Chapter 4
Compared to losing Lu Hai Kong, what I had planned should be scarier. However, after losing Lu Hai Kong, I felt an inexplicable deep fear. With fear comes imagination. If Lu Hai Kong has been murdered, then it’s alright. But what if he is sold to do hard work, become a servant or be sold to a brothel. Those images made my head hurts.
If that were the case, even if Chu Kong went to hell, even if he’ll face the danger of ceasing to exist, he’ll let me disappear in one of the three realms (human, hell, heaven). I can’t go too overboard.
While walking I shouted his name. I’ve never been so excited to see him appear well before me. I searched the whole day without results.
When the sun disappeared, the gates on the north, south, west and east of the capital closed. If someone has kidnapped Lu Hai Kong, he’ll be outside the capital by now.
With only my power, I wouldn’t find Lu Hai Kong. Lu Hai Kong is the general’s son. The general, in order to search for his son can use some of his power. With that thought, I ran back home.
When the red lights at the general’s mansion were lit, the two guards stood more rigid. I was about to rush past them, when I saw father Song with an apologetic face, coming out together with the general.
Father Song said: “It’s my fault for not teaching her well, letting her have the gut to cause today’s mess. Brother Lu, when I find that brat, I’ll bring her here to apologize.”
My heart made a “thump” sound. Did something really happen to Lu Hai Kong?
I didn’t care about how father Song will punish me and ran towards them.
“Father, general; Lu Hai Kong what… what happened to him?”
The general didn’t even get to speak; I was interrupted by my angry father: “What happened?! You still have the gall to ask what happened?! I haven’t taught you well and spoiled you too much. You don’t even know the limits of your actions anymore. Today, I’ll let you catch up some lessons!”
Father Song dragged me to our home. Even before entering he yelled: “Lao Zhao, bring me the stick1.”
Father Song has never used the stick against me. I was afraid to be beaten, but I still asked: “Has someone really sold Lu Hai Kong? How come he’s sold at such a short time? How was he sold? How much did he cost?”
Father Song quivered in anger: “I’d like to sell you too.”
“Brother Song, “the general interjected. “Yun Xiang is still small. That she doesn’t understand things is normal. My brat was also not in a big trouble. Just let this matter slide.”
I did not let father Song answer: “Lu Hai Kong wasn’t in a big trouble? Then in what for small trouble did he get into?”
General Lu helplessly sighed: “He…he was caught by bad guys. Luckily, our guards arrived in time. He lost half a tooth and was a bit scared. But Yun Xiang, you really shouldn’t have taken Hai Kong outside the general’s mansion alone.”
Hearing that Lu Hai Kong was fine, I felt relieved. I didn’t bother with what the general said after that and turned to father Song: “Father, see, nothing happened. His virginity is still there, his life is still there.”
Pale faced father Song was turned to the general, while the general was persuading my father. Upon hearing my words, he stopped and said instead: “Ten year is not small anymore. There isn’t many years left before she’ll get the hairpin2 Brother Song, strengthening your way of disciplining is understandable. I’ll go back now.”
Suddenly I realized that I may have said something wrong. I wanted to amend what I’ve said, but father Song grabbed my hand and dragged me. I staggered.
He sternly said: “Come here!”
Thinking about the thick stick hanging at the ancestral hall3, my legs started to feel the pain. Without a God’s body, being beaten is a vexed thing. My lip trembles and my eyes began to fill with tears.
“Father, I was wrong.”
Father Song was unmoved: “I’ve been spoiling you too much. That’s why you’ve become as you’re now. Even if you cry blood tears, today you’ll receive this beating.”
“Father!”
My tears kept falling down. I looked like when Lu Hai Kong cried when he was still an infant.
I knelt down and hugged his thigh. With a hoarse voice while crying, I said: “I really know I’m wrong! I’ll never go alone with Lu Hai Kong again! In the future, I’ll obediently listen to you! I’ll obediently stay at home every day, reading books and doing embroidery.”
“Heng,” father Song sneered. “You’ve already used this way.”
His face darkened and he said in a heavy voice: “Don’t cry anymore on the street. People will look at us as a joke.”
He spoke in such a tone, he must be really angry.
I know that no matter what I say, I can’t escape today’s beating. Just when I was wiping my tears and was about to stand up, someone shoved the general’s mansion’s door open. A small person, who didn’t even wear a coat, with one red eye, stood at the general’s doorway.
His head was bandaged. It must’ve been from today’s injuries. Lu Hai Kong, seeing me on the ground, grabbing onto father Song’s thigh, was shocked for a moment. After all, in front of him I’ve always been haughty and aloof. I let go of father Song’s thigh and just kneeled on the ground. In my heart, I was wondering why Lu Hai Kong was here. I saw Lu Hai Kong’s lips trembled and tears streamed down. I don’t understand him. The nanny and servants behind him were busy comforting him.
Lu Hai Kong has a stubborn temper. He pushed them away. With tottering steps, while wiping away his tears, he ran towards me.
“Yun Xiang….huwa…huhu.”
He wiped his tears with one hand; with the other he grabbed my hair.
“You don’t want me anymore! You don’t want me anymore! No matter how hard I chased I couldn’t keep up with you!”
My mouth twitched. I came up with a reason to stall time: “I chased after him to buy Tanghulu for you…”
Lu Hai Kong stopped crying for a moment. He stared for a while with his bright, big eyes. Then tears started to stream out again.
“Huhu… It’s all my fault. It’s because I wanted to eat Tanghulu. Now Yun Xiang has to be beaten… It’s all Hai Kong’s fault. Letting Yun Xiang be bullied, it’s all because Hai Kong was not good. I can’t even protect Yun Xiang. Hai Kong is stupid. Even causing trouble for Yun Xiang.”
He walked slowly towards me and hugged my neck, making my neck all sticky. He’s crying like the one who will be beaten, is him.
I was a bit startled. I let his tears soak into my shoulders. Some also slid against my skin. It feels a little cool and a little warm. I don’t understand why in the human world, when he soiled my clothes, I can’t seem to get mad.
“Don’t cry anymore.”
I patted his head. It turned out that after drinking the soup of oblivion and crossing that bridge, has this meaning. Regardless whom he was in the past life man or God; no matter what love or hatred exist between us, after being reincarnated everything has a new beginning. You don’t know me, I don’t know you. For humans, fate last only a lifetime…
Lu Hai Kong held onto me, crying for quite a while. Father Song couldn’t stand it anymore: “Alright, alright! I won’t beat you anymore. Tonight, you need to kneel in front of the ancestral hall and reflect on what you’ve done.”
Lu Hai Kong slept with me in the ancestral hall. I slept against a pillar, he slept on my lap.
The next day when I woke up, Lu Hai Kong blinked and pulled at his sleeve. He said: “Yun Xiang, look, you drooled very much while sleeping. I wiped them for you.”
I raised my eyebrows, knocked his forehead: “Don’t say things that embarrass me.”
He nodded, sat up and said: ““I won’t be disgusted4.”
I twitched my lips. You won’t mind now, because you’re still young. Wait till you get your memory back. Then I don’t know how you’ll look (in a bad way) at me.
Lu Hai Kong held onto my neck and smiled: “When I grow up, Yun Xiang won’t be punished anymore. No matter what you do, you won’t be punished. I’ll protect you.”
“How much skill do you have? Don’t learn those lying words from playboys.”
Lu Hai Kong didn’t say anything and kept holding me. This quiet moment in the sun, made me want to hug him and fiercely kiss him.
From that day on, the people from the general’s mansion felt that little young master played less, woke up early, treat his homework more seriously than before and he uses more strength to learn martial arts.
Did he find out that I’m up to no good5 and is beginning to guard against me? Or… is he really determined to protect me? This is a joke! I used so much energy, trying to kill this little guy and he still wants to protect me? When Chu Kong heard this, he’ll die from laughing.
Anyway, in the future, for a very long time; the one I saw every day after I woke up, will be this brat drenched in sweat. He laid on the edge of my bed and excitedly told me how early he woke up, how long he practiced martial arts and how many poems he has memorized.
Listening to him, telling me every day about what he did that morning, I was distraught. If…if it goes on like this, how can I still fight with you, little bastard?
Those days had lasted till Lu Hai Kong was ten, I was fifteen. Xiang Fu Miss, Song Yun Xiang, finally got the hairpin.
In that year on a summer day in July, all of sudden father Song with a stern face, prohibited me from being alone with Lu Hai Kong. I know that it is because of father Song’s Confucianism thoughts. I ignored him. But in the next month, I really didn’t see Lu Hai Kong.
On the Mid-Autumn Festival, the moon was in a perfect circle, a weird smell came to the prime minister’s mansion. I turned my head and saw that there was a wave of smoke rising from the general’s mansion. After a while, fire was burning, overshadowing the moon’s bright light.
I blinked, thinking about that these days stern father Song and the missing Lu Hai Kong, I suddenly understood. Something happened in court.
I wiped my mouth, which was covered in Mooncake and stood up. Father Song asked: “Where are you going?”
“To my chamber. I’m done eating.”
Father Song wrinkled his brow and ordered the guard: “Guard the Miss. Tonight she isn’t allowed to go anywhere.”
I went back to my room. There’s such a big fire next to us, father Song didn’t even go to take a look. It must be the order of someone higher up. Otherwise, who’ll dare to do this at the general’s mansion? Lu Hai Kong is doomed this time. Ten years, he finally went to reincarnate and broke our seven lifetimes of love.
While walking to my room, we passed the ancestral hall. I suddenly thought of that day when Lu Hai Kong was in my arms, looking at me with bright eyes full of hope. He said I drooled on his sleeves. So much that it soaked his sleeves. Hmpf, who’ll drool so much?
I couldn’t take one step further. Let…let me just help him collect his corpse. After all, we’ve been fighting for so many years.
Comments:
Poor Lu Hai Kong. He’s still so young and need to go through this.
家法 (jiā fǎ, home discipline): father Song literally said bring out the home discipline. When someone did something wrong, they’ll be punished according to the rules of their homes. If they did really wrong, they’ll most likely be beaten with the stick. Getting the hairpin: in ancient China a girl, a woman and a wife have different hairstyles. When a girl goes from a little girl to adulthood, she’ll get a hairpin. Her hairstyle changes to a less girly hairstyle. Most likely one with a bun. Ancestral Hall is a place where someone can show their filial piety. A common central feature of the ancestral temples are the ancestral tablets, that embody the ancestral spirits.The ancestral tablets are typically arranged by seniority of the ancestors. Altars and other ritual objects such as incense burners are also common fixtures. Ancestors and gods can also be represented by statues 我不嫌弃云祥的 ( wǒ bù xiánqì Yún Xiáng de): what he meant was that he won’t mind what Yun Xiang is like. He’ll still like her. (that sweet pie, really want to hug him XD) 图谋不轨(Tú móu bù guǐ) meaning she has a hidden agenda.