Chapter 10: Fun in the Streets

The laughter and joy of drinking and chatting not only occupied her daytime, but also entered her sweet dreams for several days, making up for some regrets in reality. At the banquet in the dream world, she was dressed casually and simply, moved lazily, and had a variety of manners. The pearls in the world could not compare to her eyes that were as bright and shining. Although many women in the room were more beautiful than her, they were all vulgar and far inferior to her. The men kept flattering her and vying to toast her. The women looked at her with anger, and they had to admit that she was a goddess of painting, a well-deserved fairy in the painting. She ignored everyone and walked slowly towards the "Bronze Sparrow Locking Spring" hanging in the middle of the banquet. There was only one dancer in the painting - that dancer was her, with a soft waist and a slender figure, dancing a masterpiece on the drum. Yanru couldn't help herself and wanted to get closer, reaching out to touch her. The moment she took a step, her feet were empty -

"Ouch!" The sharp pain in her buttocks and the laughter from all around made Yanru completely sober. While the teacher had not yet arrived at the school, she quickly stood up, patted her skirt and sat back in the chair, pretending to recite a few lines of poetry as if nothing had happened, deceiving herself that she was also studying seriously in the morning.

But it's easier to lie to yourself than to others, especially Yi Bin and Gan Yao. That magnificent carriage that day was like a watermelon seed, planted in their hearts, taking root, sprouting, and growing into a large watermelon. At the slightest sign of trouble, they understood, cut open the invisible "watermelon," and devoured it with relish. The two of them were sitting right next to each other, and seeing the situation, they quickly huddled together in discussion: "Hey, I took a peek last night. Only after all our lights were off did You Yanru's room go dark. Less than half an incense stick of time passed before she slipped out."

Yi Bin was curious: "How could she get out when the gate was locked? She must have been a thief in her past life, so she can climb walls and jump over rooftops in this life."

Gan Yao raised his eyebrows. "Who knows? I went out so late at night and had to return to my room early in the morning before everyone in the academy woke up. Good boy, I'm not sleepy at all."

Yi Bin found it more and more unbelievable: "She is too bold, I can't understand it. Si Rui and the teacher's nephew are of similar age, and the man is handsome, but they didn't really get married. Teacher Ji - I admit that Teacher Ji is also a romantic and elegant man, but that's only as an elder. He is the same age as our father, how can Yanru go to sleep with him at night?" Speaking of this, Yi Bin recalled the erotic pictures under his bed that he would never share in his life, and the swollen curve caused by Ji Mingxiuyuan's jade-inlaid belt. His face was often oily because of the intense lectures, and he couldn't help but shudder.

Gan Yao, as if she'd seen all sorts of things, sneered, "She's trying to climb the social ladder. Let me tell you, Meng Qi also discovered their affair. Meng Qi also said, 'She's just like Zheng Sirui, both want to rely on a man to become someone like us. But Zheng Sirui cares about her dignity, and You Yanru doesn't.'"

Yi Bin always hated Meng Qi's harshness and curled his lips: "People like us? What kind of people are we? We are nothing more than blessed by our ancestors, eating better and wearing better clothes. Why do we have to involve Si Rui? Forget it, let's stop gossiping about others. After all, it's still uncertain. What if she also learns from Si Rui and goes to the library to read at night? Oh, no, no, no, let's read."

Since the other party was being a gentleman, Gan Yao couldn't continue the conversation and retreated to his morning reading. However, there's no impenetrable wall, nor is there a large, inconspicuous watermelon. Some time later, a heartbreaking story spread: It was said that a renowned painter had a chance encounter with a young and beautiful female scholar. The scholar, like a goddess descended from heaven, inspired the master to create a new realm of painting. His inspiration surged, and his painting skills reached new heights. He then hailed her as his "Goddess of Painting," becoming her frequent companion and engaging in intimate behavior. The scholar herself was also a remarkable figure, a student of the renowned Qiushui Academy in Jinling. She was both learned and beautiful, a unique figure, both ancient and modern, both in China and abroad. When the story began in the brothels, spread through the streets and alleys of Jinling, and reached the Qiushui Academy, all the girls were rolling in laughter. Some even laughed so hard their heads were buzzing, their jaws ached, and they slumped over the table, needing the maids to help them breathe. When they saw Yanru passing the bedroom door, they forced their laughter back, covered their faces with books, and when Yanru left, they burst into even more laughter.

Yanru listened to this without feeling uncomfortable. She lay carefree on the bed, playing with the earrings Teacher Ji had given her, and said disdainfully, "Humph, you're all jealous of me."

In the evening, the setting sun's afterglow stained the clouds, and neon lights filled the sky. In Yanru's eyes, there was boundless joy and loneliness. Joy was that she had become the renowned Goddess of Painting in Jinling. This title was the greatest affirmation of her youth and beauty, allowing her impoverished heart to swell. She would no longer feel inferior because her appearance and academic performance were inferior to others. Loneliness was that Ji Mingxiu had gone down the mountain again today, leaving her alone in the empty room. Yanru was just worrying about how to get through the long night when the teacher's wife, the close-knit mother, knocked on her door: "Student You, Madam asks you to come in."

Yanru was a little dazed. This was the first time that the master's wife had taken the initiative to call her for a private talk. In the past, Zheng Sirui was often called by the master or the master's wife in front of her. Yanru was somewhat envious. After all, this proved that the master and his wife valued and appreciated her. Yanru longed for such attention from the teacher. She had thought many times that if the master could often call her to talk and drink tea, and guide her homework, perhaps she could also study hard. But when the expectation fell into reality, today's summons only made Yanru uneasy. With her heart in turmoil, she walked around the winding corridor. As soon as Yanru stepped into the guest room, a familiar voice came straight at her:

"You Yanru! You can learn anything! How can you learn to be a filthy little whore?!"

Without thinking too much, Yan instinctively closed her eyes and prepared for her mother's beating. When she didn't feel any pain, she opened her eyes slightly and found her grandmother was there. She grabbed her mother's arms and winked, "Pei Lan, don't lose your composure in front of outsiders."

Mrs. Lu was also in the room. She understood Aunt Qian's hint, put down her teacup, and stood up. "The academy has a lot of things to do, so I can't stay here any longer. I've just discussed Yanru's situation with Aunt Qian and Madam Qian. You two can have a good chat with Yanru."

"Okay, okay." Qian Peilan put on a smile and watched Madam Lu leave the room. She was so furious that she couldn't wait for the others to leave before she exploded. She slapped her daughter with a crackling sound. "You are such a slut! I spent millions of dollars to send you to school here, but you didn't learn anything and went out to get involved with an old man. You even made it known to everyone in Jinling. Bah, how could you be so cheap!"

Yanru cried and wailed, running and dodging as her mother followed closely, hitting her. She could only turn her back and cover her face with her hands. The slaps landed on her back, shaking her teeth and making her feel her upper and lower teeth chatter. She felt extremely wronged and cried out, "You can scold me if you want. Anyway, I followed your wishes and entered the college and found a rich, famous man who likes me. You can scold me if you want. You taught me that. You can scold me if you want. Anyway, I like him."

"Bah!" Pei Lan was so angry that the thick phlegm in her throat rose up, and she spat on Yanru's face. She regarded her daughter as the most beautiful orchid, and spent her life cultivating and watering it, just waiting for the day when the flower would grow into a flower and sell it to a wealthy family, so that she could reap wealth and glory for the rest of her life. Unexpectedly, when the flower was about to bloom, it was plucked and stolen by a shameless villain. Decades of hard work went to waste, how could she not be angry! The strength in her hands became stronger, "Did I ask you to find a man as old as your father? Did I ask you to sleep with an old man in an unlawful way? A fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl, your body is so broken, who will want you in the future! You are shameless yourself, and you also hurt your sister!"

Her younger sister, You Yanbao, turned out to be more concerned with her mother's future reputation than her own. Yanru was overcome with grief. Mother, grandmother, everyone in the family loved her younger sister more than herself. When her younger sister broke her rouge, her mother told her not to bother with the child. When she married Teacher Ji, her mother scolded her for being immoral and blocking her younger sister's path. Why? She loved her younger sister so much that she simply and crudely named her "Bao" to make it known to the world. Wasn't it enough that You Yanbao was the apple of the family's eye? Was her sister's life to be a stepping stone, paving the way for her younger sister? The fire that had usually been suppressed in Yanru's heart suddenly ignited fiercely. She grabbed the tea set on the table and threw it at her mother's feet: "Hurt my sister? How did I hurt her?! My crush is my own business, what does it have to do with her! Why do I have to take care of her, You Yanbao, in everything I do in this life? What path do I take? I have to think about how You Yanbao will end up following me! Mother, the flesh on the palm of my hand is thicker than the back of it, but it's yours after all!"

Qian Peilan was stunned for a moment, holding her hands in the air, not knowing how to answer. As smart and calm as Aunt Qian was, she was afraid that there were ears on the other side of the wall, and that the noise of her daughter and grandson would be heard and disgrace the family tradition, so she just wanted to put out the fire quickly: "Stop shouting, it's not a decent thing. Shouting is uncivilized! You'd feel bad if you beat your daughter to death after ten months of pregnancy and hundreds of days of vomiting?" She pulled down Peilan's hand in the air, patted Peilan's arm to show her calmness, and took out a handkerchief to gently wipe the saliva off Yanru's face: "Yanru, grandma is not scolding you, but her words are too harsh. What's the matter with the palm and the back of the hand? Grandma only knows how to hit you, but the pain is in your heart! Oh no, your mother's hand hurts too! If you don't believe me, look! Is it?"

Yanru timidly glanced at Qian Peilan's palm, which was indeed red. She couldn't argue anymore, so she lowered her head, breathing heavily.

Alas, no matter how old they are, a mother is still a child, and a daughter is still a child. Aunt Qian shook her head and sighed. She still had to make the decisions about this family. She made them sit down and tiptoed to the door. After checking that no one was outside, she cautiously returned to the table and finished the remaining Pu'er tea in her cup. The tea and snacks served at the academy were of the highest quality. The refreshing aroma of tea soothed the old woman's anxious heart, allowing her to unravel the invisible abacus in her heart, fiddling with the beads, and carefully pondering a business plan that would help the daughter of the You family turn the tide in this matter.