Chapter 110 Not for Petty People
Qingyang Prefecture
Duke Qi lay half-reclined on the bed in the post station, squinting and staring intently at Commander Shi kneeling before him: "Are you saying that the grasslands were being watched too closely, so there was no chance to make a move? And you couldn't get any evidence of that brat Qi Rong's crimes?"
Commander Shi knelt on the ground with his head down: "Yes, the grassland is patrolled by Old Zhou's men. I can't interfere. The commander has been here for several years and has been strict in managing the army. There's nothing to hold against him."
The Duke of Qi sneered, "Have you forgotten who your master is now? Still letting that beast give you orders?"
Commander Shi kowtowed deeply to the wooden floor of the post station: "This humble one dares not."
After staring at Commander Shi for a while, Duke Qi suddenly laughed: "Get up. Although we didn't catch any concrete evidence, at least the granary was destroyed. If that brat reports it, I'll take the opportunity to bring him down. If he doesn't report it, then we have evidence, right? Haha, you're still too green to fight me."
Duke Qi lazily shifted his posture and waved his hand: "Alright, you may leave. I will keep my promise to you. Go find my personal guard to collect your reward."
Shi Qianhu nodded and left the room. A hint of annoyance flashed in his eyes as he closed the door, turned around to collect the reward money, and then went back to another room.
After receiving the money, Commander Shi returned to his room, placed the silver on the table, and a woman was sleeping on the bed behind him. She looked at Commander Shi and hugged her son on the bed with her back to him, quietly wiping away her tears.
Commander Shi poured himself a glass of water: "The Duke gave me a reward today, so we'll go to the capital to see a doctor and we'll definitely cure the child."
The woman on the bed suddenly burst into tears: "You, surnamed Shi, I'd rather my child die than see you like this!"
“Commander Qi has always been so good to you, always giving you the best of everything. How can you betray us like this? How will your child ever face anyone again?”
Commander Shi smiled bitterly: "His daily salary is not enough to buy medicine for my son. He is only three years old. How can I bear to watch him die!"
The woman turned her face away from her husband: "It's just a problem with the baby's development; it will get better with proper care. Do you know what you're doing? How will you face your family and neighbors in the future?"
Shi Qianhu slapped himself hard, and a red mark appeared on his face moments later: "I know I'm not human, I've let everyone down, but who was I doing all this for?"
“The frontier is bitterly cold, and you are frail. How many doctors have we consulted over the years to finally have a son? Are you expecting me to just watch the child die? Every time we go, they say it’s because the fetus is not healthy enough. We’ve taken medicine for years, but it hasn’t helped. Life has been getting harder and harder these past few years. If I stay there, it’s like watching my son die.”
Upon hearing this, the woman fell silent, got out of bed, opened the door, and went outside. As soon as she opened the door, she saw her eldest daughter standing outside, looking nervous and uneasy.
"Mother? You and Father?"
The woman wiped away her tears, took her daughter's hand, and walked towards the guest room next door: "Mother is alright, Mother will sleep with you tonight."
The thirteen-year-old girl was already quite sensible. She had been standing outside the door listening to her parents arguing and had figured out what was going on. She helped her mother back to her room and could never have imagined that her father had become an informant.
The two returned to the room. The woman sat on the bed in a daze, looking at her daughter with loving and gentle eyes. She pulled her daughter to sit down and stroked her face. Before she could speak, tears streamed down her face.
The eldest daughter had been very sensible since childhood. She was already engaged this year and would marry after turning sixteen. However, this meant her marriage was off. She couldn't imagine how her husband could betray Daxing. Her son and daughter had always thought their father was a great hero…
The woman wiped away her tears and looked at her daughter, her tone suddenly softening: "Da Ya, go to your father's place and bring your little brother out."
The girl nodded and gently agreed before getting up. As she reached the door, the woman called out again, "Never mind, there's no need to call him. We'll sleep here tonight, let that little rascal have his way with your father."
The two lay side by side in bed at night. The woman turned over and looked at her sleeping daughter. Suddenly, she covered her mouth and sobbed. After gently tracing her daughter's not-so-pretty face, she seemed to have made up her mind, rolled out of bed, bolted the door, and went straight out the door.
After stepping out the door, the young woman behind her suddenly opened her eyes, and seeing her mother's departing steps, hurriedly got out of bed and followed her out.
The streets were deserted and quiet under the cover of night. There was hardly anyone around, so quiet that you could hear a person breathing. She quietly followed her mother to the riverbank.
Watching her mother walk step by step towards the riverbank, she couldn't help but call out, "Mother, where are you going?"
The person in front paused, then ran even faster towards the riverbank. The young woman hurriedly chased after her and finally grabbed the hem of the woman's clothes just as she waded into the river.
The young woman, her voice shrill with rage, cried out, "Mother!!!"
The frozen river water made her calves cramp uncontrollably, and the young woman stumbled and fell into the river. Fortunately, the water around her wasn't deep. The fall startled the woman in front of her. The woman, regaining her senses, turned around and waded through the icy water to help her daughter up, scolding, "What are you doing here? What are you doing here?!"
As she spoke, she began to pat her daughter's body. The daughter's coat was soaked with river water, and her voice was trembling with sobs: "Mother, don't you want me anymore? Don't you want my brother and father either?"
The woman's lips trembled as she cursed, "No more! Go back to your heartless father! Go back!" With that, she pushed her daughter toward the shore.
The young woman used the strength to pull the woman's clothes tightly towards the shore, pleading, "Mother, go back, go back, please."
The woman's brows furrowed with a resolute air: "If you want to live, go find your father! I, Yu Danniang, will never associate with a traitor!! My grandfather was a commander of the Daxing Thousand Households, my father was a commander of the Daxing Thousand Households, my brother was a centurion, and your uncle didn't even leave behind a son or daughter before he died. If they find out that I married a heartless scoundrel who betrayed Daxing, I will never be able to face them again! My Yu family is full of loyal martyrs, and I would rather die than associate with someone like your father."
After saying that, he shoved his daughter's hand away and stumbled backward, falling into the calm but deep and cold river.
The young woman on the shallows frantically waded towards the middle of the river, trying to rescue her mother. The water was icy cold; the biting chill spread through her body as if countless silver needles were piercing her flesh, quickly leaving her weak and her teeth chattering. After glancing at the tranquil riverbank, she seemed to suddenly lose the will to live. She relaxed, stopped struggling, and slowly slid into the deeper water, quietly disappearing over her head not far from her mother...
The cold night was as still as silk, and all was quiet except for the distant howling of the north wind. The night watchman, striking his clapper, passed by the bridge not far away. No one noticed that the calm river had quietly swallowed two lives.
midnight--
Shi Qianhu gently knocked on the door. Seeing no response, he squatted down by the doorway. After a long while, he sighed and said, "Dan Niang, I know you're angry with me, but life goes on. Before the autumn harvest, a renowned doctor came to our area. He said the child needed ginseng to replenish her vital energy, otherwise she wouldn't live past twelve."
He's still so young, how can I bear to do this to him? But you know, I'm just a mere commander of a thousand households. A single ginseng root costs over a hundred taels of silver. The first ginseng Xiong'er ever ate was from Changping. He brought one back last time he came back, and out of courtesy, he gave it to me for twenty taels of silver.
As you know, after Zhong'er ate that ginseng, his health improved considerably. The Duke promised me that as long as I'm willing to follow him, Zhong'er can be cured. The Duke's mansion has plenty of ginseng and other medicinal herbs, and I can also secure a position there. From now on, we'll have no worries, no worries..."
Seeing that his wife was still angry, Commander Shi sat at the door for a while longer. After a long while, he still didn't hear anyone respond. He assumed his wife was still angry and was about to push the door open to go in.
"Danniang? Yuhua?"
From the room next door came the guard's scolding voice: "What are you muttering about in the corridor so late at night? It's disturbing the peace!"
Shi Qianhu paused in his hand as he opened the door, muttering softly, "Then I'll go back and rest first. Danniang, Yuhua, you two get some rest..."
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