Mei Gongqing

Chapter 4: Shattered Treasure

The whole body of the object shone in radiance. It was a coral three feet high and shaped like a tree. Born under the sea, it was extremely difficult to obtain. Moreover, the coral they were beholding was crystal clear and flawless.

A true treasure! Wu Yang could no longer bear it. He stepped forward and hastily exclaimed: “Ah Rong, you mustn’t!”

Seeing Chen Rong looking at him in surprise, he got hold of himself and explained to her: “You have just dispersed most of your wealth. This is presently the only thing that is worth something in the entire estate. Are you not keeping even the last treasure your father left? Should you gift it to someone else?” His tone was quite serious. He gave a long sigh and continued: “Miss, it’s difficult to build a home yet very easy to wreck one. If you do this, I’m afraid people will say you are a prodigal child.”

“Prodigal?”

Chen Rong blinked, mockery flashed in her dark eyes. She carelessly played with the coral in her hand – this action not only made Wu Yang but also Nurse Ping give a gasp.

Chen Rong’s mouth drew in disdain as she said, “It’s only a vulgar thing. Uncle Wu, you’re paying it too much attention.”

She then ignored him and directed her gaze to Nurse Ping and Old Shang. “Carry it away. There’s no need to use a veil. Send it to the Wang estate at once.”

Not veiling it? Then wasn’t she parading it on the streets?

“Absolutely not!” Uncle Wu exclaimed.

Chen Rong glanced askance at him and coldly asked, “Why not?”

Uncle Wu stammered for a long while before answering her: “Such a treasure as this would lure thieves to our house.”

Chen Rong smiled and narrowed her eyes, appraising Uncle Wu’s facial expression while shaking the coral in her hand again. She casually said, “Take it to the Wang estate. It now belongs to the House of Wang. If it lures thieves, it is luring thieves into the Wang House, what has it got to do with me? And what has it got to do with you?”

With her last few words, whether intentionally or not, she actually raised her tone of voice.

Instantly, Wu Yang felt everyone’s eyes on him. Cold sweat dripped down his forehead.

No, he must not let Ah Rong gift this object away. Blasted! Why was this girl so stubborn? How could he convince her?

While Wu Yang was struggling to think, Chen Rong turned to the crowd in the courtyard and ordered, “Bring me the agarwood tray. How can such an exquisite coral be placed on ordinary wood?”

“Eh? Aye, aye!”

Several servants quickly ran into the main hall and lifted a small circular tray – one that was made entirely out of pure agarwood. It was one of the few remaining valuables in the Chen estate. It had long been spotted by Wu Yang.

This time, Wu Yang’s eyes grew red. His face next turned purplish especially after seeing several familiar shadows outside the gate.

By the time the circular tray was carried out, Wu Yang had strode forward and reached out to snatch the coral from Chen Rong’s hands.

“Ahh…”

Watching what was happening, the surrounding crowd broke out in cries.

In a blink, Wu Yang’s hand had touched the coral.

This translation belongs to hamster428.

The result was not as he had expected. While he was forcibly snatching it away, he in fact could not feel Chen Rong’s resistance. Once the coral was in his hands, Wu Yang’s red face showed a hint of a smile.

As Wu Yang withdrew his hand, Chen Rong fell sideways in the direction of his pull. It did not matter that she fell, but her long sleeve was placed under the coral and was now pulling it along.

The red splendor flashed downward like a falling meteor.

Neither Chen Rong nor Wu Yang had time to exclaim. All they could see was the brilliant and flawless coral falling down and onto the ground.

“No!” Wu Yang screamed. Both his hands were outstretched, his entire body leaning forward to grasp onto the coral.

Perhaps when people are pushed into a corner, their potential would be catalyzed. In desperation, Wu Yang’s hands held onto the coral. He hastily pulled his hands back and shouted in awe: “I got it, I got it!”

While shouting, Wu Yang quickly stood up without paying attention to the skirt under his foot.

The moment Wu Yang’s foot stepped on the skirt, Chen Rong gave a grunt and leaned sideways. His center of gravity was already unstable, now that his foot was caught by Chen Rong’s skirt, his whole body tipped forward.

“Whump…”

At the moment this loud impact boomed, a crisp shatter also sounded.

And then deathly silence ensued.

Those in the courtyard dropped their mouths as they stared at Wu Yang’s face-in-the-ground posture. To the left of him, they could also see the coral branches that had been shattered to pieces.

Wu Yang remained motionless on the ground. He seemed to have fallen into unconsciousness, his whole body rigid.

Silence, great silence.

Suddenly, Chen Rong’s childish voice was heard, tinged with anger: “Uncle Wu, my father had sheltered you because you hadn’t had anywhere to go. Our forefathers said we mustn’t forget the grace we were given. Our kindness to you hadn’t been merely a meal, had it? Please tell me why you must take this coral from my home? Why do you rather break it than give it to the Wang clan?”

Due to the iciness present in her voice, she sounded quite commanding at this moment.

Uncle Wu gave no answer. He still did not move. It wasn’t clear whether he had really fainted or not.

Chen Rong’s face sank. “Guards!” she decidedly shouted.

“Aye.”

“While guardians are absent from the House of Chen, this Wu Yang fellow as a scholar had plotted to steal my assets and had broken my family’s priceless treasure. Presently, clans are moving south. No one will be present at court to see this knave to justice. Throw him out of the Chen estate and let the world know of his actions!”

Because Chen Rong displayed both might and reason this time, no one dared to speak up for Wu Yang. Several servants came forward and lifted Wu Yang up.

As soon as he was lifted, he suddenly opened his eyes and glared at Chen Rong, screaming: “You! You little wench! How dare you touch me? You’re actually going to touch me?”

His eyes were ripping. The redness on his face revealed a viciousness.

This time, those who sympathized with him suddenly felt disgusted. This man had broken the mistress’s family heirloom. Not only did he shamelessly feign a swoon, he even accused the mistress so callously. It seemed he was as wicked as Ah Rong said he was!

Chen Rong was rather calm facing a furious Wu Yang. She simply watched him with nary a trace of panic detected in her eyes. While Wu Yang was still stunned, a few strong servants had held him down and dragged him away.

This translation belongs to hamster428.

“What are you doing? Put me down, put me down at once!” Wu Yang cried in panic, his hands and feet struggling to break away.

But he was only a frail scholar. How could he move if on one wanted to let him go? Six men solidly pressed down on him and lifted him into the air before they carried him out of the estate.

By the time they got to the gate, Wu Yang was still shouting in dismay. But his loud cries, which started out deriding Chen Rong, turned into sobs and then eventually subsided into stillness.

Soon, six uniform voices made their way to Chen Rong’s ears: “This knave Wu Yang took advantage of his master’s absence to attempt thievery. We hereby expel him…”

“This knave Wu Yang took advantage of his master’s absence to attempt thievery. We hereby expel him…”

“This knave Wu Yang took advantage of his master’s absence to attempt thievery. We hereby expel him…”

The six uniform voices shouted thusly three times before the statement no longer echoed back.

Listening to the din growing louder and louder outside, Nurse Ping came to Chen Rong and whispered concernedly: “Ah Rong, don’t be sad… you were going to give it away in any case.”

Chen Rong looked up to Nurse Ping with a smile – a remarkably bright smile. Amid everyone’s surprise, she leisurely said, “I’m not sad.”

How could she be sad? Her father and brother were not home. As a girl who needed help, she would do anything for anyone who would take her in.

However, she had been seeking a small return when she wanted to gift this treasure away. None of the corrupt officials in the city would dare to receive her gift, much less the great house of Wang. Anyone who took it would’ve stained his own name.

She brought the coral out because she wanted to break it, but she didn’t think Wu Yang would be so accommodating. He actually took the initiative to bear the responsibility for her.

“Why aren’t you sad?” Nurse Ping asked, completely astonished.

Chen Rong gave no answer. She only gazed in the direction of the gate with a faraway look in her eyes, a touch of ease emerging across her face. “People of the Wang House are coming, right? I heard they are leaving tomorrow. Get ready so we don’t slow others down.”

She caught everybody by surprise.