Walking briskly to the street stall, Luo Zhiheng's eyes crinkled with laughter. It really was fried stinky tofu!
In her previous life, Luo Zhiheng lived the life of a well-bred young lady for more than ten years. However, during the Republic of China era, well-bred young ladies were also allowed to go out on the streets. That time was much more open than during the Qing Dynasty. But Luo Zhiheng still had the reserve of a well-bred young lady. She did not reject anything sold on the street, but fried stinky tofu was the only thing that Luo Zhiheng found extremely disgusting.
She loathed the pungent smell; it made her want to vomit. She even thought that if someone put that stuff in their mouth, they would surely be suffocated by the stench. How could those people be eating it so happily with such smiles on their faces? Luo Zhiheng kept her distance from stinky tofu.
But after she became a bandit, one time the second-in-command brought in a lot of fried stinky tofu, and the whole mountain stronghold was filled with the stench. She was so angry that she waved her whip wildly, wanting to whip the person who fried the stinky tofu to death. Her father was so angry that he had people grab her and put that stuff in her mouth, forcing her to chew and swallow it. Luo Zhiheng was so angry that she cried loudly.
But that's how some things are. You might be unwilling to try, unwilling to engage with, and even disgusted and repulsed by something at the time, but over time, you might not be able to maintain that same persistence. Back then, she hated stinky tofu, but later she fell in love with this smelly but delicious snack. Just like people, not everything is as it seems. Someone who looks good on the outside might be rotten inside, and someone who looks bad on the outside might be full of talent and wisdom inside.
"Two bowls, boss!" Luo Zhiheng shouted heartily, unleashing the full force of a female bandit. This was the first thing she had encountered in this world that left such a deep and lasting impression on her. This fried stinky tofu contained memories of her father, the villagers, and her brothers and sisters. She was eating memories and reminiscences.
With the golden stinky tofu in her hand, Luo Zhiheng couldn't wait to swallow a piece. Her brows furrowed adorably, and as she looked on with a nostalgic expression, the owner laughed heartily, "Miss, ten cents."
Luo Zhiheng quickly reached for her waist, her eyes wide. She really wanted to say, "Boss, can I buy on credit?"
She didn't bring any money!
"What's wrong, young lady?" Judging from Luo Zhiheng's clothes, she didn't seem to be poor, so the shopkeeper thought that perhaps the young lady had lost her purse.
"I……"
Just as Luo Zhiheng was hesitant to speak, a long, beautiful hand reached out from behind her and presented it directly to the shopkeeper. A small piece of silver glittered in the palm of the hand, and a deep, powerful voice came from behind her: "Here you go."
The shopkeeper smiled and took the money. Luo Zhiheng's eyes softened when she saw the hand. She turned around when she heard the voice, and was naturally pulled into the arms of the person behind her. She looked up and laughed arrogantly and triumphantly: "So you've finally decided to come out?"
Mu Yunhe looked down at her, his eyes full of laughter, but he pretended to be disgusted and grabbed her by the back of her collar with his big hand, but he didn't actually do anything: "Get away from me, you stink."
Luo Zhiheng's eyes widened: "It stinks so bad and you still want to pay me?"
Mu Yunhe said with disgust, "I'm afraid you won't have the money to pay them, and I can't bear the shame of keeping you around as a servant." 2768601
Luo Zhiheng snorted coldly and held the fried stinky tofu in front of Mu Yunhe. Mu Yunhe's face changed upon smelling it, and he jumped back a few steps, pinching his nose and exclaiming in shock, "Quickly throw away that stinky thing!"
Seeing his intense reaction, Luo Zhiheng was taken aback, then burst into laughter. Her expression then became dazed, and she shook her head and murmured in a nostalgic tone, "How is this any different from what I used to be?"
"What did you say?" Mu Yunhe saw the weariness and melancholy on her face, and his heart clenched. A dense pain spread like tentacles. He took a few steps back, pinched her cheek, and glared at her: "Don't make that face. It looks awful."
It wasn't unpleasant to look at, but it felt as if Ah Heng was suddenly a thousand miles away from him, an ethereal distance that drove him crazy and terrified. Although it was just an expression or a glance, Mu Yunhe was extremely displeased.
"It's nothing, do you want to try some? It's one of my favorite foods. You love me so much, do you know I like to eat this?" Luo Zhiheng teased Mu Yunhe with a smile.
Mu Yunhe shook his head firmly. He refused to eat it; the smell alone was enough to make him want to vomit. That golden color combined with that stench—what was the difference between that and eating *that* thing? How could Aheng possibly swallow it?
Luo Zhiheng forced him to eat, refusing to leave unless he did, and threw a tantrum in the street. Luo Zhiheng defiantly held up a piece, staring at him with wide eyes, pouting with a stubborn expression.
She was thinking about what happened in the mountain stronghold in the past. Back then, her father ordered her to eat in the same way. She refused to comply, so her father had his brothers hold her down and force her to open her mouth and eat. She felt a surge of anger in her heart and suddenly wanted Mu Yunhe to experience what she had experienced. That overlap, even though the two of them were from different times, would create a sense of familiar incongruity, as if it showed that the two of them were not far apart.
"Aheng, stop making a fuss and let's go home." Mu Yunhe, of course, refused to give in. As a prince and priest, he didn't care about being made a fuss by his beloved wife in the street, but he said he would never eat that stinky thing.
Luo Zhiheng was already feeling sad, thinking about the past and her family. Mu Yunhe's voice was somewhat authoritative and uncompromising. Luo Zhiheng became anxious and her eyes turned completely red. Her big, wet eyes were filled with hurt and sadness, but she still held her hand up, as if to say that if Mu Yunhe didn't eat this today, they wouldn't be done.
Mu Yunhe's mind was in a mess, and his heart softened. Luo Zhiheng had never been like this before. She was delicate and childish, yet stubborn and unreasonable. Helpless, he compromised, but she still angrily said, "Don't shed tears for me. I don't lack gold and silver. If I eat them, you'd better hurry up and come home with me."
Bluffing is Mu Yunhe's usual tactic in front of Luo Zhiheng. Apart from being able to completely control Luo Zhiheng in bed, Mu Yunhe is always arrogant, awkward, repressed, and loyal when facing Luo Zhiheng.
Mu Yunhe swallowed it whole, without even chewing. The tofu, which was no longer hot, was indeed flavorful, leaving a pleasant aftertaste. Mu Yunhe stared, thinking that it wasn't too bad, but he couldn't say it out loud. Aheng was already showing a smug expression.
Luo Zhiheng's expression immediately changed. She patted Mu Yunhe's shoulder with a smile and said in a weathered yet lecturing voice, "Child, you'll never know what it's really like until you try it yourself. You were born into a golden age, but you grew up in a chaotic world. When you're hungry, you have to eat even the grass roots. If you're too picky, you'll only suffer later. Don't think you're still from a high-class family. Take off that skin and put on beggar's clothes, and you'll be no different from a beggar."
Only one sentence in this passage is different; the one she heard was, "You were born into a golden age, but grew up in chaos. When people are starving, you have to eat even the dead. Being too picky will only hasten your death. Don't think you're still some refined lady. Take off that skin, put on beggar's clothes, and you're no different from a beggar. This chaotic world is not an era for you to remain arrogant."
These words were spoken by her father when she was forced to eat stinky tofu and was crying her eyes out. He used various methods to educate her, gradually stripping away all the spoiled, pampered airs and arrogance of a young lady, as well as the deeply ingrained haughtiness of her aristocratic upbringing, without instantly turning her from a refined young lady into a beggar. Later, when they were so hungry they were practically killing and eating flesh, she truly understood her father's good intentions.
Luo Zhiheng's eyes reddened. For some reason, she missed her family especially today, and she missed her father who had helped her grow into the person she was today.
This is what it means to be reminded of someone by seeing an object.
Second update! There will be an extra chapter today, making up for the one from two days ago. Love you all! Please vote, leave comments, and give monthly tickets! Group kisses!
434 More trouble! (Bonus chapter for 32,000 comments) Bonus chapter added on the 9th.
Updated: 2013-11-11 17:16:54 Word Count: 3469
Mu Yunhe looked at Luo Zhiheng cautiously. He had noticed that she was in a bad mood just now. Her eyes were red and she looked like she was about to cry, which made him feel uneasy, but he didn't dare to ask.
A gloomy thought lingered in his mind: Was she angry because of what happened with Mu Yunjin earlier? Was she upset that he hadn't appeared to help her? However, Luo Zhiheng hadn't told him about Mu Yunjin; he only knew about her through his own channels. Luo Zhiheng's words of advice earlier had deeply moved Mu Yunhe. He was touched and satisfied to have such a wife, because Luo Zhiheng was the one who truly understood him.
Seeing that Luo Zhiheng had Mu Yunjin under control, he refrained from intervening. Aheng must know he was also present; could she be blaming him?
Carefully pulling her book, Mu Yunhe asked, "Are you unhappy?"
Luo Zhiheng shook her head, feeling down; she was just missing her family.
Seeing her like this, Mu Yunhe's mood also soured, but he couldn't bear to get angry with her, so he said ingratiatingly, "Didn't you say that I don't understand your preferences? How about giving your husband a chance to understand his wife's preferences?"
Luo Zhiheng smiled and shook his hand, saying, "Then you'd better listen carefully. My taste is quite strange. I like to eat jujube paste. Do you know where I can get it here?"
She probably wouldn't like something as sweet as jujube paste, since she doesn't like sweets, but she specifically avoids all sweets and only likes this jujube paste.
Mu Yunhe's eyes lit up, and he led her forward. Soon they arrived at a pastry shop. He said, "Don't think that just because I don't go out much, I can fool you. I know this pastry shop has all kinds of delicious pastries. They taste great and have a wide variety. Let's go in and take a look."
Luo Zhiheng indeed bought the pastries she liked, and then wandered aimlessly through the streets with Mu Yunhe for a long time. Today felt more like a day trip to the capital. The little bit of longing and annoyance in Luo Zhiheng's heart dissipated, and she smiled again before arriving home. 2768601
Mu Yunhe gave her another piece of good news: "I found a house, right on the street where our old Prince's Mansion is located. The eldest son of the Prince of the Other Side has rendered meritorious service, and the Emperor has specially rewarded him with a fiefdom. The old Prince of the Other Side has retired from the army and is going to the fiefdom with his son. He plans never to come back, so the house is on sale, and I bought it."
"You have money?" The house owned by the opposite sex must be good, and the price must be good too.
Mu Yunhe smiled mysteriously and said, "Your husband will definitely not be short of money. I'll have someone pack up over there quickly, and we can move in in five days at most."
Luo Zhiheng was happy, but when she thought about how Yu'er was still upset, she couldn't be happy: "What do you think I should do with Yu'er? That girl has really been hurt by Mu Yunjin this time. She's a young girl who's just starting to experience love, and she's so stubborn. With such a big shock, I'm afraid she might do something stupid and get stuck in a rut. Do you think she might even resent me? I don't want to lose Yu'er as a good friend."
Mu Yunhe gently stroked her hair and said softly, "Don't worry, you have a forgiving heart and can forgive those who hurt you, so naturally others will treat you the same way. Just go find her, how bad can your friends be?"
He didn't return to the General's Mansion. Thinking about it, Luo Zhiheng couldn't wait to rush into the mansion. However, the attendant she had sent to follow Yu'er was waiting at the gate. He came up to Luo Zhiheng and told her that Princess Yu'er had not returned to the General's Mansion but had gone to the home of Pharaoh Murong.
Luo Zhiheng was startled, and looked helplessly at Mu Yunhe, saying with a wry smile, "This girl really does resent me."
"She'll calm down in a couple of days. It's Mu Yunjin's fault this time. It's understandable that the princess is upset. Don't worry, just wait a bit before you go see her. Everything will be alright," Mu Yunhe gently comforted her.
The two returned to their room and cuddled together, their clothes disheveled, when there was a knock on the door.
"Master, something has happened in the Princess Consort's courtyard. She's threatening to commit suicide. Should we go and see?" Xiao Xizi said angrily.
Mu Yunhe growled, his face grim, "Let her die!"
He was furious. Ah Heng had finally gotten a little better, and now that bitch Luo Ning Shuang was causing trouble again? Let her die if she wants; no one's stopping her.
"Okay!" Xiao Xizi excitedly agreed, and actually went to reply.
"Come back." Luo Zhiheng called out, pushing Mu Yunhe aside, and asked, "Does the Empress know?"
"You don't know yet, do you? That's why I didn't send anyone to tell Her Majesty the Empress." Xiao Xizi was in charge of monitoring Luo Ningshuang's courtyard.
Luo Zhiheng thought for a moment and then said, "I'll go take a look. I really want to see how she tried to kill herself."
Mu Yunhe looked at her with a sorrowful expression, but he did not stop her. He just pursed his lips and lay on the bed sulking.
Luo Zhiheng chuckled and kissed him, coaxing, "Wait for me to come back, I'll pamper you tonight."
"Really?" Mu Yunhe's eyes lit up, and he grabbed her hand and sat up. "You can't go back on your word anymore. I'm about to burst. Feel it. If you don't let it have some fun, it won't be able to survive."
With her hand placed there, Luo Zhiheng's face flushed red. The touch beneath her hand was hard and unyielding. Luo Zhiheng couldn't help but think of the feeling of that big thing wildly galloping inside her, and her body went limp. She struggled to look away and said angrily, "Let go of me now."
"I won't let you go unless you promise me you'll let me do it when you come back!" Mu Yunhe didn't let Luo Zhiheng pretend to be stupid any longer and said bluntly.
Luo Zhiheng nearly collapsed. Could he really say that so openly? There were still a group of people outside. She glared at him fiercely, but Mu Yunhe seemed completely unashamed and laughed without giving an inch.
"Okay, I promise you, I promise you, just let me go now," Luo Zhiheng said through gritted teeth, looking helpless.
Mu Yunhe then kissed her hard with satisfaction and let go.
When Luo Zhiheng arrived angrily outside Luo Ningshuang's courtyard, she heard Luo Ningshuang's shrill roar, Bai Mingyue's reprimands, and a terrified cry. Frowning, Luo Zhiheng stood outside the gate, not wanting to disturb those inside, and listened with her men.
Luo Ningshuang was so angry her face almost turned blue. Pointing at the woman hiding behind Bai Mingyue and crying, she roared, "Bai Mingyue, you better know what's good for you and get that bitch out of here right now, or I won't let her off. If anything happens to the little one in her belly, don't blame me, Luo Ningshuang, for making sure you're childless!"
Luo Ningshuang naturally felt that everything she did and said was reasonable. Just now, that despicable Chunnuan had dared to mock her to her face, subtly implying that even now that she was back, she was nothing, still subservient and living at Luo Zhiheng's beck and call. This was utterly unacceptable to Luo Ningshuang, so in a fit of anger, she shoved Chunnuan hard. Bai Mingyue, who rushed over upon hearing the commotion, slapped Luo Ningshuang so hard that she saw stars.
This was outrageous! She was now in her own home, no longer the Luo Ning Shuang who was unloved by her father and brother, and persecuted by her sister. She was now the granddaughter of the Silver Moon Kingdom, and her grandmother was the ruler of a nation! How could she possibly continue to tolerate Bai Mingyue, that devil, hitting her? Thus, a great battle was about to break out.
"Luo Ningshuang, you are so vicious! You know perfectly well that the child in Chunnuan's belly is my only child, yet you still dared to push her? You did this on purpose, you shameless woman!" Bai Mingyue's eyes were red with anger. Originally, she had been holding back, unwilling to provoke Luo Ningshuang at this moment, since Luo Ningshuang had suddenly become a phoenix. But Luo Ningshuang had gone too far, actually poisoning his only flesh and blood.
"Me, on purpose? Is she, a lowly servant, worth me deliberately pushing? How ridiculous. And this child is your only child, not mine. What does his life or death have to do with me? You live in my place now, eating my food and using my things, and you still dare to yell at me and make sarcastic remarks. Do you think the granddaughter of the Silver Moon Kingdom is so easy to bully?" Luo Ningshuang's eyes widened as she brought up her status.
Bai Mingyue choked, her face flushed red, but she couldn't utter a single word.
Chun Nuan was startled to see Bai Mingyue like this. What if Bai Mingyue abandoned her because she was afraid of Luo Ning Shuang's new identity? Wouldn't that be too dangerous for her? Instinctively, she protected her stomach and cried out in pain, her face pale: "It hurts, it hurts so much, ah, Your Highness, my stomach hurts so much."
"What's wrong? Quickly, get a doctor!" Bai Mingyue was terrified and picked up Chunnuan, rushing into the house.
Chunnuan screamed and choked out again, "Your Highness, please don't be angry because of me and the Princess. I'm not worth it."
What an understanding concubine she was. But Bai Mingyue's reply chilled Chunnuan to the bone: "I did it not for you, but for the child in your womb."
These blunt truths only made Bai Mingyue seem incredibly foolish. Luo Ningshuang mocked her without any attempt to hide her sarcasm: "You're too presumptuous. You're just one of my lowly maids. I got you pregnant, and you think you can really fly to the sky and become a phoenix? Bai Mingyue, that eunuch, paired with you, a lowly maid, plus that little bastard child of who-knows-who, the three of you are a perfect match."
Luo Ningshuang dared to speak so harshly because of her current status; she needed to keep Bai Mingyue in check before she could discuss divorce.
Bai Mingyue, holding Chunnuan, suddenly turned around and said viciously, "Shut up! You slut, how dare you call yourself a royal granddaughter? Do you think Her Majesty the Empress can't see what you've done? Look at Luo Zhiheng, how does Her Majesty the Empress treat Luo Zhiheng, and how does she treat you? What are you so arrogant about? You're nothing but a despised shrew. Be careful, one day the Empress will make you come back to the country with me, and then you'll fall into my hands, hmph!"
Luo Ningshuang's face turned pale, and she suddenly screamed, "Don't compare Luo Zhiheng to me! What makes her think she can compare to me?! I won't go back to the Southern Dynasty with you, I'm divorcing you!"
Luo Zhiheng's mocking voice suddenly rang out: "I'm afraid that won't work. Your marriage was arranged by the emperor of the Southern Dynasty. No one but the emperor can make you divorce. Luo Ningshuang, I advise you to just live a good life with your prince."
Update complete! Hooray! Finished updating today, will continue working hard tomorrow. Love you all, group kisses! Still asking for recommendation votes, comments, and monthly tickets! I know you don't like Luo Ningshuang, but once I've used her up this time, I'll be able to deal with her, don't worry!
435 You feel pain, I laugh; I'm one step ahead!