vrcanaries Chapter 150 Qiu Niang's Experience after Arriving in Beijing
Chapter 150 Qiu Niang's Experience after Arriving in Beijing
Following Luo Xiaoran's instructions, Qiu Niang quickly arrived at the city gate and got off the carriage. She originally wanted to lead the horse and queue up to wait to leave the city.
Compared with entering the city, the inspection at the exit of the city gate was not as strict. However, it was too conspicuous for a beautiful woman like Qiu Niang dressed in gorgeous clothes to lead the carriage herself.
After thinking about it, Qiu Niang deposited the carriage in the storage room next to her where there was an old man who specialized in looking after carriages for others.
In this way, Qiu Niang successfully left the city. However, because Luo Xiaoran was a short "man", the soldiers guarding the city were very impressed with her, so they stopped her and asked, "Aren't you here to visit your relatives? Why are you out so soon?"
Luo Xiaoran's face slanted, "I came to see my uncle. He runs a shop in Kyoto. When I was looking for the place just now, I found that the shop had changed owners, and my uncle had moved to the countryside in the suburbs."
At this point, Luo Xiaoran pretended to be angry and said, "My father originally wanted me to borrow some money from my uncle to help with the family's difficulties, but I didn't expect that my uncle is now in trouble. It seems that my trip was in vain."
As soon as Luo Xiaoran finished speaking, the soldier who was questioning her frowned and waved his hand at her. His tone was no longer full of curiosity and teasing, "Get out of here! You sophisticated little dwarf!"
Luo Xiaoran successfully left the city and was looking around for Qiu Niang when she saw Qiu Niang standing in a particularly secluded place and calling her, "Cai Cai, come here, Cai Cai, come quickly!"
"Didn't you go to live with your sister-in-law? Why would someone be detaining you?" Luo Xiaoran asked straight to the point.
Just as Qiu Niang was about to tell the whole story, she saw a group of people suddenly appear at the city gate, "Cai Cai is blocking me, they are here to arrest me."
Luo Xiaoran quickly took off her cloak and put it on Qiu Niang, covering her conspicuous red dress, and protected her behind her.
The group of people at the city gate looked outside the city a few times, didn't see Qiu Niang, and went back to the city cursing.
"They've already left." Luo Xiaoran's voice rang out, and Qiu Niang dared to stick her eyes out to look. Seeing that it was indeed the case, she breathed a sigh of relief.
"What on earth happened?" Luo Xiaoran pointed at the many hair accessories on Qiu Niang's head. She remembered that Qiu Niang didn't like such exaggerated dressing.
When Qiu Niang saw Luo Xiaoran's concerned expression and thought of the bitter experiences she had gone through in the past few months, she could no longer hold back her tears and threw herself into Luo Xiaoran's arms.
It turned out that after parting with Luo Xiaoran, Uncle Li and others that day, Qiu Niang successfully found her sister-in-law Lu Zhuer's residence based on her previous letters home and told her the purpose of her visit.
"Who would have thought that when Lu Zhuer heard that her brother was hacked to death on the road, she kept saying that she had married into the Cheng family and was a Cheng family member, and she couldn't take care of the widow's livelihood. She even refused to let me in."
When Qiu Niang said this, there was hatred in her tone. If Lu Zhuer had not been so cruel, she would not have encountered the things that happened later.
Luo Xiaoran patted Qiu Niang's shoulder to comfort her, and slowed down her voice:
"I remember you said that Lu Zhu'er's husband Cheng Yiwen was your husband's classmate. They are scholars who care about their reputation the most. You can just wait for Cheng Yiwen to come back at the door and let him give you an explanation."
Qiu Niang nodded, but she couldn't stop the tears in her eyes. Luo Xiaoran didn't have a handkerchief, so she had to use Yunhu's cloak to wipe her tears.
"When I entered Kyoto, it was still early. I wanted to find Lu Zhu'er and meet her as soon as possible, so I didn't even have breakfast. After she refused to let me in, I was really hungry, so I just found a place to eat something to fill my stomach. Who knew..."
After Qiu Niang finished speaking, she started crying again. This time, she was not crying because of the confusion and fear about the uncertain future she had experienced while fleeing from the famine, but because of the grievances she saw in her close ones.
After Qiu Niang finished crying and calmed down, she continued, "I was knocked unconscious, and when I woke up, I was in Quan Ya Pavilion."
Quanyage? It sounds a bit like the name of a brothel. Luo Xiaoran looked at Qiu Niang, who was wearing gorgeous makeup, and her fists hardened.
"Izumi-agaku is a very famous brothel in Kyoto, and its guests are either rich or noble.
The madam had someone force me to sign a contract to sell my body and to receive customers. When I refused, she beat me. I went on a hunger strike for three days. Seeing that I was really stubborn, she went to find Mr. Zhao... and forced him to force me. "
Speaking of this, some bad memories seemed to emerge in Qiu Niang's mind. She was shaking all over and her limbs were even cramping.
Luo Xiaoran quickly stroked her back to comfort her and let her slowly calm down: "It's all over, Qiu Niang, you are with me now, you are safe."
Luo Xiaoran's words were so gentle that Qiu Niang raised her tearful eyes and gradually stopped shaking:
"Master Zhao commanded all the thugs in Quanyage and was extremely cruel. After he left, I stayed in bed for a month before my injuries healed. From then on, I started to receive customers.
Because I want to live. I have gone through so much trouble to escape the famine, why should I die in that filthy place!
Gradually, my fame grew, and the madam began to agree to let me out for a walk when I was bored, but of course someone had to be watching me.
Then, I met you."
Qiu Niang was obviously half a head taller than Luo Xiaoran and a few years older than Luo Xiaoran, but at this moment she raised her head from Luo Xiaoran's arms like a child and forced a smile:
"God couldn't bear to let me suffer so much, and I met you again, and you rescued me. Thank you, Cai Cai!"
After listening to Qiu Niang's story, Luo Xiaoran felt very heavy.
She didn't expect that Qiu Niang had worked so hard to escape famine and reach Kyoto, but in the end she couldn't even have a single day of peace and ended up suffering in another place.
"So what are your plans now?" Luo Xiaoran asked softly.
Qiu Niang tightly grasped Luo Xiaoran's clothes, as if she was afraid of being abandoned: "Cai Cai, please take me away! Quan Ya Pavilion is not a simple place, I can't go back there.
And with my current status, I don’t want to ask Cheng Yiwen for shelter anymore, because that would only make me recall over and over again how I ended up in that situation.”
"Okay, I'll take you right away!" Luo Xiaoran gathered Qiu Niang's cloak, "Let's go south along the official road first. I have some friends there."
"When we fled the famine before, I not only taught you how to drive, but also taught you how to ride a horse. I wonder if you have forgotten it?" Luo Xiaoran asked with a yawn.
Qiu Niang hesitated for a moment and nodded, "I still remember."
"That's fine!" Luo Xiaoran clapped her hands together eleven times, and suddenly changed the subject:
"I haven't slept for a long time. I'm a little sleepy. The horse is tired too. After we ride it, we can just let it lead us slowly. You'll be in front and I'll hold you from behind. I want to take a nap."