Chapter 31 Two Tigers

  After dinner, the young woman was busy cleaning up the house again. Yang Ling held a teapot and watched her busily, feeling restless himself. It's too corrupt, too decadent! He had a sense of guilt, that such an indulgent man would have been punished in his own time!

  Retribution has arrived, Yang Ling stood up, wiping his face and walked out to beg Young Niang to allow him to wash a bowl, sweep the floor or something. The door creaked open with a bang, cold wind hit his face, Yang Ling had just lifted his head when he saw a white figure flash in, followed by a heavy punch on his shoulder, knocking him off balance and almost falling to the ground.

  Yang Ling stood still, and saw a man and a woman standing at the door, who were Ma Ang and his sister. The two siblings were both dressed in mourning clothes, Ma Ang's face was red with anger, and his face was full of rage. Ma Lian'er stood like a white lotus flower with dew on it, but her beautiful face was now solemn and calm, her bright eyes looked at Yang Ling with some disdain.

  Yang Ling asked in confusion: "Brother Ma, Miss Ma, what are you two doing?"

  Ma Ang shouted: "Ungrateful and treacherous dog, who would call you brother?" As he spoke, he rushed forward, swinging his fists again. Yang Ling didn't know any martial arts, how could he dare to fight him? He had just retreated two steps when Han Youniang flashed past from beside him, slapping Ma Ang's fist with a "slap".

  The outer hall was not large, Ma Ang's fists and palms were wide open, his aura was powerful and majestic, covering the entire space. Han Youniang stood firm at the gate, neither dodging nor evading, her slender hands flying up and down, using her small but exquisite grappling skills to stick with him without retreating.

  Yang Ling didn't know why his brother and sister came to find him for trouble, he had just been punched by him, now seeing that he didn't say a word and started fighting with Yu Nang again, a fire in his heart also burst out.

  Seeing Ma Ang's powerful and fierce punches, if he were to hit the delicate body of the young lady, it would be unbearable. He loudly warned: "Ma Ang, let's talk this out, if you dare hurt the young lady, I will never forgive you!"

  Ma Lian'er was originally just cold and beautiful, watching from the side, but when she heard him say those harsh words, her eyebrows furrowed, her body swayed, and she flashed over from beside the two people who were fighting, rushing straight at Yang Ling. Her slender and delicate figure, like a willow branch, was surprisingly agile and nimble when she moved.

  Han Youniang's heart was racing, although she was annoyed that the rough man had punched her husband, she also knew that his brother and sister were on good terms with her husband, so she still showed some restraint. Just then, Ma Lian'er flashed in, thinking it was too late to stop him, she dodged Ma Ang's punch, pulled out two chopsticks from the stove, stretched out her body, and pressed them against Ma Ang's throat, shouting: "Stop!"

  Ma Lian'er rushed to Yang Ling's side, her wrist swooped in, grasped Yang Ling's arm and twisted it back, her right hand pulled out a short dagger with cold light from her waist, almost pressed against his throat, raised her head to see her brother being controlled by Han Youniang, couldn't help but be shocked.

  Han Youniang turned her head and saw Yang Ling being restrained, the chopsticks in her hand tightened involuntarily, and she shouted loudly: "Let go of my husband!"

  Ma Lian'er also shouted at the same time: "Let go of my brother!"

  The two of them shouted and were stunned, their four eyes staring at each other, neither willing to let go first.

  Yang Ling took a deep breath to avoid his Adam's apple being cut by the sharp dagger, then said to Han Youniang: "You Niang, let go of Ma Ge!"

  Han Youniang said worriedly: "Husband, is it you......"

  Yang Ling glared and said with a manly air: "Let him go!"

  Han Youniang pouted, helplessly putting down her chopsticks. Ma Lian'er let out a cold laugh and sneered: "You're really a mighty and powerful husband! Do you think I don't dare to kill you?"

  Yang Ling said helplessly, "Killing someone should have a reason, right? I've never offended you two siblings, why kill me?" He didn't know why the brother and sister were full of anger, but there was no intention to kill in their eyes, so he was very certain.

  Ma Lian'er raised Yang Ling's arm with her left hand, the sharp blade at his throat. Yang Ling didn't dare to bend down, and let out a muffled groan in pain. Han Youniang felt very distressed seeing this, but since her husband was now in someone else's hands, she didn't dare move. Ma Lian'er gritted her teeth and coldly sneered: "You helped my brother before, did the Ma family treat you poorly? Why... why are you bullying people so much?"

  Yang Lingqi said: "Miss Ma, I still don't know what I did wrong until now, can you tell me?"

  Ma Ang said indignantly: "My father has passed away, and you are now the county postmaster. You're doing a great job! My father's body is still cold, but you want to drive my brother and sister out of the postmaster's office just to please He Canjiang and the supervisor from the capital. Is there anyone as cruel and heartless as you in this world?"

  Ma Lian'er said in a trembling voice: "Even if you want my brother and sister to move out of the post office, it's okay. However, we've only been here for over a month and are unfamiliar with the place. In the end, I only asked your subordinates to borrow a room in the post office to build a memorial hall for my father, but they all pushed me away and refused. People die and tea cools down, it's really despicable! Yang, Ma Lian'er was wrong about you!"

  She recalled that day in front of Hongyuelou, she was once moved and had expressed to Yang Ling the sentiment "Returning your bright pearls with tears, regretting not meeting before marriage". Who would have known that the only man she admired and liked turned out to be so heartless, and the people at the post station were so ruthless and unfeeling. She couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness in her heart.

  Yang Ling was stunned, and after a long while, he called out to Zhou Tianqu: "Brother Ma, Miss Lian'er, what have I, Yang Mou, ever done? Uncle Ma died on the city wall, and I'm also heartbroken. But today is the day the army arrived, and I just took over the affairs of the post house. Everything is unclear, and after rushing around all day, I'm exhausted. I was thinking of going to pay my respects tomorrow. What's this about hurrying you away from the post house? Do you think I'm that kind of person?"

  Ma Ang said indignantly: "People's hearts are separated by a layer of skin, who knows what kind of person you are?"

  Ma Lian'er listened, but was stunned, slowly releasing Yang Ling's hand. A pair of bright eyes stared straight into his, asking word by word: "You don't?"

  Yang Ling looked back at her without flinching, shook his head slowly and said: "I didn't!"

  Looking into his clear eyes filled with sincerity, Ma Lian'er believed him. She smiled bitterly and said: "People are in a relationship, perhaps those small officials were pretending to be mighty, my brother and sister were reckless, disturbing the noble couple. Brother, let's go!"

  She lowered her eyelids, and with a melancholy expression, she walked past Yang Ling, leaving behind a wisp of faint fragrance. Yang Ling suddenly recalled the lively and spirited appearance she had when they first met.

  Ma Lian'er's father had been in Liaodong all along, and Ma Lian'er grew up there. Not only was she skilled in horse riding, but she also spoke the Tartar language fluently. Her temperament was also as open-minded and straightforward as a Tartar woman, vastly different from women of the Central Plains. Since they met, Yang Ling had never seen her with such a weak and helpless expression before.

  Yang Ling couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion, and he grabbed her arm, saying: "Wait, Meng Ma Shibo called me 'Xianzhi', I'm also considered his junior, what's going on here? Can you tell me?"

  Ma Lian'er turned her head, and her autumn-water-like eyes swept across his hand. Yang Ling hastily let go, he was momentarily flustered and forgot that in this era, casually grabbing a woman's arm was extremely impolite.

  The tense atmosphere was eased by the trust and tacit understanding between Yang Ling and Ma Lian'er. Under Ma Ao's still angry gaze, Ma Lian'er explained what had happened. It turned out that in the afternoon, a small official at the post house had received Yang Ling's order to prepare several good rooms, so he went to the last courtyard of the post house and arranged for someone to vacate the rooms where Master Ma and his siblings were staying, wanting to keep them for high-ranking officials from the capital. This small post house had never hosted such important figures before, and the best rooms were just those few.

  At that time, Ma Ang and his sister learned of their father's death and rushed to the city gate to collect the body. Unaware of what had happened, when they returned, the house was already empty. Enraged, Ma Ang slapped the petty official several times in the face.

  The horse's father had just taken office for over a month and had not yet accumulated official prestige. The little official originally wanted to persuade them with good words to move into the side room, but was slapped by several slaps, and called the post soldier to drive them out.

  Ma Lian'er remembered that his father's body was still in the big car at the gate and had nowhere to go, so he suggested borrowing a room to set up a mourning hall. The little official was on fire and refused, citing that he was staying here on official business and setting up a mourning hall would be inconvenient for him.

  The poor Ma siblings were still the masters of the post house in the morning, but by nightfall they had become homeless. The two of them carried a dead body with them, and even when they went to an inn, no one was willing to take them in. In their desperation, they thought about how the ones who had wronged them were those ungrateful and disloyal Yang Ling, and so they angrily rushed to his door.

  Han Youniang was already softhearted, and she had personally experienced the taste of losing loved ones, being lonely and helpless, and being bullied by others. With tears in her eyes, she looked at her husband with a pair of tearful eyes, hoping that he could help this brother and sister, and soon forget the rudeness of the two siblings just now.

  Yang Ling also heard extremely angry, he said to Ma Ang: "Brother Ma, Uncle treats me like a nephew, this matter is handed over to me, it's also my filial piety to the old man. I'll accompany you to buy a mourning hall, tomorrow morning, I'll take the county government colleagues to pay their respects to your father!"