Chapter 9 Not giving up
Chen Hui was not someone who would give up easily. Although, the trees were chopped, but it wasn’t like she couldn’t do something else.
Chen Hui let Xiao Tiao help. She moved the table next to the door of the courtyard and put a stool on it. Then, she stood on it, lay on the perimeter of the wall and looked bored at the outside scenery.
Although, Xiao Tiao hasn’t been punished, but she had been frightened. Seeing that Chen Hui started to do things again, she hurriedly persuaded her. Unfortunately, Chen Hui didn’t listen at all. In addition, she could move the table herself, so, Xiao Tiao couldn’t persuade her. In the end, Xiao Tiao could only help her.
After Chen Hui was lying on her stomach and let the wind blow against her for a while, she saw someone approaching. She looked closely, immediately waved and greeted, “Soldier Gu!”
That was right, the person who passed by was Gu Tianhe, soldier Gu who had caught Chen Hui sneaking out yesterday.
Hearing someone call him and it was a familiar female voice, Gu Tianhe stopped abruptly. After seeing who was calling him, he walked over quickly. He stopped under the wall and frowned slightly. His expression seemed a bit weird, “How did you get in?”
Chen Hui said, “This is a long story…In short, I’m unlucky. Soldier Gu, now that we have met again, it could be seen that we have much fate with each other. I wonder if you can do me a favor?”
Gu Tianhe looked a few times at Chen Hui. He truly couldn’t understand why Chen Hui was here, but he didn’t inquire. He only said indifferently, “What is the matter?”
Chen Hui was overjoyed. The smile on her face looked a bit flattering, “It’s just a small matter…I wonder if soldier Gu can bring me a roasted chicken. I can give you money!”
When the original owner came here, she brought some belongings from her maiden family. However, aside from grandmother Xu who couldn’t be bribed at all, she could only ask for help from soldier Gu who seemed to not know the situation well.
Gu Tianhe raise his head and glanced a few times at Chen Hui and the wall around her. He said, “You can’t come out?”
Chen Hui said, “…Yes, it’s a bit difficult.”
She didn’t know what Gu Tianhe thought about. The confused look on his face faded and he only said, “Excuse me for not being able to help you.”
“Why?” Chen Hui asked in surprise.
The eyes that Gu Tianhe looked at Chen Hui with was very faint, “Lady must be the master of Plum Yard, Lady Chen, right?”
He also heard a bit about the commotion of last night. After hearing a few details and thinking about it now, he came to know who he had let go yesterday.
Chen Hui was stumped for words. She had been recognized. It was useless for her to deny it.
Chen Hui didn’t give up and said, “Soldier Gu, can you truly not take pity on such a weak little girl like me? It had been many days that I haven’t eaten. I’m almost starved to death! If there is no whole roasted chicken, half is also fine. I won’t forget about your benefits.”
While she spoke, she suddenly pulled out the hairpin on her head and threw it outside the wall, “This is a down payment!”
Gu Tianhe looked down at the thing that fell in front of him. He seemed to think for a while. Then, he bent over and picked up. At the moment that Chen Hui’s eyes lit up, he gently raised his hand and threw it back over the wall.
“I’m sorry, Lady Chen,” After he said that, he turned and left,
Chen Hui watched the person leave. She had no other choice but to hold her cheek in discouragement and looked into the distance boringly.
Plum Garden and Rely Bamboo Pavilion were adjacent. There were only a corridor and some plants in between. Even if Chen Hui craned her neck, she couldn’t see the situation in Rely Bamboo Pavilion. She could only retreat her gaze slightly angered. After she stood for a while, she felt tired. She turned around and sat down on the stool with no intention of going down.
“Lady Chen, you being like this is very dangerous. Come down.” Xiao Tiao had been staying down and looked at Chen Hui nervously. Seeing that Chen Hui finally seemed to have lost interest in the outside world, she quickly said that.
Chen Hui dangled her legs lightly and smiled, “It’s fine. Anyway, there is no meat to eat. Fall to my death and be reincarnated is just fine.”
Xiao Tiao’s face paled. She still couldn’t accept Chen Hui’s style of joking about everything. Fearing that Chen Hui would truly think about it, she could only stay down nervously to prevent Chen Hui from falling.
Chen Hui was just about to advise Xiao Tiao when she heard some movements outside. Her eyes lit up. She thought that Gu Tianhe had changed his mind and quickly got up on the stool. However, as soon as she poked her head out, she shrank back as if she had seen a ghost.
“Lady Chen?” Xiao Tiao asked in surprise.
Chen Hui didn’t even turn her head to look at her, waved her hand and then cautiously exposed her eyes to look.
A group of people walked down the corridor. The ones in the front were a man and a woman. The man was that eunuch Li. After one glance, Chen Hui looked at the woman next to him.
The woman had a nice and slender figure. She didn’t know whether she was feeling cold or what, but the woman was wearing cloak that covered her graceful figure. She looked like about seventeen or eighteen. The facial features were exquisite and cold. A pair of willow leaf eyebrows were thin and long. At this moment, they were slightly frowned as if there was an unsolvable concern in her heart.
Chen Hui looked for a few seconds. Suddenly she realized that this was that Lady Jiang!
She recalled the hurry that exasperating left in. Presumably, he loved this Lady Jiang very much. She seemed to have outstanding manners and she had the composition of being educated in a family of literary reputation. Why did she follow this exasperating eunuch? It wasn’t that this exasperating eunuch forced her, right?
Chen Hui peeped again. The two parties were not far apart. She could clearly hear the conversation between that exasperating eunuch and Lady Jiang.
In Chen Hui’s opinion, the expression of that exasperating eunuch seemed a bit cautious at the moment. It was as if he was afraid of speaking too harsh words that would scare Lady Jiang. His shrill voice was slightly suppressed and his tone softened as a result, “Lady Jiang, do you feel a bit better?”
That Lady Jiang didn’t even spare Li Youde a glance and said, “Mm.”
Li Youde seemed to want to say something more, but Lady Jiang already walked forward. He stood there for a while as if he was dumbstruck before he led people to follow.
Chen Hui’s eyes were widened. Her first reaction was the three words “serve him right”. Seeing that Lady Jiang didn’t take eunuch Li seriously, she felt happy all over. Before, she could be happy for a few seconds, she sensed that exasperating eunuch look over at her side. She hurriedly bent over and hid behind the wall.
Xiao Tiao was taken aback by Chen Hui’s sudden movement. She didn’t even dare to inhale deeply.
Chen Hui simply sat down and thought about what she had just seen. Although, she felt very happy when she saw that Lady Jiang ignore that exasperated eunuch in the beginning. It was like that Lady Jiang took revenge for her. However, then the puzzlement came.
She asked Xiao Tiao in a low voice, “Xiao Tiao, how long has Lady Jiang been here?”
Xiao Tiao blanked for a moment and hesitated before saying, “Two years…”
Chen Hui nodded. Li Youde didn’t take down Lady Jiang in two years? However, he was not the kind of person who is very patient. He is still being so polite to Lady Jiang after two full years? She couldn’t be his moonlight, right?
Chen Hui asked again, “How did Lady Jiang came here?”
Xiao Tiao thought for a moment and said with great uncertainty, “I heard sister Ziyu say that master brought Lady Jiang from Jiaofang Shi…” She lowered her voice and there was a faint tremor in her voice, “Master wouldn’t let anyone mention this. Last time, when someone said this behind his back and made Lady Jiang angry, he was beaten to death by master. Lady, don’t mention this anymore in the future!”
Jiaofang Shi was a department in ancient China where girls where taught how to serve officials. It was like a brothel specially for the people at the court.Chen Hui was a bit surprised. She knew about Jiaofang Shi. In the tv series, wouldn’t the wives and daughter of the officials who broke the law be sent to Jiaofang Shi? From Lady Jiang’s overall aura, her family must originally be well-off. Perhaps, she was even from an official family and the rank was quite high. Did that eunuch Li brough her out of Jiaofang Shi to protect her? Although, Lady Jiang didn’t bother much with eunuch Li but she didn’t seem to dislike him. Presumably, he must’ve never forced her to do anything, right?
Chen Hui already had a script in her head: This eunuch Li has always had a low self-esteem and admired Lady Jiang. Knowing that he was a eunuch, he could only conceal his extravagant hope. Who would’ve thought that Lady Jiang’s family would have a change between the morning and night? Eunuch Li uphold justice, rescued her and hid her in the residence. After many years, familiarity bred love…ah, no, not right. Perhaps, eunuch Li has feelings for Lady Jiang, but Lady Jiang obviously didn’t care for him.
Thinking about this, Chen Hui felt joy in another’s calamity. However, thinking about what had happened yesterday, she felt that maybe she had guessed wrongly? Lady Jiang truly got sick? Looking at her attitude of today, she was obviously reluctant to say one more word to eunuch Li. How could she “fight for favor” like this?
Chen Hui lowered her head and looked at Xiao Tiao. Her smile was somewhat profound, “Xiao Tiao, has master stayed the night at Rely Bamboo Pavilion before? Or has Lady Jiang stayed at Chrysanthemum Yard?”
Xiao Tiao blanked and shook her head repeatedly. However, the answer let Chen Hui be very disappointed, “This slave doesn’t know!”
Chen Hui helplessly accepted the fact that the little maid next to her is extremely poorly informed, but she was not willing to give up at all. She was actually also too lazy to inquire about Lady Jiang. It doesn’t matter if she doesn’t know, but she couldn’t compromise on the matter of eating meat!
Did that exasperating eunuch think that if he had locked her up and not let her get out that she couldn’t do anything else? Naïve!
After eating another meatless dinner at night, Chen Hui exploded.
It was getting late. Chen Hui once again climbed up the wall under Xiao Tiao’s worried gaze. She directly faced Rely Bamboo Pavilion. She cleared her throat and shouted, “Lady Jiang of Rely Bamboo Pavilion, can you hear me? How are you? My name is Chen Hui and am living next door at Plum Yard. Since we are neighbors, how about we get along? I still don’t know your name. After you tell me, we will exchange handkerchief. What do you think?”
In the silent night, Chen Hui’s voice was spread a bit far away. Rely Bamboo Pavilion was just next door. Naturally one could hear her clearly. After a while, there was a sound. Someone came over with a lantern.
Chen Hui took a look and saw that the person was not Lady Jiang. She didn’t mind and continued to raise her voice, “Lady Jiang, it’s so early. You must’ve not have slept, right? Don’t be shy. How about coming out to meet me?”
She paused and her voice raised a bit more, “Lady Jiang, can you hear me, Lady Jiang? Don’t pretend that you are not here. I know you are. Come out and meet me. After all, we are neighbors!”
Someone walked under the wall with a lantern. Before she could see Chen Hui’s appearance, she shouted, “Is it decent to scream and yell in the middle of the night?!”
Chen Hui glanced once at the other party and ignored her. If you have the ability, come hit me!
She continued to face the direction of Rely Bamboo Pavilion and yelled cheerfully, “Lady Jiang, come. If you don’t come and meet me, how could you know that we can’t become best friends? Lady Jiang, come out. If you don’t come out, then I…aiya, I also have no other way than to continue shout from this distance.”
“You, you…” The person below heard that Chen Hui is the master of Plum Yard. Because of Chen Hui’s identity, she couldn’t berate Chen Hui. For a time, she couldn’t speak because of anger. She had seen shrews before, but which one didn’t clear their throat and scolded and utter the most disgusting things? It happened that this lady’s voice was quite loud, but her face was full of smiles. She didn’t look like a shrew at all. It was truly the first time that she saw such a person. She could be considered to know the secret fights of a big family, but she had never seen such like this…like this…she couldn’t tell like what. Could it be that Lady Chen was being noisy like this to disturb Lady Jiang’s sleep and make her look haggard?
Chen Hui let Xiao Tiao bring a pot of water. She took a gulp to moisten her throat and continued to shout. Her voice became full of grief, “Lady Jiang, why do you still not come out? I shouted till I almost lost my voice. I am so sad and heartbroken. Don’t treat me like this. I felt familiarity with you at first sight and couldn’t wish for more than being biological sisters with you! Don’t ignore me. I’m truly so brokenhearted. Ay, why don’t I tell you a few stories about exchanging handkerchiefs? I hope that after listening, you will be somewhat touched. There used to be two girls. One was called Ruhua, the other was called Ruyue…
Li Youde hurriedly came over after receiving the report from the servants. Chen Hui was sharing the story she had just made up with Lady Jiang who didn’t shown herself. There was still some distance, when he could hear her clear voice in the night. He immediately yelled, “Lady Chen Hui!”
He paused and then his pace quickened.
Chapter 9 Not giving up
Chen Hui was not someone who would give up easily. Although, the trees were chopped, but it wasn’t like she couldn’t do something else.
Chen Hui let Xiao Tiao help. She moved the table next to the door of the courtyard and put a stool on it. Then, she stood on it, lay on the perimeter of the wall and looked bored at the outside scenery.
Although, Xiao Tiao hasn’t been punished, but she had been frightened. Seeing that Chen Hui started to do things again, she hurriedly persuaded her. Unfortunately, Chen Hui didn’t listen at all. In addition, she could move the table herself, so, Xiao Tiao couldn’t persuade her. In the end, Xiao Tiao could only help her.
After Chen Hui was lying on her stomach and let the wind blow against her for a while, she saw someone approaching. She looked closely, immediately waved and greeted, “Soldier Gu!”
That was right, the person who passed by was Gu Tianhe, soldier Gu who had caught Chen Hui sneaking out yesterday.
Hearing someone call him and it was a familiar female voice, Gu Tianhe stopped abruptly. After seeing who was calling him, he walked over quickly. He stopped under the wall and frowned slightly. His expression seemed a bit weird, “How did you get in?”
Chen Hui said, “This is a long story…In short, I’m unlucky. Soldier Gu, now that we have met again, it could be seen that we have much fate with each other. I wonder if you can do me a favor?”
Gu Tianhe looked a few times at Chen Hui. He truly couldn’t understand why Chen Hui was here, but he didn’t inquire. He only said indifferently, “What is the matter?”
Chen Hui was overjoyed. The smile on her face looked a bit flattering, “It’s just a small matter…I wonder if soldier Gu can bring me a roasted chicken. I can give you money!”
When the original owner came here, she brought some belongings from her maiden family. However, aside from grandmother Xu who couldn’t be bribed at all, she could only ask for help from soldier Gu who seemed to not know the situation well.
Gu Tianhe raise his head and glanced a few times at Chen Hui and the wall around her. He said, “You can’t come out?”
Chen Hui said, “…Yes, it’s a bit difficult.”
She didn’t know what Gu Tianhe thought about. The confused look on his face faded and he only said, “Excuse me for not being able to help you.”
“Why?” Chen Hui asked in surprise.
The eyes that Gu Tianhe looked at Chen Hui with was very faint, “Lady must be the master of Plum Yard, Lady Chen, right?”
He also heard a bit about the commotion of last night. After hearing a few details and thinking about it now, he came to know who he had let go yesterday.
Chen Hui was stumped for words. She had been recognized. It was useless for her to deny it.
Chen Hui didn’t give up and said, “Soldier Gu, can you truly not take pity on such a weak little girl like me? It had been many days that I haven’t eaten. I’m almost starved to death! If there is no whole roasted chicken, half is also fine. I won’t forget about your benefits.”
While she spoke, she suddenly pulled out the hairpin on her head and threw it outside the wall, “This is a down payment!”
Gu Tianhe looked down at the thing that fell in front of him. He seemed to think for a while. Then, he bent over and picked up. At the moment that Chen Hui’s eyes lit up, he gently raised his hand and threw it back over the wall.
“I’m sorry, Lady Chen,” After he said that, he turned and left,
Chen Hui watched the person leave. She had no other choice but to hold her cheek in discouragement and looked into the distance boringly.
Plum Garden and Rely Bamboo Pavilion were adjacent. There were only a corridor and some plants in between. Even if Chen Hui craned her neck, she couldn’t see the situation in Rely Bamboo Pavilion. She could only retreat her gaze slightly angered. After she stood for a while, she felt tired. She turned around and sat down on the stool with no intention of going down.
“Lady Chen, you being like this is very dangerous. Come down.” Xiao Tiao had been staying down and looked at Chen Hui nervously. Seeing that Chen Hui finally seemed to have lost interest in the outside world, she quickly said that.
Chen Hui dangled her legs lightly and smiled, “It’s fine. Anyway, there is no meat to eat. Fall to my death and be reincarnated is just fine.”
Xiao Tiao’s face paled. She still couldn’t accept Chen Hui’s style of joking about everything. Fearing that Chen Hui would truly think about it, she could only stay down nervously to prevent Chen Hui from falling.
Chen Hui was just about to advise Xiao Tiao when she heard some movements outside. Her eyes lit up. She thought that Gu Tianhe had changed his mind and quickly got up on the stool. However, as soon as she poked her head out, she shrank back as if she had seen a ghost.
“Lady Chen?” Xiao Tiao asked in surprise.
Chen Hui didn’t even turn her head to look at her, waved her hand and then cautiously exposed her eyes to look.
A group of people walked down the corridor. The ones in the front were a man and a woman. The man was that eunuch Li. After one glance, Chen Hui looked at the woman next to him.
The woman had a nice and slender figure. She didn’t know whether she was feeling cold or what, but the woman was wearing cloak that covered her graceful figure. She looked like about seventeen or eighteen. The facial features were exquisite and cold. A pair of willow leaf eyebrows were thin and long. At this moment, they were slightly frowned as if there was an unsolvable concern in her heart.
Chen Hui looked for a few seconds. Suddenly she realized that this was that Lady Jiang!
She recalled the hurry that exasperating left in. Presumably, he loved this Lady Jiang very much. She seemed to have outstanding manners and she had the composition of being educated in a family of literary reputation. Why did she follow this exasperating eunuch? It wasn’t that this exasperating eunuch forced her, right?
Chen Hui peeped again. The two parties were not far apart. She could clearly hear the conversation between that exasperating eunuch and Lady Jiang.
In Chen Hui’s opinion, the expression of that exasperating eunuch seemed a bit cautious at the moment. It was as if he was afraid of speaking too harsh words that would scare Lady Jiang. His shrill voice was slightly suppressed and his tone softened as a result, “Lady Jiang, do you feel a bit better?”
That Lady Jiang didn’t even spare Li Youde a glance and said, “Mm.”
Li Youde seemed to want to say something more, but Lady Jiang already walked forward. He stood there for a while as if he was dumbstruck before he led people to follow.
Chen Hui’s eyes were widened. Her first reaction was the three words “serve him right”. Seeing that Lady Jiang didn’t take eunuch Li seriously, she felt happy all over. Before, she could be happy for a few seconds, she sensed that exasperating eunuch look over at her side. She hurriedly bent over and hid behind the wall.
Xiao Tiao was taken aback by Chen Hui’s sudden movement. She didn’t even dare to inhale deeply.
Chen Hui simply sat down and thought about what she had just seen. Although, she felt very happy when she saw that Lady Jiang ignore that exasperated eunuch in the beginning. It was like that Lady Jiang took revenge for her. However, then the puzzlement came.
She asked Xiao Tiao in a low voice, “Xiao Tiao, how long has Lady Jiang been here?”
Xiao Tiao blanked for a moment and hesitated before saying, “Two years…”
Chen Hui nodded. Li Youde didn’t take down Lady Jiang in two years? However, he was not the kind of person who is very patient. He is still being so polite to Lady Jiang after two full years? She couldn’t be his moonlight, right?
Chen Hui asked again, “How did Lady Jiang came here?”
Xiao Tiao thought for a moment and said with great uncertainty, “I heard sister Ziyu say that master brought Lady Jiang from Jiaofang Shi…” She lowered her voice and there was a faint tremor in her voice, “Master wouldn’t let anyone mention this. Last time, when someone said this behind his back and made Lady Jiang angry, he was beaten to death by master. Lady, don’t mention this anymore in the future!”
Jiaofang Shi was a department in ancient China where girls where taught how to serve officials. It was like a brothel specially for the people at the court.Chen Hui was a bit surprised. She knew about Jiaofang Shi. In the tv series, wouldn’t the wives and daughter of the officials who broke the law be sent to Jiaofang Shi? From Lady Jiang’s overall aura, her family must originally be well-off. Perhaps, she was even from an official family and the rank was quite high. Did that eunuch Li brough her out of Jiaofang Shi to protect her? Although, Lady Jiang didn’t bother much with eunuch Li but she didn’t seem to dislike him. Presumably, he must’ve never forced her to do anything, right?
Chen Hui already had a script in her head: This eunuch Li has always had a low self-esteem and admired Lady Jiang. Knowing that he was a eunuch, he could only conceal his extravagant hope. Who would’ve thought that Lady Jiang’s family would have a change between the morning and night? Eunuch Li uphold justice, rescued her and hid her in the residence. After many years, familiarity bred love…ah, no, not right. Perhaps, eunuch Li has feelings for Lady Jiang, but Lady Jiang obviously didn’t care for him.
Thinking about this, Chen Hui felt joy in another’s calamity. However, thinking about what had happened yesterday, she felt that maybe she had guessed wrongly? Lady Jiang truly got sick? Looking at her attitude of today, she was obviously reluctant to say one more word to eunuch Li. How could she “fight for favor” like this?
Chen Hui lowered her head and looked at Xiao Tiao. Her smile was somewhat profound, “Xiao Tiao, has master stayed the night at Rely Bamboo Pavilion before? Or has Lady Jiang stayed at Chrysanthemum Yard?”
Xiao Tiao blanked and shook her head repeatedly. However, the answer let Chen Hui be very disappointed, “This slave doesn’t know!”
Chen Hui helplessly accepted the fact that the little maid next to her is extremely poorly informed, but she was not willing to give up at all. She was actually also too lazy to inquire about Lady Jiang. It doesn’t matter if she doesn’t know, but she couldn’t compromise on the matter of eating meat!
Did that exasperating eunuch think that if he had locked her up and not let her get out that she couldn’t do anything else? Naïve!
After eating another meatless dinner at night, Chen Hui exploded.
It was getting late. Chen Hui once again climbed up the wall under Xiao Tiao’s worried gaze. She directly faced Rely Bamboo Pavilion. She cleared her throat and shouted, “Lady Jiang of Rely Bamboo Pavilion, can you hear me? How are you? My name is Chen Hui and am living next door at Plum Yard. Since we are neighbors, how about we get along? I still don’t know your name. After you tell me, we will exchange handkerchief. What do you think?”
In the silent night, Chen Hui’s voice was spread a bit far away. Rely Bamboo Pavilion was just next door. Naturally one could hear her clearly. After a while, there was a sound. Someone came over with a lantern.
Chen Hui took a look and saw that the person was not Lady Jiang. She didn’t mind and continued to raise her voice, “Lady Jiang, it’s so early. You must’ve not have slept, right? Don’t be shy. How about coming out to meet me?”
She paused and her voice raised a bit more, “Lady Jiang, can you hear me, Lady Jiang? Don’t pretend that you are not here. I know you are. Come out and meet me. After all, we are neighbors!”
Someone walked under the wall with a lantern. Before she could see Chen Hui’s appearance, she shouted, “Is it decent to scream and yell in the middle of the night?!”
Chen Hui glanced once at the other party and ignored her. If you have the ability, come hit me!
She continued to face the direction of Rely Bamboo Pavilion and yelled cheerfully, “Lady Jiang, come. If you don’t come and meet me, how could you know that we can’t become best friends? Lady Jiang, come out. If you don’t come out, then I…aiya, I also have no other way than to continue shout from this distance.”
“You, you…” The person below heard that Chen Hui is the master of Plum Yard. Because of Chen Hui’s identity, she couldn’t berate Chen Hui. For a time, she couldn’t speak because of anger. She had seen shrews before, but which one didn’t clear their throat and scolded and utter the most disgusting things? It happened that this lady’s voice was quite loud, but her face was full of smiles. She didn’t look like a shrew at all. It was truly the first time that she saw such a person. She could be considered to know the secret fights of a big family, but she had never seen such like this…like this…she couldn’t tell like what. Could it be that Lady Chen was being noisy like this to disturb Lady Jiang’s sleep and make her look haggard?
Chen Hui let Xiao Tiao bring a pot of water. She took a gulp to moisten her throat and continued to shout. Her voice became full of grief, “Lady Jiang, why do you still not come out? I shouted till I almost lost my voice. I am so sad and heartbroken. Don’t treat me like this. I felt familiarity with you at first sight and couldn’t wish for more than being biological sisters with you! Don’t ignore me. I’m truly so brokenhearted. Ay, why don’t I tell you a few stories about exchanging handkerchiefs? I hope that after listening, you will be somewhat touched. There used to be two girls. One was called Ruhua, the other was called Ruyue…
Li Youde hurriedly came over after receiving the report from the servants. Chen Hui was sharing the story she had just made up with Lady Jiang who didn’t shown herself. There was still some distance, when he could hear her clear voice in the night. He immediately yelled, “Lady Chen Hui!”
He paused and then his pace quickened.
