Chapter 66 The Zeng Family, etc.! Qingqing calls her mother? ? ? ...

“Isn’t it ‘absolutely not true’?” Zeng Zhengqing emphasized those four words. “I was just a kind person, helping the lady dust off her clothes!” As soon as he finished speaking, his hand reached behind Qingduo again.

Alarm bells rang in Qingduo's mind. Facing him, she covered her buttocks with her hands and took a few steps back while kneeling: "What...what do you want to do?"

“Zeng Zhengqing! I’m warning you! You’re taking advantage of someone’s misfortune! You’re robbing them when they’re down! This is wrong! I advise you to abandon this idea as soon as possible!” She slightly shifted her body to avoid his “attack,” and seeing that he had no intention of stopping, she shouted again:

"You're coming again?! Get out of here! Do you even want to be a gentleman anymore? Turn back before it's too late!"

Hearing her feeble threat, Zeng Zhengqing chuckled and withdrew his hand, saying sarcastically, "Very well, Madam is right. I must be a gentleman and put down my 'butcher's knife' right now!"

Even after he stopped, Qingduo still covered it tightly. Seeing her wary gaze, Zeng Zhengqing smiled for a moment, then stood up and said, "You lie there, I'll go get the ointment to help you apply the medicine..."

"No need! I can manage on my own!" Qingduo blushed; how could she let him see her injury?

After Qingduo finished applying the medicine, the two rested. The bed curtains were drawn tightly, making it airtight. The strong smell of medicine filled the small space.

Smelling the medicine, Zeng Zhengqing recalled how he had mistakenly thought Qingduo was annoyed by him that afternoon and had deliberately avoided him in the carriage. He hadn't realized it was because her bottom hurt from the jolting of the horse. Thinking of this misunderstanding, he couldn't help but chuckle.

Qingduo was unable to sleep because of the pain in her buttocks when she heard the sudden laughter beside her. Confused, she asked, "What are you laughing at?"

Zeng Zhengqing laughed and said, "It's nothing, I'm just laughing at myself."

Sometimes, things aren't that funny, but the worst thing is when the person involved asks questions. Qingduo's question actually brought back Zeng Zhengqing's fading smile, and he couldn't stop laughing, his whole body shaking with laughter.

Qingduo didn't believe it at all. She straightened up and asked again, "What are you laughing at?"

“No…nothing, haha, hahaha…” Zeng Zhengqing answered haltingly.

Qingduo asked suspiciously, "Are you making fun of me?"

Zeng Zhengqing laughed so hard he couldn't speak, and could only wave his hands repeatedly to indicate "no," but in the pitch-black tent, Qingduo couldn't see his movements at all.

"Fine, you're laughing at me!" Qingduo retorted angrily. "You're laughing at me for hurting my butt while riding a horse, aren't you?"

Why did she think of herself? Zeng Zhengqing found it even more amusing, and his laughter suddenly grew louder. He wanted to explain but was too weak to speak, which only confirmed Qingduo's suspicions.

"Annoying!" Qingduo kicked him angrily, forgetting that her butt hurt.

"Ouch!" She immediately clutched the painful spot and groaned. Zeng Zhengqing was startled and sat up, asking repeatedly, "What's wrong?"

"Hmph! It's none of your business!" Qingduo pushed him away. "I haven't ridden in a long time, and I feel uncomfortable riding a horse suddenly. What's so funny about that? I don't believe your butt didn't hurt when you first learned to ride a horse."

“I already said I wasn’t laughing at you,” Zeng Zhengqing chuckled. “Besides, I really am not like you. Your wife’s buttocks are too precious! She can’t even stand it after just one day of riding. Sigh, you still want to compete with me like this?”

He joked, "You're not as fast as me, and you don't have as much stamina. So, I guess I've won two out of three rounds?"

Qingduo angrily insisted, "I'm like this because I haven't ridden in too long! Unlike you, you can ride whenever you want. It's not fair for the two of us to compare!"

“Even when I first learned to ride a horse, I didn’t act like you.” Zeng Zhengqing said as he moved closer to her. Qingduo thought he was going to pat her bottom again, so she shrank back defensively. But he just reached for the blanket and pretended to pull it.

He was definitely playing her on purpose!

That guy is absolutely wicked!

"Good! You're amazing! You're capable! You're the most talented! Who are you? You're the eldest son of the Zeng family, the former owner of the Grand Bookstore."

Qingduo retorted sarcastically, then suddenly remembered something and chuckled. She quickly stopped laughing and said seriously, "You have so many good qualities, I can't even begin to list them all."

"However, none of that matters. Your best feature is your butt. It's rock hard and can withstand the most bumps."

Just imagining Zeng Zhengqing's astonished expression made her burst into laughter. She forced herself to finish, "How about this! I'll give you a title, 'Iron-Butt General,' hahaha, how about that?"

“General Zeng Zhengqing, the Iron-Butt!” she said, word by word, and then could no longer hold back. She burst into laughter, her body swaying back and forth like soft water plants.

Zeng Zhengqing hadn't expected to receive such an "honorable" title. He opened his mouth, but was completely speechless. Listening to Qingduo's laughter and the vibrations of her repeatedly hitting the bed, he sighed helplessly and said in a muffled voice, "Laugh all you want, but keep it down, I'm going to sleep." With that, he actually lay down, his back to Qingduo.

Qingduo's laughter only intensified. Zeng Zhengqing first covered his ears, then simply pulled the blanket over his head. But how could his lovely "wife" let him off the hook? Qingduo pulled off his blanket, lay on top of him, and deliberately giggled incessantly in his ear.

"Are you leaking air?" he asked her, returning the question verbatim.

"Hehehehe! If that's the reason, I'd be willing to leak air every day!" Qingduo whispered in his ear, her warm breath tickling his ear.

Zeng Zhengqing suddenly rolled over, catching Qingduo off guard. Her body swayed and she fell onto the bed. Before she could even finish uttering a "ouch," her lips were already sealed by his. She stared in shock, her hands flailing wildly in the air. Zeng Zhengqing held her down with one hand and pulled the blanket over them with the other, covering them both. In that small space, their breaths mingled, and they could no longer distinguish between him and her.

Inside, spring was in full bloom, while outside, the first snowflakes danced in the air. Amidst the interplay of cold and warmth, they welcomed their first winter together.

*

After a long and arduous journey on horseback and by water, taking several days, they finally returned to the Zeng family's old residence in Luzhou, the home of Zeng Zhengqing's uncle, Zeng Yong, two days before the anniversary of the memorial. That evening, they attended a welcome banquet prepared by Zeng Yong for them.

Qingduo had previously heard Zeng Zhengqing say that his uncle looked remarkably like his father, and he had even mistaken him for his father when he was a child. Looking at his uncle's perfectly aligned face now, Qingduo had the illusion that his deceased father-in-law had returned to the world of the living, and he had no choice but to once again use his skill of "pretending to be dignified" and obediently tuck his tail between his legs and act like a "duo".

From as far back as Qingduo could remember, her family had almost fallen on hard times, leaving only her parents and herself. Even later, when only she and her father remained, the "big meals" during holidays were always lively and festive. This was the first time she had attended a gathering of so many family members, and she couldn't help but feel excited, expecting it to be even more noisy and chaotic. But to her surprise, the loudest sound in the room from the large table of people was the clinking of spoons against bowls and plates.

Aunt Zeng has passed away. Uncle Zeng has three daughters, two of whom are married and have returned with their children for a family reunion. Although men and women sat at separate tables, the house, with more than ten people in total, was surprisingly quiet and deserted. Even the children were quiet and didn't make a fuss. Everyone seemed to take it all for granted.

The person at this table who most wanted to shout was probably Tang Qingduo. But she couldn't. The silence seemed to be warning her that if she made a sound, she would be fined 100,000 strings of cash.

Even with the most exquisite delicacies, Qingduo found the food tasteless.

That wasn't the end of it. After dinner, a group of people gathered to chat. The eldest sister and second cousin were able to leave because they had to take care of their children, leaving only her and her youngest cousin, Zeng Huiying, as the two women.

Although they are the same age, according to Zeng Zhengqing's relationship, she is her younger sister.

Qingduo looked at Zeng Huiying with a melancholy expression and thought: Could my little cousin temporarily act as her child so that she would have a reason to leave here?

Or, she could be her younger cousin's child.

The men chatted about the Zeng family business, but Qingduo had absolutely no interest in it. She stared at Zeng Yong's stern face, her mind wandering: Uncle Zeng was much older than Dad, but he looked about the same age.

No wonder she looks young; always having a serious face makes it less likely for her to get wrinkles!

Huh? Is she seeing things? Why does it look like she's seeing Uncle Zeng's smile?

Qingduo rubbed her eyes, looked closely, and realized she wasn't mistaken; it was indeed his smile, like a crack in a mud-plastered wall that had accidentally appeared.

What is he laughing at?

Qingduo then turned her attention to their conversation; Zeng Zhengji was talking about his studies at the academy. But…

Why is Qingqing making such a stern face?

That's true, someone always has to be on duty at the "Zeng Family Brick Factory".

Bored out of her mind, she turned to look at Zeng Huiying, who was sitting properly to her right, and couldn't help but whisper, "Has your father always been like this?"

Zeng Huiying was taken aback: "'Like this' means?"

With her back to Zeng Yong, Qingduo pursed her lips tightly, half-closed her eyes, and stretched her neck slightly forward, mimicking his serious expression perfectly. Huiying couldn't help but steal a glance at her father out of the corner of her eye, and upon seeing the contrast, she couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Everyone turned to look at her when she laughed, and Zeng Yong's reproachful gaze fell upon her. Huiying quickly stopped laughing and lowered her head somewhat awkwardly.

Qingduo glanced at everyone's gazes, then at the embarrassed Huiying, and felt a pang of pity. She wanted to take the blame for her, so she said, "I'm sorry, I just couldn't help laughing because I was thinking of something funny."

Zeng Yong said sternly, "Ying'er, we are talking, and you are laughing on the side. Is this appropriate? How have I taught you? This is not how you show respect!"

Huiying stood up, her hands tightly clasped together, and bowed her head, saying, "Father, Ying'er knows she was wrong."

"Uncle, don't blame her. I made her laugh. If you want to blame someone, blame me," Qingduo said, standing up.

Zeng Zhengqing quickly came to the rescue, saying, "Uncle, the two of them are about the same age. They just got carried away chatting and forgot their limits. It's really not a mistake." Her brothers-in-law also spoke up for them.

Zeng Yong looked at the two of them and said, "Please sit down. But..." He looked at Qing Duo, "Niece-in-law, you mustn't lie next time."

After Qingduo sat down, she went to look at Huiying and saw that she was looking down and looked very dejected. She couldn't help but feel indignant for her: She just smiled! It's like she's committed some crime!

On the way back to the house, she couldn't help but complain to Zeng Zhengqing about it. Zeng Zhengqing said, "Uncle and my father are the same. They are very strict with their children. This has always been the family tradition of the Zeng family. My grandfather also taught them this way."

Qingduo exclaimed in shock, "Ah? It's really amazing that you've survived until now!"

“It’s not that exaggerated.” Zeng Zhengqing laughed, holding Qingduo’s hand. “Your personality definitely wouldn’t be able to handle it, but we’ve been like this since we were little, and we’re used to it.”

Her father once said that the Zeng family members were all very old-fashioned. She used to think that although Qingqing was somewhat rule-abiding, she was reasonable in most cases.

But now it seems that this statement makes perfect sense. No wonder the Zeng family was so lifeless; it's no wonder that such a somber thing could become a family rule.

Qingduo suddenly remembered that Zeng Zhengqing had said before that he would be in charge of teaching their children. So, wouldn't her children also become "little bricks" of "Zeng's Brick Factory"?

That's terrifying!

As night fell, Qingduo had a dream. She was sitting there when someone outside called out, "The young masters are back!" The curtain was lifted, and two children, one big and one small, walked in. When they saw her, they bowed respectfully and greeted her, calling her "Mother."

She happily went to greet them, eager to tell them about her new discovery: "There's a really big and thick willow tree to the east! Who wants to climb it with me?"

The older one shook his head: "Neither my brother nor I are going; it's too dangerous."

She pouted, "Just as conservative as your dad. Fine, I'll go by myself then!"

The older one shook her head again: "No, you can't go either. You're a mother now, you should be more mature."

"This is outrageous! He's actually teaching me instead?" Qingduo said unwillingly, "I'm going! Not only am I going, but I'm also going to eat my fill of ice cream when I get back! If you don't come with me, I won't share any with you!"

The younger one said earnestly, "We don't eat ice cream, and Mom, you shouldn't eat it either. Dad said that eating ice cream can easily cause stomach aches."

Qingduo looked at the older one, then at the younger one, both surprised and astonished. She had worked so hard to give birth to two children, but neither of them looked like her. They both resembled her father and her uncle.

It's truly a bitter experience!

Wait a minute? Zeng Zhengqing is already the eldest son, so where did this uncle come from?

So who exactly is she?

She carefully examined the two children and could vaguely discern from their features that one resembled Zeng Zhengqing and the other Zeng Zhengji.

Wait! Qingqing called her mother?

Ah! So she wasn't Qingduo, she was Grandma!

The scene suddenly shifts, and she is running down the road, panting heavily. The wind is howling behind her, and something is flying towards her. She is really curious, so she turns her head and is immediately stunned: countless bricks of all sizes are flying through the air and are about to hit her head.

She was terrified and tried to run, but her feet seemed to be tripped up, and she couldn't run fast at all. She was anxious; she knew she couldn't outrun them anyway, so she decided to find somewhere to hide.

Where should we go?

Suddenly, a glittering place in the distance caught her attention. She ran towards it, and just as she was about to arrive, she noticed three large, golden characters on it: "Jiyue Nunnery".

...

Qingduo woke up with a start, her heart pounding and her whole body drenched in sweat. Turning her head, she saw Zeng Zhengqing's sleeping face and slowly realized it was a dream, immediately letting out a sigh of relief. After calming down and recalling the contents of the dream, she felt that she had understood something.

No wonder my mother-in-law became a nun.

This isn't about becoming a monk, it's about escaping for one's life!

Who could live with a bunch of old-fashioned and conservative people around?

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Author's Note: Update will be at 7 AM next Tuesday.

Yesterday was the God of Wealth Festival, so belatedly wishing everyone a prosperous and abundant life! [cheering emoji]