spoiled brat

Chapter 44, Section 43: Flying Catkins (Part 3)

Steward Sun was stunned. This little girl was of great use to her in Yunzhou; how could she possibly perish on the way? She chuckled awkwardly, "I remember you don't like this kind of thing..."

The magistrate chuckled and said, "I do not like those old cucumbers that pretend to be young, but I am happy to cut open a real, unripe cucumber."

Zhao Zhao quickly explained, "My lord, I didn't mean it..."

"My lord, why are you playing with such a little child?" Wang Liuer asked. "Could it be that she is more interesting than me?"

She rested her chin on one hand, her eyebrows and eyes exuding a captivating charm. With a single, light glance, she ignited a fire within the magistrate: "Of course, she cannot compare to you. Liu'er is alluring and charming; how could she possibly rival her?"

Wang Liuer took the magistrate's hand, rubbed her rosy cheek against his palm, and said coquettishly, "I don't believe you. You must be disgusted by the fact that I am not a virgin and that my body is dirty, so you chose a clean younger sister to continue the marriage."

The magistrate laughed and said, "Look at you, you're overthinking things again, aren't you?"

The two exchanged a few more intimate words, and finally, Wang Liuer raised her hand and pointed to the group of girls, just in time pointing to Yun'er: "This little sister is good. She looks like she knows how to serve people. Why don't we let her take my place and serve you well?"

The magistrate doted on her and reluctantly agreed.

Yun'er, who had been chosen, bowed and hurriedly thanked the magistrate, saying, "Thank you, magistrate! Thank you, magistrate!"

Manager Sun returned the silver note, and the magistrate, without even blinking, stuffed it into Wang Liuer's palm.

When Manager Sun saw that he was still staring at Zhao Zhao, he quickly closed the car door, fearing that he would cause trouble again.

Zhao Zhao breathed a sigh of relief and said to Wang Liuer, who was lazily leaning against the cushion, "Sister Liuer, thank you."

Wang Liuer scoffed, her feigned charm fading from her face: "Stop trying to get close to me. Is this how you thank me?"

She spread her hands and shook them mercenarily: "Bring out something tangible."

Zhao Zhao only brought three hundred taels of silver with her to Yunzhou, which wasn't even enough to fill Wang Liuer's teeth.

Even so, Zhao Zhao still took out fifty taels of silver and handed it over.

She was able to sit in Steward Sun's carriage, which made Wang Liu'er think she was quite wealthy. But when she saw it was only fifty taels, she accepted it with disdain: "You little pauper."

As she spoke, she removed the gold hairpin that was pressing down on her head, the ring that was binding her hands, and the gold bracelet that was getting in the way. She then took a hearty gulp of the cold tea on the table, drinking one cup after another, completely abandoning her previous affectation.

Zhao Zhao's gaze fell on her feet, noticing specks of rose red on the bound shoes. She knew they were tightly bound and bleeding. Foot binding was forbidden in this dynasty, and such sordid practices as lotus-picking were long gone from common folk. Who was she trying to please by doing this?

Could it be the Lord You that the old woman mentioned?
Before Zhaozhao could ask, Steward Sun and the old woman, who had seen off the county magistrate, boarded the carriage, and the group set off again.

Steward Sun pointed at Wang Liuer and cursed, "You little bitch who's asking for it!"

Zhao Zhao kept her eyes downcast and sat quietly to the side, treating herself as an earless ornament.

With a thud, Steward Sun slammed his teacup on the small table and said coldly, "Take off his legs."

Wang Liuer waved her round fan, not afraid of Steward Sun at all, and laughed, "Grandma, what's done is done, there's no use tearing the cloth strips off now."

Foot binding was a major undertaking. The process of bone shaping had to begin when the girl was a little girl. By the time an adult woman's bones were fully formed, forcing her feet to bind was tantamount to breaking them.

Steward Sun didn't believe Wang Liuer could be so heartless, so he said to the old woman beside him, "Take off her shoes!"

The old woman stepped forward and easily removed Wang Liuer's embroidered shoes. The thick white cloth was stained with blood, and her perfectly good feet had been bent into crescent shapes.

"You're being foolish," the old woman said, pointing to her lame leg. "Isn't it good that you can run and jump? That magistrate is just a minor official, and you only had a brief affair for a month or so. Why did you cripple yourself for him?"

Wang Liuer replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, "I'm willing." Manager Sun saw her broken foot and the stubbornness on her face, and closed his eyes helplessly: "To be a prostitute like you, you're hopelessly cheap."

Zhao Zhao, remembering Wang Liuer's kindness, was about to say a few words in her defense, but Wang Liuer scoffed, "I can be cheap as I please, it doesn't stop Grandma from counting the money!"

With a sharp crack, Wang Liuer's head was turned to the side by the slap, and a red finger mark appeared on her fair face.

"You think you're making money for me? You must have been blinded by men!" Steward Sun's voice trembled with anger. "You know perfectly well why Lord You went to such lengths to make you famous. Now that you've ruined your body, do you think he'll let you off the hook?"

Wang Liuer tilted her head and said self-deprecatingly, "What good would it do to let them go? What good would it do not? My body is not my own to control, but I can choose my own path to death!"

Steward Sun scolded her for being crazy: "You'll have to explain to Lord You yourself when the time comes!" His gaze fell on Zhao Zhao, who was sitting quietly to the side, and he added: "This is someone I personally selected. You will take care of her after she enters the ward."

Zhao Zhao respectfully greeted her softly, "Hello, Sister Liu'er."

Wang Liuer suddenly laughed, placed her hands on the small table, and slowly moved closer and closer until her breath brushed against Zhao Zhao's neck, sending shivers down her spine.

"Little sister," she breathed softly, her breath sweet and fragrant, and Zhao Zhao could smell the scent of rouge on her lips, "would you like me to take care of you?"

Manager Sun and the old woman watched helplessly, completely baffled as to what she was up to. Hearing her question, Zhao Zhao nodded.

Suddenly, the back of her neck was pressed down. Zhao Zhao dodged slightly, and a soft kiss landed on her cheek.

Zhao Zhao was stunned, as were Steward Sun and the old woman. Inside the carriage, Wang Liu'er leaned against the cushions, laughing hysterically and heartily, pointing at Steward Sun's nose and saying, "Trying to use me as a raft? Dream on!"

Steward Sun shouted at the old woman, "Tie her up!"

Wang Liuer was pressed down hard, her face pressed against the floor, laughing as usual: "If you dare to put me and her together, let's see if she still has any Chu Hong left for you to sell!"

Chaos erupted inside the carriage. Zhao Zhao, covering the rouge stain on her face, stared at a madwoman. Her reflection was mirrored in those watery eyes—innocent and clear, with a hint of pity in her expression. Perhaps pity can be hurtful; Wang Liu'er quickly and subtly averted her gaze.

-

No matter how much Steward Sun scolded her, Wang Liuer remained unmoved. Before Wang Liuer could even understand, Steward Sun had already fallen asleep from his own nagging.

After Steward Sun and the old woman had fallen asleep, Zhao Zhao untied Wang Liuer's ropes and, hearing her stomach rumbling, felt around in her bundle to see if there was any food. After rummaging around for a long time, she only managed to pull out a bag of roasted melon seeds.

Xiao Duo prepared these before Zhao Zhao left home. He figured that Zhao Zhao would inevitably have to squeeze into carriages and rooms with other girls along the way, and girls like to gather together to eat and chat. The melon seeds weren't expensive, so Zhao Zhao distributing them would help her get along with her fellow travelers.

But along the way, everyone was cold and hostile to each other, and there was never a time when they spoke properly.
The bag of sunflower seeds was still full. Without hesitation, Wang Liuer reached in, grabbed a handful, and started cracking them open. The noise was loud, and Zhao Zhao, worried about waking Steward Sun and getting scolded, pressed her hand down and whispered, "I'll do it."

The journey was bumpy, and Manager Sun woke up once in the middle of it. In her drowsy state, she saw the two of them sitting in the corner of the carriage. One of them was peeling sunflower seeds, her hands were so busy that they were almost burning, while the other was waiting expectantly, looking very greedy, like two silly little squirrels.

Manager Sun sighed inwardly, closed his eyes, and fell asleep again.

By the time the sunflower seed shells piled up into a small mountain beside them, it was already dark outside.

The outside gradually became noisy, and more than a dozen carriages had entered Chongrenfang, the most prosperous area in Yunzhou. The inns, horse markets, stalls and shops were brightly lit, and the flow of people and vehicles was bustling.

More than a dozen carriages were stuck in the middle of the road, unable to move, and could only inch forward.

Zhao Zhao leaned against the car window, looking out listlessly.

Not far away, on a bustling street, a blind singer sat cross-legged on the ground, playing the melodious and rhythmic morin khuur (horsehead fiddle) and singing loudly:
"I haven't seen the Southern Master for a long time, and I've heard nothing of the Northern Army's strength. On the spot, I alone proved myself a hero among ten thousand. I laugh at myself, a dignified Han envoy, yet I am like the mighty Yellow River, still flowing only eastward. Let me bow again at the yurt, for we will meet again in the straw-covered street!"

(End of this chapter)