Ink Burns

Chapter 42: Drinking up the tea

There are so many people and so many eyes, it is impossible to investigate further.

In the next two days, Uncle Seven was afraid that Master Cheng Er would get drunk and blurt out things that he shouldn't say in front of outsiders, so he specially sent two young men to look after Cheng Er, and at the same time he untied Cheng Xinghe and asked him to come out to entertain guests.

The body will be kept for seven days and the funeral will be held tomorrow. After the funeral, all matters will be over and it is time to settle the accounts.

It was late at night and the night was quiet. Tonight was the last carnival. Cheng Xinghe specially brought four or five pots of aged sorghum wine sealed with yellow mud, mixed with green plums pickled in brown sugar and large grains of coarse sugar. The sweet vortex perfectly concealed the spiciness and choking of the sorghum wine, making it very easy to drink.

Cheng Xinghe seemed to be unaffected by the turmoil that day. He greeted his grandfather, uncles and other aunts one by one, expressing his gratitude again and again, bowing again and again, and thanking them again and again. The atmosphere was warm and they toasted each other and drank three rounds of wine. In the midst of the excitement, no one noticed that Cheng Xinghe had disappeared from the outer courtyard.

In the kitchen in the inner courtyard, a large number of old women and maids had finished their work. While the boss was having fun, they could also slack off. They set up a thin wooden board and hid behind the stove to play chess with leaves, enjoying the hustle and bustle.

A dark figure popped out and asked, "What are we playing?"

Granny Chen, who was in charge of the kitchen, looked up and saw that it was a woman she didn't know. She said impatiently, "Ye Zi Xi! Don't play with someone you don't know!"

The shadow appeared in the light. The skinny Miss Wang Er rarely refrained from cursing. She smiled and said, "Will it be done after a few fights?"

She raised her sleeves, and heard the clinking sound of copper coins. Miss Wang clapped her hands and said, "I'm from Sichuan. I don't know how you play in Songjiang. Is a pair of Hu counted as two or three times?"

The maids and old women sitting around looked at each other and immediately invited her to sit down enthusiastically.

One of the maids was very alert: "I have seen her before, she seems to be the maid in the embroidery building."

Someone pushed the card aside and said, "We don't get close to people from the embroidery building."

Miss Wang Er patted her chest and said, "I! Miss Yue's maid on the second floor! Think about it yourself, who in the embroidery building would dare to come out at this critical moment? Except for our Miss Yue!"

The second sister winked and said, "The wind has changed direction, sisters! Look carefully, the wind has changed direction!"

The people sitting around looked at each other and it seemed to be the same.

This Miss Yue has been very popular in the Cheng family these days.

Then let's play cards! If someone wants to give you money, should we push it away?

The maids sitting around immediately started to make arrangements. After five rounds, Miss Wang Er spent 20 to 30 copper coins. She rolled her eyes and saw two pots of wine standing at the kitchen door. She threw out a string of copper coins and said, "I'm thirsty. I'll have two bowls of wine to cheer me up!"

We have already played cards, so what’s the big deal about drinking two bowls of wine?

Isn’t the boss in front also happy?
I’ve worked myself to death in the kitchen, but I can’t even cook a small stove. I might as well go home and grow sweet potatoes!
Of course one cannot drink alone, so a bowl of wine was passed around, and when it was empty another bowl was poured. Soon the old women and maids could no longer satisfy the fun by taking turns drinking, so each of them took a small bowl of wine, played a card and took a sip of wine, having a great time.

The attraction of happiness is always the greatest. Gradually, more than twenty people gathered inside and outside the small stove in the kitchen.

Miss Wang Er was holding a leaf card in her hand and loudly played a "Seven Straights!", then quickly smiled and covered the cards in her arms: "Wrong, wrong! I read it wrong! I want to play three of a kind!" Her figure flashed, and through the gap in the crowd, she saw that the hanging flower gate not far away was empty.

The old women and maids who are guarding are all here.

After Wang Erniang had set up the situation, she ran away under the pretext of going to the bathroom. When she ran to the stable next to the Chuihua Gate, she saw the corner of Cheng Xinghe's clothes sinking into the stable hut.

Miss Wang Er showed agility beyond her age. She hid in the corner and quickly ran towards the embroidery building, cursing in a low voice as she ran: "Damn it, I will win back the money I lost today from that cat tomorrow!"

Zhou Liniang, who was drawing with a brush, sneezed and the civet cat's whiskers were drawn crookedly.

There were now three people in the stable hut. Cheng Xingchu waved his hand, and the servant came in and dragged Huangqi, who was lying in the corner, out, leaving them alone with the other two.

Mother and son.

Duan had been locked up for three days, but at least her hair was neatly trimmed. Although she looked haggard, she was still respectable. When she saw her son coming, she smiled, revealing her dimples: "Is your father going to be buried tomorrow?"

Cheng Xinghe shook his head: "I don't know if he is my father."

Duan's smile was shattered by this sentence. Her face finally darkened. She sat sideways and didn't want to look at him anymore.

Cheng Xinghe slowly squatted down and helped Duan brush away the dry grass stuck to her hair. He said softly, "Mother, I know you blame me, but if I had let my second uncle point fingers at me back then, would the elders of the Cheng family have given me a way out?"

"Mother, you are different. You have someone to back you up. You have a close personal relationship with Lord Liu, and he won't leave you alone. Think carefully about whether Lord Liu and I have any relationship. I will go to the Liu Mansion to ask for help immediately, or find a chance to secretly release you. When the storm has subsided, you can come back if you want. If you don't want to come back, it's not difficult to find a beautiful place to spend your remaining years."

Cheng Xinghe asked again, "Mother, whose son am I?"

Duan was forced into a corner and took a few deep breaths.

During these three days, she felt as if her soul had been sucked away.

Paying for her son's life was her duty. It was the debt she owed! She admitted it! She said nothing! She would bear all the consequences!

However, she never expected that her son showed up to interrogate her about this matter.

What does he want to do?
What does he want to do!?

Get her to tell you something, then try to get close to the adults and use this opportunity to get promoted overnight?!

Even threatened her with life and death to make her speak!
How ridiculous!

She is his mother!
My dear mother!
Duan looked at the white wall in despair, closed her eyes, and a tear fell down her cheek.

Cheng Xinghe squatted down, stared at his biological mother, and asked tirelessly: "Mother, if you can't remember, please tell me, did you see Lord Liu before and after you got pregnant with me? Where did you see Lord Liu? Did Lord Liu know about your physical condition at that time?"

Cheng Xinghe eagerly held Duan's hand: "Mom! This is very important to me! Please tell me! Please tell me!"

The mouth pleaded, but the hands exerted force.

Duan felt pain and shook off her son's restraints!

Cheng Xinghe wanted to get angry, and he stood up suddenly. After his chest heaved, he finally calmed down. He turned sideways, holding the teacup in one hand and the teacup in the other, he poured a cup of tea for his mother and placed it in front of her with both hands.

"Mom, don't be angry. If you think I am overstepping my bounds and asking too bluntly, I will stop asking." Cheng Xinghe tried to calm his tone. "I will find a way to rescue you from Uncle Seventh and not keep you here for too long. Before that, please be patient. Even if I have many faults, I am still your biological son."

Duan didn't want to take the tea.

But Cheng Xinghe insisted.

Duan had no choice but to take it with one hand and drink it all up.

(End of this chapter)