The Lady General’s Absolute Indulgence - Chapter 5

The courtyard gate creaked open, and Huaian’s tall, upright figure appeared before the crowd. With a heavy gaze and a cool, indifferent voice, she asked, “What is happening here?”

The noisy crowd fell silent instantly. Having held a high position for a long time, Huaian carried a natural air of authority. Seeing her emerge, the villagers instinctively stopped their bickering and stared at her in silence.

Scholar Zhang stopped what he was doing and pointed at Chu Hui with loathing. He spat at the small, huddled figure on the ground. “This wretched woman has no virtue! She’s been seducing men behind my back!”

Wan Ning ran out from the courtyard and supportively helped Chu Hui up, her voice trembling as she asked, “Sister Chu Hui, are you alright?”

Chu Hui didn’t dare look directly into Wan Ning’s concerned eyes. She lowered her lashes and shook her head, turning away. At this moment, her physical pain was secondary to the overwhelming sense of shame filling her heart.

Standing beside Chu Hui, Wan Ning noticed that the woman’s once-delicate face was now so swollen it was unrecognizable, and her arms were covered in large bruises.

Mist began to rise in Wan Ning’s eyes, and a chill swept through her body. In the past, whenever her father was unhappy or drunk, he would beat her and her mother just like this. No one understood that kind of despair better than she did.

Huaian stepped forward and partially shielded Wan Ning with her arm, subtly blocking the crowd’s view—privately, she didn’t want Wan Ning to be stared at by so many people. Then, she spoke in a frigid tone: “Setting aside how you supposedly learned of her lack of virtue, let’s look at the facts. Even if she truly lacked virtue, according to the laws of our dynasty, you could simply divorce her. However, by beating your wife so brutally in public, are you not afraid of what people might say during the background investigation when you seek your official post? Whether you keep your scholarly title then would be an unknown. After all, not everyone wants to see you succeed.”

Scholar Zhang broke out in a cold sweat. The laws of the Yong’an Dynasty dictated that before an official appointment, investigators would visit a candidate’s home to assess their character. Emperor Yong’an valued moral integrity above all else; if someone whispered a word of this, he would be finished.

Scholar Zhang stammered, then unnaturally yanked Chu Hui away from Wan Ning. “Get home!” he barked. He lowered his head to avoid the crowd’s eyes and hurried toward his house.

With her hair disheveled and her body aching terribly, Chu Hui gritted her teeth to keep from collapsing. She nodded to Wan Ning and followed Scholar Zhang, limping all the way. She stared venomously at Zhang’s back; though he might not beat her so brazenly now, he would surely find more insidious ways to torment her once they were home.

A dark light flickered in Chu Hui’s eyes as she glanced back at Huaian, who stood at the gate still half-shielding Wan Ning. From the moment that person appeared, they had acted as Wan Ning’s protector. If Wan Ning can have that, why can’t I? Perhaps that person can save me, too…

After the crowd dispersed, Huaian led Wan Ning back inside. Wan Ning’s clothes were thin, and her nose had turned red from the brief time spent in the wind.

Huaian accidentally touched Wan Ning’s hand and found it frighteningly cold. With a darkened expression, she swept the girl up into her arms and carried her into the house.

Wan Ning let out a small cry of surprise. Her hands instinctively circled Huaian’s neck, and her face buried itself in Huaian’s chest, flushing deep crimson. Huaian’s embrace was warm and smelled faintly of ink, making it hard for her to want to leave.

Huaian placed Wan Ning on the bed and tucked the quilt around her, then turned to add more charcoal to the brazier. This little thing is dressed too thinly; I must have some winter clothes made for her.

Seeing Huaian’s grim expression, Wan Ning thought Huaian was annoyed by the trouble she had caused. She was terrified of being chased away, terrified of being sent back, and terrified that her mother’s illness would go untreated. Tears began to fall like broken strings of pearls. Fearing she would irritate Huaian further, she bit her lip to keep from making a sound.

It was only after Huaian finished her tasks that she noticed Wan Ning huddled in the quilt, silently weeping. She didn’t understand how one girl could have so many tears in a single day.

Huaian sat gently on the edge of the bed and wiped Wan Ning’s face with a warm towel. “What’s wrong?” she asked tenderly.

Lost in her own world, Wan Ning was startled by the sudden movement. She almost forgot to cry as she stared into Huaian’s bright, shimmering eyes, her heart racing.

Huaian looked at the dazed girl with a half-smile. “Tell me what’s wrong, A-Ning.”

Wan Ning’s mind felt as if it had exploded with fireworks. Huaian’s voice was exceptionally pleasant—not the deep baritone of most men, but a neutral, melodic tone. The lingering end of her sentence felt like a feather brushing against Wan Ning’s heart, making her shiver.

“I thought… I thought you were… angry…” Wan Ning lowered her head awkwardly, subconsciously biting her lip.

Understanding dawned on Huaian. She gently tilted Wan Ning’s chin up and ran a finger across her rosy lips. Her gaze deepened as she involuntarily remembered the deep kiss from the night before. “Be good,” she said coaxingly. “Open up. It hurts if you bite them raw.”

Forced to part her lips slightly, Wan Ning looked up at Huaian with misty eyes. She looked so delicate and fragile, as if she were inviting someone to bully her.

Huaian purposefully pressed against her reddened lips and whispered, “Since I promised you, I won’t lose my temper with you afterward. Whether it’s letting you stay or agreeing to help that woman.”

Huaian paused, a mischievous glint in her eye. “Just don’t forget the pouch you promised to embroider for me.”

Wan Ning nodded blankly, a warm feeling spreading through her. She even had the fleeting illusion that she was important to Huaian—a feeling that made her strangely happy.

Huaian took her own outer robe from the headboard and draped it over Wan Ning’s shoulders. “No more overthinking things by yourself. If you have something to say, tell me directly.” She pinched Wan Ning’s small nose, her voice carrying a protective fondness she hadn’t even noticed. “Make do with my clothes for a couple of days. Tomorrow, I’ll take you to the market to buy winter clothes.”

Wan Ning nodded obediently. A warm current surged through her heart. When Huaian wasn’t looking, she secretly inhaled the scent of the robe; it was the scent of Huaian, comforting and pleasant.

In the afternoon, Brother Wu came by to ask Huaian to go fishing. They had set the nets a few days ago, and it was time to pull them in.

After Huaian left, Wan Ning cleaned and organized the house. The already tidy home became even cozier under her care.

Once the chores were done, she sat at the table with her chin in her hands, thinking of her mother. She wondered if they had really called a doctor for her. Now that she was gone, what had they told her mother? Her mother must be worried sick…

Wan Ning sighed, looking around the warm little room. She felt a sense of “home” here, which was something to be happy about—at least Huaian was a good person. Back at the Shen house, she had always lived in fear, never knowing when her father would come to beat them or how her stepmother would humiliate them. She had spent day and night rushing her embroidery, hoping that if she earned more money, they would treat her and her mother a bit better.

Her mother, Yun-niang, only knew how to try and please Master Shen and Lady Yang, thinking that if she produced more embroidery and earned more silver, they would be kinder. But over the years, things hadn’t changed; in fact, the abuse worsened when she could no longer earn money. Wan Ning’s life in the Shen household had been worse than that of a servant, which had left her with a timid and fearful nature.