Chapter 9: The Freak

A-Shu, who had been waiting outside all this time, felt a sense of listlessness and growing trepidation. Just as she began to fret over what would happen if the Su family refused to acknowledge A-Huan, a beautiful figure flashed through the crack of the door. The woman wore her hair in a high bun adorned with dangling ornaments, and her garments were crafted from rich, colorful fabrics that made her appear radiant, elegant, and gentle.

"A-Huan, that is the Third Mistress of the Su family. Do you remember her?" A-Shu asked, calling out with delight.

Murong Huan shook her head. Many memories from her youth had become blurred; she could barely recall the faces of her own parents, let alone the Third Mistress of the Su family, with whom they had had very little contact. A-Shu, however, remembered her well, for this lady had been incredibly kind to her, even giving her lotus-silk candies when she was a child—a kindness she had never forgotten.

Seeing the Third Mistress approach, A-Shu greeted her with great joy: "Third Mistress, it is I, A-Shu. Do you remember me? I have brought our young mistress home. Could you please inform the Old Mistress and let us in?"

Madam Qiu, the Third Mistress, hurriedly dismissed the servants and had the gatekeeper open the door. She then walked up to Murong Huan and looked her up and down. "She is certainly exquisite and lovely, though she doesn't look much like him."

After Madam Qiu spoke, A-Shu immediately produced a letter. "Although A-Huan does not look like the Second Young Master, she bears a strong resemblance to the Second Mistress. She is indeed the daughter of the Second Young Master. Look, this is the letter the Duke left for our young mistress back then. He said that when he returned from the Northern Frontier, he would bring her home. But unfortunately..."

What followed was the news of the Duke of Xing's death.

"And there is more—the fish-shaped tally left by the Second Young Master, and... oh, right, there is also the chicken-heart pendant that the Duke gave to the young mistress. These can all serve as proof!"

A-Shu turned to Murong Huan. "A-Huan, hurry, take them out and show the Third Mistress!"

The chicken-heart pendant was a protective talisman, symbolizing a divine dwelling; it was said that wearing it could shield one from the curses of witchcraft in political struggles. The Duke had been truly partial back then. When she had begged for such a pendant for her own son, he had refused, bestowing it only upon the newborn daughter of the second branch, Su Minghe.

"Oh, do take out this protective pendant and let me see it!" Madam Qiu said with a kindly, gentle smile.

Murong Huan produced the pendant, but just as Madam Qiu reached out to take it, she suddenly withdrew it and tucked it back into her sleeve. Subconsciously, she felt a strong aversion to this Third Mistress.

"You have seen the pendant. May we see the Old Mistress now?"

Madam Qiu withdrew her eager gaze and offered an awkward, slight smile. "Oh, very well. I shall take you to see the Old Mistress now!"

The Old Mistress’s courtyard was in the eastern wing. After traversing a long, bluestone path and passing several pavilions, they finally arrived before a courtyard with red tiles and white walls. Above the entrance, the words "Hall of Compassionate Hearts" were written in upright, solemn, and dignified calligraphy.

"Old Mistress, I have brought them in!" After entering the hall, Madam Qiu nodded to the Old Mistress, signaling that the identity was indeed correct, before speaking those words.

***

The eldest daughter-in-law, Madam Qin, looked at Murong Huan and shrank back in fear, trying to hide behind Madam Qiu to avoid Murong Huan's gaze.

The Old Mistress, however, studied Murong Huan, thinking to herself: *She truly looks like that woman—possessing a bright, seductive face, yet carrying a fierce, daunting aura.*

"Are you truly that child? The daughter of the Second Young Master?"

A-Shu quickly interjected, "Old Mistress, it is true. We followed your instructions and stayed in Taoyuan Village, never leaving. Look, the young mistress is grown now, she has reached womanhood. She is no different from any other young lady—perfectly normal and very beautiful!"

She was beautiful, yes, but who knew if this girl would go mad again? She had once burned down the mourning hall; who knew what other outrageous things she might do in the future? This was not a normal child!

"Enough. Since she is back, clear out a room for her to stay in," the Old Mistress said, feeling a tremor of unease. "Madam Qin, you are the mistress of the main branch and manage the household affairs of the Su family; go and arrange her lodging."

Madam Qin trembled, not daring to even look at Murong Huan, and hurriedly pushed Madam Qiu forward. "Mother, it would be better for our sister-in-law to make the arrangements. Although I have held the keys to the household all these years, it was she who made many of the decisions. Since she was close to the lady of the second branch back then, it should be she who handles this."

Speaking of Madam Qiu’s ability to bend and stretch, even she had to admire it. Not only had her husband been taken from her, but she had later become a sister-in-law to the woman who had stolen him, even calling her 'sister.' Such tolerance was something one would be hard-pressed to find among a hundred women.

Before the Old Mistress could speak, Madam Qiu smiled and replied, "Mother, let me handle the arrangements then!"

"Very well. Since you have both agreed, I have nothing more to say! Let her settle in, and we shall deal with future matters when they arise."

"Yes!"

And so, Murong Huan finally settled into the Su household. She simply wanted a place to stabilize herself so she could contemplate the dreams she had been having, and the strange impulses that had driven her to act as she did—such as saving Wang Xueying, the fifth daughter of the Wang family. Yet, although she had saved Wang Xueying’s life and healed her heart, she could not change her fate. The Wang family would still use her as a tool for a marriage of convenience.

The Wang family of Taiyuan! They were a noble, prestigious clan since the Wei and Jin dynasties, yet now they were cowed by a ruthless official of humble origins, willing to sacrifice their own delicate daughter to appease a man who acted like a base, lawless tyrant.

"A-Huan, we finally have a home! We have a home! We will never be bullied again. In the future, the elders of the clan will help find you a good match, and you will live a life without worries!" A-Shu said happily, looking over the courtyard Madam Qiu had provided.

Murong Huan did not share her joy, saying only, "I will not marry."

"What?" A-Shu had not heard clearly.

Murong Huan repeated, "I said, in this life, I will not marry."

***

"Nonsense, what woman doesn't marry? A-Huan, you are still young. Once you meet someone you love, you will want to marry!"

Murong Huan simply stopped responding. Faced with A-Shu’s innocence, she could only remain silent.

Fortunately, the courtyard Madam Qiu had arranged was indeed quite pleasant and secluded. However, despite its seclusion, it could not avoid the attention of those who liked to make trouble out of nothing.

"So that is the daughter of the second branch! I heard her father was the pride of our Su family, the only one with a talent for scholarship—a fallen star of literature!"

"What good is being a scholar-star if he lost his mind over a woman? Tell me, do you think her mother could have been a demon? I often heard the elders tell stories about scholars meeting beautiful fox spirits in temples. Could that have been what the second uncle encountered? Otherwise, why would he abandon his bright future just to be with a woman older than him, and even sire such a freakish daughter?"

"I heard this daughter of theirs is quite strange, too. Who knows, she might be a demon herself. One day she’ll show her fox tail and scare you to death!"

At Su Sanniang's words, the younger Su Jiuniang shrieked in terror and burst into tears. Hearing the crying, A-Shu ran out quickly. Seeing the group of young ladies watching, she snapped angrily, "What are you looking at? Haven't you ever seen someone prettier than yourselves? Aren't you afraid of dying from jealousy?"

"Go away, all of you! Stop disturbing my young mistress's peace!"

Unaccustomed to such spirit from a mere servant, Su Siniang’s face turned green. She had grown up never being lectured by a girl of servant status.

"You base wench, what is your status? How dare you lecture me?"

Su Siniang was about to rush forward to strike A-Shu in a rage, but before her hand could reach out, a figure blocked her path. She widened her eyes and looked—the person who had suddenly appeared before her was none other than the eldest daughter of the second branch who had just returned!

*How did she appear? I didn't even see her leave the room—how did she get in front of me?*

Su Siniang made a connection and immediately let out a shrill, tearful scream: "A monster!"

The other young ladies were terrified and fled in a panic. Su Siniang relayed her fear to her mother, Madam Qin.

"It was too terrifying, Mother! She—she must be a monster. In the blink of an eye, she was right in front of me! It was so scary! Mother, hurry and tell Grandmother to make her leave the Su family! Make her go!"

Madam Qin, suffering from a headache due to the noise, only said, "She is the only bloodline left by your second uncle; we cannot just drive her away. Besides, there are no such things as monsters in this world. She is just a young lady, she doesn't have three heads or six arms. Why are you so scared? Just stay away from her courtyard in the future."

At that very moment, A-Shu, watching the group of young ladies run away screaming as if they had seen a ghost, felt deeply depressed. She thought to herself, *A-Huan is such a good person! Why is everyone afraid of her?*

As she pondered this, another thought crossed her mind.