"Mother, are you serious? You want me to marry Qiu Yunping?"
Lady Su counted Qiu Yunping's virtues on her fingers for her: "He's a scholar who can't even truss a chicken. Back then, you paid for his parents' funeral and gave him food and shelter. You have a great kindness towards him. Besides, he has no parents or clan above him, he's all alone, and he's easy to control. He probably wouldn't dare to gossip recklessly outside. Once he enters our Bai family, you have a child and raise it. Then, what worry would you have about a lack of options?"
Bai Zhenting having no heir, the severing of the family line had been a long-standing knot in Lady Su's heart.
Bai Shiqi was horrified: "You're actually serious about this?"
When she was north escorting the grain tribute, Lady Su and Bai Zhenting had also discussed this matter, feeling there was plenty of room for maneuver, provided Bai Shiqi cooperated.
"Could this be false?"
"You and father have such sharp eyes!" She flopped back down again, propping up one leg, the other leg crossed and swinging: "Qiu Yunping is just a drunken miser, weak as a little chick. Having a child with someone like that, aren't you and father afraid I might just smother him to death?"
Lady Su, furious, hit her: "Where did you learn such awful habits? Smother one for me to see?"
But the truth was, many of the men in the grain tribute gang were destitute and homeless, with not even a tile over their heads, which was why they made a living on the canals. They weren't much different from desperate outlaws. Sometimes fights broke out, casualties were unavoidable. They learned to be fierce and fight from a young age; teaching them humility was much harder.
Bai Shiqi had spent a long time with these men. Sometimes, resolving conflicts didn't rely on a silver tongue, but on using violence to quell violence. Influenced by this environment, she looked down upon delicate and frail men.
Qiu Yunping might be easy to control, but he wasn't to the Young Gang Leader Bai's taste.
So Young Gang Leader Bai stretched out her five fingers in the air, slowly clenching them back as if gripping someone's neck, and said nonchalantly, "When the time comes, just toss him into some river to soak for a few days, no one would be any the wiser..."
Lady Su felt all her hairs stand on end. This gentle woman from the Jiangnan water towns was nearly driven to becoming a shrew by Bai Zhenting and his daughter: "Get out! Get out! Go back to your room to sleep, I don't want to hear you talk like this!"
Bai Shiqi had a stubborn temper. If you really went against her wishes, she might just tear the entire roof off the Bai family mansion.
“Just got back and you're already disliking me!” Bai Shiqi helplessly got up, put her close-fitting soft armor back on, slipped on her loose outer robe, and walked out: “If mother doesn't dote on me, there are still a few aunts who do. At the very least, I've taken a beautiful concubine. I'll go sleep with her tonight.”
Lady Su couldn't bear it any longer. She grabbed a mosquito-repelling sachet from the bedside and threw it at her. Bai Shiqi caught it deftly, sniffed it, and broke into a smile: "So fragrant, thank you, mother!"
"Shameless!"
Lady Su was almost driven to laughter by anger!
Chased out by her mother, Bai Shiqi wandered around the Bai family mansion. Along the way, she encountered little maids who blushed and greeted her. She would even wink at them, making the young maid's face turn even redder. Her companion pulled her aside to pour cold water on her: "If the Gang Leader and his lady see you like this, be careful they give you a beating with the board and sell you off!"
The little maid blushed and whispered in defense: "But... the Young Gang Leader is clearly not young anymore. The Gang Leader and his lady aren't arranging a marriage for him, and there's no one in his room either." She suddenly became anxious: "I heard the Young Gang Leader took a concubine this time, and she's already moved in. Does that mean from now on, the Gang Leader and his lady won't stop the Young Gang Leader from taking people into his room anymore?"
The one trying to persuade was also startled by this possibility, slightly tempted: "...Hard to say, right?"
In the Bai mansion, there was only Bai Shiqi, this one precious seedling. She had lips red as rouge and teeth white as jade—a face full of charm—and a tender heart that pities the fragrant and jade-like nature, a gentle disposition. She never scolded the maids. Over time, many maids in the mansion had their hearts stirred. If Bai Zhenting hadn't dealt firmly with Bai Shiqi's four beautiful concubines, there probably would have been many little maids throwing themselves at Young Gang Leader Bai.
Bai Shiqi, carefree and oblivious, stirred up a pool of spring water (romantic feelings) without even realizing it. She leisurely went to Fourth Miss Song's quarters to check on things. Seeing that the attending maids didn't dare neglect her, she set her mind at rest, bid farewell, and took the opportunity to detour to Zhao Ziheng's place to show concern for her good brother. Finally, she arrived at Zhao Wujiu's residence.
Zhao Wujiu had apparently also just finished bathing. His hair was loose, and he sat quietly in his wheelchair reading a book. Shu Changfeng stood by the wall like a wooden doorpost, almost like a piece of furniture in the room.
Bai Shiqi stood at the doorway for a long while, feeling that despite having company, he seemed very lonely and quiet. Only when she heard him ask, "Why aren't you coming in?" did she snap out of it.
She strode in, snatched the book from Zhao Wujiu's hand, tossed it aside casually, plopped down boldly, and found a topic to try and engage him in conversation: "I once heard a story about an old lady named Qiu Qianchi. Her limbs' tendons and meridians were severed, and she was thrown into an underground pit for many years. There, she mastered a peerless skill, the date pit hidden weapon. Have you heard of it, cousin?"
Shu Changfeng was secretly astonished. Bai Shiqi was getting bolder and bolder. Their group of close bodyguards had followed their master for many years, but who would dare casually snatch a book from his hand?!
In contrast, his master treated it as normal and retorted: "If the old lady was in a dry well, where would she get date pits to practice with?"
He was a rational and logically rigorous person; thinking was almost instinctive.
Bai Shiqi stood up like a charlatan, gesturing towards the ceiling: "Look, there's a wild jujube tree growing above the dry well. The hanging wild jujubes provided her food. After eating them for ten or eighteen years, she mastered the skill."
Zhao Wujiu: "Only eating wild jujubes?"
Bai Shiqi: "There wasn't anything else to eat. Well... maybe snakes, insects, rats, and ants?"
Zhao Wujiu: "Her limbs' tendons and meridians were severed. How could she catch snakes, insects, rats, and ants?"
Bai Shiqi helplessly: "Then... just wild jujubes."
Zhao Wujiu: "There are wild jujubes to eat in autumn. What about the other three seasons?"
Bai Shiqi showed signs of breaking down: "...Stockpiled dried jujubes?"
Zhao Wujiu was serious and meticulous, but there was a hint of a smile in his eyes: "What about drinking water? Only eating jujubes without water, wouldn't she get thirsty?"
Bai Shiqi held her forehead, secretly regretting having nothing better to do: "...There are underground rivers below, there's water." Afraid he would interrupt again, she immediately continued rapid-fire: "When the old lady saw her opponent, something flew out of her mouth with a 'zheng' sound, hitting the opponent's weapon. The man, known for his exceptional arm strength, felt a violent shock in his arm and actually lost his grip, his weapon flying from his hand. In terms of speed and force, it could be called the best of the best among hidden weapons."
Zhao Wujiu: "...Did she have a Mohist mechanism installed in her mouth? To have such force?"
Bai Shiqi felt he was thoroughly ruining the mood: "Cousin, it's a legend! A legend!"
Zhao Wujiu: "Eating only wild jujubes for years, she would have starved to death long ago, right? Where would she get the strength to practice martial arts?" He said, "You took such a roundabout way. What exactly do you want to ask?"
Bai Shiqi covered her face, deeply feeling embarrassed, but she really couldn't help it: "I told you a story, in exchange—" Even though the story had been picked apart by Zhao Wujiu until it was in tatters, her desire to learn and improve remained unyielding: "I was filled with admiration when I saw you using walnuts to hit rats on the boat... Cousin, will you teach me?"
Shu Changfeng, who was standing by in attendance, was stunned speechless—was there really such a method of forced exchange?
The corner of Zhao Wujiu's mouth curved slightly, yet he said with a perfectly straight face, "How about you catch a few more mice tomorrow, and I'll personally demonstrate for you using walnuts again?"
Bai Shiqi suspected he was teasing her: "Cousin, are you fooling me?" But Zhao Wujiu maintained his stern, impartial expression, like a serious school dean, making it hard to believe he was joking. "Could it actually be true?"
Zhao Wujiu explained, "To practice this kind of hidden weapon, of course you need to use living creatures. Otherwise, what's the use if your aim is off? Tomorrow, first catch a hundred mice and bring a basket of walnuts."
"Alright... I guess?" Bai Shiqi suddenly recalled the story of the young Yang Guo from the Ancient Tomb Sect practicing by catching sparrows. She wondered silently if all masters had this kind of penchant for taking lives.
A voice came from outside—it was Qiu Yunping: "Shiqi, the Gang Leader wants you to check the accounts." Bai Shiqi hurriedly took her leave and went out.
After her figure disappeared beyond the doorway, Shu Changfeng still stood there dumbfounded and asked, "Master, are you really going to have Young Gang Leader Bai catch a hundred mice tomorrow?"
Zhao Wujiu could no longer hold back his laughter: "Isn't she quite the mischievous one? Since she loves catching mice, let her catch her fill!"
Suddenly, a head popped into the doorway, crying out in frustration, "I knew something was off! Cousin, you've actually learned to lie!" Bai Shiqi had returned. Or perhaps, after leaving, she had pretended to run off but had actually been hiding stealthily by the door all along. Zhao Wujiu and his servant, caught off guard for a moment, had been overheard.
Not far away, Qiu Yunping urged impatiently, "Hurry up, Young Gang Leader! The Gang Leader is getting anxious!"
Bai Shiqi tossed back a line, "I'll settle this with you later!" and finally ran off.
The room fell quiet for a moment. Zhao Wujiu shook his head helplessly, a smile playing on his lips even as he did so. "That mischievous girl!"
Shu Changfeng thought to himself: Before meeting Bai Shiqi, his master hadn't laughed for a long time. He stayed shut in his room all day, barely speaking except for a few words with the imperial physicians who came to see him. Seeing him laugh heartily like this now was truly wonderful.
When a proud son of heaven has his wings of flight broken, it is perhaps even harder to accept than it is for an ordinary person.
