Chapter 58.1: Move Aside, Bad Green Plum

For some unknown reason, the entire back of Xiaoqi's hand swelled up like a gas toad*. Under the candlelight, it glowed with a dim light. Due to her skin being stretched tight by the swelling, the decomposing blister on the back of her hand exposed the red flesh inside, and yellowish liquid was slowly seeping out. The injured area on her wrist and arm was stuck completely to the gauze. The yellow liquid and blood seeped through two entire layers of gauze but still didn't stop.

I couldn't find what species of frog it was, but the Chinese images are like this.

Song Liangzhuo's sight shifted towards her fingertips and saw that the seams of her fingers were all full of bloodstains. A fingernail broke off from the tip, exposing the powder-like pink fleshT/N beneath. The surroundings of the fingernail were also filled with half-dried bloodstains.

Song Liangzhuo gently turned Xiaoqi's hand while trembling. Upon seeing that palm, he had to inhale even more fiercely. That soft little hand had long lost its original lovely softness. The palm was swollen and sticky with streaks of bloodstains.

Song Liangzhuo was incapable of describing his current mood. It surpassed even the time when Xiaoqi was soaked in the floodwaters. It was a sort of heartache that caused people to not even be able to breath.

Previously, he had doubts towards what Mother Song said. Now that he saw this situation, he couldn't fail to believe, and he became even more furious with himself for not chasing after her the moment she ran out.

The Lin family parents both went silent upon seeing Xiaoqi's arm, yet Zixiao actually shouted: "That's fake! It's all fake! She didn't get burned at all! She, she splashed boiling water at me! I'm the one that got injured, the injuries on her hand are all fake!"

Master Lin opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything. Zixiao looked at her parents, then turned to look at Mother Song. She strode over and reached out to rip off the gauze hanging from Xiaoqi's arm but Song Liangzhuo, with sharp eyes and quick hands, slapped her away.

Song Liangzhuo's move was fast and fierce. With a 'pah', the entire back of Zixiao's hand hurt to the point of numbness. Song Liangzhuo indicated for the doctor to rewrap the gauze, then turned towards Master Lin, "As a father, for you to do something like forcing your own flesh and blood daughter into the palace, you've already lost the right to be a father. And now, for selfish reasons, you've thrown her into Song fu to lodge under another person's roof and charity. This is even more impossible to put up with."

"Back then"

"There is no back then!" Song Liangzhuo coldly cut off Master Lin's words. Casting a completely emotionless glance towards the dazed Zixiao, he said: "Don't try to make me give her a status out of pity, I won't give her any! Even if you try to ruin Song fu's reputation, even if you throw her to Song fu and never care about her again, she still will be Lady Lin. She will never become Young Madam Song."

"Second Older Brother?" Zixiao called in a small voice.

Song Liangzhuo lifted Xiaoqi up and lowered his eyes, "With those physical and mental efforts, Lady Lin should have long been able to find yourself a good marriage. Why insist? All the things I should have said I've already said. Lady Lin, do your best to fend for yourself!"

Zixiao ran over to block him as she screamed: "That's all fake! Doesn't Second Older Brother hate it the most when others deceive you? She's deceiving you, she didn't get scalded at all. I saw clearly! Second Older Brother, you have to believe me! She, she's collaborating with your mom to deceive you!"

Zixiao was going hysterical. Xiaoqi who was sound asleep trembled. She worked hard half the day and finally managed to crack her eyes open a tiny bit, but this small movement already caused her quite some unendurable pain. Xiaoqi mumbled so quietly it almost couldn't be heard, "Hurts, eyes hurt."

Song Liangzhuo's arms tightened and he forcefully suppressed his anger as he spoke coldly: "Zi er. For the last time I'll call you Zi er and return to you everything you brought me those years. And this will also be the last time I tell you, that you and I are already impossible. Don't make too much of an embarrassment out of yourself!"

Zixiao reached out with her face filled with tears to grab Song Liangzhuo's hand, but Song Liangzhuo indifferently avoided it and left the hall.

Zixiao wailed, "Second Older Brother, they're lying to you. You have to believe me!"

"Master Lin!" Mother Song's dignified voice lifted again, "Last time, Master Lin rashly left your own family's daughter in Song fu without further explanation. Song fu treated the guest warm-heartedly, allowing her to eat at the same table and even specially appointing someone to wait on her. We did not treat her unfairly at all, yet unexpectedly she actually desired to obtain the position of the Song fu's Young Madam, and even used plots to harm the Song family's new daughter-in-law. If my daughter-in-law loses usage of her hand because of this, your Lin family's daughter has willfully harmed an official family's wife and children. This is something that will be called to account!"

Master Lin was angered to the point his chin trembled. He opened his mouth several times before finally being able to say angrily, "What do you mean by treat as a guest? She is your Song fu's daughter-in-law! Song fu also has a face, must you really insist on going back on your word like this?"

Mother Song sneered, "Did Master Lin not understand Liangzhuo's meaning? Then I'll say it once more: from the start, Liangzhuo only had one wife. Two, three years ago, it could've been your family's daughter, but two, three years later it definitely wouldn't be your family's daughter. My goodness, did Master Lin mess up the dates? This is two to three years later, not two to three years ago."

Mother Lin was angered to the point her eyes teared up. She spoke with a trembling voice: "Madam Song, my family's daughter suffered untold hardships to come back for the sake of your family's Liangzhuo. Not even mentioning the fact that Liangzhuo took a wife, you guys are even being like this, like this Indeed, you wish to take advantage of the fact that our Lin family's wealth is declining to back out of this marriage? Our family's Zixiao has kept herself painstakingly for Liangzhuo for three years, that's the only reason she has ended up dragging things out until this age. If not for that, why would we worry for lack of people proposing marriage?"

Mother Song shook her head, "Madam Lin is also a sensible person. Do not be blinded in both eyes by your pair of son and daughter and that person who shares your bed. Moreover, as they say, rather choose to be a poor family's wife than to become a wealthy family's mistress; a mistress is no different from a slave girl. Even if the Song family is willing to let her join the household, she can only be a mistress. Are you really willing for her to join Song fu as a servant, as a slave?"

Mother Lin looked towards Master Lin, appealing for help. But Zixiao actually laughed and said: "It doesn't matter if it's as a wife or as a mistress, I, Lin Zixiao, am marrying in for sure!"

Mother Song's brows ceased and she gave a light humph, "The engagement between the two families of Lin and Song is long gone. Who exactly does Lady Lin want to become a wife, a mistress to?"

Zixiao hooked her mouth, "If Second Older Brother takes me as a wife, how can Aunt Xue prevent it?"

Mother Song shook her head while smiling, "Lady Lin has always loved to dream."

"Aunt Xue, what if I really entered the Song family doors?" Zixiao lifted her chin and asked.

"Then that's also your ability."

Zixiao lifted her sleeve and looked at her injured beyond recognition hand, then hooked the corners of her lips and said: "Aunt Xue should just wait to see."

Mother Song shook her head, "Lady Lin's moral quality is lacking. It's best if you first return home to receive some teachings. When the time comes that you've learned how to be a person, you can come back and make a bet with me then."

Zixiao's cheeks trembled as if they were twitching and she laughed with her mouth covered for quite a long while. When she lifted her face again, her expression was full of smiles as she said: "Then Zixiao will come again after a while. At that time, Zixiao will definitely serve Mother-in-Law and Husband very~ very~ properly."

Mother Song smiled brightly. After smiling, she lifted her chin and said: "As expected, Lady Lin really has dreamed too much, to the point you're continuously hallucinating ah. I seemed to have never agreed to allow Lady Lin to enter the doors. Even if the sky falls with red rain(auspicious event), unfortunately allowing Lady Lin's methods to prevail and become a mistress of Song fu, Lady Lin should still be calling 'Madam' and 'Young Master'."

Zixiao controlled her emotions and smiled, "Then, Zixiao will definitely come back to attend to Madam."

"Zixiao!" Mother Lin shouted, flustered. She walked up to pull Zixiao's hand and said: "Zixiao, we don't have to be like this"

Zixiao coldly pushed away Mother Lin's hand, turned and left the hall.

"See the visitors out!" After Mother Song said this, she didn't even look at the couple inside the hall and left, supporting herself by holding Dong Mei's hand.

After walking out a distance, Dong Mei finally said with a quiet, uneasy voice: "Madam, that Lin family's daughter's character doesn't seem to be simple. What if she really has some sort of tricks?"

Mother Song rubbed her temples tiredly and humphed: "Embarrassing little clown! Next time we won't let her have such an easy time!"

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Credits: Translated by Chiyomira, Proofread by Ocelot

[Chiyomiras Corner]

I looked at pics and they were so bloody I couldn't bring myself to look at anymore. So I interviewed my cousin who had the experience before, and according to him, it was whitish pink. If you guys have any corrections, please let me know~

C: Aaah! Poor Ocelot-san.