Chapter 74
74 Lan Zhi Enters An Manor
March 19, 2019
secretdreamwishes
At an unspecified time, dazzling rosy clouds of dawn dyed red half the sky. The soft colors of dawn sprinkled over the entire Lan manor. The early morning sunlight was quiet and elegant, without the usual noisy atmosphere, it made people's heart feel lighter and refreshed. Lan You Nian stood on one of the floors of the pavilion overlooking the entire Lan manor that was fully displayed in her eyes.
"Lan Qu," Lan You Nian tilted her head, asking Lan Qu who stood beside her, "Is An manor's sedan here yet?"
"Not yet, but it has already set off from An manor," Lan Qu reported the news she received to her family's young miss.
"Hmph, what An manor did was truly beautifully done. They only sent a small sedan with a few bearers and a guard to pick up Lan Zhi. Don't know if An yiniang will be livid?" Lan Wu gloated over others' misfortunes. In wealthy and influential families, when carrying in a concubine, if that concubine is favored, they will definitely send a large sedan and a pair of welcoming people plus a matchmaker. This was the basics of carrying in a concubine into the manor.
"If she loses her temper so easily, then it wouldn't be An yiniang," Lan You Nian withdrew her gaze from the glow of morning and walked into the pavilion, "This woman's heart is more vicious than an average person, let alone that she still has a pair of children?"
"Young miss's meaning is...," Lan Qu arranged the breakfast as she asked.
"There's no hurry, one by one," Lan You Nian's unveiled beautiful face bloomed with coldness. Not only did she cause her predecessor to become miserable, due to her poisoning, but it also forced her to take over this damaged body. Whether it's for her predecessor or for herself, An yiniang cannot escape.
Lan Zhi was sitting in front of the bronze mirror, letting Lan manor's mama and servant girls dress her up. The eyes that were cried red last night was now covered up under the rouge, not a trace of it can be detected. A rose-red (dark pink) wedding dress set off Lan Zhi's nice hour-glass figure, making it even more attractive. Lan Zhi gazed at herself being so splendidly attired. Because concubines cannot wear bright red, Mother prepared this rose red wedding dress for her overnight. In reality, concubines did not need to wear a wedding dress, but Lan Zhi felt wronged so privately put on this wedding dress. After all, no matter what, it was her wedding day.
"Zhi'er, after entering An manor, you know you must observe speech and behavior. If you want to climb to the position of the main wife, you must firmly grasp the heart of your husband," An yiniang combed her daughter's head full of black hair like a normal mother reminding the daughter who was about to marry.
"Mother, Zhi'er understands," After a night's consideration, Lan Zhi knew what she should do, "Big sister didn't come?"
"Ya'er caught a cold today so can't send you off. Didn't mother come?" An yiniang combed Lan Zhi's hair and replied.
Lan Zhi didn't speak. She and her older sister's relationship has always been solid. After all, the two of them were biological sisters, so they always looked after each other. But it didn't take long before her big sister abandoned her like this. It was her who lured Lan You Nian into the room, but in the end, the one who suffered was her. Yet her big sister didn't comfort her. Now it seemed she has drawn a line between them. After all, a concubine as a little sister was embarrassing for her older sister who wanted to marry into the royal family.
She wasn't the wife, nor side-wife, not even a proper concubine, only a little concubine. A concubine, if you make it sound nice, warms the bed, if you make it sound ugly, it was just a servant girl. Lan Zhi, at this moment, really hated her own sister. This mother who helped her sister lie and forgot her second daughter's situation let Lan Zhi's heart become cold.
Qiu'er helped Lan Zhi out of the gates of Lan manor. Without the care of a father, without a sister's blessing, Lan Zhi stood alone in front of the gates of Lan manor with only Qiu'er, a maidservant to support her as she waited, not for a broad horse, but for a small, simple sedan's arrival
Originally based on the time, An manor's sedan should be here by now, but the all dressed up Lan Zhi stood in front of Lan manor's gates without seeing even the sedan's shadow. Although she felt wronged, Lan Zhi still stood in front of the gates of Lan manor quietly waiting. Meanwhile, An yiniang already returned to her small courtyard.
"Isn't this Lan manor's second young miss? Why is she wearing a wedding dress in front of the door?" In the early morning, the people passing by Lan manor steadily chattered.
"You don't know? This Lan manor's second young miss is only being carried into An manor as a concubine!" As a concubine, parents weren't allowed to send her off, neither was she qualified to wait in the manor to marry. She can only stand outside the manor to wait for the sedan's arrival.
"tsk tsk, how is it a concubine? Isn't this Lan manor's second young miss usually very honorable?" In the past, in that time when Lan Jian Jun didn't return home, and Lan You Nian had gone missing, An yiniang led her own children in the limelight in the capital, making everyone think she was already Lan manor's official wife, and her children were the true legitimate son and daughter.
"What honorable? Don't you know, Lan manor's real legitimate daughter is Lan manor's third young miss?" Everyone was discussing the matter.
"Yeah, and this Lan manor's second young miss already lost her purity, actually openly cavorts with An manor's young master!"
"No, really? So immoral? Really loses the face of General Lan!"
Lan Zhi, in her wedding dress, stood in front of the door of the bustling Lan manor. Hearing the spurns and scolding of the people passing, one person one word, she seemed to be unable to stand. Her praise and appreciation in the past have now become what everyone held in contempt. Just when Lan Zhi wanted to return to the manor to cry her eyes out, the sedan An manor sent arrived at Lan manor.
The small sedan already looked a bit rundown, even shabbier than the sedan she usually traveled in. There were only four bearers and an unknown guard. Lan Zhi felt her own future was dark. How is this carrying her into An manor? This is clearly humiliating hers in front of everyone ah!
Lan Shi stood there, not moving an inch. The face of makeup flowed with tears again, but this time, the pitiful look did not stir any sympathy from anyone. Instead, it incited the merciless voice of the guard, "Concubine Lan, please get on the sedan immediately so this subordinate can go back to eldest young master to report the completion of the task!"
Lan Zhi looked back at Lan manor, but her own father and mother were not there to stand up for her. The two guards guarding the doors of Lan manor did not even have a sliver of sympathy on their face. Even if Lan Zhi wanted to go back now, she knew that not only can she not go back, there may not be a way out. However, today, if she entered An manor, there still may be a way out for her. At this time, how could Lan Zhi know, she wasn't entering An manor but pure hell.
Under the disgusted gaze around her, Lan Zhi got into An manor's sedan and headed to An manor to become An manor eldest young master An Ping's concubine.
An manor like Lan manor did not put up any festive arrangements. Lan Zhi's sedan entered An manor from An manor's side door, then servant girls helped Lan Zhi enter a servant's room. Before Lan Zhi got to vent her anger, the servant girls already left, leaving Lan Zhi alone sitting in the cold and shabby servant room.
Lan Zhi has been waiting for the arrival of night. As long as she sees her cousin-brother, she can definitely please cousin-brother so then she can leave this place to live a comfortable life. No one can ignore her like this anymore. She wanted to let mother and big sister see her become An manor's mistress!
After sitting for an entire day, Lan Zhi finally waited till the arrival of night. In this whole day, no one came to deliver water or food like Lan Zhi has been forgotten. Lan Zhi recalled the past when she went to An manor, who didn't call her second young miss when they saw her? Only so little time has passed yet the world has already changed its face.
Creak, the door was pushed away from the outside. Under Lan Zhi eager gaze, she finally waited till the arrival of her cousin-brother, her husband from now on.
"Cousin-brother husband!" Lan Zhi stood up, calling out in a sweet voice, then walked towards An Ping. After all, tonight was the wedding night, she must receive her cousin-brother's favor; it was best if she conceived a child.
"Slut!" Just as Lan Zhi's hand was about to undo An Ping's clothes, she was kicked away by An Ping, ruthlessly crashing into the bed.
"Cousin-brother?" Lan Zhi was puzzled. What's wrong with cousin-brother? Cousin-brother has always been good to her. When cousin-brother took her body, afterward, he even told her he will be kind to her, but now, seeing cousin-brother's looking like he wanted to kill her, Lan Zhi felt afraid.
An Ping picked up the things on the table and threw it on Lan Zhi's body. As his mouth kept spouting curses, his hands never stopped. Within moments, Lan Zhi was already beaten into a wreck. Her entire person was drenched in fear as she knelt on the ground, begging for mercy.
"Cousin-brother don't hit anymore, I beg you don't hit me. What did Zhi'er do wrong that caused cousin-brother to treat Zhi'er like this?" Lan Zhi didn't understand why she was beaten by An Ping.
"Don't know? You f*cking said you don't know? You slut!" An Ping spat at Lan Zhi, then dragged open his clothes exposing the mottled blisters and terrible bruises, "Do you know now? I thought you were a virgin but didn't expect that not only were you dirty you even have the flower disease. If it wasn't you, how could I contract this disease?"
Lan Zhi was already stunned by the things An Ping threw at her so when she heard An Ping's words, she grew even more terrified, "Cousin-brother, it was really my first time ah! Cousin-brother you must believe me!"
But answering Lan Zhi was the continued beating. An Ping punched and kicked Lan Zhi who was crawling on the ground, "Believe you? It was because I believed you I got this shameful disease. Lan Zhi, I warn you, you will suffer my torture the rest of your life!"
"No, don't, cousin-brother, I beg you! Cousin-brother, this really isn't my fault!" Lan Zhi explained, but An Ping refused to hear any of it. He continued on enjoying the pleasure of beating Lan Zhi. He placed the entirety of the blame for his disease on Lan Zhi.
"Cousin-brother, I have a way to save you!" Lan Zhi, who was beaten to the point there was no more breath left in her, begged for mercy. As soon as she finished speaking, An Ping did indeed stop.
"Really? You have a way?" An Ping asked gleefully. The biggest worry he has now is the flower disease on his body. As long as his condition can be cured, he was willing to pay any price.
However, at this moment, Lan Zhi, who was beaten almost to death, fainted. An Ping seeing this instantly panicked and quickly shouted at the door, "Someone come! Save her! Hurry up!"