spoiled brat

Chapter 59 58. Duan Ming (8)

The old woman shook her head: "I'm afraid it's too late. After Lord You returned from the Xu residence, he closed his doors to all visitors."

Manager Sun gritted his teeth in anger: "Is his courtyard wall higher than the sky? Have someone pack up the silver and throw it in from the outside! Before things get out of hand, we need to sever ties with him!"

The old woman nodded and was about to go out to run errands when she suddenly remembered something. Pointing to the low building where the prostitutes lived, she asked, "...What about that little girl who had a relationship with Lord You?"

Manager Sun waved his hand impatiently: "Send it back to Qingyang County quickly."

Knock, knock, knock! There was a rapid knocking on the door.

The little girl said, "Grandma, people from the You family have arrived."

Manager Sun stumbled backward, her head hitting the bedpost. The pain made her vision blur, and everyone in her face looked like a vengeful demon. To drag her down with them? To make her die with them? No way.

She replied firmly, "I won't see you!"

The maid outside the door fell silent, and a man spoke in her place, his voice sinister: "Steward Sun, you've taken so many favors from my master, do you think you can just wash your hands of it like that?"

The setting sun filled the room, and dust swirled around.

On the wooden table, on one side lay the murder weapon Wang Liuer used for the assassination, and on the other side lay Zhao Zhao's moon lute and jade pendant.

The two sat facing each other and spoke almost simultaneously: "What is your relationship with You Mingshi Gang?"

It was unclear who spoke first, yet they spoke almost simultaneously: "Who do you want to kill? | Who wants you to kill them?"

Wang Liuer said impatiently, "Let's play rock-paper-scissors!"

The two played a best-of-five series, and Zhao Zhao lost. She spoke first, saying, "I don't actually have any relationship with Lord You..."

Before she could finish speaking, Wang Liuer moved her stool and sat down next to Zhao Zhao, pressing her hand tightly against Zhao Zhao's chest: "With your heart beating this fast, try lying again?"

Zhao Zhao followed suit, raising her hand and pressing it against Wang Liuer's chest, recounting the past between You Ming and Yao Niang. Upon hearing this, Wang Liuer exclaimed in a daze, "...You're You Ming's daughter?"

"Not necessarily," Zhao Zhao said with a self-deprecating laugh. "I only know who my mother is."

Wang Liuer continued, "You said you might die, who is the person who wants to kill you?"

Zhao Zhao refused to continue, saying, "It's your turn."

After a moment's thought, Zhao Zhao could feel Wang Liuer's heartbeat slow down, as slow as still water.

“My family used to be a small timber merchant. Last year, when the river was being renovated, we were in dire need of stone and timber. However, after layers of embezzlement, there was hardly any money left for the repair work.”

"The river management department had no choice but to use its power to suppress people and distribute the task of purchasing materials to a few big officials and merchants. To put it bluntly, they wanted them to cut off their own flesh to patch up the court's sores."

“Those officials and merchants are no pushovers. They get exploited by the government, so they turn around and exploit the local farmers and villagers... My family suffered because of them. Most of the old timber on the mountain was sold for only this much.”

Wang Liuer opened her palm and waved it.

"Fifty thousand taels?"

Wang Liuer sneered: "Fifty taels."

"Are these officials and businessmen so lawless?"

“They were just doing what the law and Heaven were doing, what were they afraid of? My parents were not convinced, so they went to sue the corrupt officials and merchants. When they went to the court of justice, the magistrate scolded them for ‘obstructing the river repair project and not considering the overall situation,’ and each of them was beaten with fifty strokes of the cane.”

"The officials and merchants bribed the constables who were carrying out the caning, and my mother was beaten to death on the spot. My father was on the verge of death, but he survived. Later, my father gathered more than a dozen exploited forest and stone households and stopped Xu Feng's sedan chair." "...What happened after that?"

"Xu Feng was furious and ordered a thorough investigation." Wang Liu'er's voice gradually softened, "But since then, I've never seen my father again. I searched everywhere for him, but I was caught by unscrupulous officials and merchants and kidnapped to their mansion..."

There's no need for Wang Liuer to tell you what happened next; Zhao Zhao had already heard her story a thousand times from the ridicule of the crowd: last winter, she was thrown naked at the entrance of the brothel, so thin she was skin and bones, covered in wounds, and pregnant with who knows how many dead babies.

“Zhao Zhao, you said that every wrong has its perpetrator and every debt its debtor, and those who deserve to die must pay the price. We lowly people, even if we risk our lives, may not be able to harm those high-ranking officials in the slightest.” Wang Liu’er smiled self-deprecatingly, “But I’m determined to try and shake a tree like an ant.”

Why would Shi Gang help you?

Wang Liuer twitched the corner of her mouth: "He used to work for You Ming. Once, due to a mistake, You Ming chopped off one of his fingers."

“Back then, Xu Feng wanted my father and the others to die, and he arranged for You Ming to lead his men to kill them. Shi Gang was one of the ringleaders. Perhaps he had a change of heart, or perhaps he wanted to leave some leverage to threaten You Ming, but he suddenly turned against us and led that group of people to hide in the mountains.”

"I was kidnapped by officials and merchants and brought into their mansion, which allowed me to escape their pursuit. After entering the brothel, I tried to get close to You Ming and spent money to find the whereabouts of those who had survived. By a twist of fate, I found Shi Gang."

Just as Zhao Zhao was about to say that Xiu Yi was looking for Shi Gang, several footsteps sounded outside.

The two quickly gathered the things on the table, and with a creak, the door was pushed open.

Steward Sun looked gloomy: "Liu'er, pack your things and go out. The people from the You family are waiting for you outside."

Wang Liuer was stunned for a moment. What good could come to her door at this time? Not wanting to show any emotion, she had no choice but to pack her things and leave.

The door is closed.

Manager Sun walked up to Zhao Zhao and remained silent, as if he was preparing something.

"Zhaozhao," she said gently, her voice strangely unsettling given the dark circles under her eyes, "Aren't you worried about Lord You?"

Zhao Zhao naturally replied with concern, "Has something happened to Lord You?"

"What trouble could possibly come of him sitting in that position?" Steward Sun chuckled. "It's just his subordinates causing trouble behind his back, making things difficult for Lord You."

Zhao Zhao's heart skipped a beat; You Ming had blamed someone else, so the fire hadn't reached her.

Steward Sun opened the window, letting in the fishy smell and the music from the courtyard. He then took Zhao Zhao's hand and said affectionately, "In terms of pipa skills, none of them can compare to you. It would be such a pity if you didn't perform at Lord Xu's birthday banquet."

You Ming allowed Zhao Zhao to stay temporarily at the music academy, and Manager Sun removed her from the list of musicians. Now that it's being mentioned again, it carries an ominous and strange undertone.

Steward Sun stood up, his hand pressing heavily on Zhao Zhao's shoulder, but his voice was unbelievably soft: "The day after tomorrow is Lord Xu's birthday banquet. Practice your pipa diligently these next two days; a bright future awaits you."

Upon learning that Shi Gang was not dead, Zhao Zhao placed a lantern in front of the door. She waited until midnight, but the pimp from last time still hadn't arrived.

She slipped on her shoes, pushed open the door, and went out, intending to go to the annex where the pimp lived to find someone.

Before he could take more than a few steps, he was stopped by a shout: "Where are you going?!"

Several rough, fierce faces emerged from the darkness. They were the old women on night watch, who scolded, "You shameless little slut! It's almost time for you to serve the masters, and you're still thinking about having an affair with the pimp in the neighborhood!"

Zhao Zhao stood frozen in place, utterly defeated...

As the birthday banquet approached, the brothel forbade prostitutes from meeting with pimps.

Her message couldn't get out.

(End of this chapter)