Volume II, Big Summer Dynasty Chapter 27: Spiritual fox
For a good set of clothes, she was ready to quietly leave. But all of a sudden, she heard a burst of noise in the yard. The child raised her brow and could not help but stop walking.
There was a pounding at the door, and outside, the child heard a voice cry out, "Star child, there's good news!"
A small, excited maidservant ran in, smiling, and said, "Star child, do you want to hear the good news?"
The child sat on the chair with a little humor, poured a cup of tea, and drank with dignity. "Go ahead," she replied.
"Star child!" Huan'er pouted. "Do you want to hear it or not?" The little maid excitedly tried to share the news.
Star child chuckled. "Even if I said no, you would still tell me."
"Well, I don't care if you do, but this is really good news!" Huan'er laughed. "Zhu Shun, the foreign housekeeper, and the girl from Li Ranse's household were caught by the Seventh Miss. Third Miss and the Young Master were disturbed, so they threw the girl from Li Ranse's courtyard into the well, and Zhu Shun was beaten no more than thirty times with a board. Isn't that good news?"
The child's hand, holding the teacup, slowed down. Sitting in her chair, she looked as calm as a still well, her eyes dark as ink and slightly narrowed. Her emotions were hidden. Nodding coldly, she said, "Indeed, that is good news."
Huan'er fumed. "That dog Zhu Shun always bullies people. The slaves haven't gotten back at him yet. I remember the Jing children he sent to the old man's Jile Pavilion. Today is a lucky day; he was beaten, and it's finally some payback. But for us slaves, there's still a foul smell in our hearts."
The child remained composed, though inwardly the news felt bittersweet. She wasn't convinced that justice had been served. The girl from Li Ranse's courtyard had been confused into an inappropriate relationship, and Zhu Shun's mere thirty strokes hardly seemed a punishment worthy of the crime.
"Who would argue with that?" Huan'er continued. "Seventh Miss went to the Fourth Young Master to settle the matter, but unfortunately, the Fourth Young Master was reluctant to intervene. He said it was up to the Young Master and the Old Master to decide, and since Zhu Shun is the Young Master's man, that's where it ended."
Chu Qiao nodded, speaking slowly. "I understand now. Thank you for informing me."
Seeing something was off with Star Child's face, Huan'er's voice softened as she grew uneasy. "Star Child, are you feeling unwell? Should I call a doctor?"
"No," Chu Qiao smiled faintly to reassure her. "I just need some rest."
"Oh," Huan'er nodded and left the room, closing the door behind her. The child's face suddenly darkened.
So, this time, no heads would roll.
She whispered to herself, "I'll have to handle this personally." Slowly biting her lip, Chu Qiao sat in her chair, thinking that her plans needed to be recalibrated.
Ever since the infiltration attempt, Zhu Shun's Hongshan courtyard had been tightly secured. But now and then, cries like the screams of slaughtered pigs could still be heard. People gossiped, their heads lowered, but no one dared to watch, though the schadenfreude was undeniable, as if it were payday on New Year's Day.
Zhu Shun lay on his bed, wailing from the wounds on his back, cursing his luck and his two servants who were applying medicine.
"Your grandmother! Are you trying to kill me?" he shouted.
One of the servants, drenched in sweat, carefully helped him turn over. "Housekeeper Zhu, you have to bear it. Your flesh is sticking to your pants…"
In the room, east of the water, sparse shrubs rustled as a sharp knife inserted along the windowframe. A small figure silently tied the window. The child, armed with a folding crossbow, stood up and took aim at Zhu Shun's head.
The crossbow was from South Africa, taken from a jungle tribe. It was elegant in design, foldable, and deadly accurate. Chu Qiao had earned it during a covert mission. With it, she could kill an adult tiger, proving its lethal power. Zhu Shun was lucky—he would be the first to die under Chu Qiao's hands, using this weapon.
At that moment, a man burst into the room, shouting, "Zhu housekeeper! Zhu housekeeper!"
"What are you shouting for? Am I dead yet?" Zhu Shun growled.
The man quickly said, "The old master's men came to ask when you would send that little girl."
Zhu Shun was momentarily stunned, then jumped up. "What?" He landed awkwardly, cursing, while lying on the ground. "The girl's from the Fourth Young Master's household. He won't agree to release her! Tell the old master I've prepared ten other small slaves. Take them and go."
"Yes, understood." The man promised, turning to leave.
Zhu Shun, grumbling, said, "Tell the old man I'm too sick to see him now. I'll visit when I'm better."
Outside the window, the crossbow was slowly lowered. The child muttered, "Too easy." She abandoned the mission, having thought of a better plan.
Perhaps there was another way to deal with these two, without dirtying her hands with blood. Clean, precise.
The torture chambers opened, and a foul smell blew through the air. Inside, the children, who had not seen daylight in some time, huddled together in fear. They were unkempt, clutching one another like frightened animals.
The steward, frowning, said, "I'm buying ten, but I count eleven."
"Yes," a servant counted again. "Let's check with Zhu Guanjia to be sure."
"No time. I'll buy them all."
The children were terrified, and some whispered through their tears.
"Whoever dares cry again will have their tongue ripped out!"
Suddenly, one of the children turned and bit down hard on a man's wrist. The man screamed in pain, and as soon as the child let go, they bolted—running fast and agile, like a rabbit escaping into the wild.
"Damn, this child! Catch them and bring them back!"
One of Zhuge House's servants saw the direction the child ran. Shocked, he pulled the steward aside and shouted, "I don't want to get involved in anything that falls under the Fourth Young Master's authority at Castle Hill. This is not my responsibility!"
"But we can't just let a slave escape! Don't tell me you're a doctor now!" The steward angrily pushed the servant forward, pointing in the direction the child had fled, urging him to chase them down.