Chapter 3.2 - This is Not Her World (2/2)

—As a person who has lost her memory, it is impossible to say that she was not curious about her identity.

When Li Jingnan found her, she fainted on the mountain road, wearing only a half sleeve skirt, which was outrageously too thin.

Dressed like this, she ran deep into the mountains and old forests in the wintry December, obviously throwing away her life. (6)

But she ultimately didn’t remember why she went into the mountain and didn’t remember how she got into the mountain.

Since this month, she took care of her body and recalled many things off and on, but most of them were vague outlines, not clear enough.

The only thing she can be sure of is that the place she used to be in is definitely not the way it is now.

At least there, when she explains a simple chemical reaction principle, it will not be regarded as nonsense.

Maybe if she waits until she can remember a bit more…

A bit more…then she would know what was going on…

……

It’s a beautiful day today. Hua Qingxue didn’t need to waste time baking clothes. She planned to go out and try her luck.

Before she knew when someone would come to rescue them, she had to find a way to support herself and that eight-year-old crown prince.

Hua Qingxue finished drying all the clothes, cooked a simple pot of porridge in the room, and then told Li Jingnan about her plan.

It’s obviously not good to spend money without generating any income. (7) They needed money for everything. Especially in the cold weather now, they are most likely to get sick. It would require even more money to see a doctor and get medicine.

In short, the reality before them is money, money, money!

The work of washing clothes would definitely not last long. She was going out to try to find some other work.

Li Jingnan listened and puckered up his small face, “But your accent is very strange…”

He was worried that Hua Qingxue might arouse the suspicion of the Liao people.

Hua Qingxue shrugged, “It’s better than you going out. You can only pretend to be mute when you go out.”

Li Jingnan spoke the pure official speech of the Daqi, and as soon as it was heard, people would know that he came from Shengjing.

Li Jingnan could not object to Hua Qingxue’s remark.

He drooped his head and said in a stuffy tone: “Then go…”

It seemed that the little guy was still a little uncomfortable.

Hua Qingxue was used to his tsundere temper long ago and said with a smile: “I will come back a bit earlier.”

She imitated the women here, and reluctantly tied her hair and wrapped a headscarf. She looked like a typical village woman in her old grey clothes.

Through the reflection of the water in the wooden basin, Hua Qingxue was sure that her appearance would not attract anyone’s attention, so she left the house.

On the street, Hua Qingxue went directly to the Fengle Pavilion.

Before, because of washing clothes, she met Aunt Yan, the cook of Fengle Pavillion. Aunt Yan had heard that Hua Qingxue was able to do accounts. She enthusiastically told her that she was looking for a helper who could do accounts in the shop recently.

Hua Qingxue came today, intentionally to see the shopkeeper.

It’s not time for meals now. There are not many people in the restaurant. The shopkeeper was working out the accounts at the counter.

Hua Qingxue walked over and asked softly: “Hello, I heard that a helper is being recruited here recently…”

“Not recruiting anymore,” the shopkeeper didn’t raise his head either. He refused directly.

Hua Qingxue was stunned. “Not recruiting anymore?…Shopkeeper, I can write and do accounts. If you don’t believe me, you can test me.”

The shopkeeper sighed and waved, “Little girl, it’s not that I don’t believe you. I’m actually doing this for your good. You can’t do the work of these workers.”

Hua Qingxue was more confused.

For her good? Where did this come from……

The shopkeeper stopped paying attention to her, glanced out, shook his head, and sighed: “Ai…today’s world…”

Hua Qingxue also looked out, only to see two Liao soldiers patrolling the street were dragging a girl. Behind them, a gray-haired old man begged.

The girl was only twelve or thirteen years old. She had no expression on her face. Her eyes showed deep fright; she couldn’t even scream. She had an exceptionally distinctive handprint on her face, like a lifeless puppet dragged forward by the Liao soldiers.

The old man with gray hair pulled the Liao soldiers, and he was pushed down by one of them. At this moment, a young, strong man came out from the side of the street. He helped up the old man who fell, but was stabbed in the stomach by the Liao soldiers from behind!

Blood splashed the old man’s face. When the Liao soldiers drew their swords, some white and red things fell out of the man’s body—

The old man was frightened immediately and convulsed. The two Liao soldiers laughed and shouted curses in the street for a while. Seeing that no one else dared to speak out in the street, they dragged the girl and swaggered away.

The whole street was as quiet as a cemetery.

Hua Qingxue watched the whole process, holding her breath…

She bit her lower lip, trying to control her body and not shake too much.

She knew what she saw! She also knew she couldn’t do anything! Her whole head was numb as if she had been heavily hammered by something!

Her cognition, put in this world, is simply a joke!

What laws, what human rights, these are all jokes!

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But why, why had God let her appear here?

—This is not her world!

A hand with a handkerchief stretched out, Hua Qingxue looked at it in a daze.

The shopkeeper put the handkerchief into her hand, “Don’t cry, go back quickly, and don’t go out less in the future. I’ll let Rong Sheng get the clothes.”

Did she cry?

Hua Qingxue wiped her face, and it really was wet. She wanted to smile at the shopkeeper with gratitude, but she couldn’t smile. She thought her expression at the moment must be very ugly…

Translator’s Note:

(1) The other names that Parkinson’s law has that are named in the text don’t actually mean anything since I couldn’t find any English synonyms that would describe the same thing.

(2) The Chinese for 太傅 is Grand Tutor.

(3) 虎视眈眈 is a Chinese idiom that figuratively means to “eye covetously.” It literally means “to glare like a tiger watching his prey.”

(4) Ke (咳) is a sound for coughing.

(5) 腊月 is the 12th lunar month. I just translated it as December to make the sentence simpler.

(6) 坐吃山空 literally means that just sitting and eating, one can deplete even a mountain of wealth. Figuratively, it means to spend one’s money without generating income.