Azure Heart Horror-Kurzgeschichte

Kapitel 2

Ling'er sat in the sedan chair, fiddling with her fingers, silently planning her business. After half a year of hard work, it was time for her to rest.

Returning to the mansion before the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month was the Madam's idea. Although the Madam was a woman, she made all the decisions in the mansion. Although the Master was a high-ranking official in the court, he was somewhat afraid of his wife. Outsiders might not know, but Ling'er knew it very well.

Amidst a commotion, the sedan chair came to an abrupt stop.

"Ximei," Ling'er asked, lifting the curtain of the sedan chair, "Why are we stopping?"

Xi Mei stood on tiptoe, straining to see. "I don't know, the road ahead seems to be blocked. I'll go check it out!"

"Go quickly and come back quickly!" Xi Mei readily agreed and left.

A moment later, Ximei rushed back, shouting, "Something terrible has happened! Steward Xu has had someone beat him up!"

"What?" Ling'er stamped her foot in astonishment and cried out, "Lower the sedan chair! Lower the sedan chair!" Before the sedan chair had come to a complete stop, a beautifully dressed young girl had already emerged from it.

"Ximei, what happened? Is Uncle Xu seriously injured?"

---Magpie Bridge Fairy

Reply [6]: "I don't know."

"Let's go and take a look ahead?" Ling'er walked towards the head of the group without hesitation, with Ximei following behind.

The servants of the Nan family were helping an elderly man in his fifties with a black beard walk slowly. This man was none other than Steward Xu of the Nan family.

Ling'er walked quickly to Steward Xu and asked, "Uncle Xu, are you alright?"

When Steward Xu saw Ling'er arrive, a kind smile appeared on his wrinkled face. He waved his hand and said, "It's alright, it's alright, it was just a bump."

"Are you really alright?" Ling'er asked worriedly. "Uncle Xu, please don't ride a horse. Take my sedan chair! We'll have a doctor take a look at you when we get back to the manor! I'll take care of things here, so please don't worry!" She instructed Ximei to tell the sedan chair bearers to move the sedan chair to the front, while she directed the servants of the South Mansion to help Steward Xu into the sedan chair.

"Those people are all scoundrels, you'd better be careful!" said Steward Xu. Ling'er nodded in agreement, and Steward Xu gave her a few more instructions before she got into the sedan chair.

Ever since Ling'er could remember, Steward Xu had been working at the Southern Mansion. Steward Xu was childless and all alone, but he was a senior figure in the mansion, capable, and amiable, respected by everyone. Besides the Madam and Ningyue, Steward Xu was the one who doted on her the most. Today, someone dared to offend Steward Xu; he certainly couldn't be let off lightly. Thinking this, a layer of anger appeared on Ling'er's face.

The street was extremely bustling, with restaurants and shops lining both sides of the street, and many pedestrians coming and going. A few meters away, there was a very grand restaurant, painted entirely in red inside and out, which looked festive and pleasant. A gold-lacquered black plaque hung high on the second floor, with three powerful characters: "Ruyi Lou" (meaning "Auspicious Restaurant").

Right at the entrance of the restaurant, a person dressed in white was lying on the ground, covered in dust as if he had rolled on the ground. His hair covered his face, making it impossible to see his features or age.

Several men dressed as thugs were surrounding him, shouting insults, but the man didn't move, as if he were asleep or dead. Otherwise, no one would allow them to shout so recklessly.

Ling'er frowned, unsure how to deal with these rough men, when she heard Xi Mei loudly ask, "Hey, who's in charge here? Our young lady has something to ask!" Ling'er was delighted; Xi Mei was indeed understanding, and all her pampering hadn't been in vain. A tall, burly waiter approached, his face plastered with a businesslike smile, bowing and scraping as he asked, "What are your orders, young lady?"

"Why are you beating up my steward, Mr. Xu?" Ling'er asked calmly.

The waiter, a regular at Ruyi Restaurant, had seen countless customers every day. Seeing Ling'er's elegant attire and domineering manner, he immediately assumed she was a wealthy heiress. Therefore, he dared not be negligent and respectfully replied, "Please calm down, young lady. We are waiters at Ruyi Restaurant. Do you see that person over there?" The waiter pointed, and there was indeed the man in white lying by the roadside. The waiter continued, "He's a drunkard. He drank without paying and even beat people up. If we don't teach him a lesson, we won't be able to work here anymore!"

The waiter spoke in a fluent,江湖-slang-like manner, which made Ling'er frown.

"I don't want to know about your affairs. I only want to know why you hurt my steward, Mr. Xu?"

"That old man came up to mediate the fight with good intentions, but we were all in the heat of the moment and accidentally bumped into him without realizing it. Please put in a good word for us, young lady." Ling'er heard the waiter's respectful and sincere words and realized it was all a misunderstanding, so she couldn't bear to blame them.

Just as she was hesitating, the waiter walked straight to the sedan chair carrying Steward Xu, bowed deeply, and said respectfully, "Sir, it's all our fault. Did we hurt you? Should we call a doctor to take a look?"

Seeing the sincerity in his words, Steward Xu coughed and said, "Well! Everything is up to my young lady to decide!" After speaking, Steward Xu nodded and waved his hand at Ling'er, meaning that it was alright.

Since the other party was willing to admit their mistake and apologize to Steward Xu, Ling'er also wanted to let the matter rest. She looked up at the sky; dusk was approaching, and she needed to hurry into the city.

The waiter returned to Ling'er to await her judgment.

"If that's how it is, then let it go." Ling'er looked up and saw the drunkard lying by the roadside. She softened and said, "Let that person go too. Just tell me how much he owes you for drinks. I think you're a reasonable person. If the road is always blocked like this, it's inconvenient for everyone, and you can't do business!"

Ling'er fully expected the waiter to agree, but to her surprise, he looked hesitant.

"This is not something I can decide on my own; you'll have to ask our shopkeeper."

Before Ling'er could speak, a voice from not far away mumbled, "No... we can't just let it go like this!" Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw that it was the drunkard who had spoken.

"I am a prince, and you...you even dare to hit me? Do you want to rebel?" He slurred his words, clearly having drunk quite a bit.

Instead of getting angry, the waiter laughed and walked over to the drunkard, saying, "Hehe, I've never seen a prince act crazy when he's drunk before! Today, thanks to you, we'll have a chance to see it for ourselves!"

The drunkard slowly raised his head, his eyes turning from dazed to sinister, and he cursed fiercely, "You dog slaves, I'll make sure your heads roll one by one!" The waiter, hearing this, was truly enraged, pointing at him and cursing, "Bah! If you really are a prince, then I'm the King of Heaven! Today, don't even mention that you didn't pay for your drink; just for breaking so much stuff, we're not done yet! Guys, get him! Beat him up, then hand him over to the authorities." He then made a move to strike again.

"Stop!" It was Ling'er. Although her voice wasn't loud, it carried an air of authority.

Ling'er really didn't want to get involved in this mess, but if they ignored it and let the road get blocked like this, nobody would be able to leave. This was a major thoroughfare; everyone trying to leave or enter the city was stuck here. And this guy, if he had no money, he should have kept his mouth shut. He deserved to be beaten!

More and more people gathered, including merchants, passersby who wanted to see what was going on, and even customers from Ruyi Tower. The place was soon packed with people, all eager to see how this young woman would resolve the situation.

---Magpie Bridge Fairy

Reply [7]: A moment later, the waiter helped an old man of medium build, in his fifties, out of the shop. He had a round face and small eyes, with a large bruise on one eye. He was rather plump, with his left hand on his lower back, and walked with a limp, indicating that he was seriously injured. Perhaps because he was used to doing business, he had smiled too much, and a swirl of a smile line appeared on his nose. The shopkeeper was well-versed in business, and although he was in pain, his face was full of amiable smiles.

The innkeeper walked up to Ling'er, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "I understand what you mean, young lady. It would be wonderful if you were willing to settle this guest's bill!"

Ling'er was surprised that the shopkeeper agreed so readily.

The shopkeeper looked around and held out his hand, saying, "I'll do you a favor, young lady, so I'll give you ten taels of silver!"

"What? Ten taels? Do you think we're easy targets?" Xi Mei shouted angrily, "Who are you trying to extort?"

Ten taels is a bit much, but it's just a drop in the ocean for the Southern Mansion. But Xi Mei just can't swallow this insult!

"How can you say it's extortion?" The shopkeeper put on an innocent look: "Look, he was drinking and smashing things, and here, all of these are free, aren't they?" He pointed to his bruised eyes.

As dusk settled and night fell, Ling'er knew the city gates might close if they didn't leave soon. She had no time to argue about it and urged, "Xi Mei, pay quickly, we need to get going!"

Xi Mei was indignant, but she couldn't disobey Ling'er. She angrily took out her money while muttering, "No merchant is honest!" She forgot that they were also in business.

He counted out the money and handed it over, still sarcastic, saying, "Take this to treat your eyes. Take care! Don't get beaten up again!"

The shopkeeper ignored them and counted the money with a big smile. When he found that the money was correct, he told his employees to disperse the onlookers, and the road was finally clear!

The drunkard remained lying on the ground, and the waiters, having been beaten by him, ignored him, leaving him lying there.

After a while, he probably sobered up. He slowly got up, his eyes were red, his face was pale, and his chest was heaving violently. He felt dizzy and couldn't move, so he leaned against the windowsill on the first floor of Ruyi Building and closed his eyes to rest. The sounds of conversation coming from inside the window caught his attention.

"Brother, who was that girl just now? She was really beautiful. I wonder if she's engaged yet?" Another man said, "You mean the girl who paid for the drunkard's bill? Hey! How come you don't even know her?"

"Oh? Does Big Brother know him?"

“I know her, but he doesn’t know me! Brother, did you see the blue sedan chair that girl was riding in just now? It has the character ‘South’ embroidered on it, so they’re heading east of the city. And she’s so beautiful, can you guess who she is?”

"A sedan chair? The surname is Nan? She lives in the East City? Oh! Could she be the daughter of Minister Nan?"

"Brother, you're really clever! You guessed it right away!"

"I've long heard of the renowned beauty of the Southern Mansion's daughter, and seeing her today, I can confirm she's truly extraordinary!"

"Hey! What good is being pretty? You're still an old maid who can't get married!"

"What? Hasn't she gotten engaged yet?"

"Over twenty years old, still unmarried!"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Actually, I don't know either, but I've heard that this young lady is exceptionally intelligent, proficient in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and knowledgeable in classical texts. She can be described as a truly talented woman!"

"If she's so wonderful, why hasn't anyone come to propose marriage?"

"Of course there are! How could there not be? In recent years, there have been quite a few matchmakers coming to propose marriage. I heard that the threshold of the Nan family was changed three times in one year, but none of them could catch this young lady's eye! But then again, whoever marries her will be incredibly lucky!"

"So, according to you, she still hasn't found a husband? There really isn't a single family she can be paired with?"

"She is the apple of Nan Da's eye. I think that with such a person and such talent, the standards for choosing a husband should naturally be high. They may have been so picky that they missed the best time for her to get married."

"Heaven is so unfair! How lonely must such a beauty be, left alone in her empty chamber?"

"What? Brother, you're interested in her? Want your older brother to play matchmaker for you?"

"Brother, others may not know, but don't you know? If my wife, the lioness from Hedong, gets angry, how will I survive? Besides, she's a lady from a respectable family, how could she possibly stoop to be my concubine? Are you teasing me? Do you want me to play matchmaker for you?" After saying this, the two burst into laughter.

The two men were already quite drunk and talking about romantic and trivial matters. The drunkard listened for a while, then, finding nothing more to hear, he slowly stood up, leaning against the wall, and decided to leave. He had only taken a few steps when he suddenly felt dizzy and lightheaded, and the world spun around him. He almost stumbled, but quickly grabbed the wall beside him to avoid falling again.

He closed his eyes and shook his head vigorously, trying to shake off the dizziness. After a while, he felt better. When he opened his eyes again, he noticed something bright and shiny not far from his feet. He picked it up and found it was a small hairpin. The pearl was small but perfectly round and bright. The hairpin was finely crafted and exquisitely made, clearly belonging to a wealthy woman. Turning the hairpin over, he saw the character "灵" (ling) in seal script on the back!

He gazed at the hairpin, a realization dawning on him. A bewildering smile played on his lips. He carefully put the hairpin away and was about to leave when a waiter approached, looking at him with disgust and saying sarcastically, "Why aren't you leaving yet? Waiting for a girl to pay for me? You're lucky, kid. If a beautiful girl like that paid for me, getting beaten up would be worth it!" The waiter then laughed maliciously.

Ignoring the waiter's teasing, he took a few steps forward, then turned back to look at Ruyi Restaurant, and said coldly with a sidelong glance, "If I don't ruin your reputation, I'm not a 'Zhu'!"

Because Steward Xu was injured and had ridden in Ling'er's sedan chair, Ling'er and Ximei had to switch to a horse-drawn carriage. After getting into the carriage, Ximei remained silent, and Ling'er knew that Ximei was angry about what had just happened.

"Ximei, are you still angry? Stop pouting! I heard that when you get angry, freckles will grow on your face!"

"Really!" Xi Mei asked nervously, her eyes wide. "Have I grown them yet?"

Ling'er couldn't help but laugh when she saw her anxious expression.

"Sister Ling is lying!" Xi Mei immediately realized that Ling'er was teasing her.

"Hmph, you're still laughing, you're still laughing! I'm not talking to you anymore!" After saying that, she turned her back to Ling'er.

"Good sister, don't be angry!" Ling'er suppressed her laughter and patted Ximei's shoulder to comfort her, "It's all my fault, I won't say it again!"

Xi Mei forcefully shook Ling'er's hand away with her shoulder, saying relentlessly, "No, you've already said it! How can you take back what you've said?"

"Then what do you suggest we do?"

---Magpie Bridge Fairy

Reply [8]: ? Not over yet?

---Endless sorrow

Reply [9]: It's meaningless.

---code020

Reply [10]: Xi Mei looked back at Ling'er, a sly glint in her eyes, and she already had an idea in her mind.

"Sister Ling, there's something I don't understand. If you can tell me, I won't be angry anymore!" Xi Mei offered her terms.

Upon hearing this, Ling'er understood immediately.

"Little girl!" Ling'er said with a smile, gently scolding, "I know what you're thinking! You want to know about Boss Sun, right?"

Xi Mei nodded vigorously, her eyes revealing a thirsty expression.

“I can tell you, I never intended to hide it from you, but…” Ling’er hesitated for a moment, “but Ningyue is involved here, so you must keep it a secret.”

"No problem! No problem! Do you want me to swear an oath?" Ling'er's words made Ximei even more interested in the matter.

"No need. If I don't trust you, I won't tell you!"

The story dates back twenty years, when Ling'er began to tell Ximei about the unknown past of the Southern Mansion.