Chapter 3 If he wanted to gamble, she would bet on Song Xieqing.
Zhu Hao knew that he was deliberately teasing her, but she remained silent for a long time and only squeezed out three words: "Gently...gently."
Song Xieqing: "...What do you think I'm going to do?"
Before Zhu Hao could answer, Song Xieqing had already pulled her to his side. He then pulled her little finger and pressed it hard against his right palm. Zhu Hao's fingertips were stained with his blood. Only after the bright red fingerprint was covered on the signature on the golden paper with the phoenix pattern did Song Xieqing let her go.
"I thought..." Zhu Hao knew he was in the wrong, so he lowered his voice, "I was judging others by my own standards."
She actually thought that he would take revenge on her?
Song Xieqing also put his fingerprint below the signature, and the marriage contract was completed. He peeled off the cloth wrapped around his right palm, and Zhu Hao saw his wound healed instantly.
Zhu Hao tried his best to stay calm, he was not an ordinary person after all.
At this moment, he suddenly raised his hand and touched her forehead, "Transform the disaster."
Zhu Hao didn't dare to move: "...Flower goose?"
A voice came from above: "Your mortal body attempts to kill a god, but within three days you will be retaliated against."
I wish you a good life and no excuse: "I..."
He knew what Zhu Hao was about to say, that she was just trying to argue for herself, so he cut her off and continued, "Since this is your first offense, I will use your marriage as compensation. This is just one time, and it won't happen again."
"Please keep this marriage contract, young lady Zhu. I'll seal it with blood. If you remarry or tear it up, you and the contract will be reduced to ashes." He leaned forward, his long black hair brushing her shoulders. Song Xieqing's voice was full of interest: "You have troubles at home before you, and disasters are coming after you. Although you have some wisdom, it is difficult to resist the great evil. If you promise again... I'm afraid your heart meridian is weak, and you were frail as a child. I think young lady Zhu looks like someone who was abducted by a human trafficker and needs money. You should just do your best to survive, and every day you breathe is a good day."
As soon as he finished speaking, he heard a jingle bell. It was the sound of him throwing the key to his house along with the deed of sale into the street. The street was full of potholes and water, but the deed was not wet.
Zhu Hao looked around eagerly, but where was he?
Was she facing her own troubles before her, and a sudden disaster coming from behind? Was it possible that a little wisdom could not overcome a great evil? He openly and covertly mocked her for lingering on.
Putting aside his appearance, his words and deeds have nothing to do with immortals, so he deserves the title of evil god fallen immortal.
The ink on the marriage certificate had dried, so Zhu Hao put it in his arms, then bent down to pick up the coins and daggers that were scattered on the ground. Finally, he put the keys to the indenture left by Song Xieqing into his pocket.
The continuous rain in Huaicheng has stopped tonight. The fog on the long street is getting thicker. In the distance, the sound of night watchmen beating bamboo clappers can be heard.
Zhu Hao suddenly heard rustling sounds beside him. The servants who had been standing quietly on both sides of the long street had broken the strange spell, but everyone seemed to have lost their souls, as if they could not see Zhu Hao. They just carried the empty sedan chair towards the long street.
She took out the keys to the house and counted them, finding there were more than twenty.
Song Xieqing had mentioned that the house was located in the South Lane, but she did not specify its exact location. She was wondering where to stay tonight when she suddenly felt a burning sensation in her palm.
She lowered her head and saw that the key was emitting a light green light. She loosened her fingers and the key rose into the air, floating in the air like the inkstone just now.
Zhu Haoxin had some hope: "But he asked you to show me the way?"
The key naturally couldn't speak. It just moved to the left and continued to lead the way when it saw Zhu Hao following.
Zhu Hao walked around the streets and crossed the Seven-Curve Bridge, where she saw the key to the camphorwood door suddenly stop. She stretched out her palm, the key fell to the ground, and the green light dissipated.
Zhu Hao looked around along the camphor wood door and was stunned.
Long steps led down from the main gate. Common people's homes didn't usually have external stairs, but the nearly ten-foot-high steps of this house indicated it was no ordinary residence. Two beasts, resembling foxes and leopards, crouched on the lower steps. The main gate suddenly flew open, and the lights in the courtyard suddenly lit up. Through the half-open door, one could see the lavish furnishings of the inner residence.
The plaque on the main gate is inscribed with the words: Songheju.
She knew that this house was formerly the villa of a noble family, but now it had been taken over by the government for its own use, mostly for entertaining officials from the capital.
Song Xieqing...actually bought this luxurious house for her?
Zhu Hao suddenly felt that she had thrown the bouquet very well, but the thought was extinguished in just a moment. She could still vividly remember the expression on Song Xieqing's face when he came. He wanted to send her to hell, and she must not have such distracting thoughts.
Song Xieqing once said that she would place the house deed in the main courtyard. She was indeed homeless now and had no choice but to stay here.
Zhu Hao stepped onto the long steps, crossed the high threshold, and the pavilions, towers, painted buildings and flying eaves of the house gradually spread out before his eyes.
Zhu Hao didn't know how many detours he took, but he finally passed through a door with hanging flowers and saw a spacious courtyard with green tiles and white walls. The plaque on the door was inscribed: Hanlangxuan.
This courtyard was quieter and more spacious than the side halls, and must be the main courtyard. She pushed the door open and entered. Candles lit in the inner room, making it seem as bright as day. Zhu Haoxin felt a little apprehensive.
The furnishings in the inner room were simple but not lacking in household items, and the materials used were also of the highest quality. She looked around and indeed saw a piece of paper on the desk. Zhu Hao took a closer look and found it was the deed to the house.
Zhu Hao put the house deed into the box in the inner room. The fact that Song Xieqing redeemed her house deed from the You family was already a great favor.
She stroked the marriage certificate in her arms. With her current reputation, it would be difficult for her to meet a suitable husband. Marriage was just empty talk to her. Song Xieqing also said that if she remarried or tore up the marriage contract, she would be burned to ashes like the book.
But not getting married in this life is not a big deal, and that is not her ambition.
Zhu Hao only had a little over twenty yuan left. Although her aunt had pocketed the Zhu family fortune, her parents had prepared a dowry for her before their deaths, a gift not even known to Zhu Lanxiang. The reason Zhu Hao agreed to Zhu Lanxiang's proposal of a handout was to prevent her from using her youth and innocence as an excuse to appropriate the dowry. After all, that was how she had embezzled her parents' shop. If she married, Zhu Lanxiang would no longer have any claim to the dowry.
Zhu Hao planned to return to the Zhu family tomorrow morning to get her dowry. After she settled down, she would return the house to Song Xieqing and use the dowry left by her parents to open a clothing store. In this way, she could live a peaceful life.
Fortunately, she has never neglected the embroidery skills she learned from her father since she was a child, and she also practices according to books when she has free time, so it shouldn't be a problem.
Zhu Hao's thoughts grew longer and longer. She imagined that her clothing shop could win the favor of the girls in Huaicheng, that she could start her own business with the skills passed down by her parents, and even more that she could enjoy a wonderful life. With such wild thoughts, she actually fell asleep at the desk.
The next day, spring was in full bloom. She opened the window to welcome the first ray of sunshine, and the dagger slipped from her sleeve as she moved.
Zhu Hao bent down to pick it up and saw that the blade was smooth, which meant it was newly made. There was a hole the size of a little finger drilled in the blade. Looking closely, he saw gears and Song Xieqing's dried blood marks along the edge of the hole.
Zhu Hao's heart was pounding. She had actually hurt Song Xieqing! She had nearly lost her own life...
Fortunately, she was still of some use to Song Xieqing, otherwise... he would definitely not let her off easily.
Zhu Hao wiped the blade clean with her sleeve. It was the first time she saw such a unique dagger. It must be a treasure to Fang Xuyin, otherwise why would she carry it with her?
The You Mansion and the Zhu Family happened to be passing by, so they could return the dagger to Fang Xuyin. After all, the indenture was in her hands, so what could the You Family do to her?
Zhu Hao retraced his steps the previous night. The courtyard was clear, the air was fresh, the pond gurgling, the scenery truly elegant. This kind of residence is truly unique in Huaicheng, but unfortunately, it's deserted, the courtyard's flowers and trees withered, and the century-old pomegranate tree at the main gate was languishing.
South Lane was mostly inhabited by the nobles of Huaicheng, so this residence was only half an incense stick's length away from the You Mansion. Halfway through the procession, they heard funeral music. The funeral procession entered the long street, carrying two coffins simultaneously. The first coffin was made of golden nanmu wood, its carvings intricate, but the stench of corpses had already begun to spread. The second coffin, however, seemed ordinary, not particularly rare or valuable.
As the ceremonial guard approached, Zhu Hao bowed her head in mourning. She vaguely heard the sound of something hard hitting wood, but it stopped in an instant. Perhaps she had misheard.
Only after the funeral music faded from her ears did Zhu Hao raise her head. She walked through several alleys and finally saw the eaves of You Mansion clearly. She was already terrified, and even more so, she could hear the sound of wailing. She rushed to the gate, only to see white paper flying and mourners lined up in rows from the inside to the outside.
Zhu Hao caught the servant and asked, "Who in the You family is mourning?"
The man looked at Zhu Hao with disgust on his face. "Oh, Madam Zhu? Mr. You passed away last night due to a heart attack, and the funeral is underway today. And you, what noble family from another place did you hook up with? It's only been a few days now, and that man actually offered a hundred gold coins to redeem your contract. It's a good thing Madam Zhu used those seductive tricks, otherwise... you could have become a widow."
Zhu Hao was already used to hearing foul language and disdained to argue. He just asked, "Where's Fang Xuyin?"
The servant chuckled when he heard this: "She? Dead."
Those four short words made Zhu Hao feel like he was on a hot bed. "What does death mean?! I just saw her last night!"
"Madam Fang... oh no, today I should address her as Concubine Fang. Concubine Fang and Mr. You were deeply in love. Seeing him die alone, she threw herself against his coffin and demanded to be buried with him."
Zhu Hao pouted and said, "That's all nonsense!"
"Believe it or not, it's time to bury him."
Zhu Hao thought about the funeral procession along the way. The number of coffins and the direction they were heading matched, but she still had doubts: "Not keeping the bodies?"
He just died last night, how could the stench of his corpse be so strong?
"The You family doesn't care about these things. The master also told us before he died that if he passed away, he should be buried as soon as possible to rest in peace. Besides, it's a rare sunny day today. If the body is kept for a few days, wouldn't it be difficult to travel on the mountain road if it suddenly rains?" He said, pushing Zhu Hao out, "Hey, go, go, don't stay in the You Mansion."
Seeing the servant about to leave, Zhu Hao pulled his sackcloth and stopped him, asking, "Where is her coffin buried?"
The man's eyes were filled with surprise, and he shouted sternly, "Are you stupid?! What if you conspired with the tomb robbers to commit robbery? Besides, who else would know except for your own blood relatives? I see that you are seriously ill! You are truly the reincarnation of the Plague God!"
The servant left angrily and the door of You Mansion was locked immediately.
Zhu Hao was in a daze. She pulled out the dagger, observed the holes on the blade, and recalled the collision sound she heard when the coffin passed by. Zhu Hao's body was extremely cold, and an absurd idea suddenly exploded in her mind.
Fang Xu was willing to become a concubine in the You family because she had a frail old mother at home.
How could she go to death lightly when she still has concerns in her heart?
Zhu Hao felt dizzy and when she lowered her head, she saw that the steps of the mansion were stained with mud. She pinched it with two fingers and found that it was black soil.
On the eve of the burial, the You family will definitely check the burial site to make sure it is safe.
Black loam soil is rare in the hills surrounding Huaicheng. Zhu Hao often drank medicinal herbs as a child, and knowing that herbs grow in close proximity to muddy soil, she'd become accustomed to it over time. She remembered that Xigao and Huailing both had this type of soil, and both were close to Huaicheng, which was in line with the servant's words, "According to the time, it's time for the burial."
The black loam soil at her fingertips was slightly gritty, and the Huailing Mountains were mostly rock-embedded, so Huailing was the first choice. However, although both places were close to Huaicheng, Huailing and Xigao were separated by a chasm. It would be too late for her to go back the same way. If she chose to go to either place, she would have to go to either one. What if she made a wrong bet...
The only option now is to try every possible means.
She stopped a carriage on the street and handed all the remaining money to the driver, saying, "Let's go to Zhe'erzhai."
If she had to bet, she would bet on Song Xieqing.
Seeing Zhu Hao's anxious expression, the coachman knew that the schedule could not be delayed, so he whipped the horse and galloped all the way, and it took him only two quarters of an hour to reach Zhe'erzhai.
A hundred years ago, this hall was used to commemorate the spirit tablets of ancestors of prominent families. It was originally a temple, but now the main hall only worships the guardian deity of Huaicheng, who is Song Xieqing.
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