Chapter 17
Wu Ruo was satisfied with how s.h.i.+jiu was efficient. He gave Wu Da and Wu Xiao the painting, "which girl do you like?"
"Master, what are…?" Wu Da and Wu Xiao were surprised.
"They are your wives I asked s.h.i.+jiu to get for you. Do you like them?"
Wu Da and Wu Xiao were thrilled. They were worried about master might punish them for swapping his food. But today he got so beautiful wives for them. It seemed that he didn't notice what they had had done. They were of course happy, "I like them. I like them a lot! But are you serious that they can be our wives?"
"Of course they are your wives. They are not mine at least." Wu Ruo pointed at the paintings, "pick one and choose the big day."
Wu Da asked for confirmation, "but they are so pretty. How can they agree to marry us?"
He knew himself very well. He and his younger brother were not handsome at all. How could the girls like them?
"You are my servants, more n.o.ble than common people. They are from small families. To come to think of it, you are out of their league."
Wu Da was convinced and had a closer look at the paintings. Both of the girls were pretty, which made him hard to
Wu Xiao couldn't make a choice either.
Wu Ruo enjoyed watching them to make a hard decision. He picked up the tea cup and hid his sneer behind the cup.
Finally, the brothers decided to have a secret look at the two girls with s.h.i.+jiu. After all, they might look very different from the paintings.
Two hours later, the brothers came back with happy faces. They had already decided which girl they would marry. In case the girls regretted, they asked Wu Ruo for days off and went back home to pick a day for the wedding.
After they left, Wu Ruo asked s.h.i.+jiu, "which one they choose?"
"They liked both and finally went rock-paper-scissors to decide whom they marry." s.h.i.+jiu answered.
"So, they like both girls? Very well." Wu Ruo said, "bring the girls to me without anyone else finding out. Get it?"
"Yes."
s.h.i.+qiu was very efficient. He brought the disguised two girls to Wu Ruo in less than one hour, "my lady, the one on the left is Liu Xiaoru and the other one is Chen Xier."
Wu Ruo stared for a long while at the two girls who didn't look how they were supposed to be at all. He said until the girls were afraid, "before you came here, they might have told you that you have to be imprinted by me and listen to my command. You mustn't betray me or even have a thought of betraying me. Otherwise, you will be dead thoroughly."
He took out two money bags and put them on the table, "if you agree," he said, "you will have one thousand taels of silver banknote in the bag. And you will get more if you do a great job."
One thousand taels of silver would be good enough for them to live a comfortable life. The girls were tempted. They hesitated for only a second and agreed to be imprinted by Wu Ruo.
Wu Ruo bit his finger and dripped blood on their foreheads. The blood turned into a bright light and sunk under their skin.
As they had a quick ritual to finish the imprinting, the girls left the house with s.h.i.+jiu happily with the money in their hands.
On the same night, Wu Da and Wu Xiao came back to tell Wu Ruo that they decided to get married in 10 days.
Wu Ruo gave them a hundred taels of silver each.
They left happily with the money.
Looking at their backs, Wu Ruo sneered. For the next few days, he could finally concentrate on solving his father's and his own health issues.