Chapter 562 (1/2)
Chapter 562
Chapter 562: Sangsang's Saying
Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
During the conversation in the carriage, Mo Shanshan had been responding to Sangsang gently with ”um-hum” . When she heard Sangsang's last sentence, without hesitation she responded as usual, but then noticed something off . She raised the tone to express doubts and astonishment and some other complex emotions that were difficult to convey only through pitch fluctuation .
If it was a conversation between any other two women in the world, the conversation would be considered to be filled with tension and harsh irony, like they were confronting each other with daggers . But Mo Shanshan knew Sangsang so well that she knew Sangsang was just telling the facts and had no intent to show off .
She learned it from Ning Que that Sangsang had a serious illness and she had come to Lanke Temple to cure it . Although it was said that Master Qishan might have a way to cure her, the possibility was so small that even the Headmaster failed to do it . Thinking about the last two sentences Sangsang said, she was a bit sad .
Noon was approaching and the black horse carriage stopped beside a temple by the mountainside to have a rest for a while . Monk Guanhai caught up from behind and prepared lunch for the monks and led Ning Que and the others into a quiet courtyard .
Sangsang had spent so much energy on the chess game, and her body was still weak . She felt sleepy after eating a few mouthfuls of vegetables . Ning Que carried her into the inner room and spread the clean bedding over her . He tucked the quilt carefully to confirm that there was no room for the autumn wind to get inside . After that, he felt relieved .
”I have told you not to care about the chess . You just didn't listen to me . ”
Ning Que looked at her sullen face and said anxiously .
Sangsang whispered, ”But I really think it's fun playing chess . I heard that many people admired me after I won . Aren't you happy about it?”
Ning Que thought it over, and replied, ”I'm happy indeed, and proud of you . ”
Sangsang smiled with satisfaction .
Ning Que reached out his hand to cover her eyes and asked her to sleep .
Sangsang did not want to close her eyes . Instead, she blinked, and her eyelashes made Ning Que's hand itchy .
”Ning Que . ”
Sangsang's voice came from between his fingers .
Ning Que said with a little surprise, ”I'm here . ”
Sangsang said, ”You are mine . ”
Ning Que laughed and said, ”I'm yours . Yours, yours, all yours . ”
After a moment of silence, Sangsang asked, ”I am not a good person, am I?”
”If the Lady of Light is not a good person, who else could be?”
”Am I really the Lady of Light? I had killed people when I was young . ”
Ning Que asked, ”When did you kill anyone?”
”I killed grandpa . ”
”You just poured a bucket of boiling water . I murdered him with a knife . ”
”Then I am your accomplice . ”
”What the h.e.l.l are you thinking?”
Ning Que said angrily, ”Ever since you were young, I had tried so hard to keep you away from killing or anything that could make your hands b.l.o.o.d.y . Now you try to prove that you already got blood in your hands . Are you proud of it?”
Sangsang turned around with her back facing him, and said, ”I'm not proud . I just don't think that I am the sort of good person many people think I am . ”
Previously on the way up to the mountain, Ning Que had heard all the conversation between Sangsang and Shanshan even though they spoke in low voices . He had guessed what Sangsang wanted to say right now but he did not want to hear it .
However, as in the past, even though he did not want to do something, as long as Sangsang wanted to, she would do it . Sangsang still said whatever she wanted to him even if he did not want to hear it .
”We spent all our money buying the house beside Yanming Lake and still owe Mr . Qi more than seven hundred taels of silver . If we can withdraw some dividends from the casino in winter, we can pay him back next year . I always feel that it's not good to owe people money . So I'm thinking whether to rent out Old Brush Pen Shop . ”
”Those gifts given by Emperor and Empress are all collected in a booklet and I stored it at the bottom of the winter clothes box in the west room . The Princess sent a total of 160 trees, which were favored by rich people on the west side of the mountain, according to my inquiry . If we sold them, one tree should be worth over five hundred taels of silver . ”
”Aunt Wu had borrowed 14 taels of silver last time but had not returned it yet . I know that Mr . Wu had borrowed a loan from you last time . Only you know how much it was . I won't count those cheap things like oil, salt, and vinegar lest you say I'm stingy . Do remember that I hid a gold brick in the wall behind the well and firewood in Old Brush Pen Shop . . . ”
Sangsang stared at the wall and was too shy to turn around . She said, ”When I was young, I was worried that you wouldn't want to marry me and your wife wouldn't allow me to stay at home . So I have been . . . saving money secretly . I figured that I wouldn't need to panic if I had some money for my dowry so I keep saving even after we are moved to Chang'an . ”
Ning Que was surprised after hearing her words . He thought that she was amazing for she was able to save up even though they led a very frugal life . He admired her for her frugality so he smiled and said, ”I think His Majesty really should hire you to be Minister of Revenue . ”
Sangsang did not respond to his joke and said seriously, ”The money I have saved so far totals up to more than two thousand and one hundred taels of silver . I've left it with Aunt Jian . I know you have never liked to sell calligraphy and you did it when we entered Chang'an only because I forced you to sell them . If you really don't have enough money, take my savings . ”
These words sounded like the last words of a head of a family . Ning Que wanted to laugh and get angry at the same time but he did not care about whether it was lucky to speak of death or not . He asked, ”What about the gold brick?”
Sangsang turned around and looked at him seriously, and said, ”The gold brick is for my parents . ”
Ning Que thought about her confession, and asked, ”You have nothing left for me except money?”
”I had made enough shoes and socks for you to wear for many years . I'm not good at needlework . You will just have to put up with them . ”
Sangsang suddenly recalled one thing and she whispered, ”There is a small black box under the bed of Old Brush Shop . Don't forget it . ”