Chapter 1837 — On Tenterhooks

"I don't know..." Gu Mengyao glanced at the tightly shut courtyard gates of the houses and thought how wonderful it would be if they could hide in one of them. But they knew no one here. Even if someone were willing to take them in, Gu Mengyao would hardly dare accept — this was unfamiliar ground, and who could say whether these people harbored ill intentions...

From somewhere in the distance, the sound of footsteps drifted over, unnaturally distinct in the utterly deserted alley, and the hearts of both Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu leaped into their throats.

In that instant, the fine hairs on their bodies stood on end, for they were wondering — could it be Yu Liu, who had tracked them all the way here?

The footsteps drew nearer and nearer. Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu instinctively shrank back, but though they were hidden behind a pile of clutter, anyone passing by and turning their head would still catch sight of them.

Just as the newcomer was about to pass by, a cough suddenly sounded — the cough of an old woman, clearly coming from whoever was approaching.

"Cough, cough..." That cough made both Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu breathe a sigh of relief. Thank goodness, it was not Yu Liu.

Before long, a short, small old woman came slowly pushing a handcart. She walked very slowly, and as she walked her eyes seemed to be scanning the ground to either side, searching for something.

She was a scavenger; her cart was piled high with crushed cardboard boxes, along with drink bottles, scrap iron, and the like. Her glances to left and right were, in truth, a search for discarded drink bottles.

And as she passed by Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu, she caught sight of the two of them huddled behind the pile of clutter.

Seeing two young girls hiding there, the old woman's eyes flickered with surprise. She had no idea what these two girls were doing here, but instinctively she looked at them a few more times — and then an expression of utter astonishment came into her eyes!

"Fairy maidens — you're the two fairy maidens!" The old woman came to a startled halt and cried out in amazement at Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu.

Hearing this, both Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu were taken aback, but a moment later they recognized who the old woman was. She was the scavenger from the back gate of Tiandi Entertainment City — the one Zhen Yingjun had humiliated, until Wei Zhao "transferred" the illness from her body onto Zhen Yingjun!

At the time, the old woman's chronic ailment of many years had suddenly vanished, so of course she took Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu for fairy maidens. After all, in her eyes, only fairy maidens could accomplish such a thing. Even the finest doctors could merely cure her illness — but these two had transferred it, shifting her suffering onto the young man who had bullied her. Such power belonged only to immortals.

With that, the old woman set down her cart and made to kneel in worship before Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu. To meet a fairy maiden once was already a blessing upon her ancestors; to meet them a second time — one can well imagine the old woman's excitement!

"Granny, we're not fairy maidens..." Gu Mengyao hurriedly moved to stop the old woman out of sheer reflex, preventing her from kneeling. After all, they could hardly accept such reverence from an elder.

"You must be fairy maidens! If you weren't, how could you have cured this old woman's ailment of so many years? And how could you have transferred that ailment onto the villain?" the old woman said.

"That..." Gu Mengyao had no idea how Wei Zhao had done it, so she had no way to explain the matter. If not for the fact that she knew Wei Zhao possessed many wondrous abilities — and had she encountered such a thing for the first time herself — she too would have found it exceedingly strange.

"Fairy maidens both, since you will not accept this old woman's bow, then if you do not disdain it, come and sit awhile at this old woman's home. I shall donate all the savings I have accumulated over these years as incense money for you..." the old woman said.

She was a solitary old widow who repaid kindness with gratitude. For years she had made her living by scavenging, but her bodily infirmity had left her clumsy in movement, and what she could gather each day was limited. Yet ever since her legs and feet had grown nimble, her earnings had soared — places she could never reach before were now open to her, and so her income had increased greatly. Naturally, she was filled with gratitude toward Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu.

Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu exchanged a glance. Neither of them coveted any incense money from the old woman; rather, they were fretting over having nowhere to hide. Since the old woman was inviting them, and she was someone they had met before, they need not fear she harbored crooked thoughts — and it suited Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu perfectly.

"Very well, Granny. But we are not fairy maidens — once we reach your home, we'll explain everything to you in detail..." Gu Mengyao could tell the old woman was pure and kind at heart, and she would not put on airs as a fairy maiden to deceive her.

"Good, good, wonderful!" Hearing Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu agree, the old woman was so delighted she could not close her mouth.

In truth, whether or not Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu were fairy maidens did not matter. What mattered was that the old woman had met her benefactors once more and could repay even a little of the gratitude in her heart — that was what made her happiest of all.

Gu Mengyao picked up the bundles, while Shen Yushu took Wei Zhao on her back. Seeing this, the old woman was briefly startled and hastily said, "Fairy maidens both, let this old woman carry these things for you. How could I let you do such heavy work?"

"Granny, it's all right..." But before Gu Mengyao could finish speaking, the old woman had already effortlessly taken the bundles from her hands and placed them on the handcart, and Wei Zhao, on Shen Yushu's back, was likewise scooped up by the old woman and hoisted straight onto her shoulders!

Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu were left dumbstruck by the sight. They had never imagined that this thin, small old woman possessed such strength.

Seeing their astonishment, the old woman smiled faintly and said, "In the old days, when my legs and feet were still clumsy, I used to haul sacks through the streets and alleys while scavenging. What heavy load have I not carried? Now that my legs are sound, this is nothing at all!"

Hearing this, Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu were set at ease, and they set off forward together with the old woman.

Then the old woman caught sight of the Thunder Pig and General Weiwu on the ground, each bearing a bundle, and she was instantly stunned. She rubbed her eyes, and in her heart she became all the more certain that Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu were fairy maidens beyond any doubt!

In all her life she had never seen a pig that could walk on two legs, nor a dog that could carry so much! If they were not fairy maidens, how could they have such wondrous beasts of the immortal realm? Was this not the sort of thing found only in Journey to the West?

But since the girls would not admit it, the old woman did not press the point. Perhaps they were fairy maidens descended to the mortal world and had to keep it secret?

The old woman's home was not far from here, also a ground-floor dwelling. She opened the courtyard gate and let Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu enter first; she followed close behind, then shut the gate tight.