You rascal, stop right there!

Chapter 178 I saved a child a long time ago

Three days later.

Ling Shumo's injuries have mostly healed. At Bai Wan's suggestion, Chen Xingyi also decided to spread false news and return to the capital to report early.

At this time, the group of people quietly left the inn.

Because Bai Wan has just started learning the music theory of the yangqin, in order to integrate into the painting team, she practices almost every day until late at night.

Even when he fell asleep, his mind was still full of paintings, causing him to wake up after only two hours of sleep every day.

Finally, he couldn't stand sitting in the carriage any longer and fell asleep.

The carriage was soft and collapsed.

Bai Wan's sleeping posture was unruly, with her pretty face half-lying down as she lay by the window, holding a scroll tightly in her hands.

He was so carefree and unrestrained that he treated the carriage as a pleasure boat.

In particular, if you go to bed late the day before, the clothes on your arms will be tied in a mess without any order.

It doesn't matter if your skin is exposed to the air occasionally.

Ling Shumo could even see a few traces of lotus petals from that night that had not yet completely disappeared.

His ears were flushed red: "You...you really don't have the slightest defense against me..."

Even after experiencing that night, Bai Wan didn't feel that the nature of the two of them was any different from before.

Perhaps, apart from drawing the game, this person doesn't care about anything else.

Ling Shumo could only smile awkwardly and cover his face with his sleeves.

His slender fingertips stroked his eyelids, then quietly stopped at his chin, gently stroking it repeatedly...

The surrounding mountains and forests gradually became unfamiliar, the forests were deep and the water was deep, and the road back to Beijing was obviously not easy.

They had just left Xingzhou, a few miles outside the city, when a group of people in strange clothes stood in front of the carriage and stopped them.

"Everyone in the carriage, hand over your valuables." shouted the bald leader.

It turned out that someone was robbing people on the road.

The original intention was to stay away from the troops returning from Li Mansion, so a roundabout route was deliberately chosen.

Apparently, it's wrong.

As a result, the noisy noise outside actually woke up Bai Wan, who was in a light sleep.

The man shuddered and bumped into Ling Shumo's nose directly, without noticing at all that his breath and lips were getting closer.

"Bandit, where are the thieves?"

Bai Wan was completely oblivious to what was going on. She seemed to be looking for something fun by hastily lifting the curtain and looking out, making the people around her laugh and cry.

"What's going on outside?" he asked.

Shi Yaotong said with a complicated expression: "A group of people wearing animal skins, about a dozen bandits holding stone axes and knives."

Since he is holding simple weapons, he is probably not a vicious person.

But in the current situation, if they are really bandits, only Ling Shumo, who is good at martial arts, can deal with them.

Bai Wan's mediocre skills, or Xiao Shitou's ability to take a pulse with a needle, are simply for the purpose of adding fragrance to the Qingming Festival.

"I..." Ling Shumo reluctantly got some money, thinking it would be better to have less trouble.

Bai Wan directly pressed his hand down: "Why give me money blindly? I need to wait and see for a while."

The person opposite burst out laughing. To him, money was probably the second most important thing compared to drawing the game.

"Zi Chen, you need to rest. I'll beg for mercy on my knees. I'm the best at this."

A man shook Shu Mo's shoulder, opened the curtain, and walked straight out of the carriage.

Just by the sound of their voices, one could tell that these people were not vicious bandits at all.

If he could see, he would find that the so-called bandits in front of him were all strong and had sharp eyes.

The most ferocious one is the bald leader.

When these people saw Bai Wan leaning on a bamboo pole and groping to lift the curtain of the carriage, they were stunned.

People who are blind need to pull the curtain little by little even to get off the carriage.

I never expected that the person I robbed this time was a blind man.

He is also a pedantic painter who carries all kinds of scrolls, paints and utensils.

The bald man looked at him, seemingly very surprised.

There was so much inquiry in his solemn gaze that he was so shocked that he took several steps back.

"Han... Painter Han?"

Bai Wan stretched her neck and wanted to kneel down and beg for mercy in a crying voice, but she paused for a long time after hearing this title, and then she turned sideways and was stunned.

Except for the trip six years ago when he went out to paint the best picture in the world, he had never used this name outside.

No one should know.

"The 59th year in Dayingluzhen, Rice and Meat Inn." The bald man bowed and nodded sincerely.

As soon as he finished speaking, Bai Wan's expression suddenly changed.

That year was a year of great disaster and plague was rampant.

He had seen with his own eyes how naked people were hung upside down and tortured to pieces.

This is the material he is most reluctant to recall, and it is also the earliest real source of the painting "Wanli Minyuan".

"You...got the wrong person." Bai Wan's voice was a little hoarse, and he seemed still immersed in disbelief.

There must have been more than just this young man who was nearly disemboweled who was rescued back then.

Judging from his age, he should be no more than fifteen or sixteen years old. But the strong voice he just spoke sounded surprisingly fake.

Today, it is even the most controversial identity - bandit.

The bald man seemed to be choking up. "After you left the inn, they came back. Only my brother and I survived..."

He pulled over a girl who was thinner than him and spoke in a low voice.

It was obvious that he did not take his denial seriously.

"So... so..." Bai Wan said calmly, "the others still became rice meat?"

Those who didn't survive at that time would probably have become food for others.

As soon as the words are out, the person regrets it, which is no different from a disguised admission.

The person on the other side was visibly happier: "So, you are really Painter Han?!"

"..."

However, Bai Wan denied it without even turning back, and walked straight back to the carriage, groping his way.

He couldn't say that he was murdered and lost his memory because of making that painting, and simply disappeared from the world for five whole years.

The person behind him was still walking quickly: "Master Han?! Master Han!"

Bai Wan seemed to be escaping, almost deliberately not responding, and got on the carriage immediately.

Seeing such a stalemate, some of the younger brothers couldn't help but come forward.

"Big Boss, Third Boss, are we still going to rob?"

The bald man knocked the younger brother on the head and said, "What are you robbing? I won't rob a blind, deaf, dumb or disabled person. Besides, he is the painter."

The woman beside him also said quietly: "Master Han is blind now, so he naturally doesn't want others to see his embarrassing appearance. He is lucky to be alive."

Ling Shumo in the carriage slightly lifted the curtain and said softly: "You know them."

"I saved a child a long time ago." Bai Wan laughed at himself.

Although I really don’t want to think about it, those gentle words that guided me in the yellow sand and held the life-saving straw.

but……

"Do they look sallow now?" he asked.

Shi Yaotong shook his head: "No, his face was glowing red."

"That's good."

Bai Wan sat upright in the carriage, quietly, as if the countless bones of that year were brought to life on paper.

This slight smile is probably the only remaining trace of the painting "Wanli Minyuan".

I always thought they were all dead, but now someone is alive. I am still somewhat relieved.

But Bai Wan didn’t understand.

Today, the survivors have clearly escaped the plague and famine, but why have they become bandits and robbers?