flamboyant - Kapitel 54
"Stop right there!"
"No!"
"If you run again, I'll break your legs." I dodged her thrown projectile in a sorry state, but my mother followed relentlessly, her teeth clenched, making her look like a shrew.
How unfortunate I am to suffer such a hopeless calamity!
"What is Aunt Fifteen doing?!" An angel's cry! Zi Mo, like a great savior, dodged his mother's nth attack, frowning and coldly rebuking the shrew: "Aunt Fifteen! Even if you're not sensible, don't you know the rules? What are you doing running around like that with your hair all disheveled?!"
I stole a glance at my mother, whose face was even more pale. What a small world!
Zi Mo, oblivious to the danger, pulled over the disheveled version of myself and tugged at my sleeve: "Look at you! Does being at home mean you can be so unseemly?!" What did I do to deserve this? I lowered my proud head, pitifully admitting my mistake. I gently tugged at the hem of Zi Mo's skirt and cautiously rubbed against his arm. Trying to please him first is always the best approach.
Zi Mo gathered my hair and miraculously pulled out a hairband from his sleeve, then tied it up for me with a dark face.
I glanced at my mother out of the corner of my eye. She composed herself, and her superb acting skills were on full display at that moment.
She gracefully put away her bow, ran her hand through her neatly trimmed temples, and dignifiedly bowed to Zi Mo: "Greetings, Fourth Young Master."
Zi Mo glanced at his mother with a gloomy expression.
The mother remained unmoved and straightened up, saying, "Ziyi is very well-behaved. We are practicing archery."
"Archery! Does archery require leg strength?!"
"Ziyi is very active, I was just trying to help him get used to archery, according to his interests." The mother made up a story without batting an eye.
"Really?" Zi Mo casually tossed his clothes and turned around to stand behind me, gently tucking my unruly baby hair behind his ear.
My mother glared at me fiercely, and I shrank back, terrified. But inside, I was incredibly triumphant; I'd finally escaped her clutches!
The woman walked gracefully into our room, her posture calm as she gestured for Zi Mo to take over the work from him. Zi Mo's face darkened as he looked at the innocent-looking woman.
The mother laughed ignorantly, "Let me do it. This is not in your proper place."
"I'll take care of it! Aunt Fifteen, you should worry about something else." Zi Mo said, subtly provoking the shrew.
My mother almost gritted her teeth to maintain a good smile, her tone gentle and her expression hypocritical as she forced Zimo out from behind me. She snatched the cheap hairband from Zimo's hand and, like a loving mother, gathered my hair. My poor, unlucky hair!
Zi Mo frowned even more, wishing he could kill that gentle lady, while I twisted my fingers and pretended to be an idiot.
Zi Mo couldn't hide his anger and blurted out, "Does Aunt Fifteen have nothing better to do today? She actually has time to teach Eleventh Brother archery!"
Damn! You really dare to mess with the tiger's ass.
My mother pulled my hair harder, it seemed she had brought up a topic she didn't like.
"Thank you for your concern, Fourth Young Master. How come you have time to come and see us, mother and son? Your wife must need you more." The mother suppressed her anger and spoke gently, like a loving elder.
I endured the pain shooting through my scalp, afraid to scream. Damn it, I lost because of his son.
Zi Mo gave his mother a warning look: "Fifteenth Aunt, just mind your own business and don't say anything more."
My mother ruffled my hair, her smile growing increasingly forced yet still melodious: "Fourth Young Master, this is a joyous occasion, how can you say so much?" She gave me an exaggerated laugh, then pinched me and winked at me. I cooperated, asking curiously, "What joyous occasion?"
My mother tied my hair up, affectionately pinched my nose, and held my hand, saying, "You're supposed to be on good terms with your fourth brother, how come you don't even know about his good deeds?" My mother's complaint was fake; even a fool could tell she was putting on an act.
"Fifteenth Aunt!"
Ignoring Zimo's shouts, Mother continued, "You're such a disappointment to your mother. Look at your fourth brother, he's about to become a father, and you haven't even managed to get me a wife."
"Becoming a father?" I really don't know! Who is it? Who's pregnant? He has too many concubines, it's hard to guess.
"Your fourth sister-in-law, everything is going well!" Mother smiled as if she had won the lottery, looking directly at the man whose expression was the opposite of hers.
My mother tugged at me again, and I looked at him, not wanting to add fuel to the fire, but what could I do when I was living under someone else's roof? "Fourth Brother is going to be a father! Congratulations, Fourth Brother! I'm going to be an uncle! When I get married, he can be my child's older brother..."
*Snap!* Zi Mo's hand broke the beautiful bow I loved so dearly. I was too timid to speak, while my mother looked on with satisfaction at the unlucky fellow.
"Fourth Young Master, you should spend more time with Fourth Madam. I've heard that pregnant women are most susceptible to stress."
"Good! Well done!" Zi Mo frowned, his anger rising, and threw the bow, which, like me, had been innocently implicated, in front of his mother. He then turned away angrily.
My mother and I turned our heads at the same time, giving a perfectly coordinated farewell to Zimo, who clearly didn't need to be seen off.
After he walked away, my mother finally finished venting her anger and patted my head: "Let's go back."
"YES!"
"You're smart to be sensible today, kid."
"That's right, that's right, I'm your precious son." Mother nodded with satisfaction, turned around and pointed to the broken bow: "Pick it up, repair it and you can sell it for a good price."
I didn't dare to fawn over her and serve her. I followed behind her; she seemed preoccupied, and I didn't dare to offend her, so I obediently held her "treasure" and pretended to be her lackey.
Back in our hall, Mother called Xiaocao down to keep watch, and then poured me a cup of tea, calling out, "Xiaoyi."
"Mmm." I took the tea leaves that were floating on top of her hand, which were swirling with her affection. My mother looked at me and helped me sit on her lap. I enjoyed the beauty's service and wondered if she was showing her affection with a purpose.
"Tell me, how are we going to get revenge for Mother?" See? I knew she wouldn't accept this.
"Just kill them," Lao Tzu suggested, drawing upon his deepest dream.
Mother tapped my head, her phoenix eyes narrowing into slits: "Nonsense! If I had that ability, would I need you to ask?" She paused for a moment and said: "Do you think it's too kind of me to dress you up as a woman and marry you off to Su Gu, swindling him out of millions of taels of silver?"
I looked at her with dissatisfaction: "What do you mean by 'pretending'? I am a woman, okay?"
"Oh? I forgot. How about we marry you off to him first, then to Ouyang, and drive them both to their deaths? What do you think?" I exclaimed in astonishment, "What a brilliant idea! Only you could come up with something like that."