Chapter 100 Old Stories
The stepmother lost her life trying to save Ah Man.
At that time, in order to leave Yongzhou as soon as possible, Aman had arranged a driver in advance, intending to return to his hometown overnight.
Unexpectedly, Shen Jiao had no intention of letting her live. The coachman was one of her men in disguise. As soon as they left the city, they took her to a deserted area, intending to kill her to silence her.
Fortunately, she was alert and jumped out of the car beforehand, preventing him from succeeding. Later, as she fled, she accidentally fell off a cliff.
There was a river below the cliff; she fell into it and barely escaped with her life. When she woke up, she was already at her stepmother's house.
The stepmother said that she went to the river to wash clothes and heard the villagers say that they had found a stranger by the river. Out of curiosity, she went over and unexpectedly saw her.
The stepmother said that she had saved Xiaolingdang's life, and now she had a chance to repay the debt, so she told her to stay here and recuperate.
Shiya Village is located in a remote area, surrounded by barren mountains and ridges, and few outsiders come here.
During those days, Aman followed her stepmother up the mountain to dig for wild vegetables and down to the river to catch loaches, as if she had returned to the time when her grandmother was still alive. As she had said before, her stepmother also had Xiaolingdang recognize her as her godmother.
Little Bell was very happy that day, babbling and making noise until very late before finally falling asleep. That was also the first time her stepmother mentioned Little Bell's father.
Perhaps to protect the unfaithful man, the stepmother did not elaborate on his identity. She only said that the two met when they were both lowly, fell in love over time, and were later forced to join the army when the court conscripted soldiers.
The stepmother said that her husband was very brave, fighting on the battlefield and achieving great military exploits. She also wrote that the emperor wanted to reward him and asked him to return to the capital to receive the reward.
From then on, Ah Lang was never heard from again.
The villagers all said that now that he had become a high-ranking official, he must have changed his mind and abandoned her, but Wan Niang didn't believe it. Later, her father died of a serious illness, and her uncles and aunts seized the family's house and land. With no other choice, she embarked on a journey to the capital to find her husband.
Fortunately, Wan Niang found her beloved again, but the man before her was no longer the same. The simple and kind farmer had transformed into a high-ranking general. He was unwilling to acknowledge their relationship, yet he was unwilling to let her leave.
He imprisoned her, intending to make her his mistress, someone he couldn't keep hidden.
“For a whole year, not a single day went by that I didn’t want to escape.” Aman still clearly remembered the undisguised hatred on Wan Niang’s face when she said these words. No woman would want to be a mistress who is despised by the world, let alone someone who had clearly married him.
"That little bell..." Aman asked cautiously, "Did he force you?"
Aman felt that, given Wan Niang's personality, she probably wouldn't be willing to be with that unfaithful man under such circumstances.
“It was my own choice.” Wan Niang looked at Aman and smiled sadly. “You might think I’m shameless, but Aman… that night he was drunk and the way he clung to me was just like my husband.”
But she also knew that the person before her was ultimately not her beloved. So when that person's sister approached her later, she agreed.
"Jiao'er?" Shen Yan could hardly believe his ears. He never expected that his younger sister had been involved in his stepmother's escape back then.
“Your sister felt that she was not good enough for you and that following you would only ruin your reputation, so she helped her when she learned that her stepmother wanted to leave.”
No wonder she felt that the aggressive younger sister mentioned by her stepmother sounded familiar; it turned out to be Shen Jiao.
"And then what happened?" Shen Yan asked.
"Later..." Aman hesitated for a moment, "After Wan Niang escaped, she originally wanted to return to her hometown in Bingzhou, but unexpectedly found out that she was pregnant. In order to protect the child in her womb, she lied that her husband had died a violent death and her family had died suddenly, and stayed temporarily in Shiya Village."
Because she lived a secluded life and didn't like to interact with people, few people in the village knew her background. In addition, she bribed the village chief to spread rumors that she was a jinx, which made the restless men in the village stay away from her, and she lived a relatively peaceful life.
Until her arrival.
That night, the stepmother was awakened by the barking of dogs. When she went out to see what was happening, she found that the people chasing her had come looking for her, going from house to house. To protect her from being discovered, she specially put on her clothes, took her bundle, and went to distract the people.
Hearing this, the anxiety that had been hanging over him finally died.
After Shen Jiao's death, he personally investigated Fu Yunxiu's whereabouts, and even went to Huitou Cliff to investigate, all to prove Shen Jiao's innocence.
He couldn't believe that her sister could be so vicious and intolerant.
At that time, he did see a pool of blood at the bottom of the cliff. It was so fresh that it seemed to have happened not long ago. Judging from the amount of blood, the person must have died.
But unexpectedly, that person turned out to be her stepmother.
"Waaah..." The person who had never shed a tear even when pierced by a thousand swords on the battlefield was now covering his face and sobbing uncontrollably.
*
Fu Yunxiu's old wounds had not yet healed, and now he had new ones, so he developed a high fever that night. Aman took care of him for a long time, and only fell into a deep sleep by Fu Yunxiu's bedside at dawn.
Fu Yunxiu was awakened by an itch.
In his dream, a big, fluffy cat kept rubbing against his palm, its wet mouth nuzzling him, making his palm itch.
Fu Yunxiu opened his eyes and saw Xiaolingdang beside his bed, her head nuzzling against his palm. And next to her, Aman was fast asleep.
For a moment, Fu Yunxiu almost thought he was dreaming. It wasn't until he saw Chen Yan standing there at the door, staring blankly at the little bell, that he realized it wasn't a dream.
The throbbing pain in his wound made Fu Yunxiu groan softly, startling Xiao Lingdang. When she saw that Fu Yunxiu had opened his eyes, she, who had been happily playing with his hand, immediately pouted.
Seeing the mist forming in Xiaolingdang's eyes, Fu Yunxiu panicked immediately. "What's wrong?" Is she feeling unwell?
Before Fu Yunxiu could finish asking, Xiaolingdang burst into tears.
Aman was awakened by the crying and instinctively hugged Xiaolingdang, saying, "Don't cry, don't cry, Mommy's here."
"Waaah," Little Bell nestled in Aman's arms, her eyes fixed on Fu Yunxiu, until she had cried enough before she spoke, "The bad uncle said that Uncle Fu is my daddy."
After she finished speaking, she looked at Aman as if seeking confirmation.
Aman wanted to say no, but when he met Xiaolingdang's hopeful eyes, he couldn't bring himself to say "no."
She knew how much Xiaolingdang liked Fu Yunxiu. Although the two had only met a few times, it was strange that Xiaolingdang liked him so much, even more than she liked Chen Baixun, which was really puzzling.
Seeing that Aman didn't speak, Little Bell could only ask Fu Yunxiu, "Uncle Fu, are you my father?"
The little girl pouted, looking extremely aggrieved.
Fu Yunxiu didn't know how to answer, so he looked at Aman and saw Aman nod gently.
"yes."
As soon as he finished speaking, the little girl threw herself into his arms, crying and hiccuping, "Then why don't you want me? Waaah, Dongdong said it's because I'm too bad, that's why my dad doesn't want me."
Dongdong is a little boy from the front street who often bullies Xiaolingdang because she doesn't have a father.
The little girl was sobbing, and Fu Yunxiu felt his heart clench with her sobs. "It's not Xiaolingdang's fault, it's your father, it's your father who did something wrong, it's your father who has no face to see you."
Fu Yunxiu patted her gently, "Little Bell is the best. Dad and Mom both love Little Bell the most."
As he spoke, Fu Yunxiu looked towards the door with a somewhat guilty conscience, only to find that the door was empty and Shen Yan had left at some point.
The little girl cried loudly, as if she wanted to cry back all the grievances she had suffered over the years. Fu Yunxiu patiently responded and comforted her until the little girl was tired and fell into a deep sleep in his arms.
"Give it to me, and press it gently against your wound," Aman said.
"It's alright, let her sleep here!" Fu Yunxiu lifted the blanket to cover Xiaolingdang before asking, "Why didn't you explain to Xiaolingdang that you knew he was at the door, right?"
“Yes,” Aman answered truthfully, “Wan Niang’s suffering cannot be in vain. I know he must want to recognize Xiao Lingdang now.”
But how could things be so easy? Why is it that he, who did all sorts of bad things, ended up with his daughter by his side, while his stepmother suffered all kinds of hardships and ultimately died tragically at the hands of her sister?
She was the one who caused Wan Niang's death, but Shen Yan was no better.
She wanted him to experience what it felt like for his words to become sharp knives stabbing him.
Just as Aman wished, in the next room, Chen Yan regretted his actions.
If he hadn't told Xiaolingdang himself that Fu Yunxiu was his father, perhaps he would still have had a chance.
He knew that Aman was taking revenge on him, but he was helpless to do anything about it.
He didn't dare tell Aman that Wanniang's death might not have been solely to draw away her pursuers, but because she discovered that the people chasing Aman were his men.
Yun Shang was the one responsible for protecting Wan Niang back then, and he had clashed with Wan Niang several times. Later, when Wan Niang disappeared, he beat Yun Shang for dereliction of duty and then handed Yun Shang over to Shen Jiao.
If Shen Jiao were to pursue and kill A Man, the leader of the group would definitely be Yun Shang.
The stepmother must have recognized Yun Shang and was afraid that if Yun Shang captured her, it would implicate Xiao Lingdang, so she sacrificed her own life to ensure Xiao Lingdang's safety.
After all, just as the stepmother said, if Xiaolingdang followed her, she would only be a pitiful child whose father died early, but if she followed her, she would be a despised illegitimate daughter who could not be seen in the light of day.
Back then, he was too proud to admit his identity because he felt that his stepmother came from a farming family and was not respectable.
Now, one wrong move has led to the complete loss of the game. Who can we blame?
"Young master, it's time to apply the medicine." Yunzhi came in carrying the medicine box, interrupting Chen Yan's thoughts.
Chen Yan lowered his head and looked at the wound on the web of his right hand.
After a night, the ring of teeth marks now appears even more vivid, and the surrounding area is even more horrifyingly bluish-purple, but Chen Yan finds it incredibly cute.
"No need," Chen Yan said. If it really leaves a scar, it wouldn't be so bad.
Seeing Yun Zhi's puzzled look, Chen Yan said again, "You write a letter to Yun Shang, saying that I have urgent business and that he should come to Bingzhou immediately."
"Yes." Yun Zhi accepted the order.
He knew that the young master was now calling Yun Shang, probably because it was related to the death of his wife back then.
Who would have thought that when the young master followed Fu Yunxiu to Bingzhou, he not only found the whereabouts of his wife, but also learned that he had a daughter.
Seeing that the young master hadn't made a move yet, Yunzhi grew anxious. "Young master, don't you and the young lady recognize each other?"
"No rush," Chen Yan said.
"There's no rush," Yunzhi thought to himself. "Listen to the neighbors, the little girl is calling him 'Dad' so affectionately. If you keep dawdling, you're completely out of luck."
Shen Yan understood his meaning, so when Aman said goodbye at the dinner table, he said, "No, you can't leave."
"What, General Shen, do you also want to imprison me and Xiaolingdang?" Aman mocked.
Looking at Xiaolingdang nestled in Fu Yunxiu's arms, happily eating her food, Chen Yan said, "It's not imprisonment, but rather that you need to live here."
"What's the meaning?"
Chen Yan didn't reply, but made sure that Xiao Lingdang wasn't paying attention before saying, "You know the relationship between Xiao Lingdang and me, and you also know that I will never let my child with Wan Niang be left to wander outside. So, one month, one month. If Xiao Lingdang ultimately chooses you, then I will let you leave."
"What makes you think that Little Bell will ultimately choose you?" Aman was puzzled by his inexplicable confidence.
“She is my own flesh and blood, and we are father and daughter by nature,” Shen Yan said.
“Okay, then we’ll wait and see, and we hope you keep your word,” Aman said.
Upon learning that Aman and Xiaolingdang were going to stay with Shen Yan, Fu Yunxiu also shamelessly insisted on staying as well.
"Aren't you afraid I'll kill you during this time?" Shen Yan asked.
After all, Fu Yunxiu had suffered quite a bit at the hands of his men over the years; though not fatally, it was certainly not pleasant. This time, he only came personally after learning that Fu Yunxiu was coming to Bingzhou.
Bingzhou holds the most beautiful memories of his time with his stepmother.
Fu Yunxiu could see that the obsession in Shen Yan's eyes had lessened considerably, so he chuckled and said, "Are you willing to let Xiao Lingdang be sad?"
After all, he is now Xiaolingdang's favorite person, even Aman has to take a backseat.
Fu Yunxiu delivered a fatal blow, but Shen Yan still stubbornly insisted, "It's just a passing fancy."
And so, the three of them settled down together in that little courtyard.
Shen Yan didn't restrict their freedom. Aman also had to take care of the shop's business, leaving early and returning late every day. Fu Yunxiu had nothing to do, so he spent his days bickering with Shen Yan and vying for Xiao Lingdang's affection.
Today one buys a bamboo dragonfly for Little Bell, tomorrow another will buy her a lantern.
When eating, one person would pick up a bite with their chopsticks, and the other would immediately follow with a bite.
Going out was even more terrifying. Both of them were calculating the time, afraid that if the other held them for a little longer, they would be shortchanged. Aman bluntly said that they were crazy.
But Shen Yan's attempts to curry favor were effective. Although Xiao Lingdang still clung to Fu Yunxiu, at least she was no longer afraid of him and would even take the initiative to hold his hand.
He believed that given time, Xiaolingdang would like him more than Fu Yunxiu.
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye, and Yun Shang, having received the news, also rushed over from the capital.
Shen Yan talked to him inside the house, and didn't even come out for lunch in the afternoon, saying he had no appetite.
That night, Fu Yunxiu couldn't sleep, so he got up and wandered around. He saw Fu Yunxiu drinking in the hall again.
Today is the fifteenth of the lunar month, and the moon is exceptionally bright.
He raised his cup to the moon from the low eaves, but he was all alone.
As he had predicted, Yun Shang said that he was ordered by Shen Jiao to find Aman and, following the coachman's directions, he followed the river all the way to Shiya Village.
It was already night. He searched house to house and had just gotten some useful information when he saw a woman sneaking out of a house and heading up the mountain.
He suspected nothing and gave chase. Several men surrounded and intercepted her, cornering her on the cliff. Just as they were about to catch her, the woman, upon recognizing him, resolutely jumped off.
It was already late at night, so he couldn't go down to the bottom of the cliff to search. When he came down at dawn, he only saw a pool of blood.
Anyway, the young lady's order was to kill anyone found alive without exception, so he considered himself to have completed his mission and left.
Therefore, Wan Niang's death had nothing to do with A Man; rather, it was he who drove Wan Niang to her death.
Chen Yan gave a bitter laugh, tears and wine mingling as he drank, the sobs reaching deep into his heart.
With a "clink," Fu Yunxiu produced a pot of wine from somewhere, clinked glasses with Shen Yan, and sat down beside him. "Something on your mind?"
Shen Yan didn't speak, but picked up the wine pot and clinked it against Fu Yunxiu's again, asking, "And you, why are you here so late at night instead of sleeping?"
"I couldn't sleep, so I came out for a walk," Fu Yunxiu said.
The two smiled at each other. Fu Yunxiu noticed the loneliness and desolation in Shen Yan's eyes and asked, "Missing Wan Niang?"
Shen Yan chuckled softly, which was taken as tacit agreement.
"That explains why you came in person this time," Fu Yunxiu said.
In the past, when he went out to look for Aman, Shen Yan would send people to follow him and take the opportunity to cause trouble. Only this time, he originally wanted Yun Yin to follow him, but after learning that Fu Yunxiu had come to Bingzhou, he immediately changed his mind.
"Wan Niang and I met in a small mountain village in Bingzhou." Perhaps it was the alcohol or the beautiful moonlight, but for once, Chen Yan began to recount his past with Wan Niang.
"At that time, Shen's army was trapped in Longshang. It was freezing cold and they lacked food and clothing. I led a group of men out to find food, but we were ambushed and knocked off a cliff. When I woke up, I had no memory of it. I walked alone for a long time until I was exhausted and collapsed in the forest."
That night, his mother saved him.
Wan Niang's family was not wealthy. Her mother had passed away early, and her father was seriously ill. Because there were no male heirs in their branch of the family, the villagers often bullied them, making their lives very difficult.
Moreover, Wan Niang did not have a good reputation in the village. The villagers said that she had an affair with Master Zhao from the town, so even though Wan Niang was already eighteen, she still had no prospective husband.
Later she learned that it was Master Zhao who wanted to take her as a concubine, but she refused, so he deliberately ruined her reputation in an attempt to force her to comply.
“My stepmother’s father said that he would rather support her for the rest of her life and let her grow up to be an old maid than let her become someone’s concubine and be mistreated.”
As they spent more and more time together, he fell in love with Wan Niang, and the two naturally became a couple. That safety buckle was the token of their love that he gave to Wan Niang.
At that time, he didn't have much money, so he could only pick the cheapest piece of jewelry from among all the other pieces. He even accidentally chipped a corner of it, but his stepmother didn't mind and held the peace buckle happily for a long time.
Later, they got married with the villagers as witnesses. During the busy farming season, he would work in the fields, and during the off-season, he would go to town to do manual labor. His stepmother was skillful and could embroider handkerchiefs and make knots. The young couple worked together with one mind and one heart, and their lives gradually improved. Even his stepmother's father's health gradually improved.
However, his good fortune did not last long. Turmoil broke out in the northwest, and the imperial court conscripted soldiers on a large scale, among whom he was conscripted.
At that time, those who charged into battle were all from the Shen family army, while these temporary recruits could only do odd jobs in logistics. It wasn't until later, when the Shen family army suffered countless casualties, that they were transferred to the front lines.
During a battle, he happened to save the life of a young general. The general, seeing his quick wit, kept him by his side and, after witnessing his strategic talent, made him his strategist.
After a year of fierce fighting, the northern barbarians retreated. The imperial court rewarded those who had rendered meritorious service and summoned him to the capital to receive his reward.
He wrote to his stepmother, telling her the good news and asking her to wait patiently for his return so he could take her to live a better life.
Then, he arrived in the capital, regained his memory, and rose from a lowly, unassuming strategist to the renowned General Shen.
He also regarded his memories of his stepmother as a disgrace.
“I never expected that my stepmother would come to the capital to find me,” Shen Yan said.
Not long after he disappeared, Old Man Liang fell ill after slipping and falling on the rainy road. Rumors were circulating that he had gone to the capital, become accustomed to its prosperity, and had abandoned his stepmother.
Old Man Liang was so worried about his stepmother that he fell ill and passed away. After he left, the people in the clan stopped pretending. They used the excuse that his stepmother was a married daughter to seize the family's land and house and drove her out of the house.
With nowhere else to go and disbelieving the villagers' claims that he would change his mind, the stepmother felt there must be some hidden reason behind it all, and thus resolutely embarked on her journey to the capital to find her husband.
At that time, the stepmother probably didn't imagine what she would face after arriving in the capital.
As for what happened later, Fu Yunxiu could piece together the general outline from Aman's words.
General Shen, now possessing a clear and bright mind, was far beyond the reach of Wan Niang, a mere peasant girl. He refused to acknowledge his marriage to Wan Niang, yet feared her relentless pursuit would ruin his reputation. So, he bought a courtyard, locked Wan Niang up, and made her his secret mistress.
Looking back now, there might have been other reasons why he didn't let his stepmother leave, such as not being able to let her go.
But whatever it may be, the deceased is gone, and it's too late for anything he says.
The sound of the eaves fell silent, and all around was quiet except for his low sobs.
Fu Yunxiu knew he had drunk too much and was about to get up and tell him to go back to his room when he suddenly heard a noise outside.
"who?"
Fu Yunxiu stood up, and Shen Yan also raised his head after noticing that someone was there.
At the doorway, a small figure appeared, rubbing its sleepy eyes.
"Little Bell, what are you doing here?" Fu Yunxiu went over and carried her inside.
"I can't find my mother." The little girl's body was cold, and her eyes were red from rubbing them, making her look pitiful.
Fu Yunxiu thought she was scared because she had woken up and couldn't see anyone, so he held her in his arms and comforted her, "It's okay, it's okay, Dad's here. Mom went to the shop and hasn't come back yet. Dad will stay with you tonight."
The little girl nestled in Fu Yunxiu's arms and quickly closed her eyes. Shen Yan looked at Xiao Lingdang, who hadn't glanced at him once since she came in, and felt a mix of emotions.
But who can you blame for the evil you've sown?
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Author's Note: The story is nearing completion, so I'm posting a pre-order link. Please subscribe to my author page.
The Daily Life of a Transmigrated Lacquer Girl
Ming Zhao, a working-class woman, transmigrates into the body of Jiu Niang, the youngest daughter of the Ming family in the Great Feng Dynasty.
The Ming family was a renowned lacquerware family, but unfortunately, they had few descendants. This branch even had three daughters in a row, and with no one to carry on the family line, the grandfather, Mingde, eventually died with regret.
Ming Zhao, who transmigrated from another era, received a favor from her grandfather. In order to repay her and carry on her last wish, she and her childhood sweetheart and fiancé, Zhou Yuanqing, searched through ancient books and studied diligently. Finally, they created a set of exquisite ancient lacquerware to use for the World Trade Conference.
Zhou Yuanqing said that the two of them would get married when he returned this time.
Mingzhao, awaiting marriage, received not the joyous news of her fiancé, but the news that he had been ambushed and killed on the way, and that the lacquerware had disappeared without a trace.
The newly appointed magistrate, Shen Tingsi, was in charge of investigating the matter and eventually discovered that the murderer was a Japanese.
*
Mingzhao said that at first, he just wanted to fulfill his grandfather's last wish and let him rest in peace. Later, he wanted to find a way out and pass on this skill.
Shen Tingsi: When I first met Mingzhao, I thought she was just a young lady living in the shadow of her parents. Later, I found that she was just like her name, wise and intelligent, and dazzling.
[The wise enlighten others with their own wisdom.]
It's probably the story of an inspirational young lady and her loyal magistrate.
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