Chapter 42 is the Madam.
What's wrong with my mother?
The animal husbandry hall has two floors. The first floor and its backyard are mainly for large livestock such as cattle, horses and mules.
Although many wealthy families would send people to their homes when needed, the majority of households in the capital and surrounding areas were ordinary people, each with one or two servants. This was not to mention the passing travelers and itinerant merchants. The beast stables were busy every day, but the profits weren't particularly high.
The ones who actually make money are the cats, dogs, and rabbits on the second floor.
These days, only wealthy families keep these kinds of pets; they have plenty of money. Treatment, grooming, and food all add up. The real profit comes from selling cats and dogs. A kitten of good quality once sold for over a thousand taels of silver, which shows how much they cost.
Therefore, the animal breeding hall is bustling with people every day.
But that really doesn't include his attic.
The old man, with white hair and a youthful face, less than five feet tall, returned from outside after breakfast. Looking at his attic, which was crowded with people, he had a strong urge to turn around and leave.
He left, but didn't move. He was immediately led back to the small couch inside the room, as if it had just happened.
That was yesterday, wasn't it?
Looking at Niu Tielan, whose face was rosy on the small couch, the old insect stamped his foot behind his back: "What problem? She's perfectly fine, isn't she? I've already given you the mother insect. Keep her at home for a while and see how it goes. I'll think of something else. What can you possibly figure out in just one day?"
Song Jin naturally knew that haste makes waste, but since the old man had vomited blood, she couldn't afford to be indifferent. She grabbed the old man, turned him around, opened the porcelain pot in her hand, and handed it to him.
"She vomited this stuff first thing this morning, and the Gu in her heart has stopped acting up. Did she vomit it out?"
The old insect looked down and gasped, his face turning green again. He trembled and asked, "How...how could this be?"
Song Jin grabbed him and shouted, "What do you mean, how could that be? Can't you just say what you have to say all at once, old man?"
This is typical of someone who's all talk and no action, and who's aggressive, vicious, and unreasonable.
Her performance left Song Anzhi and Song Qingzhi, who were standing to the side, dumbfounded and doubting their eyes. The two brothers even started pinching each other.
"hiss"
Song Anzhi was frail and sickly from a young age, but she was definitely the most beautiful among her brothers. She was delicate and pale, with a face like a beautiful woman, and she looked perfectly natural in women's clothing.
He frowned slightly, his delicate appearance evoking pity: "Why are you pinching me?"
Song Qingzhi was the youngest of the brothers, only sixteen years old and not yet of age. He had big, round eyes with light green pupils, and his hair was slightly curly and fluffy, giving him a distinctly exotic look. He resembled a cat stretching lazily, grinding his fangs as he raised his wrist, which had been pinched until it was bruised: "How dare you say that?"
His fourth brother looks frail, but he's surprisingly strong; he never seems tired when he's tinkering with those weapons.
Song Qingzhi flung his fourth brother away, hissing as he rubbed his bruised hand. His eyes were fixed on Song Jin, then on the old man she was holding, his neck feeling a chill.
"No, not only is my little sister tall, but she's also quite strong."
Song Anzhi's attention, however, fell on Song Jin's face, which resembled Song Shang's. To have someone with that face do something so simple and brutal was truly bizarre.
However, he was clearly a shrewd and experienced person, and whispered, "Little sister is obviously a trained fighter; I don't think the third brother might be able to beat her."
The third brother he mentioned was Song Shenzhi, who was stationed on the border. He was a twenty-year-old general of the third rank, who had been fighting on the battlefield since he was sixteen, recovered the six northern Jin tribes left over from the previous dynasty at eighteen, and captured the nine villages of Xilin at twenty. Normally, he would be promoted another rank upon his return. In the entire Dayan Dynasty, apart from the founding veterans, no one could compare to him.
However, now that Song Shang is in trouble, things are a bit harder to say.
Speaking of him, both brothers thought of this, and their hearts inevitably became somewhat heavy.
However, after asking for a long time without getting an answer, and remembering how afraid the old insect was of her, Song Jin didn't dare to be too forceful lest she scare him to death. Furious, she kicked a nearby pillar in frustration.
With a loud bang, the thick pillar snapped in two, causing the entire attic to shake violently.
Everyone: ...
Fortunately, this pillar wasn't the main pillar, so its breakage wouldn't have any significant impact.
Song Jin pressed down on the pillar, pried it together with all her might, and said seriously, "This broken pillar is unstable at all. Don't worry, Elder Insect, I'll replace it for you in a bit."
Song Qingzhi, who had initially thought Song Anzhi was exaggerating, silently took two steps back and swallowed hard: "You're right."
Song Jin didn't notice the brothers' little tricks. After fixing the pillar, she walked towards Elder Chong again.
The old insect, his face green with rage, retreated further and further until he reached the window. Looking down at the roof tiles, then at the menacing Song Jin, his short legs twitched with urge to pounce.
"Song Jinjin"
Finally, a soft yet warning voice broke the slightly tense atmosphere.
Niu Tielan sat on the small couch. Compared to her pale and pained appearance yesterday, she was still thin today, but her complexion was much better. Her fair cheeks were slightly flushed, her black hair was loosely tied up with a jade hairpin, and she wore green jade earrings. She wore a light green gauze dress, looking simple and elegant.
She sat there, like a luminous jade, illuminating the dark and enclosed attic; her voice was gentle and melodious, yet firm and resonant.
"Sit down and talk properly."
Song Jin, still somewhat agitated, moved her lips slightly, then slowly calmed down, reluctantly and hesitantly walking over to sit next to her mother.
Niu Tielan reached out and pressed down on the back of her hand, then smiled gently at the terrified old man, Chong Laoqingwan: "I'm sorry, doctor, I've always been in poor health. She's been watching over me since I was little, and she's afraid something will happen to me, so she has a short temper. Please don't take it to heart, let's talk it over slowly."
Song Jin pouted, reluctantly saying, "Please don't take it to heart, let's talk slowly, there's no rush."
What's the rush? You old codger, you can't even finish a sentence.
The old man's face, which had turned green like a timid bug from being frightened by Song Shang, gradually returned to normal. Although Song Jin still looked terrifying, Niu Tielan was indeed kind and approachable. He secretly glanced at this ruthless man who could have a child with Song Shang out of the corner of his eye.
Niu Tielan's appearance has nothing to do with ruthlessness, but she can easily suppress Song Jin, the second-in-command of the Song family, with just a few words, and she has survived for so long despite being infected with the Red Thread Gu. She is definitely not a simple person.
Old Insect tensed up again, feeling his way around the edge of the attic to the other side, where he hid behind the Song brothers, Song Anzhi and Song Qingzhi.
Song Jin and Niu Tielan's gazes also fell on the two brothers.
The two brothers: ...
That old geezer
"Cough cough cough"
Song Anzhi coughed twice, smiled weakly, then pulled the old insect who was trying to hide forward, pressed him down beside him, and said softly, "Old man, don't be so shameless. Don't you want your hair back?"
This wasn't the first time he'd seen Old Man Chong. That old geezer used to be so arrogant, why was he acting so pitiful in front of his wife and sister? What was he up to?
Song Qingzhi also came over, seemingly carefully straightening the old insect's collar to comfort him, but in reality, his light green eyes narrowed slightly: "I think you want to eat roasted insects."
The old insect was so angry his face turned black: "Do you think I wanted this? What kind of decent girl would have such a face?"
It's terrifying to look at.
Song Anzhi smiled: "I think you really want to die."
Song Qingzhi chuckled: "You don't want this dilapidated attic anymore, huh?"
...
The three of them were whispering to each other, and although they were speaking in hushed tones, Song Jin could hear them clearly. She was speechless for a moment, then interrupted them.
"Stop whispering and get down to business. What's wrong with my mother?"
Just a second ago, the old insect glared fiercely at Song Anzhi and Song Qingzhi, the two children adopted by Song Shang. The next second, he was meek and submissive towards Song Jin, who looked exactly like Song Shang, leaning against a pillar and looking down at his feet, saying, "Your mother, there's something wrong with the red thread gu on your mother."
Song Jin frowned: "What do you mean? It's not a Red Thread Gu?"
The old insect shook his head: "It's the Red Thread Gu, but normally, the longest I know of someone afflicted with the Child Gu is a year. Your mother living to sixteen is the first time I've ever heard of such a thing."
Song Jin: "It's said to be sixteen years, but it's only been this month. For the first ten years or so, it was in a dormant state, and apart from weakening my mother's health, it had no other effect."
The old insect sighed, "I used to think so too, but look at those little insects, if you look closely, aren't they all different?"
Song Jin was stunned for a moment. She opened the containers and saw that each one was indeed different—round, flat, long, short. Upon closer inspection, they resembled the little lambs she had seen yesterday, creating a sense of incongruity, like…
It looks like it was just randomly pieced together.
The old insect gave her a positive answer: "These insects are the thousand insects needed for the Red Thread Gu mother to mature."
The attic was quiet.
What does this mean?
Niu Tielan finally understood why her daughter had been so irritable; this girl really never got to the point.
This whole thing—big Gu, small Gu, chaotic insects—is incomprehensible; I can't understand it at all.
Song Jin, Song Anzhi, and Song Qingzhi also nodded in agreement.
Yeah, what does it mean exactly? Is it good or bad?
Faced with such a group of empty gazes, the old insect took several deep breaths, and finally stood up in anger, stomping his feet.
Rotten wood cannot be carved.
These people don't understand Gu at all.
Their Lingnan Gu techniques have truly declined.
The old insect, unsure whether to sigh or grieve, stopped, propped his head up, and sat down again, his voice low and somber: "Regardless of the type of Gu, it always originates from a mother Gu giving birth to offspring Gu. Offspring Gu cannot reproduce. In this situation, there's only one possibility: the offspring Gu has mutated and is about to evolve into a mother Gu."
After saying that, he raised his head and met a bunch of bewildered eyes. He slammed his fist on the ground in anger: "Do you know how serious that is when a child Gu becomes a mother Gu?"
Song Jin and others shook their heads
The Insect Elder took a deep breath: "For the Red Thread Gu to become a mother Gu, thousands of insects need to kill each other to give birth to a mother Gu. The mother Gu then gives birth to ten pairs of offspring. If the offspring Gu wants to become the mother Gu, it must kill ten thousand insects. Right now, the offspring Gu is inside your mother's body. To become the mother Gu, it can only be done within your mother's body. Do you understand now?"
The frail Niu Tielan clutched her chest, feeling a tightness in her chest, and couldn't help but gag.
Song Jin asked anxiously, "Mother, what's wrong?"
Niu Tielan: "...How disgusting! Am I some kind of disgusting person that I have to suffer like this?"
Song Jin relaxed her anxiety, a twitch at the corner of her mouth: "It's alright, eating bugs and stuff, think about the Thousand-Mile Bee from before."
That stuff did smell pretty good, but the bugs were still disgusting, especially the ones she vomited up. Niu Tielan clutched her chest, looking utterly disgusted, and suggested, "Doctor, I'm perfectly fine now. I don't necessarily have to become this mother Gu, do I? Raising one daughter is exhausting enough; I can't afford to raise so many bugs."
Chong Lao:......
As expected of a Song merchant's woman, she's truly extraordinary.
"Suit yourself. It'll be fine if you ignore it. It'll just mean dying forty or fifty years early, suffering unbearable pain day and night before death, losing all its internal organs, and its skin covered in red marks," the old insect said slowly, adding...
That's all.
Before Niu Tielan could react, Song Jin kicked over a nearby table, grabbed him, and hung him in mid-air. Her brows furrowed, and she roared, "You old geezer, you think I'm being lenient? Do I have to hang you upside down in this lousy place before you'll talk properly? Believe me, I'll make sure your internal organs disintegrate and your head explodes right now!"
"Oh dear, oh dear, can't you speak properly, you little brat? You're like a firecracker, even worse than your father!" Old Chong sighed, his face green. "I was just saying that, and if you really hurt this old man, your mother would be beyond saving."
Song Jin didn't move, staring intently at him with narrowed eyes.
"Back then, during the Gu swarm in Lingnan, the Gu clan either fled or died. I only know of two people who can cure the Red Thread Gu," the old insect said, his eyes tightly closed, not looking at her face. He spoke with a bit more confidence, but only for a moment, and then his voice drooped again.
Now there's only one person left.
Song Jin then slowly put him down, frowning, and asked, "Is it safe?"
"Whether it's safe or not, you have no choice. Either the Gu will exhaust yourself and your mother at the same time, or you'll take good care of your health, rely on the Gu, and become a Gu woman," the old insect said listlessly. Seeing the questioning looks on Song Jin and the others, he lost all his energy, looking dejected and his dry white hair looked stiff.
"Oh, you don't understand. A Gu Maiden is a holy maiden of our Gu Clan, not just anyone can become one. If it weren't for Song Shang's mother... sigh, never mind, you wouldn't understand anyway. I'll prescribe some medicine for your mother to recuperate properly. In a month, we'll begin raising Gu."
This is incoherent, it seems like it said something but also didn't say anything at all.
Song Jin said irritably, "That's it? What kind of 'raising Gu' sounds dangerous? Ten thousand Gu? Are you using her as a guinea pig?"
But surprisingly, Old Insect wasn't afraid of her this time. His complexion was normal, and he looked dejected and listless: "Whatever. If you're not going to do anything, go back and stay there. You'll see next time she vomits blood."
Song Jin glared: "Hey, hey, old man, if you keep this up, I'm really going to hit you!"
Old Chong ignored her, his head drooping, his back hunched, and his wrinkled feet, so unlike his face, dragging him inside. He slammed the door shut, looking utterly indifferent.
Song Jin: "Hey, you, him?"
"Alright, alright," Niu Tielan said, though she was also confused, she was much more rational than Song Jin. After all, every extra day she lived was a blessing, and hope was good. She reassured the anxious Song Jin.
"Don't worry, don't worry. The old doctor also said that I should go home and rest first, which means the problem isn't serious."
Song Jin was displeased: "Just because he says there's no problem doesn't mean there's no problem!"
Niu Tielan tapped Song Jin's head, her almond-shaped eyes gentle as she looked steadily at her, and said, "Your mother knows her own body best. I'm much better than before."
Song Jin looked dejected: "This is only temporary. Who knows if it's just a final burst of energy before death? That 'ten thousand worms' thing sounds unreliable, and those 'Gu Maidens' and 'Holy Maidens' things don't sound like good stuff."
Niu Tielan clutched her chest and sighed, "That's right, but Jinjin, is there any other way?"
Song Jin hugged Niu Tielan tightly, burying her head in her shoulder, her voice muffled: "The one who cast the curse."
Niu Tielan fell silent. She forced a smile, wanting to say something but unsure where to begin. She simply gently stroked Song Jin's head, patting her back to help her breathe, her voice soft.
"Ah, I'm hungry. Let's go find something to eat. The doctor just told me to eat well."
"..."
Song Jin got up from her embrace with mixed feelings, trying to calm her chaotic emotions, and muttered under her breath, "That was such an abrupt change of topic."
Niu Tielan's eyes darted around for a moment, then she quickly became assertive: "So, are you going or not?"
People should always look forward.
She's been sick for over ten years, and before coming here she was prepared that it might be incurable. This situation is already beyond her expectations; there's no need for her to act so desperately.
Song Jin took a deep breath, got up from the couch, stretched lazily, and said heavily, "Go, of course I'll go! Everyone says there's so much delicious food in the capital, and I haven't tried any of it yet!"
Seeing her like this, Niu Tielan also smiled. Her eyebrows were arched, her almond eyes were clear and cold, and she was gentle and serene, as elegant as bamboo and as graceful as an orchid. She was as beautiful as a painting, attracting everyone's attention.
On the other side, Song Qingzhi, who had been almost invisible throughout, tugged at Song Anzhi's sleeve, her light green eyes shining: "I'm not surprised now that Dad can have another child."
This lady is absolutely stunning, like a fairy. But what's even more beautiful is her strong and open-minded spirit; it's truly captivating.
Song Anzhi agreed. Watching Song Jin and Niu Tielan interact, a smile involuntarily appeared on his lips, but it quickly faded, and his eyes dimmed.
What a heartwarming scene, it's a pity his father isn't here.
Just as he was feeling down, Song Qingzhi nudged his shoulder and laughed, "Fourth Brother, Father is still alive, really, believe me, I saw it."
Song Anzhi was both amused and exasperated. He forced a smile and tried to cheer himself up: "That's right. Dad's so capable, he'll definitely be fine. Maybe he just found us too troublesome and went out to have some fun."
They considered the possibility, and to be honest, it was hard to say.
Thinking about it, the two brothers looked at each other and laughed.
Once Song Jin and Niu Tielan had composed themselves, they saw the brothers' smiles.
"Fault"
Song Jin was already in a bad mood, and these two were just adding fuel to the fire by laughing like idiots. She couldn't be bothered to look at them anymore, so she grabbed Niu Tielan and left the attic.
Song Anzhi and Song Qingzhi watched helplessly as the mother and daughter left without a word, and seeing the silly grins on their faces, they both turned away in disgust and strode after them.
With them here, we absolutely cannot let the mother and daughter spend a single penny today.
...
Song Jin and Niu Tielan did not leave the Animal Husbandry Hall immediately.
They stood before the white lamb from yesterday once more. The light was better now, and the lamb looked even more beautiful than yesterday; its plump tail was also more striking.
Song Jin looked at Song Qingzhi: "I heard from Song Shunzhi that this animal enclosure is yours. Do you know anything about these sheep?"
"It's rare for it to work," Song Qingzhi said smugly, tossing his hair and flashing two small tiger teeth. "No, no, I only invested money, so I can't say it's mine. But I do know about this sheep. It's the prettiest one of these lambs, but its tail was bitten off by a dog, so it wasn't worth much. I asked Old Man Insect to fix it. Although it can't compare to the original, it's still worth a hundred taels of silver."
Song Jin looked at the sheep's tail thoughtfully: "In that case, this old man is indeed quite something."
Song Qingzhi said solemnly, "Although Old Man Chong may seem unreliable, no one in the entire capital knows more about these strange things than him. Moreover, he has my father's life-saving grace, so he definitely won't do anything reckless. I can guarantee that."
Song Jin hesitated, then said, "My mother needs to rest and recuperate first; her health is too poor right now."
Song Qingzhi couldn't help but look at Niu Tielan. Seeing her frail appearance, he sighed. He then looked at Song Anzhi, who also looked weak. He tentatively suggested, "Why don't you have a talk with the fourth prince, Madam?"
Song Anzhi looked at him expressionlessly.
Song Jin kicked him and pulled Niu Tielan outside.
The sunlight was a bit glaring, but not as glaring as the scene outside.
A man performing acrobatics gets his hair splattered with monkey urine; a fortune teller's stall by the roadside gets splattered with excrement; a slowly moving horse-drawn carriage is carrying a pile of horse manure; a shameless black dog is doing this and that to the side; two burly men are fighting bare-chested...
It makes you wonder where to look, and where to hide.
Song Jin stared in disbelief, and couldn't help but exclaim, "Big cities are so lively!"
Their entertainment options in Si'an County are really not that plentiful.
Niu Tielan also found it hard to put into words: "What kind of nonsense is this? Which part of the capital is more lively?"
Song Anzhi stepped forward, blocking the unsightly dog, and introduced, "If you want to go shopping, you should go to Anhe Street in the West District. There are many shops there, and the clothes, jewelry, and antiques are all top-notch. There's also Huixianglou, the most famous restaurant in Yong'an City, where the food is absolutely delicious. We can go there now for lunch."
Song Jin and Niu Tielan exchanged a glance and made a decision.
Let's go over there.
Having made their decision, they boarded the carriage and headed in that direction.
Wuma Street is wide, but the roadside was too crowded, and what should have been a 15-minute walk took them half an hour to complete.
Song Jin and Niu Tielan peered through the curtains at the third fortune-telling stall that had been overturned outside, both feeling a pang of regret.
People in the capital city just have bigger tempers than those in smaller towns.
"The feng shui of this street doesn't look good."
"People in the martial arts world click their tongues."
...
The mother and daughter were talking amongst themselves, and Song Anzhi and Song Qingzhi couldn't get a word in edgewise, but for some reason, they couldn't help but smile.
A house with women is definitely different from a house with several grown men.
If only Dad were here.
The two brothers, wanting to return, looked at each other again, and in perfect unison shook their heads, sighing inwardly.
Just then, Song Jin's surprised voice came: "What's this person doing here? Wasn't he with Qi Zheng? Did he run away because of a problem with his identity, or did Qi Zheng abandon him and he have nowhere to stay?"
Niu Tielan lowered her eyes, considering two possibilities. After a long silence, she couldn't resist pushing Song Jin aside, lifting the carriage curtain and leaning out. She gently bit her lip, looking at the person...
What are you doing here?
The person outside the car was Qu Maoze, who had been taken away by Qi Zheng due to amnesia. He was a man who looked exactly like the Qu Maoze in Niu Tielan's memory. Even though she knew this person couldn't be him, and might even be evidence of his deception, she still couldn't ignore him.
Qu Maoze was taken aback for a moment when he saw the person who suddenly appeared, clearly surprised. He quickly recovered, politely clasped his hands together, raised his phoenix eyes slightly, and quietly looked at her. Then he smiled softly, his voice drawn out.
"Oh, it's you, Madam."
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