Published at 5th of October 2018 09:13:54 PM
Chapter 14
Chapter 14: The Young Gentleman from the House of Sun
Both Nurse Ping and Old Shang were gaping their mouths outside the carriage .
“Miss, when did you learn how to play the zither so well?”
Chen Rong fell silent .
“I learned it in a dream,” she said at last .
Without waiting for them to recover, Chen Rong’s voice dropped low in an order: “Do not let this be known . If anyone asks, tell them I began learning the zither after my father and brother left . ”
Nurse Ping and Old Shang looked at each other .
They had lived their entire life in the small Chen estate in the small City of Ping – they were uneducated . Despite finding what Chen Rong said difficult to believe, they could not come up with any other answers .
“Aye, miss, please rest assured,” Old Shang finally said . Next to him, Nurse Ping also nodded vigorously .
They stopped thinking about it altogether in their simple minds . These days, their lady was acting as though she had divine intervention . Perhaps she really did learn the zither in a dream .
Chen Rong nodded from her seat inside the carriage and told them: “If anyone comes to see me, tell them I’m asleep . ”
“Aye, miss . ”
At this time, the cavalcade hit the road again .
They had gone for nearly ten miles from the time the two teams met up . Flying dust was sent scattering in the air by the treading horseshoes . From the middle, one could not see the front and back .
After Chen Rong played her song, she quietly stayed inside her carriage and did not make another appearance . In the meantime, people sent by Wang Wulang were also politely rejected by Old Shang and Nurse Ping .
At first, the aggravated ladies of the Wang and Yu houses were ready to pick a fight with her . Even if they were not better than her at the zither, they ought to be able to compete with her at other things . And even if they could not compete, they could still force her to keep proving her arts . As long as she showed up, they’d have a way to win at least once .
They weren’t expecting Chen Rong to go to bed and never make another appearance .
At this time, the traveling troop suddenly came to a stop .
Chen Rong drew her curtain and whispered an inquiry: “What’s wrong?”
“I’ll go see,” replied Old Shang .
He returned thirty minutes later, jumping onto his driving seat and saying to Chen Rong: “We’ve run into a branch of the Sun clan . It appears they have encountered bandits on the way here . Most adults have died, only a young master and some servants survived . ”
No sooner had Old Shang finished than a commotion boomed in the front . Forthwith, a dusty carriage was driving up to them .
The black satin and mahogany wood hinted at the extravagance it once bore . At the moment, however, the satin was worn and the mahogany was scarred with sword traces .
Sitting in the driver’s position was a boy of fifteen . He had a pair of bright eyes, a straight nose, presently tightly drawn lips, and an exhausted expression .
Even so, his back was ramrod straight, his outfit was white and clean, and only his hair was slightly wind-blown .
Wang Wulang was frowning as he said to the boy: “Sir, let a servant drive the carriage . If you don’t mind, I’ll send a few ones here . ”
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The young gentleman shook his head, “No need,” and offered no more words .
Wang Wulang’s frown worsened . He dragged his lips to say: “This is our Qilang’s idea . Sir, there’s no need to be unneighborly . ”
This time, the young master of the Sun House gave no reply .
Unable to sway him, Wang Wulang impatiently made a goodbye gesture and ordered his carriage to return to the front .
The young lad reached Chen Rong’s carriage shortly after, making a turn when their carriages were side by side .
The team got going again .
“Young Master,” a hoarse voice was heard from his carriage at this moment, “how can you do the driving? Better to let me do it . ” When he finished talking, they could hear him struggling to get up .
His young master pursed his lips and shouted without turning around: “Don’t bother . ”
He made not another squeak .
This translation belongs to hamster428 .
The sun began to sink into the horizon after the team had traveled another ten miles .
At a whistle, all carriages came to a stop . The servants wasted no time in preparing for dinner .
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Chen Rong stepped down from her carriage . She turned and looked at the young man who was still sitting ramrod straight in the driving position . Under the golden light, his handsome childlike face was both solemn and desolate, like a lone wolf in the wilderness . In her past life, she had seen the same desolation in the mirror countless of times .
Amid the laughter which rang to them from time to time, his loneliness felt strikingly out of place .
“If you want to seek revenge, then you must save your strength,” said Chen Rong as she walked up to the young Mr . Sun . “Only a weakling would reject all the help offered to him and the changes bound to happen, and keep himself immersed in sadness and anguish . ”
Her voice was soft and cold .
The young Mr . Sun whipped around, staring at Chen Rong with his dark eyes .
She paid him no attention, turning away and not giving him another look .
After she had returned to camp, she lowered her voice in an order: “After the meals are ready, send two portions to Mr . Sun . ”
“Aye, miss . ”
By the time the last golden ray sank into the horizon, the houses had finished their meal preparations . Meat and wine from the Wang and Yu houses were laid out in two straight lines .
As she ate, Chen Rong noticed that both houses had sent food over, but the young lad from the Sun House only took hers .
She smiled and shook her head .
This translation belongs to hamster428 .
After the two groups joined as one, everyone became much more relaxed . Laughter could still be heard till the moon had climbed high in the sky .
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Chen Rong walked ahead, stepping on the moonlight as she went .
The campsite was on an open field by a river on the hillside .
Under the moonlight, the river quietly ran in a silvery glow .
As she walked on, she heard the playing of a zither .
The music was serene and ethereal . As soon as she heard it, Chen Rong knew it was being played by Wang Hong . Unconsciously, she followed the sound .
But she stopped in her track after only a dozen paces . Under that far-spread moonlight, Wang Hong was indeed holding the zither and plucking it . In front and behind him, however, were a huddle of fashionable girls .
Chen Rong shook her head upon seeing them and slowly backed away .
She had just retreated to the riverside when a raspy, pubertal voice sounded: “Are you called Chen Rong?”
She nodded .
“I’m Sun Yan, yet to have a courtesy name . ”
Chen Rong nodded again . She tilted her head and looked at the tall, handsome boy beside her . Under the moonlight, his chiseled features seemed to her mountain ridges and sinuous canyons .
Sun Yan stared into the sparkling silver water and again raised his raspy voice: “The Wangs and Yus both feel sorry for me . All of them want to make me a charity . Hmph! I’m a man, why would I want pity from other people?”
He was explaining to Chen Rong why he had treated so coldly the people of Wang and Yu .