Chapter 286: Welcoming the Wolf into the House
Not long after the mother and daughter returned home, a woman came to visit, shrouded in mystery.
“Hey, I’m telling you, your husband is up to no good. I’m afraid he’s planning to sell Da Niu to a brothel!”
“What nonsense are you talking about?!” Tan Shuya panicked.
“Oh! I’m telling you this out of the kindness of my heart, don’t you dare be ungrateful! I saw it with my own eyes! If it weren’t for pitying that Da Niu girl, I wouldn’t even bother telling you!”
“Really?!”
“How could it be fake? You know what kind of person that old woman is, don’t you? She whispered with your husband for a long time. Then she found the village head’s son to write something, got your husband to press his fingerprint on it, how can it be wrong?”
“He, how dare he…” Tan Shuya slumped onto the ground. Li Da Niu stared blankly, what did this mean? Was she supposed to go with that old woman?
“How dare he?! Look how happy Li Yin is, he must have gotten a lot of silver!”
Tan Shuya froze for a moment, then quickly fumbled out three copper coins from her inner clothes, “Thank you, auntie!”
The woman pushed back a little, then accepted them, “You have to find a way quickly! He pressed his fingerprint, this matter is most likely settled! However, I saw that old woman leave, it didn’t seem like she had given any silver. The goods and money haven’t been exchanged, maybe there’s still a chance… But, I’ve heard about that old woman, she’s not someone to be trifled with! If your good-for-nothing husband agreed, even if he wants to change his mind, she’ll break his legs. Alright, I’m leaving… Sigh!”
Tan Shuya looked at her daughter, tears streaming down her face, “No, your father wouldn’t sell you to that old woman, he wouldn’t be so heartless…”
But Li Da Niu was thinking to herself: If I go with that old woman, will I be able to wear clothes like hers?
Will I be able to wear flowers?
That wouldn’t be bad, why is mother crying?
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In the evening, Li Yin returned. Somehow he had obtained two pieces of sorghum candy and smilingly offered them to his daughter.
Li Da Niu had tasted it once before, that flavor, she felt she would never forget. She reached out and snatched them in her hand!
Li Yin chuckled. “Like it?”
Li Da Niu didn’t even look at her mother’s horrified face, but carefully put one piece in her mouth, “Mmm, like it, delicious.”
Li Yin, also ignoring his wife, actually went to boil hot water himself. He came out and said to Tan Shuya, “Wash her up! Look how dirty she is!”
Tan Shuya wanted to beg her husband, but she was too nervous to speak. Moreover, she knew that things had come to this, begging was useless! Numbly, she took Li Da Niu to bathe.
Li Da Niu finished the candy and took a hot bath, feeling extremely comfortable. She giggled.
Her small face was like a flower.
The next morning, Li Yin said again, “I’ll go chop firewood today, don’t let her go, she’s so young, her hands will be ruined. I’ve never seen such a lazy mother like you!” While scolding, he went out.
Tan Shuya hadn’t slept all night. Looking at her daughter, happy today because she didn’t have to work, carefully eating the piece of candy she hadn’t been willing to eat yesterday, she stared blankly for a while, finally stood up, and dug around in the back of the house for a long time, finding about thirty copper coins.
Gritting her teeth, she took a few and bought some cured meat and filled a half-pot with wine. She knew her husband couldn’t hold his liquor.
When Li Yin returned from chopping firewood and saw the wine and meat at home, he was overjoyed. “How come you’re so sensible today?” He rarely praised his wife.
“Seeing you being kind to our daughter, not losing your temper, makes me happy too!” Tan Shuya said softly.
“Hehe! I won’t scold her anymore!” This was a money tree.
With her delicate looks, she would definitely make it there. Then, even if she just gave them a little, they wouldn’t have to worry about food and drink. If she could snag an official… Hehe…
Li Yin wasn’t polite, he finished the food and wine by himself. He quickly became tipsy and started talking more: “You gave birth to such a good daughter, and you’re so sensible, I won’t treat you too badly!
I was originally thinking, once I get the thirty taels, I’ll marry a young virgin. But now that I think about it, wanting to marry someone like you again isn’t easy. Forget it! You hurry up and give me more children. Sons to carry on the family line. Daughters… Hehe, raising a few more could earn us a lot of silver!
Why didn’t I think of this before?! If I had known, I wouldn’t have let her do such heavy work, if her hands and feet were in good shape, we could have asked for at least twenty more taels! Sigh…” He slumped over, sleeping like a log.
Tan Shuya knew where her husband hid his money, she rummaged around and found only a few dozen copper coins, which she put in her pocket.
She put on the only two pieces of clothing she had, tied the shoes she hadn’t been willing to wear around her waist, and packed all of Li Da Niu’s belongings. After thinking for a while, she picked up a basket, put in some necessities, and covered it with grass. Then she grabbed the wood-chopping knife, “Let’s go!”
The two of them, without looking back, walked out of the small village.
Li Da Niu knew her mother was taking her away! She wasn’t afraid at all, a little nervous, but more excited.
The scenery along the way was all new to her. Her eyes sparkled…
They walked from noon until evening, finding a secluded City God Temple to stay in for the night.
The countless days that followed were the same. They only had a few dozen copper coins on them, which they were reluctant to spend. If they could beg for food, they ate, if not, they went hungry. Their feet were wrapped in grass. To avoid harassment, Tan Shuya made both of them look like beggars, reeking terribly.
Li Da Niu didn’t cry, didn’t complain of tiredness, didn’t grumble. She just silently followed her mother!
Finally, they reached the riverbank. Li Da Niu looked at the river, wide, stretching as far as the eye could see. The river breeze blew, birds flew by. She grinned, “Mother, look, look! It’s so beautiful here!”
Tan Shuya also felt relieved: “Your maternal grandfather’s family migrated from the Huai Mountains. He told me the route and said our ancestors were a prominent and wealthy family. We’ll go there, with our clansmen’s protection, I’ll be able to raise you. No matter what, I won’t let your father find you.”
They found a hidden spot by the river and bathed. They threw away their clothes and shoes that were too worn out to wear and put on the ones they had brought. At least they were clean and tidy, enough for others to talk to them.
They asked many boats, but each one demanded several or even a dozen taels of silver…
After begging for a long time, no one paid them any attention. The last boat owner was fat and sleazy. He looked them up and down, leaned in, and whispered something.
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Tan Shuya’s face turned deathly pale, but she looked back in the direction of Li’s village and finally nodded.
✿✿✿
This was the first night after they boarded the boat.
Li Da Niu covered her ears, not knowing what was happening, but she knew it wasn’t good. And she knew that in the days to come, there would be different men who would bully her mother…
By the time they disembarked, the mother and daughter were exhausted, collapsing on the dock.
The boat owner seemed quite satisfied, casually tossing them some food and some loose silver.
They walked for many more days. Along the way, they begged and stole. Her mother would hide her and go out herself… Sometimes, she would come back with some food and copper coins, sometimes with nothing, and covered in injuries.
She didn’t talk about it, and Li Da Niu didn’t ask.
Finally, they reached their destination.
But upon inquiring, a kind old man told them: The Tan family had few descendants, some had gone to the capital to become officials, some had migrated, there were almost none left locally!
Upon hearing this news, Tan Shuya nearly fainted.
Then, a person nearby laughed after hearing this, “You’re really getting senile, what’s the surname of the current Bai family head’s wife? She’s the only descendant of that branch from Dingzhou. When she married into the Bai family, her great-uncle made the decision, all the property of that branch went to her!”
The old man slapped his forehead upon hearing this, “Who would dare to think of the Bai family so easily! Over two hundred miles from here, there’s a Phoenix Soaring Manor, on a mountain in Xijing City, it’s a huge place. If you’re truly related to the Bai family, then wealth and glory are definitely within reach!”
Another person nearby said, “Don’t give them false hope! Who are the Bai family? Do you think they just recognize anyone as kin? Not to mention the head of the family… Just the two of them wouldn’t even get to see a maid from the Bai family!”
This was the first time Li Da Niu had heard of the Bai family.
Upon arriving in Xijing, the mother and daughter were stunned, they had never seen such a prosperous place.
Li Da Niu adapted even faster than Tan Shuya, despite her young age, she carefully observed everything and everyone.
On the streets, many women and young ladies walked by. Their clothes and accessories made that old woman with the flower look like a toad! They had come to the right place!
Her heart was filled with excitement, she made a silent vow!
I, I also want to live a life like this!
The two arrived at the manor gates and spoke for a long time, but the gatekeeper wouldn’t listen and even threatened to beat them.
Helpless, they had to settle in a nunnery, helping with chores and inquiring about the Bai family. After waiting for two months, they finally heard that the Bai family’s mistress would be returning from her villa by the Lishui River, passing by their location.
So, Tan Shuya hurriedly told her daughter to wash up. Li Da Niu didn’t need her mother’s help, she washed herself clean and combed her hair. She followed her mother and waited by the roadside.
After waiting for a while, a group of people approached.
Behind eight mounted guards, followed a small carriage. Two black-hoofed donkeys with pink noses pulled it, the white carriage body was carved with patterns, it had a roof but the canopy was open. A woman with a high bun and a veil sat inside.
Tan Shuya excitedly shouted, “Madam Bai! A descendant of the Tan family has wandered here, please have pity on us, please take us in!”
Her voice was shrill. She pulled Li Da Niu down to kneel, the woman heard her, “Stop the carriage!”
That voice was the most pleasant sound Li Da Niu had ever heard in her life.
She foolishly looked up. It was the image of a fairy she had imagined in her mind when listening to stories. No, even more… she couldn’t describe it.
Her high bun was adorned with things she couldn’t even name, so beautiful!
Two long, arched eyebrows, a pair of large eyes. Below, a veil covered her face, making it impossible to see her features clearly.
Sitting in the carriage… It seemed like it would take thousands of words to describe, but she couldn’t utter a single one.
In short, even the donkeys pulling the carriage were cleaner and more beautiful than her.
The woman’s phoenix eyes looked over, “Who is kneeling there?”
“My ancestors were from the Huai Mountain Tan family. Later, we migrated. My husband is dead, I only have this daughter, life is hard, so I wanted to come to find our roots, begging for the family to take us in!”
The woman thought for a moment, “I have indeed heard of the Huai Mountain Tan family… Since it’s a clanswoman seeking help, how can we refuse? Take them back with us!”
Taking in this mother and daughter was nothing more than a trivial matter for Madam Bai, just a word.
However, it was only before her death that she understood, the downfall of the Bai family was precisely due to welcoming the wolf into the house today.
