spoiled brat

Chapter 48, Section 47: Flying Catkins (Part 7)

Everyone was stunned by the murderous aura emanating from Zhao Zhao, and their thoughts were drawn to her.

Suddenly, a scream was heard. Zhao Zhao had kicked the prostitute hard in the back of the knee... What a vengeful person! She kicked her three or four times and wouldn't stop. Finally, she grabbed the prostitute's collar and gently slapped her face: "If you have the guts, keep up the tricks next time. I'll play with you to your heart's content."

The prostitute glared at Zhao Zhao through gritted teeth: "You just wait!"

Wang Liuer was punished by being hung up for three days, during which time she was not allowed to eat or drink. In the sweltering summer heat, she fainted from the sun not long after it rose.

The night was filled with torrential rain, accompanied by lightning and thunder. The rain lashed at her like slaps. Wang Liuer was too weak to open her eyes due to hunger. She parted her chapped lips, hoping the rain would trickle down her cheeks and into her mouth.

She thought of her old home, with a pond outside the door. Even the smallest raindrops falling into the pond made a sound as loud as tonight's downpour, like porridge boiling over... She seemed to hear the sound of rain from many years ago and see her parents smiling as they stood guard at the door... Suddenly she cried, her warm tears mingling with the cold rain as they flowed into her mouth, bitter and making her heart ache.

In the midst of the torrential rain and thunder, she burst into tears, like a lone gull separated from its flock. As she sobbed, she saw a small figure run out of the building, carrying an umbrella and heading this way. Closer, closer—it was the little girl she had helped the night before.

“Sister Liu’er,” Zhao Zhao said, standing under the tree with an umbrella, “I’ll find a way to get you down.”

Wang Liuer was soaking wet and her eyes were red from crying, but she stubbornly said, "I don't want your help."

Zhao Zhao shook her head: "You want it."

After saying that, Zhao Zhao threw away the extra umbrella, rolled up her sleeves and skirt and tied them tightly, carefully climbed up the tree trunk, and reached the rope like a nimble black cat.

A cold glint appeared in Zhao Zhao's hand; it was a knife, and she was about to cut the hemp rope.

Wang Liuer looked up anxiously, the heavy rain making it hard for her to open her eyes: "What are you doing?"

Zhao Zhao didn't answer. She continued, "I don't need you to repay my kindness, and I don't want to have anything to do with you."

Her vision was blurred by the shimmering water. She looked up at Zhao Zhao, who was also looking down at her. Her young face held a hint of pity: "I heard you crying."

The blade sliced ​​through the hemp rope, and Wang Liuer fell to the ground with a thud. It wasn't a high fall, so it didn't hurt much.

Zhao Zhao nimbly climbed down from the tree and rushed to Wang Liuer's side, comforting her, "Don't be afraid. After you've eaten and drunk your fill, I'll hoist you back up before dawn."

Wang Liuer had been hanging for a whole day, and her whole body was stiff. Zhao Zhao carried her into the house, wiped her dry with a coarse cloth, and poured her hot tea to warm her up.

Wang Liuer felt cold, and her hands holding the cup trembled uncontrollably. She glanced around the room; it was very clean and had been thoroughly cleaned.

"Don't you find it unlucky to be near me?"

Zhao Zhao ignored her self-deprecating words, opened the food box on the table, and took out a few plates of simple food.

Wang Liuer frowned: "Did you offend the kitchen?"

Zhao Zhao handed her the chopsticks and explained, "I was late and didn't get any good dishes."

After a long day of hunger, even spoiled food tastes delicious. Wang Liuer shoveled rice into her mouth, then realized—love me, love my dog; hate me, love my dog. Zhao Zhao had become associated with her, and was now being ostracized by everyone.

Recalling the suffering she had endured, Wang Liuer said softly, "I'm an annoying person. It won't do you any good to get involved with me. It's better to stay away from me."

Zhao Zhao shook her head, remained silent, and turned to leave.

Wang Liuer unwrapped the cloth from her feet and applied a thick layer of ointment to the wounds. Foot binding not only caused suffering and pain, but also carried the risk of illness and death if not handled carefully.

The rain outside was getting heavier. Wang Liuer stared at her ugly, bent feet, her disgust growing stronger. What kind of beast would have such a fetish?
Offering oneself to a tiger is a gamble, no matter how great the risk.

The door was pushed open, and Zhao Zhao came in carrying hot water, placing the wooden basin in front of the bed.

Faced with such an obvious gesture of goodwill, Wang Liuer dipped her foot into the hot water and cut straight to the point: "What do you want to know? Why don't you just ask?"

Zhao Zhao asked, "What kind of woman does Lord You like?"

Wang Liuer was blunt: "Anyway, I don't like little kids like you."

That's strange. In an instant, Zhao Zhao remembered many things. For example, Yao Niang forbade her to come to Yunzhou; for example, Steward Sun didn't initially like her, only agreeing after learning she was Yao Niang's daughter; and for example, Steward Sun clearly intended to push her towards You Ming...

A jade pendant was handed to Zhao Zhao. Wang Liuer coughed and said, "Go and find a coachman named Yang Yi in the neighborhood. Give this to him. Ask him to ask Lord You to remember our past relationship."

This is a fine jade pendant, with a bright green color and a warm, lustrous texture.

Zhao Zhao carefully took it, but when she saw the rose pattern on it, she was suddenly stunned.

Seemingly unable to believe what she was seeing, she stood there silently, staring intently at the rose on the jade pendant.

"This jade pendant is..."

"It was given to me by Lord You," Wang Liuer said.

A thunderclap struck outside, and a pale light shone through the window paper onto Zhao Zhao's face.

Ignoring the fact that Wang Liuer was still in the room, Zhao Zhao rummaged through the bundle under the bed and found a moon lute that Yao Niang had used for more than ten years.

The instrument is old and worn, made of poor-quality wood that couldn't withstand the ravages of time, with many parts decayed and broken. Only on the neck is there a recessed area with a crudely carved rose.

It is roughly the same as the rose on the jade pendant.

Suddenly, the world spun around her, and Zhao Zhao sat down, leaning on the bedpost... She remembered when she was little, Yao Niang always liked to lean against the window and play the zither. The melody was strange, like weeping and lamenting, yet it was also full of longing. Love and hate were all melted into the music, so thick that it was hard to hear.

Yao Niang was always immersed in the glorious yet despairing sunset, reminiscing about the past. Her profile was beautiful yet lonely, as if she would turn to ashes in the next instant.

At that time, Zhao Zhao didn't understand what was so beautiful about the sunset.

Now Zhao Zhao understands.

No wonder Yao Niang wouldn't allow her to come to Yunzhou, no wonder Mama Yu hesitated to speak, no wonder Steward Sun was so attentive...

With a thud, the moon lute fell to the ground.

That morning, Zhao Zhao found the coachman named Yang Yi and gave him the jade pendant, ten taels of silver, and a thin letter: "Please find the fastest messenger in the city and deliver it to Qingyang County tonight."

-

Three days later, Wang Liuer was finally released. Even with Zhaozhao's secret help, she was still like a withered flower, listless and lifeless.

Zhao Zhao carried her back into the house and fed her warm salt water spoonful by spoonful. The first two bowls had no effect, but it wasn't until the third bowl that Wang Liuer finally opened her eyes with difficulty and said in a hoarse voice, "...I want to drink something sweet."

As if afraid Zhaozhao would refuse, she added, "If you can't get it, then forget it."

A debt of gratitude for being rescued and saving a life—can't it be repaid with a bowl of sweet water?

Zhao Zhao left with the words, "Wait for me," then grabbed the silver and ran to the kitchen.

It was evening, and the kitchen staff were extremely busy. Zhao Zhao had finally managed to buy a small bowl of white sugar, but by sheer coincidence, she was stopped a few steps later. The person leading the group was none other than the prostitute she had beaten up that day.

The prostitute smiled maliciously: "Oh, who are you getting this for?"

Zhao Zhao retorted coldly, "Give it to your mother."

The prostitute's expression suddenly changed. Pointing at Zhao Zhao, she said to the two people beside her, "You really can't have two kinds of people sleeping in the same room. If you don't teach them a lesson, they'll really get out of control! Beat them up!"

It was common for prostitutes in the brothel to quarrel and fight; they were ruthless, and Zhao Zhao was no exception.

She was used to hanging out with Xiao Duo and knew where to hit most. At first, she didn't fall behind, but gradually, she couldn't fight against six hands and was firmly restrained, pinned to the ground and unable to move.

(End of this chapter)