Chapter 005: Xiuniang
As Chang Geng was about to make way for those desperately trying to push their way out, he vaguely heard someone say, "Sixteenth Master, be careful!"
As he emerged from the water, he suddenly realized that the weight in his hand was not right. Chang Geng quickly blinked away the circle of water droplets around his eyelashes and was astonished to discover that what he was holding was not Shen Shiliu at all, but an eleven or twelve-year-old child— that fake girl, Cao Niangzi.
His pair of eyes closely resembled those of a beautiful woman, and the recently revealed contours of his face were quite profound, somewhat unlike those of the people from the Central Plains... However, he did not quite resemble foreigners either; in short, he possessed a very unique kind of handsomeness
The old cook was extremely curious about the strange mother-son relationship between Chang Geng and the others, but she did not dare to inquire directly and could only sneak around to observe.
Shen Shiliu said: "Oh, that is the rouge I just bought, remember to take it back for your mother... Hey, Chang Geng, where are you going?"
"Oh, this box has a beautiful color, bright and vivid." Xiu Niang finally revealed a stingy smile
As Chang Geng stepped through the door, he saw the old cook peering out with her small feet propped up. Upon seeing him in such a disheveled state, the old cook was taken aback and exclaimed, "Oh dear, how did it come to this?"
Chang Geng came to his senses, and before anything else, he listened to Shen Banlong's lengthy complaint about the villain's first accusation, which instantly ignited his pent-up anger
"Tighten it! Hurry up, the giant kite is coming, and people will be swept away!"
He could not help but take a deep breath, a strong scent of medicine instantly penetrating his nose. Chang Geng suddenly looked up, his nose nearly brushing against Shen Shiliu's knife-like chin
His heart, which had been hanging in his throat, was violently thrown back to its original place, and the blood that had stopped in his chest surged towards his numb limbs like a floodgate being opened. At this point, he finally let out a breath all at once, which had made his internal organs turn upside down, leaving his legs so weak that he could barely stand.
Chang Geng saw her silhouette and slightly furrowed his brow—Xiu Niang seemed to have taken some wrong medicine, as she was wearing a pale yellow skirt and styled her hair like an unmarried young girl. Time had treated her with deep affection, and coupled with the dim light in the room, it easily concealed the slight, fragmented wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, making her appear truly like a young girl in her prime.
She pinched a bit of rouge with her fingertips and applied it to her pale lips, eagerly examining herself in the mirror, and asked: "Do I look good?"
The people on the shore dared not delay any longer, the coarse rope tightly bound Chang Geng's waist, a powerful force surged in, and Chang Geng was forcibly pulled out of the water by several men on the shore.
Chang Geng stood silently to one side with a cold expression, feeling secretly curious about why Xiu Niang had summoned him for no apparent reason
"Alright, stop making a fuss here," Shen Shiliu said as he reached out to touch Chang Geng's drenched long hair, taking off his outer robe to wrap it around Chang Geng. "This is too chaotic; I won't hold it against you today. Hurry home and change into something dry, be careful not to catch a chill"
Shen Shiliu raised her charming eyebrows, which were delicately arched: "Stop making excuses. As a grown person, how could I possibly fall into the river for no reason?"
Chang Geng struggled to rise on tiptoe, looking over the crowd, and shouted, "Sixteen!"
At that moment, a long horn sound from the giant kite pierced his ears like a long knife, causing a buzzing in Chang Geng's ears. Without having time to think further, he shouted loudly and first lifted the half-dead Lady Cao up.
Chang Geng thought indignantly: "Shen Sixteen is just being idle; on such a hot day, there are so many better things to do than to come out and watch people!"
At that moment, a pair of pale hands suddenly reached out, cutting through all the screams, and grabbed Chang Geng's arms, lifting him off the ground. The crowd around him collectively gasped and bent down, and Chang Geng felt as if he was about to fly out directly, only to find himself falling into someone's embrace
Shen Sixteen was inexplicably left behind by Chang Geng, awkwardly touching his nose, unable to understand, and could only attribute it to the capricious nature of boys at this age. As a first-time father, Sixteen was somewhat troubled, thinking: "If I had known earlier, I would have detained that iron wrist for another day before giving it to him. Now he's really upset; how do I coax him?"
It is unknown who hastily handed a rope to Chang Geng, but he caught it with one hand, glanced up at the enormous kite that was almost within reach, and still jumped down without hesitation
At that moment, Xiuniang spoke: "From now on, you need not call me 'mother' in front of outsiders; the bond between us as mother and child has come to an end today."
Chang Geng: "Wait a moment!"
Shen Shiliu angrily said: "With so many officials and soldiers on the shore, do we need a mere child like you to step forward and save people?"
The sound of water and the deafening roar of the giant kite filled the air, and Chang Geng's entire field of vision was engulfed by the white waves. He vaguely heard someone shouting from the shore: "Don't let go of the rope! The giant kite is coming, quickly pull that boy up, there's no time left!"
Shen Shiliu said: "I merely didn't see it with one glance, and you caused trouble and even went out of bounds!"
Chang Geng returned home in silence, the hot wind blowing over his body, which was chilled by the river water, calming him somewhat, as the anger that had been brewing in his brow gradually dissipated
He shouted with his neck stretched out: "I thought it was you who fell down!"
He stood by the dark river with his hands behind his back, neither too far nor too close. The giant kite roared past him, its tail lights flickering on and off, while the dark river behind him slowly closed in. Shen Shiliu felt troubled for a moment, then began to fix his gaze on the direction of the tail light, his expression not as vacant as it usually was when looking into the distance. Gradually, his brows began to furrow.
Chang Geng involuntarily glanced in the direction from which the screams were coming, looking around restlessly.
His heart, filled with concern and confusion, was completely disregarded as if it were worthless. Heat surged from his neck to the roots of his ears, turning them red. In that moment, he could not clearly distinguish whether it was shame or anger; in any case, he was filled with a belly full of uncontainable fury, and the situation had become utterly helpless.
Chang Geng was hit several times, causing the fire to blaze even more fiercely, and he shouted in a fit of rage: "Foster Father!"
She spoke, raising her radiant face adorned in splendid attire, extending a pair of hands resembling green onions, as if she intended to adjust Chang Geng's collar.
Chang Geng, filled with anger, violently shook off the hand of Sixteen. In the process, his movement was so forceful that his palm inadvertently struck a hard object hidden within his sleeve, causing a sharp pain in his hand bones
Make way! Make way! I can't get out of here...
A woman's cold and distant voice came from inside the room: "Come in."
Caution
Suddenly, he swayed and vanished into the crowd like a fish, his footsteps silent and his movements incredibly swift, showing no trace of the usual hesitation he displayed when crossing a threshold, where he would lower his head and take his time.
He desperately waved to the people on the shore, signaling them not to pull the rope, while he swam with all his might towards the area where the waves were the fiercest
The surface of the underground river is six or seven zhang high above the ground, and it is impossible to see the bottom at a glance. A deep chill emanates from it, and large white waves sweep across. The people in the river drift like duckweed, unable to find any foothold, and not a sound can be heard, making it impossible to discern who they are.
The people on the shore shouted and pulled the two boys up one by one, but it was still too late. Chang Geng's feet were still outside the riverbank when the giant kite flew past without pause. A fiery wing was about to sweep across his exposed calf, and before it could reach him, the scorching fierce wind had already rushed over, causing pain to his skin and flesh.
Chang Geng opened his mouth, about to call her, but Xiu Niang spoke first: "There is no one else, do not call me mother—did you buy the rouge back?"
He is quite magnanimous
The room of Xiuniang is very dark, and the sunlit window on one side has been covered with curtains by her
"It's nothing," Chang Geng said weakly, "Someone fell into the river, and I pulled them up, getting soaked in the process."
My goodness, it really fell down!
Chang Geng : `` ... ... ''
He anxiously leaned forward to look down and indeed saw a person struggling in the water.
Someone nearby shouted: "You can't just go down directly, quickly bring a rope for that young man!"
The crowd flows endlessly along the dark river, while Chang Geng searches for people, struggling to stand firm against the current. Soon, he is pushed out, sweating profusely from the throngs of people. The feelings he had just experienced from the shock of the giant kite have completely vanished. With such a foster father, he wonders how many years he might lose from his life.
Chang Geng paused, his shoulders involuntarily tensing up. After a moment, he expressionlessly nodded, first returning to his room to change into a dry outfit. While simmering with anger, he carefully folded and put away Shen Shiliu's outer robe. Only then did he pick up the rouge box and head towards Xiuniang's room
The crowd by the river became slightly chaotic
Chang Geng felt a shiver run down his spine, suspecting that his nerves were too taut. He hurriedly stepped forward and reached out to grab a person who had squeezed out from the riverbank: "Who fell in? It wouldn't be Shen Sixteen, would it?"
Chang Geng meticulously adjusted his attire in front of Xiuniang's door, presenting himself with a formality akin to that of receiving guests. Having arranged himself neatly and properly, he then knocked on Xiuniang's door, lowering his gaze and speaking softly: "Mother."
Chang Geng listened in silence, swallowing back the second utterance of "mother," allowing his internal organs to digest the sentiment into a mushy state. He then walked over and gently tossed the rouge box, warmed by his palm, onto Xiuniang's dressing table.
As he was thinking this, his eyelid suddenly twitched twice without warning, causing a jolt in Chang Geng's heart, as if an ominous premonition had arisen within him.
However, whenever he thought about how anxious he was, that scoundrel was actually over there choosing rouge, which made him so furious that his chest ached, and he could not suppress his anger no matter what.
Chang Geng tore off his outer garment and exclaimed: "Make way, please make way!"
Chang Geng : `` ... ... ''
The dark river was arched by a row of waves over a person's height, created by the giant kite that was about to glide over. As Chang Geng had just entered the water, he was struck in the chest and forced to hold his breath. He choked on a mouthful of water, nearly being swept away, and quickly grasped the hemp rope hanging down from the shore, wiping his face with force.
Chang Geng suddenly dodged back: "What does this mean?"
Chang Geng was at a loss for words as he had his words snatched away by him
Without waiting for him to finish speaking, Chang Geng abruptly turned and ran away without saying a word
Madam Cao has already been carried to the side, coughing and slowly regaining consciousness. Seeing that the child was not seriously injured, Shen Shiliu pulled Chang Geng out of the crowd. His brows were tightly knitted, and he dragged the weak-legged Chang Geng, who stumbled along, scolding as he walked: "The temperature of the fire wings hasn't gone down yet. If you happen to touch it, it could take off half your leg. Do you plan to live the rest of your life as a cripple? You little brat who doesn't know the severity of the situation..."
She seemed unable to bear the light, sitting alone in a dim corner, facing a dressing mirror
In the midst of the chaos, someone grabbed his wandering hand. Chang Geng had no time to think; he quickly turned his hand and tightly grasped the person's wrist, pulling them into his embrace. Before he could see who it was, the giant eagle had already thundered down upon them.
The old cook followed behind him with small, quick steps, chattering away: "The lady said not to serve the meal just yet; I think she is waiting for Master Baihu. By the way, the lady asked the young master to go to her room as soon as he returns, saying there are some private mother-son matters to discuss."
Do not touch the fire wings
The person also did not know whether they had clearly heard what Chang Geng had asked, and nodded randomly: "It seems to be—let me go out first"
Chang Geng reached out to push open the door. After entering the room, he turned back to take a glance. The old cook, who had been peeking, met his gaze and was startled, quickly averting her eyes. When she peeked again, the door had already closed, and she could no longer discern any clues.
In Chang Geng's mind, there was a buzzing sound, and amidst the scorching heat waves from the giant kite, a layer of cold sweat unexpectedly broke out on his back. He took a deep breath and, without touching the ground, pushed against the flow of people to squeeze his way to the riverbank. After stumbling a few steps, he finally steadied himself by gripping the railing.
Go over there to find the duty officer
However, the noise in the water was so loud that he could not even hear his own shouting
No one responded, and the crowd chasing after the giant kite began to surge forward in large numbers, some cheering, some shouting "They are coming," and others angrily yelling "Don't push!"
Chang Geng actually knew that he was being unreasonable. He simply jumped to conclusions, only hearing a snippet of the situation, and did not clearly see who had fallen. He hurriedly jumped into the water, no wonder his adoptive father scolded him
At that moment, someone shouted sharply from not far away: "Don't push, someone has fallen!"