Aye, I did one thing overboard! At least my chapters are getting much longer...Replace xiao with shao here. I didnt know xiao meant smaller for women until i read shao in a book used for a younger brother. Please use the "shao" Zhuge brother instead of the "xiao" Zhuge brother.. Easier. Apply this to the next chapter as well/

Ru Ying Sui Xing – Chapter 12 – A New Life pt 1 – Living again

I nodded and whispered in my normal voice, "Liang."

He knew it was I and said to his brother, "Excuse us." He took my arm and walked to the other side of his small yet thriving farm.

"Yue Ying," he said. "What are you doing here dressed like that?"

I quickly answered, "I had to escape from father."

He cocked an eyebrow. "What did he did he do?"

"He threatened to kill me because of the letter he sent." I looked up at Liang. "He read it."

"He what? Because of a pers– RRGH!" Liang growled. "Why did he read a personal letter to you anyway my Lady?"

I looked away. "Lets say he has no sharp mind, even though he is a scholar. Nothing gets past him. But I am an exception." I looked up at Liang again. "I'm half Huang half whatever my mother's last name is," I mumbled.

Liang and I were staring at each other for a while until he looked away. "Ying, every time I see you I smile, but wearing something that makes you appear as a man really does not help."

I chuckled. "Don't worry. I'll change."

So he escorted me inside his little cottage and inside one of the rooms, Liang was waiting patiently outside while I was changing inside. The only thing I changed into was the clothes I wore on the Peach Garden date day. But I changed anyways. When I came out, Liang had the clothes I just changed from draped on his arm.

"Strangely enough, I like these clothes," he said admiring the robes he held. "Do you mind?"

"No, go ahead." I said. "You can have your hat back too." I took off his hat. Liang lowered his head and I easily put his hat back on. He raised his head again, and asked me, "Would you like your headdress?"

"No," said I. "You can keep it."

He took it out from a fancy red box from behind him. Liang took a golden key well hidden in his belt and opened the box. "I insist." He said, holding the headdress over my head as if it were a crown. "To Huang Yue Ying, most knowledgeable woman in the land."

I blushed and replied, "Liang, you haven't a clue about how much I know."

He winked at me. "Believe me, I know."

I chuckled.

We both left the cottage and went back to the farm. After he grabbed his hoe, I asked him "So is there anything you want me to do?"

"Huh." Liang said as he looked around. "No, I don't – "

"Brother!" shouted Zhuge Jun. "Don't forget we have to harvest plenty today! Our sales skyrocketed and people are buying plenty of food!" Jun grinned and then ran back to his post inside the house.

I eyed Liang. "He said 'remember'. You knew. And you didn't tell me. Nothing, huh?"

He sighed. "Well, you aren't really that experienced...your hands have no calluses. Ying, leave this to younger brother and I."

I shook my head. "I'll help. Just after I buy another set of clothes. This is way too formal!"

"Wait! Yue Ying – " I couldn't hear anything else he said. Perhaps I was running faster than his voice could travel. But that's impossible. His voice is just too low.

I ran out into the marketplace and bought another set of clothes. This one really matched the style of clothes I always wore. Something that fits well and really doesn't show much skin. I changed and ran as fast as I could back to the farm. This time I knew where it was.

"Liang!" I shouted. "Liang, I'm back!"

Liang dropped his rake and Zhuge Jun used his rake to keep balance. "Ying? I told you to leave this to Jun and I."

The xiao Zhuge brother gasped for air and then said, "N-No. Let her take my p-place. Only a moron could miss it. I'm exhausted." He took a deep breath. "We still have to harvest over eighty pounds brother."

Liang shook his head, thinking. "Fine. Come Ying, I'll tell you how to do this..."

Zhuge Jun blurted out, "Brother wait!" He took another breath. "We lost another set of gardening supplies! A tiger snatched one from me; I dropped one in the river, and last but absolutely not least, the rake I was leaning on just broke."

"Oh boy..." Liang mumbled.

I stepped forward and took out a sack holding the rest of the yuan I had left, which was about four hundred and fift pieces. "Zhuge Liang," I said. "Zhuge Jun, I have four hundred and fifty yuan. Is that enough?"

Jun and Liang exchanged glances. "More than enough," mumbled Liang.

I handed the sack to Jun. "Take it, please. This is just something I get for defeating my martial arts teacher. I could do that anyday."

Zhuge Liang stopped me and pushed the sack back to me when Jun was about to accept it. "I really appreciate your offer Ying, but I think we can manage." He turned to his xiao brother. "There has to be some profits left younger brother."

"There is nothing left brother." Said Jun, who accepted my offer. "I'll run to the market! You two lovers do something!"

Immediately Liang and I shouted, "WE ARE NOT LOVERS!"

"Whatever!" Jun said, as he started running to the market.

Liang and I exchanged glances and then we lay down under his peach tree the same way we did with the other one in the Peach Gardens. We stared at the sky, watching clouds contract and attach.

The youngest Zhuge brother came back at the worst time. "And you said you weren't."

Both of us shot up. "We aren't!" I screamed.

"Fine, fine. Here are the supplies lovers." He dropped a huge bag on the ground lightly. "I really need to take a bath now! I smell like the emperor's younger sworn brother!" He ran behind the little cottage and then both of us heard a huge splash. I looked over to Liang.

"We have a river flowing behind our farm," he said sheepishly.

"Someone's having fun." I commented. Then I faced him. "Liang? Can we start?"

So he taught me for about half an hour. I understood every word. There was absolutely no problem for me to figure out things. For once in her life, Yue Ying is ready to work herself! Amazing, no?