Chapter 4 004 Meeting with Cousin at Night

After Du Qingtang finished his business, he met Du Wuya at the agreed place.

"Here, this is what the shopkeeper of Jinyi Pavilion gave me. Tang'er, keep it well." Du Wuya handed over the purse filled with copper coins. "It's full of silver."

Du Qingtang took the purse and pulled Du Wuya into the pastry shop.

Du Wuya was shocked: "Tang Ge'er, what are you doing? The cakes here are very expensive, I can't eat them..."

"Only five pieces." One piece per person. Yuan Shi turned her elbows outward, saying it was not worthy of eating. "You earned the money, why can't I eat it?"

Du Wuya's persuasion was in vain. She could only watch as the shopkeeper wrapped five pieces of jujube paste cakes in oil paper and placed them in Du Qingtang's hands: "Take them, sir. Take care!"

Back on foot to Taoyuan Village, Yuan Shi saw the two sisters coming back and immediately put down her work to greet them. She found the bamboo basket empty and her face darkened. "Where's the money? Where's the meat?"

Du Wuya didn't know what to say and subconsciously looked at Du Qingtang.

"The money is here with me, but I didn't buy any meat." Du Qingtang called out to the three girls, "Sixth sister, seventh sister, eighth sister, I bought some jujube paste pastry for you."

Yuan was furious: "Wu Ya, you dead girl, I asked you to buy meat, but you went to buy jujube paste cakes, I will beat you to death..."

Du Qingtang stopped her: "Enough is enough."

Yuan was so angry that she couldn't speak. She covered her face and ran away crying.

Du Qingtang put the jujube paste cake on the table: "Ignore her, come and eat quickly."

The four sisters each picked up a piece, held it carefully, and ground it with their teeth.

"So this is what jujube paste pastry tastes like."

“Sweet and sticky, delicious!”

The girls ate the date paste cakes sold at a low price overnight, as if they were tasting the most delicious delicacy in the world.

......

After sharing the jujube paste cakes, Du Qingtang returned to his room and found Daxia's dictionary - "Shuowen Jiezi".

After entering the prince's mansion, she developed mental problems. Whenever she saw writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstone, she would have difficulty breathing, her limbs would spasm and twitch, and in severe cases, she could not even recognize people.

Roughly speaking, she had not touched a book for more than ten years, and now when she looked at the Daxia characters again, she felt unfamiliar.

The writing system of Daxia is traditional Chinese characters, which are complicated to write. Since you want to take the entrance exam for the academy, you must be proficient in writing characters. Otherwise, if you make typos when answering questions, wouldn’t it be embarrassing?

The "Shuowen Jiezi" was not the only dictionary in Daxia, but Du Qingtang was short of money. The alms-giving attitude of the Yuan family when they "lent" her tuition had already made her feel ashamed. She was unwilling to ask the Yuan family for money to buy books, so she could only support herself.

From the first month to the third month last year, Du Qingtang copied books for three whole months before he made up his mind to buy a dictionary.

When she went to the bookstore and asked about the prices, she found that she only had enough money to buy "Shuowen Jiezi" and could not afford other dictionaries that included more characters.

Du Qingtang had long forgotten the embarrassment she felt at that time, but she knew that "Shuowen Jiezi" contained a total of 9,363 characters, each with a corresponding meaning, which was enough to cope with the entrance examination of Qingyuan Academy.

When she has a little more money, she will buy a better dictionary.

Opening "Shuowen Jiezi", Du Qingtang picked up the pen with his right hand, dipped it in ink, and when he hovered it over the paper, he found that his wrist was shaking violently and his fingers were twitching uncontrollably.

Du Qingtang pursed his lips, took a deep breath, and forced himself to suppress the rejection reaction in his hands. He flipped through the dictionary while tracing on the paper.

Outside the door, Du Qiya peeked in, then quickly retracted: "Tang Ge'er is writing."

Du Liuya tapped her nose with her finger and said, "You're going to be a virgin next year, and you're still so naughty. Don't disturb Tang Ge'er's studies, get back to work."

Du Qiya hummed softly and threaded the needle skillfully. After a while, she couldn't help but speak: "What do you think about me learning to read from Tang Ge'er?"

Du Wuya frowned: "Tang'er is learning to read and write in order to pass the imperial examinations. What's the point of us girls learning it?"

Du Liuya and Du Baya nodded: "Fifth sister is right."

Du Qiya’s lips are so pouty that an oil bottle could be hung on them. Those stinky men can read, so why can’t she?

She wasn't going there to take the imperial examination, so she wouldn't be a bother to them.

But she didn't say anything else and just kept embroidering.

Inside the door, Du Qingtang listened to the four girls whispering to themselves, and paused for a moment.

-

But Yuan rushed out of the door. The more she thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt. She went to Yuan's house in a fit of anger.

Zhu knew that Du Wuya had gone to the city and was thinking about the money in Yuanshi's hands, so she patiently listened to her crying about her miserable life and her children's unfilial behavior.

She cried for two hours.

Zhu: “…”

Yuan Ping: "......"

As the sun sets in the west, smoke rises from the chimneys of every household.

Yuan Ping was lying on the kang smoking a pipe and coughed calmly. Zhu immediately interrupted Yuan: "Where's the money?"

Seeing Yuan's unnatural expression, Yuan Ping played the victim: "I went to the fields a few days ago, and when I came back, my waist and legs hurt. I couldn't even walk..."

Yuan Shi was so distressed that she finally told the truth: "It was taken away by Tang Jie'er."

Zhu slammed the table and said, "That little girl has grown so independent that she doesn't even care who supports her education!"

Yuan Shi felt guilty and assured them hurriedly, "I will definitely ask Tang Jie'er to come over after dark. Don't go to the fields anymore. I will find a way to send some money back later."

She selectively forgot Du Qingtang's warning, or perhaps she was hoping for luck, thinking it was such a coincidence that she was caught by Uncle Chen and Uncle Bao again.

As for Yuan Ping and Zhu, Yuan, the biological mother, doesn’t care about Du Qingtang’s life or death, so why should they care?

Last night's concession was just a delaying tactic, and even if Du Qingtang was caught by those two old guys, Zhu had already made plans. At that time, she could push Du Baya out and say that Du Baya was trying to climb up the social ladder and seduced Yuan Sheng behind their backs.

As a man, it is inevitable that he will make mistakes. After a long time, no one will remember them.

After Yuan left, Zhu went to find Yuan Sheng and said, "Teach Du Qingtang a lesson tonight so she knows what to say and what not to say."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Sheng showed an expression that said, "As expected."

He always felt that what Du Qingtang said last night was just a temper tantrum.

As long as they can control the Yuan family and firmly grasp the Du family's money, Du Qingtang will never be able to escape from their Five Fingers Mountain with his foolish filial piety.

After all the fuss, don’t you have to bow to them in the end?

"Got it, Mom, go and make dinner. I'm hungry after reading all afternoon."

Zhu responded repeatedly and shouted to the kitchen: "Yuanxue, hurry up and cook!"

A soft female voice rang out from the kitchen: "It's being done."

......

On the other side, Yuan Shi returned home and went straight to Du Qingtang's room: "Tang'er, mother wants to discuss something with you."

Du Qingtang turned the page of "Shuowen Jiezi": "I agree."

Yuan was stunned: "What?"

Du Qingtang raised her eyes: "Don't you just want me to wear a skirt to meet my cousin? I agreed."

She deserved it so straightforwardly that all the remarks Yuanshi had prepared along the way were stuck in her throat, unable to be expressed or swallowed, making her feel very uncomfortable.

Yuanshi felt upset, but also relieved that Tang Jie'er was obedient after all.

"Okay, okay, Tang Jie'er, I'm glad you can figure it out." Yuan was so moved that tears welled up in her eyes. Suddenly, her maternal love burst out and she stroked the top of Du Qingtang's head. "Of all the daughters in our family, I love you the most."

Du Qingtang responded indifferently, looking at Yuan's cheerful back with extreme indifference in his eyes.

Since she loves her the most, she will treat Yuanshi to a good show in return.

-

Soon it was night, and Yuansheng lay on the kang, reading with relish the miscellaneous books he had not finished reading during the day. The books were full of obscene words and the pictures were even more disgusting.

“Knock knock knock—”

A slight knock on the door broke the silence. Yuan Sheng knew that Du Qingtang had come, so he put down his book and went to open the door.

The night was pitch black, casting a hazy veil over the visitor. She was wearing a short shirt and a long skirt, and her figure was slender. Yuan Sheng's heart was moved, and he couldn't help but hold the other person's hand.

The fingers on the palm of his hand were a little rough, but Yuan Sheng didn't think much about it.

Du Qingtang was born in a peasant family, so how could he have skin as white as the girls in Cuihonglou?

The man threw himself into Yuan Sheng's arms with the force. Yuan Sheng was stunned. Du Qingtang seemed to be overly enthusiastic today.

In fact, Yuan Sheng is not a person who will eat anything when he is hungry. This is the first time he has done this.

The reason why he made Du Qingtang wear a skirt every month was to tame her.

He wanted to let Du Qingtang know who allowed her to study and who allowed her to be exposed to a wider world.

He is her heaven. He can lift her up to the sky or make her fall down heavily.

Considering that Du Qingtang is so willing to please me, perhaps I can let her go.

Yuan Sheng calmed down and whispered, "Go in first..."

"What are you doing?"

A sharp female voice pierced the night sky. Yuan Sheng was horrified. He was discovered!

"Ah Sheng, you're actually being affectionate with someone else behind my back? I want to see which woman is so shameless!"

The woman rushed forward, and Yuan Sheng saw a strange and weathered woman's face.

Yuan Sheng: “?”

"Are you sick? I don't know you..."

Before he could finish his words, an angry female voice rang out from within his arms: "Sheng Lang, I came to see you tonight without telling my father. I originally wanted to give you a surprise, but I didn't expect you to have someone else behind my back!"

Yuan Sheng lowered his head in confusion. This time, he saw the person in his arms clearly.

She was dressed in red and green, with heavy makeup on. Her scarlet lips opened and closed as she spoke, like the bloody mouth of a man-eating monster.

But that's not the point.

The focus is on this person's blue stubble and prominent Adam's apple.

Stubble?

Adam's apple?

Yuan Sheng's body shook, and he shook off the strange woman's...man's hand as if he had been electrocuted.

In a flash, he seemed to understand something.

"Damn it, I fell into a trap!"

Unfortunately, the other party did not give him a chance to refute.

"Sheng Lang, you actually pushed me away?" The disguised man pinched his throat, his tone filled with disbelief. "You and I once worshipped each other under the moon and promised to be husband and wife. Is all this fake? Are the vows you made all those years to love only me also fake?"

"Forget it! Forget it! From now on, I, Jia Zhenzhen, and you, Yuan Sheng, will break off all ties!" Jia Zhenzhen sobbed and covered her face as she left.

"Wait for me, I'll come back and settle the score with you!" The woman rushed forward and gave Jia Zhenzhen a kick that could kill her offspring. "Why are you running? Stop right there!"

Uncle Chen, who was hiding in the dark, said: "!!!"

Uncle Bao, who was hiding on the other side watching the fun: "!!!"

......

In the darkness, Uncle Chen and Uncle Bao opened their mouths wide enough to fit two eggs.

God is my witness that they were just curious and wanted to watch the fun, so they hid outside the Yuan family and waited for something to happen.

I never thought that Yuan Sheng was playing two games and was entangled with two women at the same time.

That would have been fine, but he actually had an affair with someone without any intermediary!

What a great show!

The two looked at each other, their eyes exchanging——

Go or stay?

Walk!

Me too!

The excitement in the Yuan family had almost been witnessed. Rather than wondering whether Yuan Sheng had no descendants as a result of that kick, they wanted to know more about what was going on with Yuan Sheng's two lovers.

Hopefully I can catch up.

They no longer cared about Yuan Sheng's life or death, and ran in the direction the two men left.

With the blessings of the Buddha, Guanyin Bodhisattva and the Three Pure Ones, they finally caught up!

Under the old locust tree at the entrance of the village, two figures were fighting, grabbing faces and pulling hair, neither of them giving in.

"The person Ah Sheng loves is me!"

"Sheng Lang once swore to heaven that he loved me the most, not you, an old hag!"

"Ah Sheng said he likes older people, especially someone like me who is thirty years older than him!"

"Sheng Lang took pity on me because I was weak and couldn't have children. He even promised me that once he got married and had children, and expanded the Yuan family, he would find a random excuse to divorce that woman and live with me forever." Jia Zhenzhen sneered, "You're a forty-year-old woman. I'm afraid you're no longer able to bear children for Sheng Lang. Did he ever tell you that?"

From Uncle Chen's perspective, the woman burst into tears and asked in a trembling voice, "Are you serious?"

Jia Zhenzhen said: "Why would I lie to you? As early as three years ago, I married Sheng Lang. We were in love and sweet..."

The woman was unwilling to accept the fact that her lover was unfeeling and fickle, so she covered her face and left crying.

"Don't be so depressed as to commit suicide." Jia Zhenzhen quickly chased after him.

The mournful cries grew farther and farther away. Uncle Chen gritted his teeth, "This Yuan Sheng is such a piece of shit! I really want to beat him to death!"

Uncle Bao clenched his fists and made a cracking sound: "No, I have to let everyone know about the bad things this beast did. I can't let him molest a good girl!"

The two looked at each other and reached a tacit understanding in an instant.