Zuo Men was resting in the cave when he vaguely heard melodious singing from outside. The beautiful song reminded him of his days in Nan Hai City and his current monotonous life, which made him feel stifled. He grumbled, "When will this guard duty end? It's so boring." He then closed his eyes again to listen to the singing, and as he listened, he couldn't help but think, "Someone who can sing such a melodious song must be a young lady. I wonder if she's married."
Thinking this, he followed the singing to the cave entrance and asked the guards, "Who is singing?"
"General, it sounds like a woman."
"A woman?" He thought that in this desolate place, where there wasn't even a shadow of a person, how could there be a woman? "Where is she?"
"From the sound of it, she seems to be in the mountain hollow ahead."
"You guards stay put. I'm going to see who's so bold."
He couldn't resist his curiosity and went to investigate. Following the singing, he arrived at a forest. As he got closer, the singing abruptly stopped. He felt a surge of annoyance and anger. He looked around but couldn't see anyone. Just as he was about to curse, he heard a soft voice behind him, "Who are you looking for?"
He turned around and his eyes lit up, as if he had seen an extremely rare and precious treasure. He stammered, "I, I, I'm looking for..." He couldn't finish his sentence. His burly physique was matched by a somewhat goofy smile.
Shi San Niang looked at the dazed person in front of her and couldn't help but chuckle. Her smile was captivating, like a blooming hibiscus. She teased him, "You're such a strange person, you can't even speak clearly. Are you here to pick mushrooms too?"
Zuo Men smiled sheepishly and replied, "Yes... yes."
Shi San Niang smiled again and asked, "Since you're here to pick mushrooms, why didn't you bring a basket? Where will you put them if you pick them? In your pockets?"
Shi San Niang's playful teasing made Zuo Men shy and flustered, his tongue getting tied. "Then I... I, I was too... too eager."
Shi San Niang couldn't help but burst into laughter. However, in Zuo Men's eyes, she was fresh, refined, and a peerless beauty. He had never imagined he would meet such a beautiful woman here.
Seeing that he was hooked, Shi San Niang deliberately pointed to a dead tree not far away. "I passed by there earlier and saw some good mushrooms on that tree. I wanted to pick them, but I don't know how to climb trees. Can you help me pick them?"
Zuo Men smiled foolishly and looked in the direction she pointed. He immediately showed off, "It's a small matter, watch me." He walked to the dead tree, clenched his fist, aimed, and with a slight exertion, punched the trunk. The tree swayed, and some leaves and mushrooms fell.
Shi San Niang clapped her hands in delight. "Amazing! How did you do that?"
Zuo Men, praised, felt a little embarrassed and blushed slightly. He bent down to help Shi San Niang pick up the fallen mushrooms. As she picked them up, Shi San Niang asked him, "Which village are you from? I've never seen you before."
Zuo Men, completely immersed in a rosy haze of happiness, didn't quite hear what Shi San Niang said and casually replied, "I'm new here."
"New here?" Shi San Niang was confused but still asked him with a touch of innocence, "You look a bit slow and your words are strange. Could it be that you're a bad person?"
Hearing the word "bad person," Zuo Men panicked, fearing she would misunderstand. "No, no, no, I, I, I'm not, I'm not."
Seeing his animated and earnest explanation, Shi San Niang couldn't help but laugh again. Zuo Men, seeing Shi San Niang's bright smile, also grinned foolishly.
After a moment of silence, Zuo Men calmed down and happily asked her, "I still don't know your name, Miss. May I ask?"
Shi San Niang paused and casually made up a name. "Me? My name is Hui'er."
"Hui'er, intelligent and graceful. A good name." Shi San Niang also asked him, "And you? What's your name?"
Zuo Men replied, "My name is Zuo Men."
"Zuo Men?" Shi San Niang feigned surprise and asked him, "I heard there's a new general nearby named Zuo Men. It couldn't be you, could it?"
Fearing she would be scared, Zuo Men quickly waved his hands. "It's not Zuo Men, it's Zuo Men, the Zuo from the left, and Men from闷头 (mèn tóu - head down, absorbed)."
Upon hearing this, Shi San Niang couldn't help but laugh again. She thought, "This kid, he'll make up any lie for a beauty. I should tease him more." With that thought, she became happy again. She sat on the ground, fanning herself and sticking out her tongue, looking quite vexed.
Zuo Men curiously asked her, "Hui'er, what's wrong?"
Shi San Niang wiped her forehead slightly and pouted, "I forgot to bring water when I came. I'm a bit thirsty now, but I don't know where to find water. It's so uncomfortable."
Seeing Shi San Niang's distress, Zuo Men felt sympathetic. He immediately said, "I know where there's water. Wait for me." With that, he got up and went back into the cave to get water. His speed was so fast that you wouldn't think he was a burly man, eight feet tall. Even the guards he passed looked at him with confusion, asking, "What just went by?" Another replied, "It looked like the General." "The General?"
In a short while, Zuo Men had made a round trip. With a beaming smile, he handed the water to Shi San Niang. Shi San Niang took the water and asked him, looking up slightly, "Brother Zuo, where did you get this water?"
Zuo Men casually lied, "Oh, I left it by the roadside when I came. I hadn't had a chance to drink it yet. Drink up."
Shi San Niang couldn't help but secretly chuckle. She opened the lid of the pot and drank. After drinking, she wiped her mouth slightly. Zuo Men squatted beside her, mesmerized. Tears of joy were almost streaming from the corners of his mouth. Shi San Niang glanced at him sideways, and Zuo Men immediately became flustered, hastily turning his face away.
Shi San Niang smiled slightly and thanked him, "Thank you, Brother Zuo. Look, you didn't bring a basket either. I'll give you these mushrooms." Shi San Niang handed the basket forward. Zuo Men pushed it back, shaking his head slightly. "I don't need these. Meeting you is enough." As he said this, his eyes were full of affection. Shi San Niang, however, thought to herself, "He really is a lecher, even his words are so mushy." But she still pursed her lips and smiled, feigning shyness.
Zuo Men leaned closer, gazing at her as if entranced. They had been chatting for a long time without realizing it. Shi San Niang held her forehead and looked into the distance, only to see the sun setting and the light turning dim. She turned back and sincerely invited Zuo Men, "Brother Zuo, are you free? My home is not far from here. Would you like to come to my place? I'll make something good for you to eat."
Zuo Men felt a surge of joy. He had never met such an interesting girl and was starting to feel affectionate. However, he remembered his duty and couldn't leave his post without authorization. He had to refuse, "No, I won't go. You should go back."
Shi San Niang frowned slightly, surprised that he was still mindful of his duty. She said subtly, "Then I'll be going."
"Go ahead." Shi San Niang stood up and left without any hesitation. Zuo Men, however, widened his eyes, watching Shi San Niang leave with reluctance. He thought, "I wonder if Hui'er will come tomorrow. I'm afraid I'll miss her. Alas!" With lingering eyes, he watched Shi San Niang walk down the mountain until her enchanting figure disappeared from sight. Feeling a great sense of emptiness, he sighed slightly and was about to leave.
Suddenly, he heard a cry, "Ouch!" It sounded like Shi San Niang's voice. He hurried over and saw Shi San Niang sitting on the ground with mushrooms scattered everywhere. He rushed forward, concerned, and asked, "Hui'er, what's wrong?"
Shi San Niang feigned distress and replied, "I walked too fast coming down and slipped. I accidentally fell." She gently massaged her foot, her face full of sorrow, "My foot really hurts. I don't know how I'll get back."
Zuo Men immediately felt heartbroken. He wanted to escort her back but dared not leave his post without permission. Helplessly, he said, "How could you be so careless? It's getting dark. Why don't you come to my place? You can go back tomorrow." He was also worried that Shi San Niang might think him too forward, so he added, "Don't be afraid, I won't do anything to you. You can just stay for the night with peace of mind."
Shi San Niang shook her head, her eyes downcast as if she had something difficult to say. She slowly raised her hand to cover her mouth and began to sob slightly. Her eyebrows, however, cautiously watched Zuo Men, wanting to see his reaction. Seeing Shi San Niang's delicate and fragile appearance, like a delicate flower, Zuo Men couldn't help but feel more sympathetic. He said to her again, "Don't worry, I'll personally escort you back tomorrow morning."
Shi San Niang shook her head slightly and finally revealed her difficulty. "Alas, it's probably not possible. I have an old mother at home. My mother is very old and her eyesight is failing. When I left, I only prepared some food for her, and I don't know if she's eaten yet. Now that it's getting late, if I don't go back, my mother will worry. So, I must go back. Brother Zuo, I think you're a good person, please take me back, and I'll cook something delicious for you."
Hearing her words, Zuo Men was both moved and pitying. After hesitating for a moment, he finally agreed. "Since you have to go back, and I can't rest assured leaving you alone, I think I'd better escort you back." With that, he squatted down to help her pick up the mushrooms, then squatted in front of her and said, "Get on."
Shi San Niang smiled at the corners of her mouth and feigned shyness, "Brother Zuo, this might not be appropriate. I'll walk myself." Just as she was about to get up, Zuo Men grabbed her hand. The smooth, tender, and soft skin sent a jolt through him. Zuo Men immediately became shy, and with a blush, he let go of her hand. "Don't... don't be afraid... Come... I... I'll carry you."
Shi San Niang smiled shyly and naturally climbed onto his back. Zuo Men happily carried her, completely forgetting that he couldn't leave his post without orders. He only asked, "Which way should I go?"
Shi San Niang pointed to the left. "That way."
"Okay."
Along the way, Zuo Men couldn't help but ask, "Hui'er, you're not young anymore. Do you have someone you care about?"
Shi San Niang replied, "Someone introduced me to someone before. He seemed quite good." Hearing this, Zuo Men felt a pang of disappointment and asked, "Then, have you and he... gotten married?"
Shi San Niang knew what he wanted to ask and deliberately teased him, "He said the end of the month, but I didn't really want to, so I didn't agree."
Zuo Men felt a glimmer of hope and pressed on, "Then what do you think?"
"I think the person who can accompany me for a lifetime must be a great hero, skilled in both martial arts and literature."
Zuo Men thought about himself. His martial arts skills were naturally unquestionable, and he also knew some literature, so he could be considered skilled in both. Furthermore, he was a great general, which should qualify him as a great hero. Thinking this, he gained confidence and felt he was a viable candidate. He asked tentatively, "Hui'er, what do you think of me?"
Shi San Niang secretly smiled and feigned ignorance. "You? We don't know each other well yet. I don't know what kind of person you are."
"What about today?" He wanted to ask about his performance today.
Shi San Niang said, "Today? You were quite good. You did many good deeds. It shows that you are a good person." Zuo Men smiled sweetly, as if he had received validation.
As they chatted, the sun set without them realizing it, and night fell. Darkness began to creep in, and the surroundings became pitch black. But Zuo Men still wanted to find their direction by his own strength. At this moment, a faint light appeared ahead, moving as if approaching them. As it got closer, they saw it was a bright lamp, carried by a delicate young man, transformed from Xue Ruyi. Before Zuo Men could react, Shi San Niang spoke, "That's probably my brother coming to pick me up."
Zuo Men was surprised. "You have a brother?"
"Yes." As the lamp gradually approached, Zuo Men saw it was a delicate young man. The young man also looked surprised to see them and asked Shi San Niang, "Sister, who is this?"
Shi San Niang introduced him, "This is Brother Zuo. He's a good person. When I was coming back, I accidentally twisted my ankle, and he escorted me back. Brother Zuo, please put me down."
Zuo Men heard her words and put her down. The young man cupped his hands gratefully and said, "Thank you, Brother Zuo. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't know where to find my sister." Zuo Men's face flushed slightly, and he waved his hand. "It's just a small favor, a small favor."
Shi San Niang also thanked him, "Brother Zuo, thank you so much. I have nothing to repay you with, so please accept this as a gift." Zuo Men couldn't help but guess. "A purse? A handkerchief? A gem?" He thought it would probably be a handkerchief.
Shi San Niang extended her right hand, clenched into a fist, and said, "The treasure is in my palm." Zuo Men's face immediately turned red. He didn't know what it was and asked curiously with a smile, "What's in here?"
"Come closer and take a look." He curiously lowered his head to look at her hand. Suddenly, Shi San Niang opened her palm and blew a breath towards him. Instantly, a purple mist emerged and shot towards his face. Zuo Men, caught off guard, inhaled twice. In an instant, he felt dizzy and then collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
At this moment, the young man raised his hand and summoned a few people to carry Zuo Men away. He then transformed into Zuo Men's appearance, nodded at Shi San Niang, and swaggered back to Qian Men Cave.