Chapter 6: Rotten Wood Cannot Be Carved
The old man came for five consecutive days, accompanied by the little girl behind him, and suddenly became the person who visited Xie Huailing the most.
He was truly adept at reading from the book; he finished a two-finger-thick book in two days, and even read three books in five days. However, he could only read as he was told, since Xie Huailing gave him absolutely no feedback. How was he supposed to know how well she was learning or how much she understood? She could go on without saying a single word to him.
She didn't tell the maid anything, treating what she learned as if it hadn't been learned at all. She simply immersed herself in her own world, oblivious to everyone else's ups and downs. If she ate even one more bite of food than yesterday, she considered it a favor. Until the last day of teaching, the old man still didn't know how well he had taught. He puffed out his beard and glared, leaving a few books behind to go collect his wages. The little girl stood by the desk packing up the book box.
She was only ten years old this year. Her face was yellowish and her eyes were sunken. She looked like a little mouse and would secretly look up at other things. She would become so engrossed in what she was looking at that that she didn't realize she had offended a distinguished person until Xie Huailing stared at her for almost half a cup of tea's time. She lowered her head, grabbed the hem of her clothes, and apologized with trembling hands.
Xie Huailing had no intention of causing her trouble. She wasn't a good person, but she wasn't that bad either. She broke off half of the pastry and stuffed it into the mouth of the still-talking little girl to shut her up. The little girl pursed her lips, swallowing all her unease, and sobbed as she said, "Miss Biao is so kind." Xie Huailing nodded and said, "I really am kind," and praised her with two more pieces of pastry. After the little girl had eaten the pastries until crumbs were all over her nose, she began to stare blankly and wonder, "What does 'Miss Biao' mean?"
Over the past two days, she had vaguely heard this title several times, even when she went out for some fresh air, and from the maids' mouths. The question had barely formed in her mind when she quickly pieced it together: Su Mengzhen had probably chosen this identity for her. This man's domineering nature was quite interesting; she just didn't know who her cousins were.
With this new identity confirmed, the next thing followed immediately. Xie Huailing changed rooms, from this secluded house tucked away in a corner of the building, to a larger room upstairs. The number of maids increased to eight, their expressions full of eagerness and anticipation, as if they were waiting to serve her for some good job. From this, Xie Huailing guessed the script Su Mengzhen had arranged for her. Without saying a word, she followed the person who came to lead the way, pushed open the tightly closed wooden door, and a wisp of sandalwood incense wafted out.
Everywhere the eye falls is exquisite and elegant. The room is vast, yet it feels utterly spacious. The dome is extremely high, with layers of light gauze hanging down, like freshly fallen snow, reflecting the brilliant light filtering in from the windows, or like a sea of clouds in the mountains. Through the swaying shadows of the gauze, one can vaguely see a bed in the inner room. Beside the bed, on a low table, a celadon medicine urn emits a misty smoke. Several delicate porcelain vases add to the sense of solitude. As for the jade bell by the window, the furnishings, calligraphy, paintings, and ancient books... such things need not be mentioned further.
The grandeur of a young lady's boudoir is right before my eyes.
The maids pressed her down in front of the dressing mirror, gathered her black hair and began to do her hair. The wooden hairpin she had been wearing every day for convenience was removed. They were eager to give her a thorough makeover, inside and out. The gleaming bronze mirror reflected her features, and her cloud-like hair and fragrant cheeks were held in several pairs of delicate hands. They drew her eyebrows, painted her eyes, applied rouge and lipstick, and found a fleeting glimpse of her beauty amidst the woman's orchid-like fragrance.
After being dressed and perfumed again, until she herself could no longer recognize herself, everything was ready, and the graceful figure of the goddess was outlined in the gauze painting.
The maids chuckled softly, fluttering around her like butterflies, yet remaining silent, observing her quietly, behaving in accordance with her usual taciturn and unapproachable nature. Xie Huailing, amidst this scene that should have been blissful, felt a chill run down her spine. She felt as if she needed something less on her head, yet her whole body felt uneasy. After much thought, she decided to return to her bed.
The door was knocked three times, and the maid's faint smile vanished like birds and beasts. She stood respectfully by the wall, and Xie Huailing, who had already reached the edge of the couch, had to sit back down at the table.
The person who came was none other than Su Mengzhen, whom I hadn't seen for many days.
He still exuded a solitary aloofness, dressed in dark red. This time, he carried nothing. The maids, tucking away their light veils and lighting incense, quickly retreated with their heads down, not giving him a second glance. If we disregard their encounter underwater, this was their third meeting.
Xie Huailing propped her face up with one hand as she watched him walk over. The room was almost devoid of warmth the moment he arrived. He sat down directly in front of her, and she immediately enveloped himself in his shadow.
He didn't say much. He poured tea and was about to speak when Xie Huailing beat him to it. Xie Huailing also put his other hand on the table so that Xie Huailing would subtly lean his head forward. His makeup faded and he said, "Cousin."
The hand that was pouring the tea paused, and the water almost spilled.
.
She spoke too soon; Su Mengzhen is truly a remarkable person.
Xie Huailing, realizing she had guessed correctly, had a subtle "I knew it" look on her face. She was clearly pleased that she had used this title to make the first thing Su Mengzhen could understand before Su Mengzhen could explain the identity she had been given. She then returned to her boneless posture, casually resting her arm against her own. The so-called Divine Radiance Consort, as beautiful as a flower reflected in water, was nothing but an illusion.
Su Mengzhen put down the purple clay teapot, took a sip of tea that had risen to the edge of the teacup, and his pause was just a trivial interlude: "I have settled the household registration for you, young lady. From today onwards, you are my cousin, the cousin of Jinfeng Xiyu Tower. My aunt married far away to the Northeast nineteen years ago, and you are her only daughter born in a foreign land. You are now a beautiful young woman, not yet of marriageable age, and you have come to me after your family was destroyed."
Since he had already chosen this role, it meant he was the most suitable, and she didn't need to ask any further questions. However, the title of "Miss Shengbiao" seemed a bit too high. Xie Huailing kept this in mind, and then heard him ask, "Did you understand what I just said, Miss?"
Xie Huailing thought for a moment and said, "It's probably pretty close."
The pronunciation of this sentence wasn't as accurate as "cousin," but she had perfectly imitated the pronunciation of a person from another dynasty learning Mandarin. Su Mengzhen guessed her progress in Mandarin. Five days of teaching had already shown her dedication, especially considering the old teacher's criticisms. However, her perfect pronunciation of "cousin" still made him uneasy. He silently pondered in his heart: "You have a general understanding of the customs and culture of the Song Dynasty. Starting today, I will send someone to tell you about the affairs of the Jianghu. I will start today."
Indeed, there is a martial arts world, a Song Dynasty different from history. Xie Huailing sighed, "If there are martial arts heroes, why can't we kick Emperor Huizong out of the story? There's no reason for trash to live on forever."
Su Mengzhen gave Xie Huailing ample time to react, insisting on waiting for her to nod to indicate that she understood before continuing. As he spoke, he observed her reactions closely. Since he was going to talk about the martial arts world, the first thing he naturally mentioned was the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion.
Jinfeng Xiyu Tower, the most loyal and righteous tower in the world, was founded by his father Su Zhemu. It has always valued loyalty and righteousness and was upright and honest. When it was handed over to Su Mengzhen, he carried it forward and made it great. In just seven or eight years, it soared like a dragon and a tiger, and built a considerable territory in the capital city where the Seven Saints Alliance of Mitian and the Six and a Half Halls were divided. It was a powerful force in the martial arts world and looked up to the world.
When highly capable people talk about their achievements, there's always a hint of boasting. Su Mengzhen succinctly said, "Now that the Seven Saints Alliance of Mitian is in decline, the current state of the martial world can be summed up in just six words."
"Which six characters?"
"Six parts thunder, four parts sour."
Countless heroes' tears, countless swords and bloodshed, countless changes of fortune, countless parting sorrows—all are melted into his nonchalant style. He built his empire, he displayed his pride, laughing with his sword drawn, for all heroes of the ages are but fleeting figures. The magnificent Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion, perched atop the pinnacle of the martial arts world, is something many can only dream of, forever unable to reach.
Standing here, one is easily filled with lofty ambitions and heroic sentiments; a single gesture can inspire a thousand responses, and the heights can also be quite chilly.
Behind those few words, Su Mengzhen must be a rather arrogant person.
Xie Huailing, however, sensed something different and bluntly stated, "Forty percent of Su? Forty percent probably isn't enough."
Su Mengzhen's eyes held a cold glint, a faint glow like fire, and he responded to her directness with nonchalant ease: "Those who achieve great things in the world climb high and look far."
If Xie Huailing weren't expressionless, she would have given a meaningful smile; if Su Mengzhen weren't, he would have had some other reaction. However, they were both, so they just drank tea and looked at each other, nothing more.
Then, when Su Mengzhen pressed for answers, Xie Huailing leaned back on the table, her long hair cascading down and covering half of the wooden table. She lowered her eyes and said that she hadn't understood what he had just said.
Her awkward pronunciation was consistent from beginning to end, and the timing was also very subtle. For a moment, Su Mengzhen really couldn't tell the truth from the falsehood. After much deliberation, he could only let her follow the steps he had created and jump to the next topic, continuing to talk about other Jianghu gangs, focusing on six and a half halls.
The more they talked, the more Xie Huailing said she couldn't understand, and she even made Su Mengzhen write and explain at the same time. She kept saying that there should be a limit to practicing spoken English, and that you can't treat someone like someone preparing for the college entrance exam. She turned her head away and pressed her face against the table, no longer showing Su Mengzhen her face, and just kept saying, "I'm not doing this today." Su Mengzhen tapped the table with her hand, but she didn't react.
The veil swayed across her face, as if it were someone's gaze. Half an incense stick's time passed, and the two remained locked in a stalemate. Xie Huailing, inhaling a faint fragrance, closed her eyes. Then, someone knocked on the door.
The voice was very low. She heard the words "living god of wealth," bringing some extremely important news. Su Mengzhen's shadow straightened and then bent over, leaving something for her before disappearing with the sound. The wooden door opened and closed, his presence vanished, leaving only the scent of ink. Xie Huailing remained in the same position until the wooden door was completely closed.
She looked up; she had actually understood every single word.
On the table lay a thick stack of papers, all covered in Su Mengzhen's handwriting, detailing the current situation in the martial arts world. The top sheet had large blank spaces with only one line written on it: "Your clothes will be sent by someone another day. Burn them after reading." Xie Huailing called for the maid who had entered, lit a candle in the daytime, rolled the Xuan paper into a long, thin strip, and burned it into a pinch of fine ash.
Watching the dust drift out the window, she leaned against the windowsill, letting one arm hang down. The turbid waves of the Bian River and the low-hanging evening clouds outside the window were merely the background; gazing into the distance, she was struck by the chilling, austere atmosphere that permeated the Golden Wind and Drizzle Tower itself.
The buildings don't simply soar into the clouds; their sharp angles bite into the most precipitous wharf along the Bian River. The dark blue roof tiles rise and fall in a continuous, undulating pattern, with countless winding corridors connecting numerous pavilions and terraces, stretching to the horizon in the deep twilight. This richly detailed landscape extends onward, and though there are still scattered glimpses of Bianjing in the distance, it exudes a sense of humility, a timidity shrouded in the shadow of some struggle.
Also intimidating them were the buildings on the other side of the city, cold and mocking. The two colossal structures faced each other across the sky, silent, yet their palpable killing intent seemed to collide and entwine in the sky above Bianjing, where the evening clouds hung low, coldly piercing the direction of the Golden Wind and Drizzle Pavilion.
Looking at the end of everything, the Forbidden City, indifferent to the world, stands tall and arrogant, excessively disregarding its subjects.
The remaining Bian River murmured, its waters churning like the muffled beating of a drum.
Xie Huailing turned her gaze closer and looked downstairs. She saw a magnificent golden carriage approaching, and Su Mengzhen's figure was already standing by the Tianquan Pool.
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The pacing of this story won't be fast. The first volume will explain how Ms. Xie joined the company. After all, some groundwork needs to be laid to get Ms. Xie to willingly work for Master Su. This will likely be completed within chapter eighteen. Then, it will officially begin with her joining the company and tormenting her superiors and enemies.
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