Taking the Gold Hairpin
“Shi Ba Niang, we can’t, please go tell madam that our Niang Zi is seriously ill. The doctor said that moving now will worsen her illness. Please, I beg of you. This servant will kneel and bow to you……” the old woman’s aged voice pleaded as it shook with emotion.
Another young girl’s icy mournful voice cried, “Xing Niang, don’t kneel to her! Can’t you see that Shi Ba Niang looks forward to our lady’s sudden death. She can then truly be the daughter of the wife. Asking her is useless! If something happens to Niang Zi, at worst we will follow our Niang Zi! Then we wouldn’t be humiliated in the hands of these cruel people!”
Xing Niang, Wan Lu—once again Ran Yan found information about these two people. This felt so strange that she blankly lay on the ground, temporarily forgetting to stand up.
“You! Servants, take this disrespectful, lowly slave and tie her up!” cried a shrill, ear-piercing voice, evidently already furious.
As the disorderly clamor, voices, and footsteps from outside came closer, Ran Yan leaned on the floor and, with effort, looked towards the door.
Before Ran Yan could stand up, the door was knocked open with a loud bang.
Outside, the rainwater accompanied by the moist cold air paved its way indoors. As the cold air seeped into her lungs, the first to appear in her visual field was a pair of dainty feet in wooden clogs adorned with socks. The high wood heel wet from the rainwater made them look heavy.
Seeing Ran Yan looking up at her from the ground the startled visitor let out a yelp and stumbled backwards until her servants steadied her.
She wasn’t the only one startled, so was everyone else who was present. Xing Niang and Wan Lu threw off their bindings and hurried inside. Frightened they called out, “Niang Zi! Niang Zi!”
Ran Yan’s mind faintly reminded her that “Niang Zi” is the term used in the Tang Dynasty to address women. She tried hard to look up and saw extremely anxious faces. One face was filled with wrinkles, hair on her temples graying, skinny to the point she was all skin and bones; tears weaved down her face. The other was the face of a young girl around sixteen or seventeen years old with youthful eyes, a delicate nose, and full lips. There was even a dimple above her lip corners. Other than her sunken cheeks due to being overly skinny, she could be considered a beautiful girl.
They were Xing Niang and Wan Lu who took care of her.
“Niang Zi! You’re awake? Why are you lying on the floor, what are we to do if you catch another cold!” seeing Ran Yang move surprised Xing Niang and she stopped crying. Tears still streaming down her face, Xing Niang took Ran Yan into her arms.
The course hempcloth was slightly scratchy, Ran Yan smelled a comforting hint of honeylocust. She couldn’t help but feel disgust towards the forceful Ran Mei Yu.
“Shi Ba Niang! Our Niang Zi is awake and will greatly improve after resting for a few days. There is no need to move her elsewhere.” Wan Lu declared loudly so that everyone inside the room and outside could hear.
“Hah, greatly improve? More like last glow before she goes!” Ran Mei Yu’s piercing voice cut in no different than her harsh words.
Ran Yan did not know where she wanted to move her, but from the broken-hearted weeping of her servants trying to protect her, she knew it wasn’t anywhere nice. Whether it be a dream or reality, Ran Yan was not one to willingly suffer losses.
In her weak voice she managed, “Help me up.”
Voice dull and hoarse, almost as soft as breathing surprised Xing Niang. After a slight pause Xing Niang quickly helped Ran Yan stand. Wan Lu shielded her from the front with a fierce expression daring others to come over. Her determination to protect Ran Yan with her life halted the other servants.
From ancient times, no matter how bold one is, one would fear those who are willing to die—this was what Wan Lu currently exuded from head to toe.
Upon standing, Ran Yan clearly saw the appearance of the girl in front of her. Fifteen or sixteen years old, dressed in a cinnabar outer dress covered in a translucent silk jacket. Detailed needlework covered the dress with crabapple flowers. Two intricate gold hairpins decorated her pretty hair bun. Born with a pair of bright eyes and nice teeth, she was beautiful other than her facial gestures and malicious words that left Ran Yan with no favorable opinions whatsoever.
Ran Yan walked a few steps stopping half a step away from Ran Mei Yu. Ran Mei Yu gave a loathing glare and used her sleeve to cover her nose, afraid of being infected by Ran Yan’s illness. She called to her nearby servants “Lowly servants, why are you not doing anything! Quickly move her away!”
Ran Yan’s lifeless stare gave the servants goosbumps. They were likely also afraid of contracting Ran Yan’s illness. Along with Wan Lu’s obstruction, the four of them couldn’t force their way over to pull Ran Yan away.
Evidently, Ran Mei Yu did not have a winning personality, else why would her personal servants not be willing to sacrifice themselves for her!
Ran Yan suddenly raised her hand and pulled out a gold hairpin from Ran Mei Yu’s hair. Though her movement was not very fast, Ran Mei Yu did not instantly realize what was happening because she was tilting her face away from Ran Yan. Ran Yan was able to get away with her actions because the servants were too far away to stop her.
Ran Yan held the thin, long gold hairpin that was at least six or seven centimeters in length and commented, “Very intricate.”
“Give it back!” Ran Mei Yu was still partly a child. Seeing her belongings taken, she had forgotten her prior precautions and immediately tried to take it back.
Ran Yan saw her movement coming and had already taken several steps back. Since her body was frail, and her movements were quick, she staggered unsteadily. Luckily Xing Niang helped support preventing her from falling.
Ran Mei Yu’s servants did not immediately try to help her retrieve her hairpin. Since they had brought so many people they would surely be able to grab it back. At the same time they were also suspicious that Shi Qi Niang’s illness damaged her brain or perhaps she was just too desperately poor. Enough to steal in front of so many people; it’s not like she can get away with it!
Ran Yan steadied herself and softly said, “Say, what do you think others will think if your gold hairpin was inserted into my throat?”
While saying this, the sharp thin point of the hairpin was already pressed against her own throat cutting open her tender porcelain skin. Blood flowed out adhering to her skin like a beautiful coral pearl.
The pain from the stab caused Ran Yan to crease her eyebrows—everything in front of her truly wasn’t just a dream!
Terrified, Ran Mei Yu stared at Ran Yan. She didn’t think that the usually feeble, weak-minded Ran Shi Qi could actually do this to herself. Looking again at that wan but flawless complexion she saw a sliver of liveliness. Brows slightly frowned, eyes clear as a dry well, undoubtedly staring at her but also like she didn’t really see her. This made Ran Mei Yu suspect that the girl in front of her was a walking corpse. Trembling, she said, “Ran Shi Qi, you, you’re crazy!”
“Miss, you must not, you must not!” Xing Niang frantically reached out wanting to remove the hairpin.
“Xing Niang!” Ran Yan warned, “If your hand comes any closer, I cannot guarantee how deep I will stab.” Voice so cold ensuring that no one doubted her resolve.
Wan Lu was a bit calmer than Xing Niang. She also felt that Niang Zi’s reaction today was out of the ordinary, almost as if she didn’t really want to hurt herself but was also determined and decisive. Completely different from her normal self. So much so that even her mannerism was also different. When Ran Yan held the hairpin to her own throat, Wan Lu did not realize this immediately during this moment of “facing a powerful enemy” when there was no time to think. She could only brace herself and focus on not letting Niang Zi hurt herself.
Upon seeing Ran Yan’s wan lifeless face, Xing Niang was also disheartened momentarily. Since madam passed away, the rightful daughter of the wife was abandoned at the estate to survive on her own. The first year, they were given some money for medicine. Now, they no longer provided money for medicine, the second wife controlled everything. They went to beg a few times, not only were they not given money for food, they were also beaten. This second wife, she is trying to rid herself of the daughter of the original wife! Suffering all this torment, is really far worse than death!