The Black Horse

Chapter 53.1

Impartial

Translated by Wook
Edited by sienz

Bai Shiqi was born with an unrestrained and carefree temperament. She was unexpectedly skilled when being put in the position of a woman being contested by two men, not feeling awkward in the slightest.

“You think I’m happy about it? Why don’t you try it yourself?” She scolded Zhu Shoumei: “My parents are fooling around, so do you follow them in fooling around? Let the marriage matter go as it is, besides, I have no plans to get married yet!”

Zhu Shoumei’s disappointment was beyond words: “Do you like Helmsman Zhao?”

“Like your ass!” She pulled her thoughts together and stood in the courtyard to feel the breeze and the warmth of the sun. She wanted to stretch her waist but was afraid of reopening the wound: “Don’t speak any nonsense!”

Before her words could be finished, a subordinate came to report that Wu family’s siblings had come to visit the patient, and at the moment they were already being led in.

Bai Shiqi was still ill and was impatient with these etiquettes, but Wu Rong and his sister came with many gifts and repeatedly apologized to her: “That day my father was very sick and I was too panicked, therefore, our hospitality was lacking. I hope Young Leader Bai  doesn’t mind!”

Wu Rong spoke earnestly to her, however, Wu Jing‘s eyes never left Zhu Shoumei, as if she had met a male god.

[male god: is usually used in modern times for favorite male idols. Don’t forget that Bai Shiqi “transmigrated” to this era even though it is rarely mentioned.]

“There are a few patients in this house. I myself was still ill a few days ago, making my parents worry. Even the momos in front of my door were withdrawn only a few days ago. If the two of you came a few days earlier, perhaps we even wouldn’t have been able to meet. Would you say that our hospitality is lacking?” Bai Shiqi turned her gaze, immediately understanding the reason for the siblings’ visit. Her mouth praised both siblings: “Were it not for Shoumei’s attentiveness during these few days, I wouldn’t have gotten better so quickly.”

Wu Jing heard her calling him so cordially, and said unintentionally: “Are Young Leader Bai and Big Brother Zhu old acquaintances?”

Bai Shiqi laughed in an exaggerated manner: “Not just old acquaintances, we have known each other since childhood. When we were young, we fought and climbed mountains together to collect medicine. When Shoumei was young, he was already very smart. He mastered all medical books quickly, and was especially skilled in recognizing herbs. He didn’t mess around with the children in the village, he was already intelligent and sensible from a young age!”

She tried her best to praise Zhu Shoumei in front of Wu Jing. The more she praised the other party, the more unsightly his face became. Later, he was so angry with her ‘effort’ and grabbed the bowl of medicine from the table and handed it over: “Just drink your medicine quickly, alright?!”

Bai Shiqi took the medicine bowl and prepared to moisturize her throat, so she could continue to boast about him. Unexpectedly, after she took a mouthful of the medicine, she became speechless, and her face changed color. She then pointed to Zhu Shoumei: “You… You…” How cruel, he actually used Old Man Huang‘s old tricks.

She was only making a contribution to Zhu Shoumei’s lifelong event.

Wu Jing asked in curiosity: “What’s wrong, Young Leader Bai?”

Zhu Shoumei was holding onto the edge of the bowl, practically forcing the bitter medicine into Bai Shiqi’s mouth. However, before the siblings, his expression did not change in the slightest: “Young Leader Bai is afraid of bitter medicine. Nobody knows how he developed this shortcoming, every time he drinks medicine, he’d make this expression. They say that  Young Leader Bai was a young hero who couldn’t tolerate injustice, could it be that the rumors of the Jianghu world were simply rumors?”

The young hero Bai Shiqi who was full of bitterness, looked at him speechlessly: “… …”

—Is this still the attentive Zhu Shoumei?

Wu Jing covered her mouth and laughed, even made an excuse for Bai Shiq: “Many people of the Jianghu world are a little eccentric, perhaps this is the reason why Young Leader Bai cannot drink bitter medicine.”

The girl’s understanding made Bai Shiqi want to marry her. She casted a grateful glance at her, but was misunderstood by Zhu Shoumei, who thought she was going to hook and molest a little girl again. His teeth itched with hatred, and he continued to pour dirty water on her: “Miss Wu, don’t look at the current Young Leader Bai, who is well-behaved. He was seriously injured, so he couldn’t go out. Otherwise, he would be a regular visitor of the red-light district Liu Alley, becoming the hero of the fairer sex.”

Bai Shiqi glared at Zhu Shoumei and questioned him with her eyes: Do you have a grudge against me?

Why are you destroying my reputation everywhere?

Zhu Shoumei looked back at her openly: Is what I said not true?

The two of them were at a standstill and kept staring at each other.

Wu Rong vaguely felt that something was wrong, but then he recalled that between his friends, there were also some who kept bickering with each other, so he found this situation reasonable. He laughed and praised: “The relationship between you two is really good!”

From her elder brother’s words, Wu Jing alluded to the idea that Bai Shiqi is a close friend of Zhu Shoumei: “I heard Mr. Huang said that Big Brother Zhu has been lonely since he was a child. It is such a blessing to have Young Leader Bai as a close friend.”

Zhu Shoumei: I really want to prescribe some decoctions to treat the eye diseases of Wu family’s brother and sister.

Each of the four people in the room had their own thoughts, but they could still talk harmoniously. Although Bai Shiqi was ill, after being suggested by Wu family’s siblings, she was more than happy to indulge them in funny stories of Zhu Shoumei when he was a child. 

They were obviously her own “great achievements”, such as the story when she resisted the bullying of the children in the village for Zhu Shoumei, however, she changed the main character into Zhu Shoumei:

 “… I hurt my leg back then and couldn’t even walk. My dad sent me to Mr. Huang for treatment. The children in the village saw me and made fun of me because of my bad leg. It was Shoumei who put those children in order to help this young one. Ever since then they did not dare to insult me again…”

Zhu Shoumei ruined her performance without hesitation: “Don’t believe him. Young Leader Bai can clean up a few village children even with a limping leg. I dare not take credit for it!”

Bai Shiqi stared at him in desperation: Idiot! I’m lifting you up in front of the girl, why did you ruin your own stage?

The corners of Zhu Shoumei’s mouth were lifted, looking at her slightly ironically: Do I need you to save my face?

Obviously, the two had been getting along well over the years since they were young, but currently, they were showing signs of breaking up because of Wu family’s siblings visit.

If Bai Shiqi hadn’t been seriously injured, she would have knocked some sense into Zhu Shoumei’s head to make him think clearly: This is the eldest lady of the Wu family, the richest family in Baoying County, who has been spoiled since childhood. In the future, when she marries out, there won’t be any lack of estates and shops as dowry. If you can live a stable life, why bother to hang out with dangerous people like her who beg for food in the river?

Like Zhao Ziheng, it’s okay to be brothers, but marriage is not a joke. One may lose their life in an accident.

Not long after, Miss Song Si, along with Zhen’er, came with refreshment. Bai Shiqi saw her as a savior, and waved affectionately: “Miss Si, come in.”

This was the first time Miss Song Si came to visit Bai Shiqi ever since the ban of visitation was lifted. She sat down before her bed in tears: “If something happened to Shiqi lang, who will this servant rely on for the rest of her life?”

Bai Shiqi couldn’t bear to see the tears of a delicate woman the most. She took out a kerchief and wiped the tears of this beautiful and lovely woman: “Don’t worry, I will live a long life and be your great backer!” Making the pair of Miss Song Si and her servant excited. Upon returning, they couldn’t fall asleep for more than half the night.

Zhen’er also said: “Miss has a good support now. Even if the Leader and Madam don’t like Miss, it doesn’t matter as long as the husband has you in his heart.”

The master and servant had been busy in the kitchen for half a day early this morning to make two plates of refreshment and bought them over. They didn’t expect to run into Bai Shiqi’s guests.

Wu Jing saw Miss Song Si who was dressed up nicely, and asked: “This elder sister is?” Her gaze swept back and forth on Miss Song Si and Zhu Shoumei’s face, for fear that this young and beautiful woman might have something to do with Zhu Shoumei.

Bai Shiqi waved her hand: “This is Miss Si of my family.”

She said it in this way, implying that Miss Song Si was a proper concubine with a master.

Wu Jing’s dropped heart steadily returned into her stomach.

After the Wu family’s siblings left, Zhu Shoumei asked Bai Shiqi angrily: “What do you mean by that?”

Bai Shiqi took the sweet and glutinous dessert made by Miss Song Si and put it into her mouth, while not forgetting to answer Zhu Shoumei’s confusion: “I’ll be a matchmaker for you. Look at how Miss Wu looks at you. Old Man Huang and the head of Wu family is also an old acquaintance. What a good marriage.”

“I don’t need you to worry about it!” However, in the presence of Miss Song Si and her servant, Zhu Shoumei couldn’t argue further, thus, he walked away in anger.

Miss Song Si was very puzzled: “Master, Physician Zhu seems very annoyed. Why does he not agree to marry Miss Wu?”

Miss Wu was fresh and pleasant, with a soft and kind personality. Her family was also wealthy and had a lot of resources. What else could anyone ask for?

Bai Shiqi sighed deeply, like a seventy-year-old man who had seen through the world: “He’s a young man ah, very willful. Doesn’t know the benefits of a flat road, and insists on walking through a bumpy one.”

The shipping group is like a bumpy road. Ordinary people only see the wealth when the ships come and go, but who would pay attention to the dangers of the violent winds and waves in the river, and murderous intentions that might show up anywhere?

Zhu Shoumei could be considered as her childhood friend with a stubborn personality, but his heart is the most kind. Compared to Qiu Yunping, who doesn’t even have the power to truss a chicken, his physical strength gained from climbing mountains and collecting hers all year round is much stronger than that of a nerd, however, in the unlikely event that they encounter a fight with another shipping group or pirates, she can’t just pay attention to him alone. Won’t this kind of situation take his life?

Qiu Ying grew up in the shipping group, and had fought many times side by side with her, but in the end, even his body couldn’t be found. There were broken limbs and debris everywhere, but only the head of one of them was found. The rest were completely unrecognizable. Pale, and bloody. It was difficult to distinguish which ones were the enemies and which ones were their people.

It’s unfortunate that Zhu Shoumei didn’t understand this.

Bai Shiqi leaned on the bed and sent Miss Song Si and the servant back. When Huang Youbi came to change her dressing again, as if making a breakthrough, she said to him: “Old Man Huang, you don’t want your disciple’s blood to spill in the river, do you?”

Huang Youbi was undoing the white silk wrapped around her waist and abdomen. The last layer was stuck to the newly grown flesh and blood. With a hiss from Bai Shiqi, the white silk was separated from the flesh and blood, and the new wound was bleeding. He cursed expressionlessly: “For this kind of foolish matter, if not because I’ve seen his sincerity about this wishful thinking, I wouldn’t have agreed!”

Bai Shiqi bared her teeth in pain, but her words were like a knife: “Even with my skills, I still bring back injuries from time to time. How many times can Shoumei avoid such a situation with his skills?”

Huang Youbi raised his head and met her dark eyes, thinking that it was his first time seeing this little devil’s serious expression. She said: “It won’t be easy for you to rescue him every time. Even the people who are carefully nurtured for many years can still die on the river.” Her eyes were looking elsewhere, and her words made it sound like she had seen the vicissitudes of life: “The people of the river are desperate people. If there’s an armed fight, how likely is Shoumei’s chance to win?”

Huang Youbi suddenly regretted taking off her dressing roughly before. At the moment, he was busy cleaning the blood on her wound with a clean white silk.

The room was very quiet. It was a rare moment where the old and the young did not harm each other. Each was occupied with their own thoughts.