A general needs to be tall, strong, and muscular. Ideally, he should also have a potbelly, making him look imposing and menacing. My sworn sister is perfect in every way, but she lacks precisely these qualities.
She fed the Duke and Duchess Bai their medicine and was packing her things to go see Meng Ruliu take her exam as usual when Bai's mother called out to her, "Doctor Su, wait a minute."
Su Wan asked, "Madam, did you call me for something?"
Mother Bai said, "Thanks to the medicine you've given us these past few days, my eyesight has improved a lot."
Su Wan said, "That's good. After eating for a few more days, you will recover."
“You look familiar,” said Mrs. Bai. “It’s like I’ve seen you somewhere before. Haven’t you been to our house before?”
Su Wan thought for a moment and then said firmly, "Madam, this is my first time here."
Mother Bai said, "That's strange."
Duke Bai rubbed his eyes and said to his mother, "She looks familiar too. It seems like Zhiyi painted a picture of a woman who looks somewhat like Doctor Su."
Su Wan's heart skipped a beat, and she thought to herself, "No way. Bai Zhiyi even painted me?"
Mother Bai stood up and said, "Doctor Su, please come with me."
She walked ahead, and Su Wan had no choice but to follow. The two arrived at a courtyard with white walls, gray tiles, and vermilion doors secured with iron locks. A row of maple trees grew along the courtyard wall. Inside the courtyard, one could see an exquisite little building.
“This is Zhiyi’s residence, Qinglan Courtyard,” Mother Bai wiped her eyes. “Ever since she passed away, our health has deteriorated, and we haven’t been here again.”
Bai's mother unlocked the door with the key and led Su Wan into the courtyard and into the small building.
The tables and chairs inside the building were covered with a thin layer of dust. Bai's mother found a chair and sat down, saying to Su Wan, "Dr. Su, my eyes are sore. I'll sit here and rest for a bit. Go to Zhiyi's room and take a look. There's a painting there, and the woman in it looks a bit like you."
Su Wan said, "Madam, please rest. I'll go take a look."
She opened the door and went into the room.
Passing the landscape screen opposite the door, I saw a long, red-lacquered rectangular table and round stools by the window on the left, next to a black-lacquered wooden bookshelf. On the other side was a bed with pale yellow curtains. At the foot of the bed was a white double-door wardrobe, presumably for storing clothes.
Although the house has been uninhabited for a long time, it is still clear that the owner here likes cleanliness and tidiness.
Su Wan thought to herself, "So this is Bai Zhiyi's place. I never thought I'd end up here."
She rummaged through the bookshelf and saw several scrolls piled on top. She took one down first, thinking it was of herself. But when she unfolded it, she saw that it depicted Wei Jingzhuo wearing a black robe.
This painting is clearly the result of meticulous work; upon close inspection, even Wei Jingzhuo's eyelashes are depicted. Below the painting are four lines of poetry.
May I ask who plays the flute towards the purple mist?
I once spent my youth learning to dance.
Why die if you have success?
I'd rather be a pair of mandarin ducks than an immortal.
Su Wan shook her head, rolled up the painting, and put it back on the bookshelf.
Bai Zhiyi likes Wei Jingzhuo, which is a matter of personal freedom, and she can't interfere. But Wei Jingzhuo doesn't reciprocate her feelings, so what can she do? There are too many devoted men and women in this world, desperately pursuing a love that seems unattainable.
No one can free them from their suffering except themselves.
She pulled out another painting, thinking it was of herself, but when she unfolded it, it was a cute little boy running with fireworks in his hand.
Bai Zhiyi is not married, so who is this little boy?
She came out with the scroll and asked Madam Bai, "Madam, who is the little boy in this picture?"
Mother Bai squinted at him and said, "This is my sister's child, named Lin Fei. Zhiyi loves him very much. Alas... those beasts of the Northwest Army killed my sister's whole family. They even occupied my brother-in-law's house. My daughter also perished in that disaster..."
As Bai's mother spoke, she was about to cry again, so Su Wan quickly comforted her, "Madam, please don't be sad."
The Duke and Duchess Bai lived in the capital and had no idea what the Lin family had done. This was unavoidable; each side had its own position and difficulties. She couldn't explain it to Bai's mother right now.
She put the painting back and then looked through the rest of the paintings, but none of them depicted her.
While searching around, they saw a scroll of painting peeking out from under the bed.
She walked to the bedside, bent down, pulled out the painting, dusted it off, unfolded it, and almost cursed out loud.
The woman in the painting was indeed her; it was riddled with holes, as if pricked with needles, leaving it tattered. Several lines of text were also written on the painting, but not a single kind word.
"Permanent paralysis, drowning, disfigurement, infertility..."
Bai Zhiyi is going too far, she's absolutely furious.
She's here treating Bai Zhiyi's parents. Bai Zhiyi, on the other hand, hides in her room drawing pictures and pricks herself with needles every day…
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
