Big Boss – Chapter 80

Sister-in-Law

Ye Youqing smelled the fragrance on her body and felt that the fatigue of the past few days had finally lessened a bit. Thus, the two of them remained silent for a while before Ye Youqing spoke.

“Just now, you…” Ye Youqing wanted to say that her appearance had scared her, but she felt it didn’t sound good, so her voice trailed off.

“Did I scare you?” Ci Ke suddenly said, releasing her hand and her gaze dodging a bit. “My appearance.”

“How could that be,” Ye Youqing hurriedly said.

“Do you think I’m ruthless too…”

“No.” Before she could finish, Ye Youqing interrupted her. She shook her head, pulled Ci Ke to the bedside, and watched her sit down obediently.

To be honest, although she was shocked at the time, now she only felt a sour ache in her chest, like seeing a gentle girl by her side, baring her claws in desperation because of being bullied by others.

And it was all because of her.

Ye Youqing deeply understood that she had never experienced any passionate emotions. She had been lonely since childhood, with an empty three-bedroom house, and an auntie who would leave after making three meals a day, making her indifferent to everything.

After coming to ancient times, it was better. There were people who cared for her, people who lived and died with her, and she felt that those empty places were gradually being filled.

Ci Ke stared intently at Ye Youqing, then moved closer and cautiously leaned on her shoulder.

The girl’s head was very light, or perhaps she didn’t dare to lean too hard. Some soft, loose hair brushed against Ye Youqing’s face, tickling slightly.

The dim light enveloped the two of them, and time in the room seemed to slow down. Occasionally, footsteps could be heard outside, but they seemed far away.

Ci Ke suddenly spoke, her eyelashes drooping, candlelight dancing in her pupils, and her red lips striking.

“Since I was young, I knew I was a bringer of disaster. Everything I had would eventually leave me: my mother, my father, my brother, the old man guarding the gate… All those I loved would die one by one before my eyes,” Ci Ke said softly, her voice as ethereal and smooth as clouds in the sky.

“Even my only friend couldn’t stay.”

Hearing this, Ye Youqing’s heart trembled, and she pinched her thigh.

“I really don’t know what I would become if I lost you too,” Ci Ke continued, closing her eyes slightly. “I could even watch you leave me, this bringer of disaster, to live a peaceful life, as long as I knew you were safe.”

“Ye Youqing, don’t be afraid of me…” Ci Ke said softly.

“How could I be afraid of you?” Ye Youqing circled her chin, touched her ear, and then said, “It’s just stabbing him a few times. That man was a snake-hearted person, it’s his retribution.”

“When I was young, I even slaughtered a pig. One slash and the blood could splash up to the roof,” Ye Youqing said exaggeratedly.

A laugh broke through the sobs from the woman beside her.

The head on her shoulder became heavier. Ye Youqing knew Ci Ke was tired, so she turned slightly and pulled the quilt over her.

“What did Shi Li give you to drink? She said it was calming, but it seems more like a sleeping aid.” Ye Youqing supported the back of Ci Ke’s head, carefully helping her lie down. Watching her eyes grow more and more drowsy, her hands still clutching Ye Youqing’s sleeve.

Ye Youqing had to bend over, carefully observing the glistening tears at the corners of Ci Ke’s eyes and her ripe berry-like red lips.

Her heart skipped a beat, she stared at those red lips in a trance, and then she involuntarily lowered her head.

At the moment of almost touching, Ye Youqing stopped and finally pulled up the quilt for her.

“Sleep.” She said gently.

The night was as cool as water, Ye Youqing closed the door of the room properly and bumped into Shi Li, who was holding a bowl, at the door. She reached out to stop her, “Ci Ke is asleep, no need to drink this.”

Shi Li regretfully looked at the bowl in her hand and handed it to Ye Youqing, “It’s not easy to brew this medicine, you drink it instead.”

Ye Youqing pressed her lips tightly.

She was now so tired that she could sleep on a stone, and if she drank this bowl of medicinal soup, she feared she would fall asleep on the spot.

Shi Li shrugged, went into the room to put down the medicine bowl, and came out to stand side by side with Ye Youqing, looking at the brightly lit mountain valley, where people were constantly being brought out from the cave, some being carried, presumably injured.

Inside, there were ordinary people and merchants, as well as the original Iron Cavalry. With nowhere to settle, a few shelters were set up outdoors, and congee was being distributed.

“They suffered too, digging mines underground all day.” Ye Youqing murmured.

Shi Li sighed and nodded, turning her face to ask, “I saw you in a hurry today, and haven’t asked what exactly happened last night?”

Ye Youqing truthfully recounted what had happened when she was taken to the back mountain, making Shi Li’s thick brows furrow deeper and deeper, finally letting out a long sigh, “It’s a good thing you were clever, and that the imprisoned leader thought of escaping and dug a tunnel. Otherwise, what I would be seeing now would be a corpse.”

“Isn’t that so,” Ye Youqing also felt a bit of post-traumatic fear.

“That man asked me to call him Old Liu. At first, he didn’t trust me until I took out the Fenghua Pendant and told him I was a descendant of the Zhao family and that most of the Iron Cavalry were deceived into being underground. Only then did he agree to come out of the cave with me to rescue us,” Ye Youqing said.

“And if it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have known that there was a large amount of gunpowder buried at the foot of the mountain, just waiting to burn down the cave when triggered. I was late because I went with him to destroy the mechanism.”

Shi Li was visibly shocked by this.

As they were speaking, a person came running from a lower place, stopping in front of Ye Youqing and bowing, “Miss, Old Liu asks for your presence.”

Hearing this, Ye Youqing waved to Shi Li and followed the person down the mountainside. Passing by the shelters filled with the smell of meat, people whispered continuously, some nodded to her in gratitude.

Ye Youqing walked all the way to a brightly lit house. As soon as she entered, she saw several bodies being carried out, wrapped in burlap.

Ye Youqing averted her eyes. After the bodies were gone, she knocked on the door and entered.

The man inside still had disheveled hair and beard. Seeing Ye Youqing, he quickly stood up, supported by Ye Youqing to sit back down.

“Old Liu, your health isn’t good, you should sit,” Ye Youqing said.

Old Liu sat down with a laugh, looking Ye Youqing up and down, with tears welling up in his eyes, “Back when I followed King Si Rong in battle, he often mentioned his sweet and lovely granddaughter. Now, seven years later, I finally get to see you. Your eyebrows do resemble King Si Rong.”

“It reminds me of the days I followed King Si Rong, full of passion for the country,” Old Liu shook his head slowly, sighing, “It’s a pity that the good General have passed away, and we’re left in this situation.”

Seeing his genuine sadness, Ye Youqing hesitated for a moment before saying, “Don’t sigh, Grandfather’s name has been cleared now.”

“Is this true?” Old Liu’s eyes, hidden within his beard and hair, suddenly widened. He seemed eager to say something joyous but bent over, coughing violently. A tall, thin man beside him quickly stepped forward to pat his back.

That man’s name was Ding Cheng. He was the first person Ye Youqing revealed her identity to in the underground cave. He spoke to Ye Youqing with concern, “Miss, Old Liu has been kept in that damp underground place for four years. The barefoot doctor just examined him and said he is fraught with illness, hard to…”

“No need to worry,” Old Liu waved his hand, showing a trace of happiness on his face again, and lifted his head to continue, “Is it really true?”

“I wouldn’t deceive you,” Ye Youqing replied. “Not only my grandfather but also General Zhou, who fought together with him back then, have been exonerated.”

Old Liu slowly nodded, yet his joy disappeared again: “What use is it now? Back then, we were devoted to protecting our country and driving out invaders, yet we ended up like this. The heavens are blind, and no matter how many rewards are given, those are the lives of two loyal ministers…”

Seeing his sorrow, Ye Youqing couldn’t help but lower her head, feeling increasingly uneasy.

“When we heard the news of King Si Rong’s death, we wanted to march straight into the capital, but we had just repelled the enemy. The Iron Cavalry, no matter how good, were still flesh and blood. More than half were dead or wounded, and only a few hundred brothers remained. How could we fight against hundreds of thousands of imperial troops? We had no choice but to flee north with the brothers.”

“At that time, the blockades were strict, and we had nowhere to hide but in the deep mountains. What is the Iron Cavalry? It was an army trained by King Si Rong himself. Before being taken in by him, we were all orphans and refugees, homeless. Now, in this peaceful era, a group of soldiers who have never left the barracks and have no identities don’t know where to go.”

In times of chaos, they are revered as heroes; in times of peace, discarded like weeds. Ye Youqing felt a pang of bitterness in her heart.

“Luckily, we found ore in these mountains and knew we could sell it for some silver to at least get by. But later, a traitor emerged, leading a group to become real mountain bandits, robbing passing merchants. I scolded that kid but was poisoned and imprisoned by him, spending all these years underground,” Old Liu said, beginning to cough again.

Ye Youqing quickly handed him a cup of tea.

“Miss, I know my own body. I won’t live much longer. The Iron Cavalry cannot be without a leader, or it will truly fall apart,” Old Liu said solemnly as he took the tea. “Since you are King Si Rong’s descendant and hold the Fenghua Pendant capable of commanding the Iron Cavalry, and you were able to penetrate the mountains to rescue me and the brothers trapped there, I believe you have the talent to lead.”

Under his gaze, Ye Youqing slowly nodded.

“I dare not claim leadership talent,” Ye Youqing said. “But as long as I am here, I will not let them go hungry or suffer the agony of never seeing daylight again.”

“Thank you, Miss,” Old Liu nodded gratefully.

Ye Youqing smiled and stood up, urging Old Liu to rest early. Then, she turned to Ding Cheng, who was standing straight nearby, and asked, “Have all the people been killed?”

Ding Cheng was startled: “Not yet.”

“Keep a few of the managers imprisoned. Tomorrow, I need to find out where they have been selling the ore they’ve mined all these years,” Ye Youqing said, feeling so exhausted that she was dizzy but trying to stay alert. “For now, don’t let the commoners see daylight. Treat the injured first and let the healthy rest. After tonight, find some trustworthy brothers with strength to gradually escort them back to Weizhou City.”

“Yes, Miss,” Ding Cheng bowed and said. “We’ve prepared a room for you. Let me take you there.”

After bidding Old Liu farewell, Ye Youqing swayed as she turned to leave. She followed Ding Cheng, walking unsteadily, and had barely gone halfway when a dark figure darted out from the side of the road, startling her.

Ding Cheng quickly reached out to stop the figure, shouting, “Who is it?”

“Big brother, this is my sworn brother!” the figure shouted, ducking under Ding Cheng’s outstretched arm and standing in front of Ye Youqing, excitedly saying, “They said you rescued those commoners and killed that damned Second King? And they also said you are a woman…”

Ah Chi stood before Ye Youqing, staring at her loose hair and pink lips, and his face suddenly fell: “You really are a woman?”

Ye Youqing straightened her posture and said, “Obviously.”

“I only heard them say you stole the Second King’s bride, and I thought I was going to get a sister-in-law,” Ah Chi said half-jokingly, half-disappointed.

“But I’m used to calling you big brother, should I start calling you big sister?” Ah Chi began to scratch his head in confusion.

Ye Youqing was too tired to argue with him and said gently, “It’s just a title. Call me whatever you like.”

With that, she walked past him.

Ah Chi dragged his injured leg to catch up and said apologetically, “Fine, I’ll still call you big brother. But can you tell those people not to send me away?”

“Why, have you gotten addicted to mining?” Ye Youqing asked, looking at his limp leg.

“No, it’s just that those people have homes to return to. My home is far away. Can I stay here for a few days until my leg stops hurting?” Ah Chi asked, struggling to keep up.

Ye Youqing slowed her pace and looked back at him.

Although his face was dirty, his eyes were incredibly beautiful.

“Alright,” Ye Youqing nodded.

“Thank you, big brother!” Ah Chi shouted loudly. Ye Youqing frowned slightly and quickly walked away.

That night, Ye Youqing slept deeply, feeling as if she was sinking into a whirlpool in the deep sea, without even fragmented dreams. When she opened her eyes, it was already noon, and the scorching sunlight shining through the door crack was dazzling.

She tiredly shielded her eyes and lay there for a while, as memories from the previous day flashed through her mind before she got up.

Opening the door, she found a basin of washing water and a stack of clothes outside. The clothes were men’s black garments, as there were probably no women’s clothes in the mountain area.

After washing herself, Ye Youqing felt much more refreshed. She put on the clothes, tied her black hair behind her with a string, and went out.

The sun was scorching, but the mountains were still shrouded in mist, with a layer of light blue over the distant greenery, giving it a faint blue hue. The sky was clear and high.

Some of the tents on the ground had been put away, and most people had been settled into houses. It was mealtime again, and the mountain was filled with the aroma of food.

Ye Youqing’s stomach growled loudly. She was genuinely hungry, so she held her stomach and walked to the halfway point of the mountain where Ci Ke was, and saw two women sitting at a long table that hadn’t been put away yet. One was talking while the other was serving soup.

“Ye Youqing!” Ci Ke waved at her, her face free of makeup but glowing with a healthy pink from a good night’s sleep, her eyes bright and charming, her lips red like a cherry.

Ye Youqing ran up and sat down. Ci Ke quickly placed a bowl of rice in front of her: “Sister Shi Li said you probably haven’t eaten all day. Be careful not to starve.”

Ye Youqing smiled at her, took the rice, picked up a piece of vegetable, and ate gracefully but quickly. In no time, the bowl was empty.

She was about to ask for another bowl when she heard footsteps behind her. The man, who had washed his face clean, struggled to climb up, sat down without hesitation, and said ingratiatingly, “Big brother, the meat porridge isn’t filling. They said I’m in poor health and won’t give me rice to eat.”

“If you want to eat, serve yourself,” Ye Youqing said dismissively, pushing the rice pot in front of him.

Suddenly, she sensed something was wrong. Looking up, she saw Ci Ke clutching her bowl tightly.

“What’s wrong?” Ye Youqing asked with concern.

Ci Ke didn’t look at her but stared at the man, her eyes wide. The bowl in her hand fell back onto the table with a clang.

“Brother…” she whispered in disbelief.

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