724 Be Patient
By noon. Unexpectedly, a blizzard descended on the border of the forest towards the White Fox valley, just like what the villagers said. The thickness of the blizzard covered the small path that was still visible until it was now buried by half a foot of snow. The cold wind blows so hard makes the stiff frozen trees around the sway a bit.
Luo Xing and his horse took cover behind a small alcove by the path trying to warm themselves with a makeshift fireplace. He had stayed there for two days but the clue to the entrance to the White Fox valley was still nowhere to be seen. According to Shin Ya, before he left, the White Fox was famous for being mischievous, playing games, and testing peopleâs patience, even though Luo Xiang had neither, especially when it came to Bai Ying, he still had to force himself to be patient. But, what if he was wrong, and Bai Ying was not there after all? didnât he waste his time again from being so stupid?
Luo Xiang looked up at the sky above, where the falling snowflakes never stopped. He tightened his cold coat, it was so cold, can he stay there indefinitely? What if heâs been waiting where he shouldnât be? This is really very disturbing.
Luo Xiang took a deep breath. The hot air from his body was blown out through his heavy breathing. Seeing the snowflakes that Bai Ying loved so much, however, all of this started to become a nightmare for him because the image of Bai Yingâs face seemed to be disappearing more and more. He was afraid of losing that smile, it had been several months since he had seen him and he realized that Bai Yingâs face was only in his memory. Next time, if they met again, Luo Xiang would ask the most skilled painters in Yue Yang or even in Li to capture Hua Bai Yingâs dazzling face in a beautiful painting.
Luo Xiang smiled looking at the snowflakes.
âCome on Your Highness, look at this, itâs Ying erâs first snow in Xian Yang, itâs so prettyâ
Seeing the boy spinning under the falling snow spread his arms wide while closing his eyes. Smiling very broadly.
âHemmh, the smell of fresh snow is very goodâ
Luo Xiang smiled. He took a deep breath trying to smell the snow which Bai Ying said smelled really good.
.....
âHey, brat, where are you now?â
Luo Xiang was just about to absorb all of Bai Yingâs feelings of snow when he heard a slightly loud sound from the direction of the road.
âAh, Grandpa! Be carefulâ
Luo Xiang turned his head. Looking down at the path where it looked like a little girl, helping a hunchbacked old man pull his old wooden carriage until he fell.
âAlas, the road is slippery, our carriage is too heavyâ the grandfather was so old that his whole body bent down like his granddaughterâs height. Even so, he was still trying to get into the little cart filled with dry wood and fresh leaves for fodder on top.
âHere grandpa, let Lu er just pull it, Lu er is strong too,â said a girl who probably wasnât more than ten years old.
The grandfather chuckled, showing his teeth which were starting to fall out and some were blackened with age. His wrinkled hand touched the hand of the little girl holding the carriage belt that was wrapped around his hunchback body.
âSilly child, grandpa is still strong, only just now the road was a bit slippery, Lu er, just walk beside grandpa, donât go far so you can stay warm. Letâs walk againân/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
The girl looked at her grandfather with a pair of worried eyes, so she nodded.
âYes gramps
The two of them were wearing ordinary clothes that were not too thick but covered themselves with piles of straw pinned to the inside of their outer layers to keep themselves warmer. But it seems that wasnât enough because the girl looked so shivering that her lips turned blue.
Luo Xiang put on his hood and rushed out to approach the two people who were probably villagers from around the forest. The big man looked like a giant in front of the two residents.
âEh, pardon me old man, but, what are you guys doing in the middle of the forest during a storm like this? You shouldnât have left the house at this timeâ Luo Xiang said.
The two residents seemed surprised to see that Luo Xiang was already there.
âEh, young masterâ
The little girl who saw Luo Xiang immediately approached and lowered her body.
âYoung master, please help us, itâs been two days Grandfather and I have been circling in the forest and canât find a way out. Grandfatherâs feet are sore and injured, we havenât eaten since yesterday, huks, and we are cold, please help usâ the girl cried until her body shook, and she tried to wipe away her tears. While the grandfather looked a bit reluctant to look at him.
Luo Xiang stuttered, he was used to people kneeling in front of him, but it wasnât a child that even her knees were shaking from the cold snow beneath. Slowly he stretched out his hand to help the girl to get up.
âHey sweetie, whereâs your house? Why canât find a way? Have you never been here before?â he asked.
The girl wiped her tears. Her cheeks and face were red from the cold air that was too heavy for such a small body. Luo Xiang looked at him with pity, until he approached Xiao Bai on his horse, and took something from the cloth bag hanging on his horseâs saddle. The quilted fabric was quite thick, the high-quality velvet material from Chang San that he brought for the bedding. The size is not so big that it will not be difficult for both to wear it.
âHere, wear this to cover your bodies, at least itâs warm enough,â said Luo Xiang thrusting the red cloth in front of the child. The girl stuttered. She looked at the cloth and turned to his grandfather. The two of them were obviously very reluctant to accept cloth that even in their dreams would be hard to touch because it was like a luxury item to them.
âYoung Master
Luo Xiang pulled his lips, getting impatient with the little girl who was so slow to take the coat so he had to grab the little girlâs hand and give it to her.
âWhat else do you think, quickly use thisâ
The girl finally took the coat, and with hands shaking from the cold she and his grandfather put it on together. The blanket was wide enough for both of them.
âThank you, Young Master,â said grandfather and grandchild at once.
Luo Xiang looked at the carriage whose wheels were still intact. Using human power and not a donkey or even a horse to pull it. The man pinned a belt across his shoulder to pull the carriage, it was inconceivable how the man whose body was old and maybe only left with a body of flesh and bones was pulling the carriage with his strength.
âWhere are your houses?â asked Luo Xiang.
The little girl looked at Luo Xiang with her big round eyes.
âEm, itâs at the foot of the White Fox forest, in the small village of Mi Pa, about a dayâs journey from here. Actually, Servant and grandfather can usually go back by ourselves, but because the snow covered the road made we lose our way so we were stuck here, we have never passed this place before, so we got lost, âreplied the little girl.
Luo Xiang took a deep breath. The small village of Mi Pa is not only a dayâs journey from here, but it can take two days. Thatâs quite a distance.
Luo Xiang took a deep breath.
âYou guys just follow this road, go straight, donât turn, follow the direction of the sun, and soon you will arrive at the underpass of the White Fox forest, when you get there you must already know the next way, right?â he asked.
Grandfather and the girl nodded.
âYes, Young Master
Luo Xiang looked at the two of them, looking hesitant to take a step. The grandfather and grandchild stood close together trying to warm their bodies.
âEh, but Young Master, we, have seen tigers and wolves recently, at this time of year are they also looking for prey? We could die eaten by them. If there was just me it would not be a problem, but my granddaughter, she is a poor child, she is still very youngâ now it was the grandfatherâs turn to cry.
Luo Xiang held his breath. He had expected that those two people would make trouble for him. It couldnât be helped, after all the gate leading to the White Fox valley hadnât appeared either. Thereâs nothing wrong with taking the grandfather and grandchild out of the forest for now.
âHehâ