Chapter 22: The Clinic
Song Hemei's entire body stiffened, as if something sticky and filthy had wrapped itself around her. The nauseating breath fell upon her neck, making her hairs stand on end as she instinctively struggled.
"Let me go!"
The arms encircling her tightened. The man's arms felt like iron chains; no matter how thin and gentle he might appear, when he exerted his strength, it was unfairly difficult for her, a woman, to break free or withstand him.
She struggled with all her might, and the person behind her held on with all his strength. They swayed, unable to steady themselves amidst the struggle.
At that moment, Song Hemei felt like the piglet the kitchen matron spoke of slaughtering at New Year's. Bound hand and foot, it struggled endlessly, with several people unable to hold it down.
But she felt that piglet was luckier than her. At the very least, the thing rushing towards it was a sharpened blade, not something else.
At the very least, the shouts by its ears were "Don't move," not the sickening cries repeated over and over: "Mei'er, be good, stop bothering me."
Song Hemei had experienced the ways of men and women before. She knew what he intended to do. That revolting feeling transformed into strength, sharpening her mind and making her body react faster than usual.
Almost instinctively, she suddenly jerked her head back, smashing the back of her skull hard into Shao Wen'ang's nose.
A muffled grunt sounded. The restraint on her body abruptly loosened as Shao Wen'ang clamped both hands over his nose and mouth. The pain, like fireworks exploding at the tip of his nose, forced him back several steps, his body bending low.
Song Hemei turned around, snatching up the wedding gift from the table. The red cloth-wrapped box with its hard corners was held before her chest as a means of defense. Seeing Shao Wen'ang's nosebleed seeping through the gaps between his fingers, she spat fiercely, "Shao Wen'ang, have you no shame left at all?"
Her breathing was rapid from anger, her body trembling with agitation.
"I never imagined you could be this kind of person. For all of Madam Shao's talk about your Shao family being a cultured and refined house, where did all your book-learning go? Did the classics teach you to force yourself on women?"
Shao Wen'ang took a long time to recover. A severe blow to the nose inevitably affected the eye sockets, and his eyes were now brimming with tears. Even his attempt to maintain an air of magnanimous forbearance before her could not suppress the rising anger within him.
"Mei'er, how long will you keep making a scene? You and I are husband and wife. How can my being close to you be considered forcing myself on you?"
He took a handkerchief from his bosom. His gaze at her was like that of someone looking at a child throwing a tantrum, even carrying a hint of exasperation at her immaturity, as if he were disappointed in her for not understanding.
"I was only holding you. Why must you react so violently?"
Song Hemei let out several cold laughs. Her eyes were reddened from the height of her rage. "What husband and wife? We haven't consummated the marriage, nor even exchanged betrothal cards. On what basis do you keep calling us husband and wife? What 'holding'? Do you take me for a deaf person, unable to hear the disgusting things you were saying?"
Her breathing was ragged. She couldn't bear staying in this room with this man for another moment. Her stomach was churning violently. She had to get out, she had to get out now!
Song Hemei hurried towards the door, but Shao Wen'ang suddenly reached out and grabbed her wrist. "Mei'er, don't go."
His hands were still stained with blood. His grip stained the fabric of her sleeve.
She shook her arm, but couldn't free herself. Shao Wen'ang straightened up and pulled her closer with force. "You're angry with me about the betrothal card, aren't you? I've done my best with that matter, but it's not without a solution. We just need to have a child quickly. In the future, you will surely be allowed into the Shao family ancestral hall."
Song Hemei was so angry she laughed. It was truly strange. What had bewitched her eyes in the past that she had never before seen these absurd and ridiculous traits in Shao Wen'ang?
This time, she used all her strength, violently smashing the wedding gift she was holding down onto the hand that gripped her.
Shao Wen'ang, who had also grown wary of her ruthless attacks against him every time, immediately let go. Song Hemei took the opportunity to retreat several steps.
"I truly am thankful that you and I are not yet true husband and wife. Otherwise, I don't know how I could ever live day to day with someone like you."
"Mei'er, don't say things in anger. Haven't we agreed in the past? Even when furious, we cannot speak harsh words that hurt our bond."
Because of the handkerchief muffling his nose and mouth, Shao Wen'ang's voice was dull and muffled. Combined with the disappointment in his eyes, he seemed as if he were wounded in love. When he spoke again, his voice was choked with emotion. "I know your feelings. It's all my fault. I was too impatient just now. I didn't properly show you tenderness."
He stepped forward. "I know you came back today because you wanted to mend things with me. I saw you busying yourself back and forth for the banquet. Mei'er, you don't know how happy I was to see you."
Song Hemei felt she was truly going to vomit.
Being bossed around like a housekeeper, in Shao Wen'ang's eyes, was her willingly trying to mend fences with him.
Her hard work left no trace in his eyes or heart. He was even happy about it?
She smiled mockingly. She truly dared not imagine what it would be like to spend a long life with him. If he viewed all her toil so lightly, how much silent grievance would she have to swallow?
She wanted to curse him out properly, but her reason told her she must not stay here any longer. She had to leave, had to escape now!
The entire Shao household was of one mind. If something happened, she only had her two maids here with her.
Shao Wen'ang wanted to cook the rice–to make their union a fait accompli. Madam Shao must have tacitly approved of this. If she provoked Shao Wen'ang too much, and he forced himself on her, she might not have the same luck to escape as she did on her wedding night.
Song Hemei closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Young Master Shao, don't be like this."
She suppressed the disgust in her heart as much as possible, softening her voice. "What lies between us cannot be settled in a few sentences. There are guests waiting outside. It is not appropriate for me to stay long. Let us discuss the matter between us in detail after the guests have dispersed."
Shao Wen'ang thought she had finally softened. Joy appeared on his face, but he said, "Mother can entertain the guests for you. We are newlyweds. Even if we leave the table because of our passion, it doesn't matter."
Song Hemei barely suppressed her displeasure. What do you mean, it doesn't matter?
Would she not be seen as lacking manners and discipline, using her newlywed status to fool around with her husband as an excuse?
She took another deep breath. "No. My status is already something people gossip about. Do you want to give them more to talk about when they go home? Why won't you consider things from my perspective at all?"
Shao Wen'ang's lips parted slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but Song Hemei watched him without flinching, her expression stubborn and unwilling to budge.
He hesitated for a long time but still couldn't bring himself to let her go.
Song Hemei bit her lip, looking at the hand covering his nose. "Then let me go out first and have someone prepare some cold water to tend to you."
Shao Wen'ang's heart softened. He felt that his Mei'er still cared about him. His hesitation slowly faded, and he relented. "Then, Mei'er, come back quickly."
Song Hemei mumbled an assent and turned to leave. At this moment, she could only feel that his nauseating self-confidence was good for something.
At least now, as long as her words weren't too harsh, he would think she had forgiven him and was as deeply in love with him as before.
Once she was fully out of the room, Jin'er and Yin'er had already come looking for her. Yin'er looked at her with confusion. But Jin'er clearly realized something, her expression somewhat evasive.
Song Hemei had no mind to question them closely now. She simply said, "If anyone asks, stall for me."
Both maids assented. Jin'er seemed about to stop her, but Song Hemei shot her a look. "There are some things I'll ask you about later."
Leaving this sentence behind, she hurried through the corridor towards the side gate. The closer she got to the exit, the faster she walked, eventually lifting her skirts and breaking into a small run. The Song family carriage was waiting for her. She had to go home now.
Her heart was in her throat. She was terrified of being spotted by some servant who would report her to Madam Shao or Shao Wen'ang, getting her detained and truly ending up trapped there without return. Only after forcing a calm expression and slipping out the side gate did she see that it wasn't the crude Song family carriage waiting, but only an empty alley entrance.
A buzzing sound filled Song Hemei's head. Her body froze in place.
Her heart pounded violently. Pale-faced, she turned back to the gatekeeper and asked, "Brother, where did the Song family carriage go?"
The young gatekeeper, unaware of the family affairs, said with some confusion, "Song family carriage? It only stopped at the gate for a moment before returning."
The buzzing in Song Hemei's ears continued, but she heard the gatekeeper's words perfectly clearly.
It stopped for a moment and then left.
So, her parents had never planned to let her come home.
So, they thought the same as the Shao mother and son. They were just waiting for Shao Wen'ang to consummate the marriage with her. Then she would stop making a fuss, and everything would return to how it was.
Her breathing quickened. Her hands in her sleeves clenched into tight fists, her whole body trembling from the force. Despair and resentment spread together through her heart. At this moment, she understood clearly once again.
Her parents had completely treated her as a married-out daughter. Even knowing what would happen when she returned to the Shao residence, they would still acquiesce and allow her so-called in-laws to steam the rice until it was fully cooked.
Song Hemei smiled. She thanked the gatekeeper and walked away without looking back.
But the urgent need to return home dissipated entirely. She slowly walked out of the alleyway, suddenly at a loss for where she could go.
Daylight faded bit by bit. The people on the streets began to thin out. She walked slowly. Her legs, already sore, now ached unrelentingly.
Her throat felt bitter and dry. Her eyes were moist. She wanted to cry, but because a lump of anger was lodged in her heart, the tears refused to fall.
But then, suddenly, she heard someone call out, "Second Miss."
Song Hemei stopped in her tracks. For a moment, she couldn't tell if it was reality or illusion.
She whirled around and saw Yu Yeqing standing not far behind her, dressed in the same green robes she had seen that morning.
He was looking at her. His expression was unreadable. He neither seemed about to leave nor to approach.
Song Hemei's lips moved slightly. She asked in surprise, "Why are you here?"
Yu Yeqing paused, then lifted the items in his hand. "I came to get some medicine for my sister."
Song Hemei smiled faintly. She suddenly felt it was indeed fate. That first night of her marriage, she had run out and met him. Now that she had run out again, she met him once more.
The tension in her body eased slightly. She had finally thought of a place to rest for a while. "Just right. Let me go with you to see Minglian."
Yu Yeqing's eyelashes lowered, obscuring the light in his eyes. He stepped forward until he was walking beside her, shoulder to shoulder. A steady voice came from him. "Alright."
His gaze was fixed ahead. He chose a path with fewer people, a slightly longer route.
As they turned into a quieter alley, he suddenly spoke. "Second Miss, has something happened?"
Song Hemei pressed her lips together but did not answer immediately.
Talking about the Shao family's affairs was not a problem. But what she couldn't bring herself to say was about her parents.
How could she say it?
How could she say that her own parents had personally sent her to another man, allowing him to do whatever he wanted with her?
At the thought, her eyes uncontrollably grew wet.
Though her head was lowered, Yu Yeqing could hardly miss her emotions. He appeared somewhat at a loss, taking a handkerchief from his bosom and offering it. "I spoke out of turn."
Song Hemei looked at the clean, neatly pressed handkerchief before her, and the slender, long fingers of the man beside her. She paused before taking the cloth.
As she wiped the corner of her eyes, she caught the clean scent of soap mixed with the faint aroma of ink that belonged to Yu Yeqing.
But though it was the smell of ink, one could tell it was not high-quality ink. Yet, when combined with the scent of soap, it carried a strange, refreshing clarity. The mingled scents drifted on the alley breeze to her nose, brushing all the way to her heart, stirring it and provoking a tingling, numb sensation.
Song Hemei sniffled, suppressing the urge to cry. She moved her lips and spoke softly. "I really do feel a bit stifled inside."
There was so much she wanted to say. There were complaints and resentment, questions and curses. But none of it was something she could say to Yu Yeqing. Finally, she could only say, "Madam Shao wanted to change my maids' names."
As she spoke, her voice choked with sobs.
"By what right? What's wrong with Jin'er and Yin'er? Why must they be changed to Chunhui and Suhui? Isn't it just that she looks down on my background, looks down on worldly things as vulgar? If the Shao family is so noble, how come they don't refuse worldly things at their door?"
Song Hemei hadn't thought she would cry, but tears finally filled her eyes. She wiped them away with the handkerchief and turned to the person beside her, demanding proudly, "What do you think? Am I right or not?"
Yu Yeqing answered without a second thought. "You are right."
Song Hemei looked up at him. There was not a trace of perfunctory agreement in his expression. His dark, ink-colored eyes were fixed on her. And for just that moment, it made her heart skip a beat.
Her gaze flickered away. She pressed her lips together and looked back down, whispering, "That's more like it."
They walked side by side. But just as they turned the corner of the alley, a fleeting half-back silhouette was spotted by Qiu Wan, who had secretly slipped out of the house.
Upon seeing the back that resembled her sister-in-law's, Qiu Wan turned her head away, afraid of being discovered. But then she reconsidered. Her sister-in-law was supposed to be at the Shao residence right now. How could she be here?
She breathed a sigh of relief and continued on. When she finally reached the main street, she entered a medical clinic and paid for her younger brother's medicine.
Qiu Mao had had his leg broken by men from the gambling den. He lay on a small couch, moaning and groaning. When he saw his sister, he began complaining, grumbling that a married-out daughter was like spilled water, that she hadn't been able to squeeze any silver from the obscenely wealthy Song family to pay off his gambling debts.
He went on and on, and Qiu Wan grew annoyed. With a disheartened sigh, she hung her head. "I have no way. The family can't come up with that much money right now. It's thirty thousand taels..."
Qiu Mao had heard this speech too many times. The pain in his leg made his tone towards his sister even worse. "What do you mean you can't? I saw with my own eyes how extravagantly your sister-in-law spends money!"
Qiu Wan frowned helplessly and said nothing.
Qiu Mao thought she didn't believe him and half sat up. "You think I'm making this up? I saw it with my own eyes! That poor tutor of the Song family came to get medicine here. He was throwing silver around generously. And where else could he get that money if not from your sister-in-law?"
Qiu Wan was irritated by his words and couldn't help rebutting him. "They barely know each other. How could it be from Hemei?"
Qiu Mao let out several nasty laughs. "Good sister, there's something you don't know. A few days ago, I saw them with my own eyes, riding horses together in the early morning. Does that look like two people who barely know each other?"
Afraid his sister still wouldn't believe him, his words began to grow exaggerated.
"I saw it with my own eyes! That man came to the clinic and bought ginseng and deer antler. Spending silver notes by the handful. I bet he took it all back home and ate it himself, so he could serve your sister-in-law well!"
Qiu Wan immediately stood up, her face reddening at his vulgar, unspeakable insinuations. "How dare you slander a young lady's reputation!"
Qiu Mao craned his neck and retorted, "Young lady? She's already married. Why would she still need to follow the rules for an unmarried girl? Who knows what she gets up to behind closed doors? You're the only fool, thinking that marrying into the Song family means you have to sell your soul to them. But look at her! A married woman has that many silver notes to give to her soiled lover. But you? You can't even come up with a paltry thirty thousand. Sister, you cut ties with the family back then, and I really thought you had climbed a high branch. But look at you!"
He let out several more snickers and lay back down. His voice drew out tauntingly. "Useless..."
Qiu Wan's heart was pounding wildly. Her mind involuntarily went back to that morning, when she had indeed seen her sister-in-law standing by the stables.
This… this was truly a big problem!
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