Chapter 4: The Ability of Foreknowledge

“So, you actually foresaw that your family was going to meet with disaster?”

Mo Zheng rested the bamboo pole carrying the wild rabbits by the side of the road, squatted down, and looked at Yang Luo as he asked.

Yang Luo had originally intended to bend her knees to sit down, but Mo Zheng tapped the ground with his bamboo pole, reminding her, “Boys don’t sit like that.”

Yang Luo hurriedly changed her posture, mimicking his way of squatting.

“Yes.” She answered Mo Zheng, taking a deep breath as if she needed to do so to find the strength to recall, “I told my mother I wanted everyone to flee first, but Mother didn’t believe me…”

She paused here, seemingly hesitating over something.

Mo Zheng said indifferently, “Hey, if there are any other secrets, just say them all at once. Don’t keep remembering them one by one.”

Yang Luo came back to her senses, looked at him, and shook her head.

“No, that’s not it. I just thought of it now.” She said, tears welling up in her eyes, her voice somewhat murmuring, “Mother didn’t believe me and didn’t listen to me when I said to leave home, but she prepared horses and servants for me, and when those vicious bandits arrived, she sent me out ahead of time… Last time…”

Her last sentence was a bit indistinct. Mo Zheng didn’t hear it clearly and asked, “Last time what?”

Yang Luo took a deep breath to control her tears and looked at him, “I mean, Mother rarely let me go out. The last time was on my birthday.”

Mo Zheng gave an “oh,” and although he didn’t believe her, he didn’t ask further. He just tapped his bamboo pole lightly, calling out, “Want a wild rabbit?” whenever someone passed by.

Then he continued to ask.

“So you also foresaw my existence beforehand?”

Yang Luo glanced at him and nodded, “I knew you would save me.”

Is that so? Mo Zheng felt a bit dazed. No wonder he always felt this girl had a strange expression when looking at him; so it was because she “knew” him.

Mo Zheng flicked the bamboo pole in his hand, the wild rabbits were hoisted up, and he stood up and started walking forward.

Why did he start walking again while they were talking? Does he still not believe her? Yang Luo felt a bit anxious, yet also helpless. She knew what she said was hard to believe, but there was really no other way; this was the most convincing explanation she could offer.

“Look, I’ve never seen you before, and you’ve never seen me, yet I was able to calculate your name.” She said hurriedly, tears falling plop-plop, “Am I not accurate? Is your name not A-Sheng?”

Mo Zheng turned his head to look at her and gave an “un” sound, “You’re accurate. My name is indeed A-Sheng.”

Through tear-blurred eyes, Yang Luo saw the corners of his mouth seem to curve slightly. Was this a smile of belief, or mockery? Then she saw the young hunter continue walking forward.

“Then…”

Then why is he still walking away?

“Didn’t you say the government would use fake bandits to close the case in two days?” Mo Zheng said, looking back at her, “I haven’t verified that yet.”

Willing to verify meant he believed her. Yang Luo breathed a sigh of relief and quickened her pace to catch up with him, “Okay, I’ll go with you. Then you’ll know I wasn’t lying.”

……

……

It wasn’t far from Baima Town to Lu County, but they didn’t enter the city until nightfall.

Because Yang Luo couldn’t walk well, Mo Zheng had to stop from time to time to wait for her. From this, Mo Zheng could confirm that Yang Luo was indeed a pampered young lady who had never left home.

Fortunately, they met a kind old man with an ox cart on the road. Mo Zheng said some nice things and let Yang Luo sit on it for a ride; otherwise, they might not have reached the city even by dark.

However, although they arrived at the county seat before dark, they faced a new problem.

Sitting by the street to rest, watching a few children playing on the mounting block, the gazes of Mo Zheng and Yang Luo involuntarily fell on the steamed buns the children were holding.

Yang Luo’s stomach even let out a few growls.

Mo Zheng was better off; his stomach didn’t growl, but he couldn’t help but swallow a mouthful of saliva.

Perhaps their gazes were too naked, as the children hurriedly hugged their steamed buns and ran away.

Mo Zheng let out a breath and looked at Yang Luo, “Miss, do you have any money?”

Yang Luo gave a bitter smile, “My family is indeed wealthy, but I escaped in the middle of the night and didn’t bring anything.”

No money, not even jewelry.

She looked at the young hunter, her eyes expectant: “Your skills are so impressive, you must have a lot of prey, so…”

You must be very rich, right?

Mo Zheng spat out a piece of withered grass he had plucked while waiting for Yang Luo to ease her foot pain by the roadside, “Miss, I’m an orphan. If I’m hungry today, I hunt to trade for food to get full; if I’m hungry tomorrow, I’ll worry about it then. Where would I have extra money?”

Yang Luo sighed, looking at the wild rabbits in his hand.

There was prey, but it was dark now, the market had dispersed, and there was nowhere to sell them.

Besides, how much could two wild rabbits sell for? Would it be enough for a meal? And where would they stay tonight? Inns were very expensive.

Yang Luo looked at Mo Zheng, her eyes helpless. She had never faced problems regarding food, clothing, shelter, or transportation.

Mo Zheng seemed unable to bear being looked at with such eyes, so he stood up and picked up the wild rabbits, “Let’s go. Let’s use these to trade for a meal and a place to sleep.”

How to trade? Yang Luo was puzzled, but hurriedly followed him.

……

……

Lu County was not small. There was a dry bridge in the city. As night fell and the crowds on the streets dispersed, there was firelight burning under the dry bridge, and the sound of voices was noisy.

Two wild rabbits were being turned over the bonfire from time to time. Grease dripped, sparking the flames and filling the air with a rich aroma. The beggars gathered around swallowed their saliva one after another, wishing they could grab them and eat immediately.

“Go, go, go, don’t snatch.”

An old beggar with one blind eye waved the stick in his hand.

“Everyone will get a bite. After eating, you can gnaw on the bones.”

Having said that, he looked at the two youths sitting beside him.

His one blind eye swept over Yang Luo and rested on Mo Zheng.

“Thank you, kind young man, for bestowing meat upon us.” He said with a chuckle.

Mo Zheng cupped his hands with a smile, “It is we brothers who should thank you, old man, for taking us in.”

Yang Luo huddled beside Mo Zheng, not daring to lift her head, listening to Mo Zheng chatting and laughing with the beggars…

She hadn’t expected that one could trade for food and a place to stay with beggars. She couldn’t describe her current mood. While she was in a trance, she heard the old beggar greeting them warmly.

“Give the guests a bowl of hot soup first.”

Then a small beggar handed over two chipped bowls. Under the flickering bonfire of the night, the soup was dark and murky, with a few vegetable leaves floating in it.

Yang Luo’s figure shrank again, while Mo Zheng beside her had already taken his and started drinking in large gulps.

Looking at the other beggars, they didn’t even have bowls; they stood around a wooden bucket, scooping and drinking with spoons, scrambling for it.

“Aren’t you drinking?” The small beggar holding the chipped bowl was a bit anxious, looking at his companions scrambling over there; if he went late, there wouldn’t be any left.

Yang Luo originally wanted to say she wouldn’t drink, but her stomach was truly uncooperative. She could only reach out and take it. As she brought it close to look at the soup in the bowl, she seemed to be able to smell a sour odor…

Yang Luo couldn’t help but retch, and the bowl in her hand was about to fall, but Mo Zheng caught it in time.

“Wait a while and eat the meat,” he said, pausing, “I’ll find you some clean hot water later.”

Having said that, he was about to drink the soup in the chipped bowl, but Yang Luo reached out and grabbed it.

Under the illumination of the bonfire, the girl wiped her face with her hand, and her small face, mixed with wood ash, tears, and dirt, became even more mottled.

“No need,” Yang Luo said, “Drinking this is fine.”

She was no longer a pampered young lady; she was now fighting to survive. She would dare to do anything, and she could do anything.

Having said that, she tilted her head back, closed her eyes, and drank the soup in the chipped bowl.

Mo Zheng’s thin lips curved slightly, and then he looked away.

(End of chapter)