Chapter 21: The Little Woman and the Little Maid

  After a moment, the gate creaked open and a woman of twenty-four or five stood at the entrance.

  The woman wore a yellow-based blouse with green lotus flowers, combed into a charming and coquettish low bun, with a few strands of blue silk scattered around her temples, her waist was slender, her skin was milky white, although her face was not particularly beautiful, it still had six or seven points of charm, her figure could not be described as slim and delicate, but it had a kind of plump and seductive charm.

  Bao's daughter cast a cold glance at Ma Qiao and Yang Fan with her bright, watery eyes, her face filled with disgust, saying: "What kind of thief are you looking for?"

  Ma Qiao's face sank as he said, "One word from the government and we'll naturally have to run for our lives. Please, Mrs. Bao, do us a favor and let us take a look around before going in. As long as there are no outsiders, it will be easier to explain things to our superiors."

  The lady of the Bao family snorted and said, "My family is alone in guarding the gate and passing the days. There are no idle people at home. If you want to investigate, then investigate." After speaking, she swung her sleeves and walked back with a plump and upright buttocks, swaying gently. Yang Fan and Ma Qiao exchanged a glance and followed behind their master into the house.

  The two of them first searched the east and west wings of Bao's house, then came together to the main hall. In the center of the main hall was a low table, on which was placed an open dish containing two bunches of lychee fruit. Bao picked one up and began to peel it carefully, but when she saw them enter, she didn't even raise an eyebrow, merely asking lazily: "Have you caught the thief?"

  Ma Qiao said: "We are just following orders, madam, please don't be displeased. Yang Er, go take a look in the backyard, if everything is normal we will leave immediately."

  Yang Fan responded with a sound, went out of the main hall from the mountain wall to the backyard, and as soon as he arrived at the backyard, he saw a tree with bright yellow apricots, and couldn't help but pick a few, eating while turning around. The escaped prisoner was in his own home, how could he seriously turn around in someone else's warehouse, hut, or thatched cottage, just pretending to do his job.

  In the main hall, Yang Fan had just left, and Ma Qiao took out a bellyband embroidered with playing water mandarin ducks from his bosom, and proudly showed it to Bao Niangzi, saying: "Xin Xin, look what this is!"

  Bao's daughter no longer sat there with an air of pretence, her eyes lit up, she quickly snatched it over, and smiled as she said: "Is this a gift for me?"

  Ma Qiao nodded, and Bao Niangzi's face suddenly lit up with a smile. She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, then unfolded the handkerchief to take a closer look. With delight, she said: "Ah, it's still Anjisi's! This isn't cheap..."

  Ma Qiao whispered: "Shh, hurry up and put it away, don't let Yang Er see it."

  Bao's daughter pinched "Hèzi", pointed at Ma Qiao's forehead and said with a smile: "You still have some conscience, knowing that you are thinking of me, why haven't you come to my house for so long?"

  Ma Qiao said: "Mother has been coughing and short of breath lately, I've made her several doses of medicine to drink, but it doesn't seem to be getting much better. I'm worried sick, how can I dare to spend the night away from home?"

  Bao Niangzi knew that Ma Qiao was filial, and everything else was easy to say, but he absolutely couldn't make fun of or complain about his parents. Upon hearing this, she said: "So that's how it is, why didn't you say so earlier? When my husband came back from the big beam, he brought back a kind of loquat paste, saying it was very effective in treating coughs and asthma."

  Ma Qiao was overjoyed and said: "Really? Quickly bring some for me."

  Bao Daizi tucked the object into her bosom, her eyes shining with water as she glanced at him, and said with a flirtatious tone: "Yang will be back in a moment, how can I go get it for you? You'd better come again tonight."

  Ma Qiao knew that he hadn't come for many days, and this woman was eager. Looking at her appearance, even if he didn't spend the night here, she would still have to indulge in a wild and passionate encounter in the evening. Thinking of this woman's energy, he couldn't help but feel moved by emotion, and nodded repeatedly: "Alright, alright, it's settled then."

  At this time, Yang Fan returned from the backyard and called out as soon as he passed the mountain wall: "Ma Liu'er, there's nothing unusual in the backyard, let's go!"

  Ma Qiao pinched Bao's plump buttocks, which were as round and smooth as a ripe peach, and whispered: "Remember to leave the door open for me tonight!"

  Yang Fan came out, and Ma Qiao went to check the next house with him as if nothing had happened. The two of them continued checking along the way, but all they found was a big commotion, and eight out of ten households ended up scolding each other.

  These ordinary people don't have that kind of awareness, just focus on their own lives, who cares which dynasty the imperial court belongs to? As for official families, let alone those with lower ranks, they would speak coldly and indifferently, while those with higher ranks, their family members would directly slam the door shut with a "bang" and make the two men hit a brick wall.

  Two men searched everywhere, but naturally found nothing. They rushed back to the alley entrance to report to Commander Feng Yuan, who was leaning on his staff and yawning, with tears in his eyes. This guy never expected that the Flying Thief, who even the best detectives from the Ministry of Justice couldn't catch, would fall into his hands or appear in his jurisdiction. As soon as he heard there were no gains, he immediately slung his staff over his shoulder and lazily headed back to report to Commander Wu.

  Ma Qiao and Yang Fan also found Su Fang Zheng, said a word, and then handed over their respective tasks. Yang Fan saw that the guards were not very careful, so he felt relieved. Yang Fan returned to his own home, as soon as he entered, he was shocked, the room was bright and clean, which was unlike his doghouse.

  He thought he had walked into the wrong house and quickly retreated. Turning around to look at the courtyard again, he felt a little dazed, everything in the courtyard was still the same, the messy chicken coop left by the previous residents in the corner of the wall, the position of the wooden bucket next to the well, the pig hair scattered on the ground by the small ditch where they brushed their teeth in the morning...

  Yang Fan's eyes flashed with a hint of confusion, and he turned around again, gently opening the door to his room. He took a closer look, and indeed, everything was in its place, nothing was missing, only some things were stacked up, some had changed positions, and some had been wiped clean of their original stains and grime.

  The windows, once shrouded in cobwebs and dust, now sparkled. The oil stains on the tables vanished, revealing the original color of the wood. The "cockroach paradise" in the corner of the wall disappeared, and the pile of chicken bones, pork bones, and sheep bones that had been gnawed clean were nowhere to be seen. The wooden floor was spotless.

  Yang Fan only discovered today that the floorboards under his feet were made of light yellow wood, and when he looked down, he could see the faint wood grain on the wood. The set of coarse ceramic tableware he had bought when he first moved in had long been stuffed away by him to who-knows-where, but now they were neatly arranged on top of the cabinet, emitting a bright sheen. The bedspread on the couch was smooth and flat like a mirror, and the originally twisted quilt was stacked up into neat tofu-like blocks...

  The bachelor looked at his room with reverence, although the bedding sheets had not been washed yet, but just tidied up a bit, and the feeling of cleanliness was completely different. After admiring for a while, Yang Fan found that the back door was half open, and he subconsciously followed it, gently pushed open the back door, and stuck his head out.

  The backyard has also been renovated, and this place he almost never came before, because the yard was almost nowhere to set foot, and now the yard is clean and tidy, and those messy things all over the ground don't know where they went. The cherry tree in the corner of the yard, which was originally covered with vines and weeds, and was on the verge of dying, has also been cleaned up and stands tall and straight.

  He saw a small storage room separated by wooden boards at the corner of the wall, and those messy things were all placed inside. In front of the door of the small house that was originally used as a woodshed, Tian Ai Nu had put on a blue cloth shirt, tied a blue cloth apron around her waist, and wrapped a piece of blue cloth kerchief around her head, with a wooden bucket beside her.

  Yang Fan stared at her stylish apron, vaguely familiar, and after looking for half a day, he finally recognized that the fabric used by Tian Ai Nu as a green cloth scarf and shirt apron was actually part of his bed sheet. His so-called bed sheet was just a piece of green cloth, without hemming or cutting, bought back and spread on the couch, with the excess part tucked under the couch.

  At this moment, they have been cut off and turned into Tian'ai Nu's headscarf Pa and shirt skirt. Yang Fan looked at the little maid in front of him in surprise and said: "Outside is searching for your whereabouts, you don't hide, actually... still cleaning the room?"

  Tian Ai Nu gave him a sideways glance and said: "If I really go to your house, I will naturally slip away. In such a small place as your house, where can one hide?"

  Yang Fan couldn't help but be speechless, looking at the tidy little courtyard again, and said: "You still have injuries on your shoulders, are these rooms and courtyards all cleaned up by you?"

  Tian Ai Nu said: "If it's not me, then who else?"

  Yang Fan looked left and right, poking his head to glance at the woodshed behind Tian Ai Nu's body. Is this still a woodshed? The small room was tidy and neat, although primitive and simple, it was as clean and elegant as a mountain hermit's study. On the small windowsill, there was even a vase with a mouth, in which was inserted a bunch of wildflowers picked from the garden when weeding.

  It seems that this small house was originally meant to have such a feeling, naturally formed. Except for the wooden bed still lacking a set of bedding, it seems like adding anything else would be redundant.

  This little girl is not only diligent but also has a good taste, she knows how to make the most of limited things and the environment around her to create the best atmosphere.

  Looking at Yang Fan's surprised and admiring expression, Tian Ai Nu couldn't help but smile bitterly in her heart. She wasn't intentionally trying to make Yang Fan a maid, sweeping so thoroughly without leaving any dead angles, but rather wanted to obtain more evidence to verify her judgment about Yang Fan's identity. Unfortunately, apart from the trash that was easily visible, she didn't find anything else.

  "This is the woodshed..."

  "My room!"

  Tian Ai Nu said: "But still missing a set of bedding..."

  "Use mine!" Yang Fan said immediately.

  "What about dinner?"

  "Steamed bun soup."

  Tian Ai Nu sighed and was blown by Yang Fan's chaotic soup surface, which in her opinion, wasn't delicious at all.

  Yang Fan seemed a bit embarrassed, looking at the clean house, feeling like he owed someone something, and said: "This... tomorrow I'll go to Nan City to buy some ingredients, I won't cook, if you're not used to eating noodles, just pick what you like and make it yourself."

  Look at the state of our home, he couldn't help but have high expectations for Tian Ai Nu's culinary skills.

  Having a woman at home feels really great!