NABC Chapter 83 The Zhang Family, My Sister
Chapter 83 The Zhang Family, My Sister
Huang Silang paused, his hand holding the teacup still.
He slowly turned his head, stared at Huang Shujian, his eyes narrowed, as if trying to discern the truth of the statement.
Then, he suddenly burst into laughter.
The laughter was loud, echoing across the empty balcony. He laughed so hard he almost fell over, the teacup in his hand wobbled, spilling tea onto the hem of his long robe, where dark water stains slowly spread.
"Hahaha...cough cough..." Huang Silang laughed so hard he could hardly breathe, and it took him a long time to stop.
He wiped away the tears of laughter from the corners of his eyes, stared at Huang Shujian, and his eyes became playful.
"You want to be the emperor?"
The voice was very soft, but each word was like a hammer blow to Huang Shujian's eardrums.
Huang Shujian: "Hmm?"
"Then what do you mean by 'water can carry a boat'?" Huang Silang's smile hadn't completely faded yet.
"That was for the emperor to see; it was what Emperor Taizong of Tang said to his officials."
"And what about us? We're just local tyrants trying to survive in this small place called Goose City during a chaotic world. We can't be emperors, and we shouldn't even think about it."
He put down his teacup, leaned forward, and lowered his voice: "This idea is dangerous."
Huang Shujian met his gaze: "Even a local tyrant is still an emperor. The principles are always the same."
Huang Silang stared at him for a long time.
The evening breeze blew across the balcony, lifting the hem of their clothes, and then blew towards the Goose City in the twilight.
Huang Silang suddenly leaned back in his chair and waved his hand, as if he didn't want to talk about the topic anymore.
"Forget it," he said. "Think what you want. Young people always have some strange ideas."
He picked up the purple clay teapot and poured himself another cup of tea. The sound of the tea pouring was particularly clear in the quiet night.
"Let's get down to business," Huang Silang changed the subject. "Your sister is coming back tomorrow."
"The telegram arrived this morning. Her train is at noon. Go to the East Railway Station to pick her up and we'll go home for lunch together."
Huang Shujian was taken aback.
sister.
Huang Silang had mentioned this before, but he hadn't taken it to heart. Now that it was brought up suddenly, some fragments of his memory surfaced.
She's not my biological sister; she's the daughter my second aunt brought with her.
My second aunt was Huang Silang's second wife. She died less than two years after marrying into the family, leaving behind this daughter.
Huang Shujian remembers that when he was a child, this older sister always kept her head down, rarely spoke, and looked at people with timid eyes, like a frightened little deer.
She knew she had no blood relation to the Huang family; with her mother dead, she was an outsider in this mansion. Her being able to attend Wanghai University was only because Huang Silang remembered their past relationship and gave her a way out.
"You two siblings haven't seen each other in a long time," Huang Silang said. "Go and pick her up."
"She's studying at Wanghai Women's University now, majoring in... what was it again? Oh, literature, that sounds mysterious."
He waved his hand, and Huang Shujian didn't say anything more before turning and leaving the balcony.
As he walked down the stairs, he heard the sound of a teacup being gently set down from the balcony, along with a barely audible sigh.
After Huang Shujian left, the balcony became quiet again.
Huang Silang put down his binoculars, picked up the now-cold tea, and drank it all in one gulp. The tea was very bitter, but he didn't even frown.
Footsteps came from the stairs.
It's very light, but the rhythm is steady; you can tell who it is just by listening.
Hu Qian walked onto the balcony. He was wearing a blue long gown and always had a smile on his face, but his eyes were sharp, as if he could see through people's hearts.
He was the Huang family's steward and also Huang Silang's most trusted person.
"Master." Hu Qian bowed.
"Did you hear that?" Huang Silang didn't turn around.
"I overheard a few words." Hu Qian walked to the table, picked up the teapot, and refilled Huang Silang's tea. "Young Master said that water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it."
Huang Silang smiled, but this time the smile was faint, tinged with a hint of helplessness.
"That kid," he said, "has changed not only in his behavior after he recovered, but also in his thinking. Interesting, but also dangerous."
He took the hot tea from Hu Qian, held it in his hands, and felt its warmth.
"Go check," Huang Silang said. "Check what books he's been reading lately, whether he's been reading any... random stuff."
"Yes," Hu Qian replied, then asked, "Should we impose restrictions?"
Huang Silang thought for a moment and shook his head: "No need. Let's see what he's up to. Young people need to hit a wall before they know the pain."
Hu Qian nodded, took a step back, but did not leave immediately.
"Is there anything else?" Huang Silang asked.
"Young Master has been investigating the matter of Prince Rong's tomb recently," Hu Qian said in a low voice. "He has been in contact with Miss Lu and her classmates; they are members of the National Salvation Society."
Huang Silang gently stroked the teacup with his fingers.
"The National Salvation Society..." he repeated the three words, his tone devoid of emotion, "These students have such high ideals."
……
The platform at Chengdong Railway Station is very simple.
The ground was paved with bluestone slabs, and weeds grew in the cracks.
In the distance, the dark railway tracks, like two dead snakes, meandered and disappeared into the distance.
The Huang family's two carriages were parked by the roadside at the platform. The carriages were black with brass trim, and the two chestnut horses pulling them were tall and strong with neatly combed manes.
The driver's seat was empty; Zhao Ming and Xiu'er were both in the carriage.
The carriage was spacious, with thick plush carpets and small tea tables.
On the coffee table was a blue and white porcelain bowl, filled with a dark brown medicinal soup, steaming hot.
Huang Shujian lay half-reclined on the soft cushion, his legs stretched out and resting in Zhao Ming's arms.
Zhao Ming was pressing his calf with her palm, applying just the right amount of pressure, kneading the acupoints.
Xiuer sat behind Huang Shujian, letting him lean against her chest. She held a bowl of medicine in one hand and a small silver spoon in the other. She scooped up a spoonful of soup, blew on it to cool it down, and brought it to Huang Shujian's lips.
"Young master, open your mouth."
Huang Shujian lazily opened his mouth and drank it.
The soup contains more than a dozen medicinal herbs, including ginseng, angelica, and astragalus, making it a complete tonic soup.
He lifted the curtain of the car window and glanced outside.
A few people were scattered on the platform: merchants in long gowns, students carrying suitcases, and women holding children.
Train timetables in this era are practically useless. It's not unusual for a train to arrive at 9 o'clock but not until 10 o'clock, or even 8:30 o'clock early.
Huang Shujian remembered that his sister Lin Zhihua, who was not related to him by blood, was supposed to arrive at 9:30 in the telegram, but it was almost 10 o'clock now and she was still nowhere to be seen.
She attended the same women's university as Lu Yu and Murong Xue, but was a year ahead of them and returned a few days later.
Huang Shujian had no feelings for her.
In my memory, Lin Zhihua always kept her head down and rarely spoke.
Later, she went to university in Wanghai, and the two never saw each other again. It's been almost three years.
If his father hadn't given the order, Huang Shujian wouldn't have come to pick him up at all. He would rather have stayed in the courtyard practicing his martial arts to prepare for the Rong Prince's tomb event two days later.
Just then, the sound of a ship's horn came from afar.
"Waaah—"
Long, hoarse, like the wailing of a giant beast.
The people on the platform stirred and all looked toward the end of the tracks.
In the distance, a dark shadow slowly drove up, white steam billowing from the front of the car, rolling like clouds in the night.
The train has arrived at the station.
The wheels rattled and clattered over the rails, and finally, the train came to a stop, panting heavily, steam billowing out and enveloping half the platform.
The doors opened, and passengers disembarked one after another.
There weren't many people. This was a slow train heading southwest. Most of the passengers getting off at Echeng were students and migrant workers returning home. They carried their luggage, hurried across the platform, and disappeared into the night.
After most of the people on the platform had dispersed, two more figures appeared at the train door.