Chapter 239: Severed Head
“Treasure, what’s your name?”
“Lu Yunhan.” Yuan Yuan ate the milk cake slowly, “Auntie, you can call me Yuan Yuan.”
“Good, Yuan Yuan is so obedient.” Meng Niangzi smiled and handed over the sandalwood box, “Auntie Meng gives you a meeting gift.”
Yuan Yuan’s two little short legs swayed leisurely, her pair of black shiny big eyes just stared at the box, but she didn’t reach out to take it.
Seeing this, Meng Niangzi directly opened the box and took out the longevity lock inside, hanging it on the little baby girl’s neck.
Just then, Shang Wan pulled open the door and came out.
“Mother!” Yuan Yuan ran over with pattering steps, hugging Shang Wan’s leg like a koala, tilting up her fair little face, “Auntie, meeting gift.”
She strained to stretch her neck, signaling her mother to look at the longevity lock hanging on her neck.
“Did you thank Auntie?” Shang Wan bent down to pick up the child.
Yuan Yuan tilted her head, her big eyes looking at Meng Niangzi, and said softly, “Thank you, Auntie.”
“Little darling, come, let Auntie Meng hold you.” Meng Niangzi smiled and opened her arms, Yuan Yuan didn’t hesitate and generously threw herself into Meng Niangzi’s arms, her small hand hugging her neck.
Shang Wan seemed to see a flash of tears in Meng Niangzi’s eyes, but just as she was about to look closely, Meng Niangzi had already turned around, holding Yuan Yuan and heading downstairs, calling for Shang Wan to follow as she walked.
·
The inn’s cook had good skills, especially that charcoal-grilled lamb chops, tender and juicy, full of flavor.
Shang Wan put down the cup and glanced around the lobby interior.
The inn’s decoration was simple, without too many fancy ornaments.
It was past mealtime now, and there weren’t many guests in the lobby. Besides their table, there were only two other tables of guests.
One table had four men drinking and chatting, their expressions quite bitter and dejected.
The other table was a family of three, the man calling the shop assistant over to settle the bill.
Just as Shang Wan was about to look away, the words “curse” and “dead person” suddenly entered her ears.
She turned her head to look; the speaker was the youngest-looking of the four men, about eighteen or nineteen, dressed as a warrior, with a curved saber placed beside him.
As if noticing Shang Wan’s gaze, the man suddenly looked up, meeting Shang Wan’s eyes. He was first stunned, then raised his brow with a smile.
Thick brows and big eyes, his features were quite regular.
It was just that this smile carried a bit of flirtatious intent, making him seem greasy, wasting that face.
An ordinary woman looked at like this would mostly avoid her gaze, either shy or embarrassed and angry, giving some reaction anyway.
But Shang Wan didn’t; she stared expressionlessly at the man until he couldn’t stand her gaze and turned his head away first.
That’s it?
Shang Wan pursed her lips and also withdrew her gaze, taking out a handkerchief to wipe Yuan Yuan’s mouth, while multitasking to listen to their conversation.
“Another one died.”
“It’s a curse, a curse! I told the leader early on, but he wouldn’t listen!”
“But the owner already had someone check; those things are fine.”
“Then where do you say the curse came from?”
“Why are you snapping at me? It’s not like I brought the curse.”
“Stop arguing, drink more while we can still breathe.”
“Can’t we really escape?”
“Escape? Hah, Qiangzi did escape, and didn’t he still die by the riverside. If it’s really a curse, no one can escape.”
“Don’t think about that nonsense, drink up.”
“Right, drink. Let’s do one of ‘drink today while we have wine today’.”
The four were already a bit drunk, thinking of the curse soured their mood, and worrying the next to die would be themselves, they could only numb themselves with alcohol.
Half a shichen later, the four were reeking of alcohol, swaying and supporting each other as they walked out the inn door.
The second floor window was pushed open halfway, Shang Wan standing by the window withdrew her gaze and looked down, pinching the little baby girl’s cheek, “Good child, do you want to go for a walk with Mother or stay in the inn to sleep?”
“Walk.” Yuan Yuan hugged her mother’s neck tightly, without a hint of hesitation.
“Good.” Shang Wan held the child and climbed out the window, quietly following behind the four.
The cold wind blew fiercely, Yuan Yuan buried most of her face into the cape, only revealing a pair of black shiny eyes.
Fun!!
·
“Finally back.” In front of the inn door, Niangzi Lou stopped her pacing and quickly went up to meet them, “Where did you go?”
“Candied hawthorn.” Yuan Yuan waved the red skewer in her small hand, “Mother, bought.”
“Yuan Yuan wanted candied hawthorn, so I took her to buy some. The street was lively, so we browsed a bit longer.” Shang Wan smiled and removed the sugar coating stuck to her face, her tone indulgent.
“Why didn’t you leave a message?” Niangzi Lou chided, “The inn’s shop assistants all said they didn’t see you leave.”
“Oh,” Shang Wan said calmly, “We went out the window.”
Niangzi Lou: “…”
Shang Wan carried Yuan Yuan into the inn, “How come it’s just you, where are the others?”
“They went out to gather information.” Niangzi Lou said, “I was worried you’d come back and not find anyone, so I stayed to wait for you.”
Shang Wan nodded, “I’m going upstairs to sleep now, you…”
“I’ll go browse the street, and look for them along the way.”
“Good.”
The two parted, Shang Wan carried Yuan Yuan back to the room and undid the cape.
The silver cape had a large patch of solidified blood stain on the inside, Shang Wan frowned and tsked.
Earlier while tracking, there was a little accident; that young-faced man’s head was gone right in front of her.
Shang Wan had been following from a distance, and this sudden turn, even she didn’t react in time.
The others were so scared their drunkenness vanished, shouting about curse and trying to run, but Shang Wan knocked each out with a hand chop.
She checked the man’s corpse and found the cut smooth, like it had been sliced with a knife.
She immediately checked the surroundings and found a roll of blood-stained transparent silk thread on a nearby branch.
Not sure what material it was made of, the silk thread was extremely tough and not easily torn.
The man had his head severed by this thing.
Undoubtedly, the man died from deliberate murder, having nothing to do with any curse.
Shang Wan felt that murder cases should be handled by the government.
So, she acted as a delivery person, forcing Lord An, who was on holiday, to work overtime.
Shang Wan didn’t have a spare cape, so she flipped it inside out and made do, stopping at a clothing shop on the way back to buy two new ones, and also buying Yuan Yuan’s favorite candied hawthorn, the biggest bunch of hawthorns.
Putting the bloodied cape into the space, Shang Wan squatted down to meet Yuan Yuan’s eyes, her tone gentle, “Good child, were you scared just now?”
“Mm.” Yuan Yuan bit the sugar coating around the hawthorn and tilted her head, saying softly, “Red red, not scared.”
Hu Hu fighting also has red red, not scary at all.
“So brave.” Shang Wan stroked the little head in front of her, “Mother wants to nap a bit, do you want to sleep?”
“Accompany Mother.” Yuan Yuan nodded her little head and wrapped up the remaining half skewer of candied hawthorn in oil paper.
Shang Wan asked puzzledly, “Why are you wrapping it? It’s freezing, it won’t melt.”
Yuan Yuan stuffed the oil-paper-wrapped candied hawthorn back into the bundle and said seriously, “For Xiao Hei.”
Shang Wan: “…”
Really, why would a dog like eating candied hawthorn?
“Sleep sleep.” Yuan Yuan reached out her small hand for Mother to hold.
Shang Wan wiped her hands and face clean, then carried the child toward the bed.
