Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
I originally thought that Mu Xuanche would take me into the Cao Family just like before when we visited the Wang Mansion.
To my surprise, he actually let me go in alone while he turned to do something else.
With Mingyue and Mu Xuanche both absent, I had to face the situation alone, heavily pregnant.
I initially felt quite wronged, but then I remembered how I had wanted to stand shoulder to shoulder with Mu Xuanche last night, so I held back my feelings.
Mu Xuanche, as long as I could get that piece of Gold Foil Silk from the Cao Family, I would be able to leave.
My palms were sweating, yet I forced myself to step forward and knock on the door.
"Is anyone there?"
It was nearly four in the morning, and knocking on someone’s door at this hour might wake them up; if they didn’t beat me up for it, I would consider them merciful.
I couldn’t understand how that eccentric Mu Xuanche could come up with such an idea—disturbing someone in the middle of the night.
To my surprise, after only a few knocks, the door opened.
Standing there was Cao Yin, the second son of Old Cao the Craftsman, looking rather simple-minded.
When he saw me, he didn’t seem surprised at all; instead, he invited me in and said, "My father has been waiting for you."
How strange! When did Old Cao the Craftsman become a fortune teller? He even knew I was coming to see him in the middle of the night; it was truly remarkable.
As I entered the main hall of the Cao Family, it was dark since they hadn’t turned on any lights; only two candles on the table flickered softly.
Old Cao the Craftsman sat in the middle of a wooden chair, his face resembling a dried and wrinkled orange peel, illuminated by the candlelight that almost made one jump in fright.
Upon seeing me, he opened the corners of his eyes that had been shut tight.
The candlelight shone in, and his two eyeballs glimmered slightly.
"The Gu Family Girl has arrived. I didn't expect Gu Hunchback to have saved such a good granddaughter; she’s much better than my two useless sons," he said, his aged voice echoing through the hall. After finishing, he shot a glare at Cao Yin beside him, who seemed to hold great respect for his father and dared not resist, obediently waiting.
I was about to ask him about the Gold Foil Silk when Old Cao the Craftsman diverted the topic. "Gu Family Girl, I want to ask you something, if you don’t mind."
Though I was puzzled about what this old man was up to, I still replied politely, "Old Master Cao, you are an elder; there’s no need to be so formal. Please go ahead."
He appeared quite pleased with himself. "Not bad; you know how to respect your elders. I just wanted to ask if you've seen my unfilial eldest son, Cao Jin."
My heart sank with a thud; this was not good.
I knew this matter must have already reached the ears of the Cao Family.
Seeing that I didn’t respond, the old man continued, "Gu Family Girl, don’t be afraid. I just want to inquire about my promising eldest son’s situation. Have pity on me; a white-haired person shouldn’t have to send off a black-haired one. Please help me."
The last time I saw Old Master Cao, I was still an innocent girl who knew nothing about the world and had been completely fooled by him, feeling quite proud of myself.
This time, seeing this old man again made me realize how cunning he was. First, he deliberately created a ghostly atmosphere around the Cao Family to scare me, and now he was playing the family card to entice me.
It could be said that it was a clever combination of soft and hard tactics.
Having traveled far and wide for some time now, I quickly calmed myself down.
Since Old Cao the Craftsman wanted to listen, I decided to tell him everything without omitting a single detail.
After all, I hadn’t done anything wrong in this matter, and I had even helped to guide his son’s spirit. If he still wanted to blame me, there was nothing I could do about it.
After hearing my account, Old Cao the Craftsman’s expression changed dramatically. His hands, which were filled with veins, slammed down on the table in anger as he muttered curses under his breath.
“This wretched child, this ungrateful son! How many more people does he want to harm before he is satisfied? This beast!”
The fury on Old Cao the Craftsman’s face didn’t seem feigned; it was rare for him to show such understanding and not immediately rush over to question me about why I had harmed his son.
After cursing for a while, he nearly lost his breath. Fortunately, Cao Yin, being somewhat filial, reached out to offer his father a cup of tea, allowing him to catch his breath.
Once Old Cao the Craftsman had calmed down a bit, he turned to me and asked, “Gu Family Girl, you guided my son’s spirit to the afterlife?”
I nodded, knowing he wouldn’t believe me. This old man was quite shrewd. So I recounted the deal that Cao Jin had made with me at the end of his life.
Old Cao the Craftsman glanced at me and instructed Cao Yin to step aside; it seemed he wanted him out of earshot for a moment.
“Gu Family Girl, the condition my son exchanged with you was to reveal Shiro’s secret, right?”
He looked at me, his deep eyes holding an intriguing depth.
"Yes, he used this secret to make a deal with me,"
"My son isn't lying; he just knows less than I do. I know everything. How about we make a trade?"
The Old Fox finally revealed his intentions. He wanted to exchange information with me. Cao Jin is definitely following in his father's footsteps, both are cunning and shrewd.
He is clever, but I'm not foolish. "Old man, why don't you tell me how we will trade first, and then we can decide whether to go through with it?"
He hardly hesitated. "Alright."
"As long as you walk out of my front door without taking what you originally intended to take tonight, I will tell you Shiro's secret."
I was particularly shocked inside; this old man not only knew I was coming tonight but also that I was after something from him.
Could it be that Mu Xuanche knew this and chose not to come in with me? Just now, the old man was clearly trying to probe me about Cao Jin, which was an attempt to ascertain two things:
First, the importance of Shiro to me.
If Shiro weren't important to me, I wouldn't be making a trade with Cao Jin.
Second, how much I knew about Shiro's secret.
It seemed Old Cao the Craftsman couldn't determine how much his son had shared with me, which is why he was testing me, trying to figure out how much leverage he had.
It's all my fault for being so foolish; only now am I realizing I've fallen into the old man's trap.
The situation had turned quite passive.
On one side was Shiro's secret, which must be a significant one, and Old Cao the Craftsman was aware of it; otherwise, he wouldn't dare to use it as a bargaining chip with me.
On the other side was Gold Foil Silk, which Mu Xuanche had insisted I bring back. It seemed this item held unusual importance for him.
Old Cao the Craftsman looked at me with a light chuckle, showing no signs of urgency, allowing me to think it over. This only made me more anxious—was there some sort of time limit? Otherwise, why would he be so calm?
I needed to make a decision quickly.
After much contemplation, I finally said to Old Cao the Craftsman, "I've made my decision. I still want the item I came for tonight. As for Shiro's secret, I believe I can uncover it myself, so there's no need to trouble Old Master Cao."
The moment my words fell, Old Cao the Craftsman's beard bristled in anger, his eyes wide as he stared at me, enduring an extraordinary amount of frustration.
My heart, which had been hanging in suspense, felt slightly relieved; I must have made the right bet, or else Old Cao wouldn't have reacted this way.
Old Man nearly lost his temper completely, looking as if he might faint from rage and storm off.
"Gu Family Girl, have you thought this through? This is a secret passed down through generations in our Cao Family. Once this opportunity is gone, it will be hard to find again," he warned.
The more he insisted, the more resolute I became.
"Old man, I've made my choice; there's no changing it."
Old Cao the Craftsman instantly slumped in defeat, his spirit seemingly drained as if he were a lifeless shell.
"Alright, alright, choose something, choose something."
Could it be that the Old Man is driven mad by me? He seems to be starting to ramble a bit.
Just as I was about to say something to dissuade him, the old fellow trembled slightly as he picked up the tea from the table, nearly spilling it. After taking a couple of sips, he seemed to regain some composure and his spirit returned.
He spoke to me in a steady voice, "Gu Family Girl, you really defend your Ghost Husband well. It's a pity that he doesn't regard you at all. Well, since you came for that thing today, I won't stop you. You can take it."
I was about to ask what he meant by that when he turned and went into the inner hall, calling out Cao Yin, leaving me with a remark, "Tell him to do it."
This "him" must refer to Mu Xuanche. What does the Old Man want Mu Xuanche to do? He didn’t clarify.
Under his father's orders, Cao Yin handed me the statue I had seen at their house last time. In front of Cao Yin, I smashed it to pieces.
Sure enough, there was a piece of Gold Foil Silk inside.
By now, Cao Yin showed no change in expression whatsoever.
When I mentioned that I wanted to leave, he opened the door for me.
Worried that the Cao Family might change their minds, I didn’t linger and hurriedly took the item and ran outside.
Not long after I left, I heard Rapid Footsteps behind me.
A sudden shock coursed through me, and I instinctively turned around.
When I realized the newcomer was Cao Yinshi, I let out a sigh of relief.
“Aunt Cao, is there anything else you need?” I asked, taking the initiative.
She handed me a letter, instructing, “My father wants you to have this. Find a private place to read it, and don’t let anyone know.”
Watching Cao Yin’s retreating figure, I glanced down at the envelope in my hand.
This trip home had truly been bizarre; the mysteries were piling up, and I felt increasingly confused.
What exactly did Old Master Cao mean by this?
Comment 0 Comment Count