Chapter 72 It seems Qingduo is doomed to perish here! ...

With so many fun and delicious places to visit in Luzhou, Qingduo has managed to resist the temptations and hasn't left the house for two days now.

What keeps her focused now is creating numerous portraits of handsome men based on Qingqing.

When she left Wuzhou, she entrusted Aunt Zhu to send the "Twelfth Month Painting" to be sold; it was her last work. Now that the trend is strong and the momentum is high, she can't miss this opportunity. She must strike while the iron is hot, concentrate her efforts, and create more works in different series to earn more money.

The scene of Zeng Zhengqing being forced to kneel in the ancestral hall last time inspired her, and she could use it to draw the "Qingming" solar term in the Twenty-Four Solar Terms illustration.

Qingduo had never seen what other people's ancestral halls looked like. Fortunately, she accompanied Zeng Zhengqing that day and saw the whole place inside. However, as she painted, that solemn and oppressive feeling swept over her again. So she held her breath, her expression solemn, and carefully rendered the image.

"Young Master!"

Fang Qing's voice rang out from outside, followed by hurried footsteps approaching. Qing Duo grabbed a snow scene picture from the side and covered it up as a cover.

In a flash, she felt it wasn't safe to do that. She pulled out the drawing paper from underneath and hurriedly rolled it up. She had only rolled it halfway when the curtain rustled. She shuddered, hid the drawing behind her back, and instinctively stood up. The chair on the floor made a sharp, piercing "ripping" sound.

Ignoring the pain from her bruised leg, she forced a stiff smile and said:

"You, you're back..."

Zeng Zhengqing looked him up and down. In the past, when he entered the room, this man was not so respectful. In particular, the smile on his face seemed to have a hint of ingratiation.

"What's wrong?" he asked, puzzled.

"No! Nothing's wrong!" Qingduo grinned, revealing a standard fake smile. "I'm so happy you're back. Haha, haha!"

If she had to thank anyone, she could only thank herself. Fortunately, she often did strange things, and Zeng Zhengqing quickly got used to it and didn't ask any more questions. He went inside to change his clothes.

Qingduo stretched out her neck, and as soon as Zeng Zhengqing's figure disappeared, her hands moved quickly, like two spinning tops, and instantly rolled up the painting, inserting it into the painting tube and mixing it with the other paintings.

Still shaken, she patted her chest with each hand to calm herself. Before she could catch her breath, a voice suddenly came from behind: "Ah Zhao?"

Qingduo trembled with fright. She turned around and saw that Zeng Zhengqing had come out after changing his clothes and was looking at her inquiringly.

"What are you doing? Why are you so distracted?" he asked again.

"I...I..." Qingduo's eyes darted around, then suddenly she had an idea. She sighed, "Sigh! I'm just worried about Huiying!"

Zeng Zhengqing also sighed. He sat at the table, propped his elbows on the table, and rubbed his temples, looking exhausted.

Qingduo sat opposite him, poured him a cup of tea, and handed it to him: "Why are you looking so gloomy again?"

She remembered something: "Oh right! What happened when you talked to Yin Heng about marrying into his family? Did he agree?"

Zeng Zhengqing lifted the lid of the teacup, took a small sip, and then said, "After much persuasion, we finally managed to convince him, but we couldn't get through to my uncle."

"Not only that, but when my uncle learned about their affair, he was furious. No matter how I explained, he believed that Huiying had behaved improperly and had lost the dignity of a young lady. Without saying a word, he ordered that Huiying be confined to her own courtyard and not allowed to go out."

"What's worse, he quickly married Huiying off to avoid any complications." After saying this, he sighed deeply, "It's backfired!"

"Huh?" Qingduo quickly said, "Didn't you tell Uncle what the benefits of having Yin Heng become a live-in son-in-law are? You mean all the things you analyzed for us!"

"Of course I told him. I also told him about Yin Heng's talent and character, but my uncle felt that Yin Heng had ulterior motives and was deliberately getting close to Huiying and the Zeng family. Huiying is simple-minded and was probably deceived by him. In any case, he wanted to stop the two of them from continuing to associate with each other."

“Of course!” Qingduo expressed her understanding. “’Old Brick’… The old man thought his family rules were strict, but to suddenly hear that his beloved daughter was going to be snatched away by another man, wasn’t that a slap in the face for him? Of course he couldn’t accept it!”

“That’s what I think too,” Zeng Zhengqing nodded. “Uncle is in a fit of anger and can’t think things through.”

"After all, this method is very beneficial to Huiying. It allows her to marry the person she loves and inherit her uncle's business in the future. Her own children will take over the family business in the future, and she will have a firm grasp on the property. It is much better than her marrying into another family and having to be subservient to her in-laws in everything."

"Moreover, if Yin Heng really passes the imperial examination and becomes an official, Huiying's status will change accordingly. From the daughter of a merchant family to the wife of an official, this elevation in status is not insignificant. In the future, whether in the family or outside, no one will look down on her."

“These things, I don’t need to tell you, my uncle thinks even further ahead than I do. Sigh, things happened so suddenly, let’s give him some time to think it over!” Zeng Zhengqing tapped the table lightly with his index finger, pondering, “But what about Huiying…”

He looked at Qingduo and instructed her, "She must be feeling really down right now. You two get along well, so if you have time, go and spend more time with her! Talk to her and help her relieve her worries. Tell her that we are still trying to help her, and tell her not to be discouraged and to take care of herself."

*

Even without Zeng Zhengqing's instructions, Qingduo was naturally worried upon hearing about Huiying's situation, and she was determined to go and comfort Huiying.

Before even entering, one could hear the tinkling of a piano and a mournful song emanating from inside.

"Parting has always been painful for those with deep feelings, and it is even more unbearable on this desolate autumn day..."

The sound was like dark clouds pressing down, and Qingduo felt sad: Poor Huiying!

But she didn't forget her purpose. Qingduo quickly composed herself, put on a cheerful mood, and walked into the house with a smile, saying, "Huiying, I've come to see you! Look! I even brought you some delicious snacks!"

The music stopped abruptly. Huiying turned around, her expression blank, and said softly, "Sister-in-law, you've come."

Seeing her haggard appearance, Qingduo exclaimed in surprise, "My God! How did you become like this?"

Huiying's maid said from the side, "Ever since she was confined to her quarters, Miss has refused to eat anything. Young Madam, please try to persuade her!"

Qingduo exclaimed, "Huiying, this won't do! If you don't eat, you won't have any strength, and without strength, you won't have any energy. If you can't muster any energy, how will you plan for the future?"

She picked up a piece of chestnut cake and handed it to him: "Have a bite to tide you over, and we'll have the kitchen send you some food later."

Huiying shook her head very slowly: "Sister-in-law, thank you, but I really have no appetite and don't want to eat anything."

She ran one finger down the top of the violin, the strings producing a discordant, thin, and weak sound. She said softly, "It's all so boring."

"Huh? How could you think that!" Qingduo was taken aback. She reached out to grab Huiying's hand, which was as cold as a freshly served ice cream. "It can't be that bad. This matter hasn't been settled yet!"

Remembering Zeng Zhengqing's words, she quickly relayed them: "Your older brother said we'll help you find a solution, so don't be discouraged."

“It’s no use,” Huiying shook her head. “I know my father. There’s no hope, no hope at all…”

“How can I go against my father? Whatever he says goes!” She suddenly pulled the last string, making a sound like fingernails slicing through fabric, sending chills down one’s spine.

Qingduo suddenly covered her ears, then immediately let go: "You talked to your father? He still doesn't agree?"

Huiying shook her head again: "Why bother? He knows I don't want to, and I know he won't agree."

"But you haven't had an open and honest talk, how can he know what you're thinking? You don't know what he's thinking either! You're father and daughter, what can't you say directly?" Qingduo asked, tilting her head in confusion.

“What good would it do to say anything?” Huiying’s tone was full of helplessness. “It’s no use for anyone to say anything once my father has made a decision. I placed my hopes on my eldest brother before, and he was disappointed. I’ve decided to stop having any expectations, so I won’t be disappointed.”

"Sister-in-law, I know you mean well. But there's just no way to help you with this."

Huiying stared blankly at one spot. Qingduo couldn't help but recall how she used to "diligently" care for the hollyhocks her father planted in the yard, watering them frequently and hoping they would bloom quickly. But instead, "it" died in front of her. Huiying's dazed expression was just like that withered, yellowed, and fallen hollyhock.

Huiying forced a smile, which looked more like a grimace: "Sister-in-law, I really envy you and Brother. You two have such a good relationship. No matter what, Brother always speaks to you gently and kindly, and you never argue. Such a relationship is so rare! I don't know if I'll ever have that kind of blessing..."

Qingduo interrupted her: "Who says we never argue? We've had arguments before, and your brother Zhengqing was really fierce back then!"

She's going to tell on us!

Qingduo played two roles, vividly recreating the scene of arguing with Zeng Zhengqing. Of course, she added a tiny bit of "spice" to the process:

For example, she downplayed the fact that she had publicly confronted the Zeng family bookstore on the street, thus creating an enemy for the bookstore and causing it trouble.

For example, she exaggerated how resolute her attitude was at the time and how unwilling she was to back down;

For example, she exaggerated the severity of Zeng Zhengqing's reprimands to make herself appear exceptionally aggrieved.

In short, after watching Qingduo's embellished "performance," Huiying's expression gradually changed from indifference to astonishment, and finally, she was both shocked and admiring.

Seeing the admiring look on her face, Qingduo became even more smug and said, "Hmph! If it weren't for my insistence, how could Sister Lu Nong have gotten her book back? If it weren't for my insistence, how could I have helped those authors whose works were plagiarized get justice? If it weren't for my insistence, how could Qingqing have thought of selling storybooks?"

"All these benefits are the result of my perseverance back then!" She put her hands on her hips, raised her chin, and looked extremely proud.

She continued to boast with a smug look on her face, completely forgetting that she had come to comfort Huiying: "Actually, I did this not for myself! If you think about it carefully, the one who benefited the most from this whole thing was Sister Lu Nong, and then Qingqing! I just couldn't stand seeing others bully the weak, so I did what I was supposed to do."

"So back then, even though 'someone' couldn't see the bigger picture and thought I was wasting my time, and stood up to oppose me, I didn't back down! Now that he's benefited, I won't hold it against him." Qingduo emphasized the word 'someone' very much.

"I'm not the kind of person who gives up halfway! If I believe something is right, I'll jump into it, even if it's a muddy pond!"

"If one method doesn't work, I'll think of another. I'll find a solution sooner or later anyway. Even if it doesn't work in the end, I'll have done my best for myself. It's absolutely impossible for me to just stand by and do nothing!"

"The logic is simple: if I myself am unwilling to stick to what I've decided to do, how can I expect others to do it for me?"

She got more and more excited as she spoke, brushing a strand of hair from her face, and said in a nonchalant tone, "Because of this, my good friends in the martial arts world gave me the title of 'Ever-Winning Heroine.' I always felt that this title was too heavy for me to bear, but I couldn't resist everyone's good intentions. After all, it was hard to refuse such kindness, so I kept it."

Qingduo's mouth was dry from talking. Her eyes found the teacup and she was about to reach for it when she was stopped halfway. Huiying held her hands with both of them, her eyes shining, her face flushed, and even her hands felt warm.

Qingduo stared at her blankly, not understanding why she had suddenly changed like this, but then she saw Huiying excitedly say to her, "Thank you!"

Thanks?

"Thank you, thank you for what?" Qingduo was completely confused.

Before she could fully process what was happening, Huiying had already dashed off like a gust of wind, bumping into someone and letting out an "Ouch!" sound.

She and her maid went out to look and found Zhengji standing at the courtyard gate, rubbing his stomach. Huiying was nowhere to be seen.

Qingduo looked around but didn't see Huiying, so she asked Zeng Zhengji, "Where did Huiying go?"

Zhengji pointed west: "Over there, in the direction of the pond."

"Oh!" she replied casually, telling the maid to go and take care of her. But a thought flashed through her mind, and her eyes widened instantly.

Oh no! Her face turned completely pale; Huiying was going to jump into the pond!

Qingduo lifted her skirt, turned around and rushed towards the pond. She felt something was wrong. She had only spoken for a short while, so how could Huiying suddenly turn from "withered" to "lush"?

Just like that innocent hollyhock that died in vain back then, when she found the hollyhock's stem bent on the ground, afraid that her father would find out, she hurriedly found a small stick, quickly stuck it in the soil, propped up the limp hollyhock stem, and tied it tightly with strips of cloth to make it look like it was still alive.

But how could withered leaves and wilted stalks conceal the deathly aura? The next morning, Father discovered the secret.

Huiying's expressions and movements flashed through her mind, and now everything seemed strange. As she ran, panting, she blamed herself for not noticing Huiying's abnormality sooner.

besides!

Tang Qingduo, Tang Qingduo! Why did you have to bring up the "muddy pond" for no reason!

Qingduo was on the verge of tears. It turned out that Huiying was thanking her for finding a "way to die" for her!

Oh no!

The cold wind brushed against her cheeks, entered her mouth, and exchanged its warmth with hers. Qingduo felt like her lungs were about to explode, but she dared not stop.

My vision went black in waves.

Before she arrived, Huiying was at least alive; now that she's here, Huiying is going to die! Not only have I failed Qingqing's trust, she... she...

She's probably going to die here today!

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Author's Note: Next Sunday at 7 AM

Have a great holiday!