【Third Update of the Day】
The heavy rain persisted until noon before finally ceasing. The ship underwent repairs for two hours, and after clearing the accumulated water, they dared to continue the journey only when the weather cleared up.
Upon returning to the cabin, Chu Qiao indeed began sneezing. Liang Shaoqing fussed over her with muttered complaints, yet busied himself preparing hot towels and ginger soup for her. With a stuffy nose, ringing ears, and a flushed face, Chu Qiao lacked the energy to argue with him.
Upon hearing of her illness, Zhan Ziyu surprisingly sent a physician to treat her. Despite drinking several large bowls of bitter herbal concoctions, she still felt weak all over.
In the afternoon, the sixth young lady of the Zhan family paid a personal visit, diligently serving Chu Qiao tea and water with great enthusiasm. She treated Liang Shaoqing politely as well, without a trace of arrogance.
After Zhan Ziyun left, Liang Shaoqing sighed repeatedly for a long while. Seeing that Chu Qiao showed no intention of asking him the reason, he finally approached her himself. After hesitating for some time, he finally whispered, "Xiao Qiao, that young lady from the Zhan family is probably secretly harboring feelings for me. What should I do?"
Chu Qiao frowned and replied hoarsely, "You're overthinking it."
"How could that be?" Liang Shaoqing argued, "Our current status is merely that of servants. Yet she, a young lady from a prominent family, disregards her status to come to our room and serve tea and water. Clearly, she has ulterior motives—either for wealth or for looks. We have no money, and you're a woman, so the only remaining reason is that she has taken a liking to me and wants to secretly get close to me."
Chu Qiao looked Liang Shaoqing up and down, then thought of the charming sixth young lady of the Zhan family, and frowned, "Her taste couldn't possibly be that poor, could it?"
"Ah, what should I do?" Liang Shaoqing completely ignored Chu Qiao's remark, lost in his own worries as he paced anxiously around the room. "My father would disown me. I must discuss this matter with him first, no matter what. Besides, Xiao Qiao should come first. Ah, I haven't completed my studies or achieved any accomplishments—how can I indulge in romantic affairs and ruin my lifelong career?"
Chu Qiao shook her head. Having slept very little the previous night, she decided to take advantage of the medicine's drowsiness to catch up on sleep.
With that thought, she gradually drifted off.
By the time she woke up, the sky had already darkened. Chu Qiao was ravenous, her stomach growling with hunger, but Liang Shaoqing was nowhere to be seen. She slowly sat up, feeling unsteady on her feet, barely able to stand.
After struggling to get dressed, she leaned against the wall and made her way out, only to find the deck spotlessly clean, with busy servants bustling about, evidently preparing for the evening meal.
The fresh breeze cleared her head somewhat. Just then, a noise came from behind her. Chu Qiao immediately turned around and saw a broken basket spinning in place. She hurried over, but found no one behind it—not even a mouse.
Chu Qiao's brows slowly furrowed.
Just before dinner, Liang Shaoqing finally returned in time. After they finished their meal, he remained in the room, still pondering how to report the matter of his lifelong commitment to his father. Chu Qiao, meanwhile, went out alone for a stroll on the deck.
She hadn't walked far when she heard rustling sounds behind her again. Pretending not to notice, Chu Qiao continued forward. As she passed a corner, she deliberately stomped her feet to create the illusion of walking away, then quietly doubled back and pressed herself against the wall, waiting silently.After a while, a faint sound slowly approached. A pale hand gripped the corner, followed by a pair of dark eyes cautiously peering around.
In the blink of an eye, Chu Qiao swiftly reached out. Despite being ill, her strength far surpassed that of an ordinary person. With a small grappling technique, her body lunged forward like a leopard, pinning the person firmly to the ground. Her expression was grim, her gaze sharp as she coldly demanded in a low voice, "Who are you? Why are you following me? What are your intentions?"
"I didn’t, I didn’t!"
A panicked voice suddenly rang out. Chu Qiao froze, looking down to see that the person beneath her was a young woman in her twenties, dressed in coarse, worn-out linen clothes. Her arms and exposed neck were covered in whip marks and bloody scars. Her face was deathly pale, her eyes large and round, but she was terribly thin, with deeply sunken eye sockets. Though strikingly beautiful, she appeared gaunt and frail, as if she had suffered a severe illness.
Chu Qiao frowned and said sternly, "Who are you? Tell me why you’re following me! Speak! Otherwise, I’ll send you to see the young master!"
"I didn’t, I didn’t," the woman trembled with fear, frantically waving her hands as she cried, "I’m not a bad person, I’m not a bad person."
"Not a bad person? Then why are you following me?"
The woman froze, and a tear suddenly rolled down her cheek. She stared at Chu Qiao, her eyes brimming with tears, and without saying a word, began to weep sorrowfully.
Chu Qiao was taken aback, thinking she might have hurt her. Frowning, she released her grip and said, "Why are you crying? You were the one sneaking around and following me, refusing to explain yourself. Now you’re crying here as if I’m the one bullying you."
"I’m not," the woman shook her head, sobbing, "I’m not…"
"Alright, alright," Chu Qiao stood up and said, "Stop crying. I won’t pursue this any further. But I’m warning you, don’t follow me again. Next time, you won’t be so lucky. I’m leaving this place tomorrow, and no matter who you work for, there’s no need to keep chasing after me."
With that, she turned to leave.
Just then, a faint, trembling, tearful voice filled with doubt suddenly called out, striking Chu Qiao like a thunderbolt and rooting her to the spot.
"Yue'er?"
The woman lifted her head, wiped away her tears, and called out uncertainly.
Chu Qiao froze instantly, as if a surge of hot blood rushed to her head. She stood there like a block of wood, completely stunned.
Seeing her unmoving, the woman grew bolder and called out a little louder, "Are... are you really Yue'er?"
Chu Qiao slowly turned around, her brow furrowed in disbelief as she looked at the woman and asked softly in a low voice, "Who are you?"
Tears streamed down the woman’s face in large drops. She covered her mouth, afraid she might scream, and stared at Chu Qiao as if in a nightmare, whispering, "Are you really Yue'er? Really Yue'er?"
"Who are you?"
"I’m your second sister!" the woman suddenly stumbled forward, wrapping her arms tightly around Chu Qiao as she wept loudly, "I’ve finally found you! I’ve finally found you!"Chu Qiao quickly covered the woman’s mouth and whispered urgently, "Keep your voice down. Don’t let anyone hear."
The woman nodded hastily, tears streaming down her face as she smiled and tightly grasped Chu Qiao’s hand with surprising strength.
"Yue’er, I knew I couldn’t be mistaken. You have a red mole on the back of your neck—I’ve always remembered it. They all said you were a boy, but I could tell at a glance."
Chu Qiao felt as if she were in a dream. How could a sister suddenly appear out of nowhere? Frowning, she asked, "Is everything you’re saying true?"
"You don’t remember?" The woman’s expression instantly turned sorrowful, her eyes welling up with tears, but she held them back and spoke softly, "Yue’er, how is Lin Xi? What about Zhi Xiang and the others? Are you still together?"
At these words, Chu Qiao’s face turned deathly pale. After a long silence, she replied in a low voice, "They’re all dead. I’m the only one left."
The woman froze, and after a long while, she let out a bitter laugh, her tone filled with grief. "Of course. The lives of slaves are cheaper than a dog’s. They were so young—how could they have survived?"
As she spoke, tears slowly traced paths down her cheeks. Her hand, bony and cold as ice, gripped Chu Qiao’s tightly. "Yue’er, I’m your sister, Zisu. Don’t you remember me? But it’s no wonder. When our family was seized, you were only six. My elder sister, a few cousins, and I were sold to the Picking Flowers Pavilion. Later, we were traded from place to place. Three years ago, my elder sister, Liuxiu from Third Uncle’s family, Cai Qin, Jin Lian from Fourth Uncle’s family, and Mansheng from Aunt’s family were all sold to the Zhan residence. Later, my elder sister fell ill and died. Liuxiu and Mansheng made mistakes and were beaten to death by the young mistress. Now, only three of us remain. I never thought I’d have the chance to see you again in this lifetime."
Chu Qiao’s heart ached with sorrow. For a moment, she didn’t know what to say. She had no personal attachment to these relatives of the Jing family. Lin Xi was dead, and Zhi Xiang and Xiao Ba were no longer in this world. Yet, these people were the family of this body she inhabited, and given their current plight, how could she remain indifferent?
"Sister Zisu, don’t cry. Our reunion is a good thing. Let’s not dwell on the sadness."
Jing Zisu reached out and gently touched Chu Qiao’s cheek, pressing her lips together to stifle her sobs. Trembling, she said, "Yue’er, you must have suffered so much over the years. It’s my fault for not being able to take care of you."
"I’ve been fine. It’s you who has suffered."
Jing Zisu shook her head, wrapped her arms around Chu Qiao’s shoulders, and sobbed softly. "My dear sister, it’s too late now. If we’re discovered, we’ll be punished. You should go back first. Tomorrow morning, I’ll bring Cai Qin and Jin Lian to see you. I know where you live."
Chu Qiao nodded. "Be careful."
"Mm," Jing Zisu replied, nodding. "You go first."
Chu Qiao said, "Let me walk you back."
"No, no," Jing Zisu refused immediately. "I won’t feel at ease until I see you return. Back then, Mansheng was mistaken for trying to escape while wandering at night and was beaten to death. How could I rest if you don’t go back?"
Chu Qiao frowned. "Doesn’t Biantang forbid the arbitrary killing of servants?"
"Silly child, servants are just servants. Our lives don’t even belong to us. What rules are there to speak of?"Jing Zisu smiled bitterly. "Go back quickly, see you tomorrow."
Chu Qiao nodded and said, "I'll take my leave first. Be careful."
After walking quite a distance, she turned back and could still see Jing Zisu's slender figure standing in the night—so young, yet already slightly hunched, cautiously bent. When Jing Zisu noticed her looking, she smiled and waved.
Returning to her room, Chu Qiao was in a foul mood. Ignoring Liang Shaoqing, she lay directly on the bed, her thoughts pouring down like a torrential July storm, chaotic and overwhelming.
In such circumstances, could she still leave tomorrow? Could she abandon this pitiful sister she had just found and depart alone? Yet, when she could hardly take care of herself, did she have the ability to look after them?
However, early the next morning, as the boat docked at Wupeng City's port, an unexpected visit from someone immediately disrupted all her plans. Looking at this person, Chu Qiao knew that fate was pulling her into the political turmoil of Tang Capital in a bizarre way. The grand spectacle in Tang Capital had officially begun.
Haven't updated for three days, making up for it all at once, but still owe everyone one chapter. Will make it up tomorrow morning. Apologies to everyone.
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