Chapter 350.1: All Sorted Out
Fu Xiao hesitated for a moment, ultimately putting away, randomly placing by her pillow. Perhaps because of having violently cried, at this moment, she felt physically and mentally exhausted. Closing her eyes, she very quickly just sunk into the land of dreams. Just, her sleep wasn’t considered peaceful, her closed eyelids slightly trembling, her lashes also faintly carrying moisture, making one can’t help but feel tender towards from watching.
Qing Zhu wrung a handkerchief to wipe her face for her, sitting by her bedside, quietly watching her for a moment.
She inwardly sighed. A beautiful woman’s fate was quite rough. Soon after, she revealed a smile again. In the future, presumably it won’t be like so anymore. w.a.n.gfei was a master that couldn’t be better, benevolent and kind, and as long as one doesn’t produce thoughts that one shouldn’t have, properly doing what one should do, then in this lifetime of theirs, it all won’t be bad.
Afterwards, Fu Xiao gradually settled down, probably finally feeling at ease inside, ready to welcome her new life.
This sleep of hers lasted more than four hours. After waking up, her spirit appeared much better. Moreover, the feeling she gave off also changed, seemingly no longer that indifferent, having a bit of human warmth, just like the dead heart starting to beat again.
However, having this kind of change also wasn’t strange. Leaving that kind of place was equal to jumping out of a fire pit, and she also wasn’t entering a manor as yiniang or concubine, so don’t need to worry that there will be chaotic fights between the wife and concubines. Being content with one’s lot, one ultimately will be able to live out comfortable and peaceful days.
Fu Xiao turned her head, seeing the small box by her pillow, untouched in the slightest. It can be seen, during this time when she was asleep, no one extended their hand. The specific amount inside, she although didn’t know, but with ten thousand taels a banknote there should be at least several tens of thousands of taels inside the small box. Precisely as the saying goes, wealth moves the human heart. As the servants of Jin Qinw.a.n.g Manor, to all be able to not be tempted in the slightest by this much wealth, were they similarly as rich as their master, even not having the slightest bit of curiosity at all? Certainly no. It can only show that their nature was good.
Fu Xiao slowly smiled, seemingly as if the pain from the injuries all lightened by a lot. Although still painful, but her heart felt comfortable. This move of hers wasn’t deliberately testing out anything. Fu Xiao was also someone that didn’t care all that much about money. That’s why she just casually placed aside like that. Afterwards, she unexpectedly obtained this kind of result.
Since they’ve stayed in Chuanzhou for long enough, according to the schedule, they will be leaving in the next few days, heading to the next fu city. As for Bai Shao and Fu Xiao, either it was staying in Chuanzhou Fu recuperating, or accompanying along together. After all, it’s mostly also just waterways afterwards, so when Jing Wan and them set out, they can also stay on the boat.
During this two three days’ time, the two of them can still recover some more, so when time comes, whether it was going or staying, all according to their own desire.
Gong Jiu naturally was still busy making the anti-aging pill. From the first completed batch, he already knew this prescription wasn’t fake, and was indeed that ancient prescription. Moreover, after carefully researching the medicinal ingredients inside, he was also a hundred percent certain that it indeed hindered having children. Furthermore, as long as one eats up to ten, one will need to nurse one’s health for at least ten years before there’s the possibility of having children. Additionally, the harm brought about by this kind of medicine, under normal circ.u.mstances, was unable to be made out. After deliberating, Gong Jiu had the prescription slightly altered. Originally it was ten dose, but now, after five, one will need to recuperate for ten to twenty years, and even need to use the appropriate methods. As such, this one hundred person share was able to save up to nearly half the original amount of medicinal ingredients, even saving time and energy, so why would one not do this?
During this time, Li Hong Yuan met with two people; one was Salt Boss Tie, and the other was Su Ting.
Unknown as to whether it was intentional or not, he met with the two of them at the same time.
Salt Boss Tie still hasn’t recovered from his injuries, and still as fat as a pig, just on his face, that Maitreya-like smile was missing. Just, the dark currents surrounding his body, after seeing Li Hong Yuan, slightly curbed a little. For him, this salt boss, at ten years old, he’d already started following his father in peddling. At the time, they were nothing more than a small merchant household, suffering all kinds of hards.h.i.+ps, also learning to be ‘clever’. After thirty-four years, he believed himself to be skilled and sophisticated, yet never thought that in the end, he would fall head first in a woman’s hand.
Of course, for the time being, while he’s still unaware, this woman naturally referred to Bai Shao. As for afterwards……………..
Li Hong Yuan wanted to sort out Salt Boss Tie, and moreover prepared to have his influence and family clan pulled up by the roots. As such, he naturally won’t act with great fanfare. After all, Jiangnan was very big, and moreover, Salt Boss Tie may be Jiangnan’s number one salt merchant, but the extent of his business wasn’t just in Jiangnan. If alarming the power behind him, who knows where those people will escape to, and without a doubt, they will even take away a large sum of money. Li Hong Yuan didn’t lack money, but he also won’t disdain having more money. After all, if he really sits onto the throne, the places that needed to use money were too many.
As such, when Salt Boss Tie was brought over, he still hadn’t become a prisoner under the stairs.
Because Salt Boss Tie was lifted in, Li Hong Yuan didn’t force him to get up to bow either.
Li Hong Yuan sat in the main seat, nonchalantly sipping the tea. Afterwards, the teacup was placed on the table, letting out a slightly crisp sound. His gaze didn’t turn towards Salt Boss Tie in the slightest, instead landing on the kneeling Su Ting. Just that gaze appeared as if getting baptized by the four G.o.ds. Even if Su Ting had her head lowered, it was definitely still like the tip of the blade behind one’s back. She uncontrollably trembled in fear.
Li Hong Yuan propped up his chin with one hand, “Scheming onto this prince’s head, this guts of yours is quite big.”
If previously, she still had a bit of hope, then this while, Su Ting was already shaking all over. She knew her desire to kill with a borrowed knife was actually ‘soldiers executing a dangerous move[1]‘, but she truly was unable to bear Salt Boss Tie’s torment anymore. The injuries on her body have never once recovered, and because she was ‘tough and unyielding’, enduring again and again, she instead aroused Salt Boss Tie’s even deeper interest. Su Ting truly was unable to take it anymore, but she also didn’t have the guts to resist, and towards Salt Boss Tie, although there was fear, she further hated, wanting to escape from his control, but also wanting to ruthlessly retaliate.
Salt Boss Tie l.u.s.ted after Hei Mei, but as someone that clearly served by Jin Qinw.a.n.g’s side, Salt Boss Tie also won’t be so stupid as to target, thus she had her ideas placed on Bai Shao who had the same face as Hei Mei. In any case, Salt Boss Tie had never seen Bai Shao before. Of course, since she wanted to escape herself, she naturally won’t stupidly have the person sent into Salt Boss Tie’s hands herself. For the sake of covering up Bai Shao’s ident.i.ty, she not only took away the things on her that represented her ident.i.ty, she even fed her mute medicine that can make a person be unable to speak for a short period of time. Even if Bai Shao survives Salt Boss Tie’s torture, she also had a way to make Bai Shao very quickly lose her life. Everything had been arranged, but she never thought that Bai Shao was a martial artist with extremely good martial art skills.
As long as Bai Shao return alive, Su Ting will absolutely be unable to escape.
Salt Boss Tie was still in a haze, not understanding Li Hong Yuan’s meaning, his gaze revealing a look of confusion as he looked towards Li Hong Yuan.
Li Hong Yuan didn’t pay him any attention. Rather, it was Eunuch Mu that sarcastically sneered, “The one that injured this life rod of yours is her Highness w.a.n.gfei’s personal servant girl, and only ended up in your hands due to getting schemed against by this woman by your side. w.a.n.gfei has always been very protective of the people by her side. For the person to have been injured like that, nearly losing her life, w.a.n.gfei is very very angry.”
Salt Boss Tie originally was still thinking, he must have that s.l.u.t that injured him searched out. If he doesn’t skin the person alive, he won’t be able to dispel the hatred in his heart. But now, how could he still not understand what was going on. Looking towards Su Ting, his eyes widened like copper bells. Sure enough, he fell head first in a woman’s hand, just he’d unintentionally missed one, and this one was even the main culprit. That fat body violently rolled over, seemingly as if the pain on the body all disappeared, pouncing over as he rigidly strangled Su Ting’s neck, “s.l.u.t, s.l.u.t, s.l.u.t…………..”
Su Ting got strangled to the point where her eyes rolled over, desperately wanting to have Salt Boss Tie’s hands pried away, but for someone that hated to the extreme, this strength that exploded out was also no small matter. Su Ting’s complexion turned deathly pale, her struggling also increasingly weakening, appearing to just have one breath left.
However, how can Li Hong Yuan let the person die this easily. With just one glance, An Yi just went forward, merely lightly pulling Salt Boss Tie’s arm, and Salt Boss Tie just let go. Su Ting collapsed onto the ground, catching her breath, holding her neck as she violently began coughing. The feeling of approaching death absolutely wasn’t pleasant. Su Ting just felt as if getting a new lease on life.
“Feed her mute medicine and send to Louxie Fang. Tell the owner to be sure not to ‘mistreat’. Also, she can’t be redeemed, and can’t leave Louxie Fang in the slightest.”
Li Hong Yuan’s one line just thoroughly determined Su Ting’s future fate.
[1] From my understanding this idiom is relatively modern, meaning using a different method than usual to solve a problem, winning by a surprise move.
T/N: Su Ting as a character really fits the saying ‘可怜之人必有可恨之处’, pitiful people certainly will have hateful areas. Looking back at this chapter, I feel like her character was meant to serve as a foil to Fu Xiao. There’s a lot of parallels between them.