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墨書 Inktalez
Walking through the streets all day, by evening, Old Zhang still hadn't found a job. As night fell, there were no night markets in the small town, only a few inns still glowing with light. The grandfather and granddaughter planned to find a small alley to rest.
"Is it cold, Niuniu?"
"Not cold."
At that moment, an old man stumbled down the street, looking drunk and singing randomly. He walked into the alley where Old Zhang was resting, rolled his eyes, and collapsed. Just then, several masked figures in black appeared silently on the street. Seeing that no one was around, they reached for the bag slung over the old man's shoulder.
"Grandpa, they're stealing things."
Old Zhang rolled his eyes; when did this girl learn that? He turned around to look for something and picked up a piece of wood before rushing out.
"Thief!"
It must be said that this line had quite an impact, causing the wooden windows on either side to creak open.
"Where's the thief?"
"Where?"
"What? Are there still thieves these days?"
The once quiet night became lively. The black-clad figures quietly disappeared again.
"The thief has scared off; everyone wash up and go to sleep. Be careful tonight," Old Zhang said. Little did he know that his well-meaning words left the townsfolk anxious for several nights, both hopeful and fearful.
"Hey, wake up, don't get drunk on the street." Old Zhang saw that the old man looked kind, alone at night. Thinking he might have a similar experience, he felt a sense of camaraderie.
"You’re meddling, I almost caught those kids trying to steal my prescription." The drunk old man had a flushed face, recalling how he pretended to faint and fell onto the road; his old back still hurt.
Old Zhang was also a clever man and realized that this old man was pretending to faint. His own attempt to help had backfired, leaving him embarrassed and unsure of how to respond.
"This grandfather, my grandpa also saw the thief trying to take your things," she said, lowering her head. She usually didn't dare to speak loudly in front of others, but since her grandpa meant well, she couldn't let him feel sad.
"Forget it, just my bad luck," the old man waved his hand dismissively.
"I'm sorry, we'll be leaving now," she said as she took Old Zhang's hand and led him toward their resting place.
"Is this where you live?" Yun Zhongzi watched the old man and the girl walking under the moonlight. Once he saw where they were headed, his old face turned even redder. In these times, a beggar acting bravely made him seem petty by comparison.
"Grandpa, do you have anything else to say?"
"Forget it, just follow me. I could use an apprentice," he glanced at Old Zhang and then added, "and a steward."
A steward? Isn't that quite a significant position? Old Zhang thought to himself that good people indeed receive good rewards. He immediately bowed to Yun Zhongzi.
"May I ask how to address you?" Old Zhang now looked like a proper steward. Yun Zhongzi seemed quite satisfied with him; although he was older, he was still articulate.
"In the martial world, I am known as Yun Zhongzi." The martial world?
"My surname is Zhang; you can call me Old Zhang."
"Little one, what is your name?" Yun Zhongzi asked.
"I don't have a name; my grandfather calls me Niuniu."
Yun Zhongzi sighed, "We are fated to meet. You..." After pondering for a moment, he continued, "Your voice is like the Gentle Breeze, soothing and calming. You shall be called Fengyin."
"Thank you." Although she didn't know what Fengyin meant, she liked it very much. This was her second name; only her grandfather called her Niuniu. Perhaps this grandfather would call her Fengyin from now on.
"Come with me."
"Grandfather, what does Fengyin mean?"
"It means the wind is speaking," Old Zhang replied. The name was indeed nice.
"Grandfather, I like this name; the sound of the wind is like my mother's voice."
"Good child."
Yun Zhongzi walked ahead, feeling pleased upon hearing their conversation.
"Young master, there was a commotion about a thief earlier. We should be cautious."
"Yes, you should rest well and not worry too much."
The night breeze carried such sounds, and a pair of bright eyes looked toward the window glowing with dim yellow light. The shoes on her feet felt warm, and she wanted to remember this sound.
She just didn't understand that time changes everything, and people will inevitably alter from their original selves. Their voices and smiles have become mere shadows of the past, yet the images in memory remain eternally vivid.
"Young Master, do you blame me for not bringing back that grandfather and grandson?"
"No, perhaps they have found a better place."
Lin Ke knew that the Young Master was trying to comfort her. Where in the world could be a better place than by the Young Master's side? Even the palace could not compare. Lin Ke was immensely grateful that she had not gone to the palace to serve as a little eunuch. All thanks to the Young Master.
"Let's stay at this inn tonight." Yun Zhongzi stepped toward the inn illuminated by candlelight, which seemed even warmer here.
"Hey, guest, you must be tired; the hot water is being prepared." The waiter greeted them, as it was inconvenient for the landlady to attend to guests at night.
"Mr. Zhang, have you found a place?"
"Yes, Master Yun asked me to be the steward."
"That's good, that's good." Hearing that Old Zhang had found work made the waiter happy. "By the way, how many rooms do you need?" Two old men with a little girl—would they need one room or two?
Yun Zhongzi remained silent; this matter should be handled by the steward.
"Three rooms." Old Zhang glanced at Yun Zhongzi's expression and saw appreciation on his face, thinking he had struck lucky.
"Grandpa, Fengyin can't stay in one room." She had never stayed in a room before.
"It doesn't matter; we'll make sure you are well taken care of. The little girl looks like a little black doll." Yun Zhongzi was kind to this sensible little girl, feeling a sense of being a grandfather.
"Tonight, can you find a coat for my child?" Yun Zhongzi handed over the silver coins to Old Zhang to settle the bill and then spoke to the waiter.
"How coincidental. We just happen to have a merchant from a clothing store staying here. I'll go help you look for some clothes for a girl."
"If there aren't any, boy's clothes will do as well," Old Zhang replied respectfully to Yun Zhongzi.
"Find another set for this old man too," Yun Zhongzi waved his hand and walked towards the stairs.
Old Zhang and Fengyin followed behind, looking happy.
Finally, I can write the female lead's name; it has been tough up until now.
"Niuniu, you will stay in this room. Grandpa is next door, and the master is across the hall. Also, here is the medicine that the master gave you; apply it on your leg, and your injury will heal quickly. When you take a bath, sprinkle this powder into the water; it can dispel cold and help you clean up better. Of course, this is also from the master. Remember to soak for a while; you need to wash thoroughly, okay? The clothes are here; can you put them on?"
"I can apply the medicine, but I can't put on the clothes," Fengyin said, her little face turning red.
"It's fine; Grandpa won't wear these clothes either. But I studied it a bit; lay the clothes flat on the bed first, align them symmetrically with buttons facing each other, and you'll know how to wear them." Fengyin nodded and took the clothes into her room.
The wooden tub was large; she had to step on the wooden steps to reach it. At that moment, the waiter came in carrying a bucket of water, steaming hot, and looked at Fengyin who was staring blankly at the bathtub.
"Little girl, make sure to follow the master well. Look how good Master Yun is to you." The waiter added two buckets of water into the bathtub.
"Thank you, Brother Two."
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