Rose Lock - Chapter 40

In the elegant and upscale room, Hua Manyi sat on the sofa, her legs together, wiping the corner of her mouth with a tissue. The door to the private bathroom opened, and the woman dressed in a British style, having changed out of her soiled clothes, was fastening the cufflinks on her shirt.

It was only then that Hua Manyi noticed the woman’s features were exceptionally pleasing; she had a beautiful, graceful face, bright and clear phoenix eyes, and her demeanor exuded confidence and refinement.

“I’ll wash that piece of clothing for you.” Hua Manyi couldn’t think of any better solution. Having soiled the other person’s expensive clothes twice was, in any case, a bit too much.

Lu Nian finished fastening her cufflinks. “It’s fine, it’s not your fault, don’t worry about it.”

The telephone rang. Before Hua Manyi could say anything, Lu Nian gestured for her to answer the call. The high-end room was not only equipped with a telephone, but it also had a comfortable and tasteful square carpet, and a few aesthetically pleasing Western prints hung on the walls.

Hua Manyi listened to the familiar and natural English accent next to her, keeping her eyes downcast. She tapped the glass teacup in her hand with her pale finger and then picked it up to take a sip.

The fluent English was truly pleasant to listen to, and very sophisticated.

Before long, the other party finished the call and seemed to have some business to attend to. Hua Manyi then stood up and politely excused herself, so as not to bother her. This small interlude didn’t last long. Early the next morning, they arrived at Nancheng’s largest port—Luyue Port. Fishing boats rested in the nearby waters, and merchants and vendors could be seen buying and selling everywhere. The level of prosperity was indeed more magnificent than Haicheng’s, after all, Nancheng was the seat of the former dynasty’s emperor.

Hua Manyi carried her leather suitcase down the gangplank and asked a person for directions.

“Excuse me, how long does it take to get from here to Wuguan Prison?”

The person she asked was a local small vendor, who looked young but honest and sincere. Seeing that Hua Manyi looked like she was in a hurry, he didn’t think much of it and told her several routes one by one.

“It’s relatively close if you go through Xiling Gate, usually about 10 copper coins by rickshaw. If you go through Beiwu Gate, you’ll have to take more than half a detour, but if you want to buy some things, find a place to rest, or have a meal, I suggest going to Beiwu Gate. That’s where the market is, and many people like to go there to look around.”

Hua Manyi nodded. “Alright, thank you.”

The sun gradually rose higher, getting a little hot. The crowd at the pier slowly diminished. Hua Manyi used a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from her forehead, walked a few minutes into the street, hailed a rickshaw puller, and asked, “Master, how long does it take to get from here to Wuguan Prison?”

Most out-of-town travelers ask about the time first; she was tirelessly acting the part.

“It’ll take at least half an hour. From here to Beiwu Gate, there are many people and many vehicles, so the road is difficult to travel.” The rickshaw puller looked her up and down suspiciously. “Miss, if you’re in a hurry to get there, I’ll take you for one dollar, guaranteed to be quick!”

People in Nancheng liked to use copper coins or paper money for conversion. Copper coins and copper plates were similar in value; 120 copper coins could be exchanged for 1 dollar, and 1 paper dollar was equivalent to 1 silver dollar, which was also known as a ‘big ocean’ (silver coin).

Spending one ‘big ocean’ for a less-than-half-hour ride meant this rickshaw was probably lined with gold.

Hua Manyi casually glanced at the rickshaw, which looked no different from the ones she usually rode, and decisively chose to switch to another. The rickshaw puller saw the person leave with a cold face, not even trying to bargain, and he was annoyed, trying to stop her, “Miss? How about 40 copper coins?”

Unfortunately, the person ignored him, walked straight across the street, chatted briefly with another rickshaw puller, and soon got into the rickshaw and rode away.

…

At the Gong family mansion in Nancheng, a foreign doctor was escorted out by a servant. The servant bowed in farewell and then hurried back to the wing of the mansion.

On the covered walkway, he ran into the eldest daughter, Gong Yan, who was graceful, mature, and steady. The servant quickly greeted her.

“Shulan’s leg…” Gong Yan stopped to ask, “Did the doctor say anything that needs attention?”

She had just come out of her father’s study after being reprimanded, and her face wasn’t looking very good. The troubles Gong Shulan had caused this time had long reached her father’s ears. First, the Huo family incident, and then Jiang Yin; none of them ended well, leaving her physically and mentally exhausted. She, as the older sister, had also been scolded for helping to conceal her whereabouts.

However, the news of Gong Shulan’s leg condition improving clearly occupied more of her father’s attention. Gong Yan recalled seeing Gong Shulan leaning against the wall, stubbornly trying to push her way inside through the smoke. She admitted she was surprised; that pair of legs, which had been crippled for years, seemed to have been infused with strength, supporting the woman to walk in step by step.

It was a pity that this tiny bit of strength was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, simply not enough to support her in reaching the second-floor bedroom to save the person.

“Yes, the doctor told Miss Shulan to exercise more and practice walking with a cane,” the servant replied.

“I understand, you may go down.” Gong Yan walked along the covered corridor to the end and pushed open a pair of red-wood carved doors, two people high. Inside was the study and elegant boudoir of a sophisticated young lady. The doorway had a screen, and a beaded curtain separated the outer and inner chambers. Gong Shulan was sitting in a wheelchair in the inner chamber, having flung the cane the servant had brought over onto the floor, where it clattered loudly.

“What are you up to now?” Gong Yan glanced at the cane and came up behind her.

“I want to be alone,” Gong Shulan closed her eyes tightly, which were bloodshot. She hadn’t slept for three nights.

“Your face is disfigured, isn’t that enough trouble for you?” Gong Yan gave an exasperated laugh, looking at the square gauze bandage pasted on her right cheekbone. The doctor said there was a high possibility of a scar, and it was likely she wouldn’t fully recover. Her father had also given her a severe dressing-down because of this matter.

That woman had truly risked her life when a wooden board from the bookshelf came loose and smashed directly onto her face. She blocked it with her elbow, but her face was still injured, yet she insisted on going upstairs.

“So be it…” Gong Shulan said with distaste.

Gong Yan took a deep breath. “Today is Jiang Feng’s death anniversary. Father and the others are all going to pay their respects.”

Gong Yan’s unstated meaning was clear: her father and the rest of the family had always regarded the Jiang family as their great benefactor, but Gong Shulan was the only one who disregarded this, ultimately leading to the Jiang family’s ruin and the tragic death of their daughter in the fire. If Gong Yan hadn’t covered for her, her father would probably have personally executed justice and punished Gong Shulan.

Gong Shulan’s throat silently choked up. For the past three days, she had been constantly reflecting on herself. “…Did I make a mistake from the very beginning?”

“What good is saying that now?” Gong Yan mocked mercilessly. “Are you going or not? Give me a definite answer so I can have someone prepare.”

“What right do I have to go pay respects to her father?”

“Then go to confess your wrongdoings and atone for your sins.”

…

In front of Wuguan Prison, several people were pushing and shoving. “Little girl, dead is dead. Your father and mother died shortly after they were first imprisoned half a year ago. Stop making a scene here.”

“Impossible! How could my Daddy and Mommy die! You’re talking nonsense! Absolutely impossible!” Hua Manyi’s eyes were red, and tears stubbornly pooled and spun in her eye sockets. She stared intently at the prison guards in their uniforms. Her small leather suitcase had been kicked away somewhere, and she was alone and weak, confronting several tall, sturdy men.

“Let me in! Let me in to see! I don’t believe Daddy and Mommy died just like that… you’re… talking nonsense… woo-woo-woo.” Hua Manyi pushed and then burst into tears, completely unable to move the men. It was a pipe dream for her to think she could get inside.

Half an hour ago, she had been completely filled with the thought of a reunion with her parents, but in the end, she received the devastating news of their death. A whole half-year had passed, their bones barely cold, and only now did she remember to come and see them…

“Please let me just take a look inside…” Hua Manyi desperately grabbed a prison guard’s hand, her face covered in tears, and fiercely tried to prevent him from going back through the iron bars. “I beg you—”

“Get lost! Don’t interfere with my work!” The prison guard was used to dealing with such unreasonable people. He casually shook her hand off, ruthlessly closed the bars, and walked away.

Hua Manyi fell to the ground, bruised and miserable. The skin on her palm was scraped, with faint traces of blood visible. A searing pain shot through her, but compared to the agony of learning the devastating news of her parents’ death, this minor pain was nothing.

Three or four black Ford cars sped through the Beiwu Gate market area. Their low-key yet identity-revealing license plates were unique, always sparking conversation among onlookers as they passed.

“After this matter is settled, you will stay at home and continue to train your leg.” Gong Yan skillfully lit a cigarette in the back seat, feeling a little irritated. “For more than ten years, Father has been deeply troubled by your leg condition. Now that it’s improving, don’t disappoint the old man.”

Gong Shulan closed her eyes and didn’t utter a sound. After a long silence, she mumbled, “I still don’t believe she’s dead…”

Scoff—

“If you hadn’t been so self-willed in the first place, you and she wouldn’t be in this situation of either you or her having to die.”

Gong Yan sneered, too lazy to talk to her. Her gaze shifted from Gong Shulan’s side to her own, thus perfectly missing Hua Manyi, who was walking listlessly by the street with her small suitcase in front of Wuguan Prison outside the car window.

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