3 Bride Stealing
The sun set and they sky was wrapped by darkness.
The guesthouses in town were full, so Shanhu had no choice and went to stay in old broken house. It was fine for him because he usually slept in broken hut, in cave or in forest. Darkness, cold wind, rain, mosquito, could not disturb him. But tonight he could not shut his eyes. He slept his head on arms as pillow. His eyes kept looking up at the twinkle stars in the sky through broken roof. He knew his feeling was strange tonight. Even he tried, still his eyes did not listen to his command.
His mind was bothered. His mind was uncontrollable. It waved like sea was meeting with storm, it trembled like hut was shaking by wind.
His heart made him could not stay still. It commanded him. Therefore, he got up and left at once.
-----
At Li Residence...
Bai Ling was sitting in her room. She glanced the room that was pleasing decorated.
When sun rose, she would get married.
Normally, woman might have worry or fear before wedding. It was not strange that Bai Ling felt that way.. but it seemed she had another worry, not just about wedding.
Her room door still opened.
Once in a while she looked at the door, then she sighed. The woman exhaled few times, after that she got off seat, walked to the door. She touched door sheets and felt heavy wooden against her palms. She eyed outside room.
|Will he come?| She thought.
Bai Ling stood looking outside her room, left and right, before she shut the door with sad face.
-----
It was late night but Li Residence was still crowed. The maids still awoke and did job. Decorating, cooking and so on.
There were guards in house too. It was wedding of first son of rich man in town, there were many value things, so it needed well protect for tomorrow event.
Under blinking stars, on a roof of chamber of Li Residence, Bai Shanhu appeared; that no one noticed. He scanned eyes down. He tried to recognize but he could not find which room he should enter.
|Perhaps we need to take risk.| He thought then jumped down into garden. He hid behind tree. As he saw there no any person, he moved to a bush. The guards walked, the servants carried raw food to kitchen, all of them passed where Shanhu was hiding. When it was safe, Shanhu stood up. He looked around and sneaked along corridor.
Where should he go? He did not have clue. Li Residence was big and had many rooms.
|That room should be well decorated and different from other rooms, but where is it?| Shanhu guessed.
His heart bounced. He felt anxious. Time walked; it was close to sunrise. He felt that it might be late if he was still here.
While he was in worry, he heard sound of feet behind his back.
Shanhu turned his face quickly...
-----
Inside room, Bai Ling slept on back with eyes open. She looked at the ceiling. She felt her mind and her head were empty.
The lady sighed. She felt her chest was heavy like a mountain on it. She blew wind from her nose few times, then she made her eyes low, sadly, towards embroidery bag that she held in hands which she put it on blanket that covered her body. She sighed repeatedly many times.
Then, CRACK. Sound of door opened.
Bai Ling pupils shook inside eyes.
Someone came in.
|Who?| Bai Ling thought.
Her heart began to bounce. Then like a flash, she got up to sit and looked her eyes to.
At same time, Bai Shanhu appeared before her.
Eyes met eyes.
The colleen was surprised.
|Is it real?| She asked herself in mind. She held breath and stared at Shanhu. She kept asking herself that it was real or dream.
|No, I am not dreaming. It is real. He really comes.|
Bai Shanhu viewed her face, he did not say any word. Bai Ling also did not express any word. Even though, they could hear what their minds were saying to each other.
The girl made her face low down. She smiled slightly. She realized why he showed up in middle of night, inside her room. She knew it.
At first, Shanhu did not have any idea, but when he inspected an embroidery bag in her hands - she had put all her value things into it such as jewelry and money - he knew she realized he would come. Guy was jolly. It was incredible. She knew he would come to take her and she prepared herself already to go with him. His lips smiled, and Bai Ling put down her face for she was shy.
It was not time for romantic action. They needed to move on fast.
Shanhu assisted Bai Ling off the bed. He grabbed a cloth to cover her. Then he opened door and checked.
Outside was quiet.
Shanhu held Bai Ling hand out of the room.
Around them was surrounded by high wall. Bai Ling was worried how they could escape. She gazed at the man. And Shanhu watched her eyes. He gave her a smiling, after, he put arms under her back and legs and rose her body. Bai Ling was little bit nervous.
'Hold tight.' Shanhu whispered.
The lady followed his words. She embraced him tightly. Shanhu could feel her heart beating for her chest and his chest touched each other. He knew she was frighten. So, he said to her, 'Don't be afraid. I won't let you fall.'
Hearing that words, Bai Ling was convinced, she nodded head.
Next, the knight-errant jumped high into the sky carrying woman in hands, cross the roof.
Their action was peeped by someone. They viewed them silently from the residence, until they disappeared from eyes.
-----
As morning came, whole residence of Li was in chaos because of the bride lost. Mr. Li called maid to inform town court. The court sent guards to check, but could not find trail of the bride of Li. They closed town gate to block thief. However, they could not catch for Shanhu already left the town since sun still was half-sleeping. He rode Bai Ling on horse miles away from the town.
When sun rose, the two arrived at a house. Shanhu paused horse before that house. He got off and took cloth from hanging and placed money on ground. His motion was quick. After, he came back and continued riding.
The horse ran across forest along ground road.
A while later, Shanhu stopped horse for Bai Ling to change cloth.
The lady went to behind the bush. She changed to dress that Shanhu took from house of villager.
After dress up, she came out. She walked towards Shanhu that was standing next to horse.
The man turned face looking at his Bai Ling. Even the dress was old and sample, but her beauty could not be hidden. She was the most beautiful woman he ever met.
'Be patient.' He stated to Bai Ling. 'We will arrive the city in two days.'
Bai Ling nodded head.
The dude held woman getting up the horse. Then he sat behind her. He grabbed horse string and yelled out order horse to run.
