Chapter 265 A beauty in the simple but elegant bamboo house
The door was locked with a snap, and a vermilion wooden door separated the two. Hearing Luo Baiji leaving, He Danggui took the food box and went to the second floor. She knew that there was no bed in the Depositary of Buddhist Texts, so she planned to find a futon, sitting in meditation and relaxing until dawn. The foreign Zhenqi in her channel had not yet been refined into her own. She was not very good at this, and could only absorb one or two drops of the essence into her Dantian a day. Her efforts seemed puny.
She had to admit that, as a man-made master, she was so different from a real master, and there was a huge gap between her and her enemy Zhu Quan. To avenge herself on the man was so difficult that she wouldn’t be successful without perseverance.
On the second floor, there was a person sitting quietly in the ottoman in the corner. He Danggui had expected that he might come to meet her privately, but when she saw him at first sight, she felt a little uncomfortable. She greeted him, “Zhoushi, what are you doing here? It’s late.”
Chang Nuo closed the folding fan and sighed, “He asked me to come here. He asked you to go to Xinyuan Yard to serve him. I told your grandmother that my sister asked you to go to Feng’s Family for a few days, and she agreed. Now, as long as your mother returns to Luo’s Family and confesses her crimes, Luo’s Family will allow you to visit Feng’s Family. It doesn’t matter how long you live there.”
“Xinyuan Yard?” He Danggui asked, “Childe Feng’s another courtyard in the suburbs? Didn’t you say that you would pick me up to live there before the New Year? Why did you show up until today and make me wait so hard? You cheated me. Why don’t you send me a letter after you break the appointment? Didn’t you arrange a bodyguard for me?” She placed the food box on the scripture table, and took out the dishes one by one.
Chang Nuo didn’t expect that she would have such a kind attitude. He was taken aback, and then apologized, “I’m sorry. I was busy the other day. I forgot this matter. After I finished the things that you commissioned me on the night we parted, I received a letter from the Lord. He asked me to build a bamboo house for him in Xinyuan Yard and invite you to stay in it. The house is only half built so far, so it is delayed to pick you up...” At this point, he felt there was something wrong, and asked He Danggui, “Aren’t you angry with him? He just treated you like that in the ancestral hall.”
“Bamboo house?” He Danggui hesitated for a second when she held the plate, “What kind of bamboo house?”
Chang Nuo smiled and described, “A bamboo house over 30 meters is made of green fresh bamboo. This is not the fanciest. The fanciest is that the handrails and decorations of the bamboo house are made of jade. The green jade and green bamboo are shining each other. You will love it. It is simple but elegant, and it suits you best.” Even through a veil, he could feel her surprised expression. He thought she was so happy after hearing what he said, so he further described, “There are three floors in the house. The first floor is provided with a bathing pool. The second floor is used as a bedroom, and the third floor is set with a cradle, uh, a baby room. He said that your children will sleep there. There is a water mirror above the bed in the bedroom, which is also one of his special requests. I told him that it is ominous to make the mirror directly face the bedroom, which is not conducive to sleep, but he insisted on making such a decoration.”
He Danggui slowly wiped the cold sweat in her hands with a kerchief, and asked, “I am only a guest for half a month. Why should you go to this expense to build a new building for me? It really makes me uneasy. How can I be lucky enough to live in such a splendid building?”
Chang Nuo walked to the scripture table and sat down. Her spontaneously took a pair of bamboo chopsticks to eat desserts. After taking a bite, he was surprised, “Meat filling!” He tasted other two dishes, which were chicken and pork desserts and mutton dumplings. Looking at the box again, he found two plates of crispy dried meat slice with sesames, a famous staple in Zhenjiang City. Chang Nuo couldn’t help but laugh, “Your cousin is so sweet to prepare so much for you with such a short time. Meat is the best food for a hungry person.”
He Danggui had dealt with this man many times in her previous life, mainly to propose marriage for Luo Baiqian’s youngest daughter, Luo Shiyan. Chang Nuo was a very serious person in her impression, and he laughed rarely. Ever since she learned that this young man was the General Chang, she felt that the disguise skill was really wonderful, as it could not only help people change their faces, but also change their minds.
She sat down and picked up a crystal-clear lamb dumpling. She didn’t eat it, but she could smell the tempting aroma through the veil. She was silent for a moment, and asked, “How are He Fu and his families? Have you received his family property?”
Chang Nuo took something from his arms while eating, and said vaguely, “I almost forgot it. I added more than 1,000 liang to make it a round number. Here you are. 24,000 liang silver. You can take it as an apology of the Lord for what he done and said before. Don’t be annoyed by his rudeness. I promise that he won’t be like that.”
He Danggui was noncommittal, flipping through the thick stack of cheques. Although 20,000 liang silver were the silver of her grandfather’s antiques in pawn, she had to sigh that power was really something good. It could bring convenience and wealth that beyond the imagination of ordinary people. After three years of hard work, she saved only 15,000 liang silver. But now, she had so many cheques and title deeds for a farm in her hands, equal to the wealth of the Third Branch in Luo’s Family. Once she defeated Sun Meiniang, she could abscond with the money.
Chang Nuo mentioned He Fu’s family again, “As soon as He Fu was arrested, his two concubines eloped with the servants. After the government confiscated his property, his 60-year-old mother and 4-year-old daughter were left in the house. Besides, his sister and brother-in-law also lived with him all year round. The Lord told me about these. Look, he really cares about you, and even manages to know the condition of your stepfather’s family.” Chang Nuo teased her, “If you reconcile with the Lord, I will tell you the whole story.”
Reconcile? He Danggui laughed out loud, and said, “I don’t dare to get angry with a big shot like him. Whether we will reconcile is up to him. Go ahead, I’ll not take it serious.” As she said, she brought two plates of desserts, walked to the screen, and said while she taking off her veil, “I’m afraid my appearance because of the illness will scare you, so don’t come close.”
Chang Nuo suddenly remembered that she was ill when they parted last time, and he had promised to take her to see the doctor Qi Xuanyu, but he totally forgot about it as he got busy. He apologized to her, “I will bring Qi Xuanyu to see you tomorrow night. He is an excellent doctor, and he will surely cure you.”
He Danggui really wanted to meet that Imperial Astronomer of Qintianjian Celestial Prefecture, so she didn’t refuse him. She suddenly remembered Qing’er once said that Qi Xuanyu’s father, the Royal Prophet, Qi Jing, had “accidentally” appeared at her side repeatedly. On one occasion, Qing’er was almost hit by a rushing carriage and was pulled by Qi Jing at the very moment. At that time, Qing’er, who was frightened and closed her eyes, heard a male voice sound above her head, and couldn’t help being moved. She thought the man must be her Mr. Right, but she was disillusioned when she opened her eyes. The Royal Prophet was twenty years older than her father.
Since Qi Xuanyu had the ability to divine the pervious live, Qi Jing was definitely better at it. He had been interested in Qing’er. Was it because of the divination? After all, Qing’er always regarded herself as the unique person in this world, speaking unscrupulously with those exotic and novel words. She always did something unusual, all of which could be used as evidence of her life experience.
Qi Jing studied Qing’er several times. Was he only out of curiosity and not malicious? Or did he have an unknown purpose? She must discuss the matter with Qing’er when she met her.
Chang Nuo looked at the shadowy slender figure on the screen and smiled, “You must have a good appetite after hearing this. He Fu’s sister and brother-in-law don’t work all year round, and live on the money He Fu cheated from your mother. His brother-in-law opened a chateau with others, but defrauded the partner of 2,000 liang silver on the pretext that the land lease required cash turnover. And the partner was afraid to come to recover debts due to He Fu’s arrogance. It happened that the He’s Family has spent almost 2,000 liang silver over the past few years in the capital. I will take away the silver together as He Fu’s repayment to your mother as the dowry. In this way, you and that bastard will be square.”
He Danggui nibbled at the chicken rolls and thought, “No, it’s not over.”
Chang Nuo continued, “However, when He Fu was arrested, the debt collector came to his house immediately. The He’s Family has long been utterly destitute. Even if they sell his families, they can’t get 100 liang silver, let alone 2,000 liang silver.”
“Huh?” He Danggui asked caringly, “What should they do? They have never known how to make money, but only know how to spend money. They have lived in the capital where they are unfamiliar for more than four years. Have they got a new cash cow?”
“That’s impossible.” Chang Nuo smiled. He poured a cup of clear water from the white porcelain pointed-mouth jug, and savored it as if tasting a good wine. “For He Fu’s brother-in-law, to work with his inhumane partner was like asking a tiger for its skin. What’s more, he swindled the partner’s money. Now, the tiger is wielding his power. He brought He Fu’s mother, daughter, sister, and brother-in-law with virus. The adults are lame, and the kid has an ear off. He makes the four people beg in the downtown area of the capital, and won’t let them go until they get 3,000 liang silver with the interest.”
He Danggui frowned, “So ruthless! He even hurt the child. Who is his partner?” There were really different kinds of people in the capital. Such weird and brutal behavior was beyond her imagination.
Chang Nuo thought for a moment and said, “He is the nephew of the cousin of the brother-in-law of the housekeeper of Princess Lin’an Mansion… A man having a backer. He is so unrighteous. He asked the servants to lead the four people with iron chains through the city like walking dogs. It should have aroused public indignation, and people should have scolded the man for his brutal behavior. But in the past few years when the He’s Family lived in the capital, they boasted themselves as the richest celebrities in the south, acting rampantly in the streets, and bullying the people in the neighborhood. People suffered a lot. He’s Family didn’t know that there are more powerful people in the capital, and if these powerful people were serious, He’s Family would not have a good end. They all looked at He’s Family like watching a play.”
He Danggui fiddled with the food in the plate with her chopsticks, and asked, “So, He’s Family did all kinds of evil, and no one will help and defend them although they are miserable, right?”
“Yeah, no one sympathizes with them,” Chang Nuo looked at the shadow on the screen and asked with a smile, “Qingyi, are you happy after hearing this? If you want to take revenge on these people, it’s easy right now. They pick up food from the trash baskets, and eat everything they can find. If there are one or two poisonous buns, they can only blame themselves for bad luck.”
He Danggui asked, “Yangzhou City is not far from the capital. Will they come to Yangzhou City for begging? We haven’t seen each other for years, and I almost forget what Madam He looks like.”
Updated from fr𝒆ewebnov𝒆l.(c)om