Chapter 87 Liang Shao's Schemes
Sweeping snow, carrying water, chopping firewood, and starting a fire—these were the kinds of rough work he had never done before. But now, in order to stay by Shanhe's side, he gritted his teeth and did them one by one.
Early in the morning, Qingyue and Miao'er got up and the three of them sat in the hall on the first floor to eat. Liang Shao was chopping wood in the courtyard. The three of them looked over and saw him dressed in a dark purple silk robe, his black hair pulled back and tied with a gold and jade crown. He was leading the white horse into the courtyard from outside. The saddlebags on the horse's back swayed, containing all his belongings. They saw him stick a wooden stake in the mud to tie the horse, and then carry the luggage straight to the bathhouse.
Miao'er slammed the meat bun in her hand into the bowl, her eyebrows furrowed: "Does he really think this place is his own home?"
Shanhe frowned: "I'll talk to him again later. It's not a good solution for him to stay here."
Qingyue glanced at their worried faces and carefully said, "Second Master looks quite pitiful too."
"What's so pitiful about him?" Miao'er glanced at her sideways. "He's rich, famous, and has a title, yet he insists on staying here with us and living this kind of life. I think he's hateful! He's just asking for trouble!"
Qingyue lowered her head and continued eating her steamed bun, remaining silent. She hadn't particularly liked Liang Shao before, feeling he disrespected Shanhe. But she gradually realized that Liang Shao was a man of his word; he liked what he liked, and disliked what he disliked. He wouldn't play games with you when he didn't like you, and he would pursue you wholeheartedly when he did. More importantly, when Liang Shao hurt Shanhe, he would reflect on his actions, consider Shanhe's feelings, and then try his best to make amends in his own way. Compared to his brother, Liang Shao was far superior. Both were servants under their masters, but Liang Ye appeared gentle and kind, yet he understood the difference between servant and master better than anyone. When Shanhe displeased him, he didn't punish Shanhe, but instead pinned Qingyue down on a bench and beat her. This alone made Qingyue unable to like Liang Ye. Moreover, Shanhe hadn't done anything wrong! Liang Shao seemed capricious and reckless, but he never used underhanded methods. Thinking back, during her two years at Shuyu Pavilion, she had never been beaten or had her monthly allowance deducted. Cheng Bao, who used to serve Liang Shao, was often kicked by Liang Shao for his incompetence, but Cheng Bao was never injured. After being kicked by Liang Shao, he could still laugh and joke with him. Considering that Liang Shao had practiced martial arts since childhood, his strength should be greater than that of ordinary people.
Shanhe left two steamed buns for Liang Shao, placing them in a bowl and bringing them to him. Liang Shao was looking at the empty, cramped room, feeling troubled. The room wasn't big; it only had a hard wooden bed, a wardrobe, and a square table, and there was no room for anything else. Moreover, the bed was really too small; he had just lay down and measured it, and when he stretched out his body, his feet were sticking out.
Shanhe placed the hot buns on the table and followed his gaze: "This was left by the previous owner. Now there's only this bed left, and you can't fit it all. You should find an inn to stay in; that's the right thing to do."
Liang Shao looked back at her and smiled, "I like to sleep with my legs bent."
"Liang Shao!" Shanhe was genuinely angry.
“Shanhe,” Liang Shao said with his usual smile, “I know you don’t want me to stay. I’ll leave tomorrow, how about that? At least let me stay here for one more night, so I can see you one more day, is that alright?”
Shanhe nodded: "Okay, you said it. You can't go back on your word."
A gentleman keeps his word.
Shanhe still had a portrait commission today, which had been arranged earlier, so he left shortly after finishing breakfast, carrying his painting supplies. Miao'er disliked Liang Shao and wouldn't give him any pleasantries, going to her shop to paint without speaking to him. Qingyue sat on the second floor, lost in thought for a long time, before finally deciding to take out the quilt from the wardrobe, walk to the bathroom door, and softly say, "Second Master."
Liang Shao opened the door and saw her carrying a quilt. He was pleasantly surprised: "Did Shanshan ask you to bring this to me?"
Qingyue thought for a moment and decided to be more tactful: "Before my wife left, she told us not to give you a hard time."
"I knew it." Liang Shao took the bedding. "Shan Shan has me in her heart."
Qingyue stood by the door, not going in, but watching Liang Shao make the bed. She suddenly felt a pang of sadness. She wanted to tell Liang Shao to take Shanhe away, to live in anonymity, and never see Liang Ye again. Qingyue knew Shanhe's yearning for freedom, but she also knew that it wouldn't be easy for the three of them to hide from Liang Ye for a lifetime.
As Liang Shao tidied the bed, he casually said, "Qingyue, were you here a few days ago? It seems to me you haven't been staying here for very long."
Qingyue stiffened and stammered, "No... um... Second Master, we only moved here recently. We lived elsewhere before."
"So for the past six months, Shanshan has been supporting you by selling paintings?" He suddenly remembered something. "Oh, I remember she took some money with her when you left."
"Second Master, how did you know?" Qingyue couldn't help but ask. "I remember you never cared about these things."
Liang Shao smiled and said, "I don't care, and I'm too lazy to care. But how could I not know the approximate amount of money and land deeds my family has? It's just that my brother and Shan Shan are watching over things for me, so I'm just being a little oblivious."
His tone softened, and he lowered his eyes: "Not to mention when she was going to leave. If I hadn't been careful, I wouldn't have even known when she left or how smoothly she left."
Qingyue pursed her lips, and after a long while, she forced a smile: "Second Master, Madam said you should leave tomorrow. After you leave, just forget about this place. Madam is doing well here and doesn't want to trouble or bother others. Please don't tell anyone that we're here." She paused, then sighed, "The capital has a bright future ahead of it."
He suddenly raised his head: "What if I don't want those prospects?"
Qingyue was stunned.
Liang Shao smiled at her: "Qingyue, you go ahead and do your thing. I really need to think about this. Before, I was only thinking about finding you, but I didn't consider what to do after I found you." He paused for a moment, "Don't worry, Shanshan is here, I don't need to tell anyone else. I wish I were the only one in the world who knew her, who knew her."
Qingyue nodded slowly, sighed, and went outside.
Liang Shao laughed from behind, "Qingyue, thank you for bringing this quilt."
For lunch and dinner, Liang Shao ate his own meals, holding his own bowl and chopsticks while standing by the stove. He wouldn't go into the room where Shanhe and the others were staying, as they hadn't given permission. That evening, Shanhe returned with a roasted duck. It was a famous dish from Nanjing, and they all loved it. Since Liang Shao was also there, Qingyue suggested sending him some as well. Miao'er grumbled, saying, "One duck is just right for the three of us. If we give it to him, what will we eat?" She twisted off the bright red roasted duck head and tossed it into the bowl: "Giving this to him is fine."
Qingyue glanced at Shanhe's expression, then picked up an extra, thick duck leg and sent it to Liang Shao. When she returned, Qingyue held an empty bowl, returning the duck head intact. Qingyue said, "Second Master said he's afraid of duck heads, chicken heads, and bird heads; he says he can't bear to look at them, let alone eat them."
Shanhe and Miao'er were taken aback, then Miao'er burst into her first laugh of the day. As they lay in bed that night, Miao'er still couldn't help but laugh: "Such a tall and strong man, calling himself a general, turns out he's afraid of birds? Wife, if he doesn't leave by tomorrow, we'll raise pigeons in the yard. He can't stay!"
Shanhe smiled faintly and remained silent. Lying in bed, she couldn't fall asleep. The crackling of sparks from the incense burner filled her ears, and gradually, the soft snores of Miao'er and Qingyue joined in. Shanhe turned over and saw light shining through the window, just like morning.
It's snowing again.
As long as it snows, even at night, it will be brighter outside.
Shanhe sighed. Suddenly, she remembered something, quickly put on her clothes, got up, and quietly got out of bed.
It was indeed snowing outside. The snow was falling softly, already reaching ankle-deep. Shanhe, carrying her sewing basket, walked to the bathroom door. The door wasn't closed tightly, and a wisp of wind was letting in. A pang of sadness welled up in Shanhe's heart, and she knocked on the door.
A voice came from inside: "Who's there?"
"It's me."
A moment later, Liang Shao came over, put on his coat, and opened the door. His face was pale, as if he were cold.
Shanhe hurriedly went inside and closed the door tightly. She brushed the snow off her shoulders and realized that this room was much colder than their room on the second floor. The walls were thin, and it was on the first floor, with cold wind and snow outside.
Shanhe urged, "Go to bed quickly."
Liang Shao crawled into bed, pulling the blankets up to his chin, and forced a smile: "Shanshan, what brings you here?"
Shanhe had already walked to the window and placed her sewing basket on the table. The window paper was old and yellowed, stained with rain and dust, with a hole in the middle. She stretched out her slender finger and gently probed into the hole. Her fingertip touched the cool breeze and immediately felt a biting cold.
She said softly, "It's snowing outside. I remembered that there's a hole in the window in this house, so I came to fix it for you."
As she spoke, Shanhe picked out a piece of plain silk from her sewing basket, measured it to match the size of the hole, and cut it into the shape of a full moon. She dipped the tip of her hairpin into some warm paste and carefully traced the outline of the silk.
Liang Shao curled up on the bed, looking up at Shan He's back, and felt a warmth spread through his heart, as if spring had filled the room.
“Shanshan…” he smiled, “Now that you’re here, I don’t feel cold anymore.”
Shanhe gestured as she stuck the plain silk on, complaining, "I told you to leave long ago, but you wouldn't listen and insisted on suffering here in the cold."
Liang Shao's voice trembled: "I...I was just using this as a ruse, hoping you would soften your heart and let me stay."
She noticed the tremor in his voice and knew he must be cold. She sighed, "I'll find some fabric later to stuff under the door so you won't be cold."
"Okay," he replied in a hoarse voice.
After patching the hole in the window paper, Shanhe did as she was told and went to find some scraps of cloth and her own little hand warmer. She rekindled the plum blossom charcoal in the warmer, held it close to her chest, and felt its warmth reach her heart.
Liang Shao reached out to take it, his eyebrows and eyes full of smiles.
Shanhe noticed that his lips were rather pale. She frowned: "Are you sick?" She reached out to touch Liang Shao's forehead; it didn't have a fever, but it was very cold, like a block of ice.
But Liang Shao has always been a warm stove; even if it's cold outside, it shouldn't be like this.
Shanhe tucked the blanket around him and suddenly noticed that the blanket covering Liang Shao was a bit stiff, as if it had been frozen.
"Why is the blanket so stiff?" Shanhe immediately became alert.
He smiled apologetically, "It's nothing, it's alright..."
The more he acted this way, the more suspicious Shanhe became. She touched the quilt; it was not only stiff but also damp. She said coldly, "Lift the quilt and show it to me."
Liang Shao hesitated for a moment, and spoke with some difficulty: "Shanshan, I'm really fine..."
"Lift it up!" Shanhe snapped at him.
Liang Shao could only slowly lift a corner.
Shanhe lifted the quilt from that corner. Underneath the quilt was a tightly kneaded snowball, slowly melting.
The snow melted into water, seeping through the blankets, making the inside damp, while the outside froze again.
Tears welled up in her eyes immediately, and Shanhe cried out, "Liang Shao! What are you doing!"
Just like when his grandfather used to catch him for making a mistake, Liang Shaohun hurriedly threw the snowball on the ground, his voice urgent and weak: "Ah, Shanshan, don't cry, don't cry. It's my fault... I wasn't... using a self-inflicted injury..." He used his fingers to wipe away Shanhe's tears, "Shanshan, I don't want to leave, please let me stay a few more days. Please don't cry anymore, it's like tearing my heart out."
Shanhe sniffed and said, "So you want to catch a cold and get sick, and stay here and not leave?"
Liang Shao slowly hummed in agreement. He hurriedly took out the last eight taels of silver he had from his satchel and stuffed it all into Shanhe's arms: "Don't worry, I won't charge you a penny for the doctor's visit or medicine. Besides, I know what I'm doing; it's just a minor cold, nothing serious. Alright, alright, don't cry..."
Shanhe slapped his hand away: "Who's like you! You're a liar! A con artist!"
Liang Shao lowered his head and remained silent. He was indeed a liar, and not a gentleman either. A gentleman's promise is worth a thousand pieces of gold; Liang Shao's promise was worthless. He just wanted to stay with Shan He for a few more days. What did a cold matter? As long as he could stay, as long as Shan Shan could spend more time with him, he would do anything.
For a long while, neither of them said a word.
Shanhe remained silent, took his cloak, and told him to put it on.
Liang Shao reluctantly took it, but before he could even put it on, he suddenly sneezed. His lips were pale, his cheeks faintly flushed, and he glanced at Shan He, his lips curving upwards slightly: "Oh no... he's really sick..."
-----------------------
Author's Note: I'm going to make things up for the younger brother's bullying of Shan Shan before by giving him a little hard time. [glasses]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
