Chapter 644: A Distant Marriage
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Famous deserved all the credit for today. It was also the most exhausted.
It took Zhang Zian a long time to finish bathing the female poodle and the puppy. It planned to just take a nap, but it soon fell into a deep sleep.
It was surrounded by the smell of flowers, wet mud, and a young girl's perfume.
It felt an itch in its nostrils. "Achoo!"
It wasn't in front of pet shop anymore, it was in front of a sunshine-filled valley. An annoying bee landed on the tip of its nose, and it waved its paws to chase it away.
"I'll pay you back next time. Make sure you serve the good wine."
A young girl was sitting on a stone, with a handkerchief under her and a magazine in her hand. She was interrupted by Famous' sneeze half way through her reading. Then she lifted her head and looked at it with a smile.
"Did you catch a cold?" she asked, concerned.
To help her trip into the mountains, Wu Ning was wearing men's clothes. The tight suit emphasized her curves. Her feminine silhouette was a strong contrast with the edgy rocks. She was wearing a round bonnet, its shade making her skin seem fair.
Famous turned its head to look at Old Time Tea lying on another rock, bathing in the sun while listening to Wu Ning read out loud. Galaxy was joyously chasing butterflies in the grass.
I'm back in Old Time Tea's Imagined Landscape. It shook its head to let Wu Ning know that it didn't catch a cold.
Wu Ning loved reading books and newspapers. All the scientific theories she had been exposed to had opened her mind. At first, she didn't believe in ghosts and demons, but ever since the cat and dog rescued her, she realized that science couldn't explain the supernatural. They understood her and kept her secrets, they were ideal listeners.
The cat and dog had been living in the wilderness for a long time, she was worried that they might get sick, and if they did, there was nothing she could do.
After Famous shook its head, she felt relieved. She lowered her head and searched for her place to continue reading. "The tavern keeper smiled at him as usual. 'Kong Yiji, you've been stealing again!'"
She finished reading the article, closed the magazine, and put it on the rock beside her. She rubbed her eyes and looked at the black-and-white cat in the grass.
She had no idea where the cat came from. Once, while she was in the mountains, she saw it playing with two other benefactors, as if they knew each other very well. Maybe they were new friends.
There was something supernatural about the cat. It was always suddenly disappearing and reappearing. While she was reading, she often heard it rolling in the grass on one side of her, but then it appeared on the other in the blink of an eye. She was afraid that it might be some kind of ghost, but then she realized that ghosts couldn't be dangerous under sunlight, so she slowly stopped fearing it. Besides, it was adorable. How could a ghost be so adorable?
"I like this story, although I don't fully understand it. I think it has a deeper meaning." She turned her head towards Old Time Tea and Famous.
They didn't answer her, of course.
Old Time Tea looked away in deep thought, while Famous yawned. It put a little white flower into its mouth and ate it.
"I was thinking what I would do if I were a character in the story?"
She was used to talking to herself. The servants she brought over were resting, they wouldn't come over to talk to her. Besides, they weren't interested in the articles, much like the crude drinkers in the tavern.
"Am I the snobbish tavern keeper, or one of the drinkers watching? Or am I the funny but sad Kong Yiji?" She sighed. "This article makes my chest tight, it's so well-written!"
Famous was used to seeing her like this. It wasn't interested in what she was reading, as it had no idea what was going on in China at that time, so it couldn't relate. It listened to her, though, it was just like turning on the TV for the background noise.
Wu Ning pulled up grass and played with it in her hands. She ripped off the leaves one by one, throwing them on the ground.
She became silent, as if she was thinking of saying something.
After a moment, she spoke, "Benefactors, this might be my last trip into the mountains."
Famous paused halfway through its yawn. Old Time Tea also froze.
She smiled bitterly. "My father has betrothed me to a family in another city. I'm getting married there in a few days. A married daughter is like water that has been poured out, I might not be able to return."
The two cities were thousands of miles apart. Even if she got a chance to visit her parents in the future, she might not be able to come into the mountains again.
"The family is good friends with my father. That man…" She paused and blushed, then continued in a shy, low voice. "I met the man when we were young, and I remember him being a cute and honorable young boy. He should've grown into a handsome and accomplished man."
Famous tilted its head and looked at Old Time Tea to see how it reacted. Old Time Tea shook its head gently, meaning that it couldn't do anything. Men and women should marry at a certain age, it couldn't break up a couple. Judging from Wu Ning's reaction, she seemed satisfied with the marriage as well as this man's background. There was no reason to stop it from happening.
After living in the Imagined Landscape for so long, Famous was quite fond of Wu Ning. She was the only one who carried out normal conversations with them. If she left, Famous would be lonely. If it was alone for a while, it might forget how to talk.
It was hard for Wu Ning as well, she thought of the cat and the dog as friends.
"I wanted to repay you guys for saving my life, but now it seems like I might not get the chance. I hope we can meet again in another life, so I can repay your kindness." She stood up from the rock, folded the handkerchief, and put it back into her pocket. Then, she bowed at them solemnly.
As it was getting late, she started to say goodbye. "My father made arrangements so that I leave in two days. I have to obey him. Binhai County is thousands of miles away, and I need to get ready."
"What?"
Famous' mind was starting to drift when it suddenly heard her say a familiar word.