Chapter 52052 Sisters Reading

[There were some issues with the wording at the end of the previous chapter. I've made some adjustments and added 300 words. This doesn't affect the overall plot.]

"Kill him for me!"

At Qi Heyun's command, the reinforcements rushed towards Mu Tingyu like crazy.

In addition to the guards of the Duke of Changguo's Mansion, the reinforcements also included people from the Bingmasi who were responsible for the security of the capital.

Mu Tingyu's trip was for revenge, and his target was only the Duke of Changguo's Mansion that wiped out his entire family, but he had no intention of making enemies with anyone in the court.

Mu Tingyu looked deeply at Qi Heming. He was lying on the ground, his chest still, blood gushing from his wound.

Qi Heyun shouted urgently: "Brother! Brother!"

However, no matter how he called out, Qi Heming remained unresponsive, apparently dead.

Faced with a powerful enemy, Mu Tingyu no longer lingered in battle, but fought his way out and left the Duke of Changguo's Mansion under the cover of night.

He shook off the tail behind him and came to the abandoned City God Temple on the outskirts of the city.

The effect of the medicine had not yet worn off, and Zhu Jie'er was still unconscious, curled up behind the statue of the City God. She was so thin and small that she was particularly adorable.

Mu Tingyu sat on the ground, just quietly looking at Zhu Jie'er, his child who had been lost and found again, and he could never get enough of looking at her.

About half an hour later, Sister Zhu moaned and slowly opened her eyes.

She soon found herself in an unfamiliar environment, with a person sitting next to her. Like a lone animal, she quickly retreated, leaning against the City God statue, her face filled with alarm. "Who are you?"

Mu Tingyu wanted to get closer, but was afraid of scaring her, so he said softly, "Sister Zhu, I am your father."

"My father?" Zhu Jie'er frowned, her breathing disordered, but she forced herself to hold on, not letting herself show her fear. She said fiercely, "You've got the wrong person. I have a father. My father is the steward of the Duke of Changguo's Mansion. I advise you to let me go immediately, otherwise my father and the Duke of Changguo's Mansion will never let you go!"

She is a smart girl. Although Qi has never treated her well, she can use Qi's name to intimidate and threaten him at the critical moment, trying to make him give up.

I don’t know how much grievance he has suffered to grow into the mature and steady person he is today.

Mu Tingyu suppressed the sadness in his heart and told her about the feud between Wanbao Villa and the Duke of Changguo's Mansion.

Zhu Jie'er's eyes widened in shock: "Revenge for exterminating the entire family?"

Mu Tingyu nodded and told her some interesting childhood stories.

Although he was covered in blood and could stop a child from crying at night, his eyes were extremely gentle, just like the father in Zhu Jie'er's imagination.

"You were only two years old at the time. Every day I would carry you around the villa, climbing trees and swimming. In the end, you would come back covered in dirt, and your mother would pull your ears and scold you..."

Mu Tingyu recalled the past, and couldn't help but smile when he thought of the days when his wife and daughter were by his side.

Zhu Jieer was listening intently. She stared at Mu Tingyu in a daze. Suddenly, her nose felt sore and big tears rolled down from the corners of her eyes.

Mu Tingyu was somewhat at a loss. He took two tentative steps forward and found that Zhu Jie'er did not resist. He was delighted and rubbed his hands on her clothes and gently stroked Zhu Jie'er's hair: "Zhu Jie'er, don't cry. Daddy is here."

Zhu Jie'er's tears flowed even more fiercely, and she choked up and said, "I used to have dreams about many people whose faces I couldn't see clearly. Some of them gave me a big horse to ride on, some combed my hair beautifully every day, and some called me Zhu Jie'er. I told my parents and eldest brother about this, and they all said I was crazy for believing things in dreams."

"So..." Zhu Jie'er's eyes were blurred with tears, but a faint hope was burning in the depths. "This is all true, right?"

She was not born to the concubine of the steward of the Duke of Changguo's Mansion, and she was not a lowly child.

Her name is not Qi Cuicui, but Mu Yuanzhu.

She has a father and a mother, and they both love her very much.

Mu Tingyu nodded: "Yes, it's all true."

Mu Yuanzhu burst into tears and threw herself into Mu Tingyu's arms: "Dad!"

Mu Tingyu hugged back his only remaining relative in the world.

......

The joy of family reunion did not make Mu Tingyu lose his mind. He did not forget his promise to Du Qingtang. After settling Mu Yuanzhu, he returned to the city in disguise.

In just one morning, the news of the brutal massacre of the Duke of Changguo's family had spread throughout Xiajing.

"It is said that it was an enemy seeking revenge. Almost all the hundreds of people in the mansion were killed. Only the Duke of Changguo and his two legitimate sons and one legitimate grandson were left."

"The surviving grandson was the one who won the top spot in the imperial examination last year?"

"He's dead. The one who's still alive is from the third room."

"Alas, what a pity! I still remember him wearing a red robe and riding a horse in the streets. What a handsome and elegant young man!"

"The government has already posted a notice this morning, issuing a nationwide wanted notice for the murderer. I believe he will be apprehended soon."

Mu Tingyu didn't care and even passed by the gate of Duke Changguo's Mansion openly.

The Duke of Changguo's Mansion had already hung a white banner, and the gate was crowded with people, all of whom were dignitaries from the capital who came to pay their respects.

Master Qi II beat his chest and stamped his feet, heartbroken. If Qi Heyun hadn't supported him, he would have fainted on the spot.

Master Qi San was crying so hard that his eyes were covered with tears and snot, but if you looked closely, you would see a smile hidden deep in his eyes.

The eldest brother died young, the only son is missing, and the only legitimate son of the second house was killed by a sword. Looking at the legitimate lineage, Qi Heyun is the only legitimate son left.

As early as a year ago, Duke Changguo had already written a letter requesting that Master Qi II be named the Crown Prince.

Mu Tingyu withdrew his gaze and left without looking back.

This huge empty mansion will probably be bustling with activity in the future.

Now that revenge has been taken, it's time to leave.

As the sun sets, a carriage carrying laughter and joy moves farther and farther away, disappearing at the end of the official road.

-

In late May, Cao Xingcan's wound healed and he returned to the academy before the midterm exam.

He seemed to have been smoothed out by Du Qingtang's methods, like a different person, changing from his former arrogance to a gentle and taciturn person.

That morning, a classmate from the Tongsheng Ding class accidentally bumped into Cao Xingcan. His face changed immediately, and he bowed and apologized, fearing that he would be blamed by him.

Everyone else in the classroom was also worried about him.

Unexpectedly, Cao Xingcan was not angry at all. Instead, he comforted the other person in a gentle tone: "I'm fine, you don't need to blame yourself."

This scene made countless people drop their jaws in shock, and they stared at Cao Xingcan in amazement, as if they had seen a ghost.

"Is it true that classmate Cao isn't possessed by something?" Fu Ci stroked his chin, his face serious. "Or is it that the sun rises in the west and I'm dreaming?"

Du Qingtang sorted out his notes from class and said slowly, "Just assume he has finally attained enlightenment."

In the face of death, no difficulty is worth mentioning.

After crying bitterly at the foot of the hill that day to vent his anger, Cao Xingcan realized what a stupid thing he had done. He was so embarrassed that he wanted to dig a hole and crawl into it on the spot.

Before returning home, Cao Xingcan apologized to Du Qingtang for his long-term targeting, his approach with ulterior motives, and his investigation of her without her permission.

"Everyone has secrets. It was my fault before. Please forgive me."

Du Qingtang ignored his apology at that time, shook the reins and rode away. Cao Xingcan swallowed a mouthful of mud and sand, stood there for a long time, and then rode his horse to catch up.

Now that I think about it, those slaps did have some effect, at least they woke Cao Xingcan up.

Fu Ci smiled and said, "It's good to have a great enlightenment. It's better than getting stuck in a dead end and seeking death."

Du Qingtang didn't comment and stuffed the notebook into his school bag: "Let's go to the horse riding and archery class."

“Here I come!”

......

At noon, the horse riding and archery class ended. Du Qingtang went to the cafeteria to eat, while Fu Ci went to Du Ji Snacks to do odd jobs.

Before parting, Fu Ci asked, "Qingtang, are you still not going back?"

Du Qingtang gently stroked the little white horse's mane, enjoying its intimate touch, and said nonchalantly, "It's not time yet."

Fu Ci didn't understand what she was talking about, and said with a headache: "Every time they see me go there alone, the fifth and sixth sisters are about to cry."

Du Qingtang pushed her: "Go, don't be late."

Persuasion was ineffective, so Fu Ci had to give up, said goodbye to Xiaohong, the chestnut horse, and left alone.

Du Qingtang fed the little white horse some hay and was about to leave when Cao Xingcan walked straight towards her: "Du Qingtang, are you free?"

Du Qingtang raised his eyes: "What's the matter?"

Cao Xingcan rubbed the grass with his toes and coughed lightly: "I want to... treat you to a meal."

After saying the first half of the sentence, the rest didn't seem so difficult to say. He said very quickly, "Just consider it as a thank you for that day."

If Du Qingtang had not appeared in time and woke him up, there would probably be no such person as Cao Xingcan in this world.

My grandfather would only sigh and lament his untimely death, and then place all his high hopes on my eldest brother.

The father may be heartbroken, but he has other sons.

His half-brothers would only applaud and be happy that they had one less rival.

In a few years, no one will remember him, Cao Xingcan.

Du Qingtang said his final goodbye to the little white horse and looked at Cao Xingcan: "Let's go, I know a noodle shop that's delicious."

In the past, Fu Ci and the girls of the Du family saved her life and pulled her back from the edge of the cliff. Now she has saved Cao Xingcan's life again. It is really a wonderful inheritance.

Cao Xingcan was stunned for a moment, obviously not expecting her to respond so readily.

Du Qingtang looked at him for a few seconds, deliberately speculating: "Could it be that he broke his brain that day?"

Cao Xingcan: "...No, I'm fine."

Du Qingtang was the first to walk out of the archery field, and Cao Xingcan followed quickly.

The students in the Tongsheng Ding class watched the two of them go away, sighing in admiration.

"Classmate Cao's success today is inseparable from the guidance of classmate Du."

"What the hell is teaching?"

"I don't think Cao would suddenly change his personality. Du is unparalleled in talent and has a noble character. Apart from her, I can't think of anyone else who has had such a profound impact on Cao."

"It is really a blessing for classmate Cao to have classmate Du!"

......

Just as Du Qingtang was heading to the noodle shop with Cao Xingcan, Fu Ci jogged all the way to Du Ji Snacks.

When Du Qinglan saw her come in, she looked back reflexively.

There was nothing behind Fu Ci, not the person she had been thinking about day and night.

Du Qinglan's eyes were dim, and the disappointment kept piling up, weighing heavily on her heart, making her unable to sleep or eat.

Fu Ci went to the backyard to do odd jobs. Du Qingmei saw off a table of customers and returned to the counter. For the eighth time that day, she asked, "Is Ah Wen here?"

Du Qinglan's voice was barely audible: "Here I come."

"Then..." Du Qingmei hesitated, "Is Tang Ge'er here?"

Du Qinglan shook her head, and Du Qingmei seemed to have lost all her energy and spirit in an instant, becoming listless and discouraged.

"Tang Ge'er hasn't been back for almost twenty days."

"She must be very disappointed in us."

"If I had known this earlier, I would have practiced calligraphy diligently. Twenty characters a day doesn't take that much time at all."

Du Qingzhu appeared mysteriously and poked his head out from behind Du Qinglan: "So, Fifth Sister, do you know what you did wrong?"

Du Qingmei was startled by her. She patted her chest with lingering fear. She calmed herself down before speaking: "I lied to Tang Ge'er and let him down."

Du Qingzhu asked, "Do you want to continue studying and learning to read now?"

Du Qingtang hasn't been back for more than half a month. She and Du Qingju can't continue to learn to read and write, and they have been very resentful towards their two sisters these days.

Du Qingmei said without hesitation: "I want to!"

Du Qinglan nodded rapidly and agreed: "I want to, too!"

Du Qingzhu rolled his eyes and asked, "Then why do you want to learn to read and write?"

Du Qingmei and Du Qinglan said in unison: "So that I can have something to talk about with my future husband."

Du Qingzhu: “…”

Du Qingzhu couldn't help but rolled her eyes at them, wishing she could pry open their heads to see what was inside.

Du Qingzhu put her hands on her hips and asked unhappily, "Tang Ge'er said so much, but you only listened to the second half?"

Du Qingmei and Du Qinglan looked at each other.

From their expressions, Du Qingzhu had already gotten the answer. He was so angry that his head and liver hurt, and he turned around and left.

The fifth and sixth sisters are usually very smart, but this time it was like their brains were eaten by a big monster. The answer was right in front of their mouths, but they didn’t even know how to open their mouths to eat it. It really made her mad!

Tang Ge'er had better not come back. If he does, they will drive him away.

Du Qingzhu went into the kitchen where Du Qingju was frying stinky tofu. Seeing her angry, she took a moment out of her busy schedule to ask, "What's wrong? Who made you angry?"

Du Qingzhu explained the situation in a few words and stamped her feet: "There's no hope for them both!"

Du Qingju felt funny and helpless.

Because the fifth and sixth sisters were not very enthusiastic about reading and writing, most of the time, it was she who practiced calligraphy with the seventh sister.

Du Qingzhu often told her that men can read, and women can read too. He also said that reading can broaden one's horizons, and girls should also read more so as not to be deceived by bad men.

Du Qingju listened to her so many times that she was brainwashed by her and also felt that reading was good. She really liked the process of learning to read and practicing calligraphy.

"But Fifth Sister and Sixth Sister are different. They don't have you constantly nagging them in their ears. Plus, they've been influenced by mother over the years..." Du Qingju stuffed a piece of stinky tofu into Du Qingzhu's mouth and whispered softly, "Seventh Sister, calm down. At least they're willing to study now, aren't they?"

Du Qingzhu was so burned by the stinky tofu that she snorted, and replied sullenly, "But even if they are willing to study, Tang Ge'er may not be willing to come back."

Du Qingzhu felt happy when he thought of this.

Seeing her malicious smile, Du Qingju couldn't help but say, "Seventh sister, don't bully fifth and sixth sisters."

Du Qingzhu hummed, pointing to the stinky tofu swimming happily in the frying pan: "Give me a few more and send them to the fifth sister, the sixth sister, and Awen to try."

Du Qingju smiled and agreed.

Soon it was night and the girls closed up and went home.

Du Qingzhu and Du Qingju were practicing calligraphy in the main room. Du Qinglan hesitated for a moment, went to the west room to get the "Three Character Classic", and hid in the east room to read it.

Du Qingmei walked into the room and asked, "What are you looking at this for? Do you understand it?"

Although they have learned more than a thousand characters, they have not yet come into contact with enlightenment books such as "Three Character Classic" and "Thousand Character Classic".

Before the provincial examination, Du Qingtang had this plan, but it was put on hold because of them.

Du Qinglan held the book in her hands, her face serious. "Zhu Jie'er said we were wrong, and then I remembered what Tang Ge'er said, that reading can broaden your horizons and add experience. I don't quite understand it, so I wonder if I can find the answer in the book."

Du Qingmei pinched her sleeves and whispered, "Then let's go together?"

Du Qinglan didn't say anything, just moved to the side.

The two sisters lay on the bed, head to head, reading "Three Character Classic".

With their current knowledge of Chinese characters, they can basically read "Three Character Classic" independently.

Without someone to explain, it is still difficult to understand in depth, but they know the meaning of each word and can understand the general idea.

As soon as I saw it, I was fascinated.

They never imagined that the "Three Character Classic" was easy to read, but upon closer inspection it contained many truths, such as human ethics, loyalty, filial piety, chastity, and righteousness... countless of them, many of which were truths they had never experienced or understood.

The two girls read, translated and understood with difficulty, and the process was a bit difficult, but they found some fun in it.

It was not until the moon rose above the branches that they closed the "Three Character Classic" with reluctance.

Du Qingmei rubbed her sore eyes and murmured, "I think I understand a little bit."

Reading is not just to have something to talk about with my future husband, nor is it to please Tang Ge'er and calm her down.

But read in order to change yourself.

In this process, you need to think carefully and feel with your heart, so that you can become the better self that Tang Ge'er talks about.

Du Qinglan was silent for a long time, then suggested, "Then starting tomorrow, let's practice calligraphy with our seventh and eighth sisters?"

Du Qingmei added, "You can also let them read the Three Character Classic. It's a really good book."

Du Qinglan agreed and said, "How about we recite the Three Character Classic to her when Tang Ge'er comes back?"

Du Qingmei nodded without hesitation: "Start memorizing tomorrow."

The two girls secretly returned the "Three Character Classic", washed up and lay down on the bed.

Du Qingmei touched her heart which was beating a little faster, and a long-lost sense of satisfaction made her smile.

In the west room, Du Qingzhu hid under the quilt, giggling and whispering to Du Qingju: "They thought we didn't know."

Du Qingju held down the squirming Seventh Sister and said, "Stop talking and go to sleep."

Du Qingzhu lay down: "Okay, hehe!"

-

At the end of the month, the bimonthly quiz arrived as scheduled.

As expected, Du Qingtang once again became the first in the class of Tongsheng Ding.

Fu Wen ranked third and Cao Xingcan ranked fourth.

All three ranked in the top five, meeting the requirements for promotion to Class C.

The moment the results came out, Fu Ci had been secretly observing Cao Xingcan's reaction.

Cao Xingcan was unexpectedly calm and looked at Du Qingtang: "I am indeed not as good as you."

Fu Ci smiled with pride. Of course, Qingtang was the best!

Unexpectedly, Cao Xingcan changed the subject: "But it's more than enough to beat you."

Fu Ci and Cao Xingcan looked at each other and pointed at themselves: "Me?"

Cao Xingcan nodded and walked away, leaving Fu Ci jumping in frustration.

Fu Ci huffed, "Is he, the eternally second-in-command, looking down on me?"

Du Qingtang secretly fanned the flames: "Yes, he is looking down on you. But there is one thing I need to correct. He is no longer the perpetual second-in-command."

Fu Ci: "Hahahahaha!"

Cao Xingcan was so shocked by her laughter that he tripped over his left foot and almost fell on his face.

He turned around and glared at Fu Ci, but a relaxed and contented smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

-

Two months have passed in a flash, spring has gone and it is the summer solstice. It is the Chinese Valentine's Day again, the day when the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl meet.

During this period, Du Qingtang, Fu Ci and Cao Xingcan were consistently in the top five, successfully promoted to Class A of Tongsheng, and were also qualified to be exempted from one year of tuition.

Cao Xingcan had no shortage of the six taels of silver in tuition, but he still went with Du Qingtang and Fu Ci to apply to Professor Lu, who was in charge of the Tongsheng class, to be exempted from the tuition.

Fu Ci asked, "Are you short of money recently?"

Of course not.

He just suddenly understood why Du Qingtang, a wolf cub who eats people without leaving any bones, would spend all day with Fu Ci, that stupid rabbit.

It feels great to have someone by your side all the time and to talk about everything.

Perhaps, he can try to experience another life and live for himself.

......

On the seventh day of the seventh month, Fu Ci finished his class and went to Du Ji Snacks as usual.

Before leaving, Du Qingtang called her: "I'll go back with you."

Fu Ci's eyes lit up and he smiled, "My sisters must be very happy."

The last time Du Qingtang went home was sixty-two days ago. Fu Ci has been in a dilemma these days and is so worried that his hair is falling out.

She knew that her best friend would not neglect her sisters who depended on each other for no reason, and her fifth and sixth sisters often looked ashamed. However, the person who tied the bell must untie it. No matter how much she tried to persuade them, it was useless. She just pretended to be ignorant and stupid, hoping that her fifth and sixth sisters could reconcile with Qingtang as soon as possible.

The two walked to Du Ji Snacks, which was doing a booming business and was packed with people.

Seeing Fu Ci coming, Du Qingmei looked back out of habit.

I thought it was just another false alarm, but unexpectedly I saw Du Qingtang.

Du Qingmei widened her eyes, thinking she was hallucinating. She blinked hard twice and pinched her thigh hard.

pain!

So it’s not an illusion!

"Tang'er!" Du Qingmei was overjoyed, her cheeks flushed, "You're back."

This sound successfully attracted the diners' attention.

"Oh, Young Master Du is here. It's been a long time since we last met."

"Now I shouldn't call you Young Master Du, I should call you Du Tongsheng."

"Yes, it's Du Tongsheng!"

Du Qingtang accepted everyone's compliments frankly, said a few polite words, and went to the small hut in the backyard that served as a lounge to change clothes.

After changing her clothes and opening the door, there were two people standing outside. As soon as they saw her, they immediately gave her a cautious and somewhat ingratiating smile.

"Tang'er."

"Fifth sister, Sixth sister."

Du Qingtang looked indifferent. Du Qingmei and Du Qinglan were unsure whether she was still angry or not, and they rubbed the corners of their clothes awkwardly.

Before the two of them tore their clothes, Du Qingtang spoke first: "Just say it."

Du Qingmei and Du Qinglan looked at each other, gritted their teeth, closed their eyes, and said loudly: "Tang Ge'er, I know I was wrong. Please be kind and forgive us!"

Du Qingtang stood with his hands behind his back: "What's wrong?"

Du Qingmei: "I made a mistake in treating learning to read and write as a task, and I wasted your good intentions, Tang Ge'er."

Du Qinglan: "My mistake is telling lies and not striving for progress."

Du Qingmei: "Tang Ge'er, I can already recite the Three Character Classic."

Du Qinglan: "I'll recite it to you now!"

After he finished speaking, he cleared his throat and was about to speak, but was interrupted by Du Qingtang: "Do your work first."

The two girls were a little disappointed, but thinking that they could still recite it in the evening, they obediently went to the shop in front to work.

Two hours passed in a flash.

Soon it was evening, and after seeing off the last group of diners, the girls took off their coats and prepared to go home.

Du Qingtang stopped them and asked, "Are you busy tonight?"

The girls said in unison: "No."

"The Qixi Lantern Festival is tonight. I think the city will be very lively. Why don't we go for a walk?" Du Qingtang looked at Fu Ci. "Awen, come with us."

Fu Ci had never been to a lantern festival, so he readily agreed.

Du Qingzhu: "Okay, I've been busy for half a year, so I'll just treat it as a reward for myself."

Having said this, the other three girls nodded.

So, the girls changed into beautiful dresses, while Du Qingtang and Fu Ci wore the standard outfit of scholars, green round-necked robes, and the group set off for the lantern festival.

-

As night falls, lights flicker in the county town and people flow into it endlessly.

Men, women, young and old took to the streets to visit the lantern festival and release lanterns.

The father carries his children on his shoulders and walks through the crowd, while the mother accompanies him with a smile, spreading laughter and joy along the way.

Young men and women walked side by side, their emotions flowing out of courtesy, and every time their eyes met, emotions were aroused.

“So many beautiful lanterns.”

“It’s really lively.”

The girls looked around curiously, watching the lanterns, the acrobatics, and the fireworks, and were almost dazzled.

Fu Ci's eyes sparkled, and he was obviously in a good mood. He pulled Du Qingtang's sleeve and pointed forward: "Qingtang, there are lantern riddles ahead. Let's go and take a look."

Before Du Qingtang could respond, he was pulled over by Fu Ci.

There were many people on the street, and the girls, who were still young, did not dare to walk around casually. Seeing this, they hurried to follow.

In front is the largest restaurant in Qingyuan County, Xikelai.

Tonight, Xikelai held a grand lantern riddle guessing event. The ten people who guessed the most riddles correctly could randomly choose a lantern they liked.

The lanterns at Xikelai were made by famous craftsmen and were extremely exquisite. The girls only took one look and couldn't take their eyes off them.

Du Qingtang took their reactions into consideration and said, "If you want it, go get it yourself."

Du Qingju was stunned: "Strive for it?"

Du Qingtang pointed to the left side of the Xikelai gate and said, "The riddles here are simpler. You have been learning from me for so long, so guessing a few correctly shouldn't be a problem."

Du Qingju pursed her lips: "Can I?"

Du Qingtang didn't answer but asked: "Why not?"

Du Qingzhu was ready to make a move, sharpening his knife and slashing at the lanterns: "Oh, don't hesitate any longer, or the lanterns will be snatched away!"

Du Qingzhu didn't give Du Qingju any chance to refuse and pulled her forward.

The long table where the riddles were placed was crowded with people. Du Qingzhu led the way and kept pushing his way in, making the people next to him fall down and complain.

"Why are there two little girls?"

"Why is this little girl joining in the fun?"

Du Qingzhu stiffened his neck and shouted, "What's wrong with a little girl? If you lose to a little girl like me, don't cry!"

Everyone laughed, laughing at her for overestimating her abilities.

Du Qingzhu didn't care. Relying on her small size, she grabbed riddles like crazy and even grabbed a few for her eighth sister.

Du Qingju: “…”

Du Qingtang: “…”

Du Qingmei looked at the lanterns in the distance, then looked at her seventh and eighth sisters charging into battle. She made up her mind and pulled Du Qinglan along to rush forward.

"Oh my, why are there two more girls?"

Fu Ci laughed so hard that he fell backwards. He poked Du Qingtang and said, "Qingtang, let's go to the right and take a look."

The riddle on the right is more difficult.

Du Qingtang happened to like a lantern, so he went with her.

It's just a lantern riddle, but for the two of them who read and practice questions from morning to night, it's easy for them to solve them.

In just a quarter of an hour, Du Qingtang solved thirty-two riddles.

Fu Ci has slightly fewer, but there are still more than twenty.

"clang--"

With a loud gong sound, a round of competition is over.

The waiter from Xikelai collected the riddles solved by the contestants and then handed them over to the shopkeeper and the accountant for counting.

It only took a cup of tea for the owner of Xikelai to announce the result.

Among the top ten simple riddles on the left, four girls are listed.

Du Qingtang and Fu Ci are also among the top ten difficult riddles on the right.

"Congratulations to the twenty guests. Now you can choose the lanterns you like."

Du Qingzhu was the first to take the lantern he liked, and then waved at Du Qingtang: "Tang Ge'er, I won!"

The other three girls also had smiles on their faces and got the lanterns they wanted.

At this time, the onlookers noticed that there were four girls among the winners.

Someone praised: "It's really rare to see a girl who can read."

Someone sarcastically said, "Who knows how they got into the top ten?"

Du Qingzhu happened to hear this and pointed at the person who said it: "You are slandering us! The second brother was present the whole time, and they can all testify for us!"

The waiter, who was responsible for maintaining order and preventing guests from helping each other, stepped forward cooperatively: "They did it independently."

Du Qingzhu laughed heartily, holding up the lantern in her hand: "Did you hear that? I made it into the top ten, but you didn't!"

The scholar who questioned the competition blushed and covered his face and left.

Everyone burst into laughter.

The girls are laughing.

Fu Ci was smiling.

Du Qingtang was also laughing.

Others praised it repeatedly.

"What a lively and clever girl! I wonder which wealthy family she comes from."

"So many people guessed the lantern riddles before, but these four were the only ones who got them right. They must have read a lot of books."

"That's amazing! I wish my daughter could be like them."

Praises came from all directions. The girls' faces turned red with joy, and they held their heads high and chests puffed out, like generals who had won a battle.

......

The girls carried lanterns and had fun at the lantern festival for a long time. Only when the moon set did they return home reluctantly.

Along the way, they kept smiling, and when they got home they gathered together, chattering about where to put the lanterns best.

Fu Ci went to wash up first, and Du Qingtang came to the main room: "Are you sleepy?"

The girls all shook their heads, looking very energetic: "Not sleepy!"

Du Qingtang took out a brush, ink, and rice paper: "Since you are not sleepy, write an article. Based on what you have learned so far, write an article according to my requirements."

The girls sat around the table, biting their pens while reading the title - My Dream.

My dream?

The girls narrowed their eyes, lost in thought.

Marry a down-to-earth and capable man, have a few children, live in harmony with your spouse, have filial children, have no worries about food and drink, and grow old peacefully and smoothly.

I believe this is the dream of most women in the world.

Before this, the four girls also had this as their dream.

But now...

The girls inexplicably recalled the Lantern Festival not long ago, when they defeated a group of men and the reactions of the onlookers were mixed.

The men looked shocked, the girls looked envious and admiring, and the women looked appreciative and regretful.

What were those people thinking as they watched them holding lanterns high on the stage with bright smiles on their faces?

Women can actually read? I actually lost to a woman?

Or do you envy them for being able to study and show off their talents at the Lantern Festival?

Or is it the regret that you couldn't study while waiting to be married, and after getting married, you were trapped in the invisible shackles of the living room and the daily necessities of life?

Strange faces flashed through my mind like a kaleidoscope.

Du Qingmei and Du Qingtang suddenly discovered that the expressions of those people were so profound and fresh in their memory.

This makes their heartbeats quicken, their pupils dilate, and their blood flows faster due to excitement.

It was not until this moment that they suddenly realized the meaning of the light that flashed through their minds that day and they were unable to capture it in time.

Before reading "Three Character Classic" all night long, they read for the youngest child and wanted to read with the same interests as their future husbands.

Now they still study, but for themselves.

They want to be sensible.

They want to keep those gazes full of admiration and envy forever.

They want to be a shining presence in the eyes of others.

It is just like the lantern hanging high up in the lantern festival, dazzling and shining.

The girls lowered their heads again and stared at the words on the paper.

"My dream".

They knew how to write.