The shabby courtyard was cold and cheerless, and the white silk hanging everywhere made it even more desolate. The walls of the house were broken and full of potholes; there were a few old and new pieces of furniture, a seven or eight-year-old boy, and a ten-year-old girl.
"Young Master Tianya, please restrain your grief. Hong Niang was ordered by Madam to serve you," the girl said softly. She looked at the boy with pity in her eyes.
The boy seemed to be angered and pushed the girl, "I don't want you! I want my father and mother, get lost! "
The girl said, "Lord Seventeen and Madam Seventeen have died in the hunting ground. Young Master Tianya, please restrain your grief. Young Master Tianya, according to the clan rules, you are a concubine's child and can only have one maid, and the monthly salary is five coins of Tianxuan stones. In the future, you can only light charcoal in the twelfth month, and you can only eat meat twice a month. "Her voice was soft and flat, as if she was narrating an ordinary event.
"Get lost …" The boy finally pushed the girl and then burst into tears.
…
"Hong Niang, I'm so cold … It's already the twelfth month, why don't you light charcoal?" The young man shivered in the patched quilt and finally couldn't help but scream.
"Young Master Tianya, the steward's office didn't send any charcoal, I'll go ask."
The girl only went for a quarter of an hour and came back with a body full of injuries. She sat on the edge of the bed and gently rubbed the quilt, trying to bring some warmth to the boy.
"Hong Niang, you're back. Where's the charcoal?" The boy refused to show his head because his delicate skin would freeze once it came into contact with the cold air. His little feet, which finally had some warmth, would immediately become cold.
The girl didn't answer quickly this time.
"I'm asking you, where's the charcoal?" The boy was furious and popped his head out, trying to show the dignity of the master. But seeing the girl's bruised face, he felt a chill in his heart and knew that she must have been wronged in the steward's office. At such a young age, he had already understood the truth of "look at the master before beating a dog". Those damned servants were obviously coming for him.
The girl still said softly, "Young Master Tianya, I heard it from the steward's office. A few days ago, Young Master Tianya bought a brothel girl as a concubine. Old Madam was furious and wanted to reduce the young masters' expenses. Now the charcoal is only given once every two months, and the monthly allowance has also been reduced to three qian of Heaven Mystic Stones. "
"They want to force me to my death!" The youth's eyes flashed with hatred.
The young girl got into the quilt and hugged the young man's cold body. "Young Master Tianya, please don't resent Old Madam. She did it with a lot of effort …"
The young man was naturally intelligent and had a photographic memory. He studied hard and gained a precocious mind, so he did not say anything else. This was the first time he hugged Hong Niang. He felt extremely warm and couldn't help but say: "Hong Niang, other than father and mother, you are the only person who is good to me …" He closed his eyes as if he was asleep. Suddenly he opened his eyes in shock: "Your hand!" He grabbed the girl's hand. It was rough, swollen, and covered in wounds. The scene of the girl washing clothes and cooking flashed through his mind, and he couldn't stop his tears from flowing.
"It's alright, Young Master, it's alright …"
"Hong Niang, I can't sleep. Sing for me."
"Young Master, Hong Niang only knows' One Cut Plum '."
"Alright, go ahead."
Hong Niang took a deep breath and hummed a few tunes with her nasal voice. Then she sang in a low voice with a soothing voice.
"The fragrance of the red lotus root in autumn."
"Taking off the silk robe and going to Lanzhou alone."
"Who sent a letter from Yunzhong?"
"When the wild goose returns, the moon fills the West Tower."
"Flowers fall by themselves, and water flows by itself."
"…"
…
"Young Master Tianya! Young Master Tianya! "
On this day, Hong Niang hurriedly walked in. It had been three years since then, but because of year-round labor, she was still short and thin. Her skin was not as rosy as before. She was thin and dark, and she was not as beautiful as before.
It was the first time that Xue Tianya saw Hong Niang so excited. He couldn't help but laugh: "Hong Niang, why are you so happy?" He was already used to Hong Niang's gentle voice, so he was a little surprised to see a different Hong Niang.
"I, I shouldn't be happy …" Hong Niang immediately restrained her emotions: "Young Master Tian Mu and the others are back. I heard from the people in the Steward's Hall that Young Master Tianmu offended a noble in the Dao Court's entrance trial, which implicated the other Young Masters and caused them to be demoted. No one in the family has entered the Dao Court for a hundred years, and Old Madam was so angry that she fell ill. Then Seventh Master suggested to let Young Master Tianya, who is still a stranger, have a try. "
Xue Tianya's heart was in turmoil. He finally got the chance to make a comeback. He couldn't help but laugh: "Good, this is a good thing. Hong Niang, you should be happy. I am confident, but I lack an opportunity."
"That's great, that's great …" Hong Niang was so excited that she couldn't control herself. Her deep eyes were filled with tears.
Xue Tianya looked at Hong Niang who was getting thinner and couldn't help but hug her. He said loudly: "Hong Niang, when I enter the Dao Court and become a cultivator, I will definitely take you in. You will be my cultivation companion in the future!"
"No, I can't, I …" Hong Niang was stunned. Her thin and dark face blushed. Although she felt humble, her small eyes were full of yearning.
There was a pair of eyes outside the window, which saw this scene. Jealousy and resentment disappeared in a flash and were all concentrated in the cold bottom of the eyes. "Young Master Tianya, I invited you here." When she walked into the room, she saw Hong Niang pushed the boy away in panic and stood trembling on the side. The coldness in the bottom of her eyes became more disdainful.
She was the nanny of Old Madam. Her surname was Kong, and she had been with Old Madam for a lifetime. She knew that the most important thing in Old Madam's heart was to let the children of the family enter the Dao Court.
It meant that the family would usher in at least a hundred years of prosperity. Therefore, she didn't dare to be disrespectful to Xue Tianya. She smiled and repeated happily: "Young Master Tianya, I invited you here on Old Madam's order."
"You servant, don't you know how to talk outside? You scared Hong Niang, old thing!" Xue Tianya scolded angrily.
"Yes, yes, I'm sorry. Young Master Tianya, please go to see Old Madam as soon as possible. Don't let Old Madam wait for you." Nanny Kong smiled apologetically and poured all the resentment in her heart to Hong Niang.
Xue Tianya was soon led to a warm room full of fragrant incense. He had never experienced what he saw, heard, and smelled since he was born. He didn't know that there were people in the family who lived such a comfortable life. It was a strong contrast to his shabby courtyard.
He knelt in front of the bed.
Nanny Kong said a few words in the ear of an old woman lying on the bed, and then stood aside respectfully. The old woman was lying there, but she was in good spirits and her voice was very clear: "Tianya, my child, get up and let great-grandmother see you."
Xue Tianya stood up and silently looked at the old woman, wondering whether the kindness on her face was real or not. The scene of him and Hong Niang hugging each other in December of that year came to his mind.
"Are you blaming great-grandmother for not loving you and not giving you a good life?" The old woman said as if she could see through Xue Tianya's heart.
Xue Tianya panicked. He knew that his only chance was to rely on the family's quota to enter the aptitude test of the Dao Court. Otherwise, he would never be able to make a name for himself in this lifetime. He hurriedly said, "Grandson doesn't dare. Grandson is completely dependent on great-grandmother to raise me. This is the grace of raising me. How can grandson be ungrateful and blame great-grandmother?"
"I only give you three Heaven Mystic Stones every month, but you don't hate me?" The old woman smiled.
Xue Tianya said: "Great-grandmother has to follow the rules of the family and also train my willpower. As the saying goes, 'An uncut jade is worthless', and now I'm seeing the results. I'm confident that I will have a better chance of entering the Dao Court than Brother Tian Mu. "
"Good, good, good. What a good child." The old woman smiled from ear to ear. "Ziyan, come in." She called out, and a young girl with bright eyes and white teeth walked in. She was about fourteen or fifteen years old, her skin was smooth, and her figure was curvy.
Xue Tianya had never seen such a beautiful girl before. In order to take care of him, Hongniang had been tortured by life to become thin and skinny. He had never thought that she was ugly, but now that he saw Zi Yan, he realized that Hongniang was actually this ugly. His face turned red, his heartbeat sped up, and he felt restless. In the depths of his heart, there was a voice telling him not to do this, but he couldn't control this restlessness.
The old woman said, "Tianya, Ziyan is a maidservant raised by my side. She's well-educated and well-mannered. You can't lose face for the Xue Clan. With Ziyan by your side, you'll be able to display the Xue Clan's foundation. Only then will you be valued. … Ziyan, you have to serve young master like how you serve me, understand? "
Ziyan said with a clear voice: "Ziyan understands." As she spoke, she looked at Xue Tianya, a rare beauty of her age appeared in her eyes, like a drop of dew on a flower bud.
Xue Tianya's face turned red, he felt as if his body didn't belong to him, and he had the urge to push Ziyan down. His heart beat faster and faster, and when it reached its limit, his face turned pale. He suddenly thought of Hong Niang. Compared to Ziyan, Hong Niang was small and skinny, and ugly. But in the depths of his heart, Hong Niang had an unparalleled position. Even though he had temporarily forgotten, he resisted the temptation and said to the old woman: "Great grandmother, grandson already has a maid you sent to take care of me, there is no need to add another."
"You mean Hong Niang?" The old woman sat up, leaned on the bed, and looked at Xue Tianya. "I know she is close to you, but you can't. If you take her out, you will lose face for the Xue Clan."
"Great grandmother, then I'll take both, is that okay?" Xue Tianya was anxious.
The old woman's heart was as firm as iron, and she said lightly: "Tianya, you can only choose one: take Ziyan to the Dao Court to become a disciple, or go back to your courtyard and continue living a hard life with your ugly maid."
Xue Tianya faced the most important choice in his life.
Ziyan's beautiful eyes turned, and she bowed to the old woman: "Old Madam, can Zi Yan have a word with Young Master Tianya?"
The old woman nodded.
Ziyan pulled Xue Tianya to the side and whispered: "Young Master Tianya, why don't you promise Old Madam that you will come back to welcome Hong Niang after you become a cultivator in the Dao Court?"
"This …" Being held by the soft hands, Xue Tianya couldn't help but feel restless. The tempting suggestion made his will waver. He finally decided to accept the suggestion.
But he didn't expect that this decision would cause him to live in regret and pain for the next twenty years. He had always kept this memory deep in his heart, not daring to reveal a single bit of it. Only in this quiet room did he dare to take it out and look at it carefully to see if there was anything he had forgotten. If there was, he naturally had other methods.
After putting away the crystal, he pressed a mechanism on the bookshelf, and the wall behind him slowly moved, revealing a secret room. He walked in and casually lit a candle on the wall. The flame slowly illuminated the secret room, and it illuminated a tortured person locked on the wall. From the shriveled body on her chest, it could be seen that it was a woman.
"Young … Master Tianya, please … kill … me …" Her voice was completely different from before, and it sounded like two pieces of rusty iron rubbing against each other.
Xue Tianya stretched out his hand and gently touched the woman's face: "Zi Yan, I'm here again to listen to you talk about what happened in the past. I've almost forgotten about it. Tell me again, the story after we left."
"You … lie …" The woman's eyes became filled with hatred and resentment: "You tortured me … for twenty … years …
You … remember it better than anyone … "
Xue Tianya let out a sneer that no one had ever heard before, but the expression on his face was very gentle: "Zi Yan, you are now exactly the same as the matchmaker in the past. Since I didn't want to abandon the matchmaker back then, I naturally won't abandon you now. Zi Yan, don't worry, I won't let you die, I will keep you alive. "
Now, there was no need to inflict any damage on this body. Just being alive was the greatest torture to her. She had almost broken down. No, she had broken down many times over the past twenty years. But no matter how many times she had broken down, she would find that her body would recover during the period of mental breakdown. Then, her mind would be forcibly corrected, and she would suffer the same torture again while awake.
She tried hard not to think about it, as this was the only way to not collapse. If she didn't want to think about it, she had to keep talking and numbly repeat what Xue Tianya wanted to hear.
She was Zi Yan, the maid that the old lady gave to Xue Tianya. She was beautiful since she was a child, and was praised and pursued by countless people, even the old lady spoiled her. This made her ambitious to become a superior person, and the only way to achieve this was to enter the immortal gate and become a cultivator through the young masters in the mansion.
Unfortunately, Xue Tianya and his group of good-for-nothings. No matter how many times she repeated it, she used the word "good-for-nothings" to describe the young masters in the mansion. Originally, with the approval of the old lady, she could follow one of the young masters to enter the immortal gate, but she didn't expect that all of them would fail. Naturally, she was not reconciled, so she offered her body to the Seventh Master, who was the most lascivious, and asked him to help her ask Young Master Tianya, who was the only one who didn't participate in the trial, to save her.
She still clearly remembered the night before she left, the Seventh Master came to her room and asked for sex, saying that this was the last night she would stay in the mansion, and there would be no more opportunities. She was very proud, so how could she agree, but the Seventh Master used the old lady to threaten her. She knew that if the old lady knew that she was the one who made it happen, she would definitely be abandoned, so she could only reluctantly agree.
If the first time she offered her body was for the future, the second time was for humiliation. In humiliation, she went to wash in the middle of the night, and accidentally heard Xue Tianya saying goodbye to Hong Niang. They hugged and kissed each other, telling touching words of love. When she saw Xue Tianya's handsome face, she thought of the Seventh Master's greasy face and thought that she should be held in Xue Tianya's arms and protected. Crazy jealousy swallowed her heart.
She went to find Nanny Kong, and the two resentful and jealous hearts were very harmonious and hit it off.
It was a gloomy and cold morning. Hong Niang just got up to clean the courtyard, and Nanny Kong came with her people. Ziyan didn't know what kind of inhuman abuse Hong Niang had suffered, because at that time, she had already embarked on the road of seeking Taoism with Xue Tianya. She only roughly knew that when Nanny Kong dragged Hongniang to Madam Dowager's room, she was already disfigured. Her fingernails were torn open and dripping with blood. Her mouth was sewn up and her lower body was festered by something. She didn't know what had happened. This was the punishment for seducing the masters, which was quite popular at that time.
Madam Dowager was indifferent to all this. Nanny Kong got the instruction and said sternly, "Hong Niang, Madam Dowager was kind and pitiful, so she bought you and raised you in the mansion. Later, she asked you to go to Young Master Tianya's place and serve him well. Unexpectedly, you seduced Young Master Tianya with sweet words and had the ambition to be the master. Madam Dowager can't bear a lowly servant like you. However, Old Madam is still kind. Since you have been punished, this matter will be over. But Childe Tianya is pitiful. He has been bewitched by you. If he goes against the family because of you in the future, what should he do? So Madam Dowager decided to immediately deprive Young Master Tianya of the right to seek Taoism. "
"No, no!" Hong Niang's mind was blurred, but when she heard this, she immediately propped herself up and begged, "I'm willing to do anything … I'm willing to do anything … Please forgive me, Madam Dowager …"
"Are you really willing to do anything?" Nanny Kong said.
"I'm willing …" Hong Niang said with tears in her eyes.
Nanny Kong looked at Madam Dowager and got her approval. She smiled coldly and said, "Well, you can ask Madam Dowager to forgive you. Now you write a letter of determination to Young Master Tianya, saying that you don't deserve him, so you ask Madam Dowager to allow you to go back to your hometown and marry someone else."
For Xue Tianya's future, Hong Niang endured both physical and mental torture and wrote a letter of determination.
After checking, Nanny Kong sneered and asked for a bowl of tea. She threw it in front of Hong Niang and said, "Hong Niang, now Madam Dowager gives you a bowl of tea. You can go back to your hometown now."
Hong Niang grew up in the mansion, so she knew the meaning of "giving tea". She couldn't help smiling bitterly.
Nanny Kong said meaningfully, "If you don't drink it, it means that you hate Madam Dowager. In order to prevent Young Master Tianya from being infected by you, you have to …"
"I'll drink it!" Hong Niang interrupted Nanny Kong directly.
Of course, the tea was poisonous. Hong Niang was injured and died on the roadside less than half a day after she was driven out of the mansion. Her body was even eaten by wild beasts. This was the truth that Xue Tianya found out after he used his supernatural power.
"Hong Niang, Hong Niang, Hong Niang …"
Xue Tianya's bloody memory was torn apart again. He knelt on the ground in pain.
This was the happiest moment of Ziyan's life. After 20 years of torture, when she saw Xue Tianya at this moment, she strangely felt the pleasure of revenge. "In the past … you cried so much that you wanted to die every time … but you didn't cry this time … It seems that Hong Niang … is no longer important …" She laughed strangely.
"You are wrong!" Xue Tianya stood up with a hysterical and crazy look on his face. He said, "No matter what price I have to pay, I will let Hong Niang come back to me!"
"She is dead!" Ziyan screamed.
"You are right." Xue Tianya laughed in a low voice, "But I have found all the conditions to bring her back to life." He said affectionately, "Hong Niang, wait, wait … Young Master will see you soon …"
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