Chapter 154 A Ghost Came to Shave His Beard and Cut off Her Hair
It was flesh on his palm, but it was flesh on the back of his hand too. No matter which flesh is cut out, he would be in piercing pain.
Zi You’s position in Old General Mu’s heart was not low. Everyone in the fu knew this. The people personally attending to Old General Mu understood this even more.
So when they saw Zi You coming over, Old General Mu’s Huan Wanshu curtsied to her. She didn’t ask anything and let her in.
Zi You walked inside and saw grandfather staring at the portrait of her grandmother on the wall in a daze.
Then she finally understood Shangguan LingRan’s true meaning. She couldn’t help but slap her head. She blamed herself for being thoughtless.
After dinner, she comforted grandfather a bit. She saw that he was in a good mood, so she thought that he was all right.
Now that she thought about it, so many things had happened during the day. She and her father were as incompatible as water and fire. Of course grandfather would be sad.
He didn’t want her to know because he didn’t want her to worry.
Zi You walked over and wrapped her arms around her grandfather’s waist. She hugged tightly against her grandfather’s broad back.
Old General Mu turned around and hid his sorrow. He asked lovingly, “It’s so late already. Why haven’t you slept yet?”
“I was thinking of grandfather. I couldn’t sleep.” Zi You cutely replied. “Grandfather, play chess with me, okay?”
“It’s so late, but you’re not sleepy?” Old General Mu looked worriedly at his granddaughter.
The things that had happened today had left a shadow even in his heart, let alone his granddaughter. She was so hated by her biological father. It would be strange if she felt good.
Old General Mu thought of how his son treated Zi You and his heart couldn’t help but pain. He felt more compa.s.sion and tenderness towards Zi You. He patted her head with love in his eyes.
Zi You looked at him. In just a day, her grandfather looked older. The heavy guilt and remorse in her heart rose up again.
She rushed into her grandfather’s arms again and said remorsefully, “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have been disobedient to father. If he wants to beat or scold me, it’s up to him. But I really didn’t know what happened afterwards. Grandfather, do I really hate him? Hate him until I have a heart demon?”
She was guilty that she could only lie to him. If her grandfather knew that about the things that she and Shangguan LingRan plotted, he would be even sadder and disappointed.
It was better if grandfather didn’t know about certain dirty things. She would do them herself. In her previous life, she was too kind and naïve. Her life was very miserable. In this lifetime, as long as she could protect herself and her loved ones from harm, she was willing to do any dirty and low thing.
If she was going to h.e.l.l, then she was going to h.e.l.l. For her to live well, she was willing to pay any price!
Old General Mu naturally did not believe in ghosts. The key point was that Dier was not dead. So how could her ghost be here?
However, he firmly did not believe that his granddaughter would be so unfilial as to hit her father. So the doubts in his heart and his granddaughter’s worries at this moment were surprisingly similar.
Mu YingRui being hit must be Zi You was too angry and regarded herself as Dier. Thus, she taught that scoundrel father a lesson.
But she could not explain why the slap print on his son’s face was clearly bigger than his granddaughter’s hand.
Old General Mu was confused. He looked at Zi You and asked, “Did you feel anyone else in the study? Don’t blame yourself. The slap print on your father’s face is much bigger than your hand. It absolutely cannot be done by you. Grandfather can tell this. Is there anyone who will protect you in secret?”
Since Zi You had an accident in the mountains, he had sent two secret guards to protect her. But, the secret guards would not be so bold as to teach his son a lesson.
Old General Mu thought of this and muttered to himself. “Did your mother really come back from India?”
Zi You felt even guiltier. She had already controlled the minds of the two secret guards whom grandfather had sent. Other than her, they wouldn’t listen to anyone else. She could not be blamed for doing this. She was not willing to let some secret matters be known by her grandfather and cause him to worry.
Zi You was helpless. She could only continue acting. She rushed over to her grandfather and pretended to ask excitedly, “Grandfather, are you serious? Is it true that mother came back?”
Although she was acting, the yearning in her heart was true. The hope in her eyes was also not false.
Old General Mu’s heart pained. He hurriedly comforted her. “You’er, you’re missing your mother, right? Whether your mother is back or not, she must certainly be thinking about you. Do you understand?”
Zi You nodded. Her tears finally couldn’t be suppressed and flowed out. It wa sthe festive season and the reunion festival, but even so, on which day did she not miss her mother?
That night, they played chess around the stove while thinking of their loved ones. They finally slept after midnight.
Zi You did not go back to Youran Ju to sleep. She slept on the couch in front of her grandfather’s bed.
The snow stopped on the next day. The sun came out. Although the sun wasn’t very bright, it still dispelled the coldness from the snow, making people feel a trace of warmth.
Whether it was the masters or the servants, with the arrival of the New Year, their moods were better. Even the unpleasant things that had happened yesterday seemed to have pa.s.sed. No one specifically paid attention to it.
Everyone quickly became busy. The fu needed to be cleaned in and out. They also needed to post door G.o.ds, couplets, pictures, and door cages, and so on. After worshipping the ancestors in the afternoon, the servants needed to be rewarded silvers and new clothing.
They had worked hard for a year. The reward of silver at this time was half a year’s salary. Of course, the servants were very happy.
“Ah……” But early in the morning, a miserable scream sounded from Yiping Ju, which surprised everyone!
Everyone wanted to go over to see, but when they thought of Xiaojie’s warning yesterday, they immediately dispelled their gossipy hearts. They honestly lowered their heads and did their work. No one dared to go over and inquire.
At this time in Yiping Ju, w.a.n.g Yiping looked at her head that was smoother than an egg and was scared into losing all the color on her face.
She didn’t feel anything at all. If Yenhong did not come in the morning, saw her bald head, and loudly screamed, w.a.n.g Yiping wouldn’t even know that not one hair remained on her head.
A ghost cut off her hair! She remembered Mu YingRui’s frightened expression when he regained consciousness yesterday. “It’s her, it’s her. Dier is back. She hit me. I know that she hit me. She hates me because I didn’t treat You’er well.”
Could it be that Dier’s ghost really came back? Or was it Mu Zi You?
It was possible. That darned yatou knew martial arts now. She pretended to be a ghost and hit her father. Now she cut off all her hair. It wasn’t impossible.
Little wench! I will not spare you.
w.a.n.g Yiping thought of this and stood up with a “swoosh.” Then she thought of Dier’s ghost and suddenly fell back down. She couldn’t help but panic. If it was really Dier’s ghost at work, what should she do? She had repeatedly schemed and tried to kill Dier’s daughter. It was possible that Dier resented her and came to seek revenge.
What should I do now? A woman’s hair is like her life. If people know that I’m bald, then I don’t need to live anymore.
w.a.n.g Yiping touched her bare head and really wanted to cry, but had no tears. She didn’t know what she should do.
Just then, she heard the door open with a “bang.” Then she heard Mu YingRui’s angry shout. “How can it be like this? How am I supposed to go out……”
He had not finished speaking when he saw w.a.n.g Yiping’s bald head. He exclaimed, “You…… You…… How did this happen?”
At this time, w.a.n.g Yiping also saw Mu YingRui’s strange appearance. His elegant and refined beard was completely gone. His bare chin was cleaner than a eunuch’s.
“You…… Your beard……” w.a.n.g Yiping quickly covered her mouth. She didn’t dare to make another sound again.
That was because she had already seen the murderous hostility in Mu YingRui’s eyes. He glared at her and ruthlessly scolded, “It’s all you. It’s all your fault. You poisonous woman. If it wasn’t you coming up with bad schemes again and again, why would Dier do this to me?”
Indeed, he was a scoundrel before, but he had never targeted his daughter. Dier was indifferent and aloof, but she had never thought of targeting him. Otherwise, she didn’t need to do anything except send Weishali to kill him. She must be extremely angry this time. That was why she hit him and shaved off his beard.
A beard symbolized manhood. Without it, how could he leave the fu and see people? It was the Spring Festival! Every fu had banquets and he might have to attend the banquet in the Palace. Looking like this, let’s not the mention the Emperor, he didn’t even dare to step outside the General’s Manor! He would be a laughingstock!
w.a.n.g Yiping didn’t dare to speak. Her mind quickly turned. She could not let Mu YingRui think that this matter was done by Dier’s ghost. Otherwise, she would become a sinner. He would hate her to death and would never help her deal with Mu Zi You.
Let’s not mention how it was not yet confirmed whether this was a real ghost or not. But even if it was, so what? Could it be that she was going to do nothing? No! Even if it was a ghost, she would still fight back.
Thinking of this, w.a.n.g Yiping cried out, “Laoye, do really you think that sister [Dier] did this? According to Bieqie’s knowledge, although sister was cold, she was very kind. She couldn’t even bear to hurt some small animals. So how can she hit her husband and humiliate him?
“This is certainly done by Xiaojie. She has martial arts now and knows medicine. Laoye shouldn’t blame Bieqie now. You should ask Lao TaiYe to seek justice for you. If this matter is thoroughly investigated, I don’t believe that no flaws will be revealed.”
It must be said that w.a.n.g Yiping really understood Mu YingRui. He had a soft ear and was easily persuaded.
The reason that Mu YingRui angrily came to blame her was because he had listened to Fourth Yiniang fanning the flames. “Laoye, Bieqie…… Bieqie is really afraid that the previous furen came. Bieqie woke up and really saw a woman’s figure standing at the foot of the bed. Bieqie saw that the woman was wearing the previous furen’s clothing. She looked a lot like the previous furen. Bieqie wanted to shout out, but could not make a sound. Soon, Bieqie didn’t know anything anymore.
“Furen really wants to kill Laoye! The previous furen left a sole child behind with much difficulty. How can she not treasure her?”
Mu YingRui had not yet ascertained that it was Dier’s ghost, but after being duped by Fourth Yiniang, he had lost his mind and rushed to Yiping Ju.
Now, he was instigated by w.a.n.g Yiping like this. He didn’t even think for two minutes before he rushed to Songtao Courtyard.
It seemed that his father and Zi You just finished practicing martial arts. They had not changed out of their working-out clothing.
The people turned around when they heard him rush in. They were both stunned when they saw his appearance. Zi You asked, very shocked, “Father, your…… Your beard?”
It was fine if she didn’t mention the beard, but once she mentioned it, Mu YingRui looked at his daughter like he was looking at a lifelong enemy. He gnashed his teeth in fury and said, “You’re pretending again. Isn’t this something that you did?”
He didn’t wait for Zi You to reply and said to Old General Mu, “Father, look at this yatou. She learned martial arts and don’t do anything proper. Instead, she does disobedient and unfilial things. She pretends to be possessed by her mother’s ghost to hit me yesterday. Now, she’s gone even more overboard last night. She shaved my beard and her mother’s hair all off. How is your son and her mother going to meet people?!”
Old General Mu was too shocked by his transformation into a “eunuch” to react.
He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry as he asked, “What did you say? You said that You’er shaved off your beard and cut off your wife’s hair?”
“Who else is it if it isn’t her?” Mu YingRui shouted. “Only she resents us. Only she can mysteriously turn us into this. Other than her who knows martial arts and medicine, who else can it be?
“Besides, Fourth Yiniang said that she saw a woman’s figure last night. She was dressed in Dier’s clothing and came over to my bed. If it’s not this darned yatou pretending to be a ghost, then can it really be Dier’s ghost? Father, do you really believe that there are ghosts in this world?”
“Yes.” Old General Mu didn’t even hesitate and replied. “Even if I don’t believe it, it doesn’t mean that they do not exist. Someone, bring Fourth Yiniang over. This general wants to question her.”
Old General Mu only had two females, one maidservant and older woman, serving him. The older woman was Aunt Xia, the wife of Old General Mu’s coachman. The maidservant was named Wanshu.
Wanshu obeyed and soon brought Fourth Yiniang over. Fourth Yiniang saw Old General Mu’s tiger’s might and prestige and was scared into her legs went soft. She entered the room and fell to her knees. “Bieqie pays respects to Lao TaiYe. Wishing Lao TaiYe good fortune.”
“Tell me in detail the matter of you seeing the previous furen’s ghost last night.” Old General Mu commanded. His voice contained a touch of undetected excitement.