Chapter 339 - Red Dowries (XII)
Chapter 339: Red Dowries (XII)
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
“Perfidious?” Xu Ke regained his senses after being in a state of confusion. He looked somber and subconsciously grasped Xunmei’s hands. “When did it start?”
Xunmei sighed, a sad look in her eyes. With an almost pleading tone, she said, “It’s really not suitable for me to say anything more, but don’t worry. Langjun is quick-witted. Taxue probably won’t be able to deceive her. I really don’t want to bring up things that are in the past…”
However, was Xu Ke going to just stop there?
“Explain it to me clearly. Tell me whatever you can.” Xu Ke sighed heavily, and the look in his eyes became particularly serious. “Since you and I have become husband and wife, we are one. We share bliss and misfortune together. If this isn’t too serious, I’ll confess it to Langjun for you and beg her to handle this matter leniently. If it’s a very serious matter, I’ll try to carry the burden for you, but you can’t deliberately hide it from me.”
Xunmei did not speak a word. How was she going to tell him about this?
They should have been a newlywed couple that slept together in the same bed and told each other about their affections. However, they looked at each other silently, and the atmosphere grew tense.
“Xunmei, you were willing to marry me because you were seeking another way out, right?”
All of a sudden, Xu Ke looked at Xunmei with keen, sparkling eyes. The depth and inquiring look in his eyes seemed to rip Xunmei apart and see through her mind.
“I…” Xunmei moved her lips. Under such a gaze, she actually could not lie. Her fair and delicate hands unconsciously twisted the corner of the blanket. She could not help but avoid Xu Ke’s gaze.
If there was a crack in the ground, she would have sunk into it, which would have given her a sense of security.
Xu Ke sighed a little and said sincerely, “I’m a commoner. I don’t have any honor and achievements. I got involved in a homicide case because of my mother. I was imprisoned and sentenced to corporal punishment that had me carve and ink characters on my forehead. Although there was amnesty, I eventually ended up in the class of rabbles and was treated as a trading good. Had I not been lucky enough to meet Langjun, who was helpful and encouraging, I don’t know what kind of a situation I’d be in right now… I wouldn’t be able to live such a happy and smooth life. My aunt gets to spend her remaining days happy, and I have a beautiful wife by my side. Therefore, to me, Langjun’s life is more important than my own.”
Xunmei’s heart jolted, and she could not help but clench her fists.
“In fact, I was once doubtful. What kind of a luck did I have for you to be interested in me while you were beside Langjun? Thinking about it now, there seem to be secrets, which probably involve many things. Xunmei, since you’re now married to me, we’re husband and wife for life. It’s not going to change. I’ll never abandon you. So, no matter what, we’ll face all of it together.”
When Xu Ke went to Shangjing with Jiang Pengji for the first time, Xunmei had expressed her feelings to him. He did not respond back. It was not that he did not have feelings for her, but he had to carefully consider his conditions and his future. He felt that he could not hold such a decent girl up, so he declined politely.
However, over the next few years, he noticed and remembered Xunmei’s devotion. His aunt repeatedly mentioned to him how filial, lovely, and deep Xunmei’s love for him was. With such persuasion, even if Xu Ke had a heart of stone, he could not help but fall passionately in love with her.
Xu Ke held Xunmei’s hands, only to find that there was cold sweat all over her palms, and her fingers were trembling.
“I don’t know much about this…” After a long time, the candle in the room was burning quietly. Xunmei then started to speak hesitantly.
“You don’t know much about…?” Xu Ke was even more doubtful.
“Why should I lie to you now?” Xunmei lowered her head. Her long eyelashes created a fan-shaped shadow. “I really don’t know much about it. In fact, I’m not from Dongqing. My hometown is the small village on the border of Zhongzhao. I still remember that there was a drought in my hometown that year and there was wilderness everywhere. Not a single grain was reaped. People fought furiously just for some scraps…”
She’s from Zhongzhao? Xu Ke was stunned. He quickly calmed down and listened to Xunmei carefully.
“After that––I don’t know who instigated it––but my father sold my mother to the brothels in exchange for some food. I was stubborn at that time. I was very well-known for being bold and vigorous. As if my heart was covered with lard, I held a kitchen knife and slashed the man till he was half-dead…”
Xunmei was telling her story calmly, but Xu Ke was aghast and felt sorry for her. He was shocked that she had killed her father with her own hands, but she had no choice but to act that way. Of course, he felt sorry for her because Xunmei had to encounter such things at a young age.
“I’m so terrified… Every time I close my eyes, it’s like there are devils around me who want me dead.”
Murdering one’s father was a great sin that could not be forgiven. Even if her father was not dead yet, she was so scared that she wanted to escape.
However, a large-scale drought and food shortage resulted in a massive number of refugees. Xunmei was still very young at that time and could not protect herself at all. At last, she was caught by traffickers and was secretly sold to Dongqing, which was bordered by Zhongzhao. Xunmei found an opportunity and escaped.
Hearing that Xunmei escaped from the hands of the traffickers, Xu Ke could not help but think about himself at that time. He had also planned to escape, but he was stopped by Jiang Pengji. His plan went down the drain.
“After that, I became a child beggar. I met an old beggar and learned some tricks for stealing. I would steal when I was very hungry. One day, I accidentally stole the First Lady’s jade pendant from her waist…” Speaking of that, she could not help but smile. “I was also lucky to have met the late First Lady, who was kind and generous. If it was anyone else, I’m afraid that I’d have been beaten to death.”
The late First Lady, Gu Min, saw that Xunmei was pitiful. Moreover, she was a little girl. If she continued to wander on the streets, her future life would be ruined. She was pretty. Would the local hooligans not have evil intentions towards her after she grew up? Therefore, Gu Min took Xunmei back to the Liu residence and let her be a servant in the residence. She ensured that she would have three meals a day.
“I initially thought that it would be my life. After reaching the age of 15, I’d marry a male servant. When I got older, I’d become a wet nurse in the residence and serve the young master… However, I didn’t expect the health of the late First Lady to deteriorate day by day. That year, the plum blossoms were in full bloom. She then died a sudden death.”
Gu Min had passed away, leaving Liu Xi as the only child. The entire Liu residence fell into darkness. Liu She chose carefully and finally picked Xunmei and Taxue as Liu Xi’s personal servants. He ordered someone to teach them martial arts in secret.
Judging from their origins alone, Xunmei had a clean background. The late Gu Min had done Xunmei a huge favor, so she would not harm Gu Min’s child.
Liu She had a good plan and his arrangements were thoughtful, but his plans always fell short of any actual changes.
“After that, the Master took office in Hu County. The Second Lady managed everything in the household. However, the Second Lady Hu was bedridden with a lingering illness most of the time. Madam Hu was in charge of the backyard affairs with her identity as Liu She’s mistress, and that inevitably brought criticisms. During that period, it was a bit chaotic in the residence, giving the robbers a chance to break in.” Xunmei sighed and continued, “A man and a woman came and said that they were my biological parents…”