130 – False Alarm

“A-Tie…” Qin Mian noticed Lei Tie’s frown and understood it. He quickly came back to the man’s side and blocked him from the stream of people.

Lei Tie caught sight of a woman tripping after being pushed in their way and immediately changed places with Qin Mian. The aura on his body turned gloomy and a piercing cold feeling came out of thin air.

The people around him shivered for no reason and unconsciously kept away from the source of danger.

“Are you all right?” Lei Tie disliked the throng of the crowd, and it would also be meaningless for Qin Mian to stroll around alone. He thought that it was better not to stroll around, but there was some hesitation on his face.

“I’m fine.” Lei Tie saw through his wife’s mind and changed the topic, “Wife, what did you call me for?”

“There are clay figurines over there.” Qin Mian took his hand and looked at him with a grin, “Will this be better?”

Lei Tie tightly held his hand. “En. Don’t want a clay figurine?”

“Follow me.” Qin Mian excitedly pulled him to the stall where the clay figurine was kneaded. He watched with fascination as a ball of clay turned into a lifelike child in the hands of the old man. There was a look of incredulous on his face. He had only seen the art of kneading clay figurines on TV before.

As soon as the clay child was done, he spoke before others had a chance to, “Boss, knead one of me and one of him.”

“No problem.” The old man carefully looked at them up and down, making a detailed inspection. When his gaze fell on their clasped hands, he was a little surprised but remained calm as he laughed, “Gongzis, please wait a moment.”

He tore a small lump of clay from a big lump in the bucket. His ten fingers were like playing piano, changing movements skillfully and quickly. The lifeless clay gradually deformed. In less than a half quarter of an hour, two clay figurines holding hands appeared in his hand, exactly like Qin Mian and Lei Tie. So much so that even the tenderness in Lei Tie’s eyes was portrayed, as vivid as though it was given life.

With great care, Qin Mian took it and exclaimed, “Old man has great skill!”

“Haha, little gongzi overpraises me. Good that you like it.” The old man was very kind.

Lei Tie was also surprised by the similarity between the clay figurines and them. He asked, “Is there a wooden box?”

“Oh, yes.” The old man took out a wooden box about the same size from under the table. After Qin Mian put the clay figurines in, the old man covered it and handed the wooden box to him.

Feeling pleased, Qin Mian hugged the box. His brain involuntarily visualized Lei Tie’s appearance when he was a child. He enjoyed himself with that.

Lei Tie took a silver ingot from his pouch, regardless of whether it was 1 or 2 or 5 taels, and put it on the table in front of the old man.

“Ah?” Shocked, the old man picked up the silver ingot worth 5 taels, “Gongzis, 20 Wen is enough. This is too much…”

Before he finished saying, the two men had gone far away and were soon blocked by the crowd. He could only see the man with his face slightly sideways as he stared down at the youth beside him, still expressionless, but his deep eyes filled with tenderness.

Qin Mian saw a barbecue stall at the front and rubbed his stomach, “A little hungry. A-Tie, let’s go eat barbecue.”

“Alright.”

Qin Mian looked behind him and was surprised, “Lei-Qin Le, why are there only three of you?”

Lei-Qin Zhong promptly said, “Little Young Master, we discovered earlier that Lei-Qin Li and Lei-Qin Xin are missing. We’re afraid of ruining your and Eldest Young Master’s enjoyment, so we didn’t say anything. But Little Young Master can rest assured. When we came out, I told them to remember the way. In case they can’t find the way, they will wait at the Great Fortune Inn’s entrance.”

As the eldest of the nine armed servants, Lei-Qin Zhong was careful and steady. Qin Mian was at ease with him and nodded, “Go and eat something first. You’ll pack some food for Lei-Qin Li and Lei-Qin Xin later.”

“Yes.”

The few of them walked along the stream of people to the barbecue stall. Who would have known, at this time, someone at the front screamed, “Fire, fire!”

The course of the sound was like the undercurrent of the seabed gushing out in the crowd without warning. Stream of people instantly surged; women’s screams and children’s cries came and went one after another. Losing their mind out of fear, people crowded in different directions, and several turbulent streams of people pushed against each other, making the scene all the more chaotic.

A child fell in front of Qin Mian and was about to be trampled on by an adult. Qin Mian immediately moved and lifted the child. The surging stream of people pushed him a few steps forward and he quickly stabilized his center of gravity.

The father of the child tightly hugged the child and gratefully expressed his thanks to Qin Mian.

Qin Mian looked back and was dumbstruck. Where was his family’s poker face?

A frightened man ran past him and stepped on his feet. Qin Mian uttered a “hiss” sound of pain. He knew that he could not panic at this time. He could only move forward along the stream of people. Seeing an opening, he pushed toward the edge of the crowd. After struggling for a moment, he finally squeezed out. He leaped onto the roof and searched for Lei Tie’s figure in the crowd, holding the wooden box containing the clay figurines tightly in his hand.

In the throng of the crowd, Lei Tie’s hand suddenly felt empty, making him startled. Before he could react, the pedestrians on the left side were suddenly pushed by a strong force. Seven or eight people fell into a pile in front of him. By the time he bypassed them, he had lost the trace of Qin Mian. At once, his chest seemed to have been hollowed out. The possibility of losing Qin Mian made him lose his senses. He pushed aside the people who hindered him and anxiously searched in the crowd, “Wife! Qin Mian!”

Qin Mian stood on a high place and looked far away. In a short time, he found Lei Tie’s figure. Seeing the man’s blank and despairing expression, he felt pain as though a knife had been plunged into his heart. Did that fool completely forget he has cultivation?

“A-Tie! A-Tie! I’m over here!” Qin Mian yelled as he waved.

On the second floor of a wine house beside the street, Nie Heng stood by the railing and patted the head of the girl beside him as he said in rejoice, “See that? Fortunately, I didn’t listen to you and stroll around downstairs.”

Just then, he heard a familiar voice and looked across the street.

Lei Tie had a sharp hearing. When he heard Qin Mian’s voice, he turned his head. His pupils shrank and his lips wriggled before he leaped up, his figure flashed, and fell in front of Qin Mian.

In the wine house, Nie Heng was astounded. What a fast qinggong skill. Lei Tie’s martial arts had reached the acme of perfection level!

Qin Mian didn’t have time to say a word and was embraced by Lei Tie; a pair of iron arms wrapped around his waist so tightly as if wanting to break him.

“Wife… Don’t leave me.”

The man’s body trembled, uncontrollably. Qin Mian’s eyes irrepressibly stung. He also forcibly hugged the man’s and patted the man’s back with his right hand as he continuously appeased, “It’s fine, it’s fine. Fool, I won’t leave you.”

Qin Mian leaned against the man’s chest and listened to his rapid heartbeat slowly return to stability. His heart throbbed; the heartache he felt for the man was like a tide billowing in his chest. That blank and despairing expression of Lei Tie, he never wanted to see it again. He raised his head and glared at the man, “Idiot! Did you forget that you have cultivation? Did you forget that we could meet again in the ‘old place’?”

Lei Tie knew that he had made his wife feel distressed and silently allowed his wife to reproach him without saying a word.

Seeing him looking like this, Qin Mian’s heart was pulled again. How could he be willing to continue scolding? After he raised his hand and gently caressed the man’s cheek, he held out his hand to him.

Lei Tie held it tightly.

The local authority soon intervened in the great disturbance in the street. The crowd broke up after being dispersed and the street gradually calmed down. The fire in the distance was also extinguished. Fortunately, it did not lead to disaster. However, many people were trampled and crushed and were taken to the medical building for treatment.

Qin Mian and Lei Tie then jumped down from the roof.

Nie Heng and the girl, as well as Nie Heng’s attendant Chunsheng, came out of the wine house and timely stopped the two people who were about to leave.

“Qin Mian and Boss Lei.”

“Nie Heng? What a coincidence.” Qin Mian was very happy to meet an old friend in a distant land.

“Yes. Did you forget that I said the Nie family’s root is in the prefectural city?” Nie Heng ruefully looked at him and Lei Tie. Just now, he could see the scene clearly on the second floor. Double Xiang House was under Qin Mian’s name. When he signed the document of the secret formula for the anti-seasonal vegetables, if Lei Tie pressed his thumbprint instead of Qin Mian, Nie Heng would ask for Qin Mian’s thumbprint or seal to be added. It was because he never thought that there would be serious feelings between two men and he did not think that the feelings between two men could last for a long time. But tonight, he had to admit that he was wrong. He even envied Qin Mian and Lei Tie – they both were wholeheartedly concerned for each other. He didn’t know whether he could meet a lover who could sincerely promise a lifetime with him in the future.

“Yes, but I didn’t expect such coincidence,” said Qin Mian.

“Eldest brother, these two gongzis are?” The girl’s voice sounded bashful. Her eyes wandered on Qin Mian and Lei Tie’s faces, somewhat fascinated. She noticed a scar on the other side of Lei Tie’s face. When her eyes finally fell on Qin Mian, her pretty face was dyed with a layer of blush. This young gongzi not only wore precious clothes and ornaments, but he was also outstandingly handsome, so much so that he even outstripped her eldest brother.

Lei Tie’s aura turned cold and heavy.

Nie Heng noticed his sister’s gaze and was alert. He hurriedly said, “Qin Mian and Boss Lei, let me introduce you. This is my younger sister. Little Sister, these two are Boss Lei from Zhaoyang County and his madam, Boss Qin.”

“M-madam?” The girl’s apricot eyes opened so wide. With a light hum, her gaze cooled off.

Qin Mian gave Nie Heng a silent glance. He was very grateful that Nie Heng eliminated the peach blossom¹ for him, but there was no need to say that he was Lei Tie’s “madam”. Why did Nie Heng think he was Lei Tie’s madam instead of Lei Tie was his madam?

Nie Heng helplessly spread out his hands. Otherwise, how to introduce you?

“Just call me by name,” said Lei Tie to Nie Heng.

Nie Heng smiled, “Alright. Qin Mian and Lei Tie, since we are brought by fate to meet, I ought to act as a host. How about finding a place to sit down?”

Qin Mian regretfully said, “Today won’t do. We went out with five attendants. I’m afraid they are still looking for us. How about tomorrow?”

Nie Heng nodded his head as he said, “Sure, it’s a deal. I happen to have another business to talk to you about, but no rush.”

They agreed to meet at Seven Fortunes Wine House at noon the next day and parted ways.

Qin Mian and Lei Tie went back along the way they came to and they came across the five attendants who walked in their direction looking for them.

The two parties smoothly reunited and returned to the previous barbecue stall.

After having a hearty meal, Qin Mian and Lei Tie were not in the mood to stroll again and returned to the rented courtyard.

As soon as they entered the room, Lei Tie carried Qin Mian horizontally and pressed him on the bed.

The two men had undergone a rather major ups and downs mood tonight. They needed to get over the shock. Very soon, they rolled into a ball and lingered for a whole night.

At noon the next day, Qin Mian and Lei Tie came to Seven Fortunes Wine House to meet Nie Heng. Nie Heng treated them to a sumptuous lunch, enthusiastically and attentively.

What Nie Heng wanted to say was that there were several waves of people who tried to go to Zhaoyang County to inquire about the anti-seasonal vegetables, but they were stopped by Mu Chen’s people. Three days ago, the news that the formula for anti-seasonal vegetables was in Mu Chen’s hand was released. Afterward, no one would find Qin Mian and Lei Tie to make trouble because of this.

Qin Mian thanked him and asked him to pass on their gratitude to Mu Chen.

“No need to thank. If you still have canned peaches, send me some. My grandmother especially loves to eat it,” said Nie Heng, half-jokingly.

Qin Mian said with a smile, “Lucky for you, we indeed brought two canned peaches when we went out this time, supposedly to keep for ourselves. They aren’t opened yet. You’ll come back with us later and take them home by the way.” Lei-Qin Le and others didn’t know what kind of things were loaded in the carriage. He would look for an opportunity and take two out of the space.

Nie Heng cupped his hand in obeisance and said, “That would be disrespectful to decline.”

After finishing the lunch, Nie Heng went with them.

Qin Mian gave him two canned peaches and bid farewell at the same time.

Returning home later, Qin Mian and Lei Tie were about to enter a busy new year.

🍑🍑 🌸🌸

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