[Alternate t.i.tle: Going Northwest, Again

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There's a lot of men in this village that are constantly thinking of Rong Jiahui, making the one who discreetly senses all of it, Zhongli Luo, nearly have steam coming out of her ears in rage. They're currently playing the part of husband and wife, but the villagers don't seem to be aware that she hasn't actually breathed her last yet. They'd be all over it if she did! They'd line up from one end of the village to the other to wait for Jiahui to pick from them!

The fool herself has no idea what their intentions are, likely believing it's just the simple enthusiasm of village folk. Her patience for Jiahui is wearing thin at this spectacle.

One day, after eating dinner, Zhongli Luo pulled at Jiahui's sleeve. “Jiahui, shouldn't we be leaving?” She suggests. “How about I escort you back to the capital, then go back to the Northwest myself?”

She wasn't wanting to stay here any longer, lest Jiahui really did get swindled away and leave her crying all over the place!

Jiahui paused, then said, “Mm, yeah, we should leave. But I'm not going back, I'm going with you.”

Zhongli Luo was about to nod, but realized something was a bit amiss. “What did you say?”

Jiahui ignored her shock and proceeded to clean up the dishes while speaking. “I'm going with you to the Northwest to take a look at it. I'm super curious about what's over there is all”

Zhongli Luo's expression worsened. “Jiahui, that's not somewhere you should go. You've made enough trouble already with all this, and you've gone through so much; why are you still being so thoughtless? Can't you think about the Lord, Lady, and Jiaze? They're so worried about you. Be good and go back home. Don't have everyone keep being anxious.”

This is the first time she's used this sort of tone towards Jiahui, who knew herself to be in the wrong and isn't able to say anything back for a moment.

Noticing that the other didn't look too happy, and sensing the heaviness of her own voice, she softened it up. “I want what's best for you. Go home, alright?” She said, patting the other girl's head.

Jiahui didn't react for a second, then abruptly used a hand to shake off Zhongli Luo's own. “And what about you?” She questioned, her eyes going red. “When will you be coming back to see me? You little b.a.s.t.a.r.d! When I was thirteen, you ran and ran all round for two whole years before you were finally willing to come visit me! Did you think I wouldn't mind just because you gave me a chunk of stupid wood? After– hff, after that it's another whole three years! Tell me, if I didn't go on this trip, would you have ever come to see me? Would you even do it if I died?”

“Don't say such things, Jiahui!”

Yet she continued on. “Is what I'm saying not the truth? It's why you better not think of getting rid of me now! Don't tell me there isn't a single person in your group over there that hasn't brought a woman along with them?”

“There is, but you and I…”

“Then you mustn't say this stuff. Why can they bring their wives but you can't? I refuse to accept that I'm the first one ever.”

Right when Zhongli Luo thought to say that this wasn't what she'd meant, she saw Jiahui was already making the bed up for her. “Don't talk,” she said. “Go to bed early and we'll get back on the road tomorrow.”

Zhongli Luo sighed. “Why… do you bother? How am I worthy to be treated so well by you? …I-I really don't deserve you at all…”

Jiahui's pedigree and looks are all top-notch, so why is she planting herself on her? She isn't deserving of such goodness. How could she be on the same level…?

Rong Jiahui herself gave an unhappy glance towards the woman who started to be self-deprecating again. “Well then, since you don't deserve me, I'll go find someone who does. Hum, going Northwest is best, in that case. I can go take a gander at that yet-unmarried Minor General Mu, you know? His little sister Mu Zheng'er is my maternal sister-in-law, and she has excellent looks if nothing else, so her big brother wouldn't be any worse. You know I like the good-looking types who can fight.”

This brought to Zhongli Luo's mind how the other girl had been talking about Mu Qian before, which had made her a bit angry, and now she's hearing that she's still thinking of him! She's immediately unhappy with this.

She sits off to the side, only giving Jiahui a view of the back of her head, and couldn't keep from grumbling to herself. “He's almost thirty and he's still only a minor general… I don't know how his sister looks, but he pretty much looks like a devil, I don't see how he could look good… there's a big three-cun scar on his face, all he ever does is give contradictory orders, and he said himself that everyone knows he conducts himself poorly…”

This is the first instance she's spoken badly of someone, and she's aware that smearing his name isn't right. Her voice gets lighter and lighter for a moment.

Her sourness could have been smelled from outside the house. Even if Jiahui were genuinely mad or something, it would all have promptly dissipated at this. She happily went up and looped her arms around Zhongli Luo's neck. “Okay, okay, okay, my mistake, my bad. Thirty is too big an age to be nothing more than a Minor General. Dear sister, you're a Minor General who's good-looking and fights, so you'll do!”

Zhongli Luo breathed in the faint scent of Jiahui's body, and her mood changed. She smiled, and, for some reason, nodded. “Alright. Let's go together.”

It doesn't matter. She's always capable of protecting Jiahui, and it's as the other said; why can't she bring her woman along? She won't accept that.

As she'd finally loosened up, Jiahui also promptly let out a long exhale. She didn't want to go home one bit. It's freer outside.

As they were planning to leave the next day, and just as Jiahui was packing up the very few things they had, a burst of noise came from outside the room.

Jiahui felt that something was wrong and pushed open the door for a look, only for her whole body to go stiff. Auntie Liu was s.h.i.+vering terribly, the yard was full of armed guards, and also…

Two twenty-something pretty women saw her and flew over to her with tears in their eyes. “Young Mistress! You've gone through so much!”

After wordlessly avoiding the two emotionally-provoked maid's embraces, Jiahui asked them, “Shuang Jiang, Bai Lu, how did this all happen?”

There was no time for them to respond when all those armed men parted to make a path followed by a group of the area's officials coming through, who were all crowding around a young man with a.s.s-kissing expressions on their faces.

Jiahui thought at first that her old pops had found her and her face went white out of fright for a split second, but all she ended up doing was staring, because it was actually her silly little brother who was only good for fooling around…

Rong Jiaze, presently wearing fancy embroidered clothes, is obviously out of place in this sub-par yard. People came to see all the hustle and bustle happening on Auntie Liu's doorstep at this time. They typically brim with reverence for mere bailiffs, so these officials are G.o.d-like beings to them, and their only regret is that they can't wors.h.i.+p them on the spot.

As they saw the group of officials seeming to bow down to a youth that shared some similarity to Rong Jiahui, they were nearly scared stiff, successively rejoicing that they'd never offended her in these days.

Jiaze had been extremely worried; this was his dearly beloved big sister, after all. However, all he can think right now upon seeing her dressed up like a funny village girl is… that this is too ridiculous! Even so, his sister's suffered through so much these days; how could he give off such mocking laughter right now? He shuddered with the effort of keeping down his smile, his lips wavering, and a long period of time later he wasn't able to repress it anymore and let out a loud pig-like squeal.

All the local officials and their guards couldn't keep their faces from twisting up.

The also-mortified Jiahui stepped out and slapped the little imp on his forehead. “You little hoodlum! Why are you not at home? Why did you come out here for no reason?”

“Ow!” Jiaze covered his head. “Sis, it's not because you ran off. You're going to make mom and dad die of fright soon, and if dad wasn't afraid of some things, he probably would have come over himself as soon as he could. You know he's a lazy sort of person, but he likes to go do things with his friends every day, so if he's suddenly missing, no one will know what to think, and they'll do some investigating and find that you sneaking out didn't stop at that.”

“And it's nothing for you to be running off for no reason?”

Jiaze's face reddened. “That… Sis, Miss Ah-Heng is, y'know, the Young Madam of the Xue family's cousin, and the thing with me and Miss Ah-Heng… mom and dad have already settled things with governor-general Song, so I had to come pay respects to my future father-in-law.”

So that's his excuse. Noting how eager and fidgety her sixteen-year-old brother was, she also got the feeling that he had finally grown up; her family's piglet finally knew how to go and muck up another family's bok choy.

Though pleased, Jiahui's mouth still desires to nip his sense of superiority in the bud. “Sister Song is such a good girl. How could she be swindled by you, a demon in human skin? This really shouldn't be. What a mistake on her part.”

When Jiaze was about to retort, he saw another person come out of the room. Zhongli Luo, dressed as a village man, surveyed the courtyard with a slightly startled look.

Jiaze noticed that ‘he' was also stunned. “Hey, Brother Zhongli, why are… you here, too?”

Those clothes are so stupid hahahaha!

Shuang Jiang and Bai Lu, upon witnessing that he'd just come out of the same room as Jiahui, had both their pretty faces turn green as cabbages.

And upon their change in complexion, Jiaze finally had an epiphany.

“Sis, dad is definitely going to kill him. Definitely.” His face spelled out his alarm.

Jiahui smacked him again. “d.a.m.n punk. How old are you exactly? Quit thinking up obscene things or your big sis is gonna let you know how you're going to die.”

Despite this, Jiaze's eyes roamed from Jiahui to Zhongli Luo, and from him back to her, still somewhat suspicious.

“Then, sis, let's hurry. I'll send you back.”

Their marriage is set in stone regardless. It's not good for a little brother to get involved, as both sides would be displeased when the time comes for him to get caught up in the conflict between his sister and father.

Jiahui shook her head in response, then pointed at Zhongli Luo who was standing to the side like a dummy. “Ah-Ze, I'm going with him to the Northwest. It's not far from here anyways, it would be a waste not to go.”

Jiaze's legs go soft. Why… is his sister so unbridled? He's pretty convinced that Zhongli Luo's an upright sort, but still…

“Sis… if you do this, dad will…”

Hearing the word ‘dad' come from him, Jiahui cuts him off. “I know dad will be mad, Jiaze, and I know I'm really the one wrong here, but do me a favor, little brother, and sweet-talk him for me. Yeah, then let him know that I'll write every month on how I'm safe and sound, and tell him… that I'll be staying here for several months.”

Two or three months is several months. Nine months is also several months. Either way, she didn't want to go home for a brief timeframe; it's super interesting in the outside world.

Jiaze sighed. “Sis, you're being contrarian… and for what?”

“It's not that I'm just being contrarian. I wanted to come see all this for myself, too. You all can help me cover this up; get Yuxiang to come visit our home more often to make it seem like I've taken ill, okay?”

“Sis…”

Jiahui put a finger in front of her mouth and shushed him, then patiently explained it all. “Listen to me, my good brother, and wait for this person to take up the position of a Major General; then I'll drag her back home to get married! You have to believe in her, and you have to believe in your sister's skills even more.”

[T/N: For the uninformed, male/female p.r.o.nouns have the exact same p.r.o.nunciation in Chinese, so Jiahui can safely verbally refer to Zhongli as ‘she' and have no one be the wiser. This… does not work in English. p.r.o.nouns will either be defaulted to he or be in bold when this happens from now on.]

Though she said this like a inviolable oath, Jiaze still looked at Zhongli Luo with doubts. Will they all be waiting for a time that'll never come?

As he's still young, and a younger brother at that, he didn't end up getting through to her no matter what he said. Not being able to bring her back was fine, but he stupidly sent people to escort them on their journey…

The author says: I've discovered that I'm quickly forgetting the fact that I'm a bilibili uploader and haven't updated for n amount of days…

My mother was in my house and had been urging me to write a romance on the daily, so I obediently slammed out a 5,000 character outline about a deep ancient romance story with sadom.a.s.o.c.h.i.s.tic love. (This was extraordinarily easy to do, as I was in a stupid phase of writing plots with abuse, abuse, abuse, angst, angst, and more angst, only for the male and female lead to end up dying!) It's just that when I set out to write it, I couldn't get a single character down. My mind was a blank s.p.a.ce. →_→ Afterwards, I quietly changed the male lead to a woman dressed as a man, and immediately got a rush of inspiration that couldn't be suppressed. _(:з」∠)_

The translator says: Despite the author's apparently s.a.d.i.s.tic tastes, this is not BE.