The Spring of Dahua - Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Old Lady Wang next door had always been a gossip, and Madam Cui had caused quite a scene, so before long, the whole village knew Xiaocao was the young lady of a chancellor’s household.

Old Lady Wang had always been jealous of how well I treated Xiaocao. She said a girl had no business eating meat every day, and that I might as well give the pork to her Yaozu so he could look after me in the future.

I ignored her. Instead, I showed her the butcher knife I had sharpened to a gleam, which made Old Lady Wang curse me and Xiaocao every day.

Xiaocao was no coward either. She would plant her hands on her hips and trade insults with Old Lady Wang.

She even said, “Mother, don’t worry. I’ll bring honor to our family one day too, and I’ll be sure to take good care of you!”

Before I could enjoy any of that filial piety, she ran off with Madam Cui.

Well, great. After that, Old Lady Wang started wandering outside my courtyard from time to time, clutching a handful of melon seeds and spitting the shells at my doorway.

“Well, well, Pigbane. Xiaocao ran off with someone else. I’d like to see who’ll take care of your funeral now!”

I gave a cold laugh and dumped a whole basin of pig’s blood water right onto her property.

Old Lady Wang was so furious she jumped up and down.

Tsk.

Her Yaozu was pretty useless. He only dared glare at me, not say a single word.

A few days later, Madam Cui came again. This time, she threw the fake heiress right at my doorstep.

The child was like a tiny glutinous rice dumpling, her eyes red and swollen. She looked pitiful indeed.

Xiaocao, on the other hand, wore a silvery-red gown. The broad sleeves and embroidered shawl were covered in clusters of begonia flowers as large as bowls, and she looked grand from head to toe.

Her brows were painted, her eyes lined, powder and rouge on her face, her hair styled in double spiral buns. She truly looked like a pretty young lady.

She leaned against Madam Cui, and the mother and daughter looked very close.

“Mother, since I’ve already returned to Xie Manor, Xie Miaoyi should go back to her own home too. Besides, she and I simply can’t get along.”

Xie Miaoyi was the little glutinous rice dumpling. Her face was softer than tofu. She said nothing, only stared hard at Madam Cui, as though she could bore flowers into her with her gaze.

But this time, Madam Cui was not as easy to talk to as she had been before.

She snapped coldly, “Wretched girl, don’t look at me like that! Our Xie Manor raised you for eleven years. Was that not enough?!”

The color drained clean from Xie Miaoyi’s face. Her eyes grew damp, as if she could no longer suppress the sour ache in her heart, and even her voice was choked with tears.

“Mother, do you truly not want Miaoyi anymore?”

Madam Cui avoided answering and turned to me instead. “She is your biological daughter. Do you want to test it by mingling blood?”

I sighed.

What need was there?

Just from those peach-blossom eyes of hers, I could almost be certain she was my daughter-they were exactly like her worthless father’s.

Only-

“Do you really not want this little girl anymore?”

Madam Cui’s eyes were full of disgust. “She stole another’s nest. Why would I want her?”

“If not for you mother and daughter, Yuanyu and I would never have been separated for so many years! I taught your daughter the zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, wine, flowers, and tea. What did you teach my daughter?”

She paused, and a few traces of mockery suddenly spilled from her beautiful eyes. “Lady Zhu, surely you won’t have her slaughter pigs with you in the future, will you?”

Yuanyu.

So Xiaocao’s new name was Xie Yuanyu. It truly sounded lovely.

Ten thousand times better than Xiaocao.

But Madam Cui really was formidable. Every word stabbed straight into the heart, leaving me utterly speechless.

She led Xiaocao away step by step.

Xie Miaoyi stood there in a daze, watching the two of them leave. Tears kept swirling in her eyes, but they never fell.

Well, now. This child took after me too.

In one word: stubborn.