Chapter 12 After the wine wears off and the sun shines brightly, will Zeng Zhengqing and I be able to make it work?

Qingduo slept soundly through the night without dreams, until she heard an endless—

"Gugugu! Gugugu!"

The plump spotted dove, preoccupied with its own singing, completely disregarded the lives of others. Qingduo covered her ears with the blanket, unsure whether it was the dove's voice penetrating everything or its lingering resonance, but she felt as if the "Gugugu" was also surrounding her in bed.

"Ugh!" Qingduo threw off the covers and sat up, her hair disheveled. Her brain was awakened, but her body wasn't. She involuntarily leaned forward and buried her head in the covers, her body arching like a bridge.

In her daze, she thought, "Even if I am reborn as a bird in my next life, I can't be a spotted dove. Not only does it disturb people's sleep, but it also lays its eggs everywhere, risking extinction."

Half-awake and half-asleep, she was pondering what kind of bird she should be in her next life. Fang Qing heard the sound and entered the room. Seeing her "Gongqiao" mistress, she said, "Young mistress is awake. Let me help you get dressed!"

Qingduo let Fangqing do as she pleased, put on her dress, and sat in front of the dressing table while Fangqing combed her hair. Her eyes were not even open, and her body was heavy. So heavy that she couldn't even fly, let alone be a spotted dove.

Her head was also very uncomfortable. She said, "Fangqing, I feel so dizzy."

Fang Qing inserted a hairpin into her hair and said, "Young Madam got drunk yesterday, so of course she's dizzy. This morning, before the young master left, he instructed the kitchen to make some 'hangxie jiang' (a type of herbal remedy) to help you sober up. I just sent someone to fetch it."

Qingduo thought slowly, "Yes, yesterday I was going to get drunk and share a room with Zeng Zhengqing. I drank a lot last night, and then I was very happy, and then..."

She couldn't remember. But she was wearing her nightgown properly when she woke up, so nothing must have happened!

So what happened?

Qingduo suddenly opened her eyes. She was about to blurt out and ask Fangqing if she and Zeng Zhengqing had gotten together, but then she felt embarrassed and held back her words. She thought for a moment and tentatively asked, "I was drunk and I don't remember what happened after that. What happened?"

Fang Qing stopped what she was doing, hesitating to speak. Qing Duo's heart sank. She prepared herself mentally and said, "Go ahead and say it, it's alright."

So Fangqing told her everything she heard: Qingduo was crying loudly in the house, then rushed out a little while later, lay down on the pavilion bench and refused to leave, clinging to the railing and saying she didn't want to be with the young master.

Even though she was prepared, she didn't expect the plot to be such a raging flood. The dam in Qingduo's heart was like a shoddy construction made by a corrupt official who embezzled money and cut corners, and it was instantly destroyed.

Fang Qing continued, "No matter how the young master tried to persuade you, you wouldn't listen. So the young master had no choice but to take off his coat and cover you with it, and wait with you. Later, you got up and vomited, and let go of the railing. After you finished vomiting, the young master picked you up and took you back to the room."

“He took care of you personally, without letting us serve you. By the time the lights were turned off and you were resting, it was already past midnight.”

Looking at the stunned Qingduo, she couldn't help but advise, "Young Madam, the young master is devoted to you. What you said last night was really... I know we servants shouldn't gossip about our masters, but ever since I came to serve you, I've liked you very much and hope you and the young master can live happily together. I hope you'll think about this carefully and be more considerate of the young master, so as not to break his heart."

After saying that, Fang Qing took a shawl and hung it on Qing Duo's body. Qing Duo's face was pale. She pointed to her neck and said, "Good sister, just wrap it around here and use a little more force to make me die cleanly!"

She was too ashamed to face Zeng Zhengqing.

Fang Qing hurriedly said, "Young Madam, you can't joke about something like this. It's too late to regret it now. We servants all know that the young master is extremely forgiving. He patiently comforted you last night. I'm sure if you admit your mistake today, he won't make things difficult for you or become estranged from you."

Qingduo thought with a bitter face, "Last night I was being so unreasonable, yet he still calmly comforted and took care of me. How respectable and lovely Xiao Qing is! I can't even fulfill my duties as a wife, and I'm even bullying him. Tang Qingduo, you are really awful!"

Her plan to get drunk failed; she caused a scene yesterday and can't use that method again anytime soon. So, what else can she do to be a good wife?

At this moment, Fang Qing examined Qing Duo in the mirror and said with satisfaction, "Young Madam, your hair is done. This is the most popular peony bun among the noble ladies in Wuzhou City. It suits you very well, making you look elegant and dignified. You truly deserve to be the head of our Zeng family!"

A thought flashed through Qingduo's mind: "Fangqing, do you know what noble ladies are like?"

“Of course,” Fang Qing boasted, “I can’t say everyone, but how come I didn’t know about the other wives of the Zeng family, or our lady and her friends?”

"What are they like? I mean, how do they become virtuous wives?"

"Hmm... I can't speak for others, but I know our lady better than anyone. My aunt was her nanny, and she even served her after she became a nun!"

Qingduo turned around, grabbed her arm and shook it, urging, "Good sister, tell us quickly!"

Fangqing said, "Our lady not only manages the affairs of the inner quarters, but also often cares about the daily lives of the master and young master. She is good at needlework and cooking. When the old lady was alive, she would get up early every day to serve her. Everyone in the Zeng family praised her as a filial daughter-in-law."

So that's how it is. As long as you do needlework, cook, and take care of your in-laws, you're considered a virtuous wife!

Qingduo pondered in her heart: needlework, she didn't know how to make clothes, but her father had taught her how to mend old clothes at home; cooking, that was even simpler, they didn't have any servants to wait on them, and apart from her mother, both she and her father could cook.

The problem is that she's trying to be filial to her parents-in-law. Her father-in-law has passed away, and her mother-in-law has become a nun. How can she be filial? Should she burn more paper money for her father-in-law and offer more incense for her mother-in-law?

If the two of them are no longer able to live, does Zeng Zhengqing have any relatives who need his care?

A figure appeared before her eyes, and Qingduo made a quick decision, standing up and saying, "Fangqing, let's go!"

"Huh? Where is the young mistress going?" Fang Qing asked blankly.

"Zhulixuan!" Qingduo walked out quickly. "I need to go take care of my brother-in-law!"