bookpower Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Shen Meng thought of this idea, and then saw the bandits who were committing crimes coming down the path from the hillside.
They were indeed ruthless criminals who had seen blood and were not afraid of death.
She first kicked Liang Jue hard with the tip of her shoe. Seeing no response, she carefully squatted down with a curved knife, confirming that he was really dead.
The bandit breathed a sigh of relief and reached out to pull the hairpin from Liang Jue’s hand. Although Shen Meng was attached to the hairpin, she had no control over it.
She could only watch helplessly as the vicious and greedy bandit exerted all his strength, trying to pull the blood-stained jade hairpin from Liang Jue’s hand. Even after using all his strength, and even dislocating his arm, the hairpin remained firmly in Liang Jue’s hand.
The bandit cursed under his breath, spat on the ground, rubbed his palms together, and then raised his curved knife to cut Liang Jue’s hand.
As if sensing something, Liang Jue, who had already passed away, shed two tears of blood from the corners of his eyes. Shen Meng’s heart trembled, and in that moment, the seemingly spiritual jade hairpin shattered into pieces.
Jade persists, but lives perish. As the hairpin broke, Shen Meng’s vision went black, and she fell into darkness completely. When she regained consciousness, the surroundings were still dim and noisy, and she could see red everywhere.
Feeling dizzy, she tried to think, but her head throbbed painfully. A hand with a thin layer of calluses timely supported her body, gently massaging her forehead, pulling her back to reality from the chaos of consciousness.
“Can the dead die again?” Shen Meng thought to herself, feeling that although the underworld was somewhat cold and damp, it was noisy and not quite like the hell she had imagined.
The “Ghost Servant” supporting her spoke, “Young Madam, are you feeling better? If you can’t handle it, I’ll find someone else to take over the drinks for you. The master is still waiting for you.”
A cold wind blew through the long corridor, from the lotus pond all the way over, causing Shen Meng to shiver, and she became slightly more awake. Surveying her surroundings and comparing them with her memories, it was clearly the scene of her wedding years ago.
It is said that the eighteenth level of hell is where people constantly recall the most painful moments of their lives, but although marrying Liang Jue might not have brought her much joy, it couldn’t be considered unbearable pain.
Passing through the hanging flower gate, around the artificial mountain, through the winding nine-curved corridor, past three compartments, with the red double happiness symbols and two red lanterns hanging, was her new room.
When she arrived, there was still a little servant accompanying the bridegroom waiting at the door, both dressed in bright red, with particularly pleasing double hair buns tied up, their faces reddened by the cool breeze of late autumn. As she approached, the little servant was stamping his feet and blowing into his hands to warm them.
Before she could walk over, the little servant hurried over to her, his eyes shining brightly as he spoke: “Madam, the lord is waiting for you in this room. Please don’t go the wrong way.”
He had been waiting for a long time, feeling frozen by the cold wind, and didn’t see his lady coming over. He had heard earlier that the bridegroom originally fancied Shen Meng’s cousin, but after some twists and turns, the marriage was settled.
He just worried that Shen Meng might not be happy and wouldn’t come over on the wedding night, making it difficult for his young master to stay in the household.
Everyone who came with Liang Jue addressed her as “Madam,” whether they were the main husband or concubines, omitting the last two words in the title.
She responded with a “hm,” which could be considered a response and a promise, nodding slightly, and then bypassed him, striding towards the room where Liang Jue was seated.
When she reached the door, she hesitated for a moment, then decisively pushed it open. After entering, the servant waiting inside got up and said some auspicious words to her, then placed a pair of gold scales and a small box covered in white cloth on the bed, walked out with a freshly painted red face, and very thoughtfully closed the door for the newlyweds.
Perhaps it was because she become young and impulsive, or perhaps it was because returning to the past was too exhilarating, but as she looked at the man sitting dignifiedly in his wedding attire on the wedding bed, Shen Meng’s heart suddenly inexplicably tensed up.
Notes:
1”Year of Bing Shen (丙申)”: It’s a specific year in the traditional Chinese calendar, where “Bing” represents the third Heavenly Stem and “Shen” represents the ninth Earthly Branch.
2”Month of Yi Hai (乙亥)”: It indicates a specific month in the Chinese lunar calendar, where “Yi” represents the second Heavenly Stem and “Hai” represents the twelfth Earthly Branch.
3”Day of Geng Zi (庚子)”: It signifies a particular day in the Chinese lunar calendar, with “Geng” representing the seventh Heavenly Stem and “Zi” representing the first Earthly Branch.