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墨書 Inktalez
"Back in the days of the locust plague..." Seventh Uncle shook his head and sighed, "Your father—no, your ancestors exchanged three measures of grain." The old man suddenly lowered his voice, "But according to the Da Ming Lu, if one does not redeem for over twenty years, it returns to the current owner. The Zhou family..." Before he could finish, a red light suddenly flashed from the system:
【Danger Approaching! Zhou Liangzhang and his men are 200 meters away!】
Cui Xiaoman swiftly rolled up the family tree and stuffed it into the stove. "There's no time!" She pushed Lin Dahe toward the back window. "Climb out through the vegetable garden!"
"But you..."
"I have my ways!" Cui Xiaoman had already grabbed an embroidery frame, her needle flying through her hair as she lowered her head to stitch a pattern. In the blink of an eye, that embroidery book vanished into a peony entwined design.
The loud crash of the courtyard door being kicked open sent dust falling from the beams. Just as Lin Dahe climbed out of the window, he heard Zhou Liangzhang's ominous voice: "Search! Don't let even a mouse hole go unchecked!"
He pressed himself against the wall and moved to the west window, peering through a gap to see three Yard Officers rummaging through boxes. However, Zhou Liangzhang stood next to Cui Xiaoman, his eyes fixed on the embroidery frame in her hands. "What skillful hands you have, young lady; this pattern..."
"If you like it, Grain Chief," Cui Xiaoman replied without looking up, "I could embroider a set of abacus beads for you another day?" The needle danced across the fabric, clearly outlining the two acres of land that the Zhou family had usurped!
Zhou Liangzhang's expression changed drastically as he reached for the embroidery frame. Seventh Uncle suddenly raised the family tree: "Officer! I want to report the Zhou family's encroachment on our land!"
All eyes focused on that yellowed booklet. Seizing the opportunity, Lin Dahe crouched down and slipped away but collided with an unexpected figure around the corner—Aunt Ma stood in the vegetable garden holding a torch, her face illuminated by its eerie glow.
"I found it..." Her lips were as red as blood, "The demon is..."
Her words were abruptly cut off. The goose that Cui Xiaoman kept suddenly charged out from somewhere and bit Aunt Ma on the backside. The woman screamed and fell into a pile of manure, causing her torch to roll and ignite the drying vegetables.
"Water's breaking!"
In the chaos, Lin Dahe felt something being shoved into his arms. Looking down, he saw that it was the embroidered notebook, with a line of delicate script added to its front page: "Meet at the mass grave at You time—don't bring any glowing powder!"
In the distance, Zhou Liangzhang's roar mixed with the sound of a gong for fire-fighting: "Wanted throughout the city: Lin Dahe! Alive or dead!"
Underneath the withered locust tree at the mass grave, Lin Dahe covered his head and face with a raincoat, peering through a hole toward the official road. The dew at Yin time soaked through his shoes and socks while distant howls of wild dogs echoed in his ears. The embroidered notebook in his arms emitted a faint scent of mugwort—Cui Xiaoman had apparently fumigated every page with insect repellent.
"Thud."
A small stone hit near his feet. Cui Xiaoman peeked out from behind a grave mound, her face smeared with soot from cooking pots and a shiny Castrating Knife tucked at her waist.
"Follow me," she whispered urgently. "Old Soldier is waiting."
The two moved along the shadows between graves; every hundred steps Cui Xiaoman would crouch down to inspect the ground. Only then did Lin Dahe realize she had scattered buckwheat husks along their path—though quieter than dry leaves when stepped on, they left clear footprints behind.
In an abandoned charcoal kiln, One-Armed Veteran was sharpening a knife. The firelight illuminated scars on his face while a makeshift sleeve was tied around his waist with grass rope. When he saw them enter, he kicked aside a burlap sack at his feet—inside was a thin man dressed in official robes; it was none other than Shiye who had come to search yesterday.
"Take a look for yourself," Old Soldier said as he used his knife tip to lift up a rolled document.
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