Time Travel: The Noble Family
Chapter 603 - 242 Tragic Mingzhu_2

Chapter 603: 242 Tragic Mingzhu_2

Mingzhu was extremely surprised, "There’s such a saying?"

Mr. Yu Shan mocked coldly, "I remember your brother isn’t bad, so how come your family raised you to be a waste? You can’t even grind ink, what else can you do? You’re just a pampered young lady who waits for everything to be handed to her."

Mingzhu was angered; this was the first time someone had called her useless. Just as she was about to retort Mr. Yu Shan, Yueyao firmly held her down.

Yueyao, tugging at Mingzhu’s arm, said, "This is my mentor, you must not be rude." Mr. Yu Shan didn’t care about Mingzhu’s status and wouldn’t hesitate to scold her if she angered him.

Mr. Yu Shan wasn’t blind, of course, he also saw Luo Mingzhu’s anger. He sneered, "Unsatisfied? You can’t even grind ink, so what else can you do? Don’t tell me you’re skilled at everything. If so, choose any one of the guqin, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and songs and let me appreciate your talent." Mr. Yu Shan had heard about Mingzhu’s reputation in the Capital City. He wondered how Yueyao could know such a useless girl and be on such good terms with her. Incomprehensible!

Luo Mingzhu’s face suddenly turned red, not sure if from anger or shame.

Fearing that Mingzhu would get angry, Yueyao hurriedly informed her of Mr. Yu Shan’s identity, hoping Mingzhu would show some restraint.

Mingzhu was stunned; Bai Yi hadn’t told her about Yueyao studying with Mr. Yu Shan, so she was very surprised, "He is Mr. Yu Shan? The number one painter in the world, Mr. Yu Shan? You’re not lying to me?" Mingzhu’s dislike for studying didn’t mean she was unaware of famous figures.

Yueyao chuckled, "Why would I lie to you? I came to the mountain to study with Mr. Yu Shan," she said, and then glanced at Mr. Yu Shan.

Mr. Yu Shan didn’t have a good impression of Mingzhu and said, "You should send her away! I have to start painting now; we’ve already wasted a half-hour."

Mingzhu left the courtyard feeling aggrieved. As soon as she was out, she lashed out at Bai Yi, "Why didn’t you tell me about something as big as Yueyao going up the mountain to study with Mr. Yu Shan?"

Bai Yi naturally had her reasons, "Miss Yueyao didn’t want others to know she was studying with Mr. Yu Shan, so I didn’t specifically tell you." Bai Yi knew Mingzhu couldn’t keep secrets and chose not to tell her.

Mingzhu found it very strange. Studying with Mr. Yu Shan would be a good thing, so why would Yueyao not want people to know?

Yueyao didn’t return to the courtyard until it was time for lunch. As soon as she entered the room, Luo Mingzhu interrogated her, "Tell me, when did you start studying with Mr. Yu Shan and not even tell me?" Mingzhu felt that Yueyao was very selfish.

Yueyao wouldn’t let Mingzhu lead her by the nose, saying bluntly, "You should think about why Mr. Yu Shan would say that about you?"

Mingzhu shook her head, "A person like Mr. Yu Shan naturally looks down on me."

Yueyao didn’t spare Mingzhu any sentiment, stating frankly, "Do you know what people outside are saying about you? Arrogant, malicious, misusing your family’s power to do whatever you wish, and still an uneducated nitwit. There are even rumors out there that you can’t write your own name."

Bai Yi blinked; although the young lady’s reputation outside wasn’t great, it wasn’t to such a terrible degree! But seeing Yueyao’s serious demeanor, Bai Yi very rationally swallowed back her words.

What Yueyao said wasn’t made up; in her previous life, that was exactly how people evaluated Luo Mingzhu. This life was different from her last one; influenced by Yueyao, Mingzhu naturally changed in many ways.

Luo Mingzhu jumped up, "Who is slandering me?"

Yueyao pouted her mouth and said, "You should reflect on why such a terrible reputation has spread about you. The root of the problem lies with Mingzhu herself, not with others."

Staring at Yueyao, Mingzhu said, "Do you see me that way too?" Her demeanor suggested that if Yueyao agreed, she’d fall out with her in an instant.

Yueyao snorted coldly, "If that’s how I saw you, do you think I would still be friends with you? I really don’t know how you’ve managed to grow up."

For lunch, there were three dishes and a soup, which Yueyao thought was already quite luxurious, but to Mingzhu, it might as well have been chewing wax. However, she knew there were no cakes, no midnight snacks, and she didn’t want to become a little dog in her next life, so if she didn’t eat now, she would have to go hungry.

Xiang Wei quietly told Yueyao, "Miss, Mingzhu likes meat dishes." Mingzhu was a carnivore, who could perhaps survive a day without meat, but asking her not to eat meat for a month was tantamount to torture. Xiang Wei wanted Yueyao to be prepared.

Yueyao was determined to turn this impossibility into a possibility.

Every day, it was all green vegetables and radishes. After three days, Mingzhu’s complexion had turned as pale as the vegetables. But every time she asked for more food, Yueyao denied her.

That day, as Mingzhu looked at the vegetables on the table, she had no appetite at all. Yueyao picked up her bowl, took a couple of bites, and seeing Mingzhu not moving her chopsticks, said, "Do you know how many people wish to have this food but can’t get it? They have to make do with sweet potatoes and wowotou every day." For a farming family, it’s not until the holidays that they can afford to eat white rice and flour; on ordinary days, they eat coarse grains.

Mingzhu sneered, "Sweet potatoes and wowotou taste quite good too."

Yueyao laughed, "Alright, then from this afternoon on, we’ll eat sweet potatoes and wowotou every day. After you eat them for three days, let’s see if you still find them tasty."

Mingzhu felt it was a trap, but alas, there was nothing she could do if Yueyao was determined to push her into it. So, by evening, there was a bowl of sweet potatoes, a plate of wowotou, and a small dish of pickles.

Mingzhu’s eyes widened, "Where are the vegetables?" When she realized this was all the food, Mingzhu almost fainted. Was this some kind of mistake? Not even the lowest servant woman in her family would eat such food, only pigs would!

Bai Yi, as if reading Mingzhu’s mind, said, "Miss, this is the usual fare for farmers, and they only get to eat meat during the holidays."

With her mouth agape, Mingzhu said, "You’re kidding, right?" The thought of not eating meat even once a month seemed like an utterly miserable existence!

Yueyao continued, "That’s not all. Due to natural disasters and calamities, ordinary folks may not even get to eat sweet potatoes or wowotou. In such situations, they have no choice but to sell their sons and daughters."

Bai Yi added, "In famine years when there’s really nothing to eat, those who are starving might resort to cannibalism."

Mingzhu went pale, her body trembling as she asked, "Eat people?"

Yueyao nodded, "In the 25th year of Emperor Zhaozong’s reign, there was a flood in Henan, and cannibalism occurred. These events are recorded in history."

Bai Yi spoke of a scenario, but Yueyao spoke of a reality that had truly occurred. After hearing this, Mingzhu retched. This time she vomited so violently that she emptied all the acid from her stomach.

Lying weakly on the bed, Mingzhu could only drink some water. The next day, she had no appetite and barely managed to drink a bit of white rice porridge. Henceforth, Mingzhu stopped nagging about wanting to eat meat, quietly eating wowotou, gnawing on sweet potatoes, and making do with green vegetables and tofu.