bookcurios Chapter 241: Miserable Suffering
Chapter 241: Miserable Suffering
The woman was stunned for a moment, as if she was struck by thunder, and stood there in a daze.
Her eyes widened, her face filled with disbelief, and a storm surged in her heart: She could never have imagined that Chu Ning'an would actually act like this! This... This was completely beyond her expectations, catching her off guard, leaving her with no idea how to continue this scene.
However, when she thought of her father, mother, and brothers still in the clutches of that vicious woman, Concubine Xiu, with their fate uncertain, her heart felt as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, the pain so intense that she could barely breathe. If she failed to complete her mission this time, then her family would likely face certain death.
That’s right, this woman was the one carefully selected by Wu Daguangtou and Meng Wenxiu as a tool to confuse Chu Ningan.
They originally thought that with the beauty and means of this woman, they would be able to play Chu Ning'an in the palm of their hands, but they never expected that Chu Ning'an was such a hard-hearted, unromantic and cold man.
At this thought, the woman felt a gloom before her eyes, and despair surged into her heart like a tide. However, her instinct for survival still drove her to react quickly. She suddenly knelt on her knees and kowtowed to Chu Ning'an without hesitation. The "dong dong dong" sound of her kowtow echoed in the silent room, sounding particularly clear and piercing.
At first, she just shed tears silently, and gradually, the silent tears turned into soft sobs.
She kept kowtowing and pleaded with Chu Ning'an in a trembling voice: "I am really desperate now. I have nowhere to go! I beg you to be merciful and have pity on me! As long as you are willing to take me in, even if you want me to be your slave and serve you for the rest of my life, I will be willing to do it! I only ask you to give me a place to stay and a meal so that I don't end up on the streets and starve to death in the wilderness... wuwuwu..."
There were only a few muffled "bang bang bang" sounds, and the woman kept knocking her head. However, after just a few knocks, her forehead, which was originally as white as snow, became red and swollen in the blink of an eye, and even strands of blood slowly seeped out from the wound.
Her beautiful face was now covered with crystal clear tears, like dewdrops rolling on lotus leaves in the morning, which made people feel pity. Such a delicate and pitiful appearance was really pitiful. All the men present felt pity for her and wanted to rush forward immediately to accept this weak and beautiful woman on behalf of Chu Ning'an.
Suddenly, someone in the crowd shouted loudly, "Mr. Chu, your family has some connections, so why do you have to make things so difficult for a weak woman? In my opinion, why don't you show some mercy and take this young lady in? Even if you can just keep her as a maid!"
As soon as he finished speaking, someone else immediately chimed in, "Yes, yes. To have such a beautiful woman like this come to you on her own initiative is truly a rare blessing, even with a lantern! Wouldn't it be a pity to miss it?"
"Mr. Chu has already achieved fame and honor, and his future is bound to be promising. It is only natural for him to have more wives and concubines. By accepting this young lady, not only will he be doing a good deed, but he will also have someone to accompany him. Isn't that wonderful?"
Everyone was talking at once, trying their best to persuade Chu Ning'an to take in the charming woman in front of him.
......
The men gathered together and tried to convince Chu Ning'an of his idea.
Their actions actually gave the woman more confidence. She thought to herself: In such a public place, even if Chu Ning'an was concerned about the gossip and criticism from people around him, he would probably be forced to accept her under pressure.
The woman sobbed softly, her voice so gentle and plaintive that it moved one's heart. "Master, please have pity on Rong'er. I have nowhere to go now. I just hope I can find a place to stay. Sob, sob, sob..." As she spoke of her sorrow, she couldn't help sobbing a few more times, tears rolling down her face like beads from a broken string.
As if she was afraid that others would not know that she had some talent, she quickly added, "Oh, oh... Sir, although Rong'er comes from a poor family, she is also familiar with some literary arts and knows a thing or two about knitting and needlework. As long as you are willing to take me in, I only ask that you provide Rong'er with enough food and clothing so that Rong'er will not starve to death or freeze to death on the streets. Rong'er will be satisfied, oh, oh, oh..."
Her hypocritical behavior made people feel that she had ulterior motives and impure intentions. The women watching were naturally not fools. They saw through her thoughts and tricks at a glance.
One of them couldn't help but spit and cursed indignantly, "Humph! I've never seen a woman as shameless as her. How dare she seduce men in broad daylight on the street? She's simply a shameless whore!"
Another woman nearby echoed, "That's right, I don't know where this little bitch came from, but she's so bold and reckless as to seduce people so openly. Mr. Chu, please don't be fooled by her sweet words!"
For a moment, everyone looked at the woman with cold brows and contempt on their faces.
"How could you women be so heartless? Look at this young lady, she's already so miserable and pitiful, and not only do you not show any sympathy or pity, but you make such malicious assumptions about her. It's truly outrageous and abominable!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the surrounding area erupted in an uproar. The previously quiet street became unusually noisy. Before the person involved could react, the men and women who were watching the excitement began to argue, each arguing with their own opinion and refusing to give in.
Chu Ning'an stood in the crowd, his lips curled up slightly, a faint smile tinged with sarcasm. His gaze was fixed on the woman crying and complaining in the street, but the depths of his eyes were as cold as the cold winter.
Although he currently does not know exactly where this woman came from, with his keen insight, he has already concluded that this woman must have evil intentions and ulterior motives.
Chu Ning'an clasped his fists and bowed to the onlookers around him, and said loudly: "All of you fellow villagers and neighbors here today have witnessed what this woman did. If I insist on not taking her in, I'm afraid others will think I'm cold-blooded and heartless, with no compassion. But if I rashly bring home someone with an unclear identity and background, it will be difficult for me to explain to my family." After that, he shook his head helplessly, a trace of embarrassment on his face.
"Master, you..." Ah Xi's face was filled with astonishment. He had never expected Chu Ning'an to say such a thing. Anxiety instantly surged in his heart. He exclaimed, "Master, this is absolutely not allowed!"
However, Chu Ning'an pretended not to hear. He simply paused, then gave Ah Xi a subtle, almost imperceptible shake of his head. His deep eyes, like cold stars, swept across the crowd of onlookers before returning his gaze to Ah Xi. He spoke softly, "Ah Xi, take this girl to the county yamen. Simply ask Lord Xu to ascertain her true identity and background. If she is willing to sell herself, you can sign the contract at the yamen and bring her back to the palace."
When everyone heard Chu Ning'an's words, they all thought that there was nothing wrong with Chu Ning'an's arrangement, so they nodded in agreement.
For a moment, the atmosphere at the scene relaxed a little, and everyone's attention was focused on Ah Xi and the strange woman.