Before she knew it, she was pulling his sleeve and walking forward. There happened to be a teahouse by the roadside. Xiaoman ordered a pot of tea and some pastries. Zexiu took a sip and put down the cup, frowning and saying, "This stuff has the nerve to call itself West Lake Longjing? It's as fake as can be."
Xiao Man laughed: "I know you're a young master, living a life of luxury. Don't you even know where you are? Do you think we'd have any good tea for you? Just drink something to quench your thirst."
Zexiu refused to drink anymore. He threw down his teacup, leaned against the wall, took off the leather bag from his waist, and drank the wine sip by sip.
"I really like it here, Kaifeng Prefecture. It's lively, big, and prosperous. I really want to live here someday." The little girl was full of affection for Kaifeng.
Zexiu replied absentmindedly, "Okay, if you like it, we'll stay here. We can leave when we get tired of it."
Xiao Man smiled slightly, then her face suddenly flushed, and she whispered, "Um, Zexiu..."
Before she could finish speaking, she suddenly heard the sound of a pipa coming from behind her. She turned around and saw a woman of about forty years old standing behind her, holding a pipa. She looked at the two of them with a smile and said softly, "Gentlemen, would you like to request a little tune to listen to?"
Xiao Man was about to shake her head when Ze Xiu said, "Okay, sing a song for me."
Sure enough, the woman dragged over a chair and sat down, then picked up her pipa and began to play. Xiaoman frowned after only a few notes. This woman's playing was not only bad, it was downright terrible. How could she possibly have the nerve to come out and sing for money with such a level of skill? She couldn't help but glance at the woman. Her face was very ordinary, with wrinkles on her forehead and around her eyes, but her eyes were unusually bright, like cold stars in the dark night. They swept over Xiaoman's face and then lowered, making Xiaoman feel a little startled.
The woman suddenly began to sing: "Red trees are intoxicated by the autumn colors, green streams play the strings of the night. The good times cannot be repeated, the wind and rain seem like years away."
Her voice wasn't particularly pleasant; it was quite ordinary. But listening to her voice, Xiaoman felt a strange, inexplicable unease, as if the entire world had suddenly shrunk to just her singing, and all the surrounding noise had subsided. Every word she uttered felt like a thousand pounds of weight, crashing down on her, transforming into a tangible force that compelled her to instinctively recoil.
Suddenly, a hand grabbed her wrist, and Xiaoman shuddered. It was Zexiu's hand. She snapped back to reality, still somewhat bewildered and not understanding what had happened. She heard him coldly say, "Impressive internal strength!" Before he finished speaking, a teacup was already thrown at the woman. She grabbed her pipa to block it, cursing, "You ungrateful brat!"
Zexiu was startled. Taking advantage of the moment, the woman turned and ran. Her movements were extremely fast; in the blink of an eye, she darted out of the teahouse. He jumped up and gave chase. He pursued her for two blocks, through a bustling crowd of people, but she ran incredibly fast. In a flash, she disappeared without a trace. Zexiu leaped onto a high building and looked around frantically. He still couldn't find her, so he jumped down.
He took a few steps back when he suddenly felt someone pat his shoulder with surprising force. He instinctively reached out to grab them, only to be met with a punch. He heard someone laugh beside him, "Good lad, you even hit your second uncle!"
Zexiu was both surprised and delighted. He quickly turned around and saw Tuan Shanzi standing behind him with his arms crossed, smiling at him.
"You've come to Kaifeng too? Where's the little girl? Didn't you bring her?" he asked with a smile.
Zexiu shook his head, then nodded: "...In a teahouse, how could Second Uncle be in Kaifeng?"
Tuan Shanzi sighed: "Jia Tan is not in good health. She said that Liaodong is too cold and she wants to go to a warmer place. So I planned to take her to Jiangnan. But she fell ill again as soon as we arrived in Kaifeng. She is sleeping in the inn now. I will go and get her some medicine."
Zexiu said absentmindedly, "Hmm. Second Aunt's health is still the same as before..."
"What's wrong?" Tuan Shanzi asked, noticing his distracted state. "Did you have a fight with the little girl?"
Zexiu turned and walked towards the teahouse. As he recounted his bizarre encounter, the man with the round fan laughed, "A woman? You're quite the dashing young man. Did you pick up some romantic entanglements somewhere? Your little girl can't do anything; getting a punch or a kick from a chivalrous woman wouldn't be a joke."
Ze Xiu chuckled: "What nonsense. I'm afraid it's just Tian Sha Shi Fang causing trouble again."
“Your third uncle’s men are guarding the outskirts of Kaifeng Prefecture. No matter how powerful Tian Sha Shi Fang is, he can’t get through.”
Zexiu was taken aback: "Third Uncle?"
The man with the round fan smiled slightly: "He's coming to Kaifeng to open a shop, and it won't do if people keep coming to cause trouble."
Zexiu immediately understood: "Someone else has also come looking for trouble for you?"
The man with the round fan laughed, “There aren’t many people who can cause us trouble. Your father, who was always causing trouble, wasn’t killed by them in the end. He was probably angered to death by his unworthy descendants. His sons secretly squandered most of the family fortune, keeping it a secret from your father. But secrets can’t stay hidden forever. After it came out, your father got sick from anger and was locked in a small courtyard by his wives, concubines, children, and grandchildren. They wouldn’t let him see a doctor. They secretly discussed dividing the remaining property, but before they finished dividing it, your father died. Then, Tian Sha Shi Fang and his gang came in and started some kind of extermination campaign, killing a few servants and members of the main family. The higher-ups had already gone into hiding. It wasn’t their turn to kill them.”
Zexiu remained silent. Back then, his father listened to slanderous words, saying that a fox spirit would squander the family fortune. Who knew that no matter how much they guarded against it, they were still the ones who lost it. It wasn't just one fox spirit, but a group of vampire bats.
"I see."
Tuan Shan patted his shoulder: "Your third uncle is coming to Kaifeng to open a shop. He should arrive in the next couple of days. We'll go eat and drink with him later. Take your little girl with you... Hmm, you two are traveling alone, so it's time to get a proper status. You should get married as soon as possible."
Zexiu became depressed at the mention of this and remained silent, which made Tuanshanzi laugh loudly: "You can't even handle a little girl? Don't let me come and despise you! Come on! Your second uncle will take you to propose marriage!"
When the two returned to the teahouse, Xiaoman was nowhere to be seen! The teacup where she had been sitting was overturned, tea was spilled all over the floor, and there were a few drops of freshly congealed blood on the table. It was a truly shocking sight.
Ze Xiu's face turned ashen. She grabbed the waiter and shouted, "Where are the people here?!"
The waiter was so frightened he almost rolled his eyes, and said hurriedly, "That little girl... suddenly had a nosebleed... then an old woman came and helped her away..."
Zexiu angrily threw him aside and turned to leave. It was his carelessness! He shouldn't have chased after her in the first place! Tuan Shanzi frowned and said, "A nosebleed must be caused by the singing woman's internal energy. This matter cannot be delayed. Let's go find her together."
When Xiaoman woke up, she felt like a million bees were buzzing in her ears, stars were jumping around in front of her, she felt nauseous, and she was weak all over and felt terrible.
It was pitch black all around, but it didn't look like a cave in the suburbs. It looked more like a warehouse basement or something. She was lying in a pile of flour, with a small oil lamp flickering beside her.
Who was the person who captured her this time? That was her first thought. Slowly sitting up from the pile of flour, she was still a little dazed when she suddenly heard a woman's hoarse voice behind her: "You're awake. I didn't know you didn't know martial arts. I'm sorry I accidentally hurt you."
Xiao Man turned her head in confusion, only to see a woman sitting against the wall, the same woman who had sung for money earlier. Her gaze was intense, like cold stars, fixed on her face.
Xiao Man coughed and said, "Tian Sha Shi Fang?"
She shook her head.
"Remnants of the Mountain of No Return?"
He still shook his head.
"Cangya City?"
He continued to shake his head.
Xiao Man was surprised: "Then did you arrest the wrong person? I don't think I know you."
The woman didn't answer, but instead picked up the candle and looked at her closely, scrutinizing her from head to toe, not missing a single detail. Xiaoman felt a chill run down her spine and stammered, "Could it be... skinning?"
The woman looked at her for a while, then suddenly sighed softly and said in a sinister tone, "She really is a little beauty, younger and prettier than me. I admit defeat."
The Scroll of Splendor, Chapter Two: Love and Jealousy Go Hand in Hand (Part Two)
Updated: 2008-10-27 17:44:21 Word Count: 3438
Second update.
Pitch black, a strange woman, an eerie atmosphere.
Xiao Man swallowed hard and forced a dry laugh, "What?"
She dragged her to this grain warehouse just to compliment her on her looks? Uh, wouldn't you call that a stroke of good luck?
The woman glared at her fiercely for a long time, then suddenly let out a laugh that was more like a cry, and reached into her bosom as if to take something out.
She was about to pull out a knife to skin him! Xiaoman's face turned pale instantly, and she waved her hand with a forced smile, "This lady..." She originally wanted to call her "auntie," but fearing that the title would offend her, she had to change her address at the last minute—"This lady, let's talk this out. As the saying goes, those destined to meet will find each other even from a thousand miles away. This place is so peaceful, the atmosphere is so beautiful. Using knives and swords would ruin the beauty, wouldn't it? It's fate that we met... well, it's fate. How about I ask your name, lady? I... I'm called Xiaoman..."
The woman pulled a cloth bag from her bosom, glared at her, and slowly opened it. Xiaoman swallowed hard and continued to smile apologetically, "Don't be like that, harmony brings wealth, right? If you have something to say... if you're unhappy about something, you can tell me..."
The cloth bag was opened, revealing a round fan. Xiao Man, with her sharp eyes, immediately recognized the familiar color scheme and stitching—it looked like she had embroidered it. She paused slightly, and the woman tossed the fan to her, whispering, "You embroidered this, didn't you?"
She took the fan and examined it closely. Embroidered on it was a lady holding a flower, head bowed and smiling, exuding ultimate elegance. A thought flashed through her mind: this was the fan cover she had embroidered for the round fan—how did it end up in this woman's hands? Judging from the woman's hateful and angry expression, it was clearly jealousy. Could it be that she had misunderstood something?
The woman continued, "Indeed, the embroidery is beautiful, and you are skillful... At first, I thought it was just a painting. But seeing you, I know that you truly exist in this world."
Xiao Man chuckled dryly, "Sister, it seems you... have misunderstood me."
The woman shook her head: "You don't need to explain. You're a weak and young woman, so I won't blame you for going astray for a moment. But that man... he already has a wife, and besides, there's a huge age gap between you. A good girl like you should find a young and good man. Why waste your life on him?"
Xiao Man blinked and suddenly said, "Are you Mr. Round Fan's wife?"
She shuddered, almost jumping up, and then shouted, "Don't worry about who I am! Just stop trying to fool him! It's no use!"
Xiao Man chuckled and said, "Me? The Bewitching Fan? Please, sister, he looks old and ugly, how could I possibly look for him!"
The woman angrily retorted, "Who are you calling old and ugly?! He's the best person in the world! How dare you slander him like this... Doesn't your own heart ache? If you don't love him, why do you even get close to him! Playing with people's hearts is the most despicable thing! Do you know how infatuated he is with you?"
Xiao Man froze. "Don't talk nonsense! What do you mean, 'bewitched'?" She saw the woman trying to hold back her tears, looking pitiful as if she wanted to get angry but dared not. She could only beckon her. "Come, come. Let me tell you what happened."
She spoke fluently and quickly recounted how she encountered the round fan and how it was embroidered. The woman, indeed, became more skeptical, her hostility diminishing considerably. She whispered, "Oh, so... this... this isn't a token of love... um, that..."
Who would want to pledge their love to that perverted old man! Xiaoman Guang felt goosebumps all over just thinking about it, and quickly took out the gold ring that Zexiu had given her from her bosom: "If you don't believe me, take a look at this. This is the real token of pledging your love. Only a kind and beautiful sister like you can afford to accept Mr. Fanzi. I don't have the fortune to accept it, nor do I want to."
The woman clearly recognized the gold thumb ring and whispered, "You...you're Zexiu's child..."
Xiao Man nodded vigorously: "That's right, isn't he a young and good man? Sister, are you still going to say I have no taste?" The corners of her mouth curled up, and sure enough, she saw that the woman's eyes were full of embarrassment. Although her face was blank, her eyes were filled with shame, remorse, and anger, as if she was about to cry.
Xiao Man laughed and said, "Sister, you must be a beautiful woman with a face as beautiful as the moon, why wear a mask?"
The woman, filled with shame, finally removed her mask. Her once plump, round face transformed into a delicate oval one. She appeared to be in her thirties, not exceptionally beautiful, but possessing a gentle, refined, and delicate charm that was very pleasing to the eye. Perhaps because she had done something incredibly shameful, her flustered demeanor evoked a sense of pity. Even Xiaoman, so much younger than her, couldn't help but comfort her: "It's nothing, just a misunderstanding. Don't be afraid, sister. I won't tell anyone."
She felt grateful and held Xiaoman's hand. Suddenly, she coughed a few times, her voice hoarse and her face flushed. "I was too impulsive and hurt you..." She couldn't help but cry again, so Xiaoman could only continue to comfort her. "It's nothing, it's nothing. I'm fine."
She slowly regained her composure and said in a low voice, "Don't call me sister. You are Zexiu's wife. I should have thought of this this afternoon, but I was just momentarily overwhelmed by anger... You should call me second aunt."
Xiao Man smiled and said, "I'm not his wife, we're not married yet. Let's keep calling her 'Second Aunt' for later. My name is Xiao Man, what's yours, sister?"
Her voice was barely audible: "My name is Jia Tan... um, you really won't tell them..."
Xiao Man laughed and said, "Don't worry, Sister Jia Tan, I definitely won't tell them. I'll just say I ran off to play... By the way, where is this place?"
Just as Jia Tan was about to speak, she suddenly heard a series of hurried footsteps outside. She froze: "They found us so quickly!"
She got up to run away, but after taking two steps, she suddenly turned back and said, "I'm sorry, I can't run away. Let the fan scold me."
Xiao Man asked curiously, "Mr. Round Fan has come to Kaifeng? By the way, what exactly is this place...?"
Jia Tan whispered, "It's the inn's warehouse... We're staying at this inn, he... he'll definitely curse me to death..." As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes, looking pitiful.
Xiao Man saw a small window across the street for ventilation and hurriedly waved, "What are you saying! Why do you want him to scold you! Quick! Go that way! Hurry up and go!"
Jia Tan finally hesitated, then opened the window and jumped out, coughing as she whispered, "Little Man, I will definitely repay you." After saying that, she floated away like a butterfly.
Xiao Man smiled slightly. Well, she had to admit that this woman was very smart, really smart.
The door was suddenly kicked open. Xiao Man had just managed to stuff the fan into her bosom and hadn't even turned around when she was dragged away.
"How are you? Are you hurt?!" Zexiu rubbed her face and body with his hands to check for any wounds.
Xiaoman cried out as she was being rubbed: "It hurts! It hurts so much! You've rubbed me raw even though I wasn't hurt! Let go of me!"
Zexiu, still shaken, reached out and pulled her into his arms. Xiaoman was almost choked and gasped for breath, letting out a painful cry for help. She could hear his heart pounding; he was truly terrified. A pang of sadness struck her, and she reached out to hug him, gently patting him.
The man with the round fan lit a candle, walked in, looked around, and said, "Little girl, do you know who dragged you here?"
Zexiu slowly released her. Xiaoman took a breath before saying, "Um, I don't know, I just woke up." She spoke hesitantly, then looked down and saw that the handle of the round fan she had tucked into her bosom was sticking out. She subtly pushed it back, but Zexiu, with his sharp eyes, snatched it away: "What is that?"
The fan-wielder's expression immediately changed. He snatched the fan and examined it closely for a long time. His changing expressions were quite a sight, shifting between green, red, and white. Xiaoman suppressed a laugh and said softly, "I found the fan. Is there anything wrong with it?"
He shoved the fan back roughly and said, "No...nothing...it's good that you're alright...well, you probably had some internal injuries. Let me see your hand."
Xiao Man then realized that her whole body felt as soft as cotton. Sure enough, she had suffered internal injuries as they had said, and her head was throbbing with pain.