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When he returned to Beiyong, Xun Yu could hardly believe that the person in front of him was Guo Jia. His usually pale face had been tanned slightly, but he looked healthier, even a bit taller. Xun Yu kept looking at Guo Jia's shoulder back and forth until Guo Jia reached out and grabbed Xun Yu's wrist, asking, "Senior, where's my winning money?" Xun Yu fell silent for a moment, confirming that this person was indeed Guo Jia and not an imposter.
A familiar classmate asked Guo Jia how he felt about his trip to Liangzhou. Guo Jia casually left eight words and never mentioned it again to anyone who asked.
The academy has regulations for opening and closing exams. After finally finishing all the big and small tasks, Guo Jia ran off again.
Jia Xu stood with his arms crossed, watching as Guo Jia was stuck on the outer wall of the Song Tower, unable to move up or down. Miss Linn wanted to reach out and help Guo Jia, but hesitated under Jia Xu's gaze. Her clear, bright eyes scanned back and forth for a while, then she walked away, covering her face with a pipa.
Guo Jia looked at Miss Linn in surprise, shouting in shock, "How could you bear to leave Fengxiao hanging on the wall?!"
Jia Xu was in no hurry. With two days off after the exam, he had plenty of time to spend with Guo Jia.
The two of them just stared at each other, not saying a word. In the end, Guo Jia climbed down the wall, and as soon as he landed, Jia Xu grabbed his wrist. Guo Jia was about to say something when he heard a commotion from the crowd behind him. Guo Jia casually glanced back and saw a stunning dancer being grabbed and pulled by a customer. As the situation escalated, Guo Jia boldly pushed through the crowd.
Whether it was the identity of Lord Guo or the friendship with Lord Xun, it was too useful, so useful that most people would give him some face. Unfortunately, the drunkard was blind and mistook Guo Jia for a pretty tomboy, attempting to get handsy with him.
Guo Jia was about to strike, but before he could, a dark whip had already whistled through the air and landed on Deng Tuzi's chest. Jia Xu seemed unsatisfied with the intimidation and struck the ground, causing the stone slabs to crack. With a cold and disdainful look, she surveyed everyone present, daring anyone to step forward and face the same fate as the man on the ground.
Guo Jia paused for a moment, then smiled as he teasingly asked Jia Xu, "I never knew Wenhe was skilled with a whip."
Jia Xu sneered and put away the whip as Song Tower's mother arrived with her entourage, saying, "There are many things you don't know."
Guo Jia smiled and looked at Jia Xu with a probing gaze, as if seeing a vast and boundless star chart through his eyes. At this moment, the orbits of fate were turning, and for the first time, Guo Jia felt that this person in front of him was filled with unknowns and challenges. The future he "saw" seemed to collapse at this moment. He chuckled lightly, then felt that he had no reason to change the fate of unrelated people. But was he really unrelated? Guo Jia didn't know, and the future he firmly believed in seemed to have cracked open at this moment.
This incident was just a trivial episode in the playful life of Guo Jia and Jia Xu, but fate was stirring its enormous wings, shattering and reorganizing the original trajectory.
When the servant knelt before Guo Jia pleading for mercy, he was by no means able to stand by. Not to mention that the one who was taken was his good friend Miss Linn, but also because it was his intervention that had drawn attention to song tower.
Guo Jia took a deep breath and said, "Go back and tell Auntie Liang that I will find a way to handle this."
Jia Xu glanced back at the servant and then saw Guo Jia's rare frown, understanding a few things in his heart.
Jia Xu sat down, poured a cup of tea and placed it in the middle of the table, asking, "What do you think?"
Guo Jia didn't take the cup of tea, but poured it onto the zafu and closed his eyes, saying, "If the one we tie up is just an ordinary young master, it would be fine. No matter whose face is used, we can suppress him. But since he is full of evil and has not been caught, it means that the forces behind him are connected to the officialdom. Whether it's a high-ranking official or a low-ranking official, at least the local power cannot be underestimated."
Jia Xu nodded in agreement and asked, "And then?"
Guo Jia continued, "Since it's so troublesome on the surface, let's create trouble in secret. We will...kidnap someone!"
Those clear and bright eyes turned, focusing on Jia Xu's face, as if waiting for Jia Xu's approval, yet also seemed to be just informing him.
Jia Xu understood him. Since Guo Jia had already made a decision, there was no use in trying to persuade him. So he simply nodded and asked, "Do you have a plan?"
Guo Jia propped his hand on the table, causing a few drops of clear water to splash out of the teacup. He said, "I've sent someone to investigate. Miss Linn is currently being held in a small house. She will be carried in three days from now. We can set up an ambush on the way. Coincidentally, there's a notorious bandit group gaining momentum recently. We can easily shift the blame for this onto them."
"Where do you think Miss Linn will go? She is both the money tree of song tower and a highly esteemed lady in this place. What will she do next? Disappear without a trace, or leave this place?" Jia Xu's series of questions did not stump Guo Jia. Guo Jia said softly, "The dancer we saved that day was the former Lady Hu, who is now Miss Linn's beloved. She told me that she plans to leave once she has enough money to buy her freedom." Jia Xu was stunned and remained silent for a long time. Guo Jia looked up at Jia Xu with a puzzled expression and asked, "What's wrong? Are you afraid?"
Jia Xu shook his head but did not speak.
On that day, Guo Jia and Jia Xu really caused quite a stir with their men. Although Jia Xu grew up on the border, he had never been on the battlefield or killed anyone. Even when intercepting poachers, he only rendered them immobile. On this journey, Jia Xu could only hope that his arrows would be faster and more accurate, so that a single shot could end a life and spare some pain.
Jia Xu never expected that the seemingly gentle Guo Jia would wield a long sword with such skill, exuding a hint of the heroic spirit of a martial arts master.
Guo Jia and Jia Xu fought and retreated, while Miss Man took advantage of the chaos to grab Miss Linn and run. The sharp sleeve blade pierced the throats of the interceptors, splattering their beautiful faces with sticky blood, resembling a poisonous flower swaying in the desert.
Guo Jia exchanged a glance with Miss Man, then threw the sword to pierce the heart of the attacker from behind. Miss Man raised a sharp eyebrow and said, "A great favor needs no thanks. If you ever need help, you can call on me."
Guo Jia responded from a distance, grabbed Jia Xu's hand and ran, flipping over the walls of the streets and alleys, jumping over clustered haystacks and carts, crossing narrow and swift rivers. The wind blew away the smell of blood on their bodies, but the blood on their hands mingled as they held hands. Jia Xu turned to look at Guo Jia, blood clots stuck to his carefully groomed hair, but his face carried a genuine smile. Guo Jia noticed the gaze and turned to look, seeing Jia Xu's equally disheveled face, he laughed, "Wenhe, it seems like we are eloping."
The two of them sneaked back to Beiyong academy, and as soon as they pushed open the door, they saw the elegant and refined Xun Yu holding a ruler standing behind the door. Guo Jia swiftly and unceremoniously knelt down, "Senior, I was wrong."
Jia Xu also immediately knelt beside Guo Jia, and it was indeed the two of them who had acted recklessly.
Before Xun Yu could even question them, the two of them obediently knelt down, which unexpectedly made Xun Yu burst into laughter.
Xun Yu held a ruler in his hand, wanting to hit them, but seeing the two of them actively admitting their mistakes, he couldn't bring himself to do it, and could only ask in a low voice, "Have you considered the consequences of this matter?! If it weren't for the clear evidence against this family, if it weren't for the fact that the Xun people are investigating them, if it weren't for the fact that there are people from the Xun, how could your reckless actions not have been discovered?!"
Guo Jia opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, Xun Yu jabbed him in the face with a warning finger, saying, "And you, Guo Jia! I didn't stop you from wearing armlets and earrings on ordinary days, but to engage in such activities while wearing them, if it weren't for the sharp eyes of the coroner who secretly confiscated them, how could you bear the responsibility for the deaths of dozens of people?!"
Only then did Guo Jia realize that his right earring was missing. With his head hanging low, Guo Jia earnestly admitted, "Senior, I was wrong. I will be more careful next time."
The room fell silent. This matter was not a big deal in itself. Even if Guo Jia wasn't executed, these henchmen would still be collectively imprisoned after the case was settled. It was just that Guo Jia's actions were too reckless. To make such a grand gesture for the song tower woman, if news of this were to accidentally spread, how could they maintain their reputation?
Guo Jia seemed to have guessed what Xun Yu was thinking and said softly, "This matter arose because of me, causing innocent people to suffer. I have a responsibility to make amends."
The usually gentle Xun Yu always seemed to fail in disciplining Guo Jia, and at this moment he sneered, "Make amends? Is this how you make amends?"
Guo Jia answered seriously, "I also consider Miss Linn a close friend. Saving her is worth sacrificing the lives of those scoundrels."
Xun Yu seemed to be hearing Guo Jia's true thoughts for the first time, and for a moment looked at him in shock. Guo Jia also looked up at Xun Yu with a serious expression and continued, "Senior, stability requires sacrifice. Whether it's today, sacrificing a pawn to save Miss Linn, or tomorrow, sacrificing thousands or even tens of thousands to save the world, there will always be people sacrificing for the future stability. Similarly, perhaps in the future, we will also sacrifice our lives for the world."
Jia Xu's expression changed slightly. He turned to look at Guo Jia with an ambiguous meaning, then took a step forward and proactively interjected, "That day, I was the one who started the fight. Today, I did not stop Fengxiao's plan. Please punish me, senior."
Xun Yu pointed at the two of them, shook with anger for a while, then turned and left, saying, "Then kneel until dawn for me!"
Jia Xu moved his legs and was about to ask Guo Jia for his thoughts, but he saw him nodding off and eventually falling asleep on his knees. Jia Xu then propped Guo Jia's head on his own shoulder and gazed at the flickering candle flame, pondering Guo Jia's words. However, he was just too tired, and before long, Jia Xu also nodded off, leaning against Guo Jia.
The gears of fate are turning, but they cannot affect the half of the young man who is sleeping peacefully. In the predetermined future seen by Guo Jia, besides his own death, who else is there?
The mountains crumble and the earth splits, the translucent blue ice, the defeated snow, and the steaming blue river are all engulfed in a blazing red flame, burning everything in sight. Some people are coming against the flames, while others die in the process, rushing to extinguish the flames of the world before they burn everything to ashes!
The world is about to collapse!
Guo Jia suddenly woke up from the bed, cold sweat dripping down his thin face, and intense pain coming from his knees. He gritted his teeth and lifted his pants leg, silently shedding tears as he looked at his swollen knees. It turns out he really did kneel all night.
Then the two of them were banned from leaving the library for three months and were ordered to transcribe books by Xun Yu for their mischief. Meanwhile, news came that the county magistrate of Ruoyang had been overthrown, along with all his subordinates. While the two were transcribing books in the library, the situation outside had already changed. By the time they finished serving their punishment, the best of the spring had passed. Xun Yu stood at the bottom of the steps, seemingly having calmed down a bit, but still wearing a stern expression.
Guo Jia, like a newly released sparrow, took three steps and then two to jump down the steps and throw himself into Xun Yu's arms, causing Xun Yu to stagger. Guo Jia pinched his voice and said, "Senior Xun, I was really wrong, please don't be mad at me!"
Xun Yu poked Guo Jia's forehead and said, "You, every time you make a mistake, you come up with the same routine, you're too spoiled."
Then, turning to Jia Xu standing beside him, he said, "I know you can't resist Guo Jia, but you shouldn't spoil him in everything."
Jia Xu nodded earnestly, as if he had taken in all of Xun Yu's words. Seeing both of them looking like they had learned their lesson, Xun Yu happily mentioned that in a few days, they would be harvesting spring rice at the foot of Beiyong Mountain and asked the students to help out. The days indeed passed in the blink of an eye. Jia Xu rolled up his sleeves and helped to tidy up the harvested rice in the fields, bundling them together to be sent to the rice mill.
Guo Jia walked barefoot along the field path, his long robe trailing in the mud and water. He wore a flower crown made of empty wheat ears on his head and called out "Wenhe! Wenhe!" in a clear voice from a distance.
Shouting so that everyone turned to look at the busy Jia Xu, and then looking at the lazy Guo Jia who looked like a young master. Guo Jia slowly slid down from the field ridge, his clothes falling into the soft mud. He walked over to Jia Xu with varying depths of footprints, and Jia Xu looked at him, as if knowing how his clothes could end up like this. A golden ear of wheat was inserted into Jia Xu's ear by Guo Jia, and Jia Xu said, "You're not allowed to play with food."
Guo Jia smiled and tucked the falling strands of Jia Xu's hair, saying, "No, it's from a peasant woman who gave it to me. She said wearing spring rice on your head brings good luck and success."
Guo Jia repeated, "It's a good omen, Wenhe."
It's a good omen, a symbol of success. The land will not let down those who work hard on it, so it's a symbol of success.
One day, after harvesting a lot of rice, Jia Xu sat on the edge of the field and asked Guo Jia, who was directing people to move things, "What did you do today?" Guo Jia was taken aback for a moment, pondered Jia Xu's words, and realized it wasn't an interrogation but rather a casual question. So he replied, "In the morning, I taught a group of children to write their own names, and in the afternoon, I distributed water and dry rations to everyone."
Jia Xu was so exhausted that it was hard to digest Guo Jia's words. After a long silence, he asked, "Did you teach them how to write?"
Guo Jia nodded and sat down next to Jia Xu, saying, "Yes, a few of the children are very bright. I wrote it once, and they understood."
Someone in the distance called for Guo Jia and Jia Xu to come eat. Guo Jia replied loudly from afar, "We'll be right there!"
Suddenly stood up and extended his hand to Jia Xu, saying, "Let's go, let's go back." Jia Xu looked at Guo Jia's palm and slowly placed his hand on top of it. It was not yet summer, and the night was still long. The two walked side by side on the uneven field ridges, with the sound of insects in their ears and distant twinkling lights. Jia Xu's hand was being held, and in the quiet night, the sound of their heartbeats seemed even more profound.
Before they even reached the courtyard, the scent of rice wafted over. As soon as they pushed open the courtyard door, they were greeted and asked to wash their hands with rice water. Guo Jia held a gourd ladle and poured water onto Jia Xu's hands, mischievously using his hand to splash water onto Jia Xu's face. The cool well water refreshed Jia Xu, and he quickly grabbed the gourd ladle and pressed Guo Jia to wash, even managing to wash away the mud stains on his clothes.
Just washed my hands and was handed a clay bowl filled with rice and a pair of wooden chopsticks. The enthusiastic farmer pressed us to the table and said, "Open your belly and eat!"
The first crop of spring rice was used to entertain the Beiyong students who came to help. The freshly ground rice was washed three times with well water, then placed in a wooden bucket and steamed over a boiler with firewood for half an hour. When the rice was fragrant, it was ready to be served, accompanied by freshly picked vegetables from the field and smoked meat prepared for the New Year. It was so delicious that even Guo Jia had three big bowls of rice.
After eating, everyone sat in the courtyard and listened to Grandma tell stories about fox spirits.
On the way back up the mountain path, Guo Jia lagged behind, and Jia Xu had no choice but to walk for a while and then stop to wait. The lantern in his hand flickered on and off because of the wind. Nervously, Jia Xu shouted, "Guo Fengxiao, hurry up." However, Guo Jia, unaware of what he had seen, squatted down and poked at a wooden stick, leaving Jia Xu exasperated. He took a few steps, crossed the steps, and reached out to pull Guo Jia. Guo Jia, however, held up a small glowing flower in the dark night as if presenting a treasure.
The hanging flower buds resemble small lanterns, while the vines seem to be entwined around the small stick in Guo Jia's hand as if they were alive. Guo Jia holds the small flower and continues to walk alongside Jia Xu.
Suddenly, Guo Jia asks, "Wenhe, do you think there really are fox spirits in the world?"
Jia Xu is startled by Guo Jia's sudden question, then replies, "It's difficult to distinguish between folklore and reality."
Guo Jia said again, "But the fox spirit pursued the scholar for three lifetimes, which is truly pitiful."
Jia Xu did not respond, only murmuring, "Humans and spirits have different paths. Spirits live forever, while humans struggle through a mere hundred years. How cruel it is."
Guo Jia seemed to be lost in thought and remained silent for a while before asking, "Wenhe, will we have three lifetimes together?"
Jia Xu was troubled by Guo Jia's mischievous question and had to continue, "When a person dies, it's like a lamp going out. No one knows what the world after death is like, so we may not necessarily have a reincarnation."
Guo Jia softly interjected, "Well, if I die first..."
"Alright, we're here," Guo Jia was interrupted by Jia Xu before finishing his sentence. Guo Jia let out a soft sigh, placed the small flower in a pot, and then turned to enter his own courtyard.
Jia Xu stood at the door, waiting until the lights in Guo Jia's house went out before turning and leaving.
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