Chapter 81 Part 2: Swarm of Scorpions
属下 shǔ xià - subordinates refer to themselves as shu xia
Da Furen had left the best room in Fu Rui Courtyard to Li Wei Yang. Li Chang Xi was rather unhappy and despite Li Chang Xiao’s attempts to stop her, she rushed over to voice her complaints. Then, she saw Du mama reminding a group of Yatous: “Si Xiaojie and Wu Xiaojie aside, Furen said to serve San Xiaojie with care!”
Li Chang Xi heard this, and she was furious and fuming.
Hearing Du mama talk about how Li Wei Yang was favored by Lao Furen and given such luxuries, the flames of anger burned brighter for Li Chang Xi. In the past, she may not have been Li Chang Le’s equal, but she still had greater status than Li Wei Yang, and yet, now Li Wei Yang had stumbled across such luck and surpassed her in status.
Du mama continued: “Of the unmarried shu Xiaojies in the house, with a lovely face and grace, is there anyone who can compare to San Xiaojie, noble and prestigious in everyone’s eyes, with such wealth and even more so in the future!”
These words made Li Chang Xi even more uncomfortable.
“Earlier, Furen had me prepare a new gold-embroidered quilt for San Xiaojie, yet she did not mention the other two Xiaojies, it seems San Xiaojie has the highest status in Furen’s eyes.”
Everyone was listening closely when a voice suddenly rang out behind the crowd: “Du mama!”
Du mama turned, surprised: “Ah, Wu Xiaojie!” She immediately fell silent.
Li Chang Xi’s face was particularly unpleasant, she scoffed coldly. Li Chang Xiao pulled at her sleeve, Li Chang Xi tried to hold back her anger as she said: “Du mama, I have moved my belongings over, now I want to see Mother.”
Du mama smiled and said: “Furen said to wait for San Xiaojie first.”
Li Chang Xi’s face grew even uglier.
Two Yatous dragged a small sack into the courtyard. Du mama quickly stopped them: “Have you brought the ingredients?”
One of them, a clever-looking Yatou responded: “Yes, they will be immediately sent to kitchen.”
Something rustled within the sack, making others nervous. Li Chang Xi furrowed her eyebrows: “What is this?”
Du mama responded: “The physician said Furen’s condition is severe, so scorpion tail soup is necessary to nurse her back to health. These scorpions must be the most venomous kind and thoroughly cooked in order to be most effective as a soup. Aiya, that’s right, Wu Xiaojie, Xiaojie should stay away, if they happen to sting you, it will be a matter of jiǔsǐyīshēng.” She then ordered the two Yatous to take the sack to the kitchen.
Li Chang Xi stood rooted to the spot as she listened until Li Chang Xi nudged her, breaking her out of her trance: “Mei, what is wrong, why were you in a daze?”
Suddenly Li Chang Xi laughed, Li Chang Xiao saw this and felt that it was a bit strange. Li Chang Xi looked over at her jiejie and closed her mouth, refusing to say a word. Si jie was too weak and lacking, telling her would not be a good thing. Once she had dealt with Li Wei Yang, she would tell Si jie. Li Chang Xi felt a hint of rising anticipation.
Li Wei Yang had moved everything in when she saw the two jiemei Li Chang Xi step into her room: “Aiya, the lighting is San jie is so nice, Mother can be so unfair!” Li Chang Xi giggled as she said this, there was no other emotion that stood out on her face.
Li Wei Yang heard her words, which were neither bitter nor lighthearted, and faintly smiled, ignoring her words.
“San jie, we should go see Mother.” Li Chang Xi approached Li Wei Yang, intending to pull her along, not a trace of anger on her face.
Zhao Yue stopped her: “Wu Xiaojie, our Xiaojie doesn’t like being pulled along.”
Li Chang Xi felt a cold hand on her shoulder, and as if struck by lightning, she quickly withdrew her hand. She was about to rebuke at Zhao Yue when she remembered Si Yiniang had said that Li Wei Yang had a Yatou skilled in martial arts by her side and changed her attitude: “Sorry San jie, mei is really happy to see jie these days, let’s go, Mother must be waiting!”
Li Wei Yang looked to Li Chang Xi. Something must be wrong for Li Chang Xi to treat her so sincerely. Perhaps it was not a good thing, but she smiled: “Wu mei, please, go ahead.”
The three of them went to Da Furen’s place to pay their respects. Da Furen seemed to be in a good mood and arranged for them to dine together in the room. The atmosphere was surprisingly peaceful and harmonious, Li Chang Xi would recount gossip of other households to Da Furen, occasionally making her laugh and smile while the other two focused on their food, not joining the conversation as they listened and smiled.
Li Chang Xi suddenly looked up at Da Furen and said: “Mother, after this, let nu er massage your shoulders, so to relieve any sore muscles. Nu er is familiar with acupuncture points, but nu er does not have enough strength and fears it will not be as effective.”
Da Furen smiled and said: “Then find a strong Yatou, tell the Yatou, and the Yatou can follow your instructions, my legs are sore, you can help with that.”
Li Chang Xi looked around for a moment: “Then have her do it!” She pointed directly at Zhao Yue, who was standing behind Li Wei Yang.
Da Furen glanced up and smiled: “This is not a good idea, that is Wei Yang’s Yatou.”
“But she knows martial arts, her strength will not be as heavy-handed as the Yatous who do manual labor. Besides, she will only be here for two shichen, it’s not as if we won’t return her to San jie. Jie certainly will not mind, this is filial piety!” Li Chang Xi raised her voice, implying that if Li Wei Yang did not agree, she would be rejecting her filial duties.
Everyone’s eyes were on Li Wei Yang, in a moment, the room had become frighteningly tense.
Li Wei Yang took a sip of tea and slowly said: “Wu mei must be joking, if Mother wants a Yatou, then that is not an issue, only that Yatou is a bit heavy-handed, I’m afraid she will hurt Mother, then that will not be good, it would be best if nu er attends to Mother!”
Li Chang Xi quickly said: “No need, no need!”
Li Wei Yang looked to her and smiled thinly.
Li Chang Xi’s heart raced but she continued to act natural and forced a smile: “San jie must have been troubled enough today, Mother has mei, and that is enough!”
It was as if she was afraid someone would steal her efforts. Li Wei Yang smiled, her acting was not that bad at all. But that Yatou wanted an excuse to keep Zhao Yue, what for?
Li Chang Xi quickly glanced over at Li Chang Xiao, although Li Chang Xiao did not understand what was going on, she gently advised: “Since it is this way, San jie should return and rest.”
Li Wei Yang smiled, as if she were agreeing, she looked over and saw Li Chang Xi sigh softly and smiled coldly. This Yatou dared to arrange such a performance in front of Da Furen?
Zhao Yue seemed reluctant. Li Wei Yang glanced at her, Zhao Yue immediately understood and gave a small nod.
Li Wei Yang had just left when Li Chang Xiao caught up to her, smiled and said: “San jie, Wu mei doesn’t understand, please don’t take it to heart!”
Li Wei Yang saw Li Chang Xiao’s unease and smiled: “Si mei should not worry, if Wu mei does not cause trouble, then I won’t provoke her.” In other words, she was not promising anything.
Li Wei Yang left with Bai Zhi. Li Chang Xiao looked after her retreating figure, not knowing why a bad feeling surfaced in her heart.
A shichen later, Bai Zhi said: “Xiaojie, it’s time to bathe, Nubi will prepare warm water.”
Li Wei Yang nodded, turning a page in the book in her hands: “Go.”
A while later, Bai Zhi returned, “Nubi went to the water room, saying Xiaojie needed water. After that, a mama sent word that Furen said, three Xiaojies can use the fragrant hot spring in the courtyard, no need to go through the trouble of getting water.”
There was indeed a fragrant hot spring in Da Furen’s courtyard, but very few could use it.
“Nubi already went ahead to inspect, Si Xiaojie had just bathed, seems there is nothing wrong.”
Nothing wrong was, in fact, what was wrong with it. Li Wei Yang nodded and thought about it as she slowly went over to the fragrant hot spring in the Fu Rui Courtyard. Unlike other hot springs, this one had a variety of spices and herbs in the water. It was a pity that aside from Da Furen and Li Chang Le, no one else had the right to use it. In the past, Er Furen had held a grudge against Da Furen, partly because of this courtyard and fragrant hot spring.
The fragrant hot spring was peaceful with only the sound of water and a gentle fragrance encircling them.
Li Wei Yang put her hand into the water. Steam slowly rose up and shrouded her in a thick, opaque mist.
Mo Zhu stood watch outside while Bai Zhi went inside to serve her.
Li Wei Yang closed her eyes as if she were exhausted.
At that moment, there was a small, distinct sound outside the window. Li Wei Yang opened her eyes and turned around to see something black crawl into the window.
“What is that?” Li Wei Yang’s voice was cold.
Bai Zhi looked over, and in the blink of an eye, her heart almost stopped!
When she glanced over, she saw a scorpion with a red mark on its back, slowly crawling towards the hot spring!
“Scorpion! Scorpion!” Bai Zhi cried out in fear, her face pale as a sheet, she reached for the clothes on the screen partition, only to find another scorpion on them, unable to retrieve them, Bai Zhi quickly withdrew her hands.
Outside the window, a Yatou opened up the mouth of the sack, allowing the scorpions to crawl out. She took three steps back to Li Chang Xi’s side and quietly said: “Wu Xiaojie, will this tactic be successful?”
Li Chang Xi scoffed: “Hu, it’d be best if those venomous scorpions killed her! Even if she doesn’t die, I have other things waiting for her!” As long as Li Wei Yang cried out for help, the guards she stationed outside would burst in, then Li Wei Yang would be seen, in all her glory. Even if she could escape the scorpions, her reputation would be ruined!
Bai Zhi had just screamed when the scorpions came at them, clearly moving faster than before. A terrifying sound grew louder in the peaceful chamber.
Bai Zhi fearfully asked: “Xiaojie, what do we do now?” Swallowing uneasily, Bai Zhi looked at the scorpions and said: “Nubi will hold them off, Xiaojie, quickly run away.”
“I can’t.”
In a moment, Li Wei Yang had understood her opponent’s intentions. Perhaps there were countless people already waiting, waiting to see lose face and lose everything, humiliated and her reputation destroyed! “Xiaojie! Nubi is afraid!” Bai Zhi blurted out.
Li Wei Yang lowered her voice: “Take off your outer robe and give it to me.”
Bai Zhi was surprised for a moment, then she remembered LI Wei Yang was not wearing anything. She quickly took off her outer robe. Li Wei Yang quickly climbed out of the hot spring and slipped into the robe. Bai Zhi was left in her white garments, panicking as she stared at the window: “Xiaojie, there are too many! Too many!”
Four, five bigger scorpions climbed in through the window, Bai Zhi was too afraid, unable to speak clearly. She was about to drag Li Wei Yang to run outside when Li Wei Yang stopped her: “With our state of dress right now, we will not be able to explain ourselves if anything happens! Is this still not clear?”
Bai Zhi tightly gripped her sleeve, fear grappling her heart in a way that it never had before. At that moment, Li Wei Yang gently grabbed her hand, “Don’t make a sound, I have a way!”
Bai Zhi did not know what Li Wei Yang had in mind, but to her, there seemed to be no way out of this situation.
Li Wei Yang had thought it through beforehand because she knew Zhao Nan was nearby, in the shadows somewhere, protecting her. She only needed to blow the golden whistle she always wore around her neck, and she would be safe and sound. But doing so would quickly expose her strength, allowing Da Furen to grasp her strengths and weaknesses! Da Furen was a guarded individual, she would not waste a single person!
Countless scorpions had closed in one them, holding onto the golden whistle, her mind racing, but Li Wei Yang’s movements were slow as if she were waiting for something! Then, someone burst in, holding a torch in hand, and quickly warded the scorpions away. The scorpions receded at the sight of the torch, two, three fell into the hot spring, one after another, and resurfaced moments later, bloated as they floated on their backs. It was a disturbing sight.
The person holding the torch sincerely asked: “Xianzhu, are you alright?”
Li Wei Yang looked at her, clenching the golden whistle in her hand before letting go: “I am, thanks to you, Du mama.”
Du mama smiled clearly: “Why would you say that, Nubi has only fulfilled rightful responsibilities. Once Nubi heard the scorpions escaped, Nubi quickly realized that scorpions like places with warm water and quickly came to protect Xiaojie.”
Bai Zhi had not calmed down yet, she patted her chest in relief: “Thank you, Du mama!” She always suspected Du mama, but now that her life was spared from the scorpions, she felt that Xiaojie was right, in this world, there was not one person who could not be bribed. One only needs money, and someone who was once an enemy would aid them.
Du mama smiled and said: “Bai Zhi guniang, this is Nubi’s responsibility!”
Mo Zhu had burst in at the same time as Du mama, frightened, she stood watch outside the entire time until Du mama suddenly came with a torch in hand and told her the scorpions had escaped. She thought it was just another scheme to harm Xiaojie somehow, but Du mama had pushed her aside and rushed in. She ran in after Du mama only to see scorpions everywhere on the ground.
Du mama seized the clothes full of scorpions, shook them off and handed them to Li Wei Yang: “Xianzhu, quickly put these on, as not to catch a cold.”
Bai Zhi asked: “Where did these scorpions come from then?”
Du mama said: “All of them are for Furen’s medication, aiya, Nubi remembered, earlier the Yatou in the kitchen said she saw Wu Xiaojie’s Yatous come——”
Li Wei Yang looked at Du mama: “Mama thinks Wu mei wants to harm me?”
Du mama sighed: “It ‘s possible to know someone and their face but not know their heart, who would have thought Wu Xiaojie was this kind of person!”
Li Wei Yang calmly said: “Du mama, do not speak carelessly, earlier, Wu mei was still with Mother, how could she order Yatous to steal the scorpions and release them?”
Du mama said: “Haiz, Nubi would not lie, Wu Xiaojie only gave instructions for acupuncture points and said she had a headache and left. Furen is still frustrated, if it wasn’t time to take her medicine, Nubi would not have found out about this!”
Li Wei Yang saw her rambling and waved her hand: “Alright Du mama, Mother is still waiting for you to serve her, if Mother discovers you here with me——”
Du mama fell silent and lowered her voice: “Then Nubi will leave first, Xianzhu only needs to know that Nubi is dedicated to serving Xianzhu! Everything else does not need to be rushed!” After that, she glanced at Li Wei Yang, as if waiting to be rewarded.
There truly is no end to one’s greed, Bai Zhi thought to herself, although still smiling: “Du mama should go ahead, Nubi will help Xiaojie change, then Nubi will send it over to Du mama.”
Du mama handed the torch to Mo Zhu, smiled and left.
Li Wei Yang calmly changed into her clothes. Mo Zhu was still burning the remaining scorpions. Suddenly, Li Wei Yang took out her golden whistle and gently blew it once, and it let out an unusual sound. Then, a tall, young man flew in through the window at an astonishing speed.
Li Wei Yang asked: “Did you see clearly?”
“Yes, shu xia saw the people releasing the scorpions outside.”
“Bring them here.”
“Yes.” Zhao Nan solemnly said, then he quickly disappeared from sight.
Some time later, Zhao Nan jumped into the room, dragging two people along.
His feet had just touched the ground when he immediately threw them down like he would with a dead dog, the two rolled once before stopping.
“Xiaojie, Nucai has sealed their acupuncture points.” Zhao Nan said.
Li Wei Yang nodded, she lifted a face with a hideous scar to further examine, a face full of fear and confusion.
Li Wei Yang’s slender nails gently grazed over Li Chang Xi’s face, the tip of her nail sharp and cold, making Li Chang Xi tremble from head-to-toe. Li Wei Yang smiled blankly and said: “Wu mei, are scorpions that fun to play with?”
Li Wei Yang’s face was bright as moonlight and clear as the river, yet there was a cold, cruel light in her eyes. Li Chang Xi suddenly realized how terrifying the person before her was. She didn’t know why things turned out this way. She had just released the scorpions and quickly led the Yatou away, afraid someone would discover them. She had thought that no evidence was left behind… Who would have thought the moment she returned to her room, a man had stopped her and forcefully brought her here!
Li Wei Yang laughed lightly as she said: “Wu mei has suffered quite a bit, yet Wu mei still has not learned what to do and not do!”
Zhao Nan released the acupuncture points for Li Chang Xi and placed his sword on her neck, Li Chang Xi’s voice trembled: “I… I really don’t understand what you’re saying.”
Li Wei Yang smiled dryly and coldly said: “Could this be a misunderstanding?”
Li Chang Xi hurriedly said: “Of course it’s just a misunderstanding, I don’t know anything!”
Li Wei Yang said: “Find a live
scorpion and bring it here.” Since you did not spare me a second thought, I
will not spare you this time!
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Translator: Chau
Editor: Panisa (In Progress)
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