CH 12

Dead

Translated by atsam

Edited by atsam

Night fell.

Qing Mei followed orders and arrived at the back alley of Tao Hong’s house. Tao Hong’s parents blamed and resented Qing Mei, but they didn’t dare to flare up.

Tao Hong’s mother pointed at the door to the left, her face numb. “She is inside. Let yourself in.”

Qing Mei opened the door and saw Tao Hong lying on her stomach on the door plank, with only one breath remaining.

Tao Hong’s parents were worried that Tao Hong would dirty the bed board and the bedclothes and didn’t allow her to lie on the bed but put her on top of the door plank.

When Tao Hong died, her body would be lifted and buried straightaway.

Hearing some movement, Tao Hong opened her eyes. “It’s you!”

Qing Mei crouched down. “Guniang told me to come and take a look at you.”

Tao Hong sneered. The cat weeps for the dead mouse with crocodile tears.

Qing Mei didn’t care. Tao Hong herself was responsible for her current situation. “Guniang let me ask you why you hate her so much.”

“Why I hate her so much? Hahaha…!”

Tao Hong seemed to have heard the funniest thing under the heavens. She suddenly burst out with great strength, her face flushed and her breathing rapid. Was this the final radiance of the setting sun?

She said resentfully, “Why do I hate her? Should I not hate her? My current situation is all thanks to her. I wish she would drop dead!”

Qing Mei frowned. “Guniang hasn’t done you any injustice. But you, as a slave, humiliated guniang but still don’t repent.”

“Hahaha! Serves her right!” Tao Hong laughed in a crazy manner.

“Three year ago, I had the opportunity to serve liu shaoye. But because she fell ill, taitai sent me to Zhilanyuan. Qing Mei, do you know how much hatred I have? Day and night, the only thing I thought of was why wouldn’t this sickly person just die! Why?”

Qing Mei said angrily, “You are shameless! You didn’t succeed in becoming liu shaoye’s concubine but you still blame guniang for it.”

“Hahaha! Qing Mei, what qualifications do you have to scold me? I don’t believe for a second that you haven’t thought of becoming one of the shaoye’s concubine.”

“I’m not like you, so contemptible.”

Tao Hong chuckled. Her life had already burnt out. She ranted, “Tell guniang that even if I, Tao Hong, die, I will haunt her as a ghost, curse her and let her not have a good end!”

“The one who won’t have a good end is you. You lunatic…”

“I am a lunatic… hahaha…”

Her laughter stopped abruptly. Her smile froze and a sinister and terrifying look appeared on Tao Hong’s face.

Qing Mei’s heart thumped. She stretched her hand and put a finger below Tao Hong’s nose.

There was no breath!

Tao Hong had taken her last breath!

She was dead!

Qing Mei hurriedly stood, turned around and ran out.

The sky was getting darker.

Qing Mei hurried out of the back alley and into the main residence.

Hearing a noise ahead, she hastily hid.

“Quick, put them inside. Send them off before the city gate closes.”

The voice was familiar. Qing Mei stretched her head and peeped.

Ah! It was Gao Sanfu, taitai‘s aide.

Li pozi’s hands were tied and she was gagged. She was stuffed into an oxcart.

The other pozi were also not spared. They were all, without exception, loaded into the cart and taken away.

Gao Sanfu jumped onto the cart and waved his whip. The cart started moving and eventually disappeared into the night.

Hu!

Qing Mei came out from the corner and gasped. She had been so nervous just then.

She entered the residence from the back door and walked back to Zhilanyuan.

“Guniang, this slave has returned.”

After taking a nap in the afternoon, Gu Jiu felt refreshed. Doctor Chen’s prescription was correct and her medicine was prepared with good quality ingredients. After drinking two bowls of medicine, her illness already seemed somewhat improved.

She put the book down and waved, letting Qing Mei sit at her bedside.

Qing Mei waved her hands hurriedly. “This slave’s body is contaminated by bad luck. I haven’t washed up yet and I don’t dare approach guniang.”

Gu Jiu smiled and pointed at a stool. “Then sit down and talk.”

“Thank you, young lady.”

Gu Jiu leaned against the headboard looking indifferent. “Did you see Tao Hong?”

Qing Mei nodded.

“Did you ask her? What did she say?”

Qing Mei took a sip of tea and then said with a lowered voice, “Tao Hong wanted to serve liu shaoye but finally came to Zhilanyuan. She put the blame on guniang and believed that guniang delayed her future.”

“Is that the reason why she hates me?”

Qing Mei nodded.

Gu Jiu had a smile that was not a smile. “Sure enough, she was stupid. Could she really have served liu ge without my presence? Naive!”

Qing Me was confused.

Gu Jiu had a smile at the corner of her mouth as she said, “Liu ge is the son that taitai is most proud of. Taitai has great expectations of him. Until today, there haven’t even been maidservants serving him. He only has manservants. It’s clear that taitai is protecting liu ge from maidservants wanting to climb his bed.”

“Listening to guniang’s words, it is indeed like this.”

Gu Jiu smiled and said, “Three years ago, taitai had probably sensed the ambiguity between liu ge and Tao Hong. She must have used my illness as an excuse and sent Tao Hong to Zhilanyuan.

“My body was weak and I rarely stepped out, almost never meeting liu ge. In this way, she thoroughly cut off Tao Hong’s wishful thinking of becoming a concubine. Tao Hong didn’t dare to hate taitai or liu ge. Seeing me being a soft persimmon to pinch, she naturally dumped all her hatred on my head.”

Qing Mei was filled with righteous indignation. “This damned Tao Hong!”

“Did she die?” Gu Jiu asked suddenly.

Qing Mei nodded.

Gu Jiu said, “Seeing your strained expression and listening to you say that you have bad luck on your body, I supposed she died in front of you.”

“Guniang guessed correctly. Tao Hong took her final breath in front of me.”

Gu Jiu comforted her. “You are frightened. Quickly go wash up and rest. Have a good sleep. I have Qing Zhu to serve me.”

“Yes! I also have another matter to report to guniang.”

“What is it?”

Qing Mei said, “Manager Gao tied up Li pozi and the other pozi and took them out of the city gates tonight.”

Gu Jiu understood and laughed. “It seems that taitai has completely given up Li pozi. You only need to know about this matter. Don’t talk about it outside. Go and rest, now.”

“Yes!”

Qing Zhu brought hot water and served Gu Jiu to wash her face and rinse her mouth.

“Guniang, this slave heard that laoye went to Bai yiniang’s yard.”

Bai yiniang?

A lovely and pitiful face appeared within Gu Jiu’s mind.

Bai yiniang was a liang concubine. Her family was poor and taitai was the one who had brought her into the residence.

Bai yiniang and taitai both cooperated and guarded against each other.

Taitai needed Bai yiniang’s help to retain laoye’s favour and suppress the other yiniang. She also needed to beware of Bai yiniang being favoured too much, giving rise to a disloyal heart.

Bai yiniang needed taitai’s support to let her receive Gu daren’s favour, smoothly give birth to a child and obtain favourable conditions for her child. At the same time, she had to guard against taitai if one day they fell out with each other after boiling the hound once it caught the rabbit.

Gu Jiu said faintly, “I see. Inform the kitchen that I want to eat almond pastry tomorrow.”

Yi?

Qing Zhu was surprised. “Does guniang have an appetite?”

Gu Jiu nodded. “Doctor Chen has magical hands that bring the dead back to life. I already feel that my condition is getting better. I also have an appetite.”

“Great! Guniang’s illness this time lasted half a year. It’s finally seeing some improvement.”

Gu Jiu’s brows bent. Her body was well. Her appetite was good. Thinking of being able to eat whatever she wanted in the future and taste every kind of delicacy, she immediately became cheerful.