tallest building

Chapter 79 My Lover

On this day, Wen Mingqian went out with Madam Wei again.

After getting ready, Madam Song went over to pay her respects to Old Madam Gong and asked, "I would like to visit my sister-in-law today. I heard that my niece was sick a few days ago, and I'm quite worried about her."

Madam Gong said, "What's the big deal? Just go ahead."

When Madam Song returned to her courtyard, she did not rush to leave, but watched the two maids threading and making knots.

Suddenly I had a craving for sunflower seeds, so I asked the kitchen to roast them fresh and eat them with milk tea.

"Young Madam, that hussy has gone over there." The spies sent by Granny Yang reported back that Sang Er had already entered the courtyard again.

"Heh, it seems she's getting bolder and bolder. She used to go out while everyone was taking their afternoon nap, but today she couldn't even wait until noon." Madam Song tossed the half-full handful of melon seeds back into the plate, and a maidservant brought her some tea to rinse her mouth.

"Shall we go now?" Granny Yang asked.

“Why wouldn’t I go? I’ve already asked the old lady for permission.” As she spoke, Madam Song stood up and, with Granny Yang’s help, slowly walked outside.

As she stepped outside, she looked up at the sky, which was overcast and sunless, but she exclaimed happily, "What a beautiful day!"

Song arrived at the alleyway by carriage. The alley was very simple and shabby, clearly not where wealthy people lived. At this time, there were few people coming and going, and it was quiet.

A tall, thin man carrying a basket came over, first greeting Song Shi, and then saying to Granny Yang, "Aunt, that girl has been inside for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn."

It turned out that he was Granny Yang's nephew, who was posing as a lotus seed vendor and keeping watch here.

"You few, each take turns guarding both ends of the alley," Granny Yang instructed the men who had come with her. "Nephew, climb over the wall and open the door from the inside."

The people who came with them were all hired by Song's brother; they were a bunch of thugs and hangers-on.

Granny Yang's nephew turned and entered the courtyard, quietly opening the door from the inside. Song then led her people and rushed in.

The courtyard is shallow; you can get into the house from the gate in just a few steps.

As soon as Song entered the door, she saw a pale-faced scholar of about twenty years old, with his arms outstretched, which frightened her so much that she trembled and stood up in fear.

But he didn't forget to question the Song family and the others: "In broad daylight, what right do you have to force your way in?! Are you robbers?!"

Madam Song chuckled lightly, raising her hand to touch the pearl hairpin at her temple: "Young man, you yourself are engaged in the activities of robbers, yet you have the nerve to question us?"

"Who...who are you?!" The scholar was all bark and no bite.

"The girl hiding behind you was bought by our household with money, didn't you know?" Madam Song raised her chin and pointed to Sang Er, who was hiding behind him.

"You blind bastard! This is the second wife of the Marquis of Ruyang's family!" Granny Yang raised her voice. "I bet you wouldn't recognize her!"

Knowing she couldn't avoid it, Sang Er simply knelt down before Madam Song: "Young Madam, please don't misunderstand. He is my cousin. He came to the capital to seek refuge with relatives but couldn't find anyone, so he had to come to me. I can't just stand by and do nothing about him. Today I've come to give him some travel expenses so he can return home."

"Sang Er, you're having an affair with a wild man, and you still think we're fools!" Before Song could speak, Granny Yang sharply exposed Sang Er's shortcomings, "What do you mean, 'your cousin'? You two, a man and a woman alone in a room, are clearly doing something shameful!"

"I didn't! I didn't! Madam, you must believe me!" Sang Er cried. "What's your name?" Madam Song ignored Sang Er and turned to ask the scholar, "I advise you to tell the truth, or you'll suffer the consequences."

"I am Sang Er's cousin, my name is Gao Mian." Looking at the several burly men with fierce faces around Song Shi, he had no doubt that they would attack him.

"Do you know that this girl was bought by our family at a high price to be the master's concubine?" Madam Song asked him. "Now that you have ruined her reputation, we will take you to the authorities. Although we may not take your life, we will sentence you to prison and exile you to the frontier. You will never be able to come back."

"Young Madam, please have mercy and don't send him to prison. I'll kowtow to you," Sang Er pleaded, weeping. "We are truly innocent."

Upon hearing this, Madam Song sneered and sat down in the only chair in the room: "Sang Er, put your wrist out!"

Sang Er paused for a moment, then shook her head and put her hands tightly behind her back.

Granny Yang didn't care about any of that. She grabbed Sang Er and handed her wrist to Song Shi.

On Sang Er's slender, fair forearm, there was a striking dark red scar.

"You still dare to claim your innocence?" Madam Song sneered, staring at Sang Er's scar. "If I'm not mistaken, you also have similar scars on your chest and lower abdomen, don't you?"

A few words made Sang Er blush deeply, and she lowered her head, refusing to look up again.

"He's already burned you with love scars, how can you still be innocent? What cousin? He's clearly your lover! Do you really think I'm stupid? I didn't catch you two naked in bed, so I couldn't tell you were having an affair?" Madam Song glanced at Gao Mian beside her. "You really aren't afraid of death! You've ruined her body, and you still want to elope with her?! If someone catches up with you, you'll be beaten to a pulp! Throw her into a ravine to feed the wolves."

Sang Er was stunned that Song Shi knew so much about her background, and she even forgot to cry.

"Take this man out first, and keep a close eye on him," Song instructed. "Gag him so he doesn't shout."

"Don't...don't hit him! Cousin, you'd better just obey! We've already been captured, there's no point in saying anything now," Sang Er said, wiping away her tears.

After Gao Mian was taken out, only Song Shi and Granny Yang remained in the room.

"Sang Er, how foolish you are!" Madam Song said with heartache. "You don't want the wealth and glory right in front of you, and you actually want to elope with this poor scholar. You look so clever, but you are so stupid that you can't even breathe."

“Young Madam, my cousin and I grew up together, and we were originally engaged. But because my parents died early, my uncle and aunt were greedy for money and sold me.” Sang Er was in tears. “But my heart has long been given to my cousin, how can they change their minds like that?”

"Young Madam, although I am not serving you, I know you are a kind person. Please, please let us go! From now on, my cousin and I will be eternally grateful, and we will observe vegetarianism and chant Buddhist prayers to protect you."

“Sang Er, you should really thank me. If I hadn’t caught you in the act today, neither of you would have survived!” Madam Song continued to intimidate Sang Er. “Do you know how a little harlot like you is treated in this mansion?”

"Let me tell you! There are a few common methods. One is to find an empty room, dress you up neatly and beautifully, and tie you to a bed board. Then wet the hemp paper and stick it to your face one by one. At first, you won't feel anything, but slowly the paper gets thicker and thicker, and it's not breathable when it gets wet, so you'll feel more and more suffocated."

But if you can't move your hands and feet, even if you can lick the wound open with your tongue at first, it will only get thicker and thicker until you suffocate to death.

Interestingly, that piece of paper eventually turned into a mask, with your nose and eyes printed on it, making it look exactly like you...

Or else, they'll make you wear baggy pants, tightly cinched at the waist. Then they'll put a cat in each leg, cinching the legs tightly too. People outside will prick the cats with awls; the pain and fright will cause them to scratch wildly, tearing the flesh off your legs! Tsk tsk, in this sweltering heat, it won't be long before your legs become ulcerated and oozing pus…”

(End of this chapter)