spoiled brat

Chapter 56 55. Duan Ming (5)

You Ming took out the jade pendant that Zhao Zhao had previously rejected and handed it to her, sighing, "From now on, we are family, so our connection isn't shallow. You should wear this. As long as I live, you are my daughter, You Ming's daughter. The day I fall from grace, you should quickly sell this thing and never have anything to do with me again."

Zhao Zhao then took her leave. Before leaving, she gazed deeply at the Guanyin statue, her expression so complex that You Ming asked curiously, "Why are you looking at her like that?"

"I wonder what Guanyin would look like if she stepped out of the painting."

You Ming's face turned cold: "It's fine for her to stay in the painting; it would be troublesome if she actually came out."

Only after hearing those words did Zhao Zhao's last shred of hope completely vanish.

Zhao Zhao finally understood You Ming.

Debts that don't need to be repaid are the true favors, and those who owe you are only worth remembering after they die. He never knew he was wrong, nor did he feel any remorse. Those moments when he showed genuine emotion were just You Ming putting on an act for God to see, afraid of continuing to suffer retribution.

A hibernating snake crawled out from the depths of her heart, hissing and flicking its tongue. It spoke through Zhao Zhao's mouth: "You're right, once we come out, it will really be troublesome."

-

As the sun sets, the sunlight, tinged with a hint of blood, falls on the window paper like blooming camellias.

Wang Liuer vaguely remembered that there used to be similar flowers outside her house.

She stared at it for a while, recalling a summer night when she was seventeen.

The parents carried the bamboo bed to the big tree, and the three of them lay together to watch the stars, with the parents fanning away mosquitoes with palm-leaf fans on either side.

Father said Liu'er is not young anymore, does she want to get married? Mother said no, no, no, she won't get married. The Zhang family's son is not tall enough, the Li family's son is not handsome enough, who in the world is good enough for my daughter?

Her parents bickered softly, and seeing that she was getting sleepy, they sang a nursery rhyme to lull her to sleep. Wang Liu'er had heard that nursery rhyme since she was a child, and she thought her parents would sing it for many, many years to come, so she deliberately didn't memorize it well, and every time she heard it, it was a new experience.

Now that her parents are gone, she sits alone in the suffocating sunset, softly singing to herself: "Louliga, Louliga said that the golden wheat field is your home... Louliga, Louliga said that you should come back when you are tired..."

As she sang, she opened the bundle beside her: a hairpin with a silver head and an iron tail, lip rouge laced with sleeping potion, colorless and odorless poison... each one a deadly weapon.

She picked up the hairpin, touched it with her finger, and blood immediately welled up at her fingertip. She then scratched the wooden beam; the scratches weren't as sharp as a real knife, but enough to take the old man's life.

Wang Liuer was very satisfied. She rummaged through the bag again to see what else was in it and found a layer of oil paper, the kind of oil paper used to wrap candied fruit.

Upon opening it, it really was candied fruit, dried apricots, which she liked to eat.

Because it was opened too late, it had become moldy, and the letter paper pasted on the outside was stained with sugar. It read: Liu'er is eighteen.

Several footsteps sounded outside. The prostitute who had fought with Zhao Zhao said in a high-pitched voice, "They say karma is a cycle, and good and evil have their consequences. Some people are ungrateful, but they never thought they would be bitten by a treacherous wolf, did they?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the two young girls next to him chimed in with their own increasingly offensive comments.

Wang Liuer remembered the young prostitute; her sister was the previous top courtesan.

The previous top escort was a woman with a gentle smile. She pulled her out of the snow, spent money to treat her illness and injuries, and encouraged her to live well.

Such a good person, yet Wang Liuer let her down.

The top courtesan's biggest client is You Ming, who is willing to be driven and used, and even develops a secret affection for him.

Later, when Wang Liuer took her place, her heart died.

The top courtesan asked Wang Liuer why she had stolen her man.

Wang Liuer knelt down and kowtowed three times. I had a reason to do so.

The top courtesan smiled sadly, seemingly more disappointed in someone than herself, and turned to leave. For the next few days, a relentless snowstorm blanketed the world in white, and no one saw her again. They searched the entire brothel from top to bottom, but couldn't find her anywhere.

One day, after the snow stopped, someone finally found the top courtesan in the lake in the backyard. Because of the cold weather, the lake water had frozen into a mirror, and the young prostitute lay on it, gazing at her sister at the bottom of the lake, crying her heart out.

Wang Liuer pushed open the door and calmly looked at the young prostitute: "Your sister used to always tell you to practice the pipa properly. How are you playing now?"

She had heard the prostitute play the pipa, and it was terrible. A girl of her looks, if she didn't have a skill, wouldn't be able to attract customers and would eventually be sent to a brothel. When she got older, she would be thrown into a cheap brothel, where she would be worth only a copper coin or two and be defiled to death by the dirtiest and most despicable men.

"How dare you mention my sister!" The prostitute, thinking she was being provoked, raised her hand and slapped her across the face. The sound was extremely loud, and Wang Liuer fell to the ground. She didn't fight back, letting the prostitute kick her.

Suddenly, a voice behind me shouted, "Stop!"

Zhao Zhao rushed up and pulled the prostitute far away.

Upon seeing her, the prostitute smiled strangely: "Oh, weren't you taken away by Lord You? Why are you back again? Could it be that you were returned like this bitch?"

Zhao Zhao stared at the gloating prostitute and said coldly, "Others are being lenient with you because of your deceased sister, but you take advantage of their kindness to act arrogantly. Do you really think you're so capable?"

"you!"

The young prostitute had just raised her hand when her wrist was grabbed. Enraged and about to unleash a torrent of curses, she turned and saw the gloomy-faced Steward Sun. Terrified, she fell to her knees with a thud: "Grandma Sun..."

Upon noticing Wang Liuer's swollen face, Manager Sun flew into a rage. She grabbed the prostitute by the hair and slapped her more than a dozen times, the crisp sound echoing in the corridor. In the end, the prostitute's face was swollen high, and Manager Sun's hands were also red.

Steward Sun ordered the prostitute to be taken away for punishment, and at the end, he warned, "Liu'er is going to show her face in front of the prefect. If you dare to touch her again, I'll skin you alive!"

The prostitute gritted her teeth and agreed, her eyes filled with hidden hatred, before being dragged away.

Steward Sun had come to see Zhao Zhao. She gestured for Wang Liuer to go inside first, then asked Zhao Zhao, "Lord You sent someone to bring you back to stay... What does that mean?"

Zhao Zhao didn't say anything, but took out the jade pendant from her sleeve and shook it.

Manager Sun's eyes widened: "He acknowledges you?"

Her expression was priceless, like a gambler placing a bet, staring intently at a die that hadn't yet landed.

"I admit it."

"I knew it!" Steward Sun exclaimed with delight. "Lord You has been childless for many years and has been hoping for one—"

“Goddaughter.” Zhao Zhao interrupted her with a smile, “Lord You has recognized me as his goddaughter.” Steward Sun froze, the elation on his face gradually fading, and wrinkles appeared.

"Grandma, what's wrong?" Zhao Zhao asked knowingly. "You don't seem very happy for me?"

Manager Sun murmured, "Happy, happy..."

Happy for nothing.

Now that things have come to this, she couldn't very well point at Zhao Zhao and tell You Ming, "This little bitch is your own daughter, and the person you wronged years ago is still alive. All that unbearable past, all those debts of gratitude you can't repay, I've brought it all up for you. Lord You, you should thank me!"

His vision blurred, and Manager Sun had to lean against the wall to walk away.

Watching her retreating figure, Zhao Zhao smiled indifferently, tiptoed, took the somewhat dim lantern from under the eaves, and went inside to add new candles.

When Wang Liuer heard that You Ming had taken her in as his goddaughter, she frowned and said, "Zhaozhao, this is not a good thing."

"Why?" Zhao Zhao extinguished the old candle wick.

"He had taken in quite a few adopted girls before, some were beggars on the street, some were girls from poor families, and some were nuns from temples. They were all of different ages, but they were all beautiful... Guess what happened next?"

"He married them all off to his subordinates?"

“Yes. The fake son-in-law who was recruited got involved with You Ming and was used by him every day. If he was unhappy at the slightest, he would go home and beat his wife to vent his anger.” Wang Liuer said with disgust, “Before spring came this year, a girl was beaten to death. When You Ming found out, he was indifferent and only said that she was not lucky.”

"Don't be greedy for his wealth and status. He is not someone you can rely on. Zhaozhao, you must be careful."

The new candles have been replaced, and Zhao Zhao has placed the lantern on the door.

Looking into the distance, with a blood-red sunset in their eyes, it's hard to say who should be wary of whom.

-

At night, Wang Liuer had already gone to sleep. Zhao Zhao sat in the corridor, having something to say, and was certain that someone would want to listen.

Footsteps sounded behind her, and Zhao Zhao turned around.

The little pimp who came to deliver the message was stunned. He didn't expect Zhao Zhao to be waiting at the door. He withdrew the foot he had stretched out, turned around and went downstairs, waving to Zhao Zhao to follow.

The night was deep, and the lanterns glowed red.

The two went from the low building to the corner gate of the brothel. The pimp quietly inserted the key into the latch, and the door opened silently, revealing a carriage parked outside.

Walking to the car window, Zhao Zhao smelled a familiar scent of sandalwood mixed with the aroma of alcohol, somewhat decadent. A slender, delicate hand lifted the curtain.

The newcomer was Xiu Yi. His light, glassy eyes shone with a clear, captivating light, the upturned corners of his eyes hinting at a hint of intoxication, as if he were neither fully drunk nor sober. The red mole between his brows was alluring, yet his voice was cold and distant: "You found out?"

“No.” Zhao Zhao opened her palm, revealing the jade pendant You Ming had given her, and shook it: “There is more important news that you will definitely buy.”

She was very confident, and Xiu Yi became a little interested: "Tell me about it."

"Prefect Xu, Deputy Commander Li, You Ming, land demarcation and enclosure... I don't know the specifics."

The image of Guanyin appeared before Zhao Zhao's eyes: "I only know that Lord You agreed readily and said that he would never be an ally of your Prince's Mansion."

Xiu Yi glanced at Zhao Zhao. The first half of her statement was true, but the second half was false. This scheming little girl wanted to use him as a weapon.

He bent his knuckles and tapped the wooden edge. A servant beside him handed him a silver note, not much, only one thousand taels.

Zhao Zhao looked up at him: "So little?"

"This news is worthless, why bother reporting it when it's already been reported?"

When her hopes were dashed, the light in Zhao Zhao's eyes dimmed.

Xiu Yi looked down at him and said, "This thousand taels is not a reward, nor is it encouragement; it's to make you run faster."

...Run!
Zhao Zhao's temple throbbed. Although she didn't know what You Ming had been instructed to do, she could tell from his attitude that it must be something dirty that couldn't be leaked. Xiu Yi had already received the news that You Ming's men were treacherous, and if the operation failed, there would definitely be a purge, and the fire would inevitably fall on her.

Xiu Yi said, "May you have good fortune."

Upon hearing this, the attendant driving the carriage picked up the whip and made as if to leave.

"Wait a minute!" Zhao Zhao lifted the curtain. "I..."

Xiu Yi coldly raised his eyes; he hated trouble. If Zhao Zhao hadn't said that superfluous remark, he might have been interested in helping her. But she used such clumsy words to scheme against him; she had truly brought this upon herself.

"What's the matter?"

Zhao Zhao was scared, very scared. She thought, "I got myself into this mess because I was trying to find out information for you. At least protect me."

When the agreement was made, it was a transaction where the money and goods were exchanged and the risk was borne by the buyer. Now, she can't beg for favors.

He clenched his sleeves, unable to utter a single word for a long time. When he finally managed to speak, he said, "...The princess saved me."

This was an attempt to curry favor. Xiu Yi said mockingly, "I saved you too. Do you want to repay my kindness?"

He remembered their two encounters: one where he almost got thrown in jail, and the other when he was being chased by bandits.

To always end up in such a sorry state and yet always manage to survive, one could say one is incredibly lucky.

"...I would like to see the princess, is that alright?"

"You want her to save you again?"

"...I would like to thank you in person."

Xiu Yi glanced at her, those bright, clear eyes were unusually innocent: "My sister is frail, so please don't bother me with useless gratitude."

(End of this chapter)