Chapter 52 Could it be a cult?
"Mother, is it time to take medicine again?"
"Oh dear, the sun is so strong, let me fan you."
"Mom, look at this fish, isn't it round and plump like a hairless yellow one?"
...
Beneath the bamboo grove in the courtyard, Niu Tielan sat on a gently rocking bamboo chair. She wore a light blue embroidered fish dress, a cup of plum honey tea in her hand, swaying leisurely with the bamboo wheels—a truly picturesque scene of a beautiful woman at rest.
She took a small sip of tea, suppressing the bitter taste of medicine in her mouth, and glanced sideways ahead.
There, her ever-unreliable daughter sat at the table, holding a calligraphy brush and pressing it against the paper. It sounded like a pleasant scene, if only she weren't shaking her head, crossing her legs, or covered in ink stains. It was indeed something to be pleased about.
Niu Tielan had no expectations whatsoever; she was sitting there simply to escape the cool air. A gentle breeze blew through the courtyard, and clusters of colorful flowers emitted a strong yet complex fragrance. The scent was so intense it was almost strange, yet it was neutralized by a light, delicate aromatherapy, creating a wonderfully pleasant aroma.
A stream flows gently beside the artificial hill, where birds perch and preen their feathers, casually catching mosquitoes scattered on the ground.
After finishing her honey tea, Niu Tielan glanced down at her wristband. A mosquito, evading the numerous insect repellents, was stubbornly feeding on it. She swatted it dead, put down her cup, and slowly stood up.
"Hey, hey, Mom, don't move! I only have a little bit left, just my hair! Don't worry..."
Song Jin sat on the small pavilion opposite, one foot on a stone bench, one hand on her knee, the other holding a calligraphy brush. She was gesturing to her mother with one eye open, looking quite professional.
Niu Tielan paused for a moment, but ultimately softened and returned to sit on the bamboo chair.
Half an hour later
Song Jin put down her pen, put it in her mouth, patted the table triumphantly, and waved to her mother: "Mother, come here quickly and see how my drawing is!"
Niu Tielan then got up again and slowly walked towards them.
This was the garden of the Song family mansion, with pavilions, terraces, rockeries, and streams, densely planted with various rare and precious flowers, blooming exceptionally brightly in the height of summer. She walked slowly and gracefully along the cobblestone path, her light skirt swaying gently, a light breeze ruffling her dark hair; even the exquisite flowers seemed like mere embellishments.
Song Jin wished she could capture the scene with a camera, but due to limited resources, she immediately pulled out another sheet of drawing paper and began sketching with a brush. First, she drew simple outlines of the figures, then the surrounding scenery...
When the person arrived, she had already finished a quick ink sketch. She grinned and handed it to her mother, looking very proud: "Look, isn't it beautiful?"
Looking at the few strokes in front of her, a painting nothing but ink, Niu Tielan reached out and tapped Song Jin on the head, saying disdainfully, "You should just go back to painting your fish."
Song Jin winced in pain, turned the painting over to take a look, and realized, well, she hadn't noticed before, and an ink blot had stained it, making it unsightly. However, she quickly took out the painting she had spent nearly half an hour on, her phoenix eyes bright, her teeth white, looking like she wanted praise.
Niu Tielan then reluctantly gave her a look.
The lines in this painting are of varying thickness and shade, sometimes light and sometimes heavy. Not only do the bamboo poles look like pine trees, but the people's arms are also bent. The originally graceful and delicate Niu Tielan has been painted as a short, stocky figure with a big face...
Niu Tielan was speechless: "Sweetie, next time draw your cats and dogs, leave your mother alone."
Song Jin stared at her painting, thinking it was quite good no matter how she looked at it. "The person is a figure, the book is a tree," she said, pouting. "Mother, you don't know how to appreciate art."
Niu Tielan didn't care whether she appreciated it or not; she only gave her a glance out of politeness, because she was her daughter. After looking at her, she turned to look at the red fish in the artificial pond.
Slender and agile—that's how they were on their first day.
In less than half a month, the fish looked as if they had been switched; they were all round and plump, completely devoid of any elegance, only laughable.
Niu Tielan was annoyed. She turned around and glared at the culprit, saying coldly, "Don't come over here if you have nothing to do. You've turned perfectly good fish into pigs."
Song Jin carefully put away her paintings, but upon hearing this, she ran over again. Looking at the plump fish, she reached in and poked them, her face full of confusion: "Aren't they adorable? They were so thin before, people who didn't know better would think the prestigious Song family couldn't afford to keep fish."
Niu Tielan said coldly, "Anyone who doesn't know better would think the Song family is some kind of boorish rich family, with no elegance whatsoever. It's one thing for you to ruin your own home, but don't ruin other people's homes. This fish costs over a thousand taels. At most, you can afford to pay for it."
"Huh?" Song Jin's eyes widened in shock. She grabbed a fish by the tail, lifted it up, and flicked its head. "This thing costs a thousand taels? It's worth more than gold! How can that be?"
One tael of gold is worth a hundred taels of silver, and a thousand taels of silver would be equivalent to a pound of gold. This thing has one tael.
Seeing her reckless behavior, Niu Tielan gasped and scolded, "What are you doing, you good-for-nothing?"
The mother and daughter were both small-time landlords in the countryside. Although they weren't short of money, the gap between them was like an insurmountable chasm. Even if they lost all their assets, they couldn't even compensate for this pond of fish.
Song Jin awkwardly put down the little fat red fish, washed her hands in the running water, and then moved away from the water's edge. She stood straight, her hands clasped together in front of her thighs, staring at Niu Tielan with bright, sparkling eyes, looking rather obedient.
Niu Tielan couldn't stay angry. She sighed and said, "What are you doing? You keep changing your mind."
She was sitting here trying to find some peace and quiet, but this brat kept spinning around, asking this and that, talking like a three-year-old. It was driving her crazy.
Song Jin remained silent, just staring wide-eyed, standing there obediently, just like when she was a child and had been punished for misbehaving.
Niu Tielan paused for a moment: "Want to go out?"
Song Jin nodded her head hurriedly, like a chick pecking at rice.
The day before yesterday, when she returned from the Sanqing Temple, people from the Duke of Ying's mansion had already come to demand justice. However, Song Shunzhi intervened—"My little sister is ignorant and wants to come down here; you're a grown man and an old man, so just let her have her way."
In the end, they didn't lose anything and just laughed it off.
Niu Tielan stayed inside the house the whole time, listening to Song Shunzhi recount the whole story. She didn't think her daughter had done anything wrong; she'd rather her daughter hit someone else than let her get beaten. But that couldn't hide Song Jin's tendency to cause trouble the moment she stepped outside.
A Duke's mansion was a place Niu Tielan could never have dreamed of before. Now that Song Jin had been hanged on a tree, it was only because Qi Zheng was there that she felt a little more secure; otherwise, she would have been so anxious these past two days that she couldn't sleep.
This time it was the Duke's mansion, but who knows who they might offend next? Niu Tielan couldn't afford to offend them, so he could only hide to avoid further trouble.
She knew her daughter wasn't someone who could be kept at home, but from the afternoon she returned until this morning, it had only been two days at most.
Niu Tielan was speechless: "Are you a monkey? You get itchy if you don't climb a tree for a day, huh?"
Song Jin rested her chin on her hands and blinked, "Don't you know what my zodiac sign is, Mom? I'm a little tiger!"
"Disgusting!"
Niu Tielan gave a disgusted look, then turned and left.
Song Jin gave an "oh," then lowered her head, inwardly cursing Lu Jingyi and the others to death. She had even started planning when to go and put the sacks on them.
Niu Tielan's calm voice came from behind: "Weren't you going out? Aren't you coming with me?"
Song Jin's eyes immediately lit up, as if the dull gray stone had instantly transformed into crystal, becoming bright and lively. She quickly skipped and hopped after him, hooking her arm around his, beaming with joy.
"Mom, you're the best..."
**
Yong'an City is very large, with the entire capital city covering more than 300 square kilometers and a permanent population of over one million.
A large population drives the development of various businesses.
The city was bustling with activity, its tiled houses a constant stream of shops and restaurants, and the streets teemed with vendors from dawn till dusk, creating a vibrant and lively atmosphere. However, the most eye-catching of all was the cattle and horse trade.
Yong'an City was too large to walk around on foot, but raising livestock was too expensive, so most people preferred to ride in oxcarts or horse-drawn carriages.
Going far, three or five coins
If you're close, one or two articles
Song Jin found it very interesting. Not long after leaving the house, she saw oxcarts soliciting passengers through the carriage curtain. She simply abandoned the horse-drawn carriage and pulled Niu Tielan onto the leisurely oxcart.
"Taking an oxcart? Ladies and gentlemen, if you're tired from walking, take a rest. Oxcarts are stable, convenient, and cheap..."
Song Jin sat on the outermost edge of the oxcart, her feet dangling off the ground, her hands supporting her body behind her. She listened to the driver's shouts, grinning broadly, and quietly glanced at Niu Tielan.
"Mom, next time I'll get an oxcart and take you instead of other people."
Niu Tielan rolled her eyes at Niu Tielan, saying disdainfully, "I think you're just bored. Why not ride in a nice carriage instead of coming here to sunbathe? You're not fair-skinned to begin with, and now you're going to turn into a lump of coal."
Song Jin smiled and said, "How could that be? As long as I'm not compared to you, Mother, I won't look dark anywhere."
As she spoke, she extended her wrist; it was fair and even, seemingly incompatible with darkness. However, when her hand was placed next to Niu Tielan's flawless, snow-white hand, it instantly appeared two shades darker.
Song Jin chuckled. More than her skin color, she was concerned about Niu Tielan's wrist, which was significantly smaller than hers. She circled it repeatedly with her hand, her eyes filled with heartache, but her bone structure was fixed and couldn't be changed.
She could only say, "Mother, you're the one who's too fair-skinned. You need to get more sun and eat more meat."
Niu Tielan was too lazy to speak, but pointed to the blazing sun above her head to show she was sunbathing. She wasn't some sunflower that thrived in the sun; if she were to take off her veil, she'd have to go back and fetch a doctor in less than half an hour.
Song Jin was naturally aware of this, and she just did whatever came to mind, sometimes setting up a rickshaw stall to solicit customers, sometimes raising horses, sometimes being a hunter, sometimes a barefoot doctor...
Half a quarter of an hour of temper, no more than that.
Niu Tielan listened quietly most of the time, occasionally responding with a sound or rolling her eyes at her.
The mother and daughter rode in the oxcart through the streets and alleys, finally arriving at Wuma Street.
Under Niu Tielan's death stare, Song Jin stretched out her hand and solemnly swore, "It really wasn't something I arranged in advance, it was just a coincidence. But it's lively here too. Although the West District we went to last time was bustling, it wasn't as down-to-earth as this place, Mother, look."
Niu Tielan followed his gaze
Several burly, shirtless men stood to one side, holding torches and spitting out streams of flame with a gentle breath of liquor from their mouths.
They were all tall and strong, their massive muscles rippling with each movement. Beads of sweat, large as beans, streamed down their foreheads to their bare torsos, eventually disappearing into their belts.
Young girls on the street covered their eyes and left shyly, while married middle-aged women cheered them on. Their gazes, however, rarely fell on the fire, which led to quite a few couples arguing in the street.
"Stop yelling, we want to see it, why can't we? When you passed by Cuihong Tower, your eyes almost popped out of your head, did I say anything?"
"Listen to your mother, you still have to find a strong, capable man. What good are those pretty boys?"
...
Niu Tielan was a little distracted, not because she was looking at the men. They were all big, but some of them were too muscular and didn't quite fit her aesthetic. Unlike that man, who looked ordinary but was as solid as a rock once his clothes were off...
She pursed her lips.
In truth, they hadn't been together for long; from the time they met until her death, it was only three months, yet those were the most extraordinary three months of her life.
In just three months, she ran away from that place, embraced new freedom, met the love of her life, they got together, he died, she became pregnant, and she went on the run again.
Looking back now, it feels like a dream, and when I woke up, nothing was left.
Besides that mischievous kid next to me, who's like a monkey, grinning like a rascal.
Looking at the naked men over there, Song Jin was practically whistling. With a strange smile on her face, she nudged her mother with her elbow and teased, "Mom, don't you think it's pretty good?"
Niu Tielan turned around, looked at her quietly, and said lightly, "They are indeed very good. The men in the capital are better than those in our countryside. Jinjin, you'll be of marriageable age next year."
Song Jin's expression immediately changed, her phoenix eyes widening slightly: "Even though you've reached marriageable age, you're still young, Mother. Have you forgotten that we're going to travel the world together?"
Niu Tielan continued watching those people spitting fire, and said leisurely, "I didn't agree. For so many years I've been raising you alone as a widow. You're grown up now; when you get married, I will too."
“You should come with me too. We’re mother and daughter; mother follows daughter, we depend on each other for survival.” Before she could finish speaking, Song Jin took her mother’s arm, deliberately pulling her away from this group of immoral and unfaithful men. She was heartbroken.
"The world is going to the dogs. These days, men are all unreliable. They can't cook, they can't wash clothes, they can't say sweet words, and they don't even have any money. They're so unreliable!"
As Song Jin spoke, she shook her head, secretly glancing at Niu Tielan to observe her reaction, but after a long time, she couldn't figure it out.
Niu Tielan maintained a calm expression throughout, making it impossible to tell whether he was serious or just joking.
Song Jin coughed a few times and emphasized again, "Don't you think so, Mother? Men are dirty, smelly, and repulsive."
Niu Tielan replied indifferently, "Really?"
Song Jin: "Of course! Mother, think about that old geezer, the town mayor, and think about it again..."
Listening to her racking her brains to list men's shortcomings, Niu Tielan was secretly delighted, but she didn't show it on her face. Instead, she deliberately interrupted her and said indifferently, "It's all about old men. From what you're saying, is your mother an old woman?"
Song Jin stuck
Absolutely not. Her mother is incredibly beautiful, like a young girl.
Niu Tielan said again, "Forget it, it's pointless. It's so hot outside. Aren't you going to see a doctor? Let's go inside and rest."
When it came to medical treatment, Song Jin didn't care about anything else. She innocently emphasized, "This is what you said yourself, Mother. It has nothing to do with me."
Niu Tielan glanced at the animal enclosure less than 500 meters ahead, unsure whether to agree or disagree. She said, "I was the one who said it. I think what you said before makes sense. You know, a person needs to take good care of their health before they can do anything else, right?"
Song Jin's expression froze: "Yes, yes."
Niu Tielan, maintaining a nonchalant demeanor, quickened her pace: "Let's go, it'll be better to see it sooner rather than later."
Song Jin realized she had shot herself in the foot, so she gritted her teeth and reluctantly followed.
Perhaps she's mistaken?
Her mother hasn't even given a man a glance in all these years, surely that's not true?
Thinking it over, she couldn't help but glance back at the shirtless men, her gaze lingering on their muscular physiques, still unsure.
Surely not?
Her mother can't be that shallow, right?
**
"If the Gu worm wants to evolve into a mother Gu, it also needs to accumulate power quickly. You need to take good care of your body so that the worm will thrive, and the worm will thrive in turn, and you will thrive in the future..."
Still in the small attic, the old insect was still muttering information about the Gu worms.
Song Jin listened intently for a long time, but it was all trivial stuff. He wouldn't say anything about the treatment, what to do, or what to prepare, only telling her to take good care of herself.
If it weren't for the fact that he had actually helped stabilize her mother's condition, this man would look like a charlatan.
Thinking too much was pointless. After listening for a while, Song Jin began to examine the attic.
The attic corners were previously covered in dust and cobwebs, a drab, grayish mess. All the windows were tightly shut, as if the outside air were toxic, as if everything was sealed off. Various cages, wire mesh cages, boxes, and insects were haphazardly piled together; stepping inside felt like entering a new kind of haunted house.
Now, the attic has clearly been cleaned; the dust and insect nets of the past are gone, and the cloth nets and wooden boxes that once held insects have been replaced with new ones, neatly hung in a row and placed to one side.
With the windows open, both ventilation and light flow in, making it much more refreshing than before.
Song Jin exclaimed in surprise, "Old man Insect, when did you change your Spider Cave? You did it all by yourself, that must have been quite a project!"
Upon hearing this, the old insect's face turned from black to green, then from green to black again, finally becoming angry and ashamed: "Why can't I have a new environment?"
Song Jin raised an eyebrow: "Of course not, I'm just a little flattered."
It used to be so dirty and dusty, but now it's suddenly clean. Anyone with a brain knows why.
Old Chong looked up at Song Jin's face, his lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but he swallowed his words.
It's all that debt collector's fault! Look at the state of his once beautiful insect house now!
So annoying
He turned around, cursing, and brought out a bowl from the house. He handed it to Niu Tielan and said irritably, "Alright, drink this and leave. Come back every three days after that, and after ten days you can start injecting the Gu."
Niu Tielan took the medicine and sniffed it. It was bitter, astringent, and had a strange fishy smell. Just thinking about it made her feel suffocated, and her head felt a little dizzy.
She hesitated: "This..."
The old insect scratched his head, his expression quite complicated: "Good stuff, eat it quickly, don't complain about the taste. You're the only one in the world with this kind of luck. Taking this medicine will increase your chances of success."
As she spoke, Song Jin walked over from the other side, wanting to take a look at the medicine.
Niu Tielan, who had been somewhat hesitant, gritted her teeth, pinched her nose, and took a bite. The taste was stranger than any medicine she had ever taken before; she couldn't quite describe it.
Seeing this, Song Jin muttered, "Eat slowly, I'm not going to steal your medicine."
As she spoke, she reached out and gently touched a little of the residue to her tongue, instantly identifying several medicinal herbs.
"Ugh, what the hell?"
"Why is there human blood?"
"Old man, you're not going to get involved in some kind of cult, are you?"
...
The old insect was furious: "You're the cultist! I'm the Insect Cult! Now that you've finished eating, get out of here! A whole family of debt collectors! Do you really think I have nothing better to do? I'm busy as a bee every day. Do you think the myriad insects your mother needed were just any insect you could grab? There was Cangli, born at midnight; Youjia, a two-headed creature; and the last litter of anglerfish..."
At that moment, Song Jin felt deeply that he was illiterate.
I've never heard of any of these things.
With all these messy conditions, it's no wonder that only this old man is left among the Gu worms of Lingnan.
Who in their right mind would learn that?
Song Jin found it hard to explain, waved her hand at the person, and quickly pulled Niu Tielan away from the attic. Once downstairs, Niu Tielan still couldn't hold it in, let go of her hand, ran to the courtyard, and squatted down against a tree to dry heave.
Song Jin quickly followed, patting her back with concern, "Are you alright, Mother? Should we go check on that old man again?"
Niu Tielan shook his head, clutching his burning chest, and squatted on the ground for about fifteen minutes. The discomfort gradually subsided, and his strength slowly returned.
She was like a withered tree suddenly showered with sweet rain, gradually shedding its dry bark and sprouting new green leaves, experiencing an unprecedented sense of well-being.
She wiped her mouth with a handkerchief and turned her head.
Song Jin was shocked: "Mother, what you..."
However, in that short fifteen minutes, Niu Tielan seemed like a completely different person. Her complexion became rosy, and she even gained some weight. If before she looked like a frail, sickly beauty, now, while still frail, she no longer appeared sickly.
She retracted her previous statement; this Lingnan sorcerer...
Worthy of being passed down
real
Niu Tielan didn't understand her shock, but frowned and asked in confusion, "Why that expression?"
Song Jin took a deep breath, suppressing her shock, and grabbed her mother's arm: "Come on, come on, I'll take you to see for yourself."
She remembered there was a bronze mirror in front of the animal shed.
Although Niu Tielan could feel that his body was better than ever before, he was still unsure and followed anxiously, bypassing the large number of livestock in the backyard, until they arrived at the front hall, where there was a bronze mirror at the very edge.
She stood there, staring blankly at herself in the mirror.
Although the figure was blurry, the complexion didn't lie.
Is she really able to stay healthy and grow old with her child?
Niu Tielan was filled with countless thoughts, wanting to say something, but in the end she simply stroked her face and revealed a faint smile.
She said, "That's wonderful!"
Song Jin grinned sheepishly, "Yeah, that's great!"
It's so wonderful that her mother is getting better.
The mother and daughter looked at each other, their smiles as bright and beautiful as flowers in a spring garden, truly captivating.
And eye-catching flowers always attract bees—
"It's nice to see you again, Madam and Miss. You both look radiant today; you must be enjoying good health and happiness these days."
A familiar soft laugh came from the room.
Song Jin's eyebrows twitched involuntarily. She turned around and met that smiling, handsome face, immediately rolling her eyes: "Why are you everywhere?"
Qu Maoze chuckled: "Perhaps it's fate?"
Mother and daughter: ...
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