’s fingertips and not only saw the circle of patterns, but also saw a word: Rou.

It was obvious this was a copper rice bowl that Madam Cui had forged for Jiarou with her love for her daughter.

“I received a secret letter, from which I learned that Fifth Lady Cui went out to play one day and did not return home for a long time…..” Xue Lang spoke politely, beautifying her disappearance as going out to play, “The Cui family searched everywhere for her, and thought of General Cui, so they requested for support here. Coincidentally, I obtained this copper bowl this morning, and I want to ask Mr. Zhao, has Fifth Lady Cui looked for Mr. Zhao recently?”

Zhao Yong never thought that Jiarou’s escape from marriage had reached the ears of outsiders.

Great Sheng’s customs were indeed open-minded. Heard that girls could ride horses on the streets now, and they didn’t even need to wear veils. But even if the world was open-minded, it could not tolerate the practice of running away from marriage. Otherwise, children in every household would run away when they received a marriage that they didn’t like, how appalling would that be. This trend must not be allowed to grow. People who ran away from marriage must be despised by tens of thousands of people, let them be drowned in the surging spit and never be able to turn over.

Cui Jiarou had already done something that was spurned by others, but how could Zhao Yong accept Xue Lang’s words? He had to save her reputation, so he stood up in a hurry and said, “Went to play around? This girl, how can she still be so playful at this age?”

After anxiously walking around the room twice, he pretended to have second thoughts and asked, “General Xue, did you hear wrongly? Ah Rou was indeed a little naughty when she was a child, but I heard that she has become very sensible, virtuous and gentle over the years. When she has nothing to do, she stays in the room embroidering flowers and sewing shoe soles…..”

He handed over the purse hanging around his waist, embroidered by his own daughter, “This was made personally by Ah Rou, entrusted to someone to send it to me from afar. She said it was originally made for General Cui, but the general had passed away, so she asked me to hang it on me temporarily to express her love for her father. Such a filial and virtuous girl doesn’t seem like someone who can play around and never stay home. This copper bowl might be a reward from her, but that person went all the way to Qiuci. The Grand Protector can find that person and ask him and we’ll know the answer.”

As to whether Cui Jiarou had really become a virtuous person according to the secular standards, Xue Lang had some objections when he recalled the turmoil that broke out out of nowhere when he returned to Chang’an to present the captives two years ago.

He did not argue, but withdrew his gaze from the purse and said, “It’s good that it’s not her. If Mr. Zhao hears any news about her in the future, please discuss it with me immediately, don’t let General Cui’s blood be stranded outside.”

“The general is modest, it should be done like that.” Zhao Yong hurriedly agreed, but tentatively reminded, “No matter whether Fifth Lady is really out for fun, please don’t spread this matter. If it attracted Turkic spies who were waiting for revenge…..”

Xue Lang nodded, “Don’t worry Mr. Zhao, it naturally  won’t.”

He wrapped the copper bowl once again with the cloth and put it back on the bookshelf, then asked Zhao Yong to drink a cup of peach yogurt. He pretended to chat casually, “Two years ago, I returned to Chang’an to present the prisoners of war and happened to meet Fifth Lady Cui, a truly smart person. I vaguely remember on her, near that place there’s a…..”

He frowned slightly, pretending that he couldn’t remember it for a moment. He only lifted his eyelids slightly and stared at Zhao Yong closely, without any confusion in his eyes.

Zhao Yong was even more confused than him, “Near where? There’s what? Oh….. there are a few black teeth near the front teeth, right?”

Front teeth? Xue Lang frowned.

Zhao Yong continued, “She was naughty and bit a firecracker when she was a kid and got burnt. Luckily, when her baby teeth fell off, the black teeth also fell off. Otherwise, it would be ugly for such a beautiful girl to have black teeth.”

Xue Lang, “…..”

The room fell completely silent for a while. After a few breaths, Xue Lang’s fingertips moved from his forehead and said, “I heard that Mr. Zhao recommended someone to be the shepherd, I’ll follow Mr. Zhao to meet him. If he is capable, he will be kept.”

Zhao Yong’s heart tightened and he thought to himself, this is terrible.

　　—

In front of the military doctor’s barracks, Cui Jiarou had already been recognized by Wang Huaian with her few “magic beauty recipes”.

Wang Huaian, with two big, gleaming blisters on his forehead and chin, said happily, “Okay, I’ll go find some honey later and apply a thick layer on it.”

Cui Jiarou instructed, “Apply honey on the first three days, apply milk on the next four days, and repeat on the next seven days. Do this for 21 days and you will have a fair and tender face. Not only girls, even the hearts of men would race when they see it.”

Wang Huaian smiled so hard that his teeth were exposed. “Not looking for a man, just looking for a few women so that I can choose a bride.”

Cui Jiarou felt relaxed and at ease.

This should be the correct response after hearing her flattery.

Instead of thanking her, he reprimanded her, “Get lost if you want to live.” What a mean person! He even wanted to eat her donkey!

She was complaining in her heart when the military doctor beside her came up to her and asked, “Can cow farts really light a fire?”

This….. how did we go around to return to this?

She cleared her throat and said, “I’ve only heard of it, but never seen it with my own eyes. Cow gas is mostly caused by food accumulation. Mild cases do not need treatment, and severe cases cannot be treated.”

“What if someone can really cure the serious illness? Just rub the cow’s belly to make it fart, and the cow will be cured.” Wang Huaian interrupted.

“It’s most likely just a stroke of luck.”

Wang Huaian lightly touched the two blisters on his face and spat again, “That boy is really a swindler!”

Jiarou also cursed, “Yes, a big swindler!”

At this time, a soldier came to send words saying that the Grand Protector Xue Lang was coming here with Zhao Yong. Wang Huaian arranged for someone to lead an animal over so that he could test Jiarou’s skills in front of Xue Lang.

Cui Jiarou, thinking that she would soon see the face in the rumor, was so excited that she could not help asking Wang Huaian, “Brother Wang, I heard that the Southwestern King has a face capable of causing the downfall of a city…..”

“Shush…..” Wang Huaian interrupted her hastily, “You must not say these words, and must not touch the Grand Protector. Brother Pan and I are like old friends, so I’m reminding you. If someone else said this, I would have beaten him out long ago.”

“Oh?” Jiarou moved closer and asked with her ears perked up, “Why?”

“He’s suspected of being gay!” Wang Huaian lowered his voice, “The Grand Protector loathes men who are gay the most. When you meet him, first, don’t compliment him on his looks, and second, you must get too close to him. Remember that by all means.”

So that’s how it is, Jiarou suddenly realized.

This matched the rumor about the prisoners put on display two years ago.

Weren’t the two princes of a small southwestern country jealous of each other over Xue Lang, and eventually their country was destroyed?

Wang Huaian specially reminded her, which showed that Xue Lang had been fancied by men more than once.

She became even more curious. What does he actually look like? Is he the kind that shocks heaven and earth? Could he be more handsome than her dressed as a man?

After Wang Huaian reminded her, he looked at Jiarou’s head and somehow felt a sense of familiarity. He said, “Huh?” Then he realized, “Where have I met Brother Pan before?”

Jiarou hurriedly took a step back, took out her fan, covered half of her face, and laughed dryly, “Brother Wang also looks very good, which shows that handsome men easily get along with each other.”

“Is that so?” Wang Huai patted the back of his head, “All the aunts in our village really say that I am the most handsome young man in the village.”

The sound of jingling bells came slowly from far away. A calf with a bell tied around its neck was being unhurriedly led over.

Jiarou turned her head to look, and saw that the calf was only six or seven months old, with brown hair all over its body, and looked very familiar.

Isn’t this the calf she treated at the market this morning? She lowered her eyes to the calf’s belly. It was originally round and bulging, but now it was flat. If it was fed with fine fodder for another two or three days, it would be completely healed.

In just a short half a day, the calf could recover to this point. Her skills are truly wonderful.

Wait, is it possible that they are going to use this little brown cow to test her?

Mwahaha, the heavens are really helping me!

She already knew the situation of the cow. When the time came, she would tell a few true and false words. This would not show her real ability but could deceive people. She would not have to raise the calf, which perfectly matched her original intention of just wanting to make a living.

As she was dreaming beautifully, she heard Wang Huaian shout, “Why did you bring it here? It’s not this cow…..”

Ah? No?

Jiarou tilted her head to look, and saw that the servant who was leading the cow was trying to lead the cow back, but the calf broke free from the servant’s hand and swayed towards her with its bell jingling. Its goal was very clear, but it didn’t seem to want to hurt anyone, which attracted the military doctor nearby to lean over to watch the fun.

Wang Huaian was amazed and said, “It, it actually recognized Brother Pan. Could it also be a handsome male in the cattle world and easily get along with other handsome men?”

Jiarou gave a smile that was not much prettier than crying, “Brother Wang, you are joking…..” She shouted anxiously in her heart, “Don’t come over, don’t come over. I just healed you, I am not your benefactor, I don’t need you to be like this…..“

As she prayed earnestly, the calf successfully arrived in front of her, raised its head towards her, and greeted her joyfully, “Moo——”

Wang Huaian continued to doubt, “This is such a coincidence, I see that you look familiar, and the cow is also looking at you familiarly…..”

Almost at the same time, a strong voice called out from her side, “Big boy, this is Protector Xue, quick, come and meet him.”

She turned her head sharply and saw Zhao Yong and another man standing in front of her.

The man was extremely handsome, but his aura was chilly, like the melting snow from the distant high mountains. It should have been full of spring, but unexpectedly it was even colder. Especially his pair of dark eyes, which were obviously expressionless but as deep as the ocean, as if a storm would roll up at any time, and then a sea monster would jump out…..

Her heart suddenly turned cold and beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.

Isn’t this the evil beast that eats donkeys?

Wait, is he the rumored Southwestern King Xue Lang? The main culprit who caused her to be labeled as a “female dandy” two years ago? The second person she roasted by spraying cow farts in the morning?

Zhao Yong winked at her and said, “Ah An, don’t just stand there in a daze.” He deliberately emphasized the word “Ah An”, hinting that she must not reveal her true identity.

Right at this moment, the calf had reached her side, rubbing its head against her, showing endless affection and joy.

Wang Huaian’s square face twitched, and he finally let out a belated resentment, “Ah!”, and pointed his hand steadily at Jiarou, “It’s you, it turns out you are the little swindler, it’s you who lit the cow’s fart and burned people. Brothers, take him down!”