Chapter 52 She was already his woman.
Upon hearing his apology, Dai Li burst into tears. "It's not your fault. It's my fault for not coming to find you sooner. It's all my fault, all my fault..."
If she had come sooner, instead of delaying for half a year, wouldn't her child have been spared from being abused in this unfamiliar era?
He was only ten years old when the great famine struck nine years ago.
At that time, every household was starving, and the grass and trees were withered. He was just a ten-year-old child, and no one around him was related to him. Who would take care of him? Who would give him the life-saving food?
Will those starving people turn their eyes to her children?
Just like the nightmare she had once had. Several butchers held him down, and with swift strokes of their knives, they would either give tender meat along with money to the diners, or drop chunks of meat into the steaming pot, while the diners around, whose faces were not clearly visible, cheered.
Anyone can mistreat her child...
Qin Yanzhou sighed, a mixture of indescribable satisfaction and helplessness at being unable to defy fate despite his best efforts. "It wasn't your fault, it's all in the past now."
He was content; he hadn't been happier than he was ten years ago.
He thought he would wander here alone until he went mad or died. Unexpectedly, heaven finally took pity on him and, just when he was about to give up and sink into the mire, let him see the sunlight that could dispel the gloom.
Thus, his soul was redeemed, and the barren land was transformed into an oasis. It was like bathing in a hot spring, so warm that tears welled up in his eyes.
But there was also an indescribable sadness. My mother said that when she came looking for him, he had fallen into the river and ended up here. Was that true...?
Qin Yanzhou opened his mouth, but didn't have the courage to ask the question.
Upon hearing him say "it's all over," Dai Li bit her lip tightly.
No, we can't get through it!
How could the suffering of the past ten years possibly be over? It will be a black mark etched deep into the soul, a festering wound that may never heal in a lifetime.
Dai Li's heart was bleeding. In the blink of an eye, hot tears fell, and her vision became clearer. Then, she saw two scars on the neck of the person in front of her.
A scar, about half a finger thick, coiled like a snake around his neck, lay directly in front of him, looking as if a rope had been digging into his flesh. This had happened repeatedly, leaving this scar that remained indelible even after the years.
Another cut is on the side of the neck, about two inches long, straight without any bends, most likely caused by a knife or sword.
Dai Li's pupils suddenly constricted, as if her temples had been struck by a heavy hammer. Some details she had overlooked just now sprang up like snakes startled from the grass, biting her hard.
Zhouzhou's voice was off from the start; it was excessively hoarse, like a handful of rough sand in his throat, or like a broken, rusty, and abandoned gong.
She had initially thought he was choked up with emotion, but now it seemed that wasn't the case.
His voice is damaged.
Dai Li opened her mouth as if to speak, but couldn't say anything; she just gasped for breath.
The chill was truly extreme; it condensed into a prismatic cone covered in sharp spikes, which traveled along her trachea inwards, causing her to bleed profusely from within.
Dai Li began to tremble, as if she had fallen into an ice cave, and her trembling fingertips finally touched the old scar.
Qin Yanzhou paused. The scars on his face could be said to be fake, but those on his neck, hands, and even his body could not be faked.
He was at a loss for what to do.
Dai Li's emotions were fluctuating wildly, and coupled with her exhaustion that night, she became so agitated that her vision went black.
Qin Yanzhou was about to say something when he suddenly felt the person in his arms go limp. His eyes narrowed, and he was about to help her up when a large, dark hand reached out from behind her, grabbed her waist, and pulled her backward.
The young man looked up suddenly, his dark eyes, inherited from his mother, were as black as ink. The gentleness from before had vanished, leaving only a sharp edge.
When the door opened, more than just his mother came in, but at that moment he couldn't see anyone else either, he just wanted to confirm one last time whether this was a beautiful dream that he was indulging in.
now……
When their eyes met, one was calm but showed no joy, while the other was obviously wary and resistant.
Qin Yanzhou was not yet twenty years old, not as tall as his opponent, nor as robust as Qin Shaozong, who was in his prime. Surrounded by a group of northern generals, this did not prevent him from glaring menacingly at the man before him.
If he were an animal, his fur would probably be standing on end by now, and he would be making a low, warning growl coming from his throat.
Qin Yanzhou didn't ask who the other person was, because there was no need to. Legend has it that the Marquis of Wu'an from the north was born with a broken eyebrow. Today, he had sneaked into Qin's residence, and after he introduced himself, the man who tied his hands said he would report to the Marquis.
This person arrived later, and his characteristics all match up; he must be Qin Shaozong, whom Fan Yanzhou greatly feared.
Qin Shaozong chuckled upon seeing this.
Well, it's just a little wolf cub.
He sneaked into the mansion twice at night, and the second time he dared to come alone without missing a day. He probably had quite a few encounters with the guards and wasn't afraid of getting his head chopped off.
No wonder he's her son; he inherited her great courage, they both have the heart of a bear and the guts of a leopard.
“Your mother is not feeling well, I’ll take her back to rest.” Qin Shaozong reached out his hand again.
Qin Yanzhou remained silent, taking a step back with Dai Li, just barely avoiding his long arm, still watching him warily.
Connecting the merchant's notice and the missing person notice from the north, he vaguely guessed why his mother was involved with this person.
Qin Shaozong was amused by his actions. "Trying to leave? Your assassination attempt failed. Do you think Fan Tianshi will let you get away with it? Not to mention you're taking her with you. How can you possibly settle her properly? Besides, no one knows better than yourself how many dirty deeds you've done and how many enemies you've made over the years. Do you believe that the moment Fan Tianshi announces your betrayal, someone will come knocking on your door seeking revenge?"
After he finished speaking, Qin Shaozong's temples throbbed twice.
These past few days, he's been drinking with Nangong Xiong. During the banquet, Nangong Xiong mentioned this Quan Jie, who has a lot of messy affairs stuck to him, but he didn't take it seriously at the time.
She was indeed a pitiful person with a hard life, that's all.
This world is inherently unfair, and countless people suffer misfortune. Some are persecuted to death by powerful figures because they cannot pay their increasingly heavy land taxes due to bad luck; others are framed by treacherous officials and their entire families are exiled to the frontier, where they gradually perish on the long journey; still others are betrayed by villains and die on the battlefield, leaving behind only two orphaned children.
Every unhappy person is unhappy in their own way. Only by breaking through the huge, dark cloud hanging over our heads can we see the dawn.
Therefore, when Qin Shaozong heard about "dog mustard," he didn't care and even agreed with Nangong Xiong's suggestion that dying early would allow him to transcend his suffering and strive for a better rebirth in the next life.
But fate is cruel; this boy turned out to be the son she had been searching for. How did he end up being her son? If she hadn't cared about him, she would have followed him without even packing her bags the moment he kicked the boy out of the mansion.
Qin Shaozong had a rare headache.
The wolf cub she gave birth to was truly a troublemaker. But having been given it back, she would never be separated from it again.
Well, he'd already dealt with the previous two governors, so dealing with another one like Yanzhou wouldn't be a problem. Besides, after forming an alliance with Nangong Xiong, he and Fan Tianshi were already subtly at odds...
Qin Yanzhou was stunned by his words, and the sharp thorns that had been standing up all over him wilted a little.
Although it was only a small amount, its momentum was indeed not as sharp as before. He remained silent for a moment and then asked, "Where is my mother's room?"
This means they want to take her back to her room.
Qin Shaozong knew that he had yielded and was considerate of the mother and son's reunion, so he held back and left only with a deep voice saying, "Come with me."
After they left the hut, the others were still somewhat dazed, especially Bai Jianping.
"Isn't Lady Dai's son nine years old?" Bai Jianping stammered. The boy just now looked at least eighteen or nineteen.
When Hu Bao returned from Qiantang, he only rested for one night in Ying County before receiving orders to set off again for the Qin family in Yangzhou the next day.
That night, Hu Bao, Feng Feng, and Qiao Wangfei, who had not yet received the gag order, talked about the strange story of the "ten years". The two were amazed. As a result, after talking about it with their comrades the night before, they received a gag order from their superiors the next day.
However, since Feng Feng and Qiao Wangfei were already aware of the matter, Hu Bao had no choice but to ask them not to spread the strange tale around.
This led some of Qin Shaozong's subordinates to know that a ten-year gap had occurred, while others were unaware and even thought he was genuinely searching for a nine-year-old child.
Qiao Wangfei sighed, "This is a long story."
"Then let's get to the point." Bai Jianping was extremely distressed. "Madam Dai looks to be at most thirty, and that boy is around eighteen. There's no reason for him to have a child at eleven or twelve. He's not even of marriageable age yet."
Qiao Wangfei looked at Feng Feng, who, as the only other person in the know besides him, had a somber expression and seemed to be thinking about something.
Bai Jianping was immediately displeased. "Why are you looking at Lao Feng? Could it be that he knows too? If so, you must tell me. There's no reason why I'm the only one who doesn't know."
Qiao Wangfei sighed: "Now that the person has been found, he should be able to talk. It wouldn't hurt to tell you, but this matter needs to start from Hu Bao's trip to Qiantang..."
While they were having a small meeting in the small hut, Qin Shaozong had already led his men back to the main courtyard.
Qin Yanzhou had seen the layout of the house and knew the importance of this courtyard, so he stopped at the entrance and did not go in.
Qin Shaozong did not hear any footsteps. He turned around and saw him standing quietly in front of the courtyard. "What are you doing standing there? There is no need for a single wooden stake outside my courtyard."
Qiao Wangfei's arrival to report the time also woke Nianxia and Bipo. Seeing that Daili had left with them, the two women simply got up to prepare, lit lamps in the courtyard, and waited quietly for their master to return.
Now that the wait is over, it has finally arrived, but...
The two women looked at Qin Yanzhou, both startled. This man was so ugly, how could he be so intimate with the lady, and why did the Marquis seem to have no objections?
A few steps away, Qin Yanzhou said in a low voice, "Change the courtyard."
Qin Shaozong's gaze turned cold: "She lives here; there are no rooms for her anywhere else. It is the elders' business, and the younger generation should not, and absolutely must not, interfere in the affairs of their elders."
“It’s not between elders!” Qin Yanzhou retorted.
Qin Shaozong coldly retorted, "Based on your original age, your father must be younger than me. My surname is Qin, and his surname is Qin. We share the same surname and are one family. Your father, whose whereabouts are still unknown, still has to call me 'elder brother' in front of me, doesn't he?"
Qin Yanzhou stared intently at the man not far away, hating his own inability to speak well.
Back at the Fan residence, Pingwei often mocked him, but he was indifferent at the time. Everyone was the same, merely disposable tools in someone else's hands, living day to day, with no tomorrow in sight.
What's the point of arguing with someone who's about to die? Besides, he's too weak to argue with them anyway...
Now he wanted to hold a grudge, but because of his long-standing taciturn nature, he didn't know how to express himself.
Qin Shaozong was also furious.
This kid got into a horrible mess, and he's the one who has to clean it all up—it's an utter disaster for him. Fine, he's not incapable of handling it, but instead of being grateful, this kid acts all wary and defensive.
What's there to be wary of? She's already his woman.
His ability to infuriate people is just like his mother's.
Qin Shaozong suppressed his anger. "It's late and the dew is heavy. She's not wearing much, and she'll catch a cold if she stays outside for too long. If you keep dawdling, we'll not only have to treat her foot injury, but also treat her cold."
After speaking, Qin Shaozong turned and walked towards the side room.
"My mother injured her foot? When did she get injured?" Qin Yanzhou followed up this time.
Qin Shaozong said slowly, "Not long ago, when she heard news of you, she rushed off the bed and accidentally fell to the ground."
It's late at night now, and most people would be asleep by now. The only people who would know she fell when she got off the bed are the ones who shared a room with her at the time.
As expected, everything went quiet afterwards.
Qin Shaozong, who was walking ahead, curled the corners of his mouth.
The side room was brightly lit. Nianxia and Bipo were both quite shocked to learn that the ugly young man was their master's son.
The two secretly sized up Qin Yanzhou, and simultaneously applied an eight-hundred-fold filter to him.
The young man was tall and had an outstanding physique. His eyebrows and eyes really resembled his wife's, though his face was more resolute. He had a very straight nose and beautiful lips. If you ignored the scars, he was actually quite a handsome young man!
Qin Yanzhou placed the person on the couch, and then tried to sit up. It was only then that he noticed that Dai Li had been tightly gripping the corner of his robe.
They gripped it so tightly that their knuckles turned white.
Qin Yanzhou paused for a moment, then said softly, "Mom, I'm back."
Dai Li did not react and continued to hold on tightly.
Qin Yanzhou had no choice but to take off his outer robe. After he stepped back, Nianxia stepped forward to remove Dai Li's shoes.
Qin Shaozong instructed another maid, "Go to the low cabinet in the corner of my room and take the medicinal wine from the black bottle on the third shelf."
Bibo went over immediately and quickly returned with the items.
Qin Shaozong took the medicinal wine and began to shoo people away, saying, "A daughter should avoid her father when she grows up, and a son should avoid his mother when he grows up. This is none of your business. There is a side room next door, you can go and rest there."
Qin Yanzhou stood still, saying, "There's no need for Your Excellency to deign to do so."
Qin Shaozong's forehead veins throbbed, and he once again felt that the person in front of him was irritating no matter how he looked at him, which was extremely annoying.
Just then, the two heard a small gasp of surprise.
It was Nianxia who, upon hearing the words "medicinal wine," became worried and quietly rolled up Daili's skirt to check where she was injured. Upon inspection, she found that Daili's ankle was red and swollen.
Qin Shaozong stood by the bed and turned his head to see the swollen and red ankle.
He took a deep breath and exhaled, then tossed the medicinal wine to Bibo. "Take good care of Madam, and check if she has any other injuries. If she is still not awake by 9:00 AM, go and fetch Ding Lianxi."
Qin Shaozong turned around and said as he passed Qin Yanzhou, "You come out too, kid."
This time, Qin Yanzhou did not remain standing in the same spot.
Author's Note: LOL, I just realized you guys have given Lao Qin all sorts of nicknames, like "sucker," "tool," and "traitorous stepfather," hahaha.
This chapter marks the end of this small phase!
Next up is the second round of "she escapes, he chases," sorry, I'm just a country bumpkin, I just love these kinds of things, and this has always been the core theme of this article (cough) (runs away with a pot on his head)
The weather in Guangdong is so changeable! My nose is running like crazy today, and I feel dizzy. I'm not feeling well, but please bear with me, baby. [crying emoji]
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