Chapter 38 The Corpse in the Well and the Blood Beads In the darkness, it seemed as if Yue Jin and he were destined to be together…
With two clear "thuds," the ebony chopsticks fell onto the table, rolled, and landed on the floor.
Meng Cizhang's heart was gripped by the crisp sound, and for a moment it stopped beating.
Seeing this, Qi Sheng turned around and took out a new pair of chopsticks from the food box, handed them to Meng Cizhang with both hands, tidied up the chopsticks on the ground, bowed his head and retreated, leaving only the two brothers in the room.
Holding the ebony chopsticks, Meng Cizhang felt the cool, mirror-like touch finally calm the panic in his heart.
He was indeed happy because of Le Jin's closeness, but after learning about her true character, Meng Cizhang only regretted that he was too naive.
“Brother, what you’re saying makes no sense. I don’t care about her, and I won’t be happy because of other people’s flattery, let alone such a ridiculous flattery.”
Meng Shutai's expression softened, and he looked at his younger brother with a faint smile in his eyes, as if chatting casually with him, "It's good that you think this way."
"I'm just afraid that you're too young and lack self-control, and that you're holding onto both the things you should and shouldn't be thinking about."
"No way..." Meng Cizhang muttered, his head drooping. "I don't want a woman like that."
Looking at his elder brother, Meng Cizhang asked with utmost seriousness, "Brother, are you really going to marry her?"
He gave Meng Cizhang a deep look, knowing exactly what kind of temperament his younger brother had.
"After you finish your meal, go home. Going to the south suburbs must mean you skipped class. Go back and apologize to your parents and teacher. What do you need, timber or anything else? Don't run around like that again. Don't worry about the person in the other courtyard; I'll take care of everything. Do you understand?"
Meng Cizhang held the chopsticks upright against the bottom of the bowl, as if the bowl contained his resentment and grievances, and the chopsticks were a pagoda to suppress them.
He knew, of course, that his house had all sorts of precious woods, some of which were centuries old and had changed color several times over, but they weren't found by his own hands, so he wasn't sincere.
Over the years, a part of his heart had been empty, like wax melting away, and Meng Cizhang felt he had to fill it himself. No matter how precious the wood, it couldn't compare to genuine affection.
He knew he was childish, but Jiu'an had rescued him from the bandit's den, and he couldn't put on airs like a young master and rely on others.
He simply wanted to commemorate Jiu'an with a wood carving.
The chopsticks poked at the bottom of the bowl with a clinking sound. Meng Cizhang was unhappy, his head drooping like a puppy without ears: "I only went out to find it myself for the statue of Jiu'an, I didn't just wander off..."
Meng Shutai raised a single eyebrow, a hint of coldness flashing in his eyes.
Where is that thing?
Meng Cizhang suddenly looked up and slammed his chopsticks on the table: "It was ruined by Lady Le! She took the wood carving and slashed a huge gash in it with a knife!"
And she said she would compensate him, but there's still no result! Meng Cizhang's resentment towards Le Jin was overwhelming, crashing around in his little world.
Destroyed? Meng Shutai chuckled inwardly. This time, the person who coveted Jiu'an's death didn't even require him to lift a finger.
In some mysterious way, it seemed that Le Jin had become his accomplice.
He killed Jiu'an, and she killed everyone else's lingering affection for Jiu'an.
Thinking of this, Meng Shutai's heart pounded like a fluttering bird, almost bursting with excitement.
A fine layer of sweat, its meaning unclear, glistened and slightly sticky, appeared on his forehead.
Le Jin, Le Jin, Le Jin… Meng Shutai thought of her, his throat tightened as he spoke, and he had to force himself to keep his voice calm and even, “She certainly didn’t do it on purpose, why get angry? He’s a young master of the Meng family, why is he arguing with a woman?”
He took out a handkerchief from his sleeve and gently wiped away his sweat. He held the handkerchief under his chin and fanned himself slightly, swallowing his saliva, which was tinged with excitement. "I remember that we have a copy of the Dharani Sutra at home in the temple. Go and get it for me. I will apologize to Lady Le on your behalf."
"That scripture is the only one of its kind in the world. It's a woodblock print from an earlier era. Father treasures it dearly. Are you going to give it to her?"
Meng Shutai gave Meng Cizhang a slightly authoritative look, which Meng Cizhang gave a wry smile and lowered his head sheepishly: "Alright, alright..."
The Dharani Sutra was kept in a gold box inlaid with five-colored jewels, so heavy that it hurt Meng Cizhang's hands.
That's why his brother is the most benevolent person in Luojing. It was clearly the young lady of the Le family who caused the trouble, but it was they who apologized.
Seeing Meng Cizhang's gloomy expression, the novice monk assumed it was because his arms were sore from carrying the box, and chuckled as he extended both hands: "Let me carry it for you, sir."
"No need, no need, the young master can lead the way." Meng Cizhang readily refused. He was the one who caused the entanglement, and he would bear the consequences himself.
Meng Cizhang and the novice monk bypassed the under-renovation lamp hall and entered a long corridor lined with lush flowers and trees. Meng Cizhang was completely unfamiliar with many of the paths in Huayan Temple, so Meng Shutai specifically pointed out this convenient path and had the novice monk lead the way.
"By the way, Master, do you know where Eunuch Jiu'an's grave is?" Although the offerings he had prepared were gone, he had already come, so he couldn't just not go and see him.
The novice monk replied, "Eunuch Jiu'an's tomb is not far away, it's just behind the mountain."
Meng Cizhang smiled brightly: "That's great!"
Suddenly, he caught his breath, and the upturned corners of his mouth collapsed like a snapped string.
What does it taste like?
In the summer sun, the shadows of flowers sway in the breeze, and the corridor is filled with the fragrance of flowers, yet there is a hint of musty odor mixed in, which fluctuates with the wind, making it quite strange.
"Huh?" The novice monk was also puzzled, sniffing around. "Where's a dead mouse? Or a cat?"
"No."
The smell was far stronger than that of a dead cat or mouse. Meng Cizhang gripped the golden box tightly with both hands, silently bolstering his resolve, and slowly moved toward the direction from which the smell was coming.
Behind a row of flowering trees outside the corridor, there is a small stone well covered with moss.
The closer you get, the stronger the strange smell becomes, like a thick, dark cloud about to rain, swirling around your breath.
Meng Cizhang leaned into the well and, in that instant, the golden box clattered to the ground. He screamed, bursting into tears of fear, and stumbled backward, bumping into the novice monk, crying, "A dead man! A dead man!"
—In a well, a circle of clear, blue water, lies a bloated, pale male corpse.
Its enormous head stubbornly tilted back in the water, its features swollen beyond recognition by the flesh. Its mouth was completely rotten, with no tongue visible, just a pale red mass. Around its mouth were rotten flesh and wispy, floating fluff.
The dark green well water hung murky, and the well walls were covered with a ring of white maggots the size of rice grains, some of which floated on the surface, twisting and writhing.
The novice monk trembled all over, squinting as he glanced into the well, where a familiar light gray monk's robe was still floating in the water.
"Uncle-Master Kong Shu!"
The monks in the temple had been searching for Kong Shu for a long time, but he had mysteriously died in this little well that no one cared about!
Meng Cizhang's legs trembled, and he fell backward to the ground. In his panic, he pressed his hand against the edge of the open gold box, and a sharp pain shot through him.
He cried out, grabbed his wrist, and looked closely. A red wound running through his palm was bleeding profusely.
It turned out that the four sides of this gold box were extremely sharp, as if they had been deliberately polished, and were as thin as a knife blade.
The novice monk turned around and saw that he was injured. He quickly helped him up and ran away, shouting as he ran, "Help! Help! Young Master Meng is injured! Uncle Kong Shu is dead!"
Blood flowed from his palm to his wrist. Meng Cizhang had never suffered such a serious injury in his memory. At this moment, besides the pain in his hand, he was even more agitated.
Oh no, he can't hold the carving knife anymore.
——
After returning from Madam Zhang's place, Le Jin felt that since they were already in this situation, they might as well go find Le Zhao now.
She hurriedly packed her things. The bed was covered with layers of colorful clothes, like a splendid song, but she suddenly felt overwhelmed with worry.
...These clothes were all bought for her by Meng Shutai, and she has no right to take them away.
When she first entered the temple alone, she had nothing but her personal jewelry and other daily necessities. Meng Shutai had provided everything without her having to worry about anything. By the time she realized it, she was surrounded by traces of Meng Shutai.
Frustrated and upset, Le Jin picked up a pile of clothes and threw them violently at the corner of the bed.
All of these were tangled and complicated entanglements, like spider silk, subtly binding her.
"Lady Le".
Suddenly a voice sounded behind her, startling Le Jin so much that she plopped down on the bed. Turning around, she snapped at him, "What are you doing here?"
Meng Shutai, carrying a mother-of-pearl inlaid food box, waved it at Le Jin: "Today's meal."
"I'm not eating!" She sat on the bed covered in silk and satin, turning her back to Meng Shutai without looking at him. "I'm leaving."
Meng Shutai frowned. "Where to?"
"Go find my brother."
"You're still sick."
His voice was gentle, and his bright eyes were fixed on her, his concern evident.
Kele Jin's anger surged up instantly. She jumped out of bed, angrily snatched the food box, and slammed it heavily to the ground.
"My illness is long gone!"
How much longer are you going to keep me locked up?
"lifetime?"
Meng Shutai's long hair cascaded down her shoulders, and she was as serene and gentle as a Guanyin holding a vase.
He looked down at the mess on the ground, silently squatted down to pick up the food box, and then reached out to pick up the shards of celadon and put them into the food box.
"Keeping you from leaving the house is not imprisonment."
"When I saw Mr. Feng off that day, I was only concerned with acting uprightly, but I did not expect that gossip about love affairs would be like blood to the world. This matter spread like wildfire, and even risked burning me."
"I'm keeping watch over you in your room because I'm afraid you'll be harmed by gossip if you go out, like today."
"Even if Madam Zhang and Madam Wu were on good terms with you, they still became suspicious of you because of gossip. Not to mention other onlookers who have nothing to do with us, they only think the worst of people. How could you not be heartbroken when you encountered them?"
Meng Shutai's gentle voice, like a gentle stream, washed away the vexation and hatred in Le Jin's heart.
The thorns that had covered its body had now softened one by one.
He did it all for her?
Recalling Madam Wu's advice, Le Jin felt as if she had swallowed a needle.
When she was with them, was she never sincere? Was she never enthusiastic and proactive? Even when Madam Wu tearfully complained that the official in charge was keeping a mistress outside, Le Jin stood by her side.
They concluded that she was a promiscuous and shameless woman.
Although her current persona is indeed..., in front of them, Le Jin never pretends. Don't they ever doubt her character?
Le Jin felt wronged, utterly wronged.
Her eyes stung, and as she looked around, she realized that only Meng Shutai could accept her grievances.
Perhaps it was because he had been too gentle with her during this time, indulging her temper to the fullest, that Le Jin felt comfortable blaming all her sadness on Meng Shutai.
"Isn't that your fault? Didn't you know to be more discreet when you saw him off?"
As she spoke, she sat on the edge of the bed, kicking her legs in frustration.
Meng Shutai held the broken porcelain shards in his hand, looked up at her, and seemed quite puzzled.
"But... Lady Yue and Young Master Feng already made things clear that day, severing all ties. He's just an ordinary old friend now. Is there any need to be discreet when seeing him off?"
"Nonsense!" Le Jin retorted through gritted teeth, "Anyone knows this kind of thing is shameful."
Is this a secret?
"Of course." Le Jin puffed up her cheeks, looking just like a little goldfish.
Unaware of what Meng Shutai was thinking, a smile suddenly melted into his dark eyes, enveloping her silently like syrup, hot and sticky.
Le Jin accidentally met his strange gaze, and suddenly looked away as if burned, hearing the pounding of her own heart.
His eyes were brimming with joy, while she was walking barefoot without an umbrella, getting soaked to the bone.
It's a secret. There's a secret between them.
Meng Shutai was overjoyed and extremely pleased.
The porcelain shards, gleaming with a faint bluish light, shattered into pieces of varying shapes, each with a sharp corner, resembling curled-up little lotus leaves.
He pressed his finger on it as if possessed, letting out a little blood to celebrate his moment of joy.
"hiss……"
"What's wrong?"
Le Jin was drawn in by the soft sounds of Meng Shutai's lips and teeth. Her gaze swept over his furrowed brows and then fell on his clenched fingers. She walked over to him with her legs clapping, and pulled his fingers over to examine them carefully.
A tiny hole stood out starkly against his fair skin, from which thick beads of blood oozed out, round and gleaming, like a magical pill.
"Oh no, it's bleeding..."
Le Jin thought to herself, Meng Shutai has been pampered since childhood, how could he have ever done any work?
Alas, I truly feel sorry for these lazy, idle young masters.
She waved her hand, "Go away, go away, I'll do it."
With a quick roll of her sleeves, Le Jin picked up the scattered pieces of food in no time, tossed them back into the food box, closed it, and placed it outside the door to let more soup-free food flow out. On her way back, she took the silk cloth used to wipe water from the flowerpot, shook it off, and placed it on the damp, sticky floor. She then squatted down and wiped it clean with both hands.
Even as she stood up to wash the silk fabric, Meng Shutai's astonished gaze did not leave her.
"Lady Yue..."
"Um?"
He smiled, his voice warm and gentle: "I used to think you were someone who never lifted a finger, but I never expected you to be so clever and capable. It's truly astonishing."
The hand that was rubbing the cloth suddenly froze, and Le Jin's heart skipped a beat.
Ugh, this conditioned reflex!
A cold sweat broke out on her back. Le Jin forced herself to remain calm and put the silk cloth into the basin of water, then turned the tables on him: "It's your own fault for being so useless! You made me do such a simple thing."
She pointed at Meng Shutai's bleeding finger and said with an arrogant and contemptuous attitude, "What are you still standing there for? Wipe the blood off."
Meng Shutai was not annoyed, and shook his head with a smile at Le Jin.
He slowly raised the injured, jade-colored finger to his rosy lips.
His pale red tongue darted out slightly, licking the pill. A drop of scarlet blood was rolled into his mouth, and under Le Jin's surprised and trembling gaze, his Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed deeply.
He was like a flamboyant wild ghost devouring flesh and blood in front of her, stretching out even the smallest movements to provoke Le Jin's nerves.
He chuckled, his voice cool and distant. "Solved."
It was now broad daylight, the sun was just beginning to set, and the heat on the ground was at its peak, yet Le Jin felt icy cold all over, as if she had fallen into an ancient well. She clutched the hem of her clothes, at a loss, when she suddenly remembered something important.
“Um… your brother needs a piece of wood suitable for carving. Remember to find one for him; it’s very important to him.”
Her heart was stirred by Meng Shutai's actions just now, like a jumble of notes on a stringed instrument or a drum being struck in disarray.
Although mentioning Meng Cizhang at this moment seemed like pulling out a shield in a panic, Le Jin really didn't know how she could deal with Meng Shutai on her own.
The smile on Meng Shutai's face froze for a moment, then gradually disappeared, leaving only a layer of distant tenderness.
One was worried that she hadn't eaten, while the other was worried that he needed wood.
Was it good intentions or fate?
A layer of frost settled in Meng Shutai's heart, and he nodded slightly, his smile failing to reach his eyes.
"I understand. Cizhang offended Lady Le today, and as his elder brother, I must apologize to you on his behalf."
As he spoke, he took out a purple sachet from his pocket, embroidered with a peach-pink koi fish, and handed it to Le Jin with both hands.
"This sachet contains the fragrant medicine needed by Lady Le for her asthma. The doctor said that if she wears it with her all day long, it can alleviate her chronic illness. This is just a small token of my appreciation. I hope Lady Le will accept it."
Another sachet...
Last time, she thought he gave her a sachet to express his affection, but later she realized that he was aloof and that such a thing was just an ordinary object. He just gave it to her to wag her tail and make her happy.
But when he mentioned his asthma, she herself experienced difficulty breathing, convulsions, and panic that night. The feeling of impending death washed over her like cold water, startling her.
If it's a lifesaver, why not take it?
Thanks.
She grabbed the sachet, her fingers tracing the light purple tassels, while her stomach growled.
Meng Shutai smiled faintly, "I'll go get some food."
"Hey!" Le Jin called out to him, her face showing some difficulty, but she swallowed hard, and her bright eyes still shone with determination.
"I want rice, meat, and vegetables, not rice porridge or congee! I don't want anything more expensive! If you bring me any of that, I'd rather starve!"
She gritted her teeth, her cheeks puffed out, giving her a charmingly naive look. But she had indeed become thinner.
Meng Shutai had never kept any pets, except for the blind cat he once owned. It was a tiny creature kept in a gold and silver cage, and Meng Shutai only managed to keep it healthy by feeding it soup and porridge.
Another experience I had was later setting up shelters and distributing porridge to refugees in various places. One by one, the emaciated people would wolf down a mouthful of porridge and their eyes would become clear and their bodies would be full of energy.
What, Le Jin doesn't eat liquid food?
For the first time in his life, he realized that the creatures he kept were picky eaters.
"Okay. Then you wait for me obediently."
Seeing Meng Shutai nod with a smile and step out of the room, Le Jin finally relaxed and plopped down on the bed.
Finally, I can feel a bit more at ease!
But when she looked down, she realized she was sitting on the clothes Meng Shutai had given her.
With sleeves spread out and skirts draped over, each garment resembled a figure, silently watching over her and guarding her.
Startled by this thought, Le Jin quickly stood up and dared not sit down again.
She stood before the bed, her wary gaze fixed on the clothes, as if they might possess her at any moment, writhing and seizing her to imprison her.
Cold sweat trickled down my forehead.
What is she waiting for? Wasn't she going to leave? Why is she still here after hearing just a few words from him? Is she really waiting for Meng Shutai to put on another act of playing house as a kind, considerate, and virtuous young master?
Le Jin looked up at the magnificent house, which was full of traces of Meng Shutai, and felt a chill run down her spine.
No, she has to leave, she absolutely has to go, or she'll go crazy.
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Author's Note: Kong Shu is making a comeback! [laughing and crying emoji]
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