The Lady General’s Absolute Indulgence - Chapter 4

Early the next morning, Wan Ning discovered that the spot beside her was already empty. Upon waking, she felt a sharp, stinging pain in her lips. She found it strange; in her dreams last night, she felt as if she were drowning—one moment unable to breathe, and the next feeling as if she were being gnawed on by a dog. Could that dream have been real?

Huaian walked in and saw Wan Ning sitting on the bed in a daze. “A-Ning, what’s wrong?”

Wan Ning spoke her thoughts aloud without thinking. “Huaian, I dreamed I was being gnawed on by a dog last night. When I woke up this morning, my lips hurt so much.”

Huaian gave two awkward coughs and said unnaturally, “Heh… is that so? Perhaps.”

Then, acting as if nothing were amiss, Huaian continued, “Don’t think too much on it; it was just a dream. Do you have any plans for the future?”

Wan Ning lowered her lashes and thought for a moment. “Huaian, I… I want to stay. You saved me yesterday.” She tilted her head, adding shyly, “And… you spent money. I can’t just walk away.”

Huaian looked at her in surprise, realizing that the girl thought she had been “bought” and didn’t want Huaian to suffer a loss.

Huaian shook her head helplessly, walked to the bedside, and pinched the girl’s cheek. “Little girl, I saved you yesterday, but I didn’t intend to buy you as a wife. You are free; you can go home whenever you like.”

Wan Ning looked up abruptly, her eyes filled with terror. Mist began to swirl in her gaze as she fought back tears, her voice trembling. “If you send me back, my mother… there will be no doctor to treat her. My stepmother… she will surely sell me a second time.”

After spending some time together, Wan Ning felt that rather than being sold to a stranger, she would much rather stay with Huaian. Aside from the full beard, the man seemed very reliable.

Huaian frowned. Piecing the story together, she finally understood why Wan Ning had been sold. Her displeasure grew; the Shen father and stepmother were truly outrageous! She would have to make them suffer for this later.

Huaian slowly reached out and pulled Wan Ning’s slender frame into an embrace, comforting her gently. “It’s alright, it’s all in the past. They were the ones in the wrong. In a while, I will accompany you back to see your mother.”

In an instant, Wan Ning felt a wave of grievance wash over her. For so many years, other than her mother, no one had ever stood so firmly by her side to protect her.

The more Huaian comforted her, the harder Wan Ning’s tears fell, as if she were crying out ten years’ worth of suppressed sorrow.

Looking at the little thing sobbing uncontrollably in her arms, Huaian said helplessly, “You really are a little crybaby.”

With her cheeks flushed, Wan Ning finally felt embarrassed. Seeing the wet patch on Huaian’s chest, she said frantically, “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry… I… I’ll wash it for you.”

Huaian looked at the blushing Wan Ning with a half-smile, finding her exceptionally adorable. She teased, “Are you only remembering to be shy now?”

Huaian steadied Wan Ning and gently wiped away her tears. She then looked into Wan Ning’s eyes and said solemnly, “I am not chasing you away. Since you want to stay, then stay by my side. As long as I am here, I will protect you. If you find a better place to go in the future, you are free to leave at any time.”

Wan Ning felt as if Huaian’s eyes possessed a magnetic power, pulling her in and making her want to lose herself there. Her heart felt like a small deer crashing about in her chest. Her face turned even redder, and she could only give a low “Mm” in response. At that moment, she heard nothing else except the fact that Huaian was letting her stay. She felt that the day to leave would likely never come.

“We will go back to the Shen house to see your mother in a while; that way, she can set her mind at ease.”

A warm current flowed through Wan Ning’s heart. For the first time, she felt her heart was being truly cherished. she looked at Huaian with deep gratitude.

As they were talking, the usually quiet mountain village suddenly became noisy and chaotic.

Huaian was not one to meddle in others’ business and hadn’t intended to go out. However, Wan Ning listened closely and felt that one of the voices sounded very familiar.

Feeling curious, Wan Ning walked to the door and looked out. A man who looked like a frail scholar had a twisted expression, his eyes bloodshot as he kicked and punched a small, thin woman huddled on the ground. As he beat her, he cursed, “You shameless thing! See if I don’t beat you to death!”

The woman held herself in pain, trying to shrink into the smallest possible ball. Her face was a mess of tears and snot as she shivered, sobbing, “I didn’t… I didn’t…”

People stood around watching the spectacle, but no one stepped forward to help. Some women couldn’t even hide their malicious joy.

One woman said disdainfully, “Did you know? Despite her arrogant act, she’s the best at seducing men.”

Another woman, acting as if she knew the whole story, said mysteriously, “Exactly! I heard that to sell her embroidery, she let the shop owner touch her countless times. This time, the owner’s wife caught her and brought her back with a big scene! If she hadn’t been caught, who knows how far it would have gone.”

Someone shook their head and spat, “You can know a person’s face but not their heart. Some people… deserve what they get!”

Only then did Wan Ning see clearly: the woman huddled on the ground was actually Chu Hui! Back at home, Wan Ning often took her and her mother’s embroidery to the Mingxia Embroidery Shop to sell, and Chu Hui was an embroiderer there.

They had become acquainted over time. Wan Ning remembered that Chu Hui had a scholar husband; she worked hard at her embroidery just so Scholar Zhang could focus on his studies.

The owner of Mingxia Embroidery Shop was a kind, honest fat man, and his wife was extremely capable. Usually, it was the wife who dealt with them. Why… why would this happen?

Wan Ning’s hands began to shake uncontrollably. She thought of how Chu Hui used to speak so gently of her husband, her eyes full of hope and pride. She also thought of her mother and herself—drawing patterns and embroidering day and night, only to be met with the constant abuse of her father and stepmother.

Wan Ning almost couldn’t stop herself from rushing out. Her hands gripped the doorframe tightly, her expression anxious and lost.

Huaian noticed Wan Ning’s distress and naturally reached out to wrap an arm around her shoulder. “Do you know that woman?”

Wan Ning didn’t notice the intimacy of the gesture; she nodded obediently and whispered, “It shouldn’t be like this. Sister Chu Hui isn’t that kind of person…”

Hearing Wan Ning call someone else “Sister” in that soft tone, Huaian felt a strange prickle of jealousy. She thought that if Wan Ning called her something in that gentle, melodic voice, it would surely sound wonderful.

While she was lost in thought, Wan Ning gently tugged on Huaian’s sleeve and asked tentatively, “Can we… can we go stop them?”

Huaian pinched Wan Ning’s fair, tender cheek, thinking she needed to be fed more—her skin would surely feel even softer then. Huaian smiled and said, “It’s a small matter. But since I’m helping you again, how are you going to thank me?”

Wan Ning’s face burned. Looking at Huaian’s empty waistline, she stammered, “My embroidery skills are decent… I will embroider a pouch for you.”

Huaian agreed readily. “It’s a deal. Stay here!”