357 A Pitiful Kid (1/2)

Chapter 357: A Pitiful Kid

Translator: TransnEditor: Transn

Sangsang silently got up at midnight and put on her loose-fitting handmaiden robe. Then she wore her old cotton shoes, pushed open the door and walked to the courtyard.

She wiped off the snow on the edge of the well and collected water to fill the water vat. She put the firewood in good order at the foot of the wall and then brought the broom to the front of the shop. She swept the floor, cleaned the table and tidied up the scattered calligraphy stationery. Finally, she squatted at the gate, checking over the house to see whether there was something that still needed to be cleaned.

These were the things that she did every day, but today she was more attentive and careful than before. It was already dawn by the time she finished all these things. She squinted her eyes to see the slowly brightening sky, then went to buy two bowls of hot and sour sliced noodle soup at the entrance of the street.

She silently finished her noodle soup beside the table, then washed her bowl. Later she returned to the bedroom to pack up her clothes. She took out the box from the floor under the bed and separated the silver notes inside into two equal piles, then put her half into her pocket.

She went to the bed and looked at Ning Que, who was sound asleep. Her willow-like eyebrows gradually frowned, and she maintained the posture for quite a long time. After that, she picked up her baggage and left without any expression of hesitation.

The door of Old Brush Pen Shop was opened.

The door of Old Brush Pen Shop was closed.

The door didn't make any sound, because it had been newly repaired by Sangsang. Thus it did not awaken anybody.

Carrying her baggage, Sangsang left quietly, her thin figure disappearing down Lin 47th Street just as morning was about to visit. It never appeared again, as if she had never existed in the first place.

...

...

In the morning light, the Grand Secretary's mansion was tranquil, with its dark-colored gate tightly closed. Outside, the servant carefully limited the noise he made while sweeping the ground. Inside, those towering trees loomed over the garden in silence.

Sangsang went to the gate and said something to the vigilant servant. Then she turned to the gate with her eyebrows frowned and knocked at the gate.

Somehow, maybe because she was feeling downcast today, she knocked at the gate so forcefully that it sounded like the fierce beating of a battle drum.

The thunderous knocking suddenly awakened those living in the Grand Secretary's mansion. Some scoldings and unpleasant curses were heard from behind the gate. The servant, who was almost frightened to death by her behavior, rushed to just behind Sangsang and prepared to drive her away. Just at this moment, the gate opened.

”Second Chamberlain, I didn't expect this hoyden to be so bold,” the servant sputtered, drawing a sad face.

The second chamberlain rubbed his drowsy eyes and looked at the little handmaiden with an unpleasant glare. He waved his hand and was about to ask somebody to drive the girl away, but he suddenly felt that the girl seemed familiar. Then, subconsciously, he rubbed his eyes again and finally became sober. He recalled the matter everyone was gossiping about these days.

”You... you... you are... the... the... La… la…”

...

...

The Grand Secretary couple both wore casual clothes in their hurry, not even washing their faces or hair. They just quietly looked at the little girl before them, feeling utterly confused.

Sangsang held fast to the baggage on her right shoulder and looked down at her tiny shoes, saying, ”That day, you said I am your daughter?”

Mrs. Zeng hurriedly nodded, with great happiness on her face. If the Grand Secretary had not held her, she would perhaps have fainted in ecstasy.

Sangsang kept her head lowered. After a period of silence, she softly said, ”When I was young, he... I heard about the law of the Tang Empire from him. Parents have the responsibility to rear their children before they get married. That day, you told me to move to your house. So based on the law of the Tang Empire, can I move in?”

”Of course you can.” Mrs. Zeng held her hand with great joy and said, ”This is your family, of course you can live here.”

Besides feeling happy, Zeng Jing was also a bit confused by the thin dark girl. He remembered that day, no matter how hard he and his wife begged her, she still refused them and insisted on staying with her young master. As the Grand Secretary, of course he knew that Ning Que had returned to Chang'an. So he was left wondering what had changed her mind so drastically for her to come back and behave as their daughter.

Being a Grand Secretary, and an elder caring the majesty that went with the title of Father, Zeng Jing directly asked Sangsang about his confusion now that he had accepted Sangsang as his daughter.

Sangsang raised her head and seriously said to the couple, ”I don't like him anymore, so I don't want to live with him anymore.”

Zeng Jing frowned. He remembered that the Empress had told them to protect the relationship between Sangsang and Ning Que. So after pondering for a while, he said, ”After all, you have been living together for many years. You have supported each other in the past and built a close relationship. You had better inform him before you move back into our mansion.”

Sangsang took a glance at him, then suddenly turned around and walked out of the mansion.

Mrs. Zeng was startled and quickly caught her hand. She said in a trembling tone, ”What is wrong now?”

Sangsang silently looked at Zeng Jing, saying nothing.

Mrs. Zeng was flurried and nervous. She severely glared at the Grand Secretary and said furiously, ”Stop talking nonsense! If you dare to make me lose this pitiful kid again, I will kill you!”

The Grand Secretary respected his wife. Although he didn't know what was wrong with his previous words, and felt enraged at Sangsang ignoring him, he still had to shut up under her harsh eyes.

Sangsang said to Mrs. Zeng, ”I want to live with you, but not with him.”

Mrs. Zeng rejoiced and said, ”No problem. I will ask someone to move your father's things to the study immediately.”