Chapter 57: The Peony Family

  Peony Beauty

  Yan Xue, who had been eagerly waiting for Yun Xiang to lift the veil, became extremely nervous and happy when she heard the sound of the door being opened and someone entering. Is it Young Master? She thought to herself secretly. No, this person's footsteps are too light, this shouldn't be a man's walking sound, who is it? She wondered secretly.

  "The bride, shall I lift your veil for you? Let me take a look at how beautiful you are today?" the person who came said with a sarcastic tone.

  "It's Xiuzhu." Yansnow recognized her voice and knew she had to wake up from her dream. She lifted her veil, forcing a smile as she said: "The bride? You're the one who's really my young master's bride, I'm just...I was just having a spring dream, but when I woke up, I'm still your maid. Young Mistress, are you here to mock me?"

  Xiu Zhu heard the sour tone in Yan Xue's words, but she didn't mind because Yan Xue's words were clear - she had just been dreaming and was the protagonist of her own story. She asked knowingly: "What's going on? Who bullied you, Snowy sister? Tell me, let me deal with them."

  Yan Xue let out a sigh, relaxed her mood, and said lightly: "No one would bully me for no reason, I'm just a little girl. Miss Zhu'er, do you have something to say?"

  Xiu Zhu looked at Yan Xue's disheartened eyes and suddenly felt selfish and narrow-minded. She sat down beside Yan Xue, took her hand, and said softly: "Yun Gege and the others are discussing matters, Wang Furen is afraid you'll be lonely, so she asked me to keep you company."

  Yan Xue turned around and looked at Xiuzhu, with a puzzled expression, asking: "Why did you change your words and call our family's young master 'Cloud Big Brother'?"

  Xiu Zhu felt a sour nose and hot eyes, excitedly saying: "Xue Er sister, am I being too selfish? Or, or we can marry Yun Gege together?"

  Yan Xue was so frightened that she jumped down from the bed, waving her hands and saying: "No, no, no, how can this be? I'm just a maid, who dares to have such an improper thought. Today's performance has already shortened my lifespan by many years. If you continue to say such things, I fear I really won't survive. Please spare me."

  Xiu Zhu and Yan Xue suddenly became much closer, lying side by side on the bed, looking forward to their future happiness, occasionally bursting into strings of happy laughter.

  Early in the morning, a ray of sunlight passed through the window screen, and Lin Ping slowly woke up, with a longing for spring. People were busy preparing for the New Year's goods. Today is already the 20th day of the twelfth lunar month, and the strong festive atmosphere has arrived. While people are busy buying New Year's goods, they are secretly passing on something more exciting than the Spring Festival. "Is it that the Qilin Mountain Anti-Japanese Brigade defeated the devils' attack?" someone asked. "No, it's even bigger news, someone was killed."

  Yun Xiang Tian and Xiuzhu blended in with the crowds of people coming and going, the market bustling with activity. All around them, they could hear talk of this one thing. He looked over at Xiuzhu with a pleased expression. Xiuzhu was also looking at him, her face filled with joy and contentment. Ever since Yun Xiang Tian and Yan Xue's fake wedding the day before yesterday, she had been sticking to Yun Xiang Tian like glue, impossible to shake off, even participating in last night's actions.

  Yesterday morning, Yun Xiang Tian, who had just arrived in Linping for the second day, asked Feng Tian Xiong to go to "Xianghe Inn" to find Liang Da Yong and Wei San Xi. After mutual greetings, Liang Da Yong provided him with an important piece of information: Linping's big traitor Yue Gao Xuan, relying on the strength of the little devils, bullied men and women, openly robbed and plundered, and colluded with the little devils to brutally kill many anti-Japanese heroes. The people of Linping all hated him to the bone.

  Yun Xiang Tian stroked his chin and asked: "Have you figured out his pattern of action?"

  Su Sanxi laughed and said: "I've figured it out, this old rascal has nine concubines at home and occasionally goes to Pidan Alley."

  Yun Xiang raised an eyebrow and asked, "Peony Lane? What kind of place is that?"

  Li Da Yong said, "Mudan Fang is a brothel. Yue Gao Xuan has a lover inside named Ye Lai Xiang. Every 3rd, 6th and 9th day of the month, he will go to meet her secretly, nothing can stop him. Today is the 19th, he must be going to Mudan Fang."

  Yun Xiangtian listened and a plan was born in his heart. "Hmph, to die under the peony flowers is also a romantic affair, I'll make him a romantic ghost today." He whispered to Liang Dayong and Wei Sanxi, who exchanged a knowing smile before turning around and leaving. After they left, Yun Xiangtian headed towards Madame Wang's room.

  That afternoon, three guests came to Pudanfang. The old procuress inside welcomed them with a smile and shouted: "Ah, three gentlemen, is this your first time at Pudanfang? Do you have any favorite girls?"

  Three of them were overwhelmed by her lipstick smell and wrinkled their eyebrows. A handsome young man said, "Go away, go away, we're here to drink, not...not that thing."

  The old procuress smiled slyly and said, "Oh my, you're still shy, haven't seen the world yet? Once born, twice familiar. I guarantee that once you come, you'll never forget this lifetime. How about it? Shall I call the girl down for you?"

  Just as the young man was about to speak, a fight broke out upstairs. Two men were fighting over a girl, refusing to give in, and were killing each other. The old madam couldn't care less about the three newcomers, and shouted for her henchmen to rush upstairs. When she arranged for the two men to be thrown out of the door, the three people who had just arrived had already disappeared. She shook her head regretfully and said: "Bad luck, where did these two pests come from, ruining my good business."

  The three people who just arrived were Yun Xiangtian, Xiu Zhu and Yan Xue. They took advantage of the chaos created by Liang Dayong and Wei Sanxi earlier to sneak into Ye Lai Xiang's room. Ye Lai Xiang was standing with her back to them, looking out the window, and didn't even turn around when she heard the door open. She softly recited: "The merchant woman doesn't know the sorrow of a lost country, across the river she still sings 'Flowers'."

  Yun Xiang Tian was shocked upon hearing this, but Yan Xue sneered and said: "How elegant, you've reached this point and still don't know the sorrow of a fallen nation. Across the river, they're still singing 'The Flower'. Do you even know what it means to have a country in ruins?"

  Yexiang turned around, her eyes still shining with tears, but a smile spread across her face. She spoke softly and said: "I'm someone who doesn't even care about saving face, reciting this poem is really not suitable, I've made you all laugh. What do you want to hear next?"

  Her poignant and moving tone made Yan Xue involuntarily produce a thread of goodwill, she said: "Since you have this idea, why don't you leave here? Still want to humiliate yourself."

  "Leaving? How can I leave? Are you joking, sir? Is there a place in this vast world where I am not allowed to stay?"

  Xiu Zhu impatiently said: "What's the point of talking to her? Just tie her up and hide her in the quilt. We're here on official business, not to chat with her, take action!"

  Yun Xiang Tian grabbed Xiuzhu's hand and said: "Miss seems to have a lot of grievances, tell me about it."

  "Go on, you first," Yexiang said with a faint smile. "You caused chaos and took the opportunity to sneak into my room with two girls. What's your intention? You wouldn't be trying to tie me up and hide me under the covers, would you?"

  Her words shocked the three of them, and Xiuzhu pulled out a handgun hidden behind her back and pressed it against Yelai's head. But she didn't panic, gently pushing away Xiuzhu's gun, turning around to sit on the chair, slowly saying: "This thing is useless here, not rare at all. If you want it, I have two more under my bed, take them together to play with."

  Yan Xue looked at Yun Xiang Tian and Yun Xiang Tian nodded. Yan Xue indeed found two Nanbu Type 14 pistols in a wooden box under the bed of Yelai Xiang. She took them out in surprise and handed them to Yun Xiang Tian. He took them over calmly and asked, "Miss, what exactly are you?"

  "Just like you, a ghost killer." She took out a cigarette from the pack on the table, lit it up and lazily blew out smoke rings as she spoke.

  Yun Xiangtian also sat down, picked up the cigarette case and looked at it, saying: "Is it Military Administration or Central Administration?"

  She burst out laughing and said: "Why didn't you ask me if I was a Eighth Route Army? Do only the Nationalist Party kill devils?"

  Her words surprised Yun Xiangtian, who asked quietly: "Are you from the Eighth Route Army?"

  She sighed and said in a low mood: "Alas, don't ask anymore, you'd better leave quickly. Yue Gaoxuan will be here soon, and you can't kill him. I don't want to see you die in front of me."

  Xiu Zhu said discontentedly: "Why? Does he have three heads and six arms? I don't believe we can't kill him."

  Jasmine didn't even glance at her and said, "He may not have grown three heads and six arms, but he has four ruthless bodyguards who follow him every step of the way. Otherwise, he wouldn't be alive today." She spoke casually, but a layer of frost had formed on her face.

  Yun Xiang's mouth curled up, and he said in a low voice: "As long as the girl cooperates, killing him will be easy." He explained his plan, and Ye Lai Xiang clapped her hands and laughed, saying: "This idea is too wonderful."