Chapter 24 (First published on Jinjiang Literature City)
Chapter Twenty-Four
It was a quarter past the hour of Mao (5:15 AM), and fog rose from the foot of the mountain, obscuring the sunlight. The tent was dark and even somewhat gloomy.
Lin Rong was trapped in this chaotic fog, and even her mind was somewhat hazy.
She watched helplessly as she was forced to submit to her superior, sitting cross-legged on Pei Zan's slender waist.
Lin Rong's hands and feet were stiff as Pei Zan's cool fingers lingered on the smooth, snowy skin of the back of her neck.
Lin Rong did not tie her hair up when she went to sleep last night.
Her long, flowing black hair cascaded down, gently brushing against the ground, and was caught by Pei Zan's jade-like fingers.
He gently twirled her dark hair, but without using any force so as not to hurt her.
Even the occasional tug on her hair, which would pull on her sensitive, tingling scalp, would still frighten Lin Rong, even giving her a sense of impending doom.
A dagger, skin ripped open, flesh severed, thick blood splattering across the snow...
At this moment, Lin Rong finally recalled the scene of Pei Zan killing someone.
No matter how reserved and composed he usually is, deep down he is filled with a violent and bloodthirsty murderous intent.
He is not a compassionate and solemn Bodhisattva; he is an evil god, a demon, and the Yama of Hell.
Similarly, when Pei Zan tore open her underpants, Lin Rong did not resist.
She dared not harbor any rebellious thoughts, and she let him do as he pleased.
Lin Rong sat helplessly on the male-faced bodhisattva statue.
Lotus-shaped Guanyin.
Such open and honest communication.
The heat emanated from her naked bones and blood, burning upwards like fire, almost destroying her completely.
"Lin Rong, if you are obedient and can do it yourself, I will let you off the hook."
The arrow is on the string and must be released.
Lin Rong is not stupid or dull.
How could she not understand Pei Zan's words?
Just a little feeling and you'll know... the tendons tremble and jump within the thin skin.
He just wanted to see her pathetically fawn over him and make demands in a sensible manner.
He wanted her to beg for mercy in a low voice, and to know what the duties of a concubine were.
Therefore, he took pity on him and did not enter again.
Lin Rong had received advice from her sister, Lü Zhu, and she knew that it was very easy to conceive in the period after menstruation. The concubines of the second wife who wanted to get pregnant would pester their husbands to have sex with them five or six days after their period ended, and they would have sex three to five times a night. Only in this way could they conceive a son or daughter.
Lin Rong didn't know if there were any medical professionals in the army who could prepare contraceptive medicine, and she dared not gamble with even the slightest bit of luck.
Even though Lin Rong suffered from cold when she was young and her menstrual cycle was irregular, the doctor said that it would be extremely difficult for her to get pregnant.
Lin Rong had to run away; she couldn't have a child.
We absolutely cannot let Pei Zan go in.
Lin Rong's eyes welled up with tears, and her nose felt slightly sore. She suppressed the bitter taste rising in her chest.
The girl's erratic breathing and precarious self-esteem were shattered by Pei Zan's subtle and manipulative guidance.
Lin Rong's eyes were fixed, her hands hanging heavily as she braced herself on Pei Zan's firm, muscular abs.
She finally moved.
He carefully knelt on the couch.
She knew her saliva wasn't moist enough and her lip cavity was narrow and cramped, but she had no other choice but to do so.
Lin Rong bit her cherry lips and carefully moved around.
She saw Pei Zan's increasingly dark eyes, his thin lips slightly pursed, and his silence as solid as a mountain.
The man's elegant jawline tightened slightly, and the veins on his forehead throbbed, clearly indicating that he was forcibly suppressing his emotions.
Like a moth drawn to a flame, Lin Rong fell into the charcoal brazier and burned to ashes.
Lin Rong dared not meet Pei Zan's gaze; she felt a sense of fear towards him.
Lin Rong tilted her pale, slender neck back, staring intently at the top of the tent.
She longed to see the stars and the moon, she longed to roam freely between heaven and earth, but she was imprisoned here.
Rooted beneath her, Lin Rong's tears trembled.
She felt as if Pei Zan's hand, which was pinching her thigh, was like a vine, wrapping around her inch by inch.
She was trapped in a cage, with no way to escape.
Sweating profusely, everything was wet and sticky.
The waterproof wolfskin blanket on the couch was completely soaked by Lin Rong.
Pei Zan held that slender, pearly waist in his hand.
He stopped Lin Rong from twisting and turning freely.
Even with sweat dripping down his brow and his long eyes bloodshot, Pei Zan's expression remained cold and aloof.
At the last moment, Pei Zan felt satisfied.
He slightly curled the corner of his lips, finally pinching Lin Rong's chin, and praised her in a lazy, deep voice.
"Lin Rong, you are very good."
...
Pei Zan had military affairs to attend to this morning, and after relieving himself, he had no time to deal with Lin Rong.
Fortunately, Pei Zan still had a sliver of conscience.
Knowing that there were no servants to attend to the women in the military camp, he specially ordered the soldiers to place the boiled water outside the tent and personally carried it into the tent for Lin Rong to wash and rinse her body.
After Pei Zan left, Lin Rong put on her robe and got out of bed, enduring the soreness in her legs, and staggered towards the screen.
She touched her lower belly.
Looking at his palm covered with sticky snowflakes, he breathed a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, Pei Zan kept his promise. Seeing her embarrassed and trying to please him, he gave her some face.
All those things were left outside.
Pei Zan was just trying to coax her into pestering him.
He didn't go inside, so he probably isn't pregnant.
Lin Rong clung to a sliver of hope, constantly reassuring herself.
After she washed away the filth from her body, changed into a small top and trousers, and finally put on the narrow-sleeved Hu-style dress that Zheng Huiyin had given her.
Lin Rong heard from Miss Zheng yesterday that this kind of narrow-sleeved Hu robe is suitable for riding and archery... She wants to steam cakes to please Zheng Huiyin and see if there is a chance to learn horsemanship from Zheng Huiyin.
If Lin Rong wanted to escape during the war, she would need to be skilled in horsemanship to have any chance of crossing this lush plain.
She heard from the cooks that there were homeless people everywhere, and the gatekeepers hardly ever checked travel permits; they would recruit any young and strong man into the city and incorporate him into their ranks.
This battle in Changzhou presents a golden opportunity to escape, and Lin Rong must seize it.
She can escape this place first and then discuss it later.
Once Lin Rong is imprisoned in the Governor's Mansion's inner quarters by Pei Zan, escaping won't be so easy...
-
I heard that the fighting at the front is intense, and Pei Zan led his troops into battle this morning. He probably won't be back for a month or so.
Upon learning that Pei Zan had left the camp, Lin Rong was so happy that she woke up laughing in her dreams at night.
The rear military camp was manned every three steps and patrolled every five steps, with impeccable military bearing and formidable defenses.
Fortunately, Lin Rong had already become familiar with these soldiers yesterday through Uncle Feng's introduction.
Because of Pei Zan's imposing presence, even if the soldiers wanted to get close to Lin Rong, they wouldn't be so foolish as to go up and greet her.
Lin Rong had a kind face and a sweet tongue. Her voice was soft and gentle, and she addressed people as "Big Brother" and "Soldier" at the same time. Even the most stern veterans in the cookhouse would give her a friendly look.
Lin Rong searched the grain cart for a long time and finally unloaded a stone mill, a small bag of white rice, and some sugar cubes.
Lin Rong went to Uncle Feng's place to ask if he could help her get some goat milk or cow milk.
Uncle Feng knew there were nomadic people living nearby, so he went out of his way to ask for a pottery jar for her.
The military camp had limited food supplies; there probably weren't many red beans, mung beans, or jujubes available. At most, Lin Rong could only steam a white sugar milk rice cake.
She carefully chopped the candied fruit she had received from Zheng Huiyin the night before, mixed it into the bowl of finely ground rice paste made with a stone mill, and then steamed it in a pot. This way, the sweet cake would have a richer texture and be more satisfying.
Lin Rong's ingredients weren't particularly fresh, but she deliberately tried to please Zheng Huiyin by putting a lot of effort into the grinding and steaming stages. The final product had a light rice aroma and a moderate sweetness, making it very delicious.
Many soldiers who were tending the stoves came over because of the sweet smell.
Lin Rong borrowed the kitchen and burned the firewood chopped by the soldiers. Naturally, she left some pastries as a return gift to satisfy everyone's cravings.
She gave a portion of the extra pastries to Uncle Feng, then took a food box, carefully placed the remaining rice cakes inside, and delivered them to Zheng Huiyin.
Lin Rong handed the steaming hot sweet cake to Zheng Huiyin, anxiously awaiting Zheng Huiyin's evaluation. "How is it? Is it too sweet?"
"No, no, it's just right." Fortunately, Zheng Huiyin didn't show any displeasure; on the contrary, she ate with relish.
Lin Rong breathed a sigh of relief.
You should know that although Zheng Zhiming often brings Zheng Huiyin candied fruit from the pastry shop, those pastries are all cold and dry, and they are not as delicious as freshly baked milk rice cake.
Moreover, Zheng Huiyin spent many years traveling with the army, living and eating with the soldiers.
The cooks are already doing a good job of cooking three meals a day, who has time to care about her favorite cakes and sweets for Girls' Day?
"It's delicious," Zheng Huiyin exclaimed.
She praised Lin Rong's cooking skills and finished the plate of pastries in no time.
Zheng Huiyin was still not satisfied and wanted to eat more, but she felt it would be too much trouble for Lin Rong and she couldn't take advantage of her.
After thinking it over, Zheng Huiyin pulled Lin Rong over and opened each of the chests containing gold, silver, jewelry, and luxurious clothes, showing them to Lin Rong.
"Rong'er, take whatever you like, whether it's a Japanese pearl or an Annam jade bracelet, you can take it... just send me a sweet cake every few days."
Lin Rong had worked in the mansion for many years, so she naturally understood Zheng Huiyin's unspoken meaning. The young ladies had something to ask for, but they were too ashamed to ask for it directly, so they could only give them some rewards in exchange for goods.
Lin Rong: "If Miss Zheng likes cakes, I can steam them for you every day. I don't want any jewels or fancy clothes, I only have one small request... Miss Zheng, are you free recently? Could you teach me how to ride a horse?"
Zheng Huiyin was stunned, not expecting Lin Rong to have this wish.
What's so difficult about riding a horse?
Zheng Huiyin felt a pang of sadness when she remembered how Pei Zan had withheld Lin Rong's wages. She wondered if Lin Rong had even paid out of her own pocket to make this sweet cake.
The little girl only has one coin to her name, yet she still covets Lin Rong's food. Isn't that too beastly?
Zheng Huiyin gritted her teeth and agreed: "What's so difficult about that? I happen to have some free time recently, so I can teach you how to ride a horse... Just wait here, I'll go to the stables and pick out a top-quality steed for you, and I'll also give you a jeweled saddle!"
Good heavens! Lin Rong usually considers even a tael of silver a large sum of money, let alone gemstones and jewels.
She felt unworthy of it: "How can I accept this... it's far too precious."
"Hey, take it. I'm a few years older than you. If I keep taking your food, my brother will scold me."
Zheng Huiyin insisted, and Lin Rong, fearing the equestrian event would fall through, dared not refuse any longer.
In the afternoon, Zheng Huiyin indeed took Lin Rong to the fenced-off pasture to choose horses.
There was a foal born to a Akhal-Teke horse. It had been raised for two years and was big enough. It was gentle and had a bright coat, making it perfect for a girl's family to bring along for riding and archery.
Zheng Huiyin originally intended to keep this fine horse for herself, but seeing that Lin Rong wanted to learn horseback riding, she reluctantly gave it to her.
However, before Lin Rong could even touch the red colt, a shrill and piercing neighing suddenly came from afar.
"Grab it! Shoot an arrow! Shoot its leg!"
"Oh dear, it's really good at dodging! Quick, put a rope around its neck and strangle it!"
...
Lin Rong turned her head and looked closely.
At the end of the sandstorm, a horse was violently thrown to the ground by its harness. An archer drew his bow, nocked an arrow, aimed at the horse's eye, and intended to pierce its brain.
The scraggly horse was surrounded by a group of people. It seemed extremely angry and neighed in grief and indignation, constantly raising its mane and kicking, trying to dodge the menacing black-feathered arrows.
The lasso tightened further, and the horse's eyes became bloodshot, turning a deep crimson.
In a desperate attempt to escape, the scraggly horse even chewed on its ropes, just to break free and catch its breath...
Lin Rong stared blankly at the scene, remaining silent for a long time.
She had worked with Uncle Wang, the horse breeder, raising horses, so she wasn't completely ignorant about horse breeding.
Lin Rong dared not ride the fine horses of the Pei family's masters, but she had ridden mules and black donkeys a few times.
Lin Rong knew that once Jianma's limbs were broken and injured, it would be left to die a miserable death, never to recover and stand up again.
Lin Rong asked, "What happened to that horse?"
Zheng Huiyin frowned: "I don't know where this wild mare came from, but she was mated with Governor Pei's warhorse, Mo Yu, and gave birth to this mixed-breed horse... Originally, I thought that since it was Mo Yu's offspring, I wouldn't dare to kill it easily, but it's fierce, can't be tamed, and doesn't listen to discipline. Such a wild and untamed foal can't be kept. After obtaining Governor Pei's consent, the soldiers planned to slaughter it as a meat horse and eat it."
Lin Rong was stunned.
She looked at the scraggly horse, her heart filled with mixed emotions.
The scraggly horse was indeed ugly, and its physique was far from athletic. It lay sprawled in the mud, its lips twitching as it chewed the rope, foaming at the mouth, its teeth almost bleeding from the effort…
For some reason, Lin Rong felt a tightness in her chest and felt somewhat uncomfortable.
She couldn't quite describe the feeling; she simply pointed to the scraggly horse and said to Zheng Huiyin, "Miss Zheng, I like that horse. Could you give it to me?"
Zheng Huiyin was surprised and, unusually, offered a word of advice: "You're a beginner in horseback riding; you can't tame a spirited horse."
Lin Rong thought for a moment and said, "Let me try... If it doesn't work, I'll send it back."
Although Zheng Huiyin didn't know why Lin Rong had chosen this horse, she insisted on having it, and Zheng Huiyin wouldn't refuse her request.
Upon hearing this, Zheng Huiyin readily nodded: "Alright, give it a try. If you really can't ride it, don't force yourself. If you fall and get seriously injured, I won't be able to explain it to my brother and Governor Pei."
Lin Rong smiled and said, "Okay! Thank you for your kind consideration, Miss Zheng."
Author's note: This is Thursday~
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