Chapter 58: Literacy

Pear Blossom was unaware of the conversation between Mrs. Xiong and Dagen. Although the system could monitor the surrounding movements, it required a lot of computation, and not everything was worth listening to.

For the past few days, she had not gone to the city and had been working diligently at home digging a hole. By the third day, the hole was finally finished. It was large enough to accommodate four or five people and was camouflaged with turf and shrubs, making it impossible to tell that there were people hiding below.

Noticing that there was still no movement at the village entrance, Pear Blossom decided to go to the city. Previously, Murong Jin had mentioned that he wanted to investigate this group of people. She wondered if anything had been discovered. Also, the herbs her mother had been drying had been exposed to the sun for a few days, and while the sunlight had reduced their moisture, some herbs shouldn’t be dried too much and needed to be processed soon.

After instructing Erniu and Xinghua to keep an eye on the village entrance, Pear Blossom packed the herbs into a basket and left.

She didn’t go straight into the city. The owners of the herbal stores often looked down on her because of her young age, and these herbs required someone experienced to help sell them for a good price. It goes without saying, the one person who could help her with this was her eldest uncle, Xiong Laoda. Over the years, her grandfather had been treating patients in the city, so their family was the most familiar with the herbal stores.

Arriving at Shangyang Village, the Xiong family greeted her with broad smiles, grateful for how much Pear Blossom had helped them. Xiong Laohan, looking healthier than before, was even building two new rooms at home.

Pear Blossom asked, “Why didn’t you call my father to help with the house?”

Xiong Laohan stroked his beard and said, “With so many people at home, we didn’t need your father. I heard your village is building a school—didn’t Dagen go to help?”

Pear Blossom nodded and replied, “Yes, my father and Daniu are helping. Once the school is completed and they hire a teacher, Daniu and the others will be able to learn some characters.”

Xiong Laohan couldn’t hide his envy: “Our village doesn’t have that kind of fortune. Ah, after living all these years, not knowing characters is fine, I guess.”

After learning the purpose of Pear Blossom’s visit, Xiong Laoda eagerly rummaged through the herbs in the basket, his eyes gleaming. Pear Blossom said, “Uncle, please see which herbs my grandfather can use and keep those. The rest can be sold.”

Xiong Laoda shook his head. “Your grandfather’s illness isn’t cured by the most expensive medicine. It’s best to listen to the doctor’s advice, or else the body won’t accept the medicine.”

Pear Blossom helplessly replied, “If my grandfather needs any medicine in the future, let me know, and I’ll bring it to you when I find it.”

Xiong Laoda agreed quickly and didn’t want to delay, so he immediately took Pear Blossom to the county town.

Having a familiar contact made things much easier. Once they arrived in the county town, Xiong Laoda led Pear Blossom to a herbal shop called “Jishitang.” The shopkeeper was overjoyed to see the basket of herbs and offered a fair price. Ordinary ginseng was sold for twelve to thirteen taels per jin, but the ten-year-old ginseng Pear Blossom had was bought for thirty taels. In total, the basket of herbs was sold for one hundred and ten taels of silver.

These mountain herbs were often harvested by herbalists, making it difficult to find rare ones. Pear Blossom’s haul this time was already quite good. However, if she could venture deeper into the mountains, there would be more treasures to be found.

Before they left, the shopkeeper personally saw them out and reminded Pear Blossom to bring any future herbs directly to his shop, promising to offer her a good price.

With this trip, Pear Blossom had found a reliable place to sell herbs, so she wouldn’t have to worry about where to go next time.

Afterward, she handed Xiong Laoda the change of ten taels. Xiong Laoda hesitated and refused, saying, “I just brought you here to find the place, not for silver. Besides, I already shamelessly took fifty taels from the blind man. We don’t lack money at home; I can’t take it.”

Pear Blossom insisted, “Uncle, please take it. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have sold the herbs for such a good price. Besides, next time I’ll come by myself, and you won’t be able to earn this money.”

After a bit of back-and-forth on the street, Xiong Laoda reluctantly accepted the money.

After parting ways, Pear Blossom hurried to the escort agency.

When Murong Jin saw her, his face lit up. “I was just planning to go to your village to find you.”

“Is something wrong?”

“We’ve uncovered some details about the people who kidnapped Miss Xia,” Murong Jin said. “These people are bandits from the Baihuya Mountain, located at the border of Jinyang County and Songlin County. A few years ago, they established a mountain lodge at the foot of the mountain, called Baihu Mountain Lodge. The bandits there transformed into respectable people, no longer robbing homes but running gambling dens, brothels, and pawnshops. They completely washed themselves clean.”

Pear Blossom snorted, “And these businesses are clean, are they? They just found a different way to kill people. Before, they would stab with a knife; now, they use other means to drive people to death.”

Murong Jin agreed, “It is indeed despicable!”

Pear Blossom asked, “What’s your plan?”

Murong Jin smiled slyly, a glint of cunning in his eyes. “We’ll surround Wei to rescue Zhao!”

Pear Blossom looked at her with some confusion. Murong Jin sighed helplessly: “You need to read more books. Otherwise, we won’t be able to have a pleasant conversation in the future.”

Pear Blossom’s ears turned red. She used to think it didn’t matter if she couldn’t read, after all, there were so many illiterate people in the world. Whether or not she could read wouldn’t make a difference. But since she found out that Sister Dong, Miss Xia, and the people in front of her, like Murong Jin, could all read, she began to feel increasingly embarrassed about her illiteracy.

“Currently, Baihu Mountain Manor’s main income comes from Jinfeng Tower and the South City gambling house. As long as we weaken one of them, they will definitely focus their attention on Jinyang City. As for that small case near your village, it will soon be forgotten,” Murong Jin said. “This is what we call surrounding Jinfeng or the gambling house to save Daliushu Village. Do you understand?”

Pear Blossom suddenly understood: “Got it!”

Murong Jin nodded with satisfaction: “As long as we make enough noise in Jinyang City and cause them great losses, we won’t have to worry about them not coming.”

“How about starting with Jinfeng Tower?” Pear Blossom suggested.

Murong Jin looked at her: “Why choose Jinfeng Tower?”

“The people in the gambling house are all desperate, and there are many thugs there. If we go, we might not get the best outcome. Moreover, the gamblers might not be happy if we ruin their ‘fun’. But Jinfeng Tower is different. Most of the women there are forced into prostitution. If we target Jinfeng Tower, we will naturally have more supporters.”

Murong Jin looked at her and laughed: “I was right earlier; you’re the type to act harmless but strike hard. But how do you plan to do this? Do you have any good ideas?”

Pear Blossom thought for a moment: “Jinfeng Tower makes its money off the women. Without them, there won’t be any customers. If we take all the women away, we’ll cut off their source of income.”

Murong Jin shook her head: “The contracts are in the hands of the brothel keeper. Even if you take the women away, what will happen? Unless you hide them on a mountain and never let them come down again.”

Pear Blossom, who herself had been forced to sign a contract while unconscious and had lost thirty taels of silver for it, couldn’t help but feel repulsed by the thought of such contracts falling into someone else’s hands. She said angrily, “Then we burn it all down. The contracts and Jinfeng Tower—burn it all. The women won’t have to go back. Even if they want to rebuild Jinfeng Tower, it won’t be so easy. We’ll burn one every time they build one. Let’s see if they can build faster than we can burn!”

Murong Jin was delighted when she heard this. “Good idea, fire attacks are great. They create chaos and cover up traces. Don’t rush back today. Later, we’ll disguise ourselves and I’ll take you to Jinfeng Tower to scout out the layout. Once my father leaves the city with the caravan in a few days, we’ll act!”

---

The city gate closed precisely at the fifth watch, and Pear Blossom rushed out just in time. By the time she returned home, it was already dark.

Dinner had already been served, and there was food left warming for her on the stove.

The dinner was braised pork with green beans, served over rice. The oil and broth seeped into the rice, each bite crispy with the crunch of the crust at the bottom of the pot so delicious that it was hard to stop. Pear Blossom ate quickly, finishing two large bowls of rice, and even scraped the plate clean, not leaving a single trace of oil.

In the past few days, she had been busy digging holes and doing other things, with little time to learn to read. Thinking of the penalty she had discussed with Xia Xunyan earlier, she quickly finished her meal and went to her room.

Xia Xunyan was focused on writing something at the desk. Hearing the door open, she looked up, saw Pear Blossom, and nodded, “You’re back.”

After staying in this house for a few days, she had learned from Xinghua about the family’s main duties and also realized that the family’s improved living conditions were due to Pear Blossom’s hunting. So, while she admired the young girl, she had to lower her expectations for her learning.

To her surprise, Pear Blossom sat at the desk and stretched out her two palms toward her: “Teacher Xia, I’m here to receive my punishment.”

Xia Xunyan froze for a moment. She had never seen a student so willing to take punishment. She then smiled, “What wrong have you done to deserve punishment?”

Pear Blossom said, “I deserve two penalties. The first one is when I ran away during the first lesson. The second one is that I probably won’t be able to continue studying with you, Teacher Xia.”

Xia Xunyan was taken aback. “The first one was for a reason, you don’t need to be punished for it. But what do you mean by the second one? Does this mean you won’t study with me anymore, or that you won’t learn to read at all?”

Pear Blossom honestly replied, “I won’t study with Teacher Xia anymore.”

“Why is that?”

“Because before Teacher Xia came, Sister Dong had said she would teach me to read, and I agreed.”

When Xia Xunyan heard Dong Yun’s name, her hand holding the brush tightened. She asked, “Since you promised her back then, why didn’t you mention it when I offered to teach you? Did you choose the one you thought was best after weighing your options?”

Pear Blossom quickly shook her head: “No, I’m usually dull and wouldn’t dare hope to learn many characters. How could I dare to choose my teacher?”

“Then why?” Xia Xunyan asked, staring at her intently.

“It’s because I’m dull. I was afraid she’d think I was stupid, so I thought I would learn a little from Teacher Xia first. That way, when she starts teaching me, she won’t think I’m that stupid, and it won’t be so hard…” Pear Blossom said, feeling a bit embarrassed about her childish actions, and a little uneasy for revealing how much she cared about Dong Yun.

Xia Xunyan’s expression shifted slightly upon hearing this. “You care about her that much?”

Pear Blossom looked up, noticing the unusual tone in her voice, and asked, “Teacher Xia, are you okay?”

Xia Xunyan realized she had lost composure and quickly lowered her gaze. When she looked down, she saw that a large ink stain had spread across the page in front of her, gradually spreading out.

She shook her head, “I’m fine.”

She then looked up, smiled faintly, and said, “It’s just that I’m heartbroken over losing such an honest and pure student.”

Pear Blossom noticed that her expression had returned to normal, and she let out a quiet sigh of relief. She had been worried about what Xia Xunyan might say, but fortunately, everything had gone smoothly.

Xia Xunyan hesitated for a moment before asking, “That Madam Dong… she…”

In fact, in the past few days, Xinghua had often mentioned various things happening in the village, talking about Fubao’s cuteness and Dong Yun’s beauty. Pear Blossom had wanted to learn more about the woman from the two sisters countless times, but each time, the words stuck in her throat.

“She is really lucky to have met you.”

Pear Blossom smiled, “Then, Teacher, I won’t disturb you any longer.”

“Go ahead,” Xia Xunyan responded gently, staring at her figure as it disappeared behind the door.

Once Pear Blossom left the door, she went to bathe. Afterward, she remembered she hadn’t given Mrs. Xiong the money from selling the herbs that day. She turned around, took the silver note, and went to the main house.

Mrs. Xiong, upon hearing that the herbs had sold for over a hundred taels, and that ten taels had been given to her older brother, smiled broadly and handed the silver note back to Pear Blossom, saying, “We have enough silver at home, you can keep it for yourself.”

Pear Blossom wasn’t polite and took the silver note without hesitation.

Just as she was about to leave, Mrs. Xiong called her back and shared something Big Brother had mentioned the other night. She asked if Pear Blossom wanted to go and probe Dong Yun’s thoughts. If Dong Yun was willing, they wouldn’t interfere, but if she wasn’t, they would assist her.

After hearing her mother’s words, a surge of anger rushed to Pear Blossom’s head, and she clenched her teeth.

Seeing her daughter’s reaction, Mrs. Xiong knew she had been right in what she said, but still reminded her, “Fubao’s mother is still young, you should ask her first. If she truly has an interest, and you interfere, no one will be happy.”

Pear Blossom said nothing and turned to leave, stomping out the door.

Mrs. Xiong turned her head and shot a glare at her husband, who was sitting by the bed.

---

When Pear Blossom arrived, Dong Yun had just finished washing the dishes. Upon seeing Pear Blossom, she wiped her hands and said, “You’re here.”

Fubao, hearing her mother talking outside, knew Pear Blossom had arrived and ran excitedly to her, throwing herself into Pear Blossom’s arms.

Pear Blossom bent down to hold her, but her mind was still on what her mother had just said. She felt a lump in her chest, but with Fubao in her arms, she couldn’t ask the question. Her face alternated between pale and flushed with suppressed emotions.

As the evening light dimmed, Dong Yun couldn’t see clearly, but Fubao noticed Pear Blossom’s unusual behavior. She reached out and tugged at Pear Blossom’s mouth, trying to make her smile.

Dong Yun then noticed the change and asked, “What’s wrong? Are you upset?”

Pear Blossom mumbled an answer.

Dong Yun, being very perceptive, connected this to the conversation she had overheard earlier with her mother-in-law and understood what was going on. However, since Pear Blossom hadn’t asked, she didn’t force any explanations and quietly continued cleaning the stove.

Pear Blossom watched Dong Yun as she cleaned the countertop, her graceful curves accentuated by the flickering oil lamp, each movement magnified on the wall.

Originally coming in angry, Pear Blossom silently observed for a while, and inexplicably, all her frustration seemed to dissipate.

When Dong Yun finished wiping the counter and was about to wash her hands, Pear Blossom quietly stepped forward, holding Fubao in one arm while using the other hand to fetch water with a wooden ladle.

Dong Yun crouched down, her back to the candlelight, and her delicate face hidden in the shadows, making it hard to discern her expression.

After washing her hands, she lifted her head and said to Pear Blossom, “Tonight we’re starting to learn characters, right?”

Pear Blossom nodded. She had come here to study, but her mother’s earlier words had left her feeling uneasy.

“I’ve been busy all day and I’m covered in sweat, I need to wash up first. Fubao’s already washed, so you can take her into the room to play.”

As she spoke, she removed the hairpin from her head, and her long black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, draping over her shoulders. She suddenly appeared more charming and graceful.

Pear Blossom swallowed and muttered an acknowledgment, then turned to close the door before entering the room with Fubao in her arms.

She played with the little one for a while, and after some time, Dong Yun finally entered the room. She was drying her hair with a cloth, her loose hair giving her a more delicate and alluring appearance compared to her usual composed demeanor.

Pear Blossom briefly glanced at her neck but quickly looked down again, continuing to play with Fubao.

Dong Yun, oblivious to Pear Blossom’s gaze, continued attending to herself, making soft rustling sounds. After a while, she set a small table on the bamboo couch, sat down, and then turned to Fubao, saying, “Fubao, Pear Blossom is about to start studying, you can’t keep bothering her.”

Fubao looked up at Pear Blossom, then at her mother, and snuggled closer to Pear Blossom, saying, “Fubao wants to learn too.”

Dong Yun replied, “If you want to study too, Pear Blossom might get distracted.”

Pear Blossom quickly intervened, “Fubao can join.”

Dong Yun smiled with a knowing look in her eyes but didn’t force the issue. “During learning, no interruptions or fidgeting. Fubao, can you do that?”

Fubao, eager not to be excluded, nodded vigorously.

Since Dong Yun had entered the room, Pear Blossom had felt a bit hot, unsure if it was the weather or her own inner turmoil. She first opened a window, then moved to the bamboo couch with Fubao and sat on the other side of the table.

Dong Yun had already prepared the books, including the Four Treasures of the Study. “The other day, I heard your female teacher uses this book for teaching. How much have you learned?”

Pear Blossom was a little embarrassed. “I only studied a little that night before you arrived, and I’ve been busy these past days, so I haven’t had time to learn much. I only know the first seven or eight characters; I can’t remember the rest.”

Dong Yun laughed. “Learning seven or eight characters in three or four days is already very impressive! What more do you want, to be a genius?”

Pear Blossom bit her lip. “Don’t make fun of me.”

Dong Yun pressed her lips, swallowing the teasing words, and said, “Let’s start from the beginning. First, we’ll read the first chapter twice, and then I’ll explain the meaning of each word and character. After that, we can start practicing writing.”

Pear Blossom nodded.

However, by the time they finished reading the second round, Pear Blossom’s arms had become heavy. It turned out that the little dumpling could no longer bear the monotonous dialogue. Unable to speak freely, it had fallen asleep in Pear Blossom’s arms.

The two of them were both helpless and amused. Pear Blossom got off the wooden couch, gently carried the dumpling to the bed, and carefully tucked it under the blanket.

When she sat back down, Dong Yun had already started grinding ink.

Pear Blossom immediately felt a little nervous.

She had studied with Teacher Xia for a few days, but she had never written characters before. What if she couldn’t do it well…

Dong Yun happened to lift her head, noticing Pear Blossom’s nervous expression, and couldn’t help but smile. “What’s wrong? You’re scared already before we even start writing?”

The nervousness lingered until Dong Yun moved closer to teach her how to hold the brush.

“Hold the brush like this: curve your middle finger slightly and rest it on the brush, with your index finger placed on the shaft… then apply a little force with your wrist, like this.”

Dong Yun carefully arranged her fingers, not realizing that her body was almost sitting in front of Pear Blossom, nearly in her lap.

Feeling the warmth of Dong Yun’s long, slender fingers on her hand, Pear Blossom’s hand holding the brush trembled slightly. She was afraid to apply too much force, worried that she might make a mistake. She allowed Dong Yun’s fingers to guide hers, writing each stroke slowly.

When she finished and looked at the result, the characters were crooked and not at all neat.

“What is this character?” she asked.

Dong Yun chuckled lightly. “See? You don’t even recognize your own name.”

Pear Blossom felt a little embarrassed.

“…How do you write your name?” she asked quietly.

Dong Yun turned to look at her. “Do you want to write my name?”

Her gaze was teasing, and it made Pear Blossom’s heart flutter, feeling soft and tingly.

Pear Blossom bit her lip, gazing at the side of Dong Yun’s beautiful face, her eyes intense.

The image of Murong Jin taking her to Jinfeng Tower earlier that afternoon flashed in her mind, along with the intertwined sounds of high-pitched and hurried voices…

Dong Yun, noticing she didn’t respond, gently nudged her with her shoulder.

But by now, Pear Blossom couldn’t hear what Dong Yun was saying. She was struggling to control the impulse to pull her close and embrace her slender waist.

At that moment, a gust of wind blew in through the window she had opened earlier, extinguishing the flickering candlelight, and the entire room fell into darkness.

Dong Yun fumbled, trying to get up and find a fire starter. But as she lifted her hips, a hand suddenly wrapped around her waist. She was pulled back into a warm embrace.

That night, Dong Yun wore thin clothing, and she immediately felt the soft tips of a young body press against her back.

Realizing this, Dong Yun’s breath caught.

The hands around her waist were surprisingly strong, gripping her so tightly that it hurt.

She seemed to sense something. She could have stopped it, but she bit her lip and said nothing.

The wind outside grew fiercer, howling as it hit the window.

After the rice was harvested, the weather quickly turned to early autumn, and the night air had already begun to chill.

Pear Blossom’s heart pounded wildly. Would she be scolded?

In the darkness, she couldn’t see Dong Yun’s expression, and it made her bolder.

The hand on her waist was already feeling the soft curve, and if it moved up just a little more, it would cover everything.

She had been longing for it for so long.

It had even appeared in her dreams.

The person in her arms stirred slightly, as if remembering to struggle, but Pear Blossom clenched her waist tighter, unwilling to let go. She felt Dong Yun trying to pry her hand off, so she seemed to comply, loosening her grip slightly, but as soon as her right hand was raised, she moved it upward, covering the area again.

She could feel the woman’s breath stop for a moment, followed by a slight tremble, as though she, too, was struggling to control her emotions.

Pear Blossom lowered her head and pressed her forehead to Dong Yun’s, completely enveloping her.

Dong Yun froze, leaning against the small table, struggling to hold herself up, but then she felt the hand that had been near her body massage her slightly. In that moment, all her strength drained away, and she leaned back, collapsing into the embrace.

Pear Blossom’s face pressed against hers, but her hand didn’t leave.

They held each other like that, the time feeling both long and fleeting. Finally, Dong Yun caught the hand that was misbehaving and softly said, “Let go.”

Pear Blossom didn’t dare resist. She slowly moved her hand away but accidentally brushed against her. Dong Yun sucked in a breath sharply, trembling slightly, and grabbed Pear Blossom’s hand, pinching it hard.

After a pause, Dong Yun straightened up, feeling around to find the fire starter.

Pear Blossom, her voice hoarse, said, “You sit still. Where is the fire starter? I’ll go get it.”

Dong Yun, feeling weak, didn’t want to move. She said it was on the bedside table.

Pear Blossom had grown accustomed to the darkness and could roughly make out the furniture. She got off the couch, quickly found the fire starter, blew on it, and soon lit the candle, bringing light back into the room.

Afraid that the wind might blow in again, she leaned forward to close the window. When she returned to the small table, Dong Yun was sitting upright, but her hair was slightly messy, and her eyes were wet, looking as though they were tinted with a layer of spring warmth, incredibly beautiful.

But now that the candlelight was lit and the room was bright, Pear Blossom didn’t dare to bring up what had happened in the darkness. Dong Yun didn’t want to address it openly, so she said nothing.

It was a relief that Dong Yun didn’t scold her for what had happened in the dark.

But there was something she had to mention.

“I heard Liu—”

Before she could finish speaking, Dong Yun interrupted her, “I don’t want to hear that name.”

Pear Blossom immediately felt relieved upon hearing this.

Dong Yun then scolded, “Do you still want to learn to read?”

Pear Blossom nodded repeatedly, “I do.”

Looking at the obedient expression on the girl’s face, Dong Yun couldn’t connect her to the person who had been so reckless in the darkness just moments ago. Just thinking about it made her hands and feet go weak, and she almost couldn’t turn the pages of the book.

“Open to the second page,” Dong Yun commanded, unable to hold back.

She watched the girl straighten up slightly, reach for the book, and then smile sweetly at her. Dong Yun bit her lip and gave her an irritated glare.