Chapter 25 Chapter 25 Jinjiang First Release
Chapter 25
When Su Li returned to Mudong Pavilion, she felt as if she had stepped from a bitter winter into a bright spring.
Before, when she stayed in Shuyue Pavilion, she even washed herself in a hurry. When she entered the familiar dormitory she had arranged, Su Li asked for hot water again and washed her body inside and out.
Su Li knew that she was going there to pray for a child, but for some reason, as she rubbed her belly, she felt an impulse to self-destruct.
Su Li treated herself gently. She used her hands to wipe away the snow foam left by Cui Jue...
Stir it out little by little.
Not a drop left.
Su Li had no idea that Cui Jue had given her all he knew and had left behind so many personal belongings.
Su Li was stunned and speechless, feeling confused.
She just felt that she still had the right to choose tonight, at least tonight, she didn't want this child.
She wanted to be nicer to herself, and wait until tomorrow, when she would turn back into the puppet lady who was manipulated by others.
Su Li changed into a soft little dress. Among the many bright colors, she only rejected the green that Cui Jue liked and picked a bright goose yellow one.
The embroidery on the small clothes is delicate and exquisite, and it is the pattern that Su Li specifically asked the embroiderer to draw.
A sparkling stream, with a group of plump white ducks floating on the surface, and in the distance there are unknown daisies and rape flowers, drifting in the wind, quiet and beautiful.
This was Su Li’s childhood home, and she loved it very much.
Su Li took out the ointment from the box, and then used her fingers to apply it to her neck, which was still stinging, and the narrow part of her legs.
Some wounds were moisturized and the pain gradually stopped.
But she was destined not to have sex with Cui Jue in the near future... Su Li looked at the heavy snow falling outside the house, knowing that she couldn't escape from the mansion this month. In this case, she might as well wait until next month to slowly make plans.
When she woke up the next day, she asked Qiu Gui to tell Aunt Hui Rong that Su Li was not feeling well and might not be able to serve the head son of the Cui family this month. It would be better to postpone their sexual intercourse to next month so that she could recuperate.
Aunt Huirong brought a message to Shuyue Pavilion, but Cui Jue was busy on duty and didn't pay much attention to it. It was not until a few days later that he responded with a "Yes."
-
Su Li was bedridden for two days, and even Cui Shunying heard that she was ill.
At Aunt Xu's instruction, the young lady came to visit Su Li, bringing with her top-quality bird's nest and two hundred-year-old ginseng roots.
As soon as she lifted the bed curtain, Cui Shunying saw Su Li's pale little face. She was slowly drinking the nourishing egg and red date soup, and her mouth pouted, looking unhappy.
She asked worriedly, "How could Sister Su be so ill? There's not even a pound of flesh left on her face. It's obvious the maids here aren't doing their job well enough... Do you want me to send two attentive maids over? Yuanchun, who serves me, is a very attentive person. It would be great if she could take care of Sister!"
After Cui Shunying finished speaking, she immediately pulled Yuanchun over, pushed her in front of Su Li, and forced her to stay in Mudong Pavilion.
Su Li was sick because she took a bath for too long and caught a cold two days ago. She stayed in thick bedding and sweated for a few days, and her body had recovered long ago. She was lying down today just because she was lazy and didn't want to walk around the Cui family for fear of running into Cui Jue, the plague god.
Su Li couldn't help laughing: "Forget about it! Everyone knows that Yuanchun is your trusted maid. If she comes to serve me, and you can't find the pearl flower and hairband, won't you have to ask me for them early in the morning?"
Yuanchun was also a clever talker, and she readily agreed, "No problem, I can use the art of splitting myself into two bodies, and I'll send a younger sister to serve our Madam Su tonight!"
The young ladies were all amused by her and laughed out loud.
After Su Li laughed, she felt much better.
She held Cui Shunying's hand and explained, "I've always been afraid of colds, and I get sick every winter. I'll be fine after I get through it. I'm fine, so don't worry, Si Niang."
Hearing this, Cui Shunying felt relieved: "Okay then, Sister Su, get well soon. There will be a lantern festival in the market in a couple of days, and I want you to go out for a stroll with me!"
Su Li also happened to be going out to check out the market, to see if the thick snow in the streets had melted, if the weather had warmed up, and whether it would be suitable for her to leave Jianye in two months... Therefore, Su Li did not refuse and nodded in agreement: "Okay, I'll go with you."
On the night of the Lantern Festival, Su Li rarely looked for clothes in her closet.
She patiently selected those gorgeous silk robes, tried on a gorgeous loquat yellow winter coat, and a pomegranate skirt with a crimson base. She tried on all kinds of patterns, but all the blue shirts in the cabinet were thrown into the fire by Su Li and burned to ashes.
Su Li's legs and heart no longer hurt. She sat on the dressing stool, staring at the rosy face in the mirror with shallow dimples.
Qiu Gui stood behind Su Li, combing her long, soft, black hair with a peach wood comb.
Su Li looked at her own face quietly and whispered to Qiu Gui.
"Qiu Gui, it was only after I came to this aristocratic family that I was able to wear such expensive silks and taste so many delicious delicacies. Even a little bit of it would be enough to feed a poor family for a lifetime..."
"If the Su family hadn't nurtured me, I might not even know how to read. Now I can not only read and write, but also have a basic understanding of poetry and songs. I am already better than the teacher in the village when I was a child."
"Thinking about it this way, there are actually many benefits to me staying in a noble family. I shouldn't be tormenting myself so much..."
"Also, I sent a letter to the Su family some time ago, asking them for your indenture. I lied to them, saying that the eldest son actually loved me very much, and I would speak a few good words for the Su family in his ear, asking him to help them. But Zhou Shi wanted to give me your indenture..."
"Grandmother is in Zhou's hands. She's not afraid of me escaping, so she's willing to hand over the contract to me. After all, she knows the difference between a slave's life and the career of a Su family member. In a few days, the contract will arrive. You can go to the government to cancel your slavery. From now on, your employment relationship with the Su family will be dissolved, and you will be free."
"Qiugui, go back to the countryside, or to the warm, spring-like south of the Yangtze River. If you're willing, you can even visit the border town in Mobei. I heard that over there, the sky is filled with yellow sand, the cliffs are steep, and there's Gobi grassland everywhere. The people don't eat rice or millet, but only flatbread and baked naan for every meal. The rich even roast lamb legs over the fire pit..."
As Su Li spoke, she started laughing.
Her almond-shaped eyes sparkled, filled with longing for foreign lands. It was as if the slices of succulent, light lamb were right before her eyes, tempting her to salivate.
Qiu Gui's eyes were sore and her heart ached. She shook her head with tears in her eyes: "My lady, Qiu Gui will not leave. I want to stay with you forever."
Su Li laughed and stopped persuading her.
Qiu Gui looked at the lonely young lady and didn't know what to say.
All she could do was to pick out a beautiful pearl hairpin from the box and dress up Su Li.
Why is the girl so decadent at such a young age?
Qiu Gui felt sorry for Su Li. She tied a snowball silk ribbon into Su Li's black hair. She understood what Su Li meant... Su Li was afraid that she could not escape from the aristocratic family and that she could not get rid of the high-class family.
So, she wanted to ask Qiu Gui to travel around on her behalf and see the beautiful scenery of Wu State on her behalf...
When she let Qiu Gui, the bird in the cage, fly away, it was like she was letting herself fly away.
It was as if Su Li had escaped from the high walls.
-
At night, Cui Shunying prepared the carriage for her trip and came to find Su Li.
She was dressed very festively today, with her hair styled like two fox buns, two orange ribbons wrapped around her hair, and two bright red kumquat flowers pinned on her head. The yellow flowers trembled as she walked, making her look very lively and lovely.
As soon as the little girl saw Su Li, she jumped over like a rabbit and called her happily, "Sister Su!"
Cui Shunying affectionately took Su Li's arm and pulled her into the car.
Cui Shunying liked Su Li's outfit today very much. A circle of snow-white rabbit fur silk ribbon was wrapped around her single spiral bun, and she was wearing a moonlight cloak. She looked pretty, just like the fairy Chang'e who was worshipped on the table every Mid-Autumn Festival.
The two chatted for a while, then got on the carriage together and drove towards the bustling market.
Today's Lantern Festival is very grand. In the distance, there are all kinds of beautiful lanterns hanging, including koi, rabbits, sparrows... They are of different shapes, but the craftsmen can make them look lifelike.
The streets are decorated with colorful lights, and the market nearby is bustling with people.
The stone bridge, teahouses, and dim sum shops were all crowded with people who went out to parade and enjoy the lanterns.
Su Li lifted the curtain of the car and looked around, seeing a crowd of people.
The city was crowded with carriages and horses, and their carriage could not squeeze in, so they had to let several servants of the Cui family escort Cui Shunying and Su Li out of the carriage and slowly walk into the lantern festival.
Fortunately, there are imperial guards patrolling the city during the Lantern Festival, which can largely prevent horses from trampling pedestrians, so there is no danger.
Cui Shunying hadn't been out for a stroll for a long time. She was looking for something new and wanted to try any snack she saw.
Su Li was afraid that Cui Shunying would get a stomachache, so she didn't dare let her run around.
Su Li was determined not to let her eat those cold dishes. However, she would give Cui Shunying a try because they were cooked at high temperature over firewood after all.
"Sister, please help me watch these fried eggs. I want to buy two skewers! There are also red date rice cakes over there. They look a little different. I'll buy two too. Let's try them together."
Before Su Li could speak out to stop them, Cui Shunying had already walked away with the maids and servants.
Su Li had no choice but to stand there with Qiu Gui, waiting for the white quail eggs to come out of the pan.
A quarter of an hour later, Su Li warmed her hands with the fried eggs wrapped in oil paper. She squinted her eyes comfortably and exhaled a breath of white hot air.
Su Li was just about to look for Cui Shunying, but when she looked up, she saw a familiar figure in the dim light.
In the distance, the man was tall and graceful, while the woman was slim and graceful, with a rosy face and green hair.
They walked side by side, a match made in heaven, each possessing a beauty so striking that it made one forget the world.
Su Li was shocked when she recognized Cui Jue and Li Muyao.
The quail egg that had just been stuffed into Su Li's mouth piled up in her cheek, forming a small ball, and the yolk almost choked her throat.
Su Li didn't know whether she was afraid of Cui Jue or felt guilty towards Li Muyao. The little girl subconsciously walked towards the stall and hid behind the tables and chairs.
Su Li paid for the tea, then held up the big-bellied teapot to cover her face, carefully peeked at the two people in the distance, praying in her heart that she would not be discovered.
Fortunately, Cui Jue and the others did not look here, and they did not notice Su Li's whereabouts.
Su Li took another sneak peek.
Cui Jue was wearing a black cloak with sharp fox fur. As he walked, the robe fluttered, revealing the red official uniform underneath.
Su Li understood that as soon as Cui Jue was on duty at the office, he invited Li Muyao to go to the street to view the lanterns. He was so anxious that he even forgot to change out of his official uniform.
Watching the two of them together again, Su Li noticed that Cui Jue was very decent in public. He did not touch any corner of Li Muyao's clothes. He looked cold and ruthless, but he would secretly raise his sleeves to quietly help her block those pedestrians who approached recklessly, to prevent Li Muyao from being bumped into.
Cui Jue treated Li Muyao with great respect and always treated her with courtesy. Such a gentlemanly demeanor made Su Li dazed for a moment.
Su Li knew that she shouldn't think like this.
But once Su Li thought of what happened with Cui Jue in the guest room, once she thought of Cui Jue holding her waist like a madman.
Cui Jue rushed in recklessly without showing any mercy.
He was not afraid of Su Li getting hurt, nor was he afraid of her being fragile and fragile. He stubbornly pushed and bumped her without mercy.
Even though he knew she was in pain, he didn't stop.
Because Su Li is not Li Muyao, because Su Li is not a princess from a wealthy family, so she doesn't deserve to be treated gently, right?
She was born in the market and knew that there was a huge difference between nobles and common people, and that people treated people differently according to their circumstances.
It was only natural for Cui Jue to treat her badly.
Su Li's face was embarrassed, and she couldn't tell whether she was helpless or deeply ashamed.
She suddenly felt a little hungry, so she opened the oil paper package and slowly ate the fried eggs while drinking tea.
Su Li seemed to have returned to her childhood...that slight sadness finally slowly dissipated.
-
In the distance, under the bright lights.
Cui Jue glanced at Li Muyao and said coldly, "Your Highness, the Lantern Festival is over, you should return to the palace."
Cui Jue had just finished reviewing the salt administration documents sent to the central government by the provincial governors. He felt a little tired and before he could go back to his house to rest, he was stopped by Li Muyao's phoenix carriage on the way.
Li Muyao was so bold that she stopped Cui's carriage on the palace road and invited him to go out and watch the lanterns together.
That palace road led directly to the southern study of the inner court. Cui Jue knew that Emperor Xuanning had spies all over the imperial city. If he rejected Li Muyao in public, the matter would reach the emperor's ears within a quarter of an hour.
Cui Jue has always been meticulous in his actions and would not reveal any clues.
He did not reject Li Muyao, but got on the phoenix carriage and left the palace with her.
Li Muyao pouted in dissatisfaction when she heard this: "We've only been playing for half an hour, can't the eldest master accompany me a little longer?"
Cui Jue lowered his eyes and apologized, "I have some government affairs to review tonight, and I have taken time out of my busy schedule to accompany you. I hope Your Highness will not embarrass me."
Li Muyao naturally knew that as the Prime Minister of Wu State and the elder of a noble family, Cui Jue should put state affairs first. She was already very bold in stopping his precious horse out of temper, so how could she dare to go any further?
Li Muyao reluctantly boarded the phoenix carriage. Reluctantly, she leaned out of the window and acted coquettishly with Cui Jue, "Then next time... when the eldest master is free, you must accompany me shopping."
Cui Jue nodded.
Li Muyao was finally satisfied and was willing to go home.
Seeing the phoenix carriage driving away, Wei Zhiyan, who was standing by, tactfully brought Chixia over and asked Cui Jue if he wanted to ride the horse back home.
Cui Jue stood with his hands behind his back, silent for a long time.
He inexplicably recalled the petite figure he had just seen in the crowd...
Cui Jue's eyes were gloomy, and his fingertips rubbed the green jade ring on his joints.
After a moment, he said, "Let's go to another place."
-
Su Li sat in the tea stall and waited for a long time, and finally Cui Shunying showed up.
But the little girl was having so much fun, Cui Shunying hurriedly piled the bowl cakes, date paste pastries, and sugar figures she had bought in front of Su Li's table, and then ran out in a hurry again.
Before leaving, she left a message: "Sister Su, please wait a little longer! You can enjoy these snacks first. I will definitely win that rabbit lantern!"
Hearing this, Su Li held her forehead helplessly. She almost forgot that Cui Shunying was just a child at heart. How could she control her mouth? She couldn't walk when she saw food, drinks and toys. She had to have a great time before she was willing to go home.
Su Li couldn't stop her. Anyway, Aunt Xu would scold her when she returned home, so she didn't act like a bad person and stopped her.
However, Su Li hadn't eaten these folk snacks for a long time. Now she was holding a flower cake in her left hand and a sugar man in her right hand, enjoying the food.
If Su Li hadn't seen the tall and strong Cui Jue when she looked up, she would have enjoyed her meal more.
The little girl looked at the man in front of her with a cold brow and was suddenly frightened. Su Li was stiff and shuddered, unable to speak.
Su Li's cheeks were bulging, and she was holding a mouthful of sweet flower cake.
She knew that her eating manners were not elegant, so she did not dare to act unrestrainedly in front of Cui Jue.
After much deliberation, Su Li could only slowly put down the food in her hand, took out a handkerchief from her bosom, and carefully spit out the cake in her mouth. Finally, she took a sip of tea and rinsed her mouth before daring to greet Cui Jue: "Good night, young master. It's a coincidence that we meet at the Lantern Festival..."
Cui Jue said nothing.
The man's cold eyes swept across Su Li's face, his sharp gaze fixed on the powder at the corner of her mouth.
After a long moment, a deep, magnetic voice, whose tone was difficult to discern, rang out. It was Cui Jue who asked her, "Why did you hide just now?"
Su Li was stunned.
She was afraid of Cui Jue in her heart, and immediately straightened her back like a student who was caught dozing off in a private school by the teacher, and thought carefully about Cui Jue's words.
What was she hiding from? Was she hiding from him?
Su Li racked her brains for a long time and finally realized that Cui Jue was asking her about the sneaky way she ran into the tea stall to drink tea just now. It turned out that he saw her...
Su Li thought that Cui Jue was so particular about rules because he must have seen that she saw the princess and the elders coming, but did not step forward to greet them, which was really rude.
But Su Li was not being rude on purpose, she was just too embarrassed to go forward.
After all, Su Li and Cui Jue had physical intimacy that night, and when she faced Li Muyao, she always felt embarrassed as if she had been caught cheating by the wife of the first wife.
Su Li hesitated: "It's not appropriate for me to appear in front of His Highness, for fear of causing misunderstanding..."
Cui Jue frowned: "What kind of misunderstanding?"
The man remained calm and pressed the issue with firm words...
At this moment, Su Li suddenly realized that, yes, she had indeed secretly borrowed sperm and had something to do with Cui Jue.
But she was just a widow, the sister-in-law who had never returned to her mother's home. In the eyes of outsiders, Su Li was even more of a poor person who came to Wudong Cui's to beg for money. She was definitely not worthy of marrying the elegant Cui Jue. Others would not think that such a beautiful woman like Cui Jue could be picked by such a lowly person like her!
The only one who felt guilty was Su Li. Cui Jue was extremely open and didn't care at all.
Perhaps in Cui Jue's eyes, Su Li was even an insignificant maid who could be discarded by him at any time.
Just a concubine, just a toy.
Which man doesn’t have these in his backyard?
If that was the case, why did he need to explain anything to Li Muyao? And why did he feel guilty?
Su Li suddenly realized what was going on. Her face felt hot and burning. She couldn't tell whether she was embarrassed or embarrassed.
Su Li stammered, "I was overthinking it. The eldest young master has nothing to do with me, so how could others misunderstand me? It was me who acted like a scoundrel, which easily aroused suspicion and caused gossip. I learned my lesson today, and I will never be so petty again."
Su Li sincerely admitted her mistake.
As if she was afraid that Cui Jue would be unhappy, she thought for a moment, stood up from the bench, walked up to Cui Jue, bowed and apologized.
The girl lowered her head heavily, the fine hair on the back of her neck illuminated by the bright yellow lantern, reflecting the outline of her slightly protruding bone beads, which gave off a layer of snow-white light.
Su Li always holds her neck high, like a majestic crane.
But that night, when Cui Jue pressed her on the bed and bullied her.
Her bones seemed to be tossed to pieces by the rolling waves.
Su Li's sharp thorns were all removed by Cui Jue in the bed curtains. She succumbed to the tyranny of the aristocratic family and dared not resist Cui Jue anymore.
Su Li showed weakness cautiously. She respected Cui Jue like everyone else and would never go against him again.
Cui Jue glanced at her with scrutiny in his eyes.
This silence made Su Li feel a little uneasy. She couldn't help but look up and asked Cui Jue, "Why didn't the eldest son accompany His Highness to the Lantern Festival?"
In fact, she wanted to ask, had she done something else that bothered Cui Jue? That was why he had abandoned Li Muyao and come to capture Su Li... Could it be that Li Muyao had also seen her just now, and the princess was angry at Su Li's rudeness, so she ordered Cui Jue to scold her?
Su Li's palms were sweaty and she felt uneasy.
She wondered in her heart, no matter what... it was impossible that Cui Jue came all the way to find her.
Until Cui Jue pursed his lips and said, "I'm here to look for my fourth sister."
Su Li suddenly realized: "Si Niang went to buy lanterns, Master, please wait a little longer, she should be back soon."
"Yeah." After hearing this, Cui Jue had nothing else to say.
Su Li breathed a sigh of relief without leaving a trace.
Fortunately, Cui Jue didn't come here specifically to punish her.
She said, why would a man like Cui Jue condescend to bother her when he has nothing to do? He is just worried about Cui Shunying's safety.
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