Chapter 155 Rou Jia Mou (d)

Translated by Gumihou

Edited by Gumihou

 

Xiao Shu was also a little taken aback, but she soon beamed and warmly pounced onto Shiyu’s arm and began pulling her in through the gate, “Come in, come in! since you’re already here, come in! Mother loves it when I bring friends home. She likes it better when the house is lively.”

Shiyu had been racking her brains for an excuse to go into the house. However, since Xiao Shu was welcoming her so warmly, there was no need for her to make up anything. Therefore, she happily went with the flow.

As a guest, one must prepare some gifts for the host, of course.

As Xiao Shu ushered her in, Shiyu pondered over what gifts would be suitable.

Shiyu studied the estate. It was very well kept and though the layout appeared casual, it had an elegant charm to it. [1] Unlike the garishness of Lin Xiao Xiao’s new money family, it had a certain understated charm to it. The Shi Clan was clearly an established clan like the Xue. However, Shiyu found herself liking this place better.

Somehow the fake mountains, flowering vines and flitting goldfishes in jars lent this place a certain liveliness [1] that was missing in the Xue courtyard.

As soon as the gatekeeper spotted Xiao Shu and a companion, he began to hurry inside to report. However, Xiao Shu soon stopped the man. “There’s no need to inform everyone. Just let my mother know I’m back with a friend. No need to disturb the elders in the family.”

With that, she pulled Shiyu towards the back garden. On the way, she began talking about her family.

[2] “So, so, granny’s our elder. Father is the eldest of three brothers, so he’s the Patriarch. My uncles all live here with their family so dinner time could get really lively sometimes. I’m the only child, well, I used to have a little sister, but she fell ill and died as a child. There’s also-”

Shiyu was only half-listening, her attention mostly on the tugging within her heart. She had a feeling that the Black Page was within the Shi Estate, but was not very clear if it was hanging around the garden. [3] She knew the little page could move, so it’s possible that it could have flapped around like a deranged little bat.

Xiao Shu led Shiyu all the way to the main house, where the main family lived. A servant happened to look outside and his face beamed with joy at the sight of the young miss. Clearly, Xiao Shu was very well-loved by the people here.

The moment she entered the estate, all sorts of people came over to greet her. Several older women cried about how much weight she had lost.

Xiao Shu laughed and whispered to Shiyu, “Really, I think being a little thinner makes me look better, right?”

That cheeky little smile… Shiyu thought that Xiao Shu looked best like this. A lovely cheerful girl like her deserves all the love in the world. Even Shiyu was tempted to pat that silly little head of hers.

They entered the main house to meet with the family. Among them was Xiao Shu’s mother, Madam Shi.

Madam Shi was a delicate and graceful looking woman with melancholic eyes.

She looked even more delicate and pretty as she held a lively Xiao Shu’s hands and complained, “Oh, this child just greeted me one day and hurried off to the mountains. Leaving me with nothing but worries for weeks!”

Shiyu’s eyes lingered on their clasped hands and a little envy arose in her heart. She covered it with a smile and said, “Now that your daughter is back, madam may cease your worries and scold her to your heart’s content.”

Madam Shi was a little surprised at how young Shiyu was. Even more when she heard Shiyu’s sophisticated way of speaking. She took another look at their guest and said, “Child, where are you from?”

“I hailed from the Eastern Empire,”

“The Eastern Empire?” something stirred in Madam Shi’s eyes. “I happen to be familiar with the Eastern Empire. Which part of the Empire are you from?”

Shiyu had not expected Madam Shi to show such interest, “A small place called Qing Shan City. I wonder if Madam knows of it?”

Right now, Qing Shan City is mostly unknown to the world. However, once Lin Fan became famous, Qing Shan City will be reflected in his glory too. Later, hundreds and thousands of people will make the pilgrimage to Qing Shan City to see for themselves the place where Male Lead Lin Fan was born.

However, it turned out that Madam Shi was familiar with Qing Shan City. In a stunned voice, she said, “Qing Shan City, ah… that place should be not bad, right?”

Aware that Madam Shi was feeling emotional for some reason, Shiyu said with a smile, “Not too bad. It’s very peaceful and people live a fairly prosperous life.”

“Right, right,” Madam Shi nodded. She turned to Xiao Shu, “Now that we have a guest here, you must show her around. Remember to restrain yourself a little.”

Shiyu really could not hide her glee. How lucky to be able to enter this place and given a tour on top of that! After a hasty goodbye, she went off with a happy Xiao Shu to explore the place.

After they left, Madam Shi sat still for a long time. Finally, she stood and entered her room. Madam Shi knelt and took out a jade box from a safe under the bed.

Within the box was a little ball. The ball has a hazy glow around it, which it flickered now and then. Below the ball of light rested a piece of black paper.

Madam Shi stroked the little ball gently for a while before and putting it back in the jade box and shutting it away.

 

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Outside.

Shiyu followed after Xiao Shu as she chattered on about something. Though she did her best to focus on the tuggings in her heart, she could not feel the Black Page anymore. After a tour around the Shi Estate, Shiyu learned quite a few of the Shi Clan’s secrets.

For example, the aunts were not good people, neither were the two uncles. The aunts tried to bully Xiao Shu’s mother but were both beaten back by her mightiness.

It was all spoken quite artlessly and there was even a boastful quality to her tone. Enough that Shiyu realised that though Xiao Shu lived within a courtyard filled with the strife of a noble house, she was still quite naïve about the world. Madam Shi had done a good job of shielding her from the ugliness of life.

That evening, Shiyu spent the night at Xiao Shu’s courtyard.

After their evening meal, the two girls laid on the couch chatting idly together under the stars. It was all a little odd, Shiyu had been fond of the little radishes when she first saw them, but even then, she had not gotten so close to someone so swiftly. Her inner peace was shaken by Xiao Shu’s next words.

“Xiao Yu, do you think mother would allow me to marry Lingfei?”

“Marry?” Shiyu sat up, “are you joking?”

“Of course not,” Xiao Shu looked very serious.

“Don’t you want to think about it first?” she was not sure whether it was prejudice after seeing Lin Fan, Feng Luo and Wen Heng, but Shen Lingfei did not seem like someone worthy of consideration as a potential mate, ah.

However, this Xiao Shu had clearly fallen into the cesspool that is Shen Lingfei and was wallowing happily in it like a pig. It would be very difficult to pull this happy pig out of her cesspool of love.

It’s bad enough that you’ve stepped into the cesspool yourself, but now you want to drown yourself in it?

“I want to follow my heart,” Xiao Shu sighed wistfully.

Shiyu scratched her head. Finally, she decided to change her point of attack, “What do you like about Shen Lingfei?”

“Everything, ah! He’s strong and popular and nice. Hahaha, I was worried he’d look down on me for not even reaching Core Transformation Stage.” Xiao Shu sighed as she talked about her favourite subject.

“… …” Shiyu rubbed her forehead. “But there are so many people who are better than him in this world.”

“I know, ah. But I really, really, like him, ah.”

In short, everything was defeated by a single word: Like.

Shiyu thought for a while, “I think you had better wait a bit before telling your mother. She loves you very much, so you better don’t use that love to hurt her.”

Madam Shi must be a wise and cunning woman to be able to sit so firmly in her current position. She would not put a weasel like Shen Lingfei in her eyes.

However, knowing that her daughter is sticking her own head into a pot of shit would distress any mother, ah. She could be provoked into acting recklessly to save her daughter from disaster.

It would be very sad to see mother and daughter turn against each other.

 

[Gumihou: I swear, it’s the Feng Luo and Meng Li situation again.]

 

[Gumihou: I swear, it’s the Feng Luo and Meng Li situation again.]

 

Gumihou is keeping track so that you don’t have to ~

 

凝氣	Condensation Stage	Stage 1
化丹	Core Transformation	Stage 2
凝丹(46)	Core Condensation	Stage 3
化神(52)	Divine Transformation	Stage 4
成嬰	Nascent Formation	Stage 5
合體	Unification*	Stage 6
返墟	Revert Decay*	Stage 7
歸真	Original Purity*	Stage 8
成仙	Become Immortal*	Stage 9

 

 

*Changed the words to something more mysterious sounding

 

[1] Additional Detail for Character Development: Also, taking the opportunity to remind everyone what Shiyu had already experienced before.

[2] Changed Detail for Dramatic Purpose: Use dialogue to show Xiao Shu’s enthusiasm as well as a way to convey information.

[3] Added Detail for Dramatic Purposes: She’s looking for the Black Page. Therefore, make the search more dramatic.

 

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