"Returning to Before Husband's Castration" 《回到老公自宫前》Chapter 19
The Chen family were hypocrites, in order to conceal the truth, they chose a good fortune piece of land, burying He Qianhu and the He sisters together there, three gravestones were erected.
The first few years they would send people to offer sacrifices on Qingming day, giving a performance for people to see, afterwards on seeing no one asked about the two He orphans, the Chen family didn’t even bother putting on an appearance, no one took care of the tomb, the grass on the burial mound were taller than people, it got to the extent that rabbits have made a burrow in the mound as their nest.
Lu Ying command his subordinates to dig up the tomb and open the coffin that night to confirm that the He sisters had indeed passed away.
Maybe young lady He who had been maltreated by her former fiancee noticed this, the first time the shovel hit the soil, thunder shook the sky followed by lightning, in an instant the night sky was lit up, even the slender fibres of the grass on the burial mound could be seen clearly.
“There’s a ghost!” The embroidered uniform guard digging the grave dropped his shovel in a flurry.
Hearing there was a ghost, Wang Da Xia who was the most afraid of ghosts immediately hid back in the carriage, he lit a little ram’s horn lamp which was safe from the wind and rain, he bowed with his hands in front of him at the He family tomb, saying: “Three people, we didn’t disturb your eternal sleep on purpose tonight, it is to investigate clearly the truth behind young lady He’s death, you also don’t want to have died without the truth being known?”
Wang Da Xia threw the beaten half-dead study companion towards the tomb, “For every grievance someone is responsible, for every debt there is a debtor, don’t look for me, if you want revenge find him! He’s an accomplice!”
The study companion knelt in front of the tomb like a candle and kowtowed, “I didn’t do it, I am the only child in the family, my whole family’s life is in the master’s hand, if the young master wants me to east, I don’t dare go west.”
“You still want to quibble!” Wang Da Xia stuffed the shuffle into the study companion’s hand, “the sin you committed, you can dig.”
The study companion didn’t dare not, Lu Ying’s face was more terrifying than the sky right now, with a wave of his whip, “Are you going to dig?”
“I’ll dig!” The study companion dragged his injured body, carrying the shovel, shovelling the dirt.
He was also fortunate, at this moment lightning flashed down the sky, hitting the shovel held by the study companion, the study companion screamed, his clothes instantly caught on fire, he then collapsed, his head hitting young lady He’s tombstone and took his last breath.
White and red covered the ground, there was a lightning burn on his back, dying in such a way, it wasn’t clear whether the lightning caused his death or hitting his head caused his death.
“Aiya, there really is a ghost!” Wang Da Xia fled holding the ram horn lamp, once again he curled up inside the carriage.
Lu Ying suddenly didn’t know whether he should tease Wang Da Xia or be grateful for him, if Wang Da Xia hadn’t switched the person digging the grave out of fear over a ghost, it would have been an embroidered uniform guard struck by lightning.
Soybean sized raindrops fell, the heavy rain with lightning, Lu Ying didn’t dare to ask his subordinates to take the risk of using a spade or hoe to dig up the grave, it wasn’t realistic to use their hands, he could only say: “Let’s leave first, take the study companion’s corpse away, tomorrow when the rain stops we’ll bring the coroner to the tomb.”
Wang Da Xia who was hiding in the carriage, on this rare occasion agreed with Lu Ying’s decision, he said: “Leader Lu is wise! You’re right! Tonight is too strange, when tomorrow afternoon arrives, it wouldn’t be too late if we came when the yang air is at its highest.”
Xisanlihe was on the outskirts of the city, it was almost midnight, the city gates had already closed, everyone with family couldn’t go back, Lu Ying chose a nearby relay station to spend the night.
Wang Da Xia was scared of ghosts, he resolutely suggested to go a little further to lodge at a nearby Buddhist temple, Tianan temple, he said: “...the tavern isn’t clean, the temple has Bodhisattva watching over it, hundreds of ghosts would scatter.”
It was only a night, the embroidered uniform guards impression of Wang Da Xia turned around quickly, tonight, thanks to him, lightning hadn’t struck one of them.
Seeing the fearless, daring to play cat and mouse with the embroidered uniform guards in the streets Wang Da Xia reveal his cowardness, his fear spread throughout the ranks like a disease, the embroidered uniform guards all began to chime in, saying: “Leader Lu, I think what Wang Da Xia said is reasonable, tonight has been too strange.”
“Seconded.”
“This subordinate also agrees, we ought to go to Tianan temple for the night, although it’s a little further, but the temple is protected by the Gods and Buddhas, we can sleep.”
If Wang Da Xia was the only one requesting this, Lu Ying definitely wouldn’t agree, but all his subordinates agreed with Wang Da Xia, what’s more what happened tonight was indeed strange, it seems blindly persevering to stay at a tavern would be unpopular amongst everyone and hard to lead them.
“Let’s go to Tianan temple.” Lu Ying ordered, everyone braved the rain and left.
At the same time, in the north of the capital, Tianshui lane, Wei Cai Wei was dreaming, she dreamt when she was the most useless as a child, older sister had passed away with her child, Chen dailiang and old woman Wang wanted to poison her to become a mute, she struggled with all her might to escape.
She drifted north, her little bundle which barely had a little money was snatched by a group of beggars, they even stole her shoes! Her ragged clothes became reduced to those of beggars, she spent her days begging, sleeping outside in the streets, very soon she fell ill.
One day there was heavy rain, she laid on the side of a road, she didn’t even have the strength to run somewhere to shelter from the rain.
The rain washed the mud from her body, revealing her delicate and fair appearance, it also took away her temperature, she felt she was about to die…
No!
I need to live, I need to seek revenge!
The wish for survival violently woke Wei Cai Wei from her nightmare, her body was ice-cold, it turns out while she was sleeping she had kicked her quilt off, the torrential rain beating against the window with papa sound filled her ears with the faint dripping sound of raindrops mixed in, the distinct earthy smell of rain came through.
The night was hot and stuffy, Wei Cai Wei had opened the two windows at the north and south to ventilate the room, she didn’t expect it to rain in the middle of the night, the rain came in.
Wei Cai Wei pushed aside the muslin screen, lighting a candle she shut the windows, however she could still hear the sound of rain.
Wei Cai Wei followed the sound, coming to the study next door, she discovered there was a leak in the study, the rain hit the floor, dongdong.
Wei Cai Wei hurriedly moved a few copper basins to catch the rain water, it wasn’t just the second floor study, she also had to put two downstairs---rain had permeated the study’s wooden floor down into the first floor.
The rain continued until wugeng1 when it stopped, the basins had been filled to the brim with rainwater.
It was only the third night since she moved in, the first night she had spent it at a tavern, the second she was with Wang Ya Nei, the third night there was torrential rain which caused water to leak into the house.
Every night was not peaceful, this house belonged to Wang Da Xia, Wang Da Xia was personally driven out by Wei Cai Wei, at this time his whereabouts was unknown, but the problem of leakage needed to be urgently resolved.
Wei Cai Wei was in an unfamiliar place without friends or family, she also didn’t know what to do, thus at first light she went to Machang lane to look for manager Chen, one because he was the mediatary for the house, there was a problem with the house, the landlord couldn’t be found, so the manager had to be turned to.
Manager Chen promptly arrived at Tianshui lane, seeing the damp floor and the copper basins filled enough to almost raise fishes, there was definitely a problem with the house.
Manager Chen was very apologetic, saying: “It hasn’t rained in a month, I really didn’t know the tiles on this house are broken, I really didn’t hide this from you, in accordance with the contract, leaking isn’t the tenant’s responsibility, the landlord will pay for the repairs.”
Wei Cai Wei said: “Wang Ya Nei is a feral horse out of control, I don’t know where he went (he probably went to find that miss Ying Ying!), I can’t wait in vain for him to send someone over to change the tiles, what if there’s another heavy rain, this house would be unlivable, manager Chen has a lot of connections, could you please introduce a few workers first to change the tiles? I’ll pay for it first then when Wang Da Xia returns, I’ll ask him to pay me back.”
Manager Chen said: “This is a good idea, my neighbour is a tiler.”
Manager Chen enthusiastically promoted his neighbour, and deliberately kept her on tenterhooks, “Embroidered uniform guards Commander Lu Bing, Lord Lu, has doctor Wei heard of him?”
Wei Cai Wei nodded, “A great person second only to the emperor in the capital city.”
Manager Chen smiled: “Lord Lu’s residence is amongst the influential officials residence at Xiaoshiyong lane, he’s neighbours with the official residence of Confucius' descendants, when he was renovating the Lu residence, tiler Li had especially put up the tiles on the house, his tiling skills are very good.”
Manager Chen hadn’t lied, tiler Li’s family started out in the Ming dynasty, for many generations they have been tilers, his ancestors had repaired the Yingtian imperial palace in Nanjing, the subsequent generation moved the capital city to Beijing, the Li family also participated in building the new palace.
Wei Cai Wei said: “Since this is so, would manager Chen please help me invite your neighbour over to repair the roof, this is the main door’s key and a string of coins as down payment, refund or ask me for reimbursement, I still need to go practice medicine, I can’t always be waiting at home, I’ll be troubling manager Chen.
Manager Chen hurriedly said: “It’s no trouble, there’s a problem with the house so I should have some responsibility.”
Wei Cai Wei left the house as usual to practice medicine, the tiger palm rang through the streets.
Manager Chen had won over business for the Li family, he was very pleased with himself, immediately he returned home to face the person he liked, the only flower of Machang lane Li Jiu Bao, to take credit for his work.
“...It’s only a few broken tiles, just switch them out and put new ones in, it’s very simple, an easy way to make some money.”
Li Jiu Bao said: “Thank you brother Chen for your help, but my father and brother are working outside the city at Sanlitun, they won’t be home any time soon.”
Manager Chen said: “It’s fine, I’ll rush over with the mule cart and bring your father back, your older brother can manage the matter over at Sanlitun? The roof can be fixed in half a day then I'll send your father back over, it won’t hold anything up and you can earn two lots of money.”
Tiler Li’s family was poor, Li Jiu Bao’s brother was eighteen years old, to this day he had yet managed to save up for a betrothal gift to get himself a wife, seniority was important, and men are regarded as superior to women, if the older brother doesn’t get married, the younger sister’s marriage would be even further away it would seem forever.
Manager Chen wanted to marry Li Jiu Bao, being rich himself wasn’t useful, he needed to make the tiler Li family prosperous as well.
Li Jiu Bao looked at the hazy sky, “It’s very likely there’ll be a downpour today, I don’t know when. Sanlitun is quite a distance away, considering it’s a round trip, you might not make it back in time before it rains again, the house will be soaked and would ruin your reputation? And let down the other person’s expectation of you? I’ll go.”
Manager Chen was a little hesitant, “You...a girl on the roof taking down tiles, it wouldn’t be good.”
Li Jiu Bao said: “My dad likes to gamble, my older brother likes to drink, I’ve been supporting them since I was little, I’ve taken in my surroundings, when they’ve been too drunk to stand steadily on the roof, out of concern that they would fall, I’ve climbed on the roof to place the tiles myself, I’ve never made a mistake. Brother Chen, trust me.”
His sweetheart was asking of course manager Chen couldn’t refuse, tiler Li’s house was filled with ready-made tiles, the two of them filled up half the cart with new tiles and hurried the mule cart to Tianhui lane to mend the roof.
In the afternoon, Wei Cai Wei watched the low flying swallows, the wind started to come from the north, it looked like it was going to rain, she finished work early and headed home.
Li Jiu Bao carried a bucket of water to the roof, pouring it over the fully restored tiles.
“Is it leaking?” Li Jiu Bao shouted.
“It’s not leaking!” Manager Chen stood in the house staring at the beams on the roof, “It’s been repaired well, not a drop of water can leak out, come down!”
Manager Chen stood at the bottom holding the ladder, Li Jiu Bao climbed down it, just at that moment she came face to face with Wei Cai Wei who had just come home.
Wei Cai Wei saw Li Jiu Bao and was immediately surprised.
My heaven! This young woman looks too similar to the future empress dowager Li who would assist the young emperor!
In her last life, empress dowager Li was the mistress of the harem, and was the empress dowager who had actual power behind the emperor and the officials in governing the country, of course she was also the head boss of Wei Cai Wei and Wang Da Xia.
Manager Chen thought Wei Cai Wei’s surprise was because the tiler who fixed the roof was a woman, he hurriedly explained: “Doctor Wei, this is tiler Li’s daughter Li Jiu Bao, what tiler Li can do, miss Jiu Bao can too, just now she poured five buckets of water and it didn’t leak at all.”
Li Jiu Bao! Empress dowager Li’s maiden name was Li Jiu Bao! It can’t be that much of a coincidence!
Wei Cai Wei couldn’t help but ask: “Em...miss Li’s father's name, is it Li Wei?”
“It is.” Li Jiu Bao nodded, “So doctor Li knows my father.”
Wei Cai Wei almost knelt in front of Li Jiu Bao.
Twelve years later, Li Jiu Bao will become the Ming dynasty’s most respected woman.
But right now, Li Jiu Bao had repaired the tiles on her roof, it seems she wouldn’t be able to live peacefully in this house.
The author has something to say: The fourth death, Wei Cai Wei has also found a leg even thicker than her previous life’s leg to hug, the plot is so fun it’s almost flying...the leg from her previous life was imperial Shou who Jia Jing doted on alone in his later years, he doted on her so much that he played fireworks with her on the bed and set the palace on fire just to see the beauty smile. In this lifetime she directly came to the head boss, empress dowager Li, I’m so nice to the female lead.
Is it a bad idea to be outside in a thunderstorm? 🤔
ReplyDeleteNo it's probably ghosts