Chapter 84 So Zeng Zhengqing didn't want to marry me? Hmph! Hmph! ...

In recent days, Qingduo has focused all her attention on her painting. She stayed at home and worked day and night to finish a new painting depicting the solar term "Gentleman's Portrait," which she named "Beginning of Spring."

Having experienced the ups and downs of her emotions, her paintings gained a more relaxed and spontaneous quality. Qingduo admired them from all angles, becoming increasingly satisfied and nodding repeatedly. Finally, she solemnly signed her name, "Tang Qingduo," marking the first time she had used her real name.

Qingduo rolled up the painting and headed straight for Mingzhu Painting Shop. She was determined to use the most perfect work to declare that Tang Qingduo was "Xiao He Fan," and at the same time, to demonstrate her passion and perseverance.

She was prepared to be verbally abused to her face, but this time when she went out, it was completely different from before. Although some pedestrians stopped occasionally, they only whispered a few words and showed no hostility whatsoever.

Although Qingduo found it strange, she knew that the world was ever-changing, and perhaps something new had happened in the city that had replaced her, so she stopped thinking about it.

Upon arriving at the painting shop, Manager Fang led her to the inner room. As soon as she sat down, he bowed and apologized, "Madam Zeng, I am truly sorry. Due to the shop's negligence, your true identity was inadvertently revealed a few days ago. Now, everyone in and around Wuzhou City knows that you are 'Xiao He Fan'."

This was completely unexpected for Qingduo. She stared blankly at Manager Fang, unsure how to respond. Manager Fang then smiled and said:

"Don't worry, Madam. Your paintings are already highly praised by renowned artists. Now that they know your identity, they all praise your talent at such a young age and say you will surely become a master in the future. They even told me to make sure to save them for you when you send your paintings over."

Even Lord Liao praised your work highly!

Seeing the joy on Manager Fang's face, Qingduo finally understood why the atmosphere on the road was completely different. It turned out that her painting skills had already, without her realizing it, overcome the initial contempt and slander, and the public opinion had quietly shifted.

Manager Fang took out a silver note and placed it on the table, gently pushing it towards us: "It was our mistake to reveal your identity. According to the contract, this is a small compensation. We hope that you will forgive us and not take offense."

"No need," Qingduo said without even looking at the silver note, "I came here today to tell you that I will stop hiding and revealing my real name. I didn't expect that you would have already helped me fulfill this wish."

Perhaps this is precisely why now is the best time.

Qingduo returned home feeling relaxed. As soon as she entered the door, Zeng Zhengqing handed her an account book.

"What is this?" Qingduo put her hands behind her back, refusing to take it; she always had to be wary of unscrupulous merchants.

“This is the Zeng family’s account book. I have some free time today, so I’ll show you the accounts,” Zeng Zhengqing said, turning to the first page.

"Stop, stop!" Qingduo waved her hands repeatedly, her head spinning just from hearing the word "accounts." "Why do we suddenly have to learn this? You manage the household, why would we need to? I don't want to learn!"

“You didn’t need to before, but now you have to learn,” Zeng Zhengqing explained patiently. “The money you earn from selling paintings can’t just sit idle in a box. You need to know exactly how much you’ve earned, and that requires a clear ledger.”

"Take today for example, you received a large sum of money. You can't just act like you did before, confused and clueless, right?"

Qingduo blinked and said, "Where would I get such a large sum of money?"

Upon hearing this, Zeng Zhengqing immediately realized he was in trouble. He had deliberately revealed that "Xiao He Fan" was Tang Qingduo in advance because he knew Qingduo loved money and wanted to use the exposure of her identity as an excuse to give her more compensation. However, in principle, he should not have known about the compensation.

Zeng Zhengqing realized he had misspoke and quickly tried to smooth things over: "Uh—didn't you go to sell paintings today? I was talking about, well, the payment for the paintings. Yes, that must have been quite a lot of money!"

Qingduo didn't think much of it: "Oh, you're exaggerating. My paintings are far from being masterpieces like Father's! I don't have a lot of money to offer."

Zeng Zhengqing quickly changed the subject, leading Qingduo to the table and carefully teaching her how to manage the accounts.

Half an hour later...

Qingduo slammed her head on the table: "So sleepy."

Are these numbers? They look more like sleeping pills, floating up and down in front of her eyes. With a gentle hypnotic incantation, the effect is excellent.

She did her best.

Zeng Zhengqing said patiently, "Then let's rest for a while, have some snacks, and then continue learning."

Qingduo looked up abruptly, her face filled with shock: "Still studying??? I'm so sleepy! Zeng Zhengqing, you...you're too cruel!"

Zeng Zhengqing frowned in displeasure: "Why have you been calling me by my full name lately? It's as if I've committed some heinous crime!"

"You're wrong to torture me!" Qingduo muttered.

Seeing that Qingduo was really resistant, Zeng Zhengqing stopped forcing her and decided to let her learn as much as she could. He said, "Alright, let's stop here for today."

Before she could finish speaking, Qingduo jumped up, as if she had taken a reviving pill, her whole body trembling, and she was about to run outside.

"Wait! I haven't finished speaking!"

Qingduo had no choice but to stop, turning back and urging, "Tell me quickly, tell me quickly! Fangqing made a new shuttlecock yesterday and wants to compete with me!"

“I still prefer you to call me ‘Qingqing.’ If you call me by my full name again next time, I’ll deduct one or two taels of silver from your pay,” Zeng Zhengqing said with a deliberately stern face.

"Okay, okay!" Qingduo readily agreed, her eyes darting around as she smiled, "From now on, I'll call you 'Young Master Zeng,' 'Young Master Zeng,' or 'Boss Zeng.'"

“Mr. Zeng, the great philanthropist—” she called out in a drawn-out voice.

"You rascal!" Zeng Zhengqing laughed and scolded.

"Hehehe!" Qingduo made a face at him and ran away in a flash.

*

When Qingduo returned from Tang Li's place, Fang Qing came up to her and said, "The eldest young master was furious today. He's in the second young master's courtyard right now, and the two of them are arguing fiercely!"

Qingduo was taken aback. They were usually so loving and respectful to each other, yet they could also argue fiercely. She asked, "What's the reason?"

"I heard that the second young master signed up for the county examination, and the eldest young master found out."

"Oh—" Qingduo drawled, "Then it's not surprising." As someone in the know, she had long expected this day to come.

But... she was still uneasy. After all, it was her idea. If Zheng Ji exposed her, it would seem as if she had stirred up trouble between the brothers. What should she do?

More importantly, if Qingqing finds out that the two of them conspired to deceive her, she will be heartbroken.

Qingduo was filled with apprehension and decided to go to Zhengji to find out what was going on.

As soon as he entered Zhengji's courtyard, he saw the servants standing in the courtyard with their heads bowed, not daring to even breathe loudly.

Qingduo raised her hand to stop them from bowing to her, lifted her skirt and quietly walked to the door, pressing her ear against it to eavesdrop on the sounds inside.

Strange, wasn't it supposed to be "getting extremely angry" and "being at each other's throats"? Why is there no sound at all?

Unbeknownst to her, the two brothers inside had already had a heated argument and were currently in a period of quiet reconciliation.

Qingduo listened to the door for a while, but then lost patience. Besides, the door was icy cold, making her face sting. Just as she was about to turn away, she heard noises coming from inside. Ignoring the cold, Qingduo pressed herself tightly against the door, her face contorted in pain, afraid of missing anything.

It was Zeng Zhengqing who spoke, his voice full of exhaustion: "Zhengji, calm down and think about it. You kept it from me because I didn't agree. It was something you had no choice but to do. I don't blame you. Let's put this matter aside for now."

"I forbid you from taking the imperial examination route. Firstly, because of my father's dying wish, and secondly... secondly..." He seemed to have some unspeakable secret, repeating himself without finishing his sentence.

“Are you afraid that I will fail the exam and repeat my father’s mistake, and that I will become depressed and unhappy, and never be able to live a fulfilling life?” Zeng Zhengji continued.

"Brother, I'm very disappointed in you."

“You never believe me, you never believe that I can earn fame and fortune through my own abilities,” Zhengji’s voice was filled with barely concealed anger. “You always think the worst, I really don’t understand what you are afraid of!”

“Brother, nothing is set in stone. You’ve always been dissatisfied with the marriage agreement with the Tang family, and you weren’t happy with your sister-in-law back then either. But after you got married, aren’t you two a loving couple?”

What?

Qingduo was shocked and couldn't hear anything that followed.

Qingqing… He disliked his engagement with her and hated her? Then why did he come to her to fulfill the engagement? And in the end, why did he marry her?

Her mind was a mess, her face was still pressed against the door, and the cold air kept seeping into her body from her cheeks. In addition, after learning the truth, her heart grew colder and colder.

As the air grew cold both inside and out, a gust of wind blew by, catching her off guard and causing her to sneeze loudly.

Achoo!

The talking inside stopped abruptly, followed by hurried footsteps, and the door was suddenly pulled open.

"Ah Zhao!" Zeng Zhengqing was taken aback at first, then his gaze shifted from surprise to panic. "You, when did you get here?"

Zhengji noticed that it was his sister-in-law standing at the door, and his heart skipped a beat. Seeing Qingduo's pale face, she probably overheard what he had just said. His gaze darted back and forth between the two of them, wanting to say something on behalf of his elder brother, but he didn't know how to start.

Qingduo looked up at Zeng Zhengqing, her round eyes filled with grievance: "So you don't want to marry me!"

*

"Ah Zhao, Ah Zhao!"

Qingduo walked quickly ahead, completely ignoring Zeng Zhengqing. Hearing him call out repeatedly, she took even bigger steps and walked even faster. In the blink of an eye, she arrived at the Lotus Fragrance Pavilion by the pond.

"Hmph, if you don't want to marry me, why did you come looking for me?" Qingduo had been walking quickly and her breathing was already disordered, so she couldn't help but mutter to herself.

She tried hard to recall their first meeting, but she couldn't remember the exact expressions on their faces. However, the more she thought about it, the more she felt that Zeng Zhengqing must have had a sullen face, with his chin practically hanging to the ground. Thinking of this made her even angrier.

Suddenly, her arm was grabbed. Qingduo turned around and saw Zeng Zhengqing. Her chin drooped to the ground: "Let go of me!"

Having finally caught her, how could Zeng Zhengqing possibly let go! He spoke rapidly: "Ah Zhao, I met you once when I was young. Although you were lively and clever back then, you were not the kind of person I liked."

Qingduo's face was filled with disbelief, and her voice trembled: "You...you chased after me just to say this? To tell me your reasons for not wanting to marry me?"

"Let go of me!" She was furious and about to explode. She struggled to pull her hand away, and the movements were so violent that anyone watching from a distance would think she was having an epigastric pump.

Zeng Zhengqing wouldn't let go, and in a fit of anger, Qingduo punched his arm.

"Ah!" Zeng Zhengqing cried out in pain, but his grip didn't loosen at all; instead, he tightened it even more. He endured the pain and said urgently, "No, what I want to say is that I didn't understand how good you were to me!"

"After we got married, I realized how precious you are. I realized that the days before were like stagnant water. With you, life is vibrant, flowing and surging forward. After being with you, many expectations have welled up in my heart. I want to travel with you, raise children with you, and stay with you every day until we grow old together."

Listening to his heartfelt confession and seeing the pleading in his eyes, Qingduo's heart gradually softened. She let Zeng Zhengqing's hand slide down and finally held her hand tightly.

She then asked, "If you didn't want to marry me back then, why did you come to fulfill the marriage agreement?"

Zeng Zhengqing understood her concerns and dared not hide anything at this moment. He said frankly, "You know that it is difficult to disobey one's father's orders. I have always obeyed them. Before my father passed away, he was still thinking about the marriage between our two families. So after the mourning period, I came to find you."

He earnestly said, "My previous resistance and hesitation were all due to my foolishness. Fortunately, I fulfilled my marriage vows and was able to marry you. Now we are a loving couple, so let bygones be bygones."

Seeing that Qingduo was still pouting, he couldn't help but add, "Besides, didn't you have ulterior motives when you married me?"

Upon hearing this, Zeng Zhengqing realized he had misspoke. Qingduo's eyes suddenly blazed with fire, and she put her hands on her hips, saying, "Fine, you've been waiting for me here! I have no ulterior motives!"

“When I came to propose marriage, you were clearly reluctant, but as soon as I took out the ultramarine pigment, you immediately perked up and readily agreed,” Zeng Zhengqing said, watching Qingduo’s expression turn to astonishment. “If I couldn’t even see through this little bit of thinking, what business would I be doing?”

"I...I...I..." For a moment, Qingduo was incoherent, and her cheeks gradually became hot.

"What's more, you even admitted it yourself," Zeng Zhengqing said, barely suppressing a laugh as he looked at Qingduo's wide, round eyes, "that time you wore the camellia dress, you cried your eyes out under me, saying you shouldn't have married me for money, have you forgotten all about that?"

Qingduo was stunned, and the scene from that time vaguely appeared in her mind. It seemed that... such a thing had happened.

"This...this..." Qingduo swallowed hard, turned her face away, and said sullenly, "Since we were both unwilling before the marriage, then we're even. Neither of us is allowed to mention it again!"

"This matter is settled, but what about the others?" Zeng Zhengqing stared into Qingduo's eyes.

"Is there anything else?" A sense of foreboding rose in Qingduo's heart.

"Hmph," Zeng Zhengqing shook off her hand, turned around and put his hands behind his back, "What about the fact that you instigated Zhengji to go to the exam behind my back?"

Qingduo gasped, cursing inwardly, "Zhengji, that traitor!"

She quickly went around to Zeng Zhengqing and said, "Don't listen to Zhengji's nonsense. Didn't I tell you last time that whatever he does has nothing to do with me?"

Zeng Zhengqing slowly spoke: "Zhengji didn't say anything. If it weren't for what you said beforehand, I wouldn't have thought of you."

Qingduo took two steps back in shock, inwardly cursing the situation.

Good heavens, isn't this digging our own grave?

This is blatant blatant lies! And they're all idiots!

She was filled with remorse, but she refused to show it on her face. She put her hands on her hips and said righteously, "It's all your fault as the older brother! I saw that Zhengji was in great pain because of your obstruction, so I tried to help him find a solution. If it weren't for you, none of this would have happened!"

Zeng Zhengqing was taken aback by her unexpected accusation. Qingduo had shifted all the blame onto him, and a surge of anger rose within him. He suppressed his rage and said, "I have my reasons for not allowing him to take the exam. You don't understand the reasons, yet you're giving me bad advice. Aren't you just harming me?"

Upon hearing this, Qingduo's eyebrows furrowed, and she raised her voice: "How is taking an exam harming him? Which man in the world doesn't want to pass the imperial examinations? You say you have your reasons, then tell me. Let me see what makes Zhengji different from other men, and why he can't do what he wants?"

"You!" Zeng Zhengqing's chest heaved with anger, and he was about to explode when he saw Qingduo's puffed-up face and remembered their last argument. He knew that confronting her now would only escalate the conflict, so he held back, his fingertips trembling slightly.

"You won't tell, huh? Your Zeng family likes to be secretive, so keep hiding it then. I don't care to hear it!" Qingduo said, turning around angrily to leave.

"Come back!" Zeng Zhengqing shouted.

Qingduo ignored him and continued on her way, then heard him call out from behind:

"Stir-fried crab!"

Qingduo stopped in her tracks, feeling bewildered. Why was he suddenly calling out the names of dishes after their argument? Was he ordering food, indicating that he wanted to eat it that evening?

Qingduo turned around irritably and shouted, "If you want to eat, make it yourself! I'm not going to serve you!"

"Didn't we agree that when we argue, as soon as these two words come up, we should calm down and only talk about each other's good points?"

Qingduo was stunned. This was her thought after the last argument. So much time had passed that she had forgotten it herself, but Zeng Zhengqing remembered it clearly.

Zeng Zhengqing stepped forward slowly, his gaze intense as he stared at her: "I married you because of my parents' wishes, but you were able to understand my reluctance at the time and not pursue the matter further. This shows your magnanimity."

Qingduo turned her face away, refusing to look at him: "You're so magnanimous, knowing full well that I added you for ulterior motives. But ever since I married you, you've never treated me badly."

“You’re so clever. You came up with the code for ‘fried crab.’ If it weren’t for that, we wouldn’t be able to have this calm conversation right now.”

"That's all thanks to your good memory. If you hadn't brought it up, I would have forgotten." Qingduo's voice softened.

"You cherish your family, and when Zhengji is in trouble, you take the initiative to help him find a solution." Qingduo looked up and saw Zeng Zhengqing's sincere face. She couldn't take her eyes off him and stared at him intently as he spoke softly:

“Ah Zhao, we actually understand each other; we both want to protect Zhengji. It’s just that my approach is to obstruct, while yours is to support. Neither of us should doubt the other’s sincerity.”

The two looked into each other's eyes, remained silent for a moment, and then said in unison, "I'm sorry."

"So, what exactly is your reason for stopping me?" Qin Duo still had a question in her mind.

Meeting his wife's probing gaze, Zeng Zhengqing took a deep breath and said:

"My father was the Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) that the Zeng family had been hoping for for generations, carrying the hopes of the whole family. But he was caught up in a cheating scandal, ruining his future. My father was filled with regret and resentment. Over time, he accumulated resentment and eventually... eventually he went insane."

"Huh?" Qingduo exclaimed softly.

Zeng Zhengqing continued, "Fortunately, this illness can be controlled with medication. As long as the medication is taken on time, one can temporarily maintain mental clarity."

"One day, however, my father was feeling uneasy and drank a lot of wine. My mother, along with Zhengji, tried to persuade him to take his medicine. Unexpectedly, my father suddenly went mad, grabbed a sword, and slashed at my mother. My mother managed to dodge, but Zhengji was still in the room, and she was so frightened that she cried. Hearing this, my father completely lost his mind and raised his sword to slash at Zhengji..."

Even though she knew the two were still alive, Qingduo's heart was in her throat. She grabbed Zeng Zhengqing's collar and asked in a trembling voice, "What happened next?"

Zeng Zhengqing held her hand to comfort her, but the scene from that time flashed before his eyes...

Upon hearing of the tragedy at home, he rushed back. Before even entering the house, he was overwhelmed by the pungent smell of blood. His heart pounded, his legs went weak, and he called out to his father, mother, and Zhengji, before forcing himself to run into the house.

Inside the house, the father was pinned down by several servants, howling and struggling like a trapped beast. The mother, holding Zhengji, lay in a pool of blood, blood gushing from her back...

His voice was hoarse as he said, "Afterwards, my father calmed down and was filled with remorse. He was so frightened that he fainted and forgot about this part of the story. My mother, however, was completely heartbroken and refused to forgive my father."

“Since my mother married into the Zeng family, she managed the household affairs and the business. Even when my father was suffering from madness, she always took good care of him. But in return, she was met with her husband’s sword. No wonder my mother was heartbroken and eventually became a nun at Jiyue Temple.”

A cool sensation fell on the back of his hand. Zeng Zhengqing looked down and met Qingduo's tearful eyes. He saw that Qingduo's face was full of heartache, as if years of accumulated bitterness had finally found an outlet, and she no longer had to bear it all alone. Under her pity, a rare feeling welled up in his heart—a sense of grievance.

“Ah Zhao, I let you do what you love only because I witnessed my mother’s forbearance and pain. I don’t want you to be unhappy, and I’m even more afraid…” His voice trembled, and his hand holding Qingduo’s trembled as well, “I’m afraid that, like my mother leaving my father, you will also leave me…”

"No!" Qingduo interrupted him loudly, her voice unusually firm, "That's not how it is!"

Zeng Zhengqing was stunned. Qingduo stared at him and said, "You spoil me and love me because you are kind and gentle, because you love me wholeheartedly."

She was extremely serious, and said, word by word, "Qingqing, I can feel that what you are showing is unreserved love, not driven by fear."

Zeng Zhengqing's pupils dilated instantly, and the ice in his heart gradually melted, accompanied by a series of cracking sounds.

Qingduo continued, "Qingqing, stopping Zhengji must have caused you a lot of pain, right? You're worried that he'll repeat the same mistakes, and you also have doubts and doubts about yourself. Actually, deep down, you want to let go and let him follow his heart, don't you?"

She smiled the purest and most innocent smile: "Appreciation, support, and respect—this is the way that truly belongs to you, a decision from your heart. Please do as you think!"

She patted the back of his hand and winked playfully with her right eye: "As long as you follow your heart, I guarantee you'll be cured and all your worries and troubles will disappear!"

Zeng Zhengqing suddenly pulled her into his arms. For years, he had walked alone, his heart heavy with sorrow, with no one to confide in. Today, it was as if a sealed chamber had been suddenly opened, letting in light that dispelled all the gloom. And his Azhao was the one who brought that light, or rather, she was the light itself.

"Have you come to save me?" He hugged her tightly, as if grasping at a lifeline. He murmured, his voice choked with emotion, "Ah Zhao, you are my Bodhisattva..."

Qingduo gently patted his back, looked up at the clear sky in the distance, and said softly, "Qingqing, there are no bodhisattvas in this world. The only one who can save you is yourself."

Zeng Zhengqing's body tensed up suddenly, and tears streamed down his face.

Qingduo quietly held him, comforting his release with her companionship.

After a long while, Zeng Zhengqing's emotions gradually calmed down. His voice was hoarse as he asked in a low voice, "As a husband, I should be strong and protect you. But today I've shown you my vulnerable side. Will you... will you stop liking me?"

Qingduo chuckled softly, cupped his face, and pressed her forehead against his: "My dear, I always felt you were the moon, high above, unreachable. Today I realize that the moon has always been right beside me."

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

Author's Note: One more chapter to go [shy]

Qingduo's Counterattack~