Chapter 31 I can't cheat anymore, I can't take it anymore...

The sun was like a furnace, roasting and baking Qingduo, this little sweet potato. No, she was even worse off than a sweet potato. While sweet potatoes could only lie there motionless, she had to keep practicing her boxing. If her pace slowed down even slightly, Zhu Yi, standing beside her, would poke her with dissatisfaction, like a merchant with tongs.

"Why isn't it better yet?"

Large beads of sweat rolled down her back. Her whole body ached, and she groaned, "I can't take it anymore..."

"Fifty more strokes!" Zhu Yi said sternly.

"Hmm~" Qingduo hummed and was about to cheat when Zhu Yi said, "Don't try that. I don't fall for it. If you can't even stick to fifty repetitions properly, I, Zhu Yi, look down on people who lack perseverance!"

No! She couldn't give in! Qingduo bit her lip and stood firm, determined not to be looked down upon; this was her bottom line!

However, some resentment remained that couldn't be openly expressed, so she could only throw punches with both hands, silently counting:

"Punch Zhu Yi once, punch Zhu Yi twice, punch Zhu Yi three times..."

Just then, Lu Nong, who was standing nearby, called out to customers, "Sir, why don't you buy a few pounds of apricots? They're dried in our own yard, and they're sweet and sour—you should try them!"

Qingduo was immediately led away, and she silently chanted, "Four punches for the guest, five punches for the guest..."

"Young Master!" Fang Qing exclaimed.

"Six punches to the young master, punching the young master... um?" Qingduo looked up in surprise, "Young master?"

Her eyes immediately lit up. It really was a young master! No, Qingqing!

Help!

She wanted to throw herself into his arms, but her legs were numb from holding the horse stance for so long, and she couldn't pull them back immediately. Pressing her hand on one thigh, she struggled to pull the other back, tears welling in her eyes, and cried out, "Qingqing!"

Waaah, finally someone's going to buy this ungrateful little sweet potato!

Liu Ke asked, "Sister-in-law, what are you doing here?"

"I'm helping Sister Lu Nong sell dried apricots. By the way, they are my friends. This is Sister Lu Nong, and this is Brother Zhu Yi, the 'Mysterious Tiger Hero'."

“It’s a black tiger, not some uncertain ‘suspense’,” Qingduo added. Before she could finish speaking, she received a sharp rap on the head. She yelped and rubbed her head, hearing Zhu Yi angrily say, “Besides you, who else would think that?”

"Oh? So you're the 'Black Tiger Hero'!" Liu Ke exclaimed in surprise.

Zhu Yi clasped his hands in greeting and said, "Does this young master know my name?"

“I know, I know,” Liu Ke nodded and smiled. “I know your brother-in-law, County Magistrate He, and he once told me about you. He said that although you are young, you are generous and righteous, and have the style of an ancient knight-errant.”

Zhu Yi looked smug and said, "I don't deserve such praise. I just couldn't bear to see others suffer."

Qingduo suddenly realized: "No wonder those thugs didn't dare to mess with you last time, it turns out you have connections in your family!"

"You!" Zhu Yi had just raised his hand when Qingduo covered her head and quickly darted behind Lu Nong. Lu Nong couldn't bear it and called out, "Brother Zhu!" Zhu Yi had no choice but to suppress his anger, crossed his arms, and looked angrily to the other side.

"How did you two meet?" Zeng Zhengqing suddenly asked.

Qingduo's heart clenched; she had completely forgotten about this! She had skipped school to play in the street, and when she came back and saw the art supplies Qingqing had bought, she kept quiet and never told him about the group. Now it seemed that everything was about to be exposed!

She stole a glance at Zeng Zhengqing, and inadvertently met his deep gaze. Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly looked away, pointing her index finger and saying, "Well... well..."

"Oh, life, can't you be a little kinder to me?" she sighed.

"My storybook was stolen by the bookstore, and it was thanks to Miss Qingduo's righteous words that I got justice. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't have gotten a single penny back," Lu Nong said, coming to the rescue. She then recounted in detail how Qingduo had helped her get her money back.

Hearing her recount her glorious achievements, Qingduo puffed out her chest and stared intently at Zeng Zhengqing, only to be met with a mere indifferent glance from him. "Not even as good as Liu Ke," he praised, "Chivalry transcends gender! My sister-in-law not only possesses superb writing skills but also performs virtuous deeds. I admire you greatly."

Heaven knows how hard she had to keep this triumphant achievement bottled up inside! Now that it had finally come to light, she didn't receive any praise from Zeng Zhengqing. Qingduo was a little disappointed. She forced a smile and didn't reply.

“I’ve heard of Manager Sai of ‘Shouzhentang’. He’s not one to give up easily. May I ask you, young lady, how much silver did Manager Sai give you?” Zeng Zhengqing asked.

Lu Nong paused, glanced at Qing Duo, and said, "Thirty taels."

Qingduo opened her mouth but couldn't speak. Sister Lu Nong could earn thirty taels for writing an unfinished story, which was a thousand or ten thousand times more than her own. In comparison, her own ability was indeed far inferior.

Then she thought again, the sweet potatoes in the stove also have different cooking times. Sister Lu Nong is two years older than her, so she is a sweet potato that cooks first. If she flips them a few more times, she will also be a ripe sweet potato when she turns eighteen!

Qingduo secretly clenched her fists and stared intently at Lu Nong, determined to reach Lu Nong's level of "maturity" as well!

While Qingduo was busy encouraging herself, Zeng Zhengqing and Liu Ke exchanged glances after hearing Lu Nong's answer. Lu Nong noticed their strange expressions and was about to ask them further when Zhu Yi said gruffly, "That Manager Sai is obviously a treacherous villain!"

He stepped forward with his arms crossed and said, "Not only did you steal Lu Nong's storybook, but you also pretended to want to compensate her. In fact, you sent people to follow the two girls. If I hadn't been following behind, I'm afraid I would have been beaten with a stick!"

Zeng Zhengqing was startled upon hearing this and was about to ask for details when Qingduo rushed over and interjected, "Yes, yes, Brother Zhu is amazing! There were three people on the other side. He first dealt with the leader's consecutive 'Black Tiger Strike,' then turned around to block the sticks of the two behind him. Then he kicked one of them away and knocked the other down with his stick. They were all howling on the ground, 'Brother Zhu, Uncle Zhu, please spare our lives!' Our Brother Zhu shouted, 'Get out of here!' Those guys were so scared that they ran away with their tails between their legs! Hahaha! That was so satisfying!"

As Qingduo spoke, she simultaneously portrayed two different characters: one moment she was "Zhu Yi" throwing punches in quick succession, the next she was a rogue clutching his stomach and begging for mercy; then she stood imposingly with her hands on her hips, waving her hand and shouting, "Get out of here!"; and then she was hunched over, trembling with fear, saying, "Thank you, Uncle Zhu, for sparing my life." The small dried apricot stall had become her personal stage.

Zhu Yi was extremely satisfied with Qing Duo's embellished description. He raised his chin, his hair swaying slightly as if it were about to float into the sky: "I drove them away with my own real skills, not because of my brother-in-law!"

Liu Ke unfolded his folding fan and covered his mouth. Fang Qing lowered her head and pursed her lips. Only Qing Duo chuckled, but quickly suppressed her laughter when Zhu Yi looked over. She clapped her hands and said, "That's right! My brother Zhu's martial arts are unparalleled!"

Zeng Zhengqing's expression changed. He bowed deeply to Zhu Yi and said solemnly, "Hero Zhu, you are righteous and saved my wife from danger. I am deeply grateful! Please accept my bow."

Zhu Yi hurriedly returned the greeting with clasped hands, feeling awkward as he said, "Oh dear, it was just a small favor. I couldn't just stand by and watch the two girls get beaten up. Besides, who knows what those wolves might do next!"

Zeng Zhengqing was even more shocked: "I will definitely repay the kindness of the chivalrous man in the future. If there is anything I can do to help, I will go through fire and water without hesitation."

His gaze fell heavily on Qingduo, and his gaze, along with her joy, sank into the darkness.

Why is Qingqing unhappy? Is he blaming me for causing trouble again? Qingduo couldn't understand. Her story was so interesting that everyone laughed, but Qingqing showed no sign of a smile.

She had a bad feeling. From childhood, she'd always been prone to causing minor trouble, but she'd also developed a knack for reading people and changing her tune accordingly. Since she'd known Qingqing, he'd always been all smiles at her. Even after embarrassing her in public while drunk, he'd offered gentle words of comfort—never before had he shown this kind of expression! His personality was different from her father's; though kind, he was also meticulous in handling matters. Trying to outsmart him would be incredibly difficult!

It seems she is doomed.

*

"Qingqing, has Brother Liu agreed to sell me the 'Ten Thousand Green Mountains' painting?"

"Um."

"Ah! That's wonderful! Everything is in your hands, a piece of cake!"

"Um."

"What does the roast chicken from Fuyuanju taste like? Brother Zhu also bought some for Sister Lu Nong... but due to some unavoidable reasons, I never got to try it."

"Um."

...

"Hmm hmm hmm!" Qingduo couldn't help but feel annoyed. Outside, there was lively laughter and chatter, but inside the carriage, the air was frozen. She could only try her best to make small talk to ease the atmosphere and change the mood, but the other person didn't appreciate it and just kept saying "hmm" one after another.

Why would someone with such a quirky and clever young lady make noises like straining in the outhouse?

I'm not going to coax him anymore! She's angry too!

Qingduo suddenly turned her head, sat with her back to him, hugging her knees, and complained, "Hmph, just now when Sister Lu Nong was talking about how I saved her from danger, you, you, you acted like you didn't hear me. I showed the courage of ten thousand men!"

With her chin resting on her knees, she muttered, "Even Brother Liu knows how to praise me..."

“If you so desperately want me to praise you, why didn’t you tell me on the day it happened?” Zeng Zhengqing said calmly.

In an instant, Qingduo seemed to have been struck on a "fatal flaw," all her resentment vanished, and she turned around, saying awkwardly, "So that's why..."

Qingduo raised her head slightly and saw that Zeng Zhengqing's solemn expression looked like it was about to drip hail. She subconsciously used the "Lingbo Sliding Kneeling Technique". The first move, "Admitting Mistakes Quickly", before Zeng Zhengqing could speak, she immediately said, "I was wrong. I shouldn't have kept it from you."

She stole glances at Zeng Zhengqing, trying to find a flaw, but found his expression flat and unreadable, so she could only sigh inwardly. Yes, last time she tried to use her magic on him, he remained unmoved, almost ruining everything. This time she had to adjust her strategy; the "sincere attitude" and "sweet talk" approaches couldn't be used alone, they had to be combined.

Before she could even compose herself and "summon the clouds and rain," Zeng Zhengqing slowly said, "What will you do next, Madam? Let me guess, will you cry and wipe away your tears, or will you praise me as 'the best husband in the world'?"

Tears welled in her eyes, and Qingduo's expression turned to astonishment. She had only used it once when she was drunk and apologizing, how did Qingqing know everything? He had seen through her next move so easily!

For a moment, she panicked, like a reckless martial artist on a dueling platform who, before she could even make a move, was driven into a dead end by a brilliant strategist. She might not die first, but she would certainly lose all face.

No, she couldn't back down so easily! Qingduo's mind raced, searching for every possible way to escape being blamed.

Zeng Zhengqing saw her eyes darting around and knew she still wanted to "struggle to the death." If she delayed any longer, she might find some evil or crooked solution. He had to cut her off quickly and decisively.

He stretched out his long arm and grabbed her wrist, pulling her sharply. With a gasp, Qingduo was caught off guard and fell onto his lap.

-----------------------

Author's Note: Qingduo lamented: "Before the mission was accomplished, my face was already ruined, leaving me, Qingduo, with tears streaming down my face."

Zeng Zhengqing: You must have cried so much that you soaked several pieces of clothing, right?

Qingduo: ... (Action: Add medicine x1,000,000)

Zeng Zhengqing said meaningfully: Madam, harming others will ultimately harm yourself!

[Thinking about the book title...]