The Golden Cane and the Wild Rose - Chapter 43

Chapter 43

“How’s the cleaning going?” The old woman hadn’t even come out of the house yet, but her voice had already reached them.

“Ah Ran,” Jiang Musheng called her softly, trying to get her to let go.

Yun Ran refused, timing it perfectly to watch Jiang Musheng’s fair face flush red in an instant.

“So shy, are you?” Yun Ran took the small brush and swirled it around in the bucket. She then raised her voice and said, “Almost done, ma’am.”

The old woman said, “Rinse them twice more with clean water and then help me bring them into the kitchen.”

“You got it,” Yun Ran said with a smile.

Jiang Musheng got up and stood by the water pump, ready to pump water. The redness on her face slowly faded.

“Ah Ran, don’t mess around like that in front of others. I’m not sure the old woman is as open-minded as you think,” Jiang Musheng reminded her in a low voice.

Yun Ran said, “Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing. I was just teasing you. I didn’t expect you to be so scared.” Jiang Musheng, who was so famous and intimidating, was actually worried about an old woman’s feelings. Yun Ran found it both strange and heartwarming, so she stopped messing around and cooperated with Jiang Musheng to finish the cleaning the old woman had asked for.

“I’ll carry it.” Jiang Musheng volunteered to lift the bucket.

Yun Ran didn’t let her. “Before, I didn’t know you were a girl, so I wouldn’t have thought anything of you doing more work. But now it’s different. I know, and your hand just got hurt again. You can rest. Just stand there and watch.”

Jiang Musheng lowered her head to look at the small wound she had almost forgotten. The place Ah Ran had healed with a kiss, along with her face, began to feel hot again. She didn’t know if it was because her skin was thin, or if things related to love just made her heart soft and her skin feel thinner and softer.

Yun Ran carried the bucket into the kitchen, and Jiang Musheng followed her inside. The old woman instructed them again: “Wash the cutting board and the knife, too.” Yun Ran eagerly got to work again, and Jiang Musheng followed her, one in front, one behind, as if they were inseparable.

When the two of them came back in, the old woman sighed, “I also have two daughters. They used to fight and argue every day.”

Yun Ran glanced at Jiang Musheng and said with a laugh, “We fought yesterday, too.”

Jiang Musheng asked, “Ma’am, where are your two daughters?”

“They’re both married now. I’m an old woman, and I can’t be a burden to them. It’s nice to live here alone.”

Jiang Musheng fell silent.

Yun Ran said, “It’s certainly a free way to live.”

The old woman washed her hands in a basin in the kitchen and began to take crabs out of the bucket. With one chop of the knife, a crab was cut in half. Yun Ran was startled. Jiang Musheng watched silently.

After chopping several crabs in a row, the old woman began to ask them, “When I went out to fish with the villagers today, I saw a lot of people looking for someone. They even had a search and rescue team. Were they looking for you?”

Yun Ran looked at Jiang Musheng. She wasn’t sure if the people the old woman had met were the ones who wanted them to live, so she didn’t dare to answer carelessly.

Jiang Musheng asked, “Ma’am, was the search and rescue team led by a British officer?”

“I don’t know. There were a lot of British people, but there were also Chinese people, men and women. The leader seemed to be a British woman.”

Yun Ran immediately thought of someone. “Was it Cecilia?”

Jiang Musheng nodded. “It must have been.” Jiang Musheng asked the old woman, “If you see that British lady again, please bring her to us.”

The old woman nodded. “Last night, you two looked so disheveled that I thought you had been harmed, so I didn’t reveal your whereabouts easily.”

Jiang Musheng said, “Thank you, ma’am.”

The old woman waved the knife in her hand, which looked a little intimidating. Yun Ran swallowed nervously. “There’s nothing for you to help with here. Go outside and wait. I’ll call you when the food is ready.”

The old woman’s words sent them out of the kitchen. They walked out, and Yun Ran went into the yard, looking at the darkening sky. The moon was slowly rising, and the stars were getting brighter.

Jiang Musheng took her hand and asked perceptively, “A Ran, why are you unhappy?”

Yun Ran bit her lip and didn’t speak. She couldn’t say it.

“Is it about Cecilia?” Jiang Musheng asked. A Ran’s mood had clearly become low after they talked about Cecilia.

Yun Ran turned her head and stared at Jiang Musheng. “I don’t want to say.”

“Why not?”

“No reason.”

“Are you jealous of Cecilia?” Jiang Musheng clenched her hand and pulled her closer.

Yun Ran tried to pull away. “No way. I don’t have a reason to be jealous of her. I know you don’t like her.”

“Then why?”

“Because…” Seeing the look on Jiang Musheng’s face that yearned for the truth, she gave up. “Because I’m not happy that Cecilia is still alive! I told you. Do you think I’m especially wicked now and not the person you like?” Yun Ran said, sounding like a child having a tantrum.

Jiang Musheng put her arms around her and soothed her with a laugh. “No.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Then… I’m also not happy that we have to rely on her to get back safely.”

“I understand.”

“Understand what?”

“I understand that you hate Cecilia.”

“You don’t understand. You don’t know anything!” Yun Ran said, and she started to cry. She leaned into Jiang Musheng’s arms, her tears blurring the red polka-dot rough linen shirt on her body. “Ah Ran, if you’re willing to tell me, I’m more than willing to learn what happened between you and Cecilia on the cruise ship yesterday.”

Yun Ran said, feeling wronged, “If I told you my father’s death was related to Cecilia, would you believe me?”

“Yes.”

“You’re lying.”

“Ah Ran, I really believe you. I believe you’re not an unreasonable person, and I believe your suspicions have a basis.”

“Don’t you think I’m being unreasonable right now?”

“You’re just venting your emotions to me. It’s okay.”

Yun Ran said, “Then…”

Jiang Musheng said, “Hmm? When we get back, I’ll help you find out, okay?”

“Forget it.” After crying and throwing a tantrum, Yun Ran’s rationality returned. “Everything’s a mess right now. When we get back, there’s a lot to deal with. Your gender is also a landmine. It’s better not to offend Cecilia.”

“Ah Ran, I’m so happy.”

“What’s there to be happy about? There’s so much trouble.”

“You’re worried about me.”

“Yes, I’m worried about you, but my worries are useless. Musheng, do you have a plan to get back safely?”

“To be honest, I don’t have a hundred percent certainty, but the chances are very high. A lot of people want me dead, and a lot of people want me to live.”

Yun Ran said, “I don’t want to die, and I don’t want you to die.”

“Trust me, Ah Ran. We’ll live through this together.”

“Dinner’s re…” The old woman had already stepped out of the kitchen. She stopped talking when she saw the two girls hugging intimately. Her mind went blank for a moment.

Yun Ran wiped her tears and separated from Jiang Musheng.

Jiang Musheng explained awkwardly, “Ma’am, my sister was crying, so I was comforting her.”

“…Oh, oh…” The old woman turned around and went back into the kitchen. She turned her head back. “Come in and get your own food.”

Yun Ran and Jiang Musheng went in to get their food and helped carry the dishes. Tonight’s meal was a large pot of seafood stew and a bowl of green leafy vegetables they didn’t recognize. The house was hot, so the old woman told them to eat in the yard. They used a large basket covered with a round, slightly concave winnowing basket as a makeshift table and sat down on small bamboo stools. The moonlight and starlight were their lamps.

“Eat,” the old woman said. “Don’t be shy.”

The two of them waited for the old woman to take the first bite before they started. The seafood stew looked messy, but it tasted good. It was neither too salty nor too bland. Jiang Musheng ate some of the fish and shrimp, while Yun Ran focused on the crabs. She picked up half a crab and showed it to Jiang Musheng. “Look, this is the one that bit your hand. I’ll get rid of it for you.”

Jiang Musheng laughed. “I never knew you held a grudge like this before.”

Yun Ran said, “Now you know. Remember not to offend me, or I’ll remember it for the rest of my life.”

Jiang Musheng said, “Okay.”

The old woman shook her head. “You’re just like a child.”

The moment the old woman said that, Yun Ran also realized that she was acting a little childish. Maybe it was because she had never been able to be a carefree child before. Here, she felt relaxed. Not only did she have Jiang Musheng, whom she loved, but she also had an old woman, and even though she wasn’t her real grandmother, she filled a gap in her family life.

After dinner, the two of them took over the dishwashing, so the old woman put down her bowl and went to boil water. The old woman boiled her own hot water and then continued to boil some for them before going to take a bath.

Yun Ran asked, “Musheng, do you think we can go out for a walk now that it’s dark?”

“Where to?”

“To the beach.”

“Should we go in these clothes?” Jiang Musheng asked with a laugh.

“Oh, no.” Yun Ran raised her hand and slapped her forehead. “I’m so comfortable without a bra, I forgot.”

As she said that, Yun Ran couldn’t help but glance at Jiang Musheng. Jiang Musheng was different from other girls. She had probably started suppressing her female characteristics from a very young age, but no matter how much she suppressed them, they were still obvious, which was why she couldn’t leave without the binder.

Jiang Musheng said, “My body…”

Yun Ran finished her sentence. “is perfect, and I love it very much.”

Jiang Musheng cleared her throat. “Ah Ran, you’ve been acting like a completely different person these past two days.”

Yun Ran turned her head to look in the direction of the bathroom. The old woman was taking a bath, so she wouldn’t suddenly come out. She boldly raised both hands and hooked them around Jiang Musheng’s neck. “I’ve always liked you, but I kept suppressing my feelings and told myself I was only interested in your status. I was always ready to leave as soon as there was any problem. But this time, you actually jumped into the sea to save me. I can no longer deceive my heart. I just like you, I really, really like you! I regret not telling you sooner and not being a little better to you sooner.”

Jiang Musheng said, “It’s not too late now. We still have a lot of time.”

“Then, do we have time for a kiss?”

Yun Ran stood on her tiptoes, and Jiang Musheng lowered her head with a smile, meeting her kiss.

The sound of the water in the bathroom stopped, and the two of them quickly separated.

“We’re a real couple, so why does it feel like we’re having a secret affair?” Yun Ran asked, her face red.

Jiang Musheng laughed. “This is also very interesting, isn’t it?”

“Who cares about this kind of interesting?” Although Yun Ran said she didn’t care, she was still excited by the feeling of transgression that was born from this subtle situation. Other girls seemed to have felt a stir of love much earlier, but she was one of the last ones, only feeling it in college. But her love was also very wild, soaring to the sky. Once the desires in her heart were awakened, they became almost unbearable. She also wanted to taste the forbidden fruit.

“I’m done washing up.” The old woman lifted the curtain with a great noise. “Who’s next to take a bath?”

“I am!” Yun Ran said, running away to be first.

She poured the hot water and then added more water and some firewood to the stove for Jiang Musheng. She clapped her hands and carried the hot water to the bathroom to take a bath, not even looking at Jiang Musheng in the yard. Jiang Musheng wanted to remind her that she hadn’t brought any clothes to change into, but it was too late. Oh well, Ah Ran would call her if she needed help.

When Yun Ran was taking a bath, she added a lot of cold water to the bucket, but she still felt hotter and hotter. In the end, after using all the hot water mixed with cold water, she poured a few more scoops of cold water on herself. She shivered, and goosebumps instantly appeared on her skin. She quickly dried herself and went to put on her clothes, only to realize she hadn’t brought any change of clothes in with her. She hugged the towel and called out softly, “Musheng.”

Jiang Musheng heard her, but she pretended not to. Yun Ran had to call louder, “Musheng, can you come here for a moment?”

“Okay.” Jiang Musheng had been waiting for her to call. She took a few long strides and ran over. “What’s wrong, Ah Ran?”

Yun Ran said, a little embarrassed, “I didn’t bring any clothes in with me. Can you help me get them?”

“Okay.”

Jiang Musheng quickly got her clothes from under the eaves. “Here are your clothes, Ah Ran.”

Yun Ran pulled back a small part of the curtain and hid behind it. When she took the clothes from Jiang Musheng, she deliberately didn’t take the undergarments. She said, “It’s so restrictive. I don’t want to wear it.”

Jiang Musheng felt that the clothes left in her hand were hot. “You don’t want to go out anymore?”

“To be safe, let’s not go out,” Yun Ran said as she pulled the curtain closed. She had something else she wanted to do now. Jiang Musheng also thought it was a good idea not to go out. If they went out now, they didn’t know whose people they might run into. She and Ah Ran didn’t even have any weapons for self-defense.

Soon, Yun Ran came out wearing the elegant and beautiful gardenia-white off-the-shoulder evening gown. It was beautiful, but she found it restrictive and hard to walk in, so she simply tied a knot in the back of the train, turning the long dress into a short one. This removed the cover and exposed her fair, supple legs more completely. In the clear moonlight, they looked as tender as a peach that would drip with juice if you pinched it.

Jiang Musheng came back after getting her own clothes and saw this scene. Her own skin lacked color, so she especially liked Ah Ran’s healthy, vibrant, and beautiful skin. Yun Ran saw her coming and subconsciously covered her chest. She quickly decided it wasn’t necessary. It wasn’t like she wasn’t wearing any clothes. Jiang Musheng, however, looked away and said, “I’m going to take a bath.”

Yun Ran looked at Jiang Musheng’s back and laughed. “What? Mr. Jiang is even easier to embarrass than I am.”

Just like last night, while Jiang Musheng took a bath, Yun Ran washed the clothes. When Jiang Musheng came out, Yun Ran had already finished washing the clothes. She was in the house, looking up at the moon. Tonight, her state of mind had changed a little. She no longer felt that living here was unbearable. The known and unknown risks after they left were what she was most afraid of. But even if she was willing to stay here with Jiang Musheng forever, she couldn’t. Jiang Musheng couldn’t rest assured about Xueyu, and she couldn’t either. She still had her studies to finish and hadn’t grown up enough to be able to stand on her own. They had to go back together.

Jiang Musheng came out. Yun Ran heard her and put away her worries. She ran over to help her with her clothes. “Your wound is small, but you can’t ignore it. It’ll hurt to get laundry powder on it.”

“It’s fine,” Jiang Musheng said.

“But it will make my heart ache,” Yun Ran said. “You’ve done so much for me. Let me do something small for you that I’m capable of.”

“…Okay.”

The clothes weren’t dirty. They just needed a quick scrub and a rinse with clean water. Jiang Musheng helped her pump the water.

While Jiang Musheng silently pumped, Yun Ran watched her, her gaze traveling down her body. When she got to one spot, she paused. “Why are you binding yourself again? Doesn’t it feel so restrictive?”

Jiang Musheng said, “It makes me feel safer.”

Yun Ran couldn’t help but feel a pang of heartache again.

After hanging the clothes, the two of them held hands and went back to the room to sleep. As they entered the door, Yun Ran asked, “Where did you put my bra and panties?”

“In the room, on the bedside table.”

“Oh.”

The two of them went into the room and closed the door. The old woman hadn’t lit the kerosene lamp for them tonight; she might have forgotten. They didn’t want to bother her again. They held hands and felt their way to the bed in the dark. Jiang Musheng was about to get on the bed when she was suddenly pushed down by the person next to her.

She called out to her, “Musheng.”

The next second, she called her, “Miss Jiang.”

Then she asked, “Which name do you like?”

Jiang Musheng’s breathing instantly became rapid. In the darkness, she swallowed. “Ah Ran, what are you doing?”

Yun Ran’s hand found the thick layer of fabric on her back. Her voice was soft, lingering, and seductive as she asked, “Miss Jiang, may I help you undo your bindings?”

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