Chapter 60.1: What Happened… to Us?
Ruoshui was carried off by Liu Hengzhi to the back courtyard to look at her tongue. Wen Mingxuan glanced at the Song Liangzhuo whose gaze was completely fixated on Xiaoqi, then shook his head and left as well. Qui Tong handed the cloak in her hands to Song Liangzhuo and said with a smile, "This servant just recalled that Young Madam"s throat-moistening soup is still being simmered. This servant must go check on it."
Song Liangzhuo took the cloak and was silent for a while before walking over to lift the Xiaoqi that was crouching on the ground and placing her on the stone bench to the side. Glancing at the rock clutched in her hand, he then turned around and picked up the smashed beyond recognition dried lotus. He sat down opposite Xiaoqi, took the rock from Xiaoqi"s hands and slowly started to smash the lotus.
Song Liangzhuo silently smashed the lotus for a long time until there was no possible area left to smash. Then, he delivered the small pile of white lotus seeds next to his hand over. Xiaoqi lifted her eyes and looked at Song Liangzhuo, then she cupped her hands together and extended them.
It was just that once she extended them, she couldn’t withdraw them. Song Liangzhuo placed the lotus seeds in her scab-filled hands, then wrapped his large hands around hers as he looked straight at her and asked softly, "What are you angry about?"
What was she angry about? Xiaoqi had been silent for three days. Now, even she herself didn’t know what she was angry about.
Mother-in-Law Mom said that some things… once they’re pa.s.sed, just let them pa.s.s. During different times there are different states of mind. Mother-in-Law Mom also said that not everyone would be able to forgive him for his wrongs. For him to be able to meet her, that was his good fortune. However, not everyone would be able to accept her temperament either. He sincerely cared about her. Wasn’t that also good fortune for her?
So that means he was fortunate and she was also fortunate. Xiaoqi was conflicted.
There was no other time that she missed the beautiful missus mom more than now. If the beautiful missus mom was here, she’d definitely talk things out with her and a.n.a.lyze all the facts part by part, then give her a conclusion. She wouldn’t be like Mother-in-Law Mom, never giving conclusions and only bringing up points for her to think about herself.
Xiaoqi"s attention was wandering a little. Song Liangzhuo got up and walked to her front. Stroking her cheek, he said, "I know what you’re angry about. Back then, back then… haaa, it was my wrong. I thought, it’s been so long, you would understand."
Xiaoqi pushed away Song Liangzhuo"s hand and continued to ponder. Song Liangzhuo pursed his lips and was quiet for a while before directly lifting Xiaoqi up and sitting down, placing Xiaoqi onto his own leg and tightly hugging her. Song Liangzhuo buried his face in her hair, sniffing a bit greedily at the faint calming fragrance that he hadn"t been able to experience for several days.
Xiaoqi thought, perhaps it was like this black ball. That dark ugly exterior needed someone to smash through it before the white flesh inside could be seen. Were his feelings for her like this black ball?
The wrongs of the past were like that exterior layer. Want to see the white inside? The rock was right in her, Xiaoqi"s, hand. Even though the process was tiring, once she smashed it open, she"d be able to get what she desired. But this black ball between them wasn"t even a regular black ball. It had thorns and was even harder to smash than the usual ones ah. And there was this possibility: what if she smashed it open, but discovered that there were rotten lotus seeds inside?
If the beautiful missus was here, she would definitely tell her that she should smash them all regardless of whether they"re good or bad. If it turned out to be good, just store them in an embroidered bag and tie it up well. If they’re bad, just completely mash them up and use them to feed the turtles.
Sadly, however, Xiaoqi"s brain–as was previously said–was a small melon seed brain. This comparison had already taken up all of her energy, so she naturally couldn’t come up with that last conclusion.
Xiaoqi pinched half a lotus seed and nibbled another small corner off of it. She lifted her eyes and looked over, but didn’t see Song Liangzhuo"s figure. Xiaoqi wiggled her b.u.t.t as she shifted her weight in disappointment. When she felt that something seemed soft, she wiggled a little more, then came to realize that someone’s arm was wrapped around her waist.
Xiaoqi turned her face sideways to look at that Song Liangzhuo that was leaning on her shoulder. With this twist of her head, she almost b.u.mped up against his lips. Xiaoqi shifted her body to the side and looked at Song Liangzhuo, who had his eyes closed, in slight puzzlement. He was unhappy too?
"Xiaoqi." Those closely pinched lips opened and spoke with a slight pleading tone, "Can you, can you not be angry anymore?"
Xiaoqi blinked her eyes, then exhaled deeply. With a hoa.r.s.e voice, she said: "I want to go home."
This was the first time Xiaoqi spoke after that incident. Regardless of the content, Song Liangzhuo was overjoyed. Song Liangzhuo nervously clenched his fist and smiled, "Alright, then we"ll head back after the wedding."
But she didn"t want to have a wedding anymore. She wanted to go back and talk through it with the beautiful missus mom first. This was what Xiaoqi was thinking, but she endured it and didn"t say it. Mother-in-Law Mom talked about things related to the wedding every day with her. She knew that Mother-in-Law Mom had already prepared everything and was just waiting for that day to come. Mother-in-Law Mom treated her so well, what would happen to Mother-in-Law Mom if she were to suddenly run off?
Xiaoqi quietly nestled in Song Liangzhuo"s arms without speaking again. Song Liangzhuo didn"t say anymore either. Just hugging her like this was enough for his heart to feel unusually content.
Xiaoqi still stuck to Mother Song, and on this night she still rested with Mother Song. Sometimes thoughts were just like a snake. Once it poked its head out, it would restlessly continue to squirm its way out.
Xiaoqi"s desire to return home grew more and more intense. Even though she didn"t want to cause trouble for Mother Song, she just couldn"t control her feet. Every day she would pace in front of the large courtyard entrance.
Ruoshui, despite the valiant injury she sustained, continued to accompany Xiaoqi. The only thing was that Liu Hengzhi had declared that if she demonstrated weapons on herself again, he"ll use gauze to wrap up her tongue. After Ruoshui recalled how her tongue had been wrapped into a silkworm for half the day by him, she spinelessly rea.s.sured him repeatedly of her promise.
Ruoshui was still lisping a bit. In order to prevent her tongue from rubbing against her upper palate, she was supposed to talk as little as possible. Ruoshui saw that Xiaoqi"s active location switched from the lotus flower pond to the area near the entrance of the front courtyard and very cleverly asked with a lisp, "You want to go out and play? Oh, I"ll take you to an opera? Ssss(sucking sound), eh, the one they"re singing today is the opera I talked about last time."
Which one? Taste blood of blade tip? Qiu Tong who was standing to the side knitted her brows. How come she never heard of this sort of mo lei tau(slapstick humor)T/N opera?
Xiaoqi"s eyes finally lit up. She grinned, then uttered one word: "Okay."
This one word made up for all the frustration and disappointment Ruoshui felt during the past fruitless days of keeping Xiaoqi company while looking after her. Ruoshui happily pulled Xiaoqi as she walked outside and noisily chattered, "You"ve finally speaking again. Aiyah, ss~~ And I was worried Zhuo gege was going to marry a little mute."
Qiu Tong hurriedly followed them. "It"s already this late in the day. If Young Madam is going to head out, it"s best if we let Madam know and have a manservant come along."
Ruoshui waved her hand, unconcerned. "Liu Hengzhi has a restaurant there. If we get tired, we"ll just look for him directly."
Qiu Tong was helpless. So after giving the guards a couple instructions, she hurriedly followed them out.
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Credits: Translated by Chiyomira, Proofread by Ocelot
[Chiyomira’s Corner]
Mo lei tau is a Cantonese term which may be loosely translated as “with no source”, but is generally used to mean “makes no sense”. The original phrase was mo lei tau gau (無厘頭尻) which literally means “cannot differentiate between head and tail”. However, in Cantonese the word 尻 that is the term of the tailbone at the end of your spine is often misp.r.o.nounced as a vulgar word