Chapter 15 A muddled mess of accounts, unclear and impossible to repay…
Jin Shiyu lowered his eyes, remained silent for less than half a second, then lifted his clothes and knelt down.
He was the one who owned this dog.
Shang Tingzhi lifted the gauze curtain to watch the farce unfolding on the first floor.
The young boy was handsome and upright, and even in a humiliating action like kneeling and prostrating himself, he performed it with great grace.
suddenly.
Amid gasps of surprise, Jin Shiyu, who was kneeling halfway down, was struck in the waist by Jin Suiqing, who rushed out from under the stage, and fell to the ground. The little princess hugged her brother tightly and cried uncontrollably.
The young princess couldn't bear to see her brother treated like a dog.
Today's plan is off.
Shang Tingzhi smiled, shook her head, lowered the gauze curtain, and got up to leave.
Jin Suiqing choked back tears and questioned Jin Shiyu, "Brother, I've been looking for you for so long, but I can't find you anywhere."
Jin Shiyu braced himself on the ground with both hands, not daring to look at her, and remained silent.
Jin Suiqing hiccuped, stared at Jin Shiyu, her eyes brimming with tears: "Brother...brother, even if I die, will you not come looking for me?"
His sister's words struck a nerve with his dark thoughts, like a thunderbolt. Jin Shiyu felt a pang of fear and a tightness in his chest. He opened his mouth guiltily, "Sister..."
"Brother, do you hate me?" Jin Suiqing interrupted him, wiping away her tears and pouting, "Don't you want me?"
Jin Suiqing's unstoppable sobs were like the pounding of a bell, striking Jin Shiyu's heart again and again.
It wasn't exactly a tremor, nor was it that weak.
Mother said not to hate my younger sister.
How could he control himself?
Just like now, how can he control his frantic, wavering heart?
No one had ever taught him how to face a child who carried Jin Guizhong's blood, who had caused his mother's death, yet knew nothing and trusted and depended on him in every way.
Jin Suiqing is the daughter of her enemies.
She was also the younger sister he raised.
Jin Shiyu had no way to explain. He gritted his teeth, his cheeks twitching slightly. He supported Jin Suiqing, wanting to pick her up: "Let's go back first..."
But his clingy younger sister pushed him away, stumbled, and ran out of Zuixianlou crying.
Jin Shiyu's hand trembled slightly. His palms hurt a little. After a quick check, there was no damage.
This disappointed him somewhat.
Jin Shiyu looked up at the private room on the east side of the second floor. Seeing that no one was there, he dusted off his clothes and followed his sister out of Zuixianlou.
Jin Suiqing ran to the front of the rhinoceros carriage, and Jin Shiyu quickly caught up with her, trying to help her up as usual.
She cried as she broke free from his hand, braced herself against the edge of the carriage floor, and clumsily jumped up without looking at him, tumbling into the carriage.
My sister is angry and doesn't want to talk to him.
Kim Shi-ok's hands trembled even more violently.
After an unknown amount of time, Jin Suiqing poked her head out of the carriage, crying, "Brother! Are you still coming?! I want to go home!"
Jin Shiyu was momentarily stunned, and stared at Jin Suiqing for a moment. Her face was flushed, and tears were streaming down her face.
He closed his eyes briefly, lowered his head, and silently boarded the rhinoceros-horn carriage.
Inside the carriage, Jin Suiqing curled up in a ball, her backside facing him. She stopped howling and started sobbing silently, the chubby little ball twitching as if she had suffered a great injustice.
Jin Shiyu raised his hand to touch her, but Jin Suiqing, as if expecting this, suddenly turned around and shouted at him, "Brother, don't touch me!"
Jin Shiyu remained expressionless, his cool fingertips gently pressing against her swollen forehead: "Does it hurt?"
Jin Suiqing refused to speak.
Jin Shiyu gently rubbed his hairline, his thumb brushing against it, leaving a red mark. He rubbed his fingers together and looked closely; it resembled blood.
"You bumped it?" Jin Shiyu reached out to pull Jin Suiqing into his arms for a closer look, but Jin Suiqing pushed his hand away and whispered, "Brother, don't touch me."
Jin Shiyu's hovering fingers curled up, and he suddenly clenched his fist. He paused for a few seconds, then withdrew his hand and placed it neatly at his side.
Throughout the journey, his hand remained open.
Hearing her younger sister sobbing softly, Jin Shiyu lowered her eyes and unconsciously scratched her palm with her fingernails, quickly leaving bloody marks.
*
Jin Suiqing covered her face and rushed into the room, collapsing onto the bed and sobbing.
Huihong quickly got up, walked briskly to the door, looked around for a moment, and then closed the door.
She walked to the bedside: "Little Princess? Little Princess?"
Jin Suiqing, who was lying on the quilt with her hands behind her back, gestured to her: "You're too into acting, let me catch my breath."
She and Huihong rushed back to the Jin Mansion via a side path, took similar clothes, sneaked back to Zuixianlou to change, and then climbed onto the stage.
He put on a show to fool Jin Shiyu, Shang Tingzhi, and Qin Xianglan at the same time.
A moment later, Jin Suiqing climbed off the cup and instructed Huihong, "Go get me a wooden box. The workmanship shouldn't be too fine; the rougher the better."
"What is the young princess going to do?"
Seeing that Jin Suiqing didn't answer, Huihong felt strange, but still obediently went to find it and handed her her own jewelry box.
Jin Suiqing took a deep breath, hugged the jewelry box, and smashed it against her own head.
"Little Princess!" Huihong was terrified and quickly snatched the box away, checking Jin Suiqing's forehead. "Why did you smash yourself?"
Jin Suiqing grinned and grimaced: "Is it broken?"
"It's not broken."
"It's good that it's not broken," Jin Suiqing rubbed her face vigorously, thinking that if it were broken, she wouldn't be able to fool anyone. She explained, "I didn't wash off the rouge properly, and my brother rubbed it on. He thought I had bumped into something and would definitely check my wound. It wouldn't be right if I didn't leave some marks."
The first time he wouldn't let Kim Shi-ok touch him, it was an act; the second time he wouldn't let him touch him, it was because he felt guilty.
Huihong: "Would the young master do that?"
Jin Suiqing rubbed her head and stared at Huihong.
Huihong thought about it carefully. Considering Jin Shiyu's elusive and ghostly demeanor... she shuddered. The little princess was right.
Jin Suiqing: "I need to heat the water in the basin again so I can apply it to my face."
Huihong waved her hand: "No, applying heat will worsen the bruising."
Jin Suiqing wanted to make the bruises appear to spread, pretending to have a blood clotting disorder, but she couldn't bring herself to say it because of the plot, so she urged Huihong to do it quickly.
Huihong couldn't refuse, so she brought her hot water and carefully applied it to Jin Suiqing's head.
After holding back for a long time, Huihong finally spoke: "Young Princess, does the young master really want to kill you?"
"I don't know." Jin Suiqing shook her head, also somewhat bewildered.
If Kim Si-ok really wanted to kill her, he would have done so during the six years he took care of her. Why wait until now?
From beginning to end, she couldn't understand what her brother was thinking.
Seeing Jin Suiqing's dejected expression, Huihong comforted him, "Perhaps the young master had no choice but to do this?"
Not in control of one's own destiny?
He hadn't refused the handkerchief before, and now he was having tea with Shang Tingzhi, acting very freely, not like someone who was not in control of his own destiny.
It can only mean that he truly hates her.
Jin Suiqing clutched the hem of her clothes, thinking that if she were in her shoes, she would also hate the person she cared about who was indirectly killed by her sister who appeared out of nowhere.
However, Jin Shiyu's almost ambiguous concern at certain times left Jin Suiqing puzzled.
My brother's heart is as deep as the sea.
With the system in place, she has tasks to complete, a storyline to follow, and the brotherly and sisterly affectionate act to continue.
However, she needs to bring forward her plan to save money and become independent, and arm herself with skills. She can no longer simply expect Kim Shi-ok to show mercy in the future.
Feelings are all fake; money and Ye Zhufeng are the only real things.
Jin Suiqing sighed, "I can't figure it out, it gives me a headache."
Huihong quickly lightened her hand on the affected area: "Then let's not think about it anymore. I'll take care of the young master for the little princess from now on..."
“No need to protect me,” Jin Suiqing shook her head. “I’ll handle things for my brother myself.”
Huihong was speechless, unable to understand the brother and sister, so she gave up trying to understand them and focused on applying a poultice to Jin Suiqing's head.
Jin Suiqing suddenly remembered something and whispered, "I want Huihong to tell me your story with that 'Yu Yi'."
Huihong's face flushed red and then paled: "Did the young princess hear everything?"
“I heard everything,” Jin Suiqing said, gently touching Huihong’s face. “I hope Huihong can talk to me and see if there’s anything I can do to help you.”
Concern is only one aspect; secondly, Huihong's relationship with Zhang Yuyi is very important to her.
Huihong sighed softly, her hands still moving, as she recounted everything in detail.
Two years ago, when Huihong went out to buy things, she met Zhang Yuyi, a mover. He spoke with a local accent, and Huihong felt very close to him, so she gave him a ladle of water.
Zhang Yuyi had dark skin and very white teeth. His smile was somewhat comical. After finishing his water, he wiped his mouth and said, "Huihong, how did you end up in the capital?"
Huihong laughed and said, "I fell ill and my parents didn't want to raise me anymore, so they sold me to a slave trader. Luckily, I survived and recovered, and I entered the Jin family."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Yu froze, his face filled with sorrow.
"Aren't you planning to go back to your hometown to find your biological parents?"
Huihong: "That illness was too severe. I burned all the things from before and forgot them. I only remember the accent and the general direction. I don't remember anything else. I'm doing well now, so I won't go back."
Yu Yi's face was a mixture of laughter and tears: "It's good to forget, it's best to forget sad things, to be reborn and transformed."
That's how the two of them became acquainted.
Zhang Yu always thought about Huihong and would bring her rare little things. Even when Huihong offered him money, he wouldn't accept it.
Later, Zhang Yu asked Huihong if she wanted to learn to read.
Huihong then learned that Zhang Yuyi had attended school and even passed the preliminary imperial examination.
Huihong asked curiously, "Why didn't Brother Yu continue his studies? Why did he come to the capital to do manual labor?"
Zhang Yuyi: "I felt uneasy reading it, so I came to the capital to find someone."
"Did you find it?"
He laughed and said, "No, I guess we'll never find it again, so that's fine."
Huihong knew the principle of not asking too many questions about other people's affairs.
She felt an inexplicable affection for Zhang Yuyi, a feeling she couldn't explain. She simply went out of the mansion whenever she could to see him, chat, and learn some characters.
Having gotten used to each other, Huihong felt the time was right and handed the money she had saved to Zhang Yuyi: "Brother Yuyi, after thinking it over, I think you should continue to go to school."
Zhang Yu felt the money bag was too hot to handle and dared not touch it.
Huihong said, "I want to see Brother Yu go to school. Brother Yu should go to school."
Not long after, Huihong met Zhang Yuyi again, and he told her that he had entered the National Academy.
Huihong didn't know anything about the National Academy, but she was happy that he could continue his studies, so she invited him to a drink.
The two sat by the lake, drinking cheap liquor in the cold wind.
Under the influence of alcohol, Zhang Yuyi grabbed Huihong's hand and said, "Little sister, I should take you to live a good life. I will redeem you from your indenture, and we will save money to buy a courtyard. You can do whatever you want."
Huihong's cheeks flushed. At the tender age of sixteen, she was easily moved, but Huihong was not a fool. She remained silent and listened quietly.
Zhang Yu handed her the purse at his waist: "I'm sorry, brother. Take this. I'll definitely make sure you live a good life."
Huihong forced a smile and said, "Later, I heard that he had become lame. The rest, the little princess saw."
Jin Suiqing was somewhat disappointed: "That's... all?"
That simple?
Huihong asked, puzzled, "Then, what else would the young princess like to hear?"
Jin Suiqing scratched his head, thought for a moment, and asked, "Do you still remember what your surname used to be?"
Huihong shook her head: "I forgot everything after an illness. My mother-in-law just wanted it to sound nice, so she named me Huihong."
“Oh, right,” Huihong said, “it was written on the slave register. I couldn’t read it back then, and now that I can read, I don’t remember it.”
Jin Suiqing seemed to be deep in thought.
*
That night, Jin Suiqing's door was pushed open.
The bright moonlight cast a tall, lean shadow of Kim Si-ok. He closed the door and went inside.
Huihong turned over, and Jin Shiyu stopped in his tracks.
Once Huihong remained still, Jin Shiyu quietly approached the Jinsuiqing bed.
He lifted the bed curtains, carefully sat on the edge of the bed, grabbed a corner of the blanket, and pulled back his sister's covers.
Jin Suiqing, curled up in a ball, turned her face away, seemingly fast asleep. Jin Shiyu leaned closer to listen to Jin Suiqing's breathing.
Stable and long-lasting.
His sister was alive; her tender life left him defenseless.
Unable to see her face, Jin Shiyu unconsciously pursed her lips, pinched Jin Suiqing's chin, and turned her around.
Upon closer inspection of Jin Suiqing, Jin Shiyu frowned deeply when she saw the large, dark purple bruise on her forehead.
I'm really hurt.
Jin Shiyu took out the medicine box, warmed his hand on her neck, scooped out a piece of ointment, and applied it to her forehead.
The ointment was still a bit cool, causing Jin Suiqing's eyelids to tremble slightly, and she murmured, "Brother..."
A note from the author:
Meibao: She's got this [newbie] figured out.
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