Chapter 470: Those Who Come Can Still Be Chased [Seeking Monthly Tickets]
"Cough cough cough—cough cough—"
A faint cough came intermittently from the side room in the backyard. The woman sleeping in the outer room heard the noise, put on her robe, and got up. Candlelight then lit up inside, dispelling the heavy, cold darkness. If you got closer, you could hear the patient's soft murmurs.
"Water, water... water..."
The woman said gently, "The water is here."
She carefully helped the patient sit up on the bed so she could tilt her head and sip the warm water. The liquid briefly relieved the burning dryness in her throat. She moved her lips, changing from sips to larger gulps.
In no time, the bowl of warm water was empty.
The patient also regained some consciousness.
"May I ask who my benefactor is..."
She clearly remembered that she was rescued during the day.
This is the person who is taking care of her now.
"I dare not accept the title of benefactor. It was only because of your kind words that I was rescued from that predicament years ago that I am now returning the favor." She carefully laid the patient down, tucked the blanket around her, and said softly, "The young lady was seriously ill during the day and I did not have time to tell you yet—I have already informed the head of this household about your background. The head of the household is kind and gentle, and he told you to rest assured and recuperate here."
Upon hearing that his background had been reported, the patient felt a pang of anxiety, but after hearing the next sentence, he felt somewhat relieved.
She was also sensible and aware of her own status.
“Once I recover, I will bid farewell to my master. My master is kind and benevolent, but I cannot repay kindness with enmity and bring trouble upon your household.” She was weak and had a high fever, and speaking such a long sentence in one breath caused a strong itch in her throat, and she began to cough again.
Perhaps I slept too much during the day.
No matter how dizzy and disoriented she was, she couldn't fall asleep. Seeing that she couldn't sleep, and worried that she might need to get up in the middle of the night, the woman brought over the bedding and slept nearby to take care of her. She took the initiative to start a conversation: "What brings you here, young lady?"
This young lady is a noblewoman from Xiaocheng.
His father held a high position of power and commanded a large army.
And her?
Although she came from a collateral branch of a prestigious family, her father's lineage was declining, and her father was a man of high aspirations but low abilities. Lacking in competence, he resorted to crooked means. Seeing that his daughter was beautiful at a young age, he couldn't resist having wicked thoughts.
First, he curried favor with his uncle, shamelessly raising her in his household, allowing her to study and learn to read, and secretly hiring a tutor skilled in dance and music to teach her, thus building her reputation and securing a good marriage. However, life is unpredictable, and misfortune can strike at any moment.
The patient said, "I have no relatives or friends, and I have come here begging all the way."
Her voice was hoarse, but her tone was calm.
The hardships he actually endured are unimaginable to outsiders.
The woman sighed inwardly upon hearing this.
"And you? How have you been since Xiaocheng?"
She didn't have much of an impression of women before.
But the woman said "a word of kindness," and coupled with the other person's outstanding appearance, she finally found a fragment in a corner of her memory.
The other party was a dancer whose beauty had spread far and wide even before she officially took the stage, a beauty eagerly awaited by a group of young men. Such fame certainly brought her a lot of admirers, but it also aroused the resentment of the women who had been neglected for many years behind these men.
Among them was a woman from a respectable family who led a group of servants and guards to her door, threatening to tear her skin apart, strip her naked, and throw her into the street for passersby to watch and admire.
The patient happened to be there and stopped the incident.
Beauty is not the dancer's fault.
Flies that come attracted by smell are the most hateful!
The woman smiled faintly and said, "Fortunately, my parents are considerate people and have treated me well for the past year or two. There's no one in charge of anything in the household, so life is much better than before."
The patient said, "In this case, it's a blessing in disguise."
The woman paused for a moment, then sighed, "If the tens of thousands of people in Xiaocheng can be spared from slaughter, then I don't need this blessing."
Her life was already filled with hardship.
Even if it's a little worse, it's still just so-so.
When she was ten years old, she was implicated by her uncle and relegated to a lowly status. Not only was her marriage called off, but her future husband's family also treated her with dread and were eager to distance themselves from her. They didn't spare her any old friendship. She could only rely on her looks, talent, and sweet talk to win the favor of the head steward, who regarded her as a "rare commodity" and carefully taught her music, chess, calligraphy, painting, singing, and dancing, especially singing and dancing.
If Xiaocheng hadn't had that accident...
At this point, she was probably already the "number one dancer" pursued by the most romantic and talented men in Sibao County. Could the treatment she received in exchange for her beauty be considered an honor? Those scholars and young men from noble families used sweet words, but they were only after getting a taste of her beauty.
Unveiling this thin veil of shame...
Then naked worldly desires will be revealed.
She is in the prime of her youth, which makes her first-rate. Once she grows old—ah, beauty and figure will be ravaged by time, but the power and status of these celebrities, scholars, and young people from noble families will not. They will go and fawn over the next young and beautiful newcomer.
Life is unpredictable.
Two young women whispered to each other late at night.
When talking about hardship, tears welled up in his eyes.
Knock knock knock.
A clear knocking sound rang out in the darkness.
The patient was on edge.
The woman put on her coat, got up, and looked at the silhouette against the window.
He whispered, "They are parents, young lady, don't worry."
The patient then awkwardly realized that he was staying in his benefactor's room, while the head of the household was outside; he was the one spoiling the mood. The woman got up and opened the door, and sure enough, Gong Xichou was standing there. However, she keenly noticed that his aura was somewhat low, something she had never seen before in all the time she had known him. She wondered if the head of the household had encountered something unpleasant.
Gong Xichou's gaze fell on another spot.
The woman understood, closed the door, and followed him.
"General, you've come so late at night. Is there something important you wish to tell me?"
This has never happened before.
Even if outsiders assumed the woman was Gong Xichou's concubine, and even if the man had been stingy in giving her a title, she was still the only mistress of the household, and her status was different. Only the woman knew the truth: the young general was devoted to martial arts and had no interest in men or women.
Even if there were such a woman, she would have to be able to withstand the beating, either not to death or to kill Gong Xichou, in order to meet the criteria for choosing a spouse.
After a long pause, Gong Xiqiu said, "Pack your things these next two days. I will send a trusted confidant to take you away from here to a very safe place. You can live in peace and seclusion there without any worries."
The woman was taken aback: "Send them away from here? That general..."
Gong Xichou frowned: "I have some private matters to attend to. Whether I succeed or not, the waves I stir up, even the slightest touch, could send you to the gates of hell. I don't want to harm you."
Although there was no romantic feeling between them, as they spent more time together, their sincerity deepened, and Gong Xichou gradually came to regard her as a younger sister. Since they were like siblings, it was only natural for him to prepare a way out for her.
The woman realized the seriousness of the problem.
I wanted to say I would stay, but I bitterly realized that I was too weak to carry anything and would only be a burden if I stayed.
"Alright, once the military campaign is complete, how should I contact you?"
"No need to look anymore," Gong Xichou said indifferently. "This kind of life, filled with bloodshed, is not suitable for you."
The woman felt a pang of pain in her heart.
I feel utterly powerless.
Gong Xichou looked at the moonlight: "That's where I grew up, my hometown. Perhaps you can bring it new life."
"Is the general not up to it?"
“You don’t understand. I should have died on the day my clan was wiped out. It was I who defied the will of Heaven and prayed to the gods to let me live until now. Over the years, taking advantage of the lack of elders’ discipline, I’ve done almost everything that’s explicitly forbidden by the clan monument. My body can no longer return to that homeland.” Gongxi Chou said nonchalantly, “You don’t need to be too sad. Once your body is freed, the wanderer’s soul will return to her embrace under the guidance of the gods.”
Women don't understand the story behind Gongxi Chou's words.
but--
"This humble servant dares to ask if the head of the household may bestow a name upon me?"
Gong Xichou looked at her, puzzled.
But I still granted her request.
Speaking of which—
I don't think I ever asked her name.
He pondered for a moment.
He said, "Then let's call it 'Come,' how about that?"
ψ(｀)ψ
The woman's name comes from the Analects of Confucius: "What is past cannot be changed, but what is to come can still be pursued."
What's past can't be undone by persuasion, but there's still time to prevent and strive for the future.
(End of this chapter)
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