Chapter 3. The Compassionate Rosary Imprisoned on the Man's Wrist Bone. ...
Chapter Three
Perhaps they were worried that Pei Zan would stay indoors after returning to his residence and not see any guests.
Upon hearing that the Pei family's troops were about to arrive in Jiangzhou's main city, the local prefect's family members hurriedly brought gifts and attempted to pay a visit to the Pei family. The list of gifts piled up in front of the Pei family's door like snowflakes.
For a time, all the prominent families in Jiangzhou were watching the Pei family's every move, afraid of falling behind and failing to secure a strong patron.
Old Madam Pei was a shrewd woman; she understood perfectly well the officials' attempts to curry favor. Even without an official title, she acted like a precious old lady.
The old lady was pleased by the flattery and was also inclined to let Pei Zan choose a woman he liked as his wife.
So, on the night Pei Zan returned home, Madam Pei hosted a family banquet, inviting young ladies from various households to her home.
I heard that the ladies of official families in Jiangzhou practically emptied the silk shops of all the fashionable satins in order to outshine each other at this banquet, and even took all their jewelry to the Jinlou store for a makeover.
The young ladies from wealthy families only need to worry about what to wear tomorrow and what to eat tonight; the hard work and toil are all done by the maids and servants in the mansion.
On New Year's Eve, the Pei family was brightly decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, and the sounds of string and wind instruments filled the air.
Red silk lanterns were hung on every tree in the courtyard, and the table was set with food and drink, including dried fruit and clams. A new stage was also made of colorful silk.
Lin Rong was originally with Uncle Wang from the stable, helping to arrange the guests' carriages at the courtyard gate.
But she was tongue-tied and a thin, frail girl. The stewards were afraid that she was too skinny to even hold a horse steady, so they didn't dare let her stand in the doorway and get in the way.
As it happened, the inner courtyard was short-staffed, so Uncle Wang sent Lin Rong away far away.
Setting out the dishes in the inner courtyard was a good job. If the servants were quick and efficient, the head maid, Juxiang, would even give them a reward of several coins!
Lin Rong was overwhelmed by this wonderful opportunity. She felt light on her feet, as if she were walking on clouds, and happily followed Granny Zhao into the inner courtyard.
However, Lin Rong forgot that the maids in the inner courtyard loved to form cliques and exclude the servants in the outer courtyard.
Several young maids, dressed in their finest attire, huddled together. No matter what Lin Rong asked, they only glanced at her with their rouge-stained cheekbones, never even giving her a proper look.
It wasn't that the maids were deliberately ostracizing Lin Rong; it was just that the young master was returning to the mansion at the very moment, and suddenly a pretty, well-proportioned young girl with fair skin and a beautiful face was being pushed into the outer courtyard. Who wouldn't be wary?
The men raised their eyes slightly and sized Lin Rong up and down.
Lin Rong was dressed simply.
The pink padded jacket had been washed countless times; the sleeves were frayed, and the trousers were pulled up. The girl's head was full and round, and her hair was simply styled into a single, glossy black braid, tied at the end with a thin red velvet thread. Despite her extremely shabby and impoverished attire, she still exuded a charming, demure beauty, which was truly repulsive.
They assumed Lin Rong was also there to show off to the young master, so they exchanged glances and hatched a plan.
They deliberately assigned Lin Rong to serve the most arrogant and domineering Miss Xie.
Lin Rong hurriedly declined, saying, "I've never served guests before. It's probably inappropriate to assign me such an important task."
The maid named Mingzhu smiled and said, "You're quite clever; you'll surely win the ladies' favor. Go on! The reward will be generous!"
Lin Rong was of low rank and had never held an important position, but even if she was naive, she knew that if such a good thing really existed, there was no way it would be her turn.
But since the maids in the inner courtyard had already spoken, Lin Rong couldn't refuse. She could only follow the other servants cautiously, hoping that nothing would go wrong on this errand.
However, Lin Rong underestimated the arrogance of Miss Xie.
Before she could bring the flower tea for the guests into the flower shed, she was knocked to the ground by Miss Xie, who came rushing in.
Boiling tea was poured over Lin Rong's hand, scalding her delicate fingers and causing several swollen blisters to immediately form.
Lin Rong felt the pain and immediately fell onto the snow. Her palm was facing down, and the thin porcelain teacup embedded itself in her flesh, causing blood to flow all over the ground.
Lin Rong winced in pain and let out a soft cry.
Before she could beg for mercy, a crisp slap landed across her face.
A loud crack followed by an extremely angry rebuke.
"Bitch maid!"
Lin Rong was caught off guard and slapped across the face. Her face swelled up instantly, her ears rang, and blood seeped from the corner of her mouth.
Lin Rong's hair was disheveled, and she looked disheveled. She knelt helplessly in the cold snow, filled with fear and unease.
The girl's knees were numb from the cold, but the frostbite was nothing compared to the burning pain on her face.
It wasn't Lin Rong's fault; it was Miss Xie who bumped into her...
But she could not argue or defend herself, for she was a servant, and this was a great disrespect.
"Miss Xie, please calm down!"
Lin Rong lowered her eyes, blankly picking at the snow, rubbing it on the back of her hand, trying to cool it down and relieve the pain.
Miss Xie saw the dirt on her clothes and knew that she would not get any special treatment from Pei Zan in such a filthy state.
Miss Xie was so angry that she cried. Her anger was so intense that she could hardly breathe. She wished she could drag Lin Rong out and beat her to death with sticks right then and there.
"I think you're deliberately trying to harm me!"
Miss Xie was still not satisfied and was about to slap him again when a fawning and excited announcement came from afar.
"Good news! The Grand Commander has arrived!"
A loud announcement rang in my ears.
Immediately, clusters of fireworks lit up the courtyard, and the thunderous sound of horses' hooves surged in like a tide, causing snow to fall in a flurry from the eaves.
All the laughter and chatter came to an abrupt halt amidst the commotion, and the banquet courtyard quickly fell silent.
Everyone eagerly awaited the news, unable to hide their excitement.
Even Miss Xie forgot about hitting people and hurriedly tiptoed around, looking out.
In the distance, military flags fluttered in the wind, rustling loudly.
The soldiers, clad in armor and armed with weapons, marched forward in formation, their momentum unstoppable, heading straight for the five-courtyard residence.
In an instant, the towering walls were surrounded by well-disciplined soldiers, like turtles in a jar.
As if witnessing a chilling scene, everyone fell silent, as if a dark cloud had descended upon them, and the atmosphere at the banquet became heavy and oppressive.
Most of the guests at the banquet were officials' wives, but Pei Zan returned home and disregarded the proper separation between men and women, leading a group of burly warriors to enter the house in a blatant manner... This behavior was extremely rude and simply arrogant and unruly.
The female guests stared blankly into the distance, like puppets on strings, unsure of what to do.
In the distance, snowflakes fluttered in the courtyard, and the eaves lamps lit up with soft, bright candlelight, gradually revealing human figures.
The man was born with a snow-white complexion and plum-like bones, elegant and dignified.
He was draped in a black fox fur cloak, striding through the biting wind as he drew closer.
This man was none other than Pei Zan, a military official renowned throughout Jiangzhou!
Pei Zan stepped into the courtyard with practiced ease, and showed no surprise upon seeing the women.
The man withdrew his gaze and lightly rubbed the prayer beads on his wrist.
A moment later, he raised his hand and gave an order, commanding the soldiers to immediately go to the military camp to settle down, and not to go inside and disturb the families.
Pei Zan was arrogant and disregarded the expressions of others, showing no manners whatsoever.
The women from wealthy families dared not speak out against their anger.
The daughters of officials were budding with romantic feelings and became even more curious about this legendary fierce general, Wu Chen, and couldn't help but steal glances at him.
This legendary anti-Japanese war god, despite being a military general, did not have a rugged appearance. Instead, he had long eyebrows that reached his temples and phoenix eyes that exuded power. His appearance was as flawless as warm jade, possessing the elegant and refined demeanor of a gentleman.
The girls clutched their hearts, their hearts pounding... They never imagined that the decisive and ruthless Grand Commander was such a handsome man!
Pei Zan raised his eyes and glanced around, clearly not expecting his family to host a New Year's banquet.
However, he was exhausted from the long journey and was also injured, so he had no mood to deal with others.
Pei Zan nodded to the wives of the officials and then stepped towards Yu Chen Courtyard.
Just as Pei Zan was leaving, he suddenly lowered his eyes and looked at that splash of red in the snow.
Seeing blood on New Year's Eve was a major taboo for him.
Pei Zan frowned slightly, feeling displeased.
Pei Zan suddenly stopped, and Miss Xie, of course, knew the terrible mistake she had made.
Miss Xie thought that Pei Zan disliked her for being too spoiled, so she quickly explained gently and kindly: "Grand Commander Pei, this servant was harboring malicious intentions and actually tried to splash me with boiling tea, so I took action to punish her... It was just a small scuffle, but I'm sorry to have bothered you, sir."
It was at this moment that Pei Zan noticed a maid kneeling in the snow.
The girl looked very young, like a chick, with hardly any flesh on her bones. The silk ribbon that held her hair at her temples had been knocked off, and her dark hair was disheveled, obscuring her face, which was covered with red and swollen finger marks.
She was obsequious, her head bowed deeply, her delicate, porcelain-white neck bent down, revealing glistening bone beads, like fragile, thin porcelain.
Pei Zan glanced at it briefly before looking away, showing no interest in looking any further.
Lin Rong, however, heard the approaching footsteps and her heart suddenly pounded like a drum, leaving her speechless for a long time.
Lin Rong knelt motionless in the snow, as insignificant and lowly as an ant.
After many years, she smelled that delicate yet strong sandalwood scent again.
Not only that, she also saw that Pei Zan's dark robe was being blown up by the wind, and a string of Bodhi wood prayer beads was faintly visible under the wide sleeves of the silk robe.
Lin Rong kept Pei Zan in her heart, and she always felt indebted to the young master.
She knew Pei Zan had a kind heart; he couldn't bear to see his servants in distress, and he would save her from danger... just like before.
The man narrowed his eyes slightly and said in a cold voice, "Since she is a wicked servant, just kill her. But tonight is New Year's Eve, and I cannot bear the sight of blood... lest the servant's blood be too dirty and ruin my luck."
Upon hearing this, Miss Xie felt relieved, knowing that Grand Commandant Pei wouldn't blame her.
In that instant, Lin Rong's shoulders went numb, her mind went blank, and she suddenly felt her tinnitus worsen. She didn't know if it was from being frightened or from being cold.
Suddenly she couldn't hear anything anymore.
Miss Xie breathed a sigh of relief, lightly kicked Lin Rong, and sneered, "Since Lord Pei can't bear to see blood, why don't you get out of here! What are you doing standing here, just an eyesore! Remember this well: I'll spare your life for now because of Lord Pei's return to the manor, for the sake of your heinous crime. But if there's a next time, I will definitely report to the old lady and punish you for your disrespect as a wicked servant."
Lin Rong was kicked and fell into the snow, unable to get up for a moment.
She endured the pain, obediently lowered her head, and used her hands, which had been scalded by boiling tea, to support herself as she prostrated herself before Pei Zan's boots, saying respectfully, "Thank you, young master and young lady, for your magnanimity... for sparing my life."
After saying that, Lin Rong got up awkwardly, forcibly supporting her frozen knees, and walked towards the outer courtyard.
Lin Rong dared not linger; braving the wind and snow, she quickened her pace.
She wanted to get back to the dark servants' quarters as soon as possible.
Even though the little house only had a low couch, a crippled table, and a coarse cloth curtain as a partition, it was Lin Rong's own home.
The small cubicle was unusually cold because there was no charcoal burning.
As soon as Lin Rong entered the room, warmth returned to her limbs and body, and the heat on her face returned as well.
Granny Zhao was very worried when she heard what had happened in the inner courtyard.
Fortunately, she was relieved to see that Lin Rong had returned unharmed and had not been beaten to death in the inner courtyard by the nobleman.
Granny Zhao felt sorry for Lin Rong's suffering, so she brought over a bowl of leftover sweet fermented rice balls from the kitchen and fed it to Lin Rong: "Eat it while it's hot! You must have hurt your knees after being in the snow for so long."
Lin Rong then realized that her face hurt, her legs hurt, and her whole body ached.
Her fingers were stiff, and she almost dropped the bowl of sweet soup. It was Granny Zhao who sighed, scooped up a spoonful of sweet dumplings, and fed them to her lips.
"How could you listen to Mingzhu and Mingyu's teasing and dare to serve that Miss Xie! Everyone knows she's related to the second wife and is extremely spoiled. It's a job that others would avoid like the plague, but you, like a fool, went up to it."
Despite being scolded by Granny Zhao, Lin Rong didn't feel bitter; instead, she felt warm inside.
Lin Rong felt a lump in her throat and tears rolled down her cheeks. She smiled and said, "I know, I won't do anything stupid next time."
Lin Rong raised the back of her hand and wiped away her tears.
It was only then that Granny Zhao noticed the burns all over her hands.
Granny Zhao hurriedly put down the soup bowl, exclaimed twice, and took out the ointment to help her apply it evenly.
"Don't cry. You're lucky to be alive. Next year is the end of the year. After you finish your work, go back inside and rest. I'll go get you a bowl of roast goose. We can eat it together with some wine."
Granny Zhao was a loner and had few children.
She originally looked down on Rong, who was as thin as a bean sprout, and thought that Lin Rong must have some ulterior motive for getting close to her.
But after spending many years together, Granny Zhao knew Lin Rong's character very well.
This girl is honest and simple-minded. Knowing that Granny Zhao has a bad back, she always takes the initiative to follow Granny Zhao when she goes out, helping her push the cart and carry grain.
Lin Rong was grateful for Granny Zhao's concern. Hearing the old woman's scolding made her feel warm inside, and the coldness that had risen in her throat was also dispelled.
Lin Rong shed tears, and she herself was somewhat puzzled.
Since she was sold into slavery, she had been beaten and scolded.
But this was the first time she had ever felt these emotions called grievances.
She was just thinking about some old things.
She simply remembered the kindness Pei Zan had shown her.
She only remembered the sandalwood scent emanating from the stack of robes and the string of compassionate prayer beads imprisoned on the man's exquisite wrist bones.
She had assumed that there were kind-hearted people among the masters of high-ranking families, and that Pei Zan was compassionate and must have felt pity for Lin Rong when he saved her from isolation and helplessness.
In reality, Pei Zan simply disliked seeing blood on New Year's Eve.
He was no different from Steward Liu, the master of the Pei family, and all the female relatives of officials.
In Pei Zan's eyes, Lin Rong was nothing more than a lowly and despicable servant girl whose very bones and blood were filthy.
It turns out that from beginning to end, no one... ever treated her as a person.
A note from the author:
I'll be starting this book next, feel free to add it to your favorites if you like! [Please!]
Can an Honest Man Also Be the Sweetheart of a World-Destroying Villain? - by Grass Lamp Master
Salted Fish x Villain | Strong Male, Weak Female | Both Virgins
In her past life, Yao Yin died on her eighteenth birthday.
Her fellow disciples faced her with swords, and eighteen Soul-Shattering Nails pierced her soul, killing her in the Soul-Destroying Pool.
Yao Yin couldn't understand how her former fellow disciple, who had once doted on her, could stand by and watch her fall in a pool of blood.
It wasn't until Yao Yin's soul was destroyed and her body was taken over that they realized... she was just a substitute for their junior sister Jiang Yaoyu.
The master brought Yao Yin to the immortal mountain not out of pity, but out of compassion for her, an orphan girl with no one to rely on in the world.
He merely wanted to strip her of her sword bones, seize her mortal body, and build a soul for his beloved disciple.
It turns out that Yao Yin was just a cannon fodder female supporting character in a small world of cultivation.
Because she reconstructed the body of the female lead Jiang Yaoyu, she gained the sympathy of the heavens and finally succeeded in becoming the tragic second female lead.
Yao Yin: Jin my ass! ^ ^
-
After being reborn, Yao Yin learns that in her previous life, Jiang Yaoyu encountered a villainous and troublesome man named Xie Chaoyu whom she could never win over.
The male and female protagonists not only defeated him, but were also forced to start a second life.
In this life, Yao Yin decides to ignore the tumultuous love and hate entanglements of the main characters and diligently play her role as an ordinary passerby.
Unexpectedly, a demon claiming to be the "Cannon Fodder Female Supporting Character's Counterattack System" became entangled with Yao Yin.
"Weren't you wronged to die after being tormented by the protagonist group in your past life? Aren't you very unwilling?! It's okay, we can rise from the ashes! As long as we defeat Xie Chaoyu, we can defeat the protagonist group!"
Yao Yin was eager to make a move. She was familiar with this business; it was simply a matter of influencing people with love and persuading them with affection. The enemy of my enemy is my friend!
Until the arrival of the first task.
[Don't talk to Xie Chaoyu for more than three minutes.]
Yao Yin: ...Why don't you just kill me? ^ ^
[Reading Reminder]
1. This is a fantasy cultivation story, unconventional and unorthodox, with a focus on romance.
2. Male protagonist is stronger than female protagonist, focusing on romance. The system is somewhat restricted, so please disregard it.
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