Ink Burns

Chapter 103: The Niche of Memory

Zhu's face was really ugly, Xue Changfeng felt distressed: "Are you angry with that rebellious son?"

Zhu did not reply, her eyes were vague and her thoughts were wandering.

"Xiaokan?" Xue Changfeng lowered his head to look at Zhu's nickname.

Zhu was still confused: Xiaokan? What Xiaokan? Her name was not Xiaokan, but Zhu Caijin. Her mother called her Xiaojin, and the aunts in Fanlou always called her Xiaocaijin.
Seeing that Zhu had not responded for a long time, Xue Changfeng became a little worried. He reached out and pinched Zhu's well-maintained hand, but saw that his palm was red and covered with blood marks.

Xue Changfeng suddenly became anxious and raised his voice: "Xiaokan! What happened?"

Zhu suddenly shuddered.

She is a small niche!

She is now Xiaokan!
She has been working as a small niche for twenty years!
She can't go back to being Caijin who pours wine and tea!

Zhu smiled softly, looking a little tired and exhausted: "Nothing, just a little tired——"

Zhu held Xue Changfeng's hand and squeezed his palm comfortingly: "Now when I see Xiao'er, I always think of his childhood. Now he is such a promising and opinionated censor, but when he was three or four years old, he was playing with cats without knowing the seriousness of the matter."

Xue Changfeng's eyes suddenly showed the image of Xue Xiao, who was about three or four years old. The small boy was holding a knife, standing blankly in front of a skinned dead cat - the bloody scene, the stinking smell, when he recalled it now, he couldn't help but gag.

Xue Changfeng suddenly felt disgusted: "Stop talking! A person's age is determined by the age of three. He killed cats and dogs at such a young age. He has been a bad person since he was a child!"

"He even sent his own uncle to the imperial prison. His methods were so cruel that they terrify people!"

Xue Changfeng shook his head helplessly: "Don't look at his current appearance. Once he has offended all the royal family members, civil officials, and military generals, you will see what good end he will have!"

When he was little, he secretly tortured cats. When he grew up, he used chicken feathers as a token of authority and abused court officials under the pretext of official business!

Now that I think about it, Master Li Zhen’s prediction was truly accurate!

Xue Changfeng's attention was distracted, and Zhu was staring at the Mingyuebei hexagonal oil lamp swaying in the wind outside the old house. The light and shadow on the oil paper of the window frame looked like a yellow bee - Zhu's face slowly darkened.

Xue Changfeng was used to taking care of the koi in the stone jar before going to bed. Zhu took the opportunity to go back to her room and quickly wrote a small letter on deep crimson flowered paper to He Wuma: "I can't wait to go back to Beijing. Fortunately, I have also returned to Zhenjiang Prefecture. I will deliver it to you immediately!"

During these years, except for the first two years after her marriage, Zhu was very cautious and nervous. Later, relying on her old name "Xiaokan", she gradually secured her position as the mistress of the Xue family.

No more panic and confusion.

Now, this incident made He Wuma feel a little scared: "What's going on? But that mad dog doesn't agree to the marriage?"

Zhu pushed He Wuma out hard: "Don't ask! Deliver the letter first!"

In the Duzhou dam breach case, there were too many traces of "Qing Feng" involved. If Xue Xiao were to find out, he would be able to find out her origins step by step!
Her good days are over!

"Qingfeng" has five colors: gold, black, crimson, indigo and blue. Among them, "gold", "black" and "crimson" are divided into two levels - she was born in "Qingfeng" and has come to the present step by step, and has achieved "deep crimson". If she can persuade the Xue family to rebel and join "Qingfeng", she and the Xue family can be successfully upgraded to "Xuan".

But she dared not.

She didn't dare to gamble while Xue Changfeng was still around: she couldn't explain her origins clearly, and she didn't dare to gamble on how Xue Changfeng would react if he knew her life experience: she was not the "little niche" he had been thinking about, but just Zhu Yingniang, the illegitimate sister of the real eldest lady of the Zhu family.
No, no!
She wasn't even a bastard!

She was just the illegitimate daughter born to Master Zhu after a night of romance with a prostitute in Fan Tower!
"Go quickly!"

Seeing He Wuma hesitating in the dark, Zhu was so angry that she pushed her and lowered her voice: "Hurry up! Let's go back to Fanlou together to play the piano and sing for people!" This threat was enough to intimidate people.

He Wu Ma grabbed the dark crimson flowered paper, dragged her chubby body, quietly got on the carriage and went out through a side door, then took a small road to the southeast corner of Zhenjiang Prefecture. After about half an hour, she arrived in front of a tall gate.

"Knock knock knock--" the door lock clicked and the doorman stuck his head out.

He Wuma immediately stuffed the flowered note into the concierge's hand: "Green plums are as green as beans, willows are as brows, butterflies fly as the sun grows long - Qingfeng, I am 'Qingfeng', please, please, please, please, pass this note to the queen!"

The doorman was instantly alert, stuck his head out to look around, and after making sure that no one was around, he hid the flower note against his chest.

"Creaky--" the tall vermilion lacquered door closed tightly again.

Only then did He Wuma lean against the pillar, patted her chest, and let out a sigh of relief.

Back in the carriage, the maid Chenxiang respectfully helped He Wuma to her seat with both hands and considerately helped wipe the sweat from her temples.

He Wuma is fat and sweats easily. After all this going on, her back is covered in sweat.

Chen Xiang sensibly wiped He Wuma's back with a fine silk handkerchief: "You have to wipe it clean, otherwise you will easily get a cold from sweating on your back. You've worked so hard. It's freezing cold on New Year's Eve, and you're still running around outside - no wonder the lady trusts and relies on you the most."

This fine silk is very valuable, costing ten taels a piece. Other people make it into outer garments and wear them out to show off.

The Xue family is rich, and even the servants and old women use it to wipe the sweat off their bodies.

Chenxiang wiped it carefully, fearing that his fingernails would accidentally scratch the fat woman's flesh.

He Wuma leisurely enjoyed the service and flattery of the maid: trust, respect and reliance...that's not the case!

She had been by the Madam's side since she was a child. She had helped the Madam's mother comb her hair and draw her eyebrows in Fanlou. When the Madam's mother got older and had fewer patrons, and could only rely on the three taels of silver from Master Zhu to make a living every month, she would accompany the Madam to sell wine and sing songs to earn money for food.
Later, the lady was chosen because she looked three points like the eldest lady, and was given the title of the eldest daughter of Master Zhu. She married into the capital and the Xue family, and she still stayed by their side.

It has been thirty-two years now!
If the lady doesn't believe her, who can she believe? !
He Wuma put her hands behind her back and turned the jacket open a little: "..right, a little more."

After everyone was seated firmly, the carriage started off with a rumble.

The curtain of the carriage flew aside. He Wuma looked outside and saw that the door of the wealthy family was locked. The two stone lions at the door, taller than humans, were majestic and solemn. She felt relieved: no matter what kind of disaster he was, call him Xue Xiao, a mad dog, or an unfilial bird - even if they couldn't solve it, there were people who could!
Let’s see how long that mad dog can remain proud!
He Wuma opened the car curtain with one hand and spat fiercely toward the outside!
The carriage moved further and further away on the snow-covered alley.

Behind the alley, there are shadowy ruins.

Not long after, a dark shadow slowly walked out from behind the wall.

The sharp and dark eyebrows are like a sword in the darkness.

The black shadow slowly turned around and looked at the plaque of the wealthy family.

"Princess Jing'an's Mansion."

Xue Xiao half turned sideways, his eyes fixed on the solemn stone lions and the pure white snow piled on the ground.

In the yellow light reflected by the snow piles, the young third-rank official had an unpredictable expression on his face. He seemed to have an incomprehensible but strong emotion, like the bright water hidden in a dark pool.

(End of this chapter)