Chapter 21. It felt pretty good to be retaliated against. ...
(21)
At the dinner table, Shang Xinglan served food to the little boy as usual.
The little boy looked at the celery in the bowl, pursed his lips, and secretly looked up at Chu Li, as if pleading with her to take the celery away.
However, Chu Li was completely unaware of his gaze, silently eating her meal while holding her bowl, her face and ears suspiciously red.
Is Mother very hot?
The little boy had no choice but to look at Shang Xinglan again. The other party glanced at him, and the little boy trembled, then obediently picked up the celery and put it in his mouth.
What an awful texture.
Chu Li bit her chopsticks, her mind filled with the scene of someone pressing her down on the table just now. Her face grew hotter and hotter, and she belatedly felt embarrassed.
It feels pretty good to be retaliated against.
Shang Xinglan would never have treated her like this before. He was like the saying in the book, where feelings are expressed but restrained by propriety. He had never even kissed her first time, probably because his first experience was too painful, so he always stopped short of kissing her.
Actually, she just put too much medicine in their medicine that time. If she had put in a little less, their first time might have been wonderful.
Chu Li was lost in thought for a long time when she suddenly saw the other person stand up. She subconsciously looked up and saw that Shang Xinglan had put on that bamboo hat and was preparing to go out.
Where to?
She asked without thinking.
Shang Xinglan paused slightly, then ignored her.
Chu Li's lips curled slightly. She quickly shoveled the rice out of her bowl and hurried after him.
She was determined to follow him, no matter where Shang Xinglan went.
The person in front of her stopped without warning. Being so close, Chu Li pretended to hug him.
Her wrist was grabbed, and the other person turned around, speaking dismissively, "Stand still."
Chu Li stared straight at him. "No."
Shang Xinglan narrowed her eyes, glancing out of the corner of her eye that the little cub was looking at them. She took a deep breath and lowered her voice, saying, "Don't think that what I did just now was to forgive you, Chu Li. You should know your place."
Chu Li looked at him, slowly pursed her lips, and looked pitiful, like a kitten that had been abandoned.
Shang Xinglan stared at her for a while, opened her lips, but couldn't say anything. Frustrated, she turned around and continued walking.
Chu Li knew that he meant it, and happily said to the little one, "Yinyin, eat slowly and play at home without running around." After saying that, she followed closely behind Shang Xinglan.
A moment later, Chu Li stared in disbelief at Shang Xinglan, who had just pushed open the door to the west room.
"What are you going to do?" Chu Li asked anxiously as she caught up with him. "I said those things to upset you. Don't be impulsive. I don't like Xie Liyi."
Shang Xinglan glanced at her and silently pushed her away.
He slowly walked up to Xie Liyi and looked down at him.
When Xie Liyi saw him arrive, she scoffed coldly, "Despicable and vile."
Chu Li rushed forward and slapped him on the head, saying nervously, "Do you want to die? Don't talk nonsense."
"Why did you hit me?" Xie Liyi gritted her teeth and said hatefully, "What I say has nothing to do with you. Anyway, he won't let me leave here alive, so why should I bow and scrape to such a despicable person!"
Shang Xinglan's gaze fell on the two of them, and her whole body grew even colder.
Frustrated, he raised his hand and pulled Chu Li to his side.
Chu Li quickly grabbed his arm to prevent him from drawing his sword and killing Xie Liyi. "Husband, you rest. I'll teach him a lesson."
As soon as she finished speaking, Xie Liyi's eyes widened slightly, as if she couldn't believe that Chu Li had so easily switched sides to the devil.
Shang Xinglan silently looked at Chu Li and slowly pried her hands apart.
Chu Li frantically tried to grab him, but couldn't stop him at all. In desperation, she raised her voice, "Didn't you say you hated people who kill innocent people the most? Living beings have lives and should not be treated like dirt. Have you forgotten what you taught me?"
She wanted Shang Xinglan to return to her original state, even if she was the one who caused all the mistakes, so that she could at least make amends. She wanted to save Xie Liyi, but in reality, it was just to save her former husband.
Shang Xinglan paused, glanced back at her, and quickly looked away before walking up to Xie Liyi.
"My husband!"
With two sharp clangs, the chains binding their hands and feet snapped.
He stood up, and amidst the astonished gazes of Chu Li and Xie Liyi, took out the antidote from his pocket and threw it at Xie Liyi's face.
"I'll give you fairness." He chuckled softly.
Xie Liyi was stunned for a moment, then saw Shang Xinglan throw his sword over as well, "Come to the back mountain."
After saying this, he left, leaving Chu Li and Xie Liyi staring at each other in bewilderment.
Chu Li's eyes lit up, and she said excitedly, "Quickly take the antidote and escape now."
Xie Liyi hesitated for a moment, then put the pill in her mouth and chewed it. Hearing her words, she frowned and said, "No."
Chu Li: "?"
"I'm going to the back mountain. Lead the way." He stood up, sheathed his longsword at his waist, a flicker of anger flashing in his eyes. "He provoked me. Even if it's not to avenge the ambush, I have to consider the reputation of the Cangshan Sect. How can I run away without a fight?"
Chu Li looked at him in disbelief, clutching her forehead helplessly.
Is he out of his mind?
At a time like this, who cares about saving face? Do you really think you can win?
At Xie Liyi's repeated insistence, Chu Li had no choice but to take the person to the back mountain.
There was a large wasteland on the back mountain, where Shang Xinglan had originally planted a patch of gardenias. He always said that Chu Li was like a gardenia, pure white, fragile, and clean, and whatever color she was stained with would be that color.
Unfortunately, Chu Li didn't know how to take care of them, and all the flowers withered and died.
She led Xie Liyi to the wasteland, where they saw Gu Ye and Yan Xinbai in the distance.
Gu Ye sat in the tree, looking around casually, and waved to Chu Li, "Madam, come down to the shade of the tree."
Yan Xinbai stood under the shade of the tree, hands behind his back, looking like he was watching a show.
Shang Xinglan stood not far away, at the very spot where he had once planted a field of gardenias, lost in thought.
Chu Li walked forward somewhat guiltily and stood under the shade of a tree.
Those flowers are too difficult to grow.
She'll die if you don't give her water, and she'll die if you give her too much water. She's neither responsive to gentle persuasion nor to force. Where is she really like herself?
Xie Liyi watched Chu Li walk to the other side, annoyed by his lack of ambition, and drew his long sword from his waist.
On the other side, Shang Xinglan quietly looked at the dilapidated, withered flower field overgrown with weeds, and pursed her lips almost imperceptibly.
I guessed it.
Having cared for her child alone for five years, she was exhausted and had no energy left to care for flowers.
He looked away and reached out to Yan Xinbai, who tacitly drew his sword and tossed it to him.
Seeing Shang Xinglan pick up the long sword, Chu Li looked away with a pang of reluctance.
Everything ended quickly. Not long after, she heard Shang Xinglan sheath her sword. Chu Li looked up and saw Xie Liyi staring blankly at the sword in her hand, her face pale.
"I've set up a formation on Xiaofushan; no one can leave." Shang Xinglan casually tossed the sword back to Yan Xinbai, walked up to Xie Liyi, patted him on the shoulder, and his voice sounded like a sigh.
"It's still a long way off."
Xie Liyi: ………
He clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and stared at the other person.
Chu Li rushed over and grabbed Shang Xinglan's arm, asking anxiously, "If no one can leave, how will we go down the mountain to buy groceries? Can other people come in? Are you going to lock me up for the rest of my life?"
This time, Shang Xinglan did not break free from her hand. She glanced at Xie Liyi with a meaningful look before taking Chu Li home.
Xie Liyi remained silent for a moment.
What is that devil showing off over there?
Gu Ye also jumped down from the tree with a smile, patted him on the shoulder, and left, saying, "A worthy disciple of the Cangshan Sect, you're really amazing."
Several more veins bulged on Xie Liyi's forehead. He had never suffered such humiliation before, and Xie Liyi had been defeated with just two sword strikes.
The Demon Lord was nameless; he remembered it.
He vowed not to bear the surname Xie if he did not avenge this grudge.
*
As soon as they came down from the back mountain, Shang Xinglan pulled Chu Li away from her.
Chu Li was stunned for a moment, then hugged him again, only to be pushed away mercilessly once more.
"You can't do this to me." Chu Li tugged at his sleeve, feeling wronged. "Husband, I want to repent and make amends to you."
Upon hearing this, Shang Xinglan paused slightly, stopped in his tracks, and turned to look at her.
“I gave you a chance,” he scoffed, “but you didn’t take it.”
That night he really wanted to know the answer to that question, but Chu Li still didn't say anything.
Chu Li refused to give him the reason he wanted.
Chu Liming understood his meaning, and his expression stiffened.
"Shang Xinglan..." she pleaded softly as she reached for his hand, "I promise I'll change, I'll listen to you, and I'll never argue with you again, okay?"
Shang Xinglan glanced at her indifferently, unwilling to say anything more to her, and turned to leave.
“Pay attention to me,” Chu Li hurriedly followed him, “You can’t ignore me, you know I can’t stand it.”
Shang Xinglan suddenly grabbed her outstretched hand and said in a deep voice, "What about me?"
Can he really stand it?
He was the one who was pushed off the cliff, he was the one who became crippled without knowing why, and he was also the one who fell into depravity and became a demon.
Chu Li stared at him in astonishment, and after a long while, she timidly snuggled into his arms.
"I'm sorry, I'll never say it again."
Shang Xinglan took a deep breath, her forehead throbbing.
What's the point of not saying anything? At least say something!
"Whatever." Shang Xinglan released her with a cold face, pushed open the courtyard gate, and went back to her room to cultivate.
Chu Li wanted to chase after her inside, but the door was locked.
She knocked on the door twice, but knowing the other person wouldn't open it for her, she squatted down outside the door in frustration.
If you keep letting her talk, what can she possibly say?
Shang Xinglan even dug out his immortal bones for her, eloping from the Shang family to the godforsaken Xiaofushan, sacrificing almost everything.
In the end, Chu Li told him that she had actually lied to him; she was not a woman of yin at all and could not help him overcome his tribulation.
Shang Xinglan would be furious if he didn't die of anger, he would kill her.
She rested her chin on her hand, a gloomy cloud hanging over her head.
The next moment, Xie Liyi entered the room with his sword and headed straight for Chu Li.
He silently beckoned to her, and Chu Li hesitated for a moment before shaking her head.
He waved faster, with a hint of urgency.
Chu Li reluctantly got up, looked around, and then followed Xie Liyi out the door.
The two walked out of the courtyard and into the depths of the bamboo forest. Only after Chu Li was sure that no one else was beside her did she ask him, puzzled, "Is something wrong?"
Xie Liyi said in a deep voice, "There really is an array around Xiaofushan. Wuming's cultivation is above mine, so you have to help me."
Chu Li: "...How can I help you?"
"Of course, it's to help me get rid of him."
"Give up." Chu Li felt a wave of dizziness. "I've tried, but it didn't work."
I tried it five years ago.
Xie Liyi didn't seem to have much hope for her to begin with, and quickly added, "Alright, let's proceed according to the original plan, gain his trust, and then help me deliver the message."
He actually called Chu Li out just to find out if she still wanted to escape. Since that demon had married her, he must have had some feelings for her. With Chu Li's help, there might be a glimmer of hope.
Chu Li hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "Is the letter finished?"
Xie Liyi nodded slightly and took out a piece of cloth from his bosom. "A letter written in blood. Have someone deliver it to my sister Xie Yunge in the sect. She will understand everything once she sees it."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Chu Li froze on the spot. "You have a younger sister?"
Xie Liyi gave her a strange look. "Can't I have one?"
"But weren't you born a beggar?" She had heard that in the place where she was born, the Southern Border produced a genius who was found in a beggar's den, dressed in rags, and who then became a disciple of the Cangshan Sect's sword immortal.
At that time, she envied Xie Liyi, envied his good fortune, thinking that he was as helpless as she was, but he had become a highly sought-after and unparalleled genius in the cultivation world.
"You know me?" Xie Liyi was even more confused. "I was indeed a beggar, but I was wandering with my sister. After I joined the sect, Ge'er lived with me in the sect."
Chu Li listened blankly, unable to describe her feelings. It turned out that Xie Liyi really did have a younger sister, and they were living a good life together.
He has family by his side, so how can he be considered a homeless person?
She gave a soft "Oh," took the blood-written letter, and forced a smile. "She'll be terrified if she sees so much blood. I'll go back and get you some paper and a pen."
Upon hearing this, Xie Liyi also felt uneasy. When he was trapped in the house, he thought he might be killed at any moment, which was why he left the blood letter. Now it seemed that Wuming wouldn't kill him for the time being, but only wanted to humiliate him. It was best not to let Ge'er see this blood letter, otherwise she would probably think that he had already died at the hands of the demon.
The two returned to the cabin, and Chu Li took him to the little boy's room, watching him write a letter to his sister.
The little boy looked at Xie Liyi with suspicion and tugged at Chu Li's sleeve, "Mother, is he here to save us?"
Chu Li suddenly came to her senses, cupped his small face in her hands, and was somewhat at a loss for words to explain. After a while, she had a sudden inspiration and said, "Yinyin, the cultivator brother has already reformed the demons, and they have become good people now."
Xie Liyi, who was writing a letter, twitched at the corner of her mouth. She was about to ask Chu Li why she lied when Chu Li glared at her fiercely.
"Really?" The little boy was a bit incredulous. "It's that simple?"
Chu Li nodded without batting an eye, "Of course, the cultivator brother is incredibly powerful. If you don't believe me, you can go ask that demon. Just tell him you want to eat an apple and ask him to peel it for you. He'll definitely do as you say."
The little boy stared at her blankly for a moment, then pushed open the door and walked out.
He believed his mother wouldn't lie to him.
Chu Li breathed a slight sigh of relief and turned around. Xie Liyi had already finished writing the letter.
She took the letter and glanced at it briefly.
My dear sister, upon receiving this letter, immediately inform Master that the Demon Lord Nameless has appeared at Xiaofushan outside Leisha City in the Eastern Region of the Southern Territory. Come quickly to eliminate the demon.
I'm fine, no need to worry.
Signed: Elder Brother Liyi.
Chu Li remained silent for a long while, then put the letter inside her clothes. "I will give it to her."
Xie Liyi noticed the seriousness in her tone and looked at her with slight relief, "Thank you."
Hearing his words, Chu Li pursed her lips, "You can stay in the west room. Keep yourself clean and don't provoke him."
Xie Liyi withdrew a little of her reassurance, "What do you mean I provoked him?"
Before he could ask any questions, Chu Li had already turned and left.
She clutched her chest, leaned against the door, and took a deep breath.
That's so great, I'm really envious.
How wonderful it would be if Xie Liyi were her brother.
Unfortunately, she didn't have a relative like that to entrust her life to.
"Would you like an apple or a pear?"
Some people have many choices in their lives, and they struggle with which choice will not result in a loss or which choice is more cost-effective.
"Aren't you happy to eat both of them?"
Some people never have to make choices in their lives; they are born with everything, and they can get what they want by simply snapping their fingers or begging.
"If you want to eat, buy it yourself. It's shameless of you to fight with your brother for food."
But some people have no choice.
Chu Li has envied many people in her life, but the one she envied the most was her younger brother.
She was born into a poor family. Her father was lazy and loved to eat, but he had a handsome face, and her stepmother married him because she liked his face.
Chu Li has six older sisters. She is the seventh and youngest. Chu Li's biological mother died shortly after giving birth to her, and her father immediately married a stepmother.
The stepmother's family was in business, so the father and all seven of them had to rely on the stepmother's family for support. The stepmother was the boss at home, and she could beat whoever she wanted. If she was in a bad mood, she would pick up a stick and beat the sisters.
Chu Li was born not long ago when her stepmother abandoned her and threw her into the snow. It was the dead of winter, the coldest time of the year. Fortunately, a neighbor found her and brought her back home.
My father said to raise it, and if we can't afford to raise it when it grows up, we can sell it to a brothel.
Chu Li heard these words from her older sister.
She never met her biological mother when she was a child, so her stepmother was her mother.
She genuinely relied on that woman, just as Yinyin relied on Chu Li.
"Mother, I've mended your shoes."
"Mother, I picked some flowers for you."
"Mother, you look so beautiful in this hairpin."
Her mother liked her pretty words and would sometimes reward her with some food. Chu Li became the only one among her sisters who had ever eaten rock candy, even though it was just one piece, picked up from the ground.
The older sisters all disliked Chu Li, thinking she was deliberately trying to please her stepmother. They thought she was scheming at only five years old, and since everyone else was being beaten, why was she allowed to eat candy? They thought she was a traitor who caused her mother's death at birth and was now trying to please her father's new woman.
Everyone ostracized her, and she didn't understand; all she wanted was for her mother to hug her.
One night, Chu Li was sleeping when she lifted the covers and found the bed covered with countless insects. She woke up in shock and burst into tears, only to hear several malicious snickers.
The stepmother came out of the house and slapped her several times.
Dad just rolled over in bed, pretending not to hear.
Chu Li stopped crying.
At the age of five, she began to realize that no one in the family cared about her.
Six years after my stepmother married my father, she gave birth to a son.
The father was overjoyed and hugged and kissed his younger brother repeatedly, while the stepmother was also extremely happy.
The sisters were gloomy and not one of them showed a smile.
"They'll be left behind soon, just you wait and see."
Chu Li didn't understand the meaning of that sentence, so he secretly peeked through the door. His stepmother gently held his younger brother, stroked his little face, and then picked up apples and pears from the table to tease him.
"You little glutton, would you like an apple or a pear?"
She had never eaten apples or pears.
The newborn brother naturally possessed them.
Soon, Chu Li understood what her sisters meant. She was the first burden to be discarded. The other sisters were not young and could stay at home to work, but she was thin and young, so there was no use in keeping her.
She was sold to a neighboring village for the price of two loads of rice, where a couple was unable to have children.
As Chu Li was leaving, she knelt on the ground, crying and begging her stepmother not to throw her away. But her stepmother only glanced coldly at her face and said, "Your rice isn't enough. Who are you trying to fool? She has at least twenty pounds. Add more."
She was stuffed into a sack, placed with the rice sacks, and taken to the neighboring village in an oxcart.
Chu Li's new parents still treated her badly, and the most frequent thing they said was, "You're someone I bought with two loads of rice, so you should serve me. Do you want to be a pampered young lady who never lifts a finger?"
She was still just like she used to be at home, not having enough to eat or wear, and being beaten from time to time.
Until one day, she started to grow a little older.
Her new father would often stare at her for a long time and would always call her into his room, saying he wanted to give her some snacks.
Chu Li didn't know what he wanted to do; all she knew was that his eyes were terrifying, like a smiling ghost with a lump of rotten flesh beneath his skin.
Sure enough, the man dragged her into the sorghum field and tried to assault her. Chu Li was terrified and, in desperation, struck him on the head with a shovel she was using.
The shovel was old and broken, with a very sharp break. The man died on the spot.
That was the first living person she killed.
She didn't feel much; she just thought that the person's head looked like a cracked walnut.
Chu Li was even more afraid of being caught and beaten to death for murder. In a panic, he fled that house, took some food with him, and wandered the world ever since.
She traveled north, begging along the streets and even drinking the dirty water from ditches.
At that time, Chu Li was only twelve or thirteen years old and knew nothing. She relied entirely on instinct to avoid danger, and at night she would go to the mass grave to sleep. The mass grave was quiet and there were no living people, which suited her very well.
Having traveled to many cities, Chu Li gradually matured. She learned to steal and she also learned to beg.
However, one day, when she went to steal something, she was caught red-handed by the woman.
The woman gave her a stern lecture, whipped her palms with a tree branch, and asked her whose child she was, saying she would settle accounts with her parents.
Chu Li honestly recounted how he had been abandoned by his parents, and the woman was stunned.
She actually cried.
She pulled Chu Li into her arms and gently stroked her hair, just as a stepmother would stroke her younger brother's hair.
"Come with me, I'll take you back to the North."
Chu Li followed her in a daze, not for any other reason than that the woman touched her and her hand was warm, like the mother in her imagination.
Along the way, Chu Li kept thinking about her new home and her new parents. They admired the flowers and the sea along the way, and the scenery was so beautiful.
After returning home, Chu Li stood in the courtyard and heard the woman and her husband arguing fiercely.
She stood helplessly in the sun, letting the sweat soak her entire body.
Finally, the woman came out triumphantly and led Chu Li inside to rest.
She stayed in that house, treating the woman as her mother and serving her with great care.
But that family wasn't exactly wealthy, and the woman had a child who was half a year younger than Chu Li.
The child hated her, feeling that she had stolen his parents' love, and always falsely accused her of doing bad things in front of the woman.
Chu Li tried to explain, but found that the woman's expression became increasingly disappointed.
"You mean my child is lying?"
She was speechless. In the middle of the night, the family was crammed into the small house. She heard the woman's husband say to the woman, "That little slut hasn't changed her bad habits. I told you long ago not to bring such trash home."
This time, there was no dissent.
Chu Li pretended to be asleep, but tears slid down her cheeks.
She knew that soon there would be no place for her in this house.
The next day, the woman actually found two copper coins in Chu Li's pocket. She walked up to Chu Li, pointed to the door, and said with obvious disgust,
"go out."
Chu Li nodded, said nothing, and left through the door.
Fearing being framed, Chu Li had just checked the pocket that morning, and she knew clearly that it was originally empty.
She thought she would never have a home of her own again in this lifetime, but unexpectedly, Chu Li soon met another old man.
The old man's children were rarely home, so he took pity on Chu Li and took her in.
Chu Li was used to serving people, and she took good care of him, quickly integrating into the family.
She thought she had finally found happiness.
Not long after, one day after the doctor who came to see her left, she was called into the room.
The old man wiped away his tears and patted her head.
"Go on your way, but live well. There's always a way if you're alive."
Chu Li panicked completely. She knelt down and begged him not to abandon her. She had no home, nowhere to go, and didn't want to wander around drinking dirty water and eating leftovers anymore...
Nothing he said mattered. He stood up shakily, picked up his cane, and shooed Chu Li out the door.
The door was firmly shut in front of her, never to be opened again for her.
I was abandoned again, time and time again.
The rain was pouring down, and Chu Li couldn't see where she was going in the rain. She just walked with her head down, feeling depressed.
She thought a lot. She longed so much to live a normal life and have a home of her own, but she knew that it was impossible for that to truly belong to her.
Even if happiness is within reach, it can turn into a bubble in the next moment.
She has to live well, to survive, for there is no possibility that things will get better, even if it means begging for food or eating dog food, she must survive.
Perhaps living will provide a way to resolve her pain, her confusion, and... her desires.
Once you die, you're gone. You turn into a handful of dirt, a wisp of ash, and the wind blows you away without a trace.
To accept one's fate passively is to wait for death. She should fight, she should grab, and if all else fails, she can steal. Why should those people be able to obtain happiness without lifting a finger, while she doesn't even have a choice?
She would never be abandoned by anyone again; she had to eat the apples and pears.
"Mother!"
"Mother—"
A child's innocent voice interrupted Chu Li's thoughts. She saw the little boy happily walking over with two cleanly peeled apples, holding them up to show her. "Mommy, look, he really peeled an apple for me, and he even peeled an extra one. Which one do you want to eat?"
Chu Li was slightly taken aback, and took the snow-white apple from his small palm.
"He said it was for me?"
The little boy was taken aback by her question, and after thinking carefully, he said, "He didn't say, but it was definitely for you. I can't eat it anyway."
Chu Li suddenly chuckled, picked up the apple, and took a small bite.
Crisp and sweet, it's so delicious it seems to warm your heart.
Tears welled up in her eyes, and she fought back a sob, whispering, "Did Yinyin say thank you?"
The little boy was focused on munching on his apple and didn't notice her odd behavior. Hearing this, he blushed and said, "I'll go right now."
After the little one ran far away, Chu Li wiped away the tears on the side of her face, sniffed, and took another bite of the apple.
It's delicious, thank you, my husband.
You are the person I can never let go of in my life.
It's okay if you hate me, but you're not allowed to be good to me and then leave me, not even if it means death.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Li Bao: You're not allowed to be good to me and then leave me [crying][crying]
Star: I never said I was leaving! [Angry][Angry]
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