There was a heavy downpour, lightning and thunder. It was as if there was a hole in the sky, and raindrops as big as beans poured down, hitting the eaves and making crackling sounds. All the shops on the long street had closed their stalls, and even the taverns on the roadside were closed. A boy in ragged clothes passed through the rain curtain and ran under a wider eaves to take shelter from the rain. The entire long street was empty, and he looked around and took out a steamed bun from his arms.
The steamed buns must have been out of the oven not long ago and were still emitting steam.
The boy grinned, picked up the bun and started to eat it, but his face was so dirty that it stained the white bun black. The boy laughed while eating, but he started crying while laughing. He swallowed the whole bun and finally fell to the ground, howling. He looked at the rain on the ground and choked up, "Who are you? Why... do you have to kill me?"
Several swordsmen wearing straw raincoats had stood on the opposite eaves at some point. They watched the boy crying in silence, and finally slowly drew out the long swords at their waists.
The rain washed the long sword until it looked as bright as snow, so bright that it was chilling.
“Who can come and save me, who can come and save me, who can come and save me!” the boy shouted angrily to the sky.
Naturally, there was no response. Several swordsmen jumped down from the eaves, splashing rainwater on the ground and hitting the boy's face. The boy seemed to wake up instantly, suddenly straightened up, and ran forward along the eaves.
One of the swordsmen immediately leaped in front of the boy, then kicked him into a puddle nearby. He raised his long sword and walked towards the boy step by step.
The boy fell to the ground, looking up at the sky, blood flowing from his nose and mouth, staining his clothes red.
Is it over
Is this life going to end like this before it even has a chance to begin properly
There was a flash of knife and the boy closed his eyes.
"Never put your fate in the hands of others. Not every time in your life, someone will come to save you." A gentle voice came forward above the boy's head.
The rain seems to have stopped, but why is the sound of rain still in my ears
The boy opened his eyes and saw an oil-paper umbrella held above him, shielding him from the rain. A handsome scholar in white looked down at him and suddenly smiled: "But isn't this too harsh for a boy?"
"Who... who are you?" the boy asked fearfully.
"My name is Xie Kanhua for now." The scholar bent down and extended a hand to the boy.
The boy hesitated and subconsciously wanted to step back.
"I am your family." The scholar still smiled gently.
The boy looked into the scholar's eyes and finally reached out his hand. The scholar pulled the boy up and then reached out to scratch the boy's wet hair: "Let's go."
The boy looked around and saw that the swordsmen in straw raincoats were all lying on the ground, motionless.
"Are they dead?" the boy asked.
"I don't like killing people, I just want to destroy their martial arts." Xie Kanhua bent down and handed the umbrella to the boy, "I'll carry you on my back and you hold the umbrella for me."
The boy looked at his clothes, then looked at Xie Kanhua's snow-white clothes, and said with embarrassment: "Your clothes will get dirty."
"It's okay, they're all small things." Xie Kanhua put the umbrella in the boy's hand, and then carried the boy on his back.
"White clothes are hard to wash when they're dirty." the boy whispered.
"So I have a lot of white clothes." Xie Kanhua said with a smile, "When traveling around the world, it is inevitable to get covered in dust, but white clothes cannot be altered, so I change them often to keep them new."
"Why can't the white clothes be changed?" asked the boy.
"Because women like it." Xie Kanhua's voice was serious.
"I want to wear it too." The boy was a little embarrassed.
"I'm ready." Xie Kanhua's voice was somewhat proud. "When you live with me in the future, you must be as elegant and graceful as me, wearing white clothes as white as snow."
"My name is Chen Sancai." The boy suddenly said.
Xie Kanhua shook his head: "No, your name will be Su Baiyi from now on."
The boy's eyes lit up. He didn't care about his first name, but he cared a lot about his last name: "Su?"
"Yes. It sounds very nice. There is a very beautiful and gentle woman with this surname, and there is also a very great and heroic man with this surname. So you will definitely be great in the future. Because you not only have the surname Su, but also have a master with the surname Xie." Xie Kanhua raised his head, "Hold the umbrella higher."
The boy raised his umbrella hastily: "Master Xie?"
"Me." Xie Kanhua said with a smile.
From that day on, Su Baiyi lived with Xie Kanhua, who claimed to be his family and his master. They found a quiet little village called Xinghua, and because Xie Kanhua said the wine there was delicious, they bought a yard and lived there. Su Baiyi always wanted to ask about his life experience, but Xie Kanhua always said that he would know it when he grew up. As for Xie Kanhua, he drank, read, and taught Su Baiyi martial arts every day. He seemed to enjoy himself in this small village, but sometimes he would lie on the apricot tree and sing after drinking too much apricot wine.
"I am preparing firewood and three stars are in the sky. What a night it is, and I see this good man. My dear, my dear, what a good man!
I am preparing my food and gathering my straw, and three stars are in the corner. What is this night, that we meet by chance? My dear, why do we meet like this
"I am well dressed and well dressed, and three stars are in the window. What night is it that I see such a charming girl? My dear, what is this charming girl?"
The song is gentle and melodious, with a hint of sadness. Every time I listen to it, I will cry. But... why is the voice of a woman this time
Su Baiyi finally opened his eyes in a daze. He saw a woman sitting on a tree not far away. She was wearing a purple dress and her long legs were swinging there.
"Are you awake?" The singing suddenly stopped, and the woman jumped down from the tree and landed in front of Su Baiyi, with a hint of surprise in her voice.
Su Baiyi slowly opened his eyes, and the appearance of the woman in front of him finally became clearer and clearer. She had bright eyes, white teeth, and fair and beautiful skin. If the "dear lover" in the song had a specific appearance, it must be like this.
"Speaking of which, this is the third time we've met, but maybe this is the only time we can truly know each other." The purple-clothed woman stood up and lifted her hair. "My name is Nangong Xier."
"What a night it is, and why do I meet this dear man?" Su Baiyi had just woken up from a deep sleep, his head was buzzing, and he wondered if he was still dreaming.
The purple-clothed woman nodded: "Yes, it is this Xi."