Chapter 56 A Gift: A Bellyband...?!
This sleep was strange.
My body felt heavy, as if I had fallen into the sea, tossed and turned by the dark waves. My hazy thoughts and consciousness scattered, drifting away with the current, not knowing where they were.
When Le Jin felt she could stand up in her dream, she looked up and found herself back in the rented room where she worked.
It was called a house, but it was actually just a small shed made of corrugated iron and tile with a blue exterior and gray interior, leaning against the end of a row of small bungalows. It was cold in winter and hot in summer. The rooms were individual, but the stove and toilet were shared, and you had to walk through a long corridor to use them.
She was usually quite tolerant, but when it rained, even the finest raindrops falling on the steel roof would be amplified into a deafening noise. Not to mention the torrential downpours in the summer, where the white raindrops hit the steel roof like bullets, or like someone had thrown a string of firecrackers into the shed, making a loud crackling sound, as if deliberately bullying her.
But it wasn't raining at the moment. The sun was shining brightly, and the scorching sunlight made the row of small houses and their small steel sheds warp and twist, stinging the eyes.
As usual, Le Jin ran into the house. Just as she passed the row of bungalows, a door suddenly opened, and a thin hand with bright red fingernails reached out and linked arms with a middle-aged man with a large belly.
"Come again next time, Brother Zhang!" The woman's face, though not conventionally beautiful, was alluring. She had curly, light brown hair that, from a distance, looked like she was wearing a pug's head.
But Le Jin knew it must have looked beautiful right after the perm. She often lay down, which is why her hair was styled like that.
She had a choice, but she didn't want to.
The woman was originally smiling sweetly at Brother Zhang, but when she saw Le Jin coming over, her smile cooled down a bit. She took a step and went around to Brother Zhang's side, separating him from Le Jin.
Le Jin brushed past them, and the woman's cool red fingernails touched the back of her hand briefly before leaving.
Behind her, the cheerful sounds of women welcoming and seeing off guests filled the air, and she didn't hear Le Jin turn around and whisper "thank you" to her.
The guests who come to see her are not good people. The woman had warned Le Jin about this on their first day together.
Although she earns more money than Le Jin and would occasionally bring her some yogurt and bread, telling her that children should grow up healthily and not just work all day long, Le Jin would feel a pang of sadness every time she saw her.
It's even more sour than yogurt.
This little bit of acid slowly ferments, turning into tears, flowing endlessly in two lines.
Le Jin woke up crying.
Beside the gold-embroidered, soft-jade pillow, a jade beast incense burner burned, its blue smoke billowing like dragons and phoenixes. Layers of gauze curtains veiled the carved bed, and the entire bedroom was quiet, as if everything was dozing.
Le Jin stared blankly at the winding trail of smoke. The woman's voice and smile were still vivid in her mind, and a sense of sorrow welled up in her heart.
Having failed the woman's advice and protection, she ultimately followed a similar path to hers, only slightly better, as she still had some leeway.
She bit her lower lip, forcing all the color out of her skin, leaving the bitten area pale and bluish, but the sobs still escaped. The sound was like a thread being pulled back and forth, caught between breaking and breaking.
The curtain moved, and someone sat down.
Cool fingers gently brushed across the corner of her eyes, carrying a faint scent of sandalwood.
"Why are you crying? Are you still feeling unwell? Should we have the royal physician come and take another look?"
Meng Shutai used the back of his hand to check the temperature of Le Jin's forehead, then touched his own forehead with the back of his hand.
She doesn't have a fever or cough, so why is she crying so sadly?
He looked at Le Jin with suspicion, intending to wait quietly for her to finish crying and listen to her explanation, but unexpectedly, the person under the quilt suddenly spoke in a delicate voice:
"hug."
Her eyes were filled with tears, and she looked extremely aggrieved.
Meng Shutai leaned down, burying his chin in Le Jin's neck, his chest pressing slightly against her through the quilt, one hand supporting the back of her neck, the other gently patting her shoulder.
Be as patient and meticulous as when coaxing a child.
Le Jin's sobs grew louder and louder, until they almost turned into wailing. Her heart felt like it had been ripped open, and blood was dripping from it.
In order for herself and her sister to escape those helpless days, there were some things she had to do.
After a while, the crying subsided, and the person on top of her finally sat up, propping themselves up with their arms and looking down at Le Jin:
Can you tell me what happened?
The person before her had beautiful, sparkling eyes, like water and stars. Their gaze fell on Le Jin like a galaxy, tender and radiant.
Le Jin blinked her wet, sticky eyelashes and said in a muffled voice, "My eyes were stung by the incense burner when I woke up."
"Heh," Meng Shutai chuckled, massaging the corners of her eyes with his thumbs, "You used to eat sweets and ice cream even when you were sick at Huayan Temple, why are you so delicate now?"
He turned his head to the outside and ordered, "Baoyin, take the incense burner away from the bedside."
The excuse was too lame and made no sense at all. But Le Jin couldn't tell Meng Shutai that she was crying because she wanted to torment him to the point of no return, so she could only make up a reason to appease him.
But Meng Shutai went along with her, without questioning or blaming her for being pretentious, as if she was born to be this way in his eyes.
He gently brushed aside Le Jin's short sideburns with his fingers, his eyes crinkling into a smile. "For those smoky eyes, shall I get you a new face powder?"
"Um."
Having cried so hard, Le Jin closed her eyes for a while before opening them again and asking him, "What time is it now? How long have I been asleep?"
"It's just past 3:45 PM. You've slept for a whole day and night."
"So long?!" Le Jin almost sat up.
The candlelight flickered outside the curtains, the warm orange light filtering through so softly that even Meng Shutai's outline was blurred. Naturally, Le Jin didn't see the guilty look in his eyes.
"I'm not feeling well, what's the big deal about sleeping a little longer?" Meng Shutai carefully tucked the quilt back in, which had been wandering around. "Would you like to sleep a little longer, or go to the storeroom to look at the jewelry and jade and have some fun?"
He was talking about his wedding night, a faint smile in his voice.
Le Jin pretended to yawn and pulled the blanket deeper into the bed. "I'm still sleepy. I want to sleep."
She turned her back to Meng Shutai and ignored him, deliberately slowing her breathing to trick him into leaving quickly. But for some reason, Meng Shutai sat by her bedside for a long time, so long that Le Jin was almost asleep before he quietly left.
When Le Jin heard no more movement, she rolled over and lay on the edge of the bed: "Bao Yin."
"My lady, what is it?"
Le Jin's eyes darted around before she leaned close to Bao Yin's ear and said, "Make me a handkerchief, for men."
"For the son-in-law?"
Le Jin shook her head, "It's for the Prince."
The book says that "Le Jin" and the Prince of Zhennan are a perfect match, so he should be easy to seduce? If I give him something with a hint of romance, he'll understand her feelings, right? But she can't sew, so she can only ask Bao Yin to do it for her.
Bao Yin, having grown up alongside her wife, instantly understood Le Jin's intentions and even offered a suggestion:
"Besides the handkerchief, should my wife prepare a gift as before?"
She grinned, her tiny white teeth shining brightly in the darkness, too excited to hide them.
But what was she like before? Le Jin thought back for a moment, and realized that she was probably more experienced in love than Le Jin.
"OK."
After Baoyin left happily, Lejin lay back on the bed in a starfish shape, but now she couldn't fall asleep. Turning her head, she saw the empty space at the head of the bed, and her heart suddenly tightened.
Since their marriage, Meng Shutai has been completely obedient and compliant to her, as if he had truly locked up the madman in his heart and turned into a bodhisattva.
The more obedient he was, the more hesitant she became.
Can people really change their ways? Or is Meng Shutai's change a condition that requires her to sacrifice herself?
If he has already decided to turn over a new leaf, then isn't her current provocations just pushing him to commit violence?
That would be a huge offense.
It feels like there's a wad of cotton stuffed in my chest, making me feel suffocated and unable to muster any energy.
She tossed and turned in bed, feeling depressed, when suddenly she felt a strange, slightly painful sensation in her chest.
Le Jin touched it carefully and found that the skin around her areola was bumpy and uneven, as if something was poking it.
Perhaps it was because I had been sleeping for a long time and the ties inside my pajamas were pressing against my skin.
Winter winds approached, howling through the night. Meng Shutai walked towards the spice storehouse, his glass lantern swaying from side to side in the wind under the eaves, his shadow shifting with it.
Without Le Jin, he no longer needed to pretend to be a saint.
A servant came to report that Yue Jin had fallen into the river while trying to warn Princess Zhaode not to wade through the water.
He was initially a little angry. How could someone he was playing games with be so stupid? But last night, when he undid Le Jin's nightgown and saw her breathing heavily and unconscious, he thought again, it's fortunate she's so stupid…
Le Jin's mistake wasn't due to stupidity, but rather the Xie family's unpleasantness.
When she woke up, she cried bitterly, crying so pitifully and aggrievedly. Meng Shutai pondered for a moment and wondered if falling into the river reminded her of her previous death.
It seems she was really frightened back then...
The Xie family should be killed even more.
The day of the first snowfall in Luoyang happened to be the time when a group of officials entered the palace to discuss various matters at the end of the year. From this day onward, such days would become more and more frequent, continuing throughout the entire New Year.
The women of the court would also be invited to the palace to pay their respects to the Empress Dowager, the Empress, and a host of concubines.
Le Jin, with the brocade pouch that Bao Yin had prepared for her tucked in her arms, peeked out and hid behind a rock about half a person's height beside the palace road.
Today, the Prince of Zhennan has also entered the palace, making this an excellent opportunity to see him.
A destined encounter can be waited for. Before long, Le Jin saw a burly figure in a sable cloak walking towards her at the end of the long palace path.
Unfortunately, it was too far away, and Le Jin didn't see Xie Xianheng's expression clearly before she became happy, unaware that he was furious at the moment.
The Qingzhou petitioner falsely accused Xie Xianheng of being ambitious and boastful during his campaign to quell the rebellion in the north, and of exaggerating his achievements. The petitioner even presented a series of blood-written accusations with his fingerprints on them.
The marriage alliance between the Prince of Pingning and Prince Ning hadn't even been finalized yet, and now this would surely lead to the death of the Xie family.
He was summoned to the palace by the emperor early in the morning. On the surface, the emperor was sympathetic to his youth and impetuousness and his tendency to make mistakes. He kept saying that he was not to blame him. In reality, the emperor took away the Xie family's personal guards who had fought alongside him and were passed down from his father!
Xie Xianheng was furious, but Meng Shutai comforted him with a calm smile...
"The Prince of Zhennan has been leading troops for many years and has made great contributions. Why not take this opportunity to rest and appreciate the beautiful land that the Prince's family has protected for so many years? Wouldn't that be a way to be loyal and filial?"
That person was exceptionally handsome, radiant like a god, elegant and composed. But when the absurdity was hidden in his eyes, he was quite sinister and hateful, making one want to tear off his ostentatious human skin!
Qingzhou, Qingzhou... He knew how grateful the prefect of Qingzhou was to Meng Shutai.
Xie Xianheng couldn't understand it. He had been extremely cautious since returning to the capital, so what had he done to offend this person?
He was filled with anger and had nowhere to vent it when suddenly a gentle voice called out to him from the side.
"Your Highness."
Xie Xianheng turned his head and saw Meng Shutai's wife. Her hair was adorned with gold and jade, her cheeks were as white as snow, and a bright red flower was pasted between her eyebrows, so vivid it seemed to drip with moisture. Two pearls swayed by her ears. In the swirling snowflakes, she was uniquely eye-catching and lively.
Le Jin smiled and bowed her head, displaying a graceful demeanor as she handed the item in her arms to Xie Xianheng.
"Thank you for saving me that day, Your Highness. I have prepared a small gift for you, and I hope you will accept it."
She held a bulging, palm-sized blue embroidered pouch in both hands. Xie Xianheng took in her fawning expression, knowing full well what was going on.
This little rabbit has some ulterior motives...
However, since Meng Shutai gave him such a generous gift, shouldn't he return the favor?
When the embroidered pouch in her hand was taken away, Le Jin felt a sense of relief and looked up at Xie Xianheng with a bright smile.
"Your Highness has accepted it, so I will take my leave."
"Wait a moment."
Le Jin paused for a moment, then turned around in confusion: "Is there anything else, Your Highness?"
Xie Xianheng remained silent, then took out the jade hairpin from his sleeve. "This is the hairpin that Madam left behind. I respectfully return it to you."
Le Jin nodded and was about to take it when Xie Xianheng suddenly turned his wrist and moved closer to Le Jin, personally putting her hair back in her hair. Before withdrawing his hand, he didn't forget to brush away the remaining snow from her temples.
It was both inappropriate and ambiguous.
Um?
Le Jin's heart pounded; she could hardly believe it. They'd hooked up already? So easily?
Xie Xianheng squeezed the embroidered pouch and asked with a smile, "It's so soft inside, what gift did you prepare, Madam?"
"It's nothing, just a small gift made by a young lady. It's a small gift but it expresses her feelings..." Le Jin didn't finish her sentence. She deliberately emphasized the last two words, leaving some lingering meaning for Xie Xianheng.
Xie Xianheng nodded, his smiling gaze falling on Le Jin with an air of immense weight. Then, a person holding an umbrella slowly appeared in his line of sight.
Meng Shutai, stepping through the snow, appeared unhurriedly behind Le Jin to shield her from the snow. Le Jin was startled, but considering the time, his audience with the emperor should have ended by now, so it wasn't anything unexpected.
"Ah Jin, I've been looking for you everywhere. How come the Prince is here too?"
The first half of the sentence was tender and affectionate, while the second half was as cold as ice. Xie Xianheng chuckled and waved the item in his hand at Meng Shutai: "My lady is kind and has sent me a gift to express her gratitude for saving my life."
His words were barbed, but Meng Shutai didn't respond. Instead, his eyes lit up with joy as he took Le Jin's hand and said, "That's just how she is. She's taken care of even the most random cats and dogs on the street."
Meng Shutai looked up at the sky. "It looks like it's going to snow heavily. Your Highness should return to the manor as soon as possible. This winter will be tough, so it's important to make plans early."
Le Jin stood by, terrified, watching the two men spar without daring to utter a word.
That's terrifying...
Since she has already achieved her goal, she can now play the coward for a while.
Meng Shutai took Le Jin's hand and turned to leave, his face filled with an arrogant expression.
Is this person a child? So happy to have won an argument?
Le Jin silently complained about him, when Xie Xianheng's voice suddenly rose behind her.
"Madam, this gift of gratitude..."
Meng Shutai paused, turning around as Le Jin, holding an umbrella, looked back.
Xie Xianheng opened the embroidered pouch, inside were two items: an apricot-colored handkerchief and... a bellyband embroidered with mandarin ducks playing in the water.
He lifted a corner of his undergarment, pulling out two-thirds of it, and his ears instantly became congested with blood.
Le Jin's mind went blank for a moment.
Baoyin, your previous style was for giving away bellybands, wasn't it?!
Her hand was suddenly gripped so tightly it felt like her bones were about to break. She turned to look at Meng Shutai beside her; his gaze was fixed entirely on the undergarment, his expression blank and devoid of emotion, his eyes clear as glass. But—
His lips were actually turned up in a smile, and he remained motionless.
It was eerie and terrifying, like a mindless monster.
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Author's Note: I went over the limit! I'm posting this just short of the limit! [crying][crying][crying]
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