Chapter 32 Obedience

The bamboo ruler, about an inch wide and an arm's length long, was struck heavily each time, the air resistance causing it to arch backward. When it reached the palm, there was a sharp crack, the force suddenly concentrated, and the entire palm became numb with a piercing pain.

Li Qu was in so much pain that she cried and sweated. She alternated between her palms and finally managed to endure fifty blows.

After the injection, my palm was red, swollen, and bruised.

Li Qu knew that this was not only a punishment, but also a warning from the old lady.

Back at Fanghua Garden, Huaichun and the doctor had been waiting for a long time.

After grimacing as she applied the medicine and bandaged up, Li Qu went to visit Granny Xu in person.

Granny Xu, with her old arms and legs, suffered a loss at Biqing's hands.

Hongguo was gently rolling a hot egg on Xu Mama's bruised cheek, making Xu Mama cry out in pain.

Li Qu felt very guilty, so she sat on the round stool and tilted her head to watch Xu Mama 'being tortured' with Hong Guo.

"I'm sorry, I've troubled you, Granny."

Granny Xu sighed, "It's good that Auntie has vented her anger. Just remember, next time we must never do something that hurts both sides so much."

Li Qu was taken aback.

Granny Xu cried out, "Ouch, ouch! Gently, gently!"

Hongguo said helplessly, "It's already very light, Granny, don't be afraid."

"What storms haven't I seen? Why would I be afraid of pain?"

"Then please don't let me pass. If you do, my grip will become too loose."

"Okay, okay, be gentle."

Although Granny Xu is called a nanny, she is actually not yet forty-five years old this year.

I don't know why I like to frown; the wrinkles between my eyebrows are even deeper than my nasolabial folds.

Li Qu withdrew her gaze and lowered her eyelashes.

She hadn't expected that Granny Xu would see through her and even indulge her.

"Now that Auntie has injured her hand, she can no longer embroider robes for Third Master. I will go to the embroidery room later to remind the embroiderer to do it herself."

Li Qu examined her hands from both sides: "I should still prepare one."

"Okay. Ouch, ouch, be gentle, be gentle."

Li Qu put down her hand: "Fortunately, the old lady only fined you your monthly salary. I will make it up to you later."

Xu Mama hissed again: "It would be more important for you, Madam, to listen to this old servant's advice and win over the Third Master's heart."

She said earnestly, "Both are concubines, so why was Bai sent back home, while the aunt was only punished with a beating on the hand and confined to her quarters?"

"It's all because Third Master favored his concubine."

"If we really followed the rules, why would Bai be sent back home? The worst thing would be to be exiled to the manor."

As if afraid that Li Qu was unaware of the consequences of sending the Bai family back, she explained, "Although the Bai family of Hezhou calls themselves a noble family, their foundation for survival lies in trading grain and selling goods. Few of their descendants hold official positions. In other words, the Bai family is essentially a merchant family."

"It is a great honor for Bai to become a concubine in the Zhou family. The Bai family will not risk offending the Zhou family by letting Bai return to the family to remarry."

"And keeping Bai Shi at home would tarnish the reputation of the women in the family."

"She will only face death if she goes there."

Li Qu's eyelashes trembled slightly.

She believed what the old woman said.

Because of my faith, I feel like there's a stone stuck in my heart, and I'm so sad.

She did not regret her conflict with the Bai family.

Today, when Lady Bai is out of favor, she throws cold porridge at her; but when she gains favor, she'll dare to throw hot porridge at her.

She suffered this terrible fate because of the seeds she sowed herself.

What saddened her was that after Bai Shi got married, if she couldn't gain a foothold in her husband's family, her own family wouldn't accept her either.

The reputation of a clan of women has to be cleansed by a woman returning home.

In an era where women were subservient, how tragic was their fate.

"Auntie is fortunate to be where she is today. She should cherish it and never make another mistake."

As Xu Mama chatted with Li Qu, she didn't even notice the pain on her face. Before she could react, the red fruit ointment had already been applied to her face.

"Alright!" Hongguo stopped, satisfied, and wiped the sweat from her forehead.

Li Qu glanced at it: "Then, Granny, you should rest well. I'll give you..."

“This old servant doesn’t need any more holidays. My aunt has injured her hand and needs help right now. The injury on my face doesn’t matter. If my aunt finds it an eyesore, I can wear a veil or a blindfold.”

Li Qu: "..."

I didn't feel any inconvenience of not having hands while eating dinner that evening.

It wasn't until I went to the toilet that I realized how suffocating it is to not have hands.

As night falls and light gauze sways in the breeze, the temperature difference between day and night gradually increases after autumn arrives.

Li Qu kicked off the covers and curled up in a cold spot, unable to sleep soundly.

She suddenly found herself in the courtyard of the Prince of Yan's mansion, where the Princess of Yan angrily shouted at her: "You lowly servant, how dare you seduce my son! Send her back!"

The scene shifts, and she returns to the Li family's two-courtyard house in Yicheng.

This time, her parents refused to go south with her and beat her half to death, shouting angrily:

A married daughter is like water spilled from a cup; how dare she return home! She should die!

She also gained a younger brother, who was handsome and scolded her: "Your only use is to pave the way for me. Since you're useless, what's the point of you living! You're making it difficult for me to find a good wife! Why don't you just die!"

She protested: "Why should I die? Why! It's Zhou Jin who's inhuman, forcibly taking a woman from the countryside!"

The scene suddenly shifted to the backyard of the Hezhou government office, where she found herself inexplicably so close to Zhou Jin, almost face to face.

He said: Little Aqu, how dare you lie to your master?

"Ah!" A scream suddenly came from the bed.

Still reeling from the shock, Li Qu suddenly met Zhou Jin's calm, picturesque eyes, so close together.

"Ah!" She didn't even care about the pain in her hands, and quickly moved to the bed. She bumped her head on the bed frame and realized that this was not a dream.

The candlelight inside the room was bright.

Zhou Jin did not miss the look of terror in Li Qu's eyes when he first noticed him.

"A nightmare?"

Li Qu slowly came to her senses, realizing that she had overreacted. Just then, a sharp pain shot through her hand, so she simply didn't suppress the tears that welled up from the physical pain and looked at Zhou Jin with a wronged expression: "Hmm, why didn't you wake me up, Master?"

"You're talking in your sleep. I heard you calling my name."

He paused for a moment: "It doesn't seem like a good dream."

“Dreams are all false.” Li Qu did indeed have a bizarre and nonsensical dream.

"Okay, come here."

There was a faint smell of alcohol in the room, but he was wearing undergarments, so he had obviously washed up.

Li Qu raised her hands and dawdled as she approached Zhou Jin.

Zhou Jin raised his hand and touched her face: "If you behave yourself, you don't need to be afraid of ending up like them."

Li Qu's heart skipped a beat. She lowered her eyes and hummed in agreement: "My heart for you is as bright as the moon, pure and flawless."

"You'd better tell the truth."

"And what about you, my lord? How do you treat me?" She looked up at him.

Zhou Jin stared at Li Qu's face for a long time before finally speaking: "You are different from them."

"Does Your Highness like concubines?"

"Maybe a little."

"If it exists, it exists; if it doesn't, it doesn't."

"What do you think?"

She looked at him, a smile gradually spreading across her face, and rubbed her cheek against his palm: "You'll definitely like it."

His heart softened unconsciously, and he reached out to pull her onto his lap, sitting face to face with her: "Then I like it."

She cradled her lower back in his hands, raised her arms to rest on his shoulders, and tilted her head slightly to look at him: "If I had lied to you, would you have forgiven me?"

"Won't."

She snorted coldly and turned her face away.

His large hand had already slipped under her clothes, caressing her slender waist and soft skin.

She feigned anger and turned to glare at him, saying, "My hand is injured!"

He shamelessly said, "There's no need to use your hands."

Her eyes accused him.

He pulled her toward him and bent down to kiss her.

She used her elbows to push open his chest, staring at the slightly exposed gap in his chest, trying to express her thoughts.

"Why have I suffered this calamity? It is all because of you, my lord. Do you not feel even the slightest bit of remorse?"

“Your family background is humble, so it’s inevitable that you will be looked down upon. The fact that I sent Bai back is a warning to everyone in the manor that they should not look down on you anymore.”

"But why are they hostile towards the concubine?"

Zhou Jin reminded her, "Jealousy is the root of family chaos; a woman should not have it."

The status of men and women is inherently unequal.

Li Qu lowered her eyes.

Communication failed.

“Bai is immoral, so sending her back isn’t entirely unfair. And you’ve become somewhat arrogant because of her favor.” He pinched the soft flesh of her waist repeatedly, making her feel both pain and tickle.

She protested softly, nestled against his chest, in the obedient way he liked.

"I should reflect on my actions."