Chapter 7. Even if she was giving alms to a dog...
The day we moved out of the cottage was a sunny day, and it was rare that it didn't snow.
Leng Cuizhu packed her things very neatly. When the servants sent by Yin Yuan loaded her into the carriage to leave, she suddenly jumped off the carriage.
"Brother, wait a moment, I just remembered I haven't taken something yet."
She pointed to the inner room and smiled at the coachman.
The coachman was paid to do his job. The employer paid him to drive the carriage closely behind the Yin family's carriage. By the time it was ready, the Yin family had already set off.
Fearing he would be late and fall behind, he waved his hand impatiently, "Hey, hurry up!"
Leng Cuizhu nodded.
She dressed up nicely, wearing a light ochre-red silk pomegranate skirt, with a delicate camellia in her hair. She parted her red lips slightly and said, "Yes, I'll be right back."
She turned back to the hut, where the coachman sat on the cart floor, breathing on his palms and rubbing them together.
"Ugh, this woman is so annoying, why does she have to cause so much trouble..."
A pair of hands emerged from behind the carriage curtain, suddenly grabbing the coachman's neck. With a slash of a dagger, the coachman bled to death and stopped breathing.
Those hands with distinct knuckles were stained with blood. The blood floated on the frozen, bluish back of the hands, flowing down from the hollows of the bones, like flowers blooming in damp green moss.
A moment later, Leng Cuizhu came out of the house, carrying a chicken coop in her left hand and a bird coop in her right, and asked the person sitting on the cart, "Did you persuade him?"
"Um."
Leng Zhen turned to the side and replied, "He promised not to tell the Yin family."
"Okay, let's go then."
She lifted the carriage curtain and climbed into the carriage, then poked her head out again: "Just like Mother told you yesterday, once we leave the city, head east. The path there is secluded and rarely visited. Tonight, let's find an inn to rest first, and then we'll think about where to stay."
"Mother has saved some money over the years, enough for the expenses of the next few days."
“If we go in the opposite direction, your father will not be able to find us.”
“There’s no such thing as a free lunch,” Leng Zhen said calmly, gently tugging at the reins. “Mother, are you really sure?”
"Once you leave, you can never go back."
"I've thought it through."
Leng Cuizhu sighed deeply, "After so many years with him, Mother has finally figured it out."
"Now, all I want is for my Zhenzhen to be happy and content. Nothing else matters."
She is his mother.
She couldn't bear to see him suffer.
But she was in great pain.
When they argued, Leng Zhen would always say sharp and cutting things to her, and he hated her for giving birth to him in a poor and shameful family.
He hated her because he hated her weakness.
Why couldn't we be more decisive?
Leng Cuizhu believed that love meant compromising and making concessions.
So he let the knife of suffering pierce his body and then be pulled out, leaving rust in his flesh and blood, seeping into his bone marrow.
She was in so much pain.
It wasn't until someone told her directly that her beloved husband and son would hurt her the most.
She then realized that only by cutting open the wounds, slicing through the decaying flesh, severing tendons and shattering bones could her love find a place to attach itself.
Otherwise, love is crushed and twisted into countless strands of hatred.
The carriage traveled smoothly. Leng Zhen had trained horses at someone else's house when he was young, so driving the carriage was not difficult for him.
He sat on the front of the carriage, while Leng Cuizhu sat alone inside, with a chicken and a bird beside her.
"...That won't work."
The rooster squatted on the ground: "You can hide for a while, but you can't hide forever. Host, you can't really plan to live like this forever, can you?"
“I know. But…” Leng Cuizhu choked up, “Zhenzhen is the master’s own son, how could they…”
"Kiss kiss kiss kiss kiss your own child?"
The rooster sprang up from the ground and crowed incessantly.
"Good heavens! Nobody told me it was orthopedics!"
"So you two still have a sex life... Turns out you weren't adopted, how tacky!"
"That's true. If it were me, I wouldn't be able to accept it either."
Upon hearing this, Leng Cuizhu felt even more distressed and covered her face, sobbing softly.
"Why is it like this...?"
The crow stood beside her legs: "Why not resolve the tragedy before it happens?"
Rooster: "What do you mean?"
"Kill the person."
"No! Absolutely not! How can we kill the male lead? How can the plot progress if he's killed..."
No progress.
"Are you talking in your sleep? Saying whatever you dream about and making decisions for her without her consent!"
"Stop arguing."
Leng Cuizhu bit her lip, grabbed a handful of millet from the burlap sack, and scattered it on the floor.
The crow and the rooster closed their beaks and lowered their heads to peck at the rice.
At noon, Leng Zhen found a spacious open space and stopped her horse to rest.
Leng Cuizhu chatted briefly with Leng Zhen before going to the lakeside alone for some fresh air.
Her makeup was mostly ruined by crying. She stopped crying and sat by the lake applying rouge when she saw a silvery-white figure approaching on the water.
The man's silver hair complemented his white robe, making him appear ethereal and otherworldly.
"How could you..."
Before she could finish speaking, the man had already sat down beside her, his eyelashes shimmering in the sunlight.
"Feel sorry."
Leng Cuizhu closed the rouge box, clutched it in her palm, and hugged her knees.
"Thank you for staying with me for so long."
"I heard from Dodder that you started trying to stop him a long time ago. Did you already know? Was it on the day we first met?"
Eun nodded: "Yes."
Actually, no, he already knew this eighteen years ago.
He tried every means to see her, but then lost himself, unwilling to jeopardize her happiness.
Seeing her sleeping in someone else's arms, listening to her melodious singing, what he thought was the past became less important.
She is happy even without him.
He tolerated her evil, and he also accepted her goodness.
She is no longer just Christine.
"Feel sorry."
Leng Cuizhu caught a glimpse of the misbuttoned buttons on his shirt out of the corner of her eye: "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"Fine, you don't have to tell me all this. We're not that close... Were the clothes found in a box?"
"……yes."
"You're wearing the wrong clothes."
She smiled and pointed to her chest: "The buttons were fastened wrong."
This white robe was left with her by Yin Yuan; she's kept it hanging in her closet, taking it out to air it every summer, and it's in very good condition. It suits You En even better than it does Yin Yuan.
He looked down, then looked up at her again.
She still pointed to her chest: "Chinese knot buttons..."
Seeing the man's bewildered expression, she could only point to the auspicious cloud-shaped clasp on his shirt.
Eun then realized that he had tried to untie the knotted button, but after fiddling with it for a long time without success, he tried every hole on the button but still couldn't tie it right.
His hair fell to his shoulders, and his high, straight brow trembled slightly.
Leng Cuizhu watched helplessly from the side.
Could he really be an immortal? He doesn't even recognize a Chinese knot.
She thought that Eun had taken care of her for so long, so it was only right that she help her out a little: "Or... should I help you?"
Although this small favor was a bit overstepping his bounds, he looked genuinely embarrassed. It wouldn't be right to just sit idly by and do nothing.
As their gazes met, she clearly saw her own reflection in the silver eyes, like a veil covering her face, a hazy red that permeated the pure white.
Her eyes flickered, and her reflection rippled outwards, bringing her back to her senses.
The person in front of me seemed to be the same.
The man looked away and lowered his eyes: "Yes, thank you for your trouble."
She reached out to reach it, and he bent down so she didn't have to stretch her arm out.
The two were not close together; there was a wall between them, and they were always some distance apart.
Leng Cuizhu's fingertips traced the loops on the cloud-shaped clasp, and she fastened the button into the loop.
Suddenly, she remembered Yin Yuan.
"Why did it have to be like that... my lord, you've caused me so much pain."
Only after she spoke did she realize that she had vented her frustrations on the wrong person.
Eun was frowning.
She quickly withdrew her hand, her knuckles clenching: "It's fastened."
"Here, take these clothes. They fit you well."
"Thanks."
Ewan should say thank you.
Even if she's giving alms to a dog.
He said again, "Thank you, madam."
Then he moved closer to her, lowering his head to press his cheek against hers.
Leng Cuizhu's eyes widened.
Cool strands of hair brushed against the tip of her nose, and the man's cheek pressed against hers, the rouge on her face making her feel burning hot.
Despite the biting cold wind blowing in her face, she felt incredibly hot.
The man raised his head, stared at her lips for a moment, then lowered his head to rub against her other cheek.
Now, the rouge on her cheeks burned, melting and becoming soft and molten, making her whole body sink into it.
He only brushed against her for a moment before straightening up and retreating, keeping his distance from her.
The thin, crisp winter sunlight shone on the side of his face, and after a long while, he exhaled warm breath, which condensed into a thin mist in the air.
"This is a custom from my hometown."
"This is to express my gratitude."
"……etiquette?"
"Yes, it's called a cheek kiss."
Leng Cuizhu couldn't understand this etiquette, but still chose to respect the customs of Yuen's hometown.
Oh, so it means thank you.
But her face was still burning hot.
When they returned, Leng Zhen was sitting on the carriage footboard feeding the chickens.
The rooster raised its head: "Where have you all gone?"
"Haha, I ate all the millet!"
Leng Cuizhu lifted the carriage curtain, letting the crow on her wrist fly in first, then turned around and put the clothes she was holding back into the wooden box.
Leng Zhen walked up to her and said, "Mother, that chicken is so fat and it eats so much. What if it poops on the carriage? How about we roast it for dinner tonight?"
The chicken, which had been happily pecking at the rice, immediately flapped its wings and burrowed under her skirt.
"Help, host! I only eat, I don't poop! I really don't poop!"
Leng Cuizhu smiled and said, "Sigh... this chicken is old and won't live much longer. The meat is also tough and won't taste good."
"If you get hungry, there's some naan bread and pickled vegetables that your mother bought in your bundle."
Leng Zhen: "...We'll see."
As evening fell, the carriage passed by a restaurant. Leng Zhenfei pulled Leng Cuizhu inside, took out the copper coins she had saved, and decided to have a good meal.
The restaurant's dishes were inexpensive, so the two of us ordered a plate of meat buns and roasted lamb ribs, plus a pot of Shaoxing wine, which cost us the same amount of money we would normally spend on a string of pork belly.
The bright red ribs are sprinkled with cumin, sizzling with oil, and the bones are neatly arranged one by one.
Leng Cuizhu stepped over the lamb ribs in front of her, picked up a steamed bun, tore it in half, and the hot aroma of meat wafted out. She handed one half to Leng Zhen.
"Zhenzhen, eat more."
Leng Zhen frowned, took the steamed bun, sniffed it, and became even more certain of what had happened.
"Mother, don't eat."
He snatched the meat bun from Leng Cuizhu's hand and put it back on the ceramic plate.
Leng Cuizhu: "Huh?"
The rooster crowed at the table: "Hey, why aren't you eating? If you're not going to eat, can you give me some? I'm really hungry."
Leng Zhen looked around and said, "This is human flesh."
The rooster's vision went black, and it tucked its tail between its legs and ran towards the door, only to be grabbed by the back of the neck and lifted up by the shop owner who was hiding behind the door.
"Giggle giggle giggle—Host, help!"
The shop was owned by a husband and wife. The man was very strong and muscular, while the woman was slightly thinner and had sharper eyes.
"Oh, you came all this way, and even brought gifts." The woman covered her mouth and chuckled. "Sister, I'll gladly accept your chicken and your son."
The man stepped forward with a knife, and Leng Cuizhu quickly pulled out her hairpin to protect her and Leng Zhen.
"Don't come any closer!"
The man raised his knife to strike, but as he did so, a crow swooped down and pecked out his eyes.
The broadsword clattered to the ground, and he covered his bleeding eyes before collapsing to the ground with a thud.
Leng Zhen hurriedly pushed her towards the half-open window: "Mother, let's go!"
"Zhenzhen!"
"Get out of here! Do you want to die? We promised to live a good life together!"
Leng Cuizhu climbed out of the window and ran forward recklessly. A crow followed and landed on her shoulder.
"Run west, there's a bamboo forest to the west, hide there and don't come out."
"Don't worry, he can handle it himself."
"Okay, I'm relieved." She wiped away her tears as she ran into the bamboo forest, hiding behind the bamboo to catch her breath.
She could faintly hear the sounds of fighting coming from a restaurant not far away. Her heart leaped into her throat, and the muscles in her hands holding the bamboo taut.
Time passed, and she still didn't see Leng Zhen come out of the restaurant, nor did Tu Si Zi.
"What's going on...?"
The crow on the shoulder murmured, "I'll go take a look."
Now, Ewan is gone too.
She waited until it was completely dark, but Leng Zhen was still nowhere to be seen, and the chicken and bird had also disappeared.
The bamboo forest was chilly, and the wind was howling. She huddled on the ground, wrapped herself in a shawl, and shivered.
In a daze, she caught a glimpse of a figure approaching and excitedly stood up: "Zhenzhen!"
The man did not speak.
Slowly, it drifted over, passing through the bright moonlight.
Upon seeing the face of the newcomer, Leng Cuizhu was speechless with surprise, her whole body stiff and cold.
She blurted out, "Christine..."
The girl had braided pigtails, and her red skirt was dripping with blood.
Her face had some sunspots, and her smile was bright, yet strangely inexplicable. She was like a corpse scorched by the blazing sun, both somber and luminous.
She looked exactly the same as she did when she was young, and her expression was even more youthful.
But when she laughed, she displayed an arrogance she had never shown before.
“I never thought about being a mother. The thought of having something inside me would only make me feel disgusted.”
“You’re too patient. You should have killed them from the start. Why let your husband be a burden?” The girl stopped laughing. “Christine, I’m very disappointed in you.”
"……disappointment?"
The girl crossed her arms and said with a sly smile, "It's fine to be called 'Mom,' but how can you actually be someone else's mom?"
"Your child is so disobedient."
The girl floated down to her, stroked her forehead with her semi-transparent hand, and placed a kiss on her cheek: "Give them a good lesson, make them listen to you, okay?"
"I'll always be with you."
Before Leng Cuizhu could figure out what was going on, the girl disappeared in the blink of an eye, leaving only a dark bamboo forest in front of her.
Immediately afterwards, his neck was suddenly grabbed and his whole body was lifted up.
"Hahaha, I've finally caught you, you thieving woman!"
The man's face was covered in blood, his eyes blazing with rage: "You little slut, if it weren't for you bringing a wolf into the house, I wouldn't have lost my wife! Today I'm going to kill you to avenge my wife!"
The man choked her neck hard, and her struggles were futile. Her face turned red, and she couldn't breathe.
"No, no..."
She tilted her head back, suddenly opened her eyes, tore off the hairpin from her hair, and stabbed it into the man's right eye.
"Go to hell!"
The man's already injured eye ruptured completely, and pus spurted out.
Before the cry of pain could even escape his throat, he was stabbed again between the eyebrows, his brain feeling like it was being churned up.
Leng Cuizhu was thrown to the ground, then tore off the hairpin from her head, got up, and used both hands to stab the ground.
As if divinely inspired, she pierced through each time, and with each piercing, her body felt a little lighter.
Looking at the lifeless man lying on the ground, she smiled and climbed onto him, stroking his bloodied cheek.
"Next time, don't get caught again."
She won't be caught again.
Never again.
Pushing open the restaurant door, the stench of blood hit you.
Leng Zhen sat in the corner, holding a wine glass in her hand.
"And what about the boss?"
“They ran away,” he said, pouring sake from his glass onto the back of his hand to wash away the bloodstains from his wounds. “Both husband and wife ran away.”
"Mother, are you alright?"
Leng Cuizhu straightened her clothes to cover the pinch marks on her neck: "No."
Where's the chicken?
Leng Zhen kicked aside the wooden bucket at her feet, spilling water onto the ground and soaking a drenched chicken.
"Giggle, giggle... Host, wow—"
The rooster pounced on her skirt, grabbed her leg, and cried while choking on water.
"I thought I was going to never see my host again, um..."
The rooster cried and wailed, creating a slightly awkward scene. Leng Cuizhu quickly picked up the rooster and ran to the backyard of the restaurant under Leng Zhen's watchful eye.
"...Mother has dirt on her clothes, go wash them off."
When she put the chicken at the well in the backyard, the chicken was still crying.
Leng Cuizhu: "Stop crying."
"Why are you so fierce?" the rooster said, feeling even more aggrieved. "You're so biased! You never treat that bird like this!"
"You didn't care whether I lived or died, you just abandoned me and ran away... Your son is terrifying, he locked me in a bucket of water, I almost drowned!"
Leng Cuizhu really didn't want to waste time arguing with the chicken: "Aren't you doing just fine now?"
"Where's Ewan? Where did he go?"
"I don't know, maybe he's dead."
The rooster drooped its head and wagged its tail, snuggling into her arms and muttering to itself, "Using your looks to please others will surely lead to a short life. Unlike me, I cherish my energy and never try to be strong."
"Host, I've been waiting for you obediently in the bucket. Aren't you going to praise me?" It rubbed against her and squinted comfortably in her arms.
“You’ve soaked my clothes with all the water on you,” Leng Cuizhu grabbed the chicken by the neck and moved it away. “I’m going to find him.”
She had barely taken a step when a crow landed on her shoulder and gave her a pair of earrings.
Her furrowed brows relaxed: "Where did you go?"
"Is this for me?"
The pair of butterfly-shaped gold earrings, inlaid with jade and stained with a few drops of blood, glittered in the moonlight.
“Hmm,” the crow paused for a moment, “Madam, this was taken from a corpse. If you think it’s unlucky, you can throw it away.”
"...corpse?"
She asked tentatively, "Who killed him?"
"Your son."
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