Красавицы Холодного Дворца Изящная и пленительная женщина

Глава 8

“You will lose your life even if you don’t come back,” the old woman said again.

"No way!" Yang Hong shook his head in disbelief, completely misunderstanding her implication.

It turns out that when Yang Hong left home last time, the village woman put a curse in his farewell wine. It was a local curse with a one-year time limit. He returned within the time limit, so the village woman put an antidote in his welcome wine to remove the curse.

Night fell, all was still. The moon rose high in the sky, and the clouds grew thicker. Every now and then, a dark cloud would drift by, obscuring the entire silver disc. In the flickering moonlight, Xiao Wang gazed at her husband's face for a long time, tears streaming silently down her cheeks. Her lips repeatedly kissed Yang Hong's cheeks. He awoke, opening his sleepy eyes: "You're still awake?"

"I just woke up."

Why are there tears on your face?

She gave a sorrowful smile: "I had a nightmare, I dreamt that you left again... Will you really leave again?"

He didn't say anything, pulling her into his arms, his strong chest pressed against her soft breasts. She gently bit his shoulder and whispered, "Do you want more...?"

He was deeply moved by Xiaoyu's devotion. He understood:

The person who loved him most in the world was Xiaoyu. Xiaoyu gave him everything, and her greatest wish was for him to be with her every day. But could he do that? He was no longer the Yang Hong of the past. His inner desires swelled ever more, and his ambition grew ever larger. He could no longer live like before! Could the lush and beautiful Qingzhu Village bring him money and status? He was thriving in Guangzhou, and he longed for the dazzling and decadent life of the city. He knew that he no longer truly belonged to Qingzhu Village.

Upon hearing that Yang Hong had returned, Yu Min carried the account book to submit the expense report.

The old woman didn't understand anything and remained silent. After Zimin finished reporting the accounts, he said, "Yang Hong is back. The bamboo shoot farm will be handled by him."

"You've done a great job!" Yang Hongming knew that Zimin had tampered with the business, but he still praised him highly. "I heard that you neglected your medicinal herb business to run the bamboo shoot farm; you're busy from morning till night every day, worrying about everything! Business is tough these days, and the bamboo shoot farm can earn two hundred silver dollars a year, which is already very good!"

After seeing Zimin out, when they were in a secluded spot, Yang Hong said, "Brother Zimin, I have a favor to ask: please ask Sister-in-law Caihua for a help. I urgently need Gu medicine; it's very useful!"

"She doesn't know how to make poison."

Yang Hong saw through his thoughts but didn't expose him. Instead, he went along with it and said, "I know my sister-in-law doesn't know how to make Gu. I want her to ask Su Cuihua from Zhushan Realm to make Gu... With a little more money, there's nothing that can't be done."

"That's true, money makes the world go round!" Zimin then inquired about the time it would take for the poison to take effect and agreed.

In the dark, old forest of Wuli Cliff, vines entwine and ferns grow in abundance; the forest walls, like curtains, and the deep, abyss-like caves, create a hazy, mysterious atmosphere. A moss-covered old camphor tree stands tall on the damp, shady slope; its branches are sparse, and its lush, old leaves are interspersed with patches of yellow. Upon closer inspection, poisonous weeds, insects, and ants infest the branches and leaves; venomous snakes occasionally slither down and coil around it, and centipedes crawl back and forth. The closer you get to the roots, the more poisonous insects, snakes, and scorpions there are, emitting a foul, fishy odor.

The thatch vines parted, revealing Caihua's nervous face.

The forest was completely silent, without a sound, even the birds had stopped singing, and she felt relieved.

She took a chicken skeleton from her basket and placed it under the tree. She then took out incense sticks, lit them, and spread them out in a straight line. Next, she spread a white cloth, knelt on the ground, and devoutly kowtowed to the insects and ants under the camphor tree. A moment later, she slowly stripped off all her clothes and began to dance the "Gu God Dance" naked. She twisted her hips and slapped her snow-white buttocks and belly; sometimes she let her hair down, leaning forward and backward, jumping with her legs crossed, making "whoosh whoosh whoosh" sounds. In the dark old forest, only a flash of white light could be seen.

After performing the "Gu God Dance," she lay on her back on the white cloth. Insects, ants, snakes, and scorpions crawled onto her body, causing her pain and itching. She endured it until the incense burned out before getting up.

Half a month later, the chicken skeleton, which had been bitten and licked by poisonous insects, snakes and scorpions hundreds of times, had turned into fine, brittle black bones. When ground into powder and mixed with the juice of the wild vine, it was made into the highly poisonous "Golden Gu".

The golden gu was wrapped in silk cloth, containing only a tiny amount. Yang Hong took it from Zimin and put twenty silver dollars into his pocket. Zimin's eyes immediately gleamed with greed. After feigning reluctance, he accepted it and said, "This matter must not be revealed. Su Cuihua doesn't want anyone to know. The amount of money is secondary; Caihua swore an oath to keep it a secret before she agreed to make the golden gu."

When the people made up lies, they did so with such seriousness and earnestness that Yang Hong found both laughable and disgusting, but he pretended to listen very attentively.

At dawn, a few dim stars floated in the pale gray sky, and everything was still fast asleep. Yang Hong quietly got up without disturbing Xiao Yu, tiptoed to open the door, led out the Guizhou horse, and stepped onto the winding stone path.

He left without saying goodbye because he couldn't bear to see Xiaoyu's tears anymore, and he didn't want to hear the old woman's advice and reproaches anymore.

He wants to walk his own path and live a life worthy of being called a man.

He swiftly dropped the poisoned gu into the cup and returned to Guangzhou. It was already dusk. Upon seeing Yang Hong, Ouyang couldn't wait to ask, "Did you bring that thing?"

He nodded. A fierce glint appeared in her eyes.

The next day, Ouyang made a special trip to Lu Xing's residence to apologize to him.

"I have a bad temper and offended Mr. Lu. Please forgive me, Specialist!" Ouyang's attitude was extremely sincere. "Last time was a misunderstanding. I actually have a good impression of Mr. Lu, but I just couldn't get used to it for a while..."

Lu Xing couldn't figure out what she was up to, but she didn't seem to be faking it. Having been pushed to this point, she had no choice but to back down, so she said, "I told you, you would come looking for me sooner or later—as long as the gang leader understands!"

"Understood, understood—"

Ouyang then suggested that they set up a table at the hotel to apologize, asking him to be magnanimous and condescend to accept the offer.

Seeing that Ouyang's expression was normal and his attitude was extremely sincere, Lu Xing raised his eyebrows, thought for a moment, and asked, "Which tavern should we go to?"

"Mr. Lu, what do you think?"

"Let me think about it—I'll tell you on the way."

"A cunning fox!" Ouyang cursed inwardly.

Yang Hong was already waiting at the gate. Seeing Lu Xing bring Bao Piao out, he hurriedly invited them to get into the first carriage.

The carriage rattled along the street for a long time, passing through several alleys, before Lu Xing finally decided to go to the "Xiangyue Restaurant"—

He was having an affair with the landlady.

The proprietress had fair skin, a full bust and shapely hips, and although she was in her late thirties, she stood as straight as a young woman. Seeing her old flame arrive with guests, she beamed and invited everyone to sit in a private room.

"Pick the most expensive dishes and put them on one table," Yang Hong instructed.

Soon, the table was filled with enticing aromas as fresh seafood and Hunan and Cantonese dishes were served one after another.

Ouyang and the proprietress sat on either side of Lu Xing, with Yang Hong sitting to the left of the proprietress. The entourage of both families sat at another table in the main hall, where they were greeted by others.

The proprietress brought out a wine pot and filled everyone's cups with wine. Ouyang picked up his cup, stood up, and said, "This cup is my apology, please drink it to the brim, Mr. Lu—" He then tilted his head back and drank it down.

Yang Hong then raised his wine glass and said, "A prime minister's belly can hold a boat, Mr. Lu is very magnanimous."

Lu Xing smiled proudly and drank two cups in a row, and the proprietress refilled his cup.

Just then, someone shouted "Boss lady!" Upon hearing this, she apologized to everyone, put down the wine pot, and got up to go over.

Lu Xing's lustful gaze followed her swaying, plump buttocks. Taking advantage of his inattention, Yang Hong swiftly dropped the poison into his cup.

After a few rounds of drinks, everyone was a little tipsy. In his hazy state, Yang Hong lowered his head and spat, noticing that Lu Xing's hands were constantly stroking the thighs of the two women on either side of him. The proprietress responded enthusiastically, while Ouyang remained motionless, like a wooden stake, his face flushed red.

"Damn lecher!" Yang Hong muttered under his breath as he looked away.

The proprietress acted as if nothing was wrong, feeding Lu Xing wine with a lewd expression.

More than half a month passed, and Ouyang never came again, not even a trace of her. Lu Xing was puzzled: Did she not want the opium anymore? That afternoon, after drinking a few sips of Maojian tea, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his abdomen and immediately fainted, shattering his teacup. For several days in a row, Lu Xing's abdomen swelled, he had bloody stools, and he was dizzy. Traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine doctors came to his door in turn to treat him, but medicine and injections were all ineffective. The more his abdomen swelled up, the more severe his pain became, and his screams echoed throughout the Lu family mansion.

Lu Xing died soon after, and he didn't even know how he passed away.

Although Lu Xing was dead, Ouyang finally got his revenge, but the opium seized by customs was helplessly turned into high-priced opium and flowed into the black market. Ouyang and Yang Hong had no choice but to buy it back at high prices from third or even fourth parties, which meant they didn't make much money, and the opium den business became increasingly sluggish.

"Could we borrow some opium on credit from another opium den to tide us over?" Yang Hong asked.

Ouyang shook his head: "Our opium den used to be thriving, and they were jealous. Now that there's a show to watch, why would they lend a hand? It's always been a battle between competitors; you can't rely on them. We still have some savings; if we tighten our belts, we won't starve for a year or two. Our friends in the underworld will also come to our aid."

But the support of friends in the martial arts world was ultimately insufficient. How could a mouth accustomed to rich and delicious food possibly swallow cabbage and radishes? Before long, discontent arose within the gang. Some even threw away their food, complaining, "What kind of life is this?" Others directly criticized Ouyang: "Long hair, short on brains, a woman in charge, the White Tiger Gang is doomed!" Some wanted to nominate Brother Red Flag Fifth as the gang leader, but although he was ruthless, he was also shrewd. Knowing that he couldn't take the position, he refused outright, and the matter was dropped before it even began.

However, the undercurrent of discontent grew stronger, and Ouyang's position as gang leader became increasingly precarious.

Feeling down, Ouyang was taken by Yang Hong to see a play. But the play couldn't cheer her up, so they went to see a novel Western spectacle—a movie: a wide white sheet with constantly moving figures. After the movie, they went to a tavern for drinks. The waiter handed them a menu, on which were prominently displayed the words "Magnolia Powder." Yang Hong immediately felt a sense of familiarity, thinking of Qinglong Mountain, Qingzhu Village, his family's bamboo shoot farm, and the bamboo forests covering the mountains… Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him, and he exclaimed excitedly, "Opium is no longer a problem!"

Ouyang asked in surprise, "Where can I find it?"

Yang Hongdao said, "Qinglong Mountain is close to southeastern Guizhou, and only a few hundred miles away from Hengling in southern Guizhou. The soil and climate of the two places are almost the same. Yilin can produce opium, so why can't Qingzhuzhai produce opium? I want to go home and grow poppies!"

“Great!” Ouyang was overjoyed.

However, Guangzhou did not have enough poppy seeds for sale, so Yang Hong volunteered to go to Guizhou, the opium-producing region, to buy seeds. Seeing the gravity of the matter, Ouyang sent Zhu Hu to accompany him.

Just as they were about to set off, Ouyang ran into trouble.

On the occasion of Huanglong Gang Leader's 40th birthday, Ouyang went to offer his congratulations. On his return journey, his horse was startled, and Ouyang was thrown off and unable to move.

Upon hearing the news, Yang Hong was greatly alarmed and hurriedly brought her back, making arrangements to fetch a doctor.

“I’m not that delicate,” Ouyang stopped him, then said with a sigh, “It’s just a minor injury or pain; I’ll be fine after a few days of rest.”

Yang Hong then asked Ding Er to go with Zhu Hu to Yilin to buy poppy seeds in his place. Since there seemed to be some suspicious points regarding Ouyang's horse being startled, Yang Hong decided to stay home and serve Ouyang himself in case anything went wrong.

Ouyang's injuries healed quickly, and she was able to get out of bed and walk with support after just over ten days. That day, Fifth Brother Hongqi told her that it was indeed an old enemy who wanted to harm Gang Leader Ouyang, so Yang Hong instructed the entire gang to be on high alert.

Ouyang said she also had a premonition. Seeing Yang Hong deep in thought and not saying a word, she considerately advised, "You've been exhausted these past few days, go and rest!"

Yang Hong shook his head and said, "I wonder if Ding Er and Zhu Hu had any trouble on the way?"

“Buying poppy seeds isn’t like buying opium,” Ouyang said. “Don’t worry, Ding Er is a clever man.”

At dusk, Yang Hong faintly heard the neighing of horses, and his heart pounded. He had been waiting outside the door for a long time. As soon as Ding Er appeared, he rushed over and grabbed his hand: "You're finally back!"

"Aren't you coming back yet? I'm going to send someone to meet you." Ouyang also stepped forward and asked, "Was the journey smooth?"

"Thanks to the leader's good fortune, thankfully, we escaped unharmed..." Ding Er recounted what had happened.

Yang Hong grabbed a handful of poppy seeds, spread them out, and saw that they were about the same size as rapeseed, but darker in color, a blackish-purple, shiny and oily. When he put them under his nose, they seemed to have a fragrance.

Yang Hong then asked how poppies are grown and how opium is refined.

Ding Er was a thoughtful person; he had already asked about everything and told him everything.

09. He was startled to find that he was also completely naked.

Yang Hong was about to go home, and Ouyang seemed to feel a little lost.

It was her thirtieth birthday. She didn't tell anyone until nightfall, when she finally told Yang Hong.

Yang Hong looked apologetic, saying he didn't know it was her birthday and hadn't prepared anything.

Ouyang explained: "I celebrated my birthday with my sisters during the day, and tonight I specially invited him—it was also to send him off, because we won't see each other again for another year."

In the backyard, the lights were on. On the steps in front of the west wing, a small table was temporarily set up and filled with all kinds of exquisite fresh vegetables. The large bluestone slabs paving the ground were gilded with a light yellow under the lights.

There were no outsiders in the courtyard, and only one maidservant remained by his side to serve him.

Ouyang picked up the wine glass filled with "Zhuyeqing" and said, "This wine is sweet, mellow, and has an endless aftertaste. Drink as much as you like!"

Yang Hong took a sip and found it to be mellow, sweet, and refreshing, with an excellent taste. He then raised his glass and said, "Thank you, Chief!" before taking a large gulp.

Ouyang looked at Yang Hong with tender affection and asked in a sweet voice, "Am I pretty?"

"You're beautiful; anyone who sees you will be captivated."

"Is this what you really think?"

"I have never spoken falsehoods before you."

"Others only know me as the leader of the White Tiger Gang, a man of great killing intent, but they don't understand that I'm also a woman!" Ouyang Hei's dark eyes seemed to hold sorrow.

After drinking about 70-80% of the liquor, the aftereffects of the "Bamboo Leaf Green" began to kick in, and both of them became quite tipsy.

"My injuries healed so quickly, all thanks to the massages you did several times a day, which helped improve blood circulation, reduce swelling, and lower bruises." Ouyang Wuliang's eyes widened, partly due to the alcohol, but revealing genuine emotion. "You don't know, in all my decades of life, no man has ever been so considerate and caring towards me. It's a pity I'm not fortunate enough to have such a man in this life..."

Her feelings moved Yang Hong, and he raised his glass again: "Cheers!"

"Dry!"

She finished her drink and then poured herself another glass.