No Longer Escaping (ABO) - Chapter 6

It had been almost a week since Yang Lulong arrived here, and she seemed to be gradually getting used to this life without electricity or any modern comforts. She slept when the sun set and woke when it rose. No worries about performance, no stress about buying a house, no need to navigate effective social relationships.

Although she wasn’t very familiar with the villagers, everyone was very warm and friendly towards her. Even Zhang Long, who was initially full of hostility, now greeted her actively. It seemed his attitude towards her shifted after the day she helped with the construction.

Yang Lulong took a small stool and sat in the courtyard. The little chicks always liked to gather around her, especially since they knew she would feed them whenever she came over. After a week, these chicks had grown significantly compared to when they first arrived. Soon, there would be chicken meat to eat. She thought about how many days it had been since she last ate meat.

Wan Niang woke up earlier than Yang Lulong; she had many things to attend to. Just organizing the herbs took up her entire morning.

At this moment, she had set up a small table in the courtyard with paper, a brush, and an inkstone, noting down the herbs she needed to buy in town. As she wrote, she would occasionally look up at Yang Lulong playing with the chicks.

After so many days, the words they had exchanged were few and far between. Wan Niang wasn’t a very outgoing person. Besides daily necessities, she rarely initiated conversations with Yang Lulong.

“Yang Lulong…” Unlike others, who called Yang Lulong “Xiao Yang,” Wan Niang called her by her full name. Not calling her “Xiao Yang” felt awkward, as if it would be too intimate; so she just used her given name.

“Take this to Xiao Wen. She might be at Sister Fang’s house now, which is the second house east of the village entrance.” She called Yang Lulong over and handed her the newly written list.

“Mmm.” Yang Lulong took the list and glanced at it. It seemed to be a list of herbs. Although she didn’t quite understand what they were, she could read the characters.

Wan Niang saw her carefully examining the list. “You can read?”

“I can understand it.”

This couldn’t help but make Wan Niang speculate more about Yang Lulong’s identity.

Her father was originally a pharmacist in the capital. Because he prescribed the wrong medicine, a high official’s child developed a chronic illness. Her father went to prison and soon died there. Her mother then brought her to the countryside when she had just turned twelve. Influenced by her father, she also knew a lot about pharmacology. In the village, only she and Xiao Wen were literate, and Xiao Wen was even taught by her. Since Yang Lulong was also literate, and recalling the clothes she wore when they first met, she must have been from a family of officials or nobles.

Thinking of this, a sense of loss welled up in Wan Niang’s heart. If one day she remembered, she would leave, wouldn’t she…?

“Is there anything else?” Yang Lulong asked, seeing Wan Niang frowning as if troubled.

Wan Ning came back to her senses, forcing a smile: “Nothing. You go quickly. If you don’t catch her, you won’t know where to find her.”

“Oh.”

Yang Lulong followed Wan Niang’s directions and found Sister Fang’s house.

But as soon as she reached the doorway, even before entering, she smelled an intense ancient sandalwood fragrance. Yang Lulong frowned. The smell was so strong it was almost pungent. She didn’t think about Qianyuan and Kunze, or rather, she hadn’t reacted yet, thinking it was just that the family had burned too much sandalwood.

Entering the house, Yang Lulong froze. A bony woman lay on the bed.

Only then did Yang Lulong realize it was a Kunze’s estrus period. She was startled and turned to leave.

“Please… help me…” Sister Fang said hoarsely, pitifully.

Yang Lulong hesitated. The person looked very uncomfortable. It wasn’t that she was attracted by the Kunze’s scent; this scent didn’t seem to hold much attraction for her, just a sandalwood smell.

Sister Fang’s very pale face and the flush from the estrus period clashed terribly, making her look quite sickly. Yang Lulong looked at her like this, sweat beads rolling down her pale, flushed face, which made Yang Lulong feel very uncomfortable. Was this what a Kunze’s estrus period was like?

Out of pity, Yang Lulong went to her bedside and found a chair to sit on.

Sister Fang, during her estrus period, felt her fever seemed to be soothed when she smelled the faint tea fragrance, and the uncomfortable feeling also subsided a bit. A Qianyuan’s scent has a good soothing effect on Kunze during their estrus period, usually, the higher the rank of the Qianyuan, the more effective the soothing.

Just by being close, her fever subsided by more than half. This Qianyuan’s rank must not be low.

“I feel much better… Thank you…” Sister Fang, gradually calming down, thanked her.

“Where’s Xiao Wen?” Yang Lulong hadn’t forgotten what she came for.

“She and Xiao Hua went out; they’ll be back soon.” Sister Fang hadn’t expected that her fever would return so quickly.

“If you’re feeling better, please give this to Xiao Wen when she returns.” Yang Lulong took out the list. She knew it was not good for a Qianyuan to stay with a Kunze in their estrus period, so it was best to leave quickly.

“Xiao Wen mentioned you to me. Are you living at Wan Niang’s house now?” Sister Fang, however, didn’t want her to leave so soon. It was something in the Kunze’s very being at play; she craved the scent.

“Mmm.” Yang Lulong’s answers were always only one or two words.

“You’re a good person, and so is Wan Niang.”

Yang Lulong, who had been planning to leave, became interested after hearing Sister Fang mention Wan Niang. Her understanding of Wan Niang was almost nonexistent; she didn’t even know her age. She also wanted to know more about Wan Niang but felt too shy to ask Wan Niang directly.

“Wan Niang… how did she come to this place?” She could tell that Wan Niang didn’t seem like someone who had grown up in this place since childhood.

“Many years ago, Wan Niang and her mother came here from the city. At that time, she was just a young girl who had recently differentiated into a Kunze. At first… everyone in the village ostracized her and her mother. In the entire village, only Xiao Wen was willing to play with Wan Niang and be her friend. Later, Zhang Long also started playing with them, just the three of them. Xiao Wen started running errands for everyone around that time, and by helping everyone, she gradually changed their impression of Wan Niang’s family. Wan Niang’s family also started helping people in every household with their medical knowledge. But… when Wan Niang had just reached the age of fifteen, her mother contracted tuberculosis and was bedridden all day. Wan Niang took care of her mother while diligently studying medicine, hoping to cure her. During that time, Wan Niang was even thinner than I am now; she even fell ill herself, but her mother’s illness remained incurable. After a year, during the Spring Festival, her mother passed away… Wan Niang became an orphan. Everyone saw how pitiful Wan Niang was and rarely troubled her anymore, often bringing her good things. Wan Niang has continued to help everyone with their illnesses, and life has gone on like this until now.”

Yang Lulong quietly listened to Sister Fang recount Wan Niang’s life story, her eyes growing sad. So this was Wan Niang’s past, and she had kept all these things buried in her heart.

After hearing Wan Niang’s story, Yang Lulong got up to bid farewell to Sister Fang, but Sister Fang held her hand, trying to keep her. Just then, Xiao Wen returned coincidentally. Seeing this scene, she didn’t even consider that Xiao Hua was nearby. Anger surged in her heart, and her eyes immediately turned red. She rushed forward and grabbed Yang Lulong.

“Beast!” She punched her in the face, giving her no chance to speak, and dragged her out.

Yang Lulong didn’t even react; she was instantly pulled out of the room by Xiao Wen.

Sister Fang told her to stop, but Xiao Wen seemed not to hear at all, her angry fists raining down on Yang Lulong’s face.

Sister Fang was very worried. She struggled to prop herself up, but her legs couldn’t move, and she lost her balance, falling from the bed. Xiao Hua, who didn’t know what was happening, suddenly burst into tears and cried, coming to her mother’s side.

Yang Lulong didn’t know how to fight back; she only protected her head with her hands, passively enduring Xiao Wen’s beating.

The two continued fighting out of the house. Xiao Wen pressed down on Yang Lulong, punching her protected arms again and again.

As if venting, Xiao Wen became more and more agitated as she hit her, even muttering to herself.

“Why! Why!…” Why was Sister Fang a Kunze? Why did Sister Fang have to marry Wu Yu? Why did Wu Yu abandon Sister Fang! Why did Sister Fang have to endure all this!! Why wasn’t she a Qianyuan herself!!!

As she hit, tears streamed down her face. In her eyes, Yang Lulong had become Wu Yu.

Zhang Long saw this scene and quickly rushed over, pulling Xiao Wen off Yang Lulong.

“What’s going on! Calm down!” He lifted Xiao Wen completely off Yang Lulong; Xiao Wen’s fists didn’t stop, still wildly punching the air.

“Wu Yu, you dead scumbag!” Xiao Wen roared in anger.

“Xiao Wen, look carefully, this is Xiao Yang, not Wu Yu. What’s wrong?” Zhang Long was bewildered. He had come to deliver firewood to Sister Fang’s house and arrived to see Xiao Wen beating Yang Lulong.

“……” Xiao Wen seemed to come to her senses but knelt on the ground, whimpering.

Yang Lulong felt safe enough to lower her protective hands. She saw Xiao Wen kneeling on the ground, sadly whimpering. Her right eye was swollen, making her vision blurry, as she looked at Zhang Long, who was oblivious to the truth. How could this happen…?