Yunchu’s Vengeance - Chapter 24
Chapter 24: Dancing at Rooster Crow
Yun Chu was currently reviewing her dowry inventory, intending to sell off some unnecessary items and convert them into silver.
While she was busy, Ting Feng walked in and reported, "Madam, Aunt Tao found seven hundred and eighty taels of silver at He Shi's place. How should we dispose of it?"
Yun Chu casually replied, "Let Aunt Tao keep it for herself."
If she wanted Aunt Tao to willingly serve as this blade, she naturally had to offer some benefits; only then would this blade become sharper and faster.
Ting Feng continued, "Aunt Tao had people beat He Shi until she vomited blood. Do we need to call a physician?"
"Vomiting a few mouthfuls of blood is nothing; she won't die." Yun Chu's expression was utterly indifferent.
He Shi had three biological children, and she wanted to see precisely who among them would be the least able to sit still and send medicine to He Shi.
Pausing for a moment, she added, "Aunt Tao was shaken from the ordeal at He Shi's place. Take some cordyceps from the treasury and send them to Aunt Tao to nourish her health."
Upon receiving the tonic sent by Yun Chu, the heavy stone hanging in Aunt Tao's heart finally fell back into place.
She knew that the Madam also loathed this He Shi in her heart, but the Madam was like the bright moon in the sky; a lowly creature like He Shi was simply unworthy of dirtying the Madam's hands.
With the Madam's permission, what else did she have to hesitate about?
Aunt Tao beckoned a maid over and whispered a few instructions to her.
That evening, the maidservant delivering meals tossed a bowl of moldy rice right at the doorstep of He Shi's side room.
"Stop right there!" He Shi called out to the maid, demanding, "Is this food for human beings? How dare you treat me this way?"
The maid spat on the ground and sneered, "Oh, my! You still think you're the managing mama by the Master's side? You've fallen to being confined in a dilapidated temple, where you're even lower than the lowest errand girl. Getting a bowl of food to eat at all is already a blessing—what more could you possibly want?"
He Shi simply couldn't believe it. That bitch Aunt Tao had taken all her personal savings, beaten her until she vomited blood, and was now even cutting off her food.
Truly, when a tiger falls from the mountains, it is bullied by dogs!
"What is that look in your eyes?" The maid raised her foot and kicked the bowl of moldy rice over. "You don't know what's good for you! Since you turn your nose up at it, then don't eat. You almost killed the little young master, yet you still vainly dream of filling your stomach? There's plenty more suffering waiting for you in the future!"
The maid cursed and strode away.
He Shi's vital energy surged violently, and she nearly fainted on the spot.
The next morning at the hour of Chen (7:00 to 9:00 AM), Old General Yun sent a physically robust and agile woman.
This woman was named Qiutong. She was around twenty-some years old, dressed in a short black martial arts tunic, with a treasured sword hanging at her waist.
"Greetings, Madam!"
Qiutong offered a cupped-fist salute, radiating an air of spirited vigor.
Yun Chu was, after all, the daughter of a military general's household. The moment she laid eyes on Qiutong, she could tell this woman possessed remarkable martial arts skills.
She stated, "From now on, you are my martial arts master. Place yourself entirely in the position of a master, and we will train however a master should train."
Qiutong acknowledged the instruction, stepped forward to check Yun Chu's pulse, and felt her tendons and bones inch by inch while continuously shaking her head. "The Madam actually has a slight foundation, but it has been far too long since you last stretched your muscles, leaving your meridians stiff. The most urgent task right now is to restore your body to its former flexibility..."
Yun Chu was dragged right out into the courtyard on the spot.
Don't let Qiutong's gender fool you; the strength in her hands was not the least bit inferior to her grandfather's. When unblocking her acupoints and meridians, the pain nearly drove her to her grave.
After a single hour, Yun Chu lacked even the strength to stand.
With an utterly expressionless face, Qiutong declared, "Tomorrow morning at the crow of the rooster, I will be waiting for the Madam in the courtyard."
Yun Chu felt a dark wave sweep over her eyes.
Rooster crowing time was roughly the hour of Chou (1:00 to 3:00 AM), which was right past midnight.
She felt as though she had only just fallen asleep when Ting Shuang shook her awake, saying, "Madam, it's time to get up. Sister Qiutong is already waiting outside."
Yun Chu scrambled up from the bed in a hurry.
Since this path was one she had chosen of her own accord, she had to press forward unflinchingly.
Her grandfather had once said that skills truly mastered are the only things that genuinely belong to oneself.
The courtyard lights were lit, and Qiutong stood in stern silence. She demonstrated a standard horse stance, instructing Yun Chu to hold it for a quarter of an hour first, and then gradually increase the duration.
Yun Chu had practiced the horse stance in her childhood, but whenever her grandfather wasn't paying attention, she would always start slacking off.
The shortcuts taken in laziness during childhood were the hardships that must inevitably be tasted in adulthood.
"The few of you come over and accompany the Madam as well," Qiutong said, casting her gaze toward the maidservants standing on the sidelines. "If you ever truly encounter any danger, you will be able to help the Madam."
Hearing this, Ting Shuang, Ting Xue, and Ting Feng immediately stepped forward, forming a row to begin holding the horse stance.
When the quarter-hour ended, the three maids, who had never touched martial arts before, were drenched in sweat, and Qiutong allowed them to rest temporarily.
Yun Chu had a slight foundation, but she could barely maintain her horse stance for over half an hour before her legs gave out.
After practicing for nearly an hour, she returned to her bed and instantly fell asleep, sleeping for barely over an hour before daybreak arrived.
The people coming to pay their respects arrived one by one.
"Mother, the Old Madam's birthday is approaching soon," Xie Ping said, holding several ledist lists. "I want to make the Old Madam's birthday banquet grander and invite the noble matrons of high status in the capital to liven things up. What does Mother think?"
Yun Chu looked at the list she handed over. "You plan to invite the wife of the Minister of Revenue, the Grand Tutor's wife... These are all first-rank noble matrons. Given the Xie family's social standing, we won't be able to invite them."
Xie Ping offered, "Grandmother is on good terms with these madams, and they also watched Mother grow up. If Mother goes to issue the invitation, I believe those madams will surely grant Mother this favor..."
Aunt Tao let out a snort of laughter. "The Eldest Miss is still far too young and understands nothing of these worldly social niceties."
Being mocked by a concubine made it difficult for Xie Ping to save face.
Ting Yu spoke up, "If it were the Madam celebrating a birthday, it might be worth trying to invite these madams to attend. But for the Old Madam, it is still somewhat inappropriate."
"Ping-jie'er, rewrite a list of prospective guests," Yun Chu said, looking at her. "Furthermore, the banquet menu you drafted is identical to last year's. It really needs to be changed; there should be some novelty, don't you think?"
Xie Ping felt a bit discouraged.
Previously, no matter what she did, her mother would always offer words of praise.
Yet ever since she secretly sent things to He Shi behind the scenes, her mother's attitude toward her seemed to have changed as well.
She lowered her head and murmured, "Yes, Mother. I will go back and reconsider it."
Yun Chu no longer concerned herself with the birthday banquet matters, turning them entirely over to Xie Ping. She only raised minor, trivial suggestions during the daily morning greetings.
She poured her heart and soul into studying martial arts under Qiutong.
To her surprise, for three or four days running, the three children born by He Shi—Xie Ping, Xie Shian, and Xie Shiwei—never once sent any medicine to the small temple.
Yun Chu smiled faintly.
These three ungrateful wolves were not only heartless toward her, their adoptive mother, but they evidently harbored no deep affection for He Shi, their biological mother, either.
He Shi's days were exceptionally difficult.
Having vomited several mouthfuls of blood, her body suffered terribly day after day, and coupled with a lack of any normal meals, she wasted away at a rapid pace.
She knew things could not continue like this; she had to think of a way to save herself, or else no one would even know if she starved to death in the small temple one day.
After the only young Buddhist nun in the temple had fallen asleep, taking advantage of the cover of night, she slipped out of the temple, evading the maids and manservants all the way until she reached the exterior of Xie Jingyu's study.
Xie Jingyu returned very late every single day.
Just as she reached the study entrance, she spotted a tall, slender figure approaching from the distance.