Twilight Boundary

Chapter 27 A nobleman from the city

 “Can’t find my mother-in-law? What do you mean?”

Xiao Hongtang's words suddenly made Hu Ma feel a sudden tremor in her heart, and she quickly put down the basket in her hand.

 “I can’t smell the incense my mother-in-law lit, and I can’t find my way home.”

Xiao Hongtang said reluctantly: "I was looking for my mother-in-law in the woods, but she couldn't find her. She was bullied by others, so I had to come back. But the second master had already spread ashes outside the village, so Xiao Hongtang couldn't go into the village to look for her. Brother Huma is gone, all we can do is wait."

 “Have you been here all night?”

Hu Ma finally understood and couldn't help but worry: "What does it mean that my mother-in-law didn't light any incense?"

　From the white-faced Shankui last night, and thinking about Xiao Hongtang who could not find his home, his heart became heavier and heavier. He asked Xiao Hongtang to wait outside the village and quickly returned to the village.

The second master was carefully asking Cui Xie'er who had woken up and giving him some words. Cui Xie'er's face was pale. When he saw Hu Ma, he immediately trembled subconsciously, but he saw that Hu Ma ignored him at all and just looked at the second master.

Seeing Hu Ma's serious face, the second master understood. They came to the door together and whispered: "Did something happen?"

“Xiao Hongtang said she couldn’t find her home…”

 Hu Ma quickly told the second master about Xiao Hongtang's situation, feeling a little uneasy.

 “Something’s not quite right.”

The second master frowned slightly and whispered: "Xiao Hongtang is a ghost raised by her mother-in-law. The place where the incense is burning is her home. Only when her mother-in-law lights the incense stick for her can she find it. Mother-in-law, no matter what, the ghost will never forget to light this stick of incense."

 “That mother-in-law…”

Hu Ma's heart suddenly trembled, and she raised her head to look at the second master.

 “Don’t panic when something happens.”

The second master noticed Hu Ma's worry and said in a deep voice, but it could be seen that he was also a little worried.

When I was thinking about it, I saw several herb pickers wearing leggings and raincoats walking up on the hillside outside Zhuangzi. They saw the second master from a distance and said: "Second master, when you came out this morning, the clan leader asked We stopped by to send you a message."

“There’s something going on in the village. I want you to settle down in the village and go there at noon.”

 “The matter is very important, so don’t waste your time.”

　　　…”

 “Did something happen?”

The second master’s face suddenly became ugly. He hurriedly stepped forward and asked, “Is it related to my mother-in-law?”

"I do not know!"

The herb gatherer was startled for a moment and said, "We went out in the morning, and the clan leader stopped us at the gate of the village and sent you a message."

 “I didn’t say anything, I just saw that he was very anxious.”

　　　…”

Once he heard this, Hu Ma felt a little uneasy.

The second master calmed down slightly and said to Hu Ma: "Let's go back to the village with me."

 He went back to Zhuangzi to settle down, while Hu Ma was waiting beside him uneasily. Xiao Hongtang quietly came over and held his hand:

“Brother Huma, does your mother-in-law no longer want Xiao Hongtang?”

　　　…”

 “No, no, no…”

Looking at her pitiful appearance, I knew that she was just a child on the outside, but I didn’t know what she was on the inside.

But Hu Ma couldn't help but feel soft in her heart. She just regarded her as a scared child and comforted her in a low voice: "How could it be? Let's go back to the village to find our mother-in-law."

 “Just keep following me and don’t get lost again.”

　　　…”

Xiao Hongtang obediently agreed and followed Hu Ma step by step, fearing that she would lose another one.

 The second master returned to Zhuangzi, settled the others, and walked out.

He was anxious, and after walking a few steps, he put Hu Ma on his back, stepped up his long legs, and hurried towards the village. Xiao Hongtang followed him in the bushes nearby for a while, but he couldn't keep up, so he He also jumped on Hu Ma's back.

Just like that, the second master carried Hu Ma on his back, and Hu Ma carried Xiao Hongtang on his back. The two of them quickly walked through the deep forest, much faster than ordinary people walking.

Hu Ma could clearly notice that Xiao Hongtang was trembling when she got close to the second master, as if it was very unbearable.

 But she buried her little face in her neck, took a deep breath, and felt much better.

"The second master is the person who lights the stove, so Xiao Hongtang should be afraid of him."

“But I am also the person who lights the stove now, and the fire is almost as good as the second master’s. How come she is not afraid of me at all?”

　　　…”

I didn't pay attention to these strange things for the moment, I just followed the second master worriedly.

I don’t know if the second master has learned a special way to travel. The last time Hu Ma and her mother-in-law walked through the woods, it took more than two hours, but the second master had long hands and long legs and took big steps. Although he didn’t run, his speed was impressive. It's faster than ordinary people can run.

 In about half an hour, I followed the second master and arrived at the village entrance of Dayangzhaizi.

From a distance, I saw the patriarch and several elderly people waiting anxiously not far away.

 “What happened to my mother-in-law?”

 The second master strode closer and asked the clan leader from a distance.

 “Mother-in-law?”

The patriarch also came up to him. Just when he was about to speak, he heard the words of the second master, and his expression was a little strange: "What's wrong with mother-in-law?" The second master was also startled: "It's not my mother-in-law's business?"

“My mother-in-law has not been in the village during this time...”

The old patriarch also saw the flax behind him, nodded, and said: "Since I sent the flax to your village, my mother-in-law has rarely been seen in the village. It seems that she has not returned to the village in the past few days."

“But my mother-in-law usually goes out to practice medicine and often doesn’t come back for a day or two. Xiao Huma also knows..."

“…Well, I haven’t seen anyone for several days this time, which is unusual.”

　　　…”

"That…"

Hu Ma was slightly relieved when she saw that it was not her mother-in-law's fault, but she couldn't let go when she saw that her mother-in-law hadn't been seen for a long time.

He said hurriedly: "Where have all the mothers-in-law gone?"

“It seems like you’re going to the woods to the west, right?”

The old patriarch was also a little embarrassed and said: "She has been going there all this time, but I don't know what she is going to do. We usually don't ask about my mother-in-law's affairs."

This is indeed in line with her mother-in-law's habit. Hu Ma looked back and saw Xiao Hongtang also looking confused, looking towards the woods to the west.

If she was close, she would be able to sense her mother-in-law. She had been following her mother-in-law in the woods over there a few days ago, but now, she was obviously at a loss and didn't know why.

The second master breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Then why did you call me back so urgently?"

Upon hearing this, the old patriarch looked a little more cautious, approached the second master, and said in a low voice: "There is a big event. Some nobles came to the city today. They want to go into the forest to find something, and they want to find it in our village. You are a guide, I can only ask you to come back."

“Those are all great people. Second brother, you must serve them well. I’m afraid you won’t be able to make a small fortune...”

 “Be a guide?”

The second master was deeply surprised. He looked inside the village and asked, "Is it just them?"

Hu Ma also took a look, but her expression was suddenly startled.

 In my anxiety, I didn’t pay attention just now, but now I took a quick look and realized that there were more people in the village.

They were all stalwart men, wearing black trousers and jackets, with red silk belts around their waists. Some even had knives on their waists, looking like guards.

There were seventeen or eighteen of them, surrounded by two black sedans and a large car, and they stood quietly in the stockade.

 The surrounding villagers and children looked at them in awe and fear.

Outside the sedan, there was an old man wearing a gray gown and looking like a shopkeeper standing.

 He was clasping his hands behind his back and looking at the scenery in the village.

On the other sedan, a black silk curtain hung down, blocking the faces of the people inside.

 Is this a nobleman from the city?

Hu Ma felt vaguely curious. What is this world like?

 “But, I’m busy right now…”

The second master understood why the old patriarch called him back, and his expression suddenly became awkward.

 “Oh, my mother-in-law is so capable, what can happen?”

When the old patriarch saw this, he suddenly became worried. He grabbed the second master's arm and whispered: "You can't refuse this matter. Do you know how intimidating the status of these nobles from the city is?"

"The old shopkeeper of Caoxintang is here with us. We in Dayangzhai cannot afford to offend."

“If things go well, the black ointment and herbs next spring will be sold at a good price...”

　　　…”

 “This is too late!”

The second master glanced at Hu Ma and said, "My mother-in-law still doesn't know what's going on now!"

 “What can happen to my mother-in-law?”

The old patriarch was startled for a moment and looked at Hu Ma: "What's wrong with mother-in-law?"

"have no idea."

Hu Ma breathed a sigh of relief and said, "My mother-in-law has been sending people to deliver food to me in the village before, but she didn't deliver it today. The person who helped deliver the food before also said that she suddenly couldn't find her. I'm worried about my mother-in-law." Something happened, so I came back with the second master."

 “Hey, my mother-in-law doesn’t give you food for a day, how can she still starve you?”

When the old patriarch heard this, he immediately complained and said, "And it's only been a day?"

　　"Can't you let your second master go and be busy first? I'll look for someone in the village to help you search around?"

　　　…”

Without waiting for Hu Ma to answer, he looked at the second master and said seriously: "But you can't delay the affairs of the nobles in the city!"

“Second brother, you are knowledgeable. You can tell the identities of these noble people just by looking at this car!”

 “I’ve been waiting here for an hour, we can’t delay any longer!”

　　　…”

The second master's expression suddenly became extremely troubled. Hu Ma also took a deep breath, understood, and turned to look at the boundless forest.

Suddenly he said: "It's okay, Second Master, I'll follow you into the forest!"

 (End of this chapter)