spoiled brat

Chapter 53 52. Duan Ming (2)

A moment later, a group of young monks with sallow skin and dark complexion, dressed in silk robes, entered. These were poor children he had bought with money, to add a touch of humanity to the desolate mansion.

Upon seeing You Ming, they lined up neatly in two rows, shouting in unison like Boy Scouts, "Good afternoon, Father!"

A dozen voices swirled around You Ming's ears, some respectful, some fearful, some ingratiating, but none truly intimate.

It felt like wearing a wet coat; instead of warming up, it made me feel cold all over.

"Sit down." You Ming waved for them to sit, inwardly sighing at the terrible situation.

These poor kids loved being invited to lunch, and You Ming's regular meals were delicacies they could only dream of.

They picked up their chopsticks and scrambled to tear off pieces of meat, careful not to be too boisterous, lest You Ming think they were ill-mannered. At first they were restrained, but later they started secretly fighting with their chopsticks, and before long, all the meat dishes on the table were gone.

As You Ming watched them wolf down their food, a cold wind seemed to rise from the empty hole in his heart.

Even after rising to the rank of Commander of the Military Affairs Department, he could not forget his impoverished youth.

Because he was born into a military family, he could not pursue a literary career and could only learn martial arts.

Boys from lowly backgrounds were either conscripted to the north to die or joined the local militia, climbing the ranks little by little to become dogs for those fat military officers who couldn't even wear armor, getting scraps of meat that slipped through their teeth.

The local guards are so corrupt that you'd have to bribe them to get in.

On You Ming's fifteenth birthday, his parents brought out the wheat they had saved for three years, drove an oxcart to Yunzhou, found the leader in charge of recruiting soldiers, and bowed and scraped as they presented him with the wheat that they themselves were reluctant to eat.

You Ming can no longer remember what his parents looked like.

I only remember them saying before we parted that Yunzhou is far from home, and if you're busy, you don't need to rush home for the New Year.

Many years later, You Ming finally returned home in glory.

His tall horse stopped in front of the dilapidated thatched hut, only to find that his parents had been dead for a long time.

The villagers helped collect the remains. The two elderly people shared a small, thin coffin that looked like a box, as shabby as two discarded old clothes.

After learning about this, You Ming remained silent for a long time before refusing his relative's request to change the coffin.

He said that since that's the case, there's no need to dig it out.

He never returned to his hometown after that, and buried himself and his parents in their destitute state.

He was a cowardly and selfish man. He would not repay debts he could not repay, nor would he repay kindness he could not repay. He would just keep moving forward and leave all the troubles behind.

Not only was he open-minded, but he was also shameless. At just twenty years old, he managed to get a position alongside a seventh-rank military officer.

His superiors despised his hypocrisy but liked his flattery, so they made him serve by their side.

One Mid-Autumn Festival, he went to an official banquet with his superior, where there was a young prostitute playing the moon lute.

You Ming was stunned. What a beautiful woman! So beautiful that his hands trembled as he poured wine for his boss.

After the banquet, the boss invited the young prostitute to his residence for a solo performance.

As expected, You Ming was stunned again. His gaze was so intense that even his superior next to him felt burned, so he said, "Hold out your hand."

You Ming stretched out his hand, and his superior pressed the scalding hot pipe against his palm. The thin layer of skin was burned, and the pain was excruciating.

You Ming knew that this was a reminder not to covet it.

But when he escorted Yao Niang back to the music hall, he couldn't help but ask, "What's your name?"

His idea was to save up money so that one day he could afford to patronize prostitutes.

Yao Niang, however, thought he was truly infatuated. She stuck her head out of the carriage, her eyes as bright as the stars in the sky: "Were you bullied just now because you were looking at me?"

Based on just one sentence, You Ming concluded that this was a foolish woman. She didn't want money; she wanted love.

It's simple, love can be acted out, and women are the easiest to fool.

Moreover, he has the face that Yao Niang likes and speaks the words that Yao Niang likes; even the cleverest rabbit cannot escape the net that was created for it.

Not long after, Yao Niang secretly gave Chu Hong to him, avoiding those high-ranking officials and wealthy merchants.

That night there were no gold or silver treasures, no red candles or silk curtains, only a dilapidated little house that even leaked when it rained.

The beautiful young prostitute caught rainwater in her fair hands and played with it, occasionally glancing at the moon hiding behind the dark clouds.

She smiled foolishly at him, not asking when he could redeem her from her servitude, but only saying, "We have our own home now, and I want to plant lots and lots of flowers in front of the door."

You Ming thought Yao Niang was ridiculous. Just because she was slept with by a man here, she got married in this dilapidated house?
"You have to go back to the music academy as soon as it's light, so don't overthink it."

He said it casually, but Yao Niang took it seriously.

Not long after, she gathered up the gold and silver jewelry given to her by high-ranking officials and wealthy merchants, piled it in front of the manager of the brothel, and said that she wanted to redeem herself.

When Yu's mother rushed to Yunzhou to find her, she tried to persuade her with all her heart, but Yu still said, "Mom, please grant me my wish. I am already his woman."

On a summer night when it was pouring rain, You Ming was setting up wooden buckets and basins to catch the rain.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door, and a crisp voice called out, "It's raining so hard, open the door quickly!"

He opened the door, and there stood the drenched beauty in the wind and rain, dressed in cheap coarse cloth, penniless, smiling sweetly yet foolishly: "I'm back."

You Ming knew he should be moved. But looking at Yao Niang, who was no longer radiant, he suddenly felt she wasn't so beautiful anymore.

What was truly captivating was not her physical appearance, but the adoration and fawning she received from the powerful and influential figures who trampled upon him.

But Yao Niang was, after all, a woman, young and inexperienced, willing to take care of things and share the burden.

It's so useful, I'll keep it.

Because of his humble origins, You Ming was ostracized by his colleagues and often returned home covered in injuries.

Yao Niang applied the medicine to him, crying as she said she was worried about him.

As he said he was fine, he examined the only thing he owned—this beautiful but foolish woman—and then spoke his mind.

Yao Niang was incredulous and started hitting him while crying.

It's okay if you disagree for now; women are the easiest to soften their hearts.

You Ming remembered that Yao Niang's second man was someone he brought back; he was a fat man, and the silver bag he gave him was also fat.

They were handling business inside, while he counted money outside the door, silent as a heartless wooden stake.

How stupid! She was so stupid as to believe that a man who truly loved her would be willing to let her sell herself and even use the money from her prostitution to bribe his boss.

He mocked Yao Niang, calling her a miser who relentlessly nitpicked her benefactor's faults, as if finding a fabricated charge would absolve him of his debts.

With a quick glance, he saw through the crack in the window that the man on top of Yao Niang was as fat as a pig, resembling a trembling lump of pork belly.

Pressed down by the pork belly, Yao Niang's humiliation turned into numbness. Her eyes, unable to shed tears, stared blankly at him, just staring.

You Ming knew what she was thinking, why she was crying, and how to comfort her.

He made many promises that he couldn't keep, such as marrying her, getting rid of his citizenship, and saying he loved her.

But in reality, he never intended to have a deep involvement with a prostitute; she was just a stepping stone, something to be discarded once used.

(End of this chapter)