Xiao Zhan nodded in satisfaction, thinking to himself, That little brat certainly knows his crooked tricks. Still, since he "earned" this money from members of the Xiao Clan, it ought to help "share the clan's burdens." As head of the family, it's perfectly reasonable for me to use some "clan funds" to tide myself over when money gets tight! With that thought, much of the resentment left by the day's farce melted away, and even his steps grew lighter.
Meanwhile, Xiao Yi's treatment was nowhere near as "perfectly reasonable." Two servants shoved him roughly along, sending him stumbling all the way back to his somewhat secluded little courtyard. The gate opened with a creak, then slammed shut with a clang. The cold click of the lock announced the beginning of yet another stretch of confinement.
The servants guarding the gate were the same two familiar faces. Arms folded, they glanced sideways at the dejected Xiao Yi inside, their faces full of gleeful smirks. The tall, skinny one clicked his tongue twice and drawled sarcastically, "Well, well! Where have you been making your fortune this time, only to get locked up again? You really do know how to stir things up!"
The short, plump servant beside him chuckled too. "You said it! Young master, you have no idea how well we had it the last time you were locked up! All that chicken, duck, fish, and meat the kitchen prepared for you-you didn't touch a bite, and it all ended up in our bellies! Thanks to you, we got three portions at every meal. I feel like I've put on several pounds these past few days!" As he spoke, he deliberately patted his slightly bulging stomach.
Xiao Yi was already seething over having his silver confiscated. Hearing these two mock him only made his anger flare higher. He jerked his head up, his bloodshot eyes seeming ready to spit fire, and roared at the two loathsome faces outside the gate, "Get lost! Both of you, get the hell away! Once I'm out, you'll get what's coming to you!"
But against the cold wooden gate and the sound of the lock, his threat seemed feeble and hollow. The two guards exchanged a glance and burst into even more unrestrained laughter before finally turning away in satisfaction, leaving Xiao Yi alone in the empty courtyard to seethe at the tightly shut gate.
At the same time, another "unfortunate soul," Xiao Yan, had also been ordered into confinement. Unlike Xiao Yi, he put up no fierce resistance and merely returned in silence to his own shabby little courtyard.
Although the day's commotion had ended in a "complete victory," with Xiao Yi severely punished, Xiao Yan had hardly come out unscathed. His face still burned painfully, and he too faced confinement. Yet whenever he thought of Xiao Yi looking as though he had lost his parents over the loss of his money, Xiao Yan felt inexplicably better, and even his frustration at being confined eased considerably.
He pushed open his room's door. The furnishings inside were as simple as ever. Xiao Yan went over to the bed and sat down, instinctively reaching for the ancient-looking ring, only to find nothing there. Only then did he remember that he had left the ring, along with the mysterious soul inside it, back in his old courtyard.
Meanwhile, Xiao Yi lay sprawled on the cold ground, idly poking at ants with a small twig he had picked up, still muttering indignantly under his breath.
"Black-hearted foster father! Black-hearted elders! And Xiao Ning, Xiao Yan-you all just wait! Once I get out, I'll make sure you learn why flowers are so red! My money... my hard-earned money... boo-hoo, my money! Confiscated, just like that! How am I supposed to live like this?"
The days of confinement passed surprisingly quickly amid Xiao Yi's tireless daily battles of wits involving "prison breaks" and "counter-surveillance," as well as his equally tireless curses against Xiao Zhan, Xiao Ning, and the others. Neither especially long nor especially short, that stretch of time ended when the last withered leaf reluctantly drifted from the old locust tree in the courtyard, and Wutan City welcomed its first snow of winter.
At first, the snowflakes were tiny and scattered, light as willow catkins. Gradually, the snow fell harder and harder, with goose-feather flakes swirling down until they soon spread a pure white, fleecy blanket over the entire Xiao Clan Courtyard. Amid that skyful of snow, Xiao Yi's confinement quietly came to an end.
Xiao Yi had hardly been idle during this time. He made full use of the "earth escape" skill he had honed while practicing the Dao with his master since childhood-digging tunnels. Taking advantage of his small body and the two guards' carelessness, he went outside for some "fresh air" almost every day.
At first, the two servants assigned to guard him still made a show of patrolling a few times. But as the weather grew colder, they could no longer be bothered to watch him. Apart from collecting the meals on time each day, they huddled in the gatehouse, warming themselves by the fire and dozing. As for Xiao Yi's meals, naturally, "the pavilion nearest the water catches the moon first": the two divided them between themselves, prettily calling it "checking the seasoning for the second young master, so he doesn't upset his stomach."
Xiao Yi knew perfectly well what they were doing, but could not be bothered to argue. After slipping out, he usually wandered around the market to see whether there were any new ways to make money, or went to the little river outside the city to catch a few fish and roast them out in the open. He casually tossed the leftover fish bones to the stray dogs, finding some amusement in watching them scramble for the food.
That day, the snow was coming down thick. Figuring his confinement was just about over, Xiao Yi slipped back into his little courtyard through the tunnel entrance he had cleverly concealed with weeds, following the route with practiced ease. Deep snow had accumulated in the courtyard, crunching beneath his feet. He approached the tightly shut gate and, without ceremony, raised his foot and kicked it.
"Hey! Open up! My sentence is over!"
Inside the gatehouse, the two servants were wrapped in thick quilts, sleeping like the dead and snoring like thunder. Xiao Yi's kick and shout stirred the tall, skinny one into opening his eyes groggily. He rubbed them, still bleary with sleep, apparently not yet understanding what had happened.
When no response came from inside, Xiao Yi kicked harder, landing several blows in succession. "Stop sleeping! Get up and get to work! I've got good news for you-from today onward, you two won't have to freeze and starve here guarding me anymore! I'm free!"
The tall, skinny servant finally woke up a little. Scratching his tangled hair, he climbed to his feet and opened the gate. He paused at the sight of Xiao Yi standing there with traces of mud and snow still clinging to him, then remembered that the second young master's confinement did indeed seem to be over.
"Oh... oh, Young Master Yi." The tall, skinny servant gave a muddled reply, then let out an enormous yawn, seemingly still not fully awake. "Then... then we'll just... leave?"
Xiao Yi rolled his eyes irritably. "Obviously! Get lost already! Stop being an eyesore!" As he spoke, he gave the servant a kick on the backside, neither particularly hard nor particularly light.
The servant did not get angry. After all, he had barely exerted himself and had even enjoyed extra meals. He went to wake his companion, who was still off visiting the Duke of Zhou in his dreams. The two wrapped their tattered padded coats tightly around themselves and left without looking back.
Watching their retreating backs, Xiao Yi curled his lip and muttered, "Two lazy good-for-nothings!"
"Ahh..." Xiao Yi yawned. "In the depths of winter, nothing beats sleeping tucked under the covers." He rubbed his somewhat numb hands together and turned back toward his room, planning to enjoy another lovely stretch of sleep.
Unlike Xiao Yi's noisy "release from prison," Xiao Yan's confinement ended without a sound. Almost every three days, Xun'er found an opportunity to slip away during a moment when Ling Ying, who was responsible for watching over her, was distracted, and secretly ran to the wall outside Xiao Yan's courtyard. She imitated a kitten's mew or tapped lightly on the wall with a pebble, then carefully tossed over pastries, dried meat, and even warming medicinal dishes she had painstakingly prepared and wrapped in oiled paper.
This gave Ling Ying endless headaches. He had been ordered to protect the young lady, and naturally did not want her getting too close to this "good-for-nothing" young master. But how could he control where her heart went?
Seeing that tender little cabbage not only refuse to distance herself from Xiao Yan because of his "fall from grace," but instead take even more initiative in fussing over his well-being, Ling Ying sighed inwardly. What is this supposed to be? Could confinement actually have become a catalyst, deepening the young lady's feelings for that boy?
Before you continue