Chapter 8: Elopement

Chapter 8: Elopement

No one but the Xin Youzhi family knew that Xin He had once eloped before being sent to the Wei household.

Her companion in elopement was Zhou Shuisheng.

Xin He was beautiful, and many young men in Shili Village admired her, Zhou Shuisheng being one of them.

However, the Zhou family was poor. His father had died young, and they relied solely on his mother's bamboo weaving to make ends meet, living a hand-to-mouth existence.

So, even though she knew Zhou Shuisheng liked her, Xin He never considered marrying him.

But later, by chance, Zhou Shuisheng gained favor and found work at a shipping firm in the county town, often traveling on cargo ships.

The villagers didn't know how much he earned, but every time Zhou Shuisheng returned to the village, he was always well-dressed and brought back many exotic goods. The Zhou family’s life gradually improved.

Even then, Xin He still didn't consider marrying Zhou Shuisheng.

That was until the Wei family’s steward arrived with lavish gifts, saying that Master Wei had taken a liking to her and wished to take her as his twenty-eighth concubine.

Xin Youzhi and his wife, greedy as they were, eagerly agreed.

Originally, Uncle Ming was supposed to take Xin He away that very day, but she fought back desperately, insisting that even as a concubine, she must enter the household on an auspicious day in a sedan chair.

Eventually, Uncle Ming agreed that the eighth day of the seventh month was an auspicious date, and that the Wei family would send someone to fetch Xin He on that day.

But as soon as Uncle Ming left, Xin He began planning her escape.

Although Xin He prioritized family wealth when choosing a husband, her standards for appearance were low—she only required the man to be presentable.

But Master Wei was not only old enough to be her father, he was also fat-faced and pot-bellied. Even though he was a wealthy man in Qingyuan County, Xin He wanted no part of becoming his concubine.

Coincidentally, Zhou Shuisheng had returned to the village to visit his mother. After Xin Youzhi’s family had fallen asleep, Xin He slipped out and ran into Zhou Shuisheng.

The mountain paths were treacherous at night, and as a young woman, she knew she couldn’t get very far alone. So, Xin He asked Zhou Shuisheng if he would take her away.

At that time, Xin He had nothing. The only thing she could offer Zhou Shuisheng was herself.

She told him that if he was willing to take her away, she would marry him.

News of Master Wei’s intention to take Xin He as his twenty-eighth concubine had spread throughout the village after the Wei family’s servants left Shili Village. Zhou Shuisheng naturally knew that Xin He was desperate, which was why she proposed this.

But he agreed right away all the same.

That very night, Zhou Shuisheng took Xin He with him back to the county town.

Xin He figured that since Zhou Shuisheng often traveled on cargo ships, she could go with him. By the time Xin Youzhi’s family realized she was missing, she would be far away from Qingyuan County.

At that time, Xin He was filled with the joy of escaping her cage and hopes for the future.

She thought that even though she still didn’t like Zhou Shuisheng, she was willing to try to develop feelings for him in the future, since he was willing to take the risk and help her escape.

"Have some water," Zhou Shuisheng handed her the water.

To Xin He at that time, Zhou Shuisheng was a lifeline in her desperate situation, and she let her guard down completely against him.

Even after drinking the water he gave her, Xin He continued to think about their future.

Zhou Shuisheng was strong and had experience working on ships—he could find work anywhere. But she couldn’t be idle either; she knew about medicinal herbs and how to grow vegetables and flowers. In the future, she would also earn money to help with household expenses.

After her parents passed away, she no longer had a home.

Living with her uncle and aunt, she walked on eggshells, fearing she might be sold off. Now that she had escaped, although the future was uncertain, she would no longer have to live in fear.

Afterward, Xin He fell into a deep sleep and even had a wonderful dream.

But when she woke up, she found herself in a dim, poorly lit alley.

Ten steps away, under a lantern, stood two people.

An arrogant woman’s voice rang out: "She’s quite pretty, but if she’s not a virgin, she’s not worth this price."

Xin He had just woken up and was still somewhat dazed.

Until another voice, a man’s voice, fawning and eager to please, spoke up: "Madam, don’t worry, I assure you she’s a virgin."

It was Zhou Shuisheng’s voice.

It was like a dash of cold water had been poured over Xin He’s head, and she instantly became alert.

She had thought that at daybreak, she and Zhou Shuisheng would leave Qingyuan County together and start a new life. Instead, he had sold her to a brothel.

Xin He tried to run but was caught by the brothel’s enforcers.

Xin He wept and begged Zhou Shuisheng, appealing to their past affection and the beautiful future she had envisioned. But Zhou Shuisheng took the money from selling her and left without looking back.

The madam was long accustomed to such scenes: "Girl, that man is a gambler. Even if you cry your eyes out, he won’t change his mind. I advise you to accept your fate."

"A gambler?!" Xin He asked in a daze.

"That man has obvious calluses on his thumb and four fingers—a clear sign of someone who’s been shaking dice cups for years. Girl, you need to keep your eyes open when judging people in the future."

Xin He collapsed to the ground.

She had thought Zhou Shuisheng was her lifeline, her chance to escape. Only now did she realize he was poison coated in sugar.

Xin He begged the madam desperately to let her go.

But the madam had run out of patience: "I run a brothel, not a charity! I paid good money for you. If I let you go, how am I supposed to make a living? What are you all standing around for? Drag her inside!"

Xin He struggled with all her might, but it was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot. She was dragged into the Drunken Moon Pavilion by two burly men.

When begging proved futile, Xin He resisted fiercely. Even after being tied up, she fought like a cornered young animal, kicking, headbutting, and biting to keep anyone from approaching her.

The madam sneered, "Oh, a feisty one! But in all my years running this brothel, I’ve seen plenty of feisty girls."

As soon as she finished speaking, a procurer brought over a bowl of dark, murky medicinal brew.

With a wave of the madam’s hand, two enforcers stepped forward and forced the brew down Xin He’s throat.

"The beginning is always the hardest. Once you get past it, it’ll be easier." The madam, seeing that the entire bowl had been forced down, signaled for them to untie Xin He, looking utterly confident. "Once this medicine takes effect, you’ll be begging me to find you a man!"

With that, the madam swayed her hips and left.

Xin He was thrown onto the bed like an exhausted fish, gasping for breath. She turned over, pressed her fingers against the base of her tongue, and tried to vomit up the medicine she had been forced to drink, but to no avail.

From the madam’s words, it wasn’t hard to guess what kind of medicine it was.

Xin He had never been one to wait passively for doom. Since she couldn’t vomit it up, she had to escape.

She had already suffered enough in the past; she refused to let the rest of her life waste away in this swamp.

The madam was too confident in her drug's potency, so when she left, she took everyone in the room with her, which made it easier for Xin He to escape.

At first, Xin He felt nothing, but as the drug gradually took effect, she felt a fire burning inside her, making her mouth dry and throat parched, and her limbs weak.

Xin He tried to suppress it, but the fire burned fiercer and fiercer, until even her vision began to blur.

Xin He thought of finding an empty room to hide in, waiting for the drug to wear off before escaping.

The moment she entered the room, Wei Mingjin stumbled in after her.

What followed was a night of madness.

Once the drug wore off, Xin He, despite her discomfort, quickly dressed and slid down using the red silk hanging outside the brothel window into the lotus pond below. She swam all the way to under Duxian Bridge.

At that time, Xin He was determined to leave Qingxi County, even if it meant leaving Zhou Shuisheng behind.

So she headed straight for the ferry, planning to catch the first dawn boat out of Qingxi County.

But just before the boat docked, Xin Youzhi arrived with his two sons.

Xin He was captured and brought back, and the next day she was pushed into a bridal sedan and delivered to the Wei family.

Everything that happened at Zuiyue Lou felt like a surreal and dangerous dream.

After waking from the dream, Xin He kept her mouth shut and deliberately tried to forget.

But now, Zhou Shuisheng had dragged it all back up again.

Xin He turned her head sharply, her gaze burned into Zhou Shuisheng.

She knew exactly what Zhou Shuisheng was after, but she refused to let him succeed.

Xin He clenched her palms tightly, refusing to show weakness: "Fine, but before we go see Young Master Wei, you’ll have to come with me to see the magistrate. Selling freeborn women is a serious crime."

"Don’t try to scare me," Zhou Shuisheng retorted, not buying it. He folded his arms, his face full of defiance. "Zuiyue Lou has already been shut down, and what evidence do you have to prove I trafficked you? If this goes to the magistrate, who knows which of us would come out worse!"

Zhou Shuisheng was certain Xin He wouldn’t dare take him to court.

Xin He was fuming, but could do nothing about Zhou Shuisheng.

He was right—she had no evidence. And if this really went to the magistrate, her secret would be exposed.

"And that child in your womb—it must have been conceived at Zuiyue Lou, right?" Zhou Shuisheng’s gaze fell on Xin He’s still-flat abdomen.

After selling Xin He to Zuiyue Lou that night, he took the money and went on a gambling spree.

Only after losing every last cent did Zhou Shuisheng return to Shili Village. He expected the Xin family to be in chaos, but instead, Xin Youzhi’s family was happily preparing to build a new house.

Puzzled, Zhou Shuisheng asked around discreetly and learned that Xin He had already been married into the Wei family as a concubine.

For a long time after that, Zhou Shuisheng was looking over his shoulder, worried the Wei family would come after him. But when they never made a move, he gradually stopped worrying about it.

It wasn’t until today, when he heard two men talking about the Wei family outside the gambling den, that Zhou Shuisheng remembered.

Then his mind started scheming.

"Zhou Shuisheng, don’t talk nonsense!" Xin He snapped.

"Whether it’s true or not has nothing to do with me. I’m only here for money." At this, Zhou Shuisheng changed his tone. "Out of respect for our shared village ties, I came to you first. If you’re willing to pay up to make this go away, I’ll keep my mouth shut. If not, I’ll have no choice but to go have a talk with Young Master Wei."

Zhou Shuisheng knew nothing of the history between Xin He and Wei Mingjin; he simply wanted to use this leverage to shake her down for money.

Xin He loathed Zhou Shuisheng to the core, but to prevent him from spreading lies to Wei Mingjin, she had to keep him calm for now.

Xin He took a deep breath, suppressing the overwhelming hatred in her heart, and asked, "How much do you want?"

Zhou Shuisheng smiled with satisfaction.

About fifteen minutes later, Qiong Hua finally found Xin He, who was looking lost.

"Mistress, where did you go? You scared me to death!" Qiong Hua’s heart finally settled, and she was so relieved she almost cried.

"I got lost while wandering. I’m tired; let’s go back."

Qiong Hua hurriedly wiped the sweat from her face and supported Xin He as they made their way back to the courtyard where they were resting.

After the figures of the mistress and maid had completely disappeared, two figures emerged from behind the nearby ornamental gate.

It was Fang Xu and her maid.

Fang Xu turned her head and instructed, "Find out who else entered the garden of stone tablets near the pagoda besides Xin He."

The maid nodded and hurried away.

Fang Xu stood in place, her eyes icy cold.

Xin He, I will personally uncover your true face.