Edited by Larkspur

Chapter 32: Mysterious Guest (Part 1)

Chu Jin Yao watched helplessly as the little boy ran towards the middle of the road with his head down. She widened her eyes in shock and called out, “Be careful!”

The little boy was initially squatting next to the cloth shop and later ran to the middle of the road without warning. Right then that entourage of officers and soldiers arrived in an instant with their iron hoofs. Terrified, Chu Jin Yao w jumped in the direction of the little boy without even thinking.

Fortunately, Chu Jin Yao grew up in the village and because she did a lot of housework in her early years, her agility was much better than normal young ladies. As she pulled the little boy over, she quickly took him into her arms while thinking of returning to the road side at the same time. But, how could one be faster than a galloping horse? Chu Jin Yao only felt that the scene in front of her turn dark and she closed her eyes in reflex as she hugged the child tightly in her arms. Waves of screams emerged and Chu Jin Yao could vaguely hear Chu Jin Xian calling out for her. In the chaos, Chu Jin Yao could hear Qin Yi’s urgent and grave voice, “Raise your hand and step back!”

Chu Jin Yao did not understand what was going on, but when she heard Qin Yi’s voice, she unconsciously raised her arms to protect herself. At this time, the sound of the wooden frame falling apart finally reached her ears. The wooden shed collapsed with a loud bang and the people on both sides of the streets screamed uncontrollably at the sight.

Chu Jin Yao felt her hand getting heavy before a wave of numbness and afterwards an ever lasting pain flooded her brain. She opened her eyes in pain. The first thing she saw was the little boy. Perhaps the little boy was dumbfounded with the series of events as he did not even move the slightest. Chu Jin Yao swept a look at him and discovered that other than some dust on his face, there was nothing wrong with the boy at all. She secretly breathed a sigh of relief before she looked at her hand.

Her forearm seemed to have been scratched by the wooden frame that her sleeve was torn and blood flowed all the way down to the palm of her hand. Chu Jin Yao’s first reaction was to feel for the jade pendant. She seemed to have heard Qin Yi’s voice just then. The jade pendant must not be broken! Chu Jin Yao did not care about the blood on her hands as she quickly felt for the jade pendant through the silk string. Upon feeling the smooth and round jade pendant, she finally let out a long sigh.

After feeling relieved, Chu Jin Yao only then discovered that her legs were weak. She was hugging the little boy as she half squatted on the streets and could not even stand up at all.

Chu Jin Xian was almost scared to death by the scene just now. She hurriedly ran over with the maids and saw Chu Jin Yao’s hand was bleeding like a river, but she was blankly holding a jade pendant. A wave of anger rushed over Chu Jin Xian. “Why are you still caring about the jade pendant! Quickly help Fifth Young Lady up. Qing He, go look for a physician quickly!”

Chu Jin Xian brought the maids and carefully supported Chu Jin Yao’s other arm as she helped her up. At this time, a woman wearing a peach red jacket ran over and pulled the little boy up to look at him before bursting into tears as she hugged the child. “You are a debt collector. You scared mother to death!”

After the woman cried for a while, she quickly pulled the little boy over to bow to Chu Jin Yao. “Quickly kneel down to thank benefactor!”

With the help of the maid, Chu Jin Yao could finally stand firmly. She saw the woman giving her a big bow and hurried to support her. “One cannot bear it. May Furen not do this!”

Chu Jin Yao moved slightly and the surrounding maids helped her support the Furen up. Chu Jin Yao retrieved her hand and stood in place. Chu Jin Xian then said, “This Furen, do watch after the child the next time. My younger sister’s hand is now injured and we have to see the physician and thus will leave first.”

The owner of the brocade shop heard the attendant’s message and ran out hurriedly. At the sight of his only son, who he had when he was old, his face turned ashen and he recited the few phrases of Bodhisattva before running down the steps. “Thanking both Young Ladies. I, Qi De Sheng, will never forget Young Lady’s kindness and virtue! If Young Lady is looking for a physician, why not take a rest at this lowly one’s shop. I will instruct the attendants to call for the physician. It is better than letting benefactor head there with an injury!”

Chu Jin Xian considered for a while before answering, “Alright, one has troubled Manager Qi.” Saying so, Chu Jin Xian turned towards Chu Jin Yao to question softly, “Can you walk now?”

Chu Jin Yao nodded her head. “It is much better. I was so frightened just now that my legs did not obey me. I have since recovered.”

Qi De Sheng shouted over to the attendants, “Quickly show benefactor a seat! Xiao Liu, quickly go to the inner courtyard and bring two pieces of clean white muslin over.”

Chu Jin Xian helped Chu Jin Yao walk into the store slowly. Qi De Sheng brocade shop was right next to the jewelry store and the females of the residence of the Marquis of Chang Xing were talking to the Furens of the two officials and only turned their head back when the people on the streets shouted. Afterwards, they saw Chu Jin Yao hugging a child in the middle of the streets and an official riding a horse yanking the reins and turning his head sharply, knocking down the wooden shed that the brocade shop had built outside.

Immediately after, Chu Jin Yao ran out with her maids. It was extremely rude for a noble lady’s face and body to be seen by outsiders that it was not even possible for one to lift the curtains while sitting in a carriage, let alone running out to the middle of the road in broad daylight. The few Furens of the Chu family wanted to call out, but the accident happened before they could do it. Thus, they could only wait anxiously under the eaves. Now that Chu Jin Xian accompanied Chu Jin Yao back, they swarmed over to take a look at Chu Jin Yao’s injuries.

Those females kept on questioning while Chu Jin Yao endured the pain silently as she shook her head to indicate that she was fine. Madam Zhao, who stood in front, took a look and saw that there was a big slash on her hand and the bleeding had yet to stop. She was very angry. “Why did you run into the streets when I was talking to the two Furens?”

Chu Jin Xian cut Madam Zhao’s words off. “Mother, say no more about it. It is important to treat Jin Yao’s wounds first.”

The young ladies of the Chu family looked in curiously. As Seventh Young Lady looked at Chu Jin Yao’s hand she said, “With so much blood, one fears that there would be scars in the future.”

Upon the word scar, the young ladies started murmuring. As a noble female, they were raised in the boudoir from young and would not leave the doors as if one were a clean, new and precious thing, waiting to marry up in the future. If there was a scar, even if it was on the arm, it was not good to even speak about it.

Chu Jin Yao was considered the most beautiful among the sisters, but now there was a big scar on her arm.

The young ladies seemed to have become closer to Chu Jin Yao immediately. They asked after her current condition and if it was painful. Chu Jin Yao did not have the energy to speak and kept smiling with a pale face as a reply instead.

When Madam Zhao heard Seventh Young Lady speaking about leaving a scar, her expression turned sour. Madam Yan and the few looked at Chu Jin Yao’s wounds and could only sighed a pity. However, Madam Zhao became angrier. Her eyes were widen as she spoke bitterly, “Who the hell did this! I want to see just who has the guts to hurt a daughter of my family in Tai Yuan.”

As soon as Madam Zhao’s words fell, a servant from the residence of Marquis Chang Xing stepped up to speak with Madam Zhao, “May Marquis Furen wait for a moment. This lowly one will go teach them a lesson.”

Qi De Sheng was standing outside the periphery, waiting since a while. And when he heard those words, he took the opportunity to speak, “It so happens that this small shop has prepared hot water and clean cloth. I have already sent my staff to look for a physician and he would arrive soon. May Furens and young ladies take a sit in this small shop, so as not to be distracted by the people outside and offend the nobles.”

Madam Zhao replied, “Alright. Steward Liu, go and negotiate with those impertinent people. Even if they are officials and soldiers, in the boundaries of Tai Yuan, no one dares to provoke our residence of Marquis of Chang Xing.”

Steward Liu complied and bowed before stepping away from Madam Zhao. But after walking onto the streets, he became arrogant again. Chu Jin Yao glanced in the direction of the group. These people were garbed in a warrior’s attire. Just now, when she was saving that child, she was pressed and in order for that person to avoid her, he had forcefully pulled the reins of the horses at the nick of time and knocked onto the wooden shed. This person was so strong that he knocked apart the wooden shed. Chu Jin Yao, too, deserved to be in this calamity. Even though she had avoided the horse’s hooves, she was cut by the fallen wood and injured her hand. In the end, blood was still seen.

The wooden shed had collapsed and their horses seemed to be injured. Chu Jin Yao watched as the few of them jumped off their horses, surrounded the person leading as if checking the injuries of the horse. They seemed to be arguing about something, but none of them looked over at the accidentally injured Chu Jin Yao as they discussed fiercely.

To be this arrogant, at the first glance, one was able to tell that these were officials and soldiers that came out on an official task. Chu Jin Yao felt uncomfortable in her heart as they were already in the wrong for riding horses in the market area and almost trampled a child to death! If Chu Jin Yao was not standing nearby and her actions were not as fast, one feared that this child would be either dead or disabled. It was heard that Manager Qi had gained a son when he was old and had only this sprout. Today, it was almost destroyed by these people.

If Chu Jin Yao was still a commoner, she would have to endure this kind of matter as the common folks did not contend with officers. As long as everyone was fine, they would be thankful, so how would they dare to ask an explanation from these officials? It was fortunate that her current identity was vastly different, and she was in the privileged class. The Marquis of Chang Xing was the only Marquis in Tai Yuan and he had military in his hands, so all the officials in Shan Xi would speak nicely to Marquis Chang Xing. As the Di-daughter of the Marquis of Chang Xing, she was qualified to seek justice.