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"Shou Hu!"
"Tch!" After taking a punch, the Constable made a face and, before leaving, couldn't help but add, "What's wrong with Ruyi? If you really fancy Brother Chang, you should be happy and treat him to drinks."
"Miss Ruyi, don't listen to that Shengzi's nonsense." Chang Tai explained awkwardly, while Xing Ruyi covered her mouth and smiled, watching him without saying a word.
"Miss is busy, I’ll go post the notice." Chang Tai felt increasingly embarrassed under Xing Ruyi's gaze. As he turned to leave, he accidentally bumped into a pillar, which elicited a peal of laughter from Xing Ruyi like silver bells.
A cold wind mixed with the chill before the storm rushed into the room, causing the notice in Xing Ruyi's hand to flutter loudly. The notice featured a man and a woman and contained extremely harsh words: "Adulterer and Whore Conspire to Murder Husband."
If you looked closely, you could see that the woman was Yu Niang, who had come to Ruyi Workshop a few days ago asking for mulberry leaves for winter, and the man was some lord who had sought her out.
Upon examining the content further, it became even more unbelievable and gave off an unsettling chill. The notice stated that the whore Yu Niang had already been having an affair with Adulterer Zhang. When her mother-in-law, Wang Liu, accidentally discovered this, Yu Niang incited her husband to abuse his mother to death under the pretense of discord between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. She then conspired with Zhang to murder her husband. To cover up their actions, she falsely claimed that her husband had taken a Concubine and had him divorced. She then shamelessly married into the Zhang family as a concubine. Had it not been for Zhang discovering that Yu Niang was actually a woman with an ugly face disguised by makeup, leading him to abandon her and inciting Yu Niang's wrath, revealing the entire plot of murder against her husband, this incident might have become an eternal injustice.
Xing Ruyi looked at the image of Yu Niang in the notice and sighed softly, "If only it had been different back then; why did it have to come to this?"
As she loosened her grip, the notice was swept away by the wind. The image of the woman was blown about until her seemingly bright face was covered in dark spots resembling silkworm droppings, making it look quite terrifying.
Due to Yu Niang colluding with Adulterer Zhang to murder her husband and previously abusing her mother-in-law to death, the Empress was furious and immediately issued an order: "Execute immediately!" In the afternoon, although the sky remained heavily overcast, it seemed as if the rain was being held back by something and wouldn't fall. The execution site was surrounded by onlookers, including Xing Ruyi.
From where she stood, she could see Yu Niang slightly raising her head with a smile that seemed both mocking and resolute as if to say that since you don't want me anymore, I'll drag you down with me to death. As for that lord, he looked dazed and shook his head repeatedly, lamenting, "Poisonous woman! Ugly woman! I'm all ruined because of you!"
When the verdict was announced, that lord suddenly stood up and shouted loudly: "My lord! Please see clearly! This Yu Niang is nothing but a demoness! Look at her face; although it appears beautiful in daylight, at night it's a ghostly visage! My lord! This person is wronged; she has bewitched me..." Before he could finish his sentence, the executioner's blade fell swiftly. The lord's head rolled away from his body while he continued to shout: "I was bewitched by this demoness!"
Yu Niang saw Zhang Laoye's head being chopped off and merely snorted coldly. It was only when her own head fell to the ground that she let out a soft, mournful sigh and closed her eyes. The long-suppressed rain finally began to fall, causing the onlookers to scream and scatter, some fleeing home while others sought shelter from the rain. Only Xing Ruyi stood alone with a black paper umbrella, watching as Yu Niang's once radiant face became speckled with dark spots.
"Sin can be committed, but one cannot live after committing such sins. Remember to be a kind person in your next life," Xing Ruyi said as she lightly blew on Yu Niang's face. The dark spots seemed to come alive, crawling down her face like insects and slipping through the gaps of the execution platform.
As she turned around, she noticed Chang Tai holding some white cloth and smiled faintly as she approached him. "Brother Chang, what are you doing?"
"Even though she was an evil person, now that she's dead, we can't just let her be drenched by the rain. I'll cover her for now, and once the rain stops, I'll notify her family to collect the body."
"Brother Chang truly has a Bodhisattva's heart. By the way, doesn't Yu Niang have a child? No matter how flawed a mother may be, the child is always innocent."
"The child has been taken by the abbot of a nearby temple to resolve the karmic burdens through Buddhist teachings. It's just one child; even if there are karmic burdens, they are likely inherited from their parents. But at least the child has a place to go."
"Brother Chang is right; for that child, the temple is indeed a good place." Xing Ruyi clasped her hands together. "Amitabha, may that child have peace and safety throughout their life."
Chang Tai nodded without saying more. He walked around Xing Ruyi to the execution platform, gathered Yu Niang and Zhang Laoye's bodies together, and covered them with white cloth. As he stood up, he seemed to think for a moment before lowering his paper umbrella to shield their heads from the pouring rain.
"It turns out Brother Chang not only has a Bodhisattva's heart but is also quite thoughtful. Let's go; my umbrella is just right for escorting you," Xing Ruyi said as she raised the black umbrella over her head to cover Chang Tai. His face flushed slightly as he grasped the handle of the umbrella. "If Ruyi doesn't mind, I would prefer to hold it myself."
"Of course; who told you to be so tall?" Xing Ruyi released her grip and gently rubbed her wrist.
"Have you heard? Ruyi understands pharmacology?"
"I only have a basic understanding. Why? Is there someone sick at Brother Chang's home or do you have some discomfort yourself?" Xing Ruyi paused and looked Chang Tai up and down. Chang Tai felt increasingly embarrassed under her gaze, his ears turning redder.
"No, it's not me, it's..."
"What is it?" Xing Ruyi blinked, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth, which only made Chang Tai more anxious.
"The young lady has a guest, or... perhaps we should meet another day." Chang Tai said, turning to leave. After taking a few steps, he suddenly turned back. "I forgot to return your umbrella." With that, he shoved the umbrella into Xing Ruyi's hands and dashed into the rain.
Xing Ruyi pouted, then turned around with a beaming smile and called out to the Emerald Gown Young Lady standing in front of her shop, "Peach Blossom Girl, are you here to buy Rouge and Face Powder?"
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