Chapter 18 To denounce (2)
Qingshu didn’t come out again. Obviously, they were helpless with the current situation.
Chen Hui was lying very comfortably. Midway, she even took a nap. Seeing the change of the sky, she guessed that she had been lying down for several hours. She slowly propped herself up and knelt. Then, she pushed Xiao Tiao. Xiao Tiao didn’t have the mental endurance of Chen Hui. Her body had been tense all along and she knelt as soon as she was pushed.
After kneeling for less than five minutes, Chen Hui turned her head and said to Xiao San and Xiao Si, “Can you go ask Lady Jiang if she could forgive us? We have been kneeling for so long and it is getting dark.”
Xiao San and Xiao Si, “…” It was obviously lying for the whole afternoon!
Xiao San said, “Lady Chen, wait for a bit. This little one will go look for sister Qingshu.”
Chen Hui waited quietly. Qingshu came out quickly this time. It seemed that she was finally relieved and hurriedly said, “Lady Chen, quickly leave.” She still kept silent about forgiveness.
This time, Chen Hui didn’t ask. She pulled Xiao Tiao up and the two limped out while supporting each other. Xiao Liu, who had disappeared for a long time also appeared magically and silently followed the two.
Chen Hui led Xiao Tiao back to Plum Yard. Xiao Liu silently locked the door of Plum Yard. Chen Hui also didn’t mind.
After Xiao Liu left, Chen Hui let go of Xiao Tiao. She no longer had the appearance that her leg seemed to have broken. She asked Xiao Tiao smilingly, “Was it comfortable lying down just now?”
Xiao Tiao said blankly, “…Com, comfortable.”
“Do you want to lie down again?”
Xiao Tiao didn’t know what Chen Hui meant. For a time, she didn’t know how to answer.
Chen Hui chuckled, “We knelt for the whole afternoon. Our legs had been hurt and couldn’t get out of bed. We can only lie down in bed, understand?”
“But…,” Xiao Tiao just wanted to say that her legs didn’t hurt, but seeing Chen Hui’s cunning appearance, she suddenly came to the realization. Didn’t they pretend before that they were so hungry that they were unable to get out of bed? She stayed alone in the room and was extremely nervous. Fortunately, no one came to look for her. Now she had to pretend once more. Although, she was also nervous, but she wasn’t as scared as before.
“This slave understands, Lady Chen!” She nodded heavily as if it was an important task.
“Good girl.” Chen Hui patted Xiao Tiao’s head. She took out the steamed bun that she brought back and had put on the table when she came looking for Xiao Tiao. She handed it to Xiao Tiao, “You haven’t eaten anything for lunch, right? Eat something first to fill your stomach.”
Xiao Tiao nodded tearfully and wasn’t able to speak anything anymore.
The two went back to their own rooms. Chen Hui took off the dirty coat and went to bed with the second layer of clothes. She covered herself with the quilt and closed her eyes to rest. No one would deliberately disturb that exasperating eunuch on duty because of her in the afternoon. When he returns, the affairs of the residence couldn’t be hidden from him. By then, he would definitely come to her for trouble. She had to be mentally prepared in advance.
The people of the kitchen brought dinner. It was Xiao Tiao went to receive it. She still remembered Chen Hui’s instruction to limp deliberately when taking the dinner. After the two had dinner, they went back to their own room and continued to wait for the storm of the night.
As the night had darkened, a group of people broke the tranquility of the night and stopped at the intersection between Plum Yard and Rely Bamboo Pavilion. They turned left and went to Rely Bamboo Pavilion.
Qingshu had long been waiting. Seeing that Li Youde had come, she immediately went to greet him, “Lord, the most favorite hairpin of Lady Jiang had been broken. Today, she is too sad and had just fallen asleep.”
Li Youde stopped for a moment and didn’t force his way in. He said with a solemn face, “Take good care of Lady Jiang and comfort her well.”
“This slave obeys,” Qingshu said. Then, she revealed an expression as if she was in a difficult position and said, “It is just that the hairpin is a relic from Lady Jiang’s mother. I’m afraid that Lady Jiang wouldn’t be able let it go for a little while.”
He had obviously heard what had happened in the afternoon a long time ago, his face still sank when he heard this. He didn’t say anything, turned and left quickly.
Qingshu looked at Li Youde and his entourage leave and hurried to Plum Yard. Only then, did she turn around and went back to the room to report to Jiang Bihan.
Jiang Bihan wasn’t lying on the bed. She was sitting at the round table. Even when sitting, her slender figure was shown. If it weren’t for the frown between her eyebrows, presumably, no one could see that she had a severe load on her mind.
She was worried and was afraid. She had never told anyone. Even Qingshu who was the closest to her didn’t know her eternally anxious heart. Ever since her father was tortured to death in prison, her mother committed suicide and she was charged to go to Jiaofang Shi, such anxiety and fear had never ceased to exist. She had become of a low status because of crimes and the law of Great Liang was that she could never redeem her status. So, even if she had been taken into the residence by Li Youde, she had no identity nor status. Moreover, Li Youde was someone without a root. She couldn’t even give birth to a child to leave her with someone to depend on. This signifies that she could be sent back to Jiaofang Shi by Li Youde at any time and be able to be scorned by everyone. That time, she had just entered Jiaofang Shi and had been taken out by Li Youde, she hasn’t experienced he pain of the dishonor yet. Now, she had been living like a prince for two years. She absolutely couldn’t bear those terrible encounters that would make her tremble in fear by just imagining.
- Jiaofang Shu was a department in ancient China where girls where taught to serve officials. It was like a brothel for the people at the court.
- Since Lady Jiang status was lowered to that of a prostitute, the law requires her to have that status for her whole life, unless the emperor pardon her. Her status dictates that she had no rights, hence her constant worry.
- A coincidence that this book’s country is also Great Liang like Reborn to love Lord Qiansui.
She remembered that when she first came to Li residence, before she got to know that he is a eunuch, she did have charming thoughts. Instead of suffering in Jiaofang Shi, it was better to be the mistress of someone. At least, she didn’t have to suffer those insults. However, Li Youde happens to be a eunuch. Besides, it was one that had been scolded by her father in their house. Hence, the gratitude she felt towards this person also obliterated completely… A eunuch, what for did he need a woman? Presumably, bringing her to his residence to torture!
In the beginning, she had been trembling with fear. She was frightened and indignant. But as time went by, she realized that Li Youde was very courteous towards her. Her hanging heart gradually eased. He had never stayed overnight and also never let her go to Chrysanthemum Yard to serve him. She didn’t know what he meant by that, but his attitude undoubtedly gave her encouragement and gave her some peace of mind, even if she always looked down on his identity and his fawning appearance. These past two years, she had caught the line of balance. Under the state that she didn’t infuriate Li Youde, she preserved her true nature.
Until Lady Chen had been sent to Plum Yard. She knew that when she (J) came, it hadn’t been a long time since Li Youde opened a residence outside (of the palace). After opening a residence, he only took her in as woman. She didn’t care whether he played with women on the outside or not. She only needed security in this small piece of sky. However, Lady Chen’s arrival seemed to have changed something. She felt the long-lost fear. Although, Chen Hui was also without a status like her now, but Lady Chen had an honorable record. If she leaves Li residence, she could still return to home. Unlike her, once she is driven out, she could only go back to the fire pit of Jiaofang Shi.
Therefore, she had to do a small test and see what attitude Li Youde had towards Lady Chen.
Jiang Bihan clasped her hands in front of her. Her nails almost sunk in into the tender fair flesh. She turned her head slightly to look to a side as if she could see the situation at Plum Yard through the wall.
—
At Plum Yard.
Chen Hui heard the sound of a lot of people coming in. She immediately rubbed her two eyes vigorously. Presuming that her eyes had turned red, she said to herself in her heart, “See, you don’t even have meat to eat, how pitiful. You can’t even have enough to eat and still have to laundry for others. How miserable. So pitiful and miserable, why don’t you quickly cry?”
“Chen Hui…,” Li Youde’s angry voice stuck and looked at the delicate figure on the ground that seemed to faint at any moment.
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That Jiang gurl uggghh!!