Red satin

Introduction (1)

"Mother, we'll be home once we cross this mountain. It was all worth the long trip to gather these herbs. Look at all we've collected!" A clear, melodious voice, like a nightingale's song, echoed through the deep mountains, startling an old crow in the woods into taking flight with a shriek as it flew away into the distance.

The girl who spoke looked to be about sixteen or seventeen years old. She was carrying a bundle of grass roots or something similar on her back, her trousers were rolled up high, revealing a section of her fair calves, and she walked briskly and lively along the mountain path in straw sandals. Her face was rosy and she was very pretty. The girl was talking to a middle-aged woman behind her.

The woods were gloomy, and the midday sun struggled to shine through the thick, intertwined leaves, but only a small white spot fell on the two people, slowly shimmering.

“Child, let’s sit on this rock for a while. Here, have some water,” the middle-aged woman said. Her voice was low, and she was dressed in black with a white handkerchief wrapped around her head. She watched as the girl obediently put down the herbs, her eyes filled with tenderness. She gently reached out and removed some grass from the girl’s hair, then took out a wooden comb from her bosom and said to the girl, “Sit down. You’ve only been picking herbs for half a day, and your hair is already a mess. Let me comb it for you.”

The girl sat obediently in front, while the woman slowly combed her hair with a black wooden comb behind her. The girl's hair was jet black and shiny, the strands flying in the wind. The mother remained silent, while the daughter carefully examined an ant scurrying about on a leaf at her feet. The mountains were generally very quiet; this mountain path was one that the mother and daughter had discovered while gathering herbs, and it was rarely visited. Birdsong occasionally echoed through the tranquil forest, and behind them stood a huge locust tree, its roots intertwined and covering a large area.

The girl was talking about the fun she had gathering herbs that day when she suddenly felt the atmosphere behind her turn icy cold. When she turned around to see what was going on, she heard a dull thud on the back of her head and fell unconscious after being hit hard.

A cold wind blew, and when the girl awoke, the forest had become gloomy and desolate. She moved and found herself tightly bound to the large locust tree with vines. She looked around carefully and cried out in terror, "Mother, Mother, where are you?"

She heard a soft sharpening sound beside her. She tried to turn her head to look, but a sharp pain shot through the back of her head. She then realized that not only was her body tightly bound to the tree, but her hair had also been divided into two strands and tied to the tree, making it impossible for her to move her head.

She was terrified and cried out, "Mother, where are you? Come save me!"

A familiar voice came from beside her: "Listen to me, don't shout, it won't hurt in a little while."

Upon hearing this, she forgot her fear and cried out, "Mother, Mother, let me go! It hurts!"

The sound of sharpening the knife was still clear, echoing powerfully through the forest, stroke by stroke.

"Be good, just bear with it a little longer, Mommy will be done soon."

"Mother, what are you trying to do? Why are you tied to this tree?" The girl was already sobbing uncontrollably.

At that moment, through her teary eyes, the girl saw her mother standing before her, holding a gleaming, pointed shovel used for digging medicinal herbs. She smiled sadly and stroked the sharp shovel.

"I've been sharpening it for a long time, hoping to make it faster. I've heard that if a knife is sharp, it won't hurt as much."

The girl stared at her mother in disbelief. "Mother, are you going to kill me?"

"Child, you should never have come into this world. You were blind and born into the wrong family. There's no point in saying more now. Rest in peace!"

The woman raised the sharp-tipped shovel in her hand and began to gouge at her daughter's eyes, shouting after each gouge, "You're blind! Don't blame me, don't blame me!"

The moon hid behind the clouds, as if unable to bear witnessing this human tragedy. The girl's desperate and shrill screams startled the birds, and the forest was filled with an eerie stench of blood. The girl, her face covered in blood, stood dying on a tree, her eyes now two bloody holes from which blood gushed.

The woman carefully wrapped the removed eyeballs in the handkerchief on her head, gently placed them in her bosom, slowly packed her bundle, and began to turn and descend the mountain. Behind her came the girl's voice, as faint as a whisper: "I want revenge! I want revenge! Revenge!"

A smile flashed across the woman's face, a smile that carried a chilling hatred, yet also a hint of helplessness.

It was a bright and beautiful day. The sky over the small town was exceptionally clear. On a single bed in a resident's house, Qin Jin was drooling and dreaming, enjoying the dream to the fullest.

Suddenly her phone rang urgently. She pulled it out, closed her eyes, and cursed, "Who is it?! In the middle of the night, can't a person live in peace?"

A shrill female voice came from the other end: "Midnight? The sun's already high in the sky! Get out here right now, come to my house at noon today, I'm back."

Qin Jin was wide awake, thanks to Tang Shishi—his best friend.

She cursed angrily, "You damned woman, everything was peaceful when you left, but now that you're back, it's like a plague has descended upon the world, throwing chaos into the land! Fine, you're back, but do you expect me to run naked down the street to welcome you?"

The phone call had already ended. Qin Jin lay on the bed, feeling miserable. Tang Shishi was not someone to be trifled with. If he dared to stand her up, his future days would be difficult.

A black cat jumped onto the bed and stared at her expectantly, clearly there to ask for breakfast.

She stroked the black cat's fur and called out gently, "Blackie, Blackie, good morning. We're going to see that fierce old woman, Shishi, today."

Hei Bao is Qin Jin's beloved pet, a stray cat that Qin Jin found by a trash can one winter night. Now it's incredibly well-off, with all sorts of cat food, cat beds, and cat toys, and they're all brand names.

After taking a shower, Qin Jin spent a long time applying makeup in front of the mirror. A beautiful woman appeared in the large dressing mirror in the room. She was tall, well-dressed, with a jade-like neck and a noble air. Unfortunately, Qin Jin sighed to herself. With such good qualities, she still couldn't find a boyfriend. She wondered if she was too picky or if the men in this world had become too bad.

Tang Shishi is a wealthy spendthrift. Her family has a large inheritance, enough for her to dress up, date, travel all over the country, not work, go to high-end clubs, and travel independently. Just now, she traveled all over the country again. Whenever she is in a bad mood, she drives around aimlessly, going wherever she wants without a destination. Every time she comes back, she brings back a lot of gifts. Rare treasures from all over the country are her favorites.

Qin Jin arrived at Tang Shishi's house. After passing through the beautiful private garden, he found three people already seated in the spacious hall. Qin Jin took Hei Bao out of the cat basket and tossed it to Tang Shishi, who hugged the cat and cried out affectionately for it.

Lan Qi stood up, brought a glass of water, and handed it to Qin Jin. Lan Qi had a unique sense of style; she could practically be called a fashion icon. Just by looking at her clothes, you could tell what was trending this year. Lu Yingqi was fiddling with a piece of silverware in the corner. When she saw Qin Jin, she smiled and greeted her. She was Tang Shishi's cousin, but she truly inherited all the qualities of Tang Shishi's scholarly and aristocratic family—gentle, poised, and elegant; she was clearly a lady.

Tang Shishi returned from her self-guided tour, and everyone gathered together again. Qin Jin ate fresh strawberries in Shishi's huge dining room while listening to her stories of what she had seen and heard on her journey, the customs and legends, and the ways of the world. With her vivid expressions and exaggerated gestures, the listener felt as if they were there.

"I went to western Hunan this time. Apart from the mountain roads being a bit difficult to travel, it was a truly beautiful place. The mountain villages there were very peaceful. When the evening breeze blew, the stars seemed within reach. At dusk, you could see the smoke rising from the chimneys of the small villages. Really, you must come with me again next time. It's simply paradise."

After talking for a while, everyone started asking for gifts. Shishi really enjoyed the moment and took out all her favorite things to share with everyone.

The three of them sat around the sofa. Tang Shishi, beaming, presented a box and slowly untied its thin thread. Everyone was stunned by her earnest demeanor, and several pairs of eyes stared at the box. Inside the box was a paper package. She took out the package and slowly unwrapped it layer by layer. Finally, Tang Shishi gave it a vigorous shake, as if unleashing a burst of red clouds, instantly filling the room with shimmering light. Even Lan Qi, who was used to grand occasions, widened her eyes in astonishment.

Qin Jin looked closely and saw that it was a piece of red cloth. Red cloth was not unusual, but what was unusual was the color of the red. It was a red that was so beautiful that it was impossi

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