Chapter 55 Chapter 55 Jinjiang First Release
Chapter 55
Cui Jue did not fight with Su Li for the bathtub. He glanced at Su Li indifferently, put on his clothes, stood up, and went straight out of the house.
When Cui Jue was bathing in the side room, he rarely recalled some childhood memories.
Cui Jue was the only legitimate son of the Cui family, so the education of Cui Jue was extremely strict.
His father told Cui Jue since he was young that he was the eldest grandson of the eldest son's family and that the family business would be on his shoulders in the future. Therefore, he could not be weak or soft-hearted, and he could not grow up in the inner house and be raised by his mother.
Cui Jue was just a little boy, so Huirong took him to the outer courtyard.
He had never experienced his mother's gentle whispers, and the care of his elders eventually turned into plates of cakes and bowls of sweet soup...
Cui Jue had often been alone in the past, and he had long been accustomed to living alone in a corner, reading a book and enjoying the quietness alone, listening to the sound of pine waves and the wind and rain.
Until one day, a little bird with a broken leg accidentally fell from the eaves and landed on his green robe.
Cui Jue stared at the wounded bird quietly. He thought of how people should react to the weak, and instinctively imitated an expression of pity. He carefully picked up the bird.
Cui Jue fed it a few bowls of water, a few handfuls of rice, and also picked out a precious cage made of rosewood for it.
He thought that meeting was fate, and living together in a large courtyard with high walls was also a kind of companionship.
But birds don't understand human hearts. They refused to eat or drink, and on the seventh day of starvation, they finally died.
It was the first snow in the dead of winter. The sky and the earth were covered in silver. The houses were lined up in rows, covered in snow. Cui Jue, holding a small stove for warming his hands, climbed up the stairs and made a special trip to visit Xiao Que.
But when he looked up, he saw the birdcage hanging in the air, swaying, with no living creature fluttering in it.
The little bird didn't struggle like usual, banging its head against the cage and bleeding. Instead, it curled up in the corner, being well behaved and not moving at all.
Cui Jue walked forward slowly and only realized it when he got closer.
It turned out that the little bird with lush feathers had already become stiff and died last night.
Cui Jue looked up and stared at him, as if he was in a nightmare, staring for a long time.
Huirong looked at the young master's silly look and thought that the boy was too young and was frightened and saddened by the death of his pet. She hurried to persuade Cui Jue, saying that all living things in the world have their own destinations and there is no need to be sad. If Cui Jue wanted, he could find a good place to bury it, burn some gold ingots, and place some fruits and vegetables, so that the bird could be reincarnated in the next life and escape the animal path.
Upon hearing this, Cui Jue simply said, "There's no need to go to such great lengths. Just find a place near a wall to bury it. Aunt Huirong, go catch some more birds."
Huirong obeyed the order.
Huirong knew that the wild birds in the mountains were difficult to tame, and if they were frightened when trapped in the cage, they would refuse to eat or drink and eventually die.
If you want the little master to have a good time, you should find some well-tamed sparrows with sweet voices and beautiful feathers.
Cui Jue still remembers that scene.
Under the high eaves, there was a row of exquisitely carved pearwood bird cages. Pink, yellow, green, and brown, little birds of various colors chirped in the cages, their calls were crisp and sweet. When Cui Jue stretched out his hand, they would affectionately arch their chubby heads, gently rub his fingertips, and act coquettishly with him.
All domesticated birds are beautiful and a thousand times more clever than that stubborn tit.
Cui Jue has many substitutes, he no longer feels lonely, and his kindness will not be let down by the ungrateful tit.
But why does he keep thinking about the dead bird when he has so many new loves by his side?
Is it just because he tamed it with his own hands, yet it died in his hands?
At this moment, Cui Jue suddenly felt uninterested and bored.
He never kept birds again.
-
Tonight, Su Li slept very uneasily. She didn't know what frightened her, but she kept dreaming about the burning bamboo cage.
The fire burned in the silent night. The raging fire, with some kind of power ready to burst out, attracted Su Li to the depths of her dream.
She was hot and cold, shivering all over and curled up in pain.
Later, Su Li was brought back to her original place by a pair of strong arms and pressed into the embrace with a slightly lower body temperature. The rich fragrance of grass and trees instantly filled her nose, causing her to frown from time to time and mutter softly from time to time.
In a trance, she seemed to feel a cold, large hand on her hunched back, the palm pressing on her tailbone, moving along her back again and again, soothing her emotions.
But in the end, Su Li was immersed in this cool and strange fragrance and slowly calmed down.
She still fell asleep.
When I woke up the next day, the bedside was empty and Cui Jue was not there.
Su Li lifted the quilt and sat up in a daze, allowing the maid to help her comb her hair and choose clothes.
Su Li remembered that today was the day when Cui's army entered the city. As the patriarch of the first family, Cui Jue might have to sit back on that unattainable altar.
Su Li thought vaguely that she should take another car later and not be ignorant of the rules and ride in the same car with Cui Jue.
However, when Su Li dressed up and went out, the carriage with a purple canopy was still parked at her feet.
Su Li was stunned for a moment and looked up at the lifted curtains.
This glance happened to meet the man's cold, solemn and handsome eyes.
"Not in the car?"
Cui Jue asked a question, then lowered his head and took out a red lacquered wolf-hair brush to annotate the document.
When Cui Jue returns to the city today, he will definitely meet with all the civil and military officials in the inner court. He will review the memorials early and take the opportunity to punish those rats who took advantage of his tour to form cliques and engage in self-interest.
Cui Jue was thinking about official business and ignored Su Li.
Su Li was shocked and looked at the carriage of the Lord of the Cui family in confusion.
But she didn't dare ask more.
Su Li obediently boarded the carriage, and the moment she sat down, a thought struck her: Cui Jue disliked servants being around him. Since he wanted someone to serve him tea and water, it was only right for her, a concubine, to do so. This wasn't some kind of grace or courtesy; it was simply Cui Jue's way of making her fulfill her duties as a concubine.
The carriage moved forward slowly, and a cool breeze blew on my face.
In early September, autumn has already begun. Jianye County is very elegant, and many golden osmanthus, ginkgo and maple trees are planted along the way.
In the depths of autumn, the streets and alleys are lit with golden flames. Peddlers push carts and carry loads of baskets, hawking water chestnuts and lotus root starch and lotus seed soup sent from Jiangzhou. This is the common people's way of enjoying the autumn.
The wealthy families would hold banquets with colorful chrysanthemums, and then send the frozen crab roe into their homes to entertain dignitaries and relatives and friends, and also to welcome autumn.
Su Li likes crabs, but she promised Cui Jue that she would start preparing for having a child next month, so she must not touch these plump and cool autumn crabs.
It’s a pity that I can’t satisfy my appetite.
After Su Li finished thinking about the interesting things in autumn, she lifted the curtain of the carriage and saw the towering Cui family mansions. Her heart was filled with gloom again and she scowled.
She will definitely see Cui Shunying again later. Thinking of that little girl whose heart and eyes are full of dependence, Su Li suddenly felt inexplicably embarrassed.
In the eyes of others, Su Li had resorted to all sorts of tricks to finally climb onto the pedestal of a flawless Cui Jue. Who would have pitied her suffering? Who knew that Cui Jue, a handsome and elegant man, actually had a despicable and vicious side?
In particular, Su Li once vowed to Cui Shunying that she had no interest in Cui Jue.
But now Su Li not only became Cui Jue's concubine, but also returned to the Cui family mansion with Cui Jue in the same car. Doesn't this confirm the accusation that "beauty is a disaster"?
It's rare for a wealthy family to have a young lady that suits their taste, and Su Li doesn't want to be disliked by Cui Shunying.
Perhaps Su Li's sighing was too eye-catching, so Cui Jue, who was gathering paperwork nearby, asked quietly, "Are you worried?"
Su Li glanced at the straight-shouldered man with resentment and muttered softly, "He's worried about some personal matters."
"What's the matter?" Cui Jue took a wet handkerchief and wiped the ink off his hands. After being busy, he rarely relaxed for a moment, and even the tone of his voice was a bit casual and lazy.
Su Li knew that he was not in a bad mood. After hesitating for a while, she said, "This matter is extremely difficult to explain..."
"Tell me slowly."
"Since you insist on knowing, I'll give you an analogy. It's not complicated. It's like a widowed young woman whose family has fallen on hard times, and she's visiting her late husband's cousin. She struggles to make ends meet in the wealthy family, but she gets along well with her cousin."
"My cousin is kindhearted. Even when everyone thought the beautiful widow was a seduce to men, she stood up and vouched for her, arguing that this cousin's wife only looked stunning and charming, but was actually the kindest person and would never seduce my brother..."
Cui Jue closed his eyes and listened, tapping the table with his jade-like fingertips. When he heard the word "seduction", his hands suddenly stopped moving.
Su Li didn't notice the man's small movements of instability. She continued to make up stories, "But unfortunately, this cousin was weak-willed and was attracted by the widow's beauty, and forced her to be his concubine... This move was a huge disgrace to my cousin, and she was furious. As a result, their relationship was bound to break down. From now on, they will live in the same house, and this young lady and my cousin will see each other every day. How can they get along?"
After Su Li finished speaking, Cui Jue slowly opened his silent phoenix eyes. A coldness gradually grew in his dark eyes, and he curled the corners of his lips slightly, "You're worrying too much. It's nothing more than a widow returning to her parents' home and then becoming a concubine. How can you say she's seducing or bewitching her? Besides, the widow you mentioned is said to be stunningly beautiful, but that's a bit biased. In terms of beauty, she's only slightly better than others."
Su Li understood. Cui Jue realized that she was making a veiled criticism and warned her not to flatter herself. She was just so-so in appearance. He said that she was seduced by a beautiful woman. He was really ignorant.
Hearing this, Su Li snorted inwardly. If she weren't under someone else's control, she really wanted to use what happened last night to mock Cui Jue.
If she wasn't beautiful enough, why would he take her by force and bring her into his harem?
You know, last night Cui Jue not only had sex in the bathtub.
Even when he carried Su Li to the bed, Cui Jue asked her to be obedient and to curl up her waist to slim down her body.
So straight ahead.
Su Li only knew that her leg bones were soaked with hot sweat and stained with snow foam and dirty saliva.
With such indulgence in lust, how could he have the nerve to say that he was not tempted by beauty?
Lord Su Li did not bear grudges against the villain and only dared to curse him in his heart, but did not confront Cui Jue in public.
The carriage stopped at the gate of Cui's old house. Before Su Li got out of the carriage, she heard the bustling voices outside.
The curtain of the carriage was lifted, and the smoke from the Boshan stove dissipated completely.
In the distance, the sound of trumpets welcoming the emperor resounded through the sky, majestic and imposing. Countless banners engraved with the character "Cui" (Cui) fluttered in the sky, like eagles spreading their wings, fluttering in the wind.
Upon hearing the news, rows of black-armored soldiers came forward, dismounted one by one, knelt before Cui Jue, and bowed their heads to show their loyalty.
Even the elders of the noble families who had come to the old house with their families to greet him got out of their cars and saluted. When Cui Jue came out from behind the curtain, they respectfully called out, "Lord."
Cui Jue was dressed in a black dress with wide flowing sleeves and a jade belt around her narrow waist. She was truly a woman with a graceful figure and an imposing bearing.
He was the central figure on this trip back to the city, and naturally he was surrounded by a group of dignitaries like stars surrounding the moon. While everyone was moving closer to Cui Jue, Su Li quietly got out of the carriage, hoping to get back to the Cui family's old house first while there were more people.
However, just as she was about to escape and step into the corner gate, a sudden loud shout stopped her.
"Sister Su! Sister-in-law!"
It’s Choi Sun-young’s voice!
Su Li suddenly felt her scalp tingling, as if there were thorns on her back.
Her mind was in a mess and it took her a long time to react... What did Aying call her?
Sister-in-law?
Is she crazy?!
Before Su Li turned around, Cui Shunying had already run over happily, hugged her arms warmly, and shouted with a smile: "Little sister-in-law, I finally waited for you!"
Su Li's body trembled, and she smiled awkwardly, feeling like crying but unable to.
She turned back tremblingly, and her beautiful eyes met Cui Juehan's handsome face.
Cui Jue attached great importance to rules, and he would definitely not allow Cui Shunying to not distinguish between his wives and concubines, violate the rules, and call people in public.
She called a concubine sister-in-law, even if it was just a joke, which made Cui Jue lose face in front of civil and military officials.
"Don't, don't shout like that." Su Li's face turned pale and she warned Cui Shunying in a low voice.
She waited for Cui Jue's wrath and prepared herself to be punished.
However, Cui Jue said nothing, just glanced at the two of them indifferently, and then lowered his eyes to deal with the court officials who were making indirect criticisms.
While Su Li felt relieved, she couldn't help but feel confused... Maybe Cui Jue was in a good mood today, which was why he was so easy to talk to.
Or maybe it was because of the noisy atmosphere here, he didn't hear Cui Shunying calling "sister-in-law" at all.
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