The Road to Glory

Chapter 6 Xiao Li wiped his face and resignedly sat up...

The next day, Wen Yu emerged from the room yawning, with faint dark circles under her eyes.

Ever since learning that the room originally belonged to the rogue, she had felt uncomfortable lying in bed at night, resting her head on the millet husk pillow and covered by the half-worn quilt.

It wasn't that the pillow or bedding carried any peculiar odor, but even though the Great Liang dynasty had liberal social customs, it was absolutely unheard of for unmarried men and women to share the same quilt.

Wen Yu clearly understood these were extraordinary circumstances that couldn't be judged by normal standards.

When she had been delivered by the trafficker, covered in rashes and burning with high fever from cold, the rogue likely didn't dare risk housing her with his mother, hence this arrangement.

But understanding the reasoning was one thing - being completely unbothered was another.

Currently, her cold hadn't fully recovered, and red marks from the rashes remained visible. She couldn't possibly suggest squeezing into Xiao Huiniang's room to sleep.

In the harsh winter, after a night of wind and snow, the icicles hanging from the eaves grew over a foot long. Having survived beatings from the trafficker and a brush with death, Wen Yu valued her life too much to endure freezing all night without proper bedding for the sake of so-called virtue.

Thus when night fell, she still wrapped herself in the quilt to sleep. However, the previously faint soapberry scent on the quilt seemed to intensify suddenly, lingering around her nose and keeping her awake most of the night.

Wen Yu finally drifted into fitful sleep during the fourth watch, only to be awakened at dawn by some distant household's rooster crowing.

Having lost all desire to sleep, she simply threw on clothes and got up.

After the howling winds throughout the night, Wen Yu found snow nearly covering the threshold when she opened the main door, the entire courtyard blanketed in white.

Poking a shallow finger imprint into the half-foot deep snow, she recalled how yesterday morning, only the water jar rim and courtyard walls had heavy snow accumulation while the ground remained relatively clear - likely having been swept.

With Xiao Huiniang still asleep and the rogue not returning last night, Wen Yu searched indoors and found a broom behind the door, first clearing the piled snow at the entrance.

Just then, unusual sounds came from beyond the courtyard wall. Leaning on the broom, Wen Yu looked up to see the rogue who hadn't returned all night vaulting over the wall, his movements as agile as a hunting leopard returning home.

Noticing her, Xiao Li also paused in surprise. His gaze fell on the broom in her hands before frowning. Approaching, he retrieved a fine bamboo-twig broom from the corner outside the wall and tossed it to her, saying, "Use this for sweeping the courtyard."

Wen Yu silently observed the thrown bamboo broom.

Back in the prince's mansion, she had seen maids sweeping snow with palm fiber brooms.

That's why she hadn't hesitated to use this palm fiber broom for snow clearing when she spotted it indoors.

Fortunately, the rogue didn't seem inclined to criticize her further. Heading inside with fine snow dusting his hair and shoulders, his handsome face showing obvious exhaustion, he lazily threw out, "I'm sleeping for a while. Don't wake me for breakfast."

Wen Yu watched him enter and go straight to the recliner by the fire pit, pulling the thin quilt over himself before immediately falling asleep.He seemed not to have slept a wink all night, and it was unclear what he had been doing the previous night.

Wen Yu turned back to continue sweeping the snow, though her movements became noticeably gentler.

Not long after, Xiao Huiniang also rose. Seeing her son sleeping with his head tilted on the reclining chair, she picked up the half-dropped quilt and quietly covered him again.

Xiao Li slept deeply, undisturbed by the slight noise. His usually fierce brows were slightly furrowed, as if even in his dreams, he was not entirely at ease.

When Xiao Huiniang came out, Wen Yu whispered, "Second Master returned early this morning and said he wanted to sleep a while, so he won’t be having breakfast."

Xiao Huiniang sighed softly and said, "Let him rest properly. It’s my fault for burdening him. If he could find a decent job, he wouldn’t have to stay out overnight every few days."

Wen Yu didn’t fully grasp Xiao Huiniang’s meaning. Was it because the gambling house paid well, and her medical expenses were high, that this rogue had no choice but to work there? Or was it… for some other reason that he could only work at the gambling house?

But these were matters she couldn’t inquire about, so she simply asked, "Does Second Master often go out at night to collect debts?"

Xiao Huiniang replied, "It’s not about collecting debts. The gambling house never closes at night, and to prevent trouble, the staff must take turns keeping watch."

With this explanation, Wen Yu understood completely.

This rogue had been guarding the gambling house last night.

No wonder Xiao Huiniang hadn’t questioned him much when he said he wouldn’t return for the night, only reminding him to be careful on the road.

As she lowered her gaze, lost in thought, Xiao Huiniang suddenly said, "I’m going out for a while. Today is market day, and Li Erlang, who sells sundries at the street corner, always leaves early. I’ll take these handkerchiefs to him and ask him to sell them at the market. A Yu, could you please light a brazier for Huan'er?"

Hearing her childhood name, Wen Yu snapped back to attention and noticed Xiao Huiniang holding a basket. She quickly called out, "Auntie, wait a moment. I embroidered some yesterday too. Please take them along."

Setting down the broom, she went into her room and returned with seven or eight handkerchiefs.

Xiao Huiniang was astonished. "You embroidered so many?"

Wen Yu said, "Thanks to your kindness, I have a place to stay. A Yu has nothing of value, but my embroidery skills are passable, so I wanted to help you however I could."

Since it concerned whether she could contact her attendants sooner, she dared not slack off.

Touched, Xiao Huiniang held her hand and repeatedly called her a "good child."

The handkerchiefs Wen Yu had embroidered in haste were not as refined as her usual needlework, but they were more than adequate for selling in the market. What stood out, however, were the unique embroidery patterns.

After briefly examining the seven or eight handkerchiefs, Xiao Huiniang placed them in the basket and left.

When the courtyard gate opened, the hinges creaked heavily. Suddenly, a low, slightly hoarse voice came from inside the house: "Where is Mother going?"

The sudden voice startled Wen Yu.

She turned to see that the person who had been sleeping with his eyes closed on the reclining chair was now awake.

Xiao Huiniang called from outside the gate, "Sleep a little longer. I’m going to Li Erlang’s place."

Then the gate closed with another dull creak.

Only then did Xiao Li lie back down.

Wen Yu was somewhat surprised. So, when this rogue had climbed over the wall earlier, was it to avoid waking his mother with the gate’s noise?

He was quite filial, after all.She withdrew her gaze and remembered Xiao Huiniang’s instruction to light a fire in the brazier. She went to the kitchen but, after searching around, couldn’t find the tinder to start a fire. Only in a small hollow beneath the stove did she find a flint and a steel striker. She couldn’t help but frown.

She didn’t know how to use the flint and steel striker.

She could recognize them only because she had seen them in books before.

The books said that one must strike the steel against the flint to ignite the tinder.

Wen Yu found a handful of dried moss from the firewood pile, placed the flint beneath it, and tried striking it with the steel striker for a while. But aside from making her hand ache, she didn’t produce even a single spark.

She stared at the tools thoughtfully for a moment, then took them to the main room.

Xiao Li had just fallen into a deep sleep when he heard a series of clinking and clattering sounds. Frowning, he opened his eyes and saw the woman squatting in front of the fire pit, striking the steel against the flint, but her angle and force were all wrong.

Having been disturbed from his sleep several times, his expression was far from pleasant. "You don’t even know how to start a fire?" he asked.

The flint and steel striker were in the kitchen, yet she had deliberately brought them here to strike. It was hard not to suspect she was doing it on purpose.

But the woman merely hung her head timidly without saying a word, making it impossible for him to vent his anger.

Xiao Li rubbed his face and resignedly sat up. He reached for the steel striker in her hand, but having stayed up all night and just dozed off before being disturbed again, he wasn’t in the best state. As he took the striker, the palm of his hand accidentally brushed against the back of hers.

The unbelievable smoothness and cool warmth of her skin instantly jolted him awake. The woman seemed startled as well, quickly pulling her hand back.

Xiao Li frowned, wanting to explain something, but the words died on his lips.

It had been an unintentional act. Explaining would only make it seem like he was protesting too much.

He picked up the steel striker and struck it against the flint. The resulting sparks instantly ignited the dried moss beneath. Xiao Li then placed two pieces of dried bamboo husk over the flames, and the fire quickly grew stronger.

The warmth of the fire warmed his palm, yet the fleeting sensation of smoothness from that brief touch lingered, inexplicably reminding him of the scene from the day before—her hand, with melted snow trickling down the back and seeping between her fingers.

That hand was exquisitely shaped, with slender fingers and skin so translucent it seemed almost luminescent. The frost-red tint starting from her fingertips contrasted vividly with the rash marks on the back of her hand, like orchids blanketed in snow or red plum blossoms in bloom.

Yet every tendon and bone beneath the skin was taut, lending the orchids a sense of purpose and the plum blossoms a structural strength.

He had initially been reluctant to probe further into what lay beneath her seemingly timid demeanor, but at that moment, he suddenly felt the urge to uncover the intent behind the orchids and the strength within the plum blossoms.

The fire was now blazing brightly. Xiao Li added the final piece of firewood to the pit, his handsome profile illuminated by the flames, making it impossible to discern the expression in his eyes.

Wen Yu was already unsettled by the earlier incident. Now, with the rogue staying silent and only the crackling of the burning firewood in the pit audible, she felt as though an invisible tension was tightening in the air.

She lowered her gaze to the rash on the back of her hand, where the red marks remained strikingly vivid.

It shouldn’t be this way…

The redness and swelling on her face had only subsided slightly, not disappeared entirely. It was impossible that her appearance had caused any trouble.

Just as she was about to say something to break the unnerving silence, the courtyard gate suddenly rattled with knocking.

Thinking it was Xiao Huiniang returning, Wen Yu breathed a sigh of relief, stood up, and said, "I’ll get the door."She descended the steps and opened the courtyard gate, only to find a burly man standing outside. The man glared at her with evident hostility and, without waiting for Wen Yu to speak, brushed past her into the yard. "Second Brother, I went to the gambling house this morning, and Monkey said you left a message for me!"

Seeing it was someone looking for the rogue, Wen Yu didn't stop him but merely frowned slightly at his retreating back.

Xiao Li had given up on going back to sleep. After the bearded man entered, he pointed to a nearby bench. "Sit and talk."

The man was tall and stout, even more imposing than Xiao Li. When he sat down, he resembled a small mountain. He glanced at Wen Yu, who had picked up the broom again to sweep snow outside, and complained, "So that's the maid Chen Lai Zi tricked into sending to Auntie? Second Brother, you really should have taken her to the gambling house. Let the proprietor and the brothers see what a wretched sight she is. Then see if that bastard Wang Qing still has the face to insist you let Chen Lai Zi go because you took a bribe..."

Wen Yu, who was pretending to sweep snow outside to avoid entering the house: "..."

His voice was far too loud—she couldn't pretend not to hear even if she tried.

Though his words were insulting, she felt a wave of relief.

This was exactly what she had hoped for. She had deliberately made herself look this way precisely so others would avoid her at first sight.

That rogue... Did he have some strange preference? Why did he keep staring at her?

Wen Yu shuddered at her own thought and quickly dismissed it.

"...And that bastard Chen Lai Zi, how dare he scheme against you, Second Brother? What did the proprietor say?"

The conversation inside continued. Wen Yu sensed that Chen Lai Zi's foolish move had likely caused trouble for the rogue. Worried the backlash might reach her, she focused intently on listening.