The Emperor’s Beloved Ugly Girl

44. The Person A’Chou Saved

Translator: Iris Guo

Certainly, Imperial Concubine Zhao’s family strained every nerve to make sure that the Crown Prince was deposed, and Duan Chenghong hated Imperial Concubine Zhao’s guts. However, he didn’t expect that she even sent her spy to his family when he already had a hard time. Therefore, he hated Imperial Concubine Zhao even more and even held a grudge against A’Chou. A’Chou finally understood that Imperial Concubine Zhao wanted to torture her to death. As Imperial Concubine Zhao expected, Duan Chenghong found various ways to torture A’Chou. However, as a highbred official, he wouldn’t do anything to lower himself, such as giving A’Chou a whipping. Since A’Chou came to the Duan Family, she had never got enough food. Besides, in the freezing weather, she had to do heavy laundry, chop wood, cook, and clean for the Duan Family.

A’Chou supposed that those three months might the most terrible time in her life. However, she didn’t expect that the even more terrible time started when Duan Chenghong suddenly sent her to the barren NingGuTa.

…

A’Chou finished cutting Zhong Mingwei’s beard. She put a handkerchief into the water and wiped his face while continuing to nag and complain: “Don’t you think I’m unlucky? I helped put out the fire and kindly saved a man. I not only received no reward but also was hated by Imperial Concubine Zhao. You have no idea how miserable I was for the whole year. I was in great terror all the time. Every day I got up before dawn, did my laundry, and then covered others’ shift. For a whole year, I barely dared to speak in case someone would pick on me. I was quite aggrieved, and hoped that Imperial Concubine Zhao would show mercy and send me back to the Imperial Washhouse. However, I didn’t expect her to send me to the Duan Family. Tut-tut! You have no idea how cruel Mrs. Duan was to me, although she looks like a kind and warm person. After I was sent to the Duan Family, I never had any free time. Every day, she ordered me to do various chores, such as chopping wood, cooking, drawing water, and doing laundry. The most terrible thing was the leaking of their kitchen, where I lived, and the snow water kept dropping down from the roof. No matter where the mattress was put, it would be wet, and then I would be awakened by the coldness. Gee, I’ve never seen such a freezing winter…”

Zhong Mingwei’s mind went blank. He was looking at A’Chou’s mouth. However, he heard nothing more but the fact that A’Chou helped put out the fire. After his lips trembled for a while, he finally asked: “Where was the fire? Where did you save that person? When?”

“On the last Lunar New Year’s Eve. When I was on duty in the Yanxi Palace, I heard a crackling sound in the Jingren Palace. When I got out, I saw raging flames there. Of course I had to help put out the fire, or the fire would spread to the Yanxi Palace, and I would be the one to blame,” A’Chou compressed her lips and looked sad, “Look how unlucky I am! It would be my fault anyway whether I helped put out the fire or not. Damn! I should have gone to watch the fireworks with them!”

Zhong Mingwei looked at A’Chou from the above. He could clearly see her scarlet scars everywhere down from her chin. It was the first time that he checked her twisty scars carefully, and he found them really ugly. He couldn’t help staring at them from her chin to her neckline, felt anxious, and started to check them over and over again…