At three quarters past midnight, sunlight had just crept over the carved eaves of the west wing of the General's Mansion. With the gilded and jade-inlaid hairpins still dangling in their case, Liu Shi trod into Shen Weiwan's "Tinglan Courtyard." Behind her, her maid Cui'er held a gilded food box. Inside, three layers of soft, snow-white silk were padded, and twelve crystal cakes were stacked on top. This pastry, made from the finest Taihu glutinous rice and steamed with three intact Dongting tangerine petals, had been Shen Weiwan's favorite snack before she came of age in her previous life. Liu Shi was well versed in the art of sugar-coated tactics; she had used it to coax her foolish niece into handing over her first land deed.
"Wanwan, auntie's brought you something delicious!" Liu's fingers, clutching her handkerchief, lifted high in the air, her voice saccharine sweet enough to drip with honey. But her eyes, like hooks, darted towards the rosewood box at the head of Shen Weiwan's bed. The box, its corners gilded, was a gift from Shen Weiwan's mother's dowry. Locked inside was a red-gold hairpin, and the nine oriental pearls inlaid on the hairpin swung countless times in her dreams.
Suddenly, a green feather fluttered up from the corridor. Chen Weiwan was squatting in front of the parrot stand, scattering corn. When she turned around after hearing the words, the morning light just happened to brush against the silver hairpin in her hair, making her almond eyes shine like morning stars. "Aunt!" She dropped the bamboo spoon and rushed forward, the strands of hair brushing against the hem of Liu's embroidered golden lotus skirt. "How did you know I was craving crystal cake? I was just talking about it to Chuntao yesterday!"
Liu secretly laughed in her heart, he is indeed a brainless person! She patted the back of Shen Weiwan's hand, and pinched her wrist lightly with her fingertips - this is her usual little gesture, which shows intimacy and can test the other person's reaction. "Silly child," she said in a sweet tone, but her eyes drifted to the rosewood box again, "How can your aunt not love you? Get up quickly, the ground is cold." She seemed to brush the box lid with her sleeve unintentionally, "By the way, Wanwan, your mother's red gold hairpin... I heard that the censor's wife praised its good quality the day before yesterday."
"Ah!" Chen Weiwan suddenly jumped up, startling Liu's hand so much that half a crystal cake fell out of the food box. Blinking, she leaned close to Liu's ear and spoke in a very low voice, but every word was clear: "If Aunt hadn't told me, I would have forgotten! Last night I dreamed of mother—" She paused deliberately, watching Liu's mouth suddenly tighten, and continued to lower her voice, "Mother said that the red gold hairpin is the apple of her eye. Anyone who touches it must first pass the 'Five Grains Cleansing Hands Ceremony'! Otherwise..." She suddenly shrank back, covering her mouth in fear, "You will be struck by lightning!"
"The five-grain hand-cleansing ceremony?" Liu's eyelids twitched violently. The bowl of grain mixed with gravel from a few days ago seemed to rub against her palms again. She subconsciously rubbed the back of her hand, where the pale red mark from the previous hand-rubbing was still there. She had just had the doctor apply three plasters of golden wound medicine last night, and now, being lifted by Chen Weiwan, her palms suddenly felt a burning pain.
"Yes, yes!" Chen Weiwan dragged Liu towards the corridor, her moon-white skirt brushing the moss beneath the pillars. A chipped earthenware basin stood out. Inside, millet mixed with black beans, a few cracked lumps of mud floating on top. Clearly, it had been sun-dried and then splashed with water, now emitting an earthy smell. Liu stared at the basin of "grains," her powder nearly falling off her face in anger. The jade hairpin dangled by her temples like a moldy vegetable leaf.
"Aunt," Shen Weiwan suddenly picked up a handful of grains and enthusiastically stuffed them into Liu's sleeve, the force of her fingertips surprisingly strong. "You love me the most, so you will definitely wash my hands for me to honor me, right? Look how precious this grain is! Rubbing it can dispel bad luck and ensure safety!" The cold grains mixed with the sharp edges of the gravel instantly made Liu's palm numb. She tried to pull her hand away, but Shen Weiwan's grip on her wrist was as firm as an iron clamp.
The maids sweeping the floor and the servants watering the flowers had already gathered around, their brooms and kettles suspended in mid-air. They all stared down at the ground, their shoulders shaking like leaves in the autumn wind. Chuntao, pinching her waist, stood beside the clay basin and began counting at the top of her voice: "One, two, three... Auntie, please rub harder! Nanny said you have to rub it a hundred times, otherwise it won't be sincere!" She deliberately emphasized the word "insincere," causing the little maid next to her to burst out in laughter, and then quickly covered her mouth with a handkerchief.
Liu's hands, rubbed red by the stones in the muddy water, felt like needles piercing her flesh with every rub. She caught a glimpse of the servants' stifled laughter, then glanced at Shen Weiwan's large, "innocent" eyes. Her nails nearly dug into her palms. If she stopped now, wouldn't it be a clear disrespect to the late Madam? She gritted her teeth and watched Chuntao count to "ninety-nine," her palms already bleeding.
"One hundred!" Chun Tao counted loudly. Before she finished speaking, Liu suddenly pulled her hand back. Her palm turned red and purple, with several bloodstains winding down. She no longer cared about her manners and pointed at Shen Weiwan and screamed: "Shen Weiwan! You little bitch! You did it on purpose!"
Shen Weiwan shrank back in fright, tears welling up in her eyes, and her voice was filled with tears: "Aunt, why are you angry again? Didn't you agree to help me honor my mother?" She turned to Chuntao and shouted, "Quick! Bring the best wound medicine and rub it on my aunt - such a precious hand, if it gets a scar, how will she wear a bracelet in the future?" Chuntao suppressed her laughter and took out an oilcloth bag from her sleeve. Inside was the cheapest mugwort ointment - this was the medicine that Liu had withheld from the servants last time, and now it was returned intact.
Liu looked at the black ointment, trembling with anger. She waved Chuntao's hand away, "Get out! Get out!" She stomped out of the yard, her beaded skirt sweeping across the earthenware basin under the porch, splashing mud all over her skirt. The gilded hairpin on her head tilted to one side, and the jade pendant on the hairpin dangled back and forth, as if mocking her embarrassment.
Shen Weiwan looked at her back, and the smile on her lips gradually cooled. Chun Tao came over and asked in a low voice: "Miss, should the Second Madam have completely given up on you now?"
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
