Ye Zhinan nodded vigorously, then turned to wink at Qin Yihuai not far away, showing her lovely dimples.
Under the moonlight, there seemed to be galaxies in her eyes. Staring straight at him, she made his breath hitch.
Ye Zhinan tugged at his clothes, and Qin Yihuai followed her step by step into a small courtyard.
"Village head, there are visitors for you."
The courtyard was fairly tidy, with different kinds of cured meats hanging on the walls.
She looked around and indeed saw no sign of greenery.
She wondered how people could live without vegetables.
A couple walked out of the house. Seeing the two of them, they were both taken aback for a moment, then smiled and invited them in.
"In recent years, many people have come here. You two are the only ones who could persuade the old lady to let you into the yard."
Ye Zhinan wasn't sure if it was a joke or a compliment, so she just smiled and nodded slightly.
"To be honest with you, the mountain bandits burned our crops. We may have no harvest this year. Instead of tormenting each other, it's better to turn hostility into friendship."
The village head heaved a deep sigh, as if there were many reasons he couldn't say.
The courtyard fell silent for a long time. It was the village head's wife who broke the deadlock first.
"You've seen it. We don't have any fields. Not to mention crops, we can't even grow a single cabbage leaf. Don't laugh at us. The younger children in our village don't even know what vegetables are."
The village head's wife gradually choked with sobs and covered her face.
Ye Zhinan saw the deep sorrow in their eyes, and a sense of helplessness instantly filled her whole body.
She wanted to solve the current situation, but didn't know where to start.
Qin Yihuai, who had been silent all this time, put the water cup on the table, making a dull sound.
"If that's the case, why don't you submit to the government?"
"The government set fire to our village and massacred the villagers in order to seize our fertile land. If it weren't for the leader of the bandits to rescue us, there would probably be only bones all over the place."
The village head took out his tobacco pouch, took a few deep puffs, and exhaled wisps of white smoke.
In the hazy smoke, Ye Zhinan saw his expression change from hesitation to determination, and then gradually disperse.
Maybe he was recalling the past.
"No matter how hard our lives are, we will never betray the leader. It was he who fed the whole village. We can't forget his kindness of saving our lives."
After going around in circles, the matter still came back to the mountain bandits.
"Do you know why the leader hates the government?"
The village head was silent for a moment, then his eyes suddenly lit up, as if he had thought of something.
"I once heard the old lady mention that the leader's elder brother was killed in the field. It was the government people who did it."
Qin Yihuai lowered his eyelids, his eyes darkening slightly.
He had read the files of that year, and there was no mention of the murder at all.
Now that he thought about it, the records in the files were vague, clearly trying to cover something up.
"I wonder if you could introduce the leader to us. Some things are better said face to face."
Surprise flashed across Ye Zhinan's eyes. This was not in their plan.
They just came down the mountain to gather information. As for other things, they would discuss them after they went back.
It seemed inappropriate to go up the mountain to meet the leader so abruptly.
The two looked at each other. Qin Yihuai patted her hand under the table, as if to reassure her.
"I'm afraid I can't do that. If you want to go up the mountain, you have to ask the old lady. She's the only one who has dealt with the leader over the years."
Ye Zhinan felt like she was caught in a ball of tangled wool. No matter how she tried to sort it out, she always ended up back where she started.
Compared with her annoyance, Qin Yihuai seemed extremely calm.
He pulled Ye Zhinan up by the hand and prepared to leave.
Just as they were about to go out, the village head called them back.
"Even if this matter doesn't work out, could you please be more lenient in the future and let us go to the market to exchange for some vegetables?"
Qin Yihuai pursed his lips and finally nodded slightly.
"I'll try my best."
The two strolled back to the old lady's yard under the moonlight. They sneaked in quietly, afraid of disturbing the old couple.
But as soon as they pushed open the courtyard door, a walking stick came straight at them.
Qin Yihuai instinctively pulled Ye Zhinan into his arms. The familiar clear fragrance filled her nostrils again. Her whole face was buried in the man's embrace, gradually flushing.
"You're getting old. It's not good to always resort to violence. How about we sit down and have a good talk?"
The old lady's expression softened a bit. She pointed at the seats in front of her with the walking stick, indicating for the two to sit down.
Ye Zhinan thought the atmosphere would ease up, but the three of them just stared at each other, and it seemed a bit tense again.
Ye Zhinan felt extremely uncomfortable sitting there. She tugged at Qin Yihuai's sleeve, urging him to speak up.
Maybe noticing their movements, the old lady cleared her throat and hit them with a bombshell.
"I will never forgive the officials, so you might as well give up this idea as soon as possible!"
Qin Yihuai looked calm, without a single ripple in his emotions.
He raised his eyes slightly, losing the gentle air of a scholar. He sat up straight, not like chatting, but more like negotiating.
"Three years have passed. You don't want to see the villagers continue to suffer either. We're not here to suppress the bandits, but to cooperate."
Ye Zhinan nodded as well and leaned over to hold the old lady's arm.
"Don't worry. We will never make you feel embarrassed. You just need to introduce us. We'll handle the rest. If the negotiation goes well, we'll be a family in the future. If not, it has nothing to do with you."
The old lady's eyebrows softened a bit. Finally, she just sighed and left with her hands behind her back.
But just as she was about to enter the house, she left a promise.
"Let me think about it tomorrow."
Ye Zhinan tugged at the corner of her mouth helplessly. She could empathize, but she didn't want to see the whole village suffer because of past injuries.
The dead are gone forever.
The former prefect has already been punished, and the solution is right in front of them.
The ones who can't move on are actually themselves.
"What do you think the probability of this matter succeeding is?"
Ye Zhinan propped her head up and looked at the person beside her under the moonlight.
Qin Yihuai didn't say a word. He just walked to the window and whistled softly.
A white pigeon flapped its wings and flew over, landing steadily on the window frame.
He put the written note into the message tube on the pigeon's leg. With a wave of his hand, the pigeon disappeared into the vast night.
"Your elder brother will come tomorrow. We two will go up the mountain, and you wait for the news below."
It wasn't a tone of discussion, but a notice.
Ye Zhinan couldn't sit still anymore. She slapped the table and stood up, her eyes full of confusion.
"You could go up the mountain mostly because of my efforts. Are you going to kick me away after I've served my purpose?"
Qin Yihuai stood with his hands behind his back, smiling helplessly. He walked over and sat down beside her, explaining to her patiently.
"It's not kicking you away after your usefulness is out. It's just that there are all men on the mountain. It's not convenient for you."