Chapter 5: Rain Rings the Bell (Part 5)
The night rain fell steadily, beating flowers into the mud.
Ni Mi Zhi, accompanied by her maid, walked through the covered walkway. Before reaching the study, she took a bowl of hot soup from her maid and stopped at the door.
“The Great Qi law allows women to remarry, but that Cen Zi Shu, greedy for our Ni family’s property, insists on remaining a widow for so many years. Even the county magistrate praised her and erected a chastity arch for her! She lives in our Ni family’s ancestral home, yet I can barely step foot inside!”
The sounds of crashing porcelain and angry shouts came from within the room. Ni Mi Zhi trembled, pursing her lips, hesitant to knock.
“My Lord, why be so angry? These past few days, I’ve seen the physicians from the clinic visiting her frequently. Even if she disliked you before, she would still invite you in for tea. Now, she’s repeatedly refused to see you. I’m afraid she’s too ill to get out of bed.” The steward bowed, picking up the broken porcelain shards, then looked up with a fawning expression. “If she’s bedridden, and Young Master Qinglan is nowhere to be found, isn’t this the perfect opportunity for you to rightfully reclaim your family’s property?”
The Ni family had once been wealthy and prominent in Zezhou Prefecture. However, when Ni Zhun and Ni Zong were teenagers, their father, Ni Zhi Guang, made poor business decisions, compounded by the war in the north, losing most of their fortune.
The medical clinic was the foundation of the Ni family’s livelihood. If Ni Zhi Guang hadn’t greedily dabbled in other businesses, he wouldn’t have lost so much. Learning his lesson, he took his family back to their ancestral home in Que County and used their remaining assets to reopen several clinics and invest in a cloth shop.
Although Ni Zong was born of a concubine, Ni Zhi Guang allowed him to study medicine alongside Ni Zhun. However, Ni Zong wasn’t a good student and often made mistakes. Ni Zhi Guang believed he wasn’t suited for this path, so before his death, he divided the family assets. The ancestral home and the medical clinics went to Ni Zhun, the legitimate son, while the cloth shop went to Ni Zong.
But how could the cloth shop compare to the established Ni family clinic?
Ni Zong had always resented this.
Especially after Ni Zhun’s death, with the family clinic in the hands of a widow. Every time he visited, his widowed sister-in-law always treated him with disdain, fueling his resentment.
“That unyielding little concubine-born girl, Ni Su, is also a troublesome thorn in our side.” Ni Zong sat back in his chair, turning his face to the dim light of the lamp on the desk. “Could that Cen Zi Shu really hand over our Ni family clinic to a girl…”
“My Lord, that’s impossible, there’s no such logic. Besides,” the steward offered a cup of tea obsequiously, “women eventually marry. Once married, they are considered outsiders.”
Ni Zong took the teacup, the steam rising to his wrinkled face. He paused, then looked up, his eyes narrowing slightly. “That’s true. That Ni Su, always imitating her mother’s haughty demeanor, should have chosen a husband long ago.”
He suddenly sneered. “Now, she won’t even have the chance to choose.”
The summer rain wasn’t cold, but through the thin window, Ni Mi Zhi felt a chill in her father’s cryptic words. She almost dropped the porcelain bowl, realizing only then that it had cooled. She grabbed her maid’s hand and hurried back.
Won’t even have the chance to choose. What did that mean?
As Ni Mi Zhi walked back to her room, she pondered her father’s words. Suddenly, she stopped, causing her maid, who was following closely behind, to almost bump into her. “Miss?” the maid asked, bewildered.
A flash of lightning illuminated the walkway, the rain and mist intertwining. After a moment of hesitation, Ni Mi Zhi turned back to her maid. “Quietly go to Eldest Aunt’s house and find Ni Su. Tell her… tell her…”
She bit her lip. “Tell her not to go out these days, lest some ruffian violates her.”
“Yes, Miss.”
The maid bowed, grabbed an oil-paper umbrella, and hurried into the rain.
The Ni family ancestral home.
Mama Qian had already arranged for the luggage to be loaded onto the carriage. It was raining, and late at night. The servants Ni Zong had sent to keep watch were sheltering from the rain under the awning of a food stall. No one noticed the alley behind the Ni family’s ancestral home; it was the perfect time for Ni Su to leave.
“Don’t underestimate that old coachman, Zhang. He used to be a bodyguard in his youth and knows martial arts. That’s why Madam trusts him to escort you to the capital.”
Mama Qian held the umbrella over the young woman, brushing raindrops from her cloak, her eyes stinging. “Miss, take care of yourself on your journey to the capital, alright?”
Mama Qian had largely raised Ni Su when she was a child. Ni Su held her hand. “I’m not alone. Uncle Zhang and Xing Zhu are with me. Don’t worry, Mama Qian. Please…”
Ni Su choked back tears, her throat dry. “Please take care of Mother, and take care of yourself.”
“Don’t worry, Miss. I’ll be with Madam.”
Mama Qian patted the back of Ni Su’s hand and helped her towards the carriage. But as Ni Su stepped onto the mounting block, she looked back at the half-open door, at the courtyard shrouded in rain and mist, the lamplight soft and hazy.
She suddenly let go of Mama Qian’s hand, stepped out from under the umbrella, and knelt down on the steps.
Her skirt was soaked, raindrops splattering on her eyelashes. She bowed her head and kowtowed deeply.
Mama Qian covered her mouth, turning her face away to weep silently.
“Where is that Xing Zhu? Why hasn’t she returned?” The old coachman, having harnessed the horses, looked towards the alley entrance.
Ni Su was helped into the carriage by Mama Qian. Xing Zhu’s continued absence made her uneasy. “Let’s go to the study to find her,” she said to the coachman.
It had always been inconvenient for Ni Qinglan to teach Ni Su medicine at home, so he used his savings to buy a small courtyard in the east of the city to use as a study.
The sky had just darkened, and seeing the rain, Cen Shi had suddenly decided that Ni Su should leave immediately. In their haste, Ni Su hadn’t retrieved her gold needles, several medical books, and some belongings from the study. Xing Zhu had volunteered to go fetch them.
Xing Zhu had been with Ni Su since childhood and knew where she kept her things. Ni Su had sent a couple of servant boys to accompany her.
The night rain intensified, drumming against the carriage roof. The old coachman drove the carriage, the wheels splashing through muddy water, towards the east of the city.
The rain had extinguished many lanterns, making the streets dim. The alley was even darker. Guided by the swaying lantern beneath the carriage roof, the old coachman saw several servants in straw raincoats huddled by the wall outside the study’s courtyard gate, laughing. Seeing the approaching carriage, they immediately stopped laughing, their expressions turning tense as they nudged each other.
“Hey, isn’t that the carriage from the main branch…?”
Someone squinted at the lantern bearing the character “Ni” on the carriage.
Hearing this, the two servant boys tied up like dumplings in the shadows struggled and rolled into the lamplight, muffled “mmm” sounds coming from their gagged mouths.
The old coachman recognized the bound men and also identified one of the other servants as someone who often accompanied Ni Qingwen, Ni Zong’s son. He turned back. “Miss, those are Young Master Qingwen’s men!”
Ni Su pulled back the curtain. The servant, his eyes meeting hers, was startled and turned to run into the courtyard to warn Ni Qingwen. However, the old coachman quickly jumped down from the carriage, blocking his path.
“Uncle Zhang, hit them!”
The rain intensified, drowning out many sounds. Ni Su’s unease grew. Ignoring the umbrella and without a mounting block, she jumped down from the carriage, twisting her ankle.
The men with Ni Qingwen were skinny and weak. Uncle Zhang easily overpowered them, pushing them into the muddy water and beating them. Ni Su, ignoring the pain in her ankle, hurried into the courtyard.
“Help! Help!”
A terrified cry came from within the closed room.
A young man with thin eyebrows and eyes pressed down on the woman on the floor, laughing. “My dear Xing Zhu, be sensible. It’s better to follow me than to be Ni Su’s maid. She’s lost her brother, and her aunt is dying. The Ni family’s property will be mine sooner or later!”
Xing Zhu’s eyes were filled with tears. She screamed and tried to escape his grasp, but the difference in strength made it impossible. The man ripped open her collar, her silk trousers half-undone. He grinned, about to lean in.
With a bang, the door was kicked open.
Ni Qingwen jumped, startled. Thunder rumbled. He turned impatiently. “Who the hell…”
A flash of lightning illuminated the scene. A wooden staff swung towards him, striking his nose. Excruciating pain shot through him, warm blood flowing. He cried out, finally seeing the rain-soaked face.
“Ni Su!”
Recognizing her, Ni Qingwen’s face turned livid. He lunged at her, trying to grab the staff. Ni Su dodged just as Uncle Zhang ran in, intercepting Ni Qingwen and grappling with him.
Xing Zhu lay motionless on the floor until a drenched figure helped her up and embraced her. Tears streamed down her face as she sobbed, “Miss… Miss…”
To prevent Xing Zhu from escaping, Ni Qingwen had actually ordered his men to break her leg.
Ni Qingwen, a useless wastrel, was no match for Uncle Zhang, a fifty-year-old man. He cried out in pain as Uncle Zhang beat him.
Ni Su ignored the commotion, helping Xing Zhu straighten her clothes and gently feeling her injured leg. “Xing Zhu, bear with me.”
Without waiting for a response, she suddenly applied force. A crack echoed through the room, and Xing Zhu cried out in pain, her eyes red-rimmed.
Xing Zhu trembled, the shame of being violated making her want to vomit. Ni Su soothed her gently. Ni Qingwen, his face bruised and swollen, was pinned to the ground by Uncle Zhang. He shouted, “Ni Su! What are you so smug about? Your mother is dying! The ancestral home and the clinic will be ours soon! Who do you think you are? Instead of begging for mercy, you dare to hit me!”
Ni Su released Xing Zhu, stood up, and walked over to Ni Qingwen, looking down at him.
Raindrops dripped from the beaded flower ornament in her hair, gathering into a shimmering drop on her earlobe. She leaned down and slapped Ni Qingwen hard across the face.
“Even if I were to beg for mercy from you, Cousin, I doubt you would be magnanimous enough to spare me.”
Ni Qingwen was stunned by the slap. He heard her voice again and slowly looked up. The young woman before him was drenched, her damp hair plastered to her ears. Her eyes were clear and gentle, her pale cheeks wet with rain.
Ni Qingwen watched as she stood up and took the staff from Uncle Zhang. His eyes widened. “Ni Su, you…”
A blow to the back of his head cut him off mid-sentence.
Ni Su dropped the staff. Uncle Zhang rummaged through the medicine basket outside and returned with a handkerchief wrapped around tender green, flower-shaped stems and leaves. He asked, “Miss, what are you going to do?”
“Uncle Zhang, Xing Zhu has been through this ordeal and her leg is injured. I’m afraid it’s not convenient for her to travel to the capital with me, nor is it safe for her to stay in Que County.” Ni Su placed her foot, clad in an embroidered shoe, on Ni Qingwen’s hand and ground it down, crushing the stems and leaves. White sap oozed out, covering his hand.
“Xing Zhu’s hometown, Luan Town, suffered a flood many years ago. She and her mother fled here when she was young. After her mother died, she had no means of support and became my maid. I heard she still has relatives in Luan Town. I’ll leave some money for you and her. Please escort her back to Luan Town. It would be best if you stayed there for a while as well, to avoid any trouble.”
Ni Qingwen had a domineering wife, and his family’s business relied heavily on his wife’s family’s support. Even if he suffered this humiliation tonight, he wouldn’t dare to make a fuss. Moreover, Ni Zong’s new concubine was pregnant, and Ni Qingwen was worried she might bear a son. Ni Zong, due to his daughter-in-law’s family’s influence, wouldn’t allow Ni Qingwen to take another concubine. He also disapproved of Ni Qingwen’s idle and frivolous ways. At this juncture, Ni Qingwen wouldn’t dare to complain to Ni Zong, but he would certainly seek revenge privately.
The dazed Xing Zhu, hearing Ni Su’s words, stirred. Her gaze shifted, landing on the stems and leaves that had fallen from the handkerchief.
Five Phoenix Spirit Branch, also known as Lacquer Glaze. It cleared heat and detoxified, suppressed coughs and resolved phlegm, and treated skin sores. But the fresh sap from its stems was poisonous, causing skin ulcers.
Having been with Ni Su for so many years, Xing Zhu recognized it instantly.
The un-dried herbs in the medicine basket outside were also the ones she had collected from the herbalists.
“Miss…”
Xing Zhu murmured.
She was a servant. Even if Ni Qingwen hadn’t succeeded, even if he had, there was no law in Great Qi that could bring her justice.
Rain and mist swirled outside, the lamplight flickering. The wind billowed Ni Su’s sleeves. She turned, meeting Xing Zhu’s red and swollen eyes.
“Xing Zhu, don’t be afraid. Whichever hand he touched you with, I’ll make sure it rots.”
In the courtyard, the rain-washed locust tree looked refreshed, its leaves vibrant. In the deep shadows, a young man with a pale face leaned against the tree.
He wore a black cloak with a fox fur collar, unsuitable for midsummer. His snow-white inner robe peeked out from beneath. His shadow fell beneath the dim lamplight, a patch of unnoticed luminescence.
Through the gaps in the leaves, he silently watched the scene unfolding within the room.
His cold eyes held the chill of deep winter.
