Chapter 8 chapter eight

After Lowe galloped away, it took a long time for Ai Ni to calm down.She really can't please her husband, can she?She wanted to catch up with him and apologize, maybe it was better to be ignored by him than to make him angry, maybe— "Thank you, ma'am." Aini looked down and saw a thin and tired peasant woman kneeling in front of her, grabbing her skirt and kissing.The other farmers were also kneeling.Aine hated to see people being humiliated in such a despicable way.The farmers on her father's land were all fat and strong, but these were tired and frightened. "You all stand up," she ordered.They obeyed, but the fear in their eyes only grew. "I want you to listen, you heard what my husband said: he wants the thief, and you are responsible for delivering the thief." She saw their eyes grow hard and stubborn.They are willing to protect a thief from a cruel master.

Her voice softened. "But first you need something to eat, you—" she pointed at one of the men. "Go and kill one of the fattest cows and two sheep, and bring them here to roast. Eat your fill first, because you'll have a lot of work to do from this week on." No one moved. "It's getting late, act quickly!" Aini urged. A man knelt down, his face full of pain. "Ma'am, Sir Lowe won't allow anyone to touch anything on his property. We can't eat his livestock or his corn, he keeps it all and sells it." "Those are the rules before I came here," Aini said patiently. "Now he's not as short of money as he used to be. Go and kill the cattle and sheep, Sir Lowe will take the blame, and of course I'll take care of it." She swallowed, but she didn't dare to let them see her fear. "Okay, where's the bakery? The one my husband had trouble with?"

It took Ernie several hours to arrange everything.She ordered a field of wheat to be harvested, the millet to be given to the baker, and the straw to be used to mend the farmhouse.She sent one knight to oversee the cleaning of the streets, and another to oversee the cleaning of the peasants themselves.Aine was surprised that the bakery would not believe that she would pay, and remembering the story later, she had to pull out silver coins to pay in cash. It was dusk when she was ready to go back to Murray Castle, and she smiled at the two knights who were dozing off on their horses.Her plan was to bring comfort and food to the peasants so quickly that they would turn their allegiance from the thief to the master.Because in the previous situation, the thief might give them a little advantage.It was not easy to get everything done in two weeks, but she was determined to try.

As she approached the castle, the stench of the moat could still be smelled far away.But in the castle, she could feel the obvious difference.There was less filth on the ground, and the stables were empty all around and everywhere.When she rode in, the workmen and knights all around stopped and touched their foreheads to pay her respects.Now they can notice her. She went upstairs to the hall.The women were busy scrubbing and working very hard.Although the room wasn't clean according to her standards, at least she wouldn't step on bones when she walked. Seaman and Sal were sitting in the living room, and the table beside them was full of rats.Aini had never seen such fat, so many mice in her life, they were almost like rabbits hunted.

"What's this?" she asked. Sal smiled at her, and Ai Ni once again found that he was a handsome boy. "We killed them all," Thrall announced triumphantly. "You don't know how to count, do you? Lowe knows, but I don't think he's seen so many mice before." Aini didn't dare to get close to the pile of mice, but Sal's words forced her to go over.She began to count, and every time she counted one, Sal grabbed it and threw it into the moat.Aini wanted to protest at first, but then she thought: A few more mice would not be worse than the present.One of them was still alive, and Aine jumped back in fright, and Sal punched the mouse on the head.Seaman smiled proudly.

When Ai Ni counted to fifty-eight, there were not even half of them left on the table.She sat down tiredly on the seat next to Heman. "Fifty-eight!" said Sal. "Wait for me to tell Lowe!" "Someone forgot to throw away that bone." Aine said wearily, looking at the fireplace.There are six horse skulls hanging on it.She was immediately aware of the strange gazes of Heman and Sarge, as if she had horns. "What's wrong?" she asked. "Those are the horses of the Ou family." Sal said in a suppressed voice. Ai Ni didn't understand what the boy meant, she turned her head to look at Ximan, his expression was gradually becoming cold, deep and angry.She had never seen that look except in Lowe.

Seaman's voice was very quiet. "The Huo family surrounded Barman Castle. My father, Sal's mother, and our elder brother William all died inside. My father once asked them to let the woman go, but they refused." Seaman's voice was even lower up. "They ate those horses before they died." He turned to the six horse skulls on the wall. "Those horses," he said, looking back at Ernie. "We will not forget them easily, and we will not allow anyone to touch them." Aini looked at the horse bone in horror.People are hungry enough to eat horses, she thought.But the European sharecroppers would probably be happy to have horsemeat, she almost said.

"Where is my husband?" she asked after a while. "In his meditation room," Sal said cheerfully, and Seaman gave him a quick, warning look. Ai Ni didn't press on.Maybe there was a reason for all this, she thought, she just didn't know it yet.She stood up. "Excuse me, I'm going to take a shower. Please tell my husband—" "Bathing?" Sal said, looking as if Annie said she was going to jump off a cliff. "It's a very enjoyable activity, you should try it when you have time," Aini said. Sal sat back in his chair. "Don't count on me. Are you really telling those Sunday girls to go back to their hometowns tonight?"

Annie smiled. "It's true. Good night, Seaman, Sal." She walked up the stairs, and when she was halfway up the stairs, she stopped and listened. "That woman is so brave," she said to Sal. "Or you're a hopeless idiot," Seaman replied. Aini smiled and continued upstairs.An hour later, she was wrapped in the room and soaked in the steaming tub, watching the colorful light changes in the water. The door on the right was suddenly kicked open, and Lowe swept in like a tornado. "You're too much!" he yelled at her. "You have no right to fire my woman!"

Ai Ni turned to look at him.His long white shirt fell to his thighs, with pantyhose and a belt around his waist.His sleeves were rolled up high, revealing his strong muscles. Aini could feel beads of sweat emerging from her forehead.He was still yelling at her, but she didn't know what he was yelling about.She stood in the bathtub, her slender, firm, plump body was soaked in hot water and flushed red. "Would you get me that dry towel, please?" she asked softly, as Lowe stopped talking. Lowe could only stare at her.Although he had had many women, he had never looked at them properly.The pink beauty in front of him was probably the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

I won't let her seduce me physically, I won't forget what she did to me today, he thought.But he took a step forward and reached out to touch the curve of her chest. Aini told herself not to get carried away.She wanted this man, oh yes, she wanted this man, but she didn't want just a few minutes.She reached out to unbutton his belt, and gently stroked his skin with her fingers. "Perhaps you will allow me to bathe you." For Lowe, bathing is a waste of time, but with a naked woman in the shower... He quickly took off all his clothes, and when he stood in front of her, his whole body stood up.He tried to grab her, but Ai Ni laughed and avoided it. "Take a bath first, my lord," she said, and Lowe walked involuntarily into the tub. The feeling of hot water covering a dirty body is good, and the aroma of the water is good, but the best thing is this woman, his wife, this beautiful... "Ellie?" he asked, watching her squatting in the bath In front of the barrel, the round and full chest leaned against the side. "Ai Ni." She corrected with a smile. She began to scrub his arms, chest, back and face. "Ani!" He leaned back and closed his eyes.In the dimness, he seems to remember what bad things this woman did, but now he can't remember. He lifted his leg to let her wash it, then obediently stood up so she could wash between his legs.Her movements were so beautiful that he couldn't restrain himself, so he threw her hands full.To hide his embarrassment, he rudely pushed her away and slammed her against the wall. "You hurt me," she yelled. Lowe had killed countless people, and he never blinked an eye.But the cry of the little woman shook him.He was astonished to find himself stepping out of the tub and kneeling beside her. "Let me see." He said and looked forward, her skin was a little bruised, but there was no injury. "It's all right," he said. "Your skin is too delicate." His hand ran along her back. Ai Ni raised her eyes to look at him. "You like this bath, don't you?" Lowe blushed again at the thought.This woman is teasing me, he thought. "I like it very much," he heard himself say. Annie rested her head on his shoulder. "Can you like it again?" she asked slyly. "Or do you like it enough?" His hand slid to her hip. "I believe I can like it for a little longer." Then he did something he had never done before: he picked her up and walked to the bed, and gently put her on the bed. He lay down beside her, reaching out and feeling the skin of her belly. Aine didn't know how new the whole thing was to Lowe, but it was how she had always imagined it to be.He explored her body with his hands like he had never seen a woman before.He caressed her legs, stroking his fingers between the plump skin, sliding up to the abdomen, along the navel, and then very slowly touched her breasts.He held one, then the other, rubbing his thumbs over the dark sensibilities in the center. She opened her eyes to look at him, and suddenly she knew why she had decided to marry him in the first place.She found that under the hard and cold exterior, he hides a tenderness that surpasses everything.For this disguise, he did not know how much pain he had endured.Ai Ni couldn't help trembling. I love him, she thought, I love him with all my soul and spirit.May God help me and I will let him love me too. Her hand reached down to his jaw, stroking his head.I want you to love me as much as I do, and I want to see the tenderness in your eyes when I put on clothes. She twisted her body closer to him.He stroked her back hard, then kissed her mouth.His lips followed her throat and finally stopped on her chest.Aine bent back and let out a pleasant little cry. Lowe knew her every reaction.He likes the way she writhes under his touch, he likes her cry like a small animal, and her pleasure makes him happy too. When his lips met hers, he was surprised that he wanted her so much.Her hands gripped his shoulders, and as he entered her, she met him with a powerful rush. Lowe had never been so attached to any woman!She was almost unbelievably full of energy, arching over him and rolling over him, her leg-length hair wrapped around their naked bodies. Lowe didn't know what pleasure a woman could bring before, but the woman's moans and movements made him feel the pleasure of dying. When he finally erupted, the earthquake-like force completely renewed and revived him from head to toe. He collapsed on Aini's body, contrary to his usual habit of turning over and sleeping, he hugged her tightly in his arms, like a drowning man hugging driftwood. Aine writhed to get closer to him. She had never felt so good in her life. "It's so beautiful!" she whispered. "It's the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I knew what it would be like to be married to you." She didn't know the surging emotions in Lowe's heart. He wanted to leave her, but he couldn't move. "What does your brother William look like? Does he have red hair like you?" she asked. "My hair isn't red." Lowe rolled over to the other side of the bed, but Ernie followed him. "Your hair looks like it's on fire in the sun," replied Ernie. "Does William look like you?" "Our father had red hair, but I inherited black hair from my mother." "Then you're both redheads." "I'm not—" Lowe said, but then stopped, and he almost smiled. "On fire, huh?" Every woman defied him by saying his hair was black, except this one. "What about your other brothers? Are they redheads too?" He couldn't help feeling sad when he thought of those brothers who died. "Luther, Sanya, and Tim's mothers are all black, so they're all black too." "What about Heman and Sal?" "Seaman's mother was blonde, like—" He stopped.She was shaking hands with him, studying his fingers carefully. "Just like me." Ai Ni said with a smile. "Is she also Sal's mother? But Sal is a black-headed boy." Ai Ni didn't see Luo Wei smiling in the dark. "Yeah! That's right. Thrall's black hair comes from his mother, and Seaman's mother died when he was born." "Then your father had four wives and seven sons?" Lowe hesitated for a moment before answering, "Yes." "It's so nice to have a brother! I've always wanted my mother to have a brother. Will you guys play together? Or will you be fostered somewhere else?" As soon as she finished speaking, she felt that his body was gradually becoming stiff. "We don't know what 'playing' is, and our children are not in foster care." His voice was hard. "We've been trained to fight since we walked. William was killed by the Huo family when he was eighteen, and Tim and Shanya were twenty and twenty-one. They killed Luther two years ago. Now I want to protect Heman and Sal." He grabbed her by the shoulder and looked at her deeply. "I killed Tim and Shanya just because of a woman. I won't let this kind of thing happen again, so I advise you to stay away from me and stop pestering me!" As soon as he had finished speaking, he pushed her down on the bed and jumped out of bed to get dressed. "Lowell, I'm not—" Ernie wanted to say, but he was gone. "Damn it!" she said, punching the pillow, then suddenly rolled over, staring at the ceiling with open eyes.What did he mean when he said he killed his brother?For a woman? "What woman?" she said aloud. "I'm going to catch her for breakfast!" The thought made her feel a little better.She thought of tomorrow night, which comforted her a lot, and gradually fell asleep in her thoughts. Ernie woke up early the next morning, and she wanted to go to her husband.But the sight downstairs made her forget Lowe for a moment: it was empty.She walked to the chamber of the servants at the other end of the castle, where she had never been before.In the hall twice as large as the main hall, about two hundred attendants sat, eating bread and drinking sour wine, and the room was extremely dirty.Aini's sense of accomplishment in the past few days disappeared without a trace, and she quietly left the room and came to the atrium. Seaman is caressing a big eagle near the south city wall. "Where's my husband?" she asked. "I rode to Barman Castle early in the morning." Seaman said without raising his head. "Barman Castle? Is that where your family starved to death?" Seaman shot her a quick look. "It's there." "Will he come back?" Seaman shrugged and walked away. Aini lifted her skirt and half-runned to catch up with him. "He rode out without telling half the people? Didn't say when he'd be back? Then I want you to order the moat dug." Seaman stopped and turned to look at her. "Dig the moat? Are you crazy? The Huo family will—" "They can still attack like this now." Aini glared at him. "When will my husband come back?" He shrugged again. "I don't know him, but I won't order Lowe to come back and see a dry moat? I'm not a fool!" Seaman turned and left after speaking. Aini stared blankly at his back.She wasn't happy that Lowe was gone, but she thought it might be easier to do things without him.Seaman is much gentler than him, maybe she can find a way to convince him.Just like the magic weapon she used to convince her father: food. Ai Ni asked Joss to get her treasured cookbook.She adjusted her headdress and stepped towards the kitchen. That night Ai Ni climbed into bed alone.She was tired, but also happy, because now she was allowed to dig the moat.It took her all day.She cleaned up the kitchen roughly, and then started to prepare.She gave Seaman and his knights a meal that only a king can enjoy: including roast beef, chicken marinade, wild meat with onions and grapes, cheese pie, tart with mustard, pear confit, mince Meatloaf and Apple Foam Ice Cream. When the group of hungry people stopped talking, Ai Ni knew that she could do whatever she asked for.Seaman patted his protruding belly, not only agreed to dig the moat, but even offered to help.Aini smiled and said no need, while filling a plate of red strawberries with whipped cream in front of him. If only my husband could handle it so well, Aine thought wearily as she lay on the bed.She avoided thinking about what Lowe was doing at Barmain Castle. Could he be embracing another woman? Lowe sits in front of the fireplace in Barman Castle, looking like a beautiful rural girl in front of him. When he left that morning, he didn't know why he was leaving.He only knew that the first thing he thought of when he woke up was the blond witch he married back.He jumped out of bed immediately, and now he had to keep his distance from the girl.He sent some men with him to the village to find Thursday, and to take her with him. But Thursday tremblingly begged him not to push her, because Lady Flame would kill her.Lowe shakes her off in disgust.The result was the same on Sunday and Tuesday, and he had to go to Château de Germain without a woman. German Castle is located on a steep hillside.Before going up the mountain, he found this healthy and beautiful girl in the village at the foot of the mountain, and now she is curled up and trembling in front of him. "Stop shaking!" he yelled at her, who was much younger than he thought. "Come here and kiss me." Tears rolled down the girl's cheeks, but she moved forward and kissed him quickly.Lowe grabbed her greasy hair and kissed her angrily.He felt her weeping.He let her go and pushed her to the ground. "Please don't hurt me, my lord," the girl begged. "I will do as you say, but please don't hurt me." Lowe's desire faded. "Go away!" he growled. "Before I change my mind." The girl quickly left the room. Lowe thought of a woman who longed for him and who didn't stink.He kicked his entourage dozing off nearby. "Get up," he ordered. "Go get me dice, I need something to help me sleep."