Chapter 3 (1/2)
In the Eighth month, the lotus flowers within the pond are already wilted, leaving only a few dried leaves and some hyacinth adrift. But even these bulbs of hyacinth were not left alone, being disturbed by the mischievous youngsters. That piece of black linh b.i.+.c.h jade was forced to the side of the pond. Lam Old Master loved that linh b.i.+.c.h jade that had fallen into the pond. A few young men stood to the side of the pond and commanded three to four servants their same age to lower themselves and bend their backs to look for the jade. In the chaos, the water in the pond heaved to and fro.
Lam Can Dung could guess who the boys are as she came over. The chubby boy with dark skin, eyebrows like caterpillars in a light yellow coat was Luc family's Fifth Young Master, Luc Luan who was the same age as her. The tall, skinny and elegant boy with fair skin wearing a grey cloak was Ngo family's Ngo Tuong. The other chubby boy wearing a blue coat was Luc Luan's brother, Luc's family Third Young Master, Luc Kinh. The last boy, wearing a light green coat, had an elegant and beautiful face, but desperation painted it over. His eyes frantically looked around. This was her brother, Lam Diec Chi.
Looking at the boys rus.h.i.+ng back and forth within her family's manor, Lam Can Dung did not find it too bizarre. At Binh Chau, the three families of Lam, Luc, and Ngo were all famous families, all were scholarly. Even until now, they were the subject of marriage proposals and alliances. Especially the two families Lam and Luc, who are especially close. When there are marriage proposals, these two would take center stage. They were generally tied through marriage. That was why these people had a close relations.h.i.+p with the Lam family. When they were children, they would often visit Lam Manor, creating a familiar relations.h.i.+p with each other. During these years, everyone has grown up a bit, a division has arisen between the s.e.xes. But on this occasion, with Lam Diec Chi leading, people came to the garden with no obstruction. Each minister would look on with one eye closed and one eye open.
In fact, Lam Diec Chi deserved to be punished by Old Master later. But in the end, the disaster would fall on her mother, hating the dog but hitting the cat. It even spread to her and her brother. Lam Can Dung furrowed her brows and concentrated: This matter need not even be mentioned. As a wife, with no love from the husband and regardless of what happens, it is the wife's fault. During this time period, as a wife one had to look after the manor, give birth, serve loyally at the husband's side, and, in the husband's steed, take care of the concubines and their children. Otherwise, the woman was not virtuous and considered an evil woman.
Lam Can Dung silently took in a breath: What kind of reasoning was this! Though she herself felt that it was unfair, at that time she still did what society considered was right. Since she was little, she had learned this. With ears that hear and eyes that saw, everyone did it this way. After time pa.s.sed, it would become a habit. Unfortunately, she had experienced all this and was reborn; this could no longer be tolerated.
”Fourth Younger Sister.” Lam Diec Chi was startled as he saw Lam Can Dung. Tears gathered as fear struck him. With a pleading look at Lam Can Dung: ”What can be done?” Though his mother was doted on by Lam family's Third Master, he was still a concubine's son. In Lam Old Master's eyes, he heavily placed emphasis on hierarchical order. Like this, he had no status! If he was did not swagger around and brag, smuggled the boys into the garden to show them the jade, how could something like this happen? The 13-year-old was so scared his face turned white.
Lam Can Dung did not speak a word. Her gaze rested on Luc Luan, the dark skinned, chubby boy gave her two thumps up. With his index finger, he pulled at the corner of his eyes to make a silly face. ”Blegh!” He turned towards her with his tongue sticking out, showing her as ugly a face as possible.
”Pa!” Luc Kinh was just 14-years-old and placed a lot of importance on face. With a red face, he overlooked his brother and eyed Ngo Tuong. With a guilty face, looked at Lam Can Dung, chuckled and said: ”Fourth Younger Sister, please don't blame him. Fifth also hates to see this quirky and ugly face.”
”Why did you hit me? I am going to tell mother.” Luc Luan screamed, not being polite and returned a slap. ”I don't think it is weird.”
She had never thought of blaming Luc Luan. There were not many that treated her this well, even better than her own family. After much difficulty, Lam Can Dung calmed herself. Looking at the boys with a happy face, relaxed, and lowered her body: ”Luc Third brother, Luc Fifth brother, Ngo Second brother, Big Brother.”
Luc Luan lost face and stared intently at her. With a deep voice, he loudly said: ”I heard that you got sick. You should've got skinnier; how did you get so fat? Are you not trying to lose weight? Everyday my Second sister would wail about losing weight, not even daring to eat rice.”
At the side, Ngo Tuong laughed and looked at Lam Can Dung, waiting for a reply.
Lam Can Dung stroked her two cheeks. Nouris.h.i.+ng herself for half a month, did she get fatter? Why did she not notice? After living for many years and then returning to this time period, she could not remember if she was fat or skinny. In a short period of time, she found it difficult to answer Luc Luan.
”Impudent. The affairs of females are not for you to comment on.” Luc Kinh scolded Luc Luan. Ashamed, he looked at Lam Can Dung and said: ”Fourth Younger Sister, this chubby lump of coal is causing mischief again. Diec Chi said to him that his linh b.i.+.c.h jade stands at the top of Binh Chau, he didn't believe…” Though he said this, his eyes showed satisfaction at someone else's misfortune as it landed on Lam Diec Chi, standing to the side in low spirits. He looked at that linh b.i.+.c.h jade, half submerged in water, and turned towards Lam Can Dung with sympathy in his eyes: ”You know it now…” It was not a secret that she did not like Lam Diec Chi.
Lam Can Dung looked at Luc Kinh as he pretended to be ignorant of everything and he laughed. In her heart, she coldly laughed too. In the past, she had eyes but was blind and considered him a good person. But who would've known that this person, for his own benefit, would later kill his family? With his current appearance, pretending to be a good person, there were still clues. How did she not recognize it before?
Luc Luan's personality was such that he hated it the most when people said that he was fat or black, even his brother was not an exception. With a black face, he turned towards Luc Kinh and said in a loud and boisterous voice: ”This fat whitey, how would I know that this rock was not held tight? Lam Fourth only said that this is the only jade in Binh Chau. He did say that there was something wrong with it and that it shouldn't be touched. Luckily, I am a lucky person, otherwise it would've fallen from over here and I would've lost face…” In a dominant and overbearing matter, he looked at Lam Diec Chi, whose face immediately paled. In a loud voice, he said: ”Isn't that so? Lam Diec Chi! Say, did you intentionally do it? Because of the fight you lost last time, this is revenge?”
”That's not true! I also didn't know it would end up this way.” Lam Diec Chi hurriedly took his sleeve to wipe back and forth, but the cold sweat just kept pouring. Grinding his teeth, he prepared to jump into the pond and join the recovery effort.
With this face, he definitely was prepared to jump in! Lam Can Dung hurriedly called to Ngo Tuong, who stood at the side with a cold face that had yet to speak. She said: ”Ngo Second brother, quickly pull him back.”