Ch 213 (Extra 24): The Farmer Ger in the Apocalypse

Lian Ou Side Story 5

Some things were clearly wrong according to reason, but emotions could not be controlled.

Huiming recited scriptures for three days and went hungry for three days before finally reaching enlightenment.

He simply was not suited to being a monk.

The Buddhist teachings passed through his mouth again and again, but his heart could not settle. He could not let go of that beautiful little ge’er. He could not let go of the lively temple fair. He could not let go of the strings of copper coins and bright silver he had earned…

When Shishu said he should take over as abbot, Huiming was not actually resistant in his heart. To him, the identity of abbot was more like a responsibility, one that meant leading everyone in the temple toward a better life.

As long as he shouldered that responsibility, why insist on where his heart belonged, or who lived within it?

From the moment he was born, his life had never belonged to him.

He was abandoned by his parents, picked up by his master, raised in the temple, and became a monk just like that. Then, because he led the temple toward prosperity, his master chose him as the next abbot.

Since his body already belonged to this path, let his heart be free now and then.

Lian Ou clearly sensed that Huiming’s attitude toward him had changed greatly recently.

When the sky was only just beginning to brighten, he would arrive at the stall with Lian Rong, dew clinging to them and the cold dampness of late night chilling his fingertips. Before long, a bowl of hot water would be placed beside his hand, just the right temperature to drink, warm but not scalding.

Sometimes it was delivered by a little novice monk.

Sometimes…

Huiming actually delivered it himself, secretly looked at him, and even smiled at him!

Had this monk gone mad?

Lian Ou’s heart beat like a drum.

As one of the best-looking ge’er in Lantang Village, plenty of men had openly or secretly shown him favor. He normally would not lose his composure over a few bowls of hot water and a smile.

But Huiming, he…

He was a monk!

The forbidden feeling brought by that identity made Lian Ou’s heart race every time Huiming looked over. It raced so fast that he could no longer tell whether it was because of Huiming’s status as a monk or because of Huiming himself.

Whenever Huiming’s eyes looked at him, they were always so bright…

Clearly he was a monk. How could he have such a gaze?

It was not the sort of look village men gave him, with a little drooling desire and lust mixed in. Instead, it was full of everyday warmth. Looking into it felt like seeing a small courtyard, with cooking smoke drifting from the kitchen window, a great pot of white rice simmering on the stove, and when the lid lifted, the whole room filled with the fragrance of rice.

It felt like two people watching summer night stars together, watching winter snow fall together, snow landing on their hair and turning it white…

It was a gaze that made people feel especially at peace, one they wanted to sink into.

Lian Ou hurriedly turned his head away, then carefully looked around, afraid someone might notice and gossip.

This world was always harsher toward ge’er. If anyone discovered something, whether or not they would gossip that Huiming the monk had broken his vows was uncertain, but they would definitely drown Lian Ou in spit, saying he was shameless and had seduced a monk.

After several times, however, he also noticed that whenever Huiming delivered things or secretly looked at him, he always did it away from others.

This… this at least counted as him knowing propriety.

Lian Ou held the hot water and took a small sip. Half his body warmed.

He was in a bad mood today and had no heart to weave anything. His family had been arguing endlessly lately. The conflict between the eldest branch and the second branch was growing deeper and deeper, and recently the fire seemed faintly ready to spread onto him.

Lian Rong sat beside him, also holding hot water. After smacking her lips twice, she said,

“Is this water a little sweet? Did they put sugar or honey in it? These monks really have money.”

Lian Ou ignored her.

She glanced at Lian Ou, who was holding his bowl in a daze, then leaned closer.

“Ge, don’t worry. Nai will never agree to marry you to Eldest Aunt’s nephew. You’re so capable now. I secretly heard Ye and Nai say the other day that they want to find you a good marriage in the county so you can become the fulang of a rich family.”

Hearing this, Lian Ou felt even more uncomfortable.

Awkwardly, he said,

“I know Ye and Nai won’t agree to Eldest Aunt’s… What? Don’t talk nonsense. You’re always the quickest with your mouth. What rich family fulang? If others hear that, they’ll say we’re frivolous. Did you learn nothing from last time?”

Thinking of what happened last time, then looking at the red marks on Lian Ou’s neck that had not fully healed, Lian Rong immediately wilted and behaved herself for most of the day.

When they closed the stall in the afternoon, she even eagerly offered to take Lian Ou’s basket to Huiming for safekeeping.

Lian Ou pinched one side of the basket. His lips moved twice before he finally let go.

“…Go.”

When Huiming saw Lian Rong come over, his gaze immediately looked behind her. Not seeing Lian Ou, he looked a little disappointed.

Lian Rong followed his gaze and looked back too, asking curiously,

“Master, what are you looking at?”

“…Nothing. You’re going back this early?”

Lian Rong nodded.

“It’s getting cold now, and it gets dark early. It’s safer for us to go home earlier.”

Huiming felt that he should restrain himself a little lately.

At first, he only wanted to let his heart be free a little and secretly like the person hidden inside it.

But feelings poured from the eyes even when the mouth was covered. He simply could not endure it or hide it. He just wanted to see Lian Ou. Even one more glance felt satisfying.

Just once.

One last time…

After putting away Lian Ou’s needlework basket, he secretly followed Lian Rong’s footsteps.

For countless days and nights afterward, Huiming would be grateful that he had not followed the rules so strictly that day.

In the small woods leading to Lantang Village, he saw Lian Ou being dragged deeper into the forest by a man covering his mouth.

Lian Rong saw from far away and charged over like a little firecracker, only to be kicked over and sent rolling several times before collapsing motionless on the ground.

Huiming did not remember what he was thinking at that moment.

Perhaps the human mind had some protective mechanism that made people forget things too painful to recall.

By the time his senses returned, the man was already lying on the ground wailing, his face swollen red and purple.

Lian Ou desperately hugged Huiming’s arm.

“Stop hitting him. Don’t… don’t hit him so hard. If you beat him to death and have to pay with your life, it won’t be worth it!”

Just now, Huiming had rushed over like a madman and beaten Wang-shi’s nephew directly in the head and face.

People said not to hit the face when fighting. Lian Ou had seen Qing-ge’er hit people before. He always picked fleshy places on the body, ensuring no vital areas were injured while making it hurt terribly.

Who hit people like Huiming did?

There was no technique at all.

Qing-ge’er had once said there were temples and other points on the head and face where one punch could kill a person!

Lian Ou tugged at Huiming several times.

Actually, with Lian Ou’s little strength, how could he possibly move Huiming? Yet bit by bit, Huiming’s senses still returned through Lian Ou’s pulling.

Only then did he stop.

He then kicked the man’s legs hard several more times, untied the man’s belt, and bound his hands and feet with it.

The man fainted from pain.

Huiming casually threw him aside, then turned and pulled Lian Ou into his arms.

Lian Ou’s entire body stiffened.

This was different from when Wang-shi’s nephew had grabbed him from behind and dragged him toward the forest.

Back then, Lian Ou had only felt disgust. The man’s smell made him want to vomit, and his skin felt slimy and sinister like a snake. Lian Ou only wanted to escape.

But now, enclosed in Huiming’s embrace, he smelled faint sandalwood and soapberry. Warm and dry. Protecting him completely.

So safe…

He should have pushed him away.

But he also greedily clung to that brief warmth.

After several breaths, Lian Ou finally patted Huiming lightly and stammered,

“Let go of me… My… my clothes are torn… and my sister…”

Only then did Huiming realize the man had torn Lian Ou’s clothing, revealing a small patch of shoulder and a brightly colored undergarment.

He only looked once before no longer daring to look. Turning around, he took off his monk robe and wrapped Lian Ou tightly in it.

Lian Rong had been kicked once. Her injuries were not serious, but after rolling several times, she was dizzy and had not seen her brother’s “private affair.”

Huiming pointed at Wang-shi’s nephew.

“What should be done with him?”

If the crime had been something like stealing chickens or dogs, Huiming naturally would have dragged the person straight to the village head without another word. Sending him to the authorities would not have been impossible either.

But this involved Lian Ou’s chastity and reputation, which made things difficult.

If they dragged the man to the village head and exposed the matter, Lian Ou might instead be forced to marry him.

Such things were not unheard of in surrounding villages.

You were already touched by someone and no longer clean. If you didn’t marry him, who else would willingly become the cuckold?

But even if they did not send him over, would this man stay silent?

Lian Ou understood very clearly.

This man had come to the woods to block him precisely for the sake of forcing a marriage. Even if they let him go, within half a day he would spread the story himself, completely ruining Lian Ou’s reputation.

Gritting his teeth, Lian Ou thought for a long while, then tightened the robe draped over him.

“Send him to the village head.”

“If my reputation is ruined, then so be it. Even if I never marry in my life, I will not let him go!”

He lowered his head and looked at the hem of the gray monk robe.

“…I have skills. I can support myself. If I don’t marry, then I don’t marry…”

He quietly glanced at Huiming, then turned his head away.

“I don’t really want to marry anyway.”

Huiming helped him carry the Wang family boy to Lantang Village, then took his leave.

Although he desperately wanted to stay beside Lian Ou, he still had to avoid suspicion. He hid at a distance and secretly watched.

Trying to stain a ge’er’s innocence was an extremely serious matter in the village.

Lian Ou and Lian Rong threw themselves into Miao Hexiang’s arms and cried loudly enough to shake the heavens.

Lian Rong was purely frightened and in pain. Lian Ou, the actual victim, had already calmed down somewhat after being comforted by Huiming. Half of his crying came from belated grievance, and half was pretense.

Miao Hexiang thanked Huiming, then hugged her ge’er and daughter and cried too, cursing Wang-shi’s entire family as she wept.

Old Man Lian and Old Madam Lian’s faces were ashen.

Their first reaction was to blame Lian Ou for making a scene.

How was he supposed to marry high now?

When something like this happened in other families, didn’t they all try desperately to hide and suppress it?

Only these children, after spending so much time around Qing-ge’er, had developed such strong tempers.

But when they turned and saw Wang-shi lowering her head as if enduring scolding while a hint of a smile curved her lips, their anger faded.

Even if Lian Ou had not exposed it, the Wang family would have made trouble anyway. Lian Ou had no chance of marrying high anymore.

For the first time, Wang-shi was cursed by Miao Hexiang without talking back. She did not take it to heart either.

Only after Miao Hexiang finished cursing and crying did she speak leisurely.

“Father, Mother, no matter how we say it, my nephew was indeed in the wrong. But now that things have already become like this, I think we should settle the marriage between Ou-ge’er and that boy.”

“I originally told you about this match before, but you insisted on blocking it. Now that the two younger ones have gotten into trouble themselves, if we don’t become in-laws, both families will lose face…”

She was certain Lian Ou had no other choice.

Of course, even if Lian Ou failed to marry high and angrily chose to marry low into some other village rather than marry her nephew, that was not impossible.

In that case, she would have her nephew go to that family’s door every day and say he had already taken Lian Ou’s body.

She could guarantee that whenever Lian Ou found a match, they would ruin it.

Miao Hexiang was so furious she wanted to hit someone.

Suddenly, Lian Ou pulled himself out of her arms. Tears still hung on his face, but his expression was solemn as he spoke to Old Man Lian, Old Madam Lian, his father, and his mother.

“Ye, Nai, Father, Mother, even if I have to hang myself from a beam, I will not marry the Wang family boy!”

“I can’t endure this life for even one more day. They even dare use such schemes. Are you still human?”

“If he had touched me today, I wouldn’t want to live anymore. I would immediately jump into the river!”

“I don’t care about reputation anymore. I don’t care whether I marry or not. I’ll never marry for the rest of my life. I’ll go to the temple and become a monk too if I have to!”

“I refuse to let them off like this. Today the Wang family and the village must give me justice, or else I’ll report this to the authorities!”

◦°˚(*❛‿❛)/˚°◦