Chapter 15: Breaking Up a Couple
Ji Mingxiu was extremely thankful that he had never brought Yanru to live in his Jinling mansion. Otherwise, given Qi Fengning's temper, she might have torn the house down and sold it at a low price. Yesterday, he was terrified, and it took a lot of coaxing to finally get Qi Fengning to stop beating him and let him sleep peacefully.
Unfortunately, it was already noon when the noise in the yard woke up Ji Mingxiu, who was soundly sleeping. He hated being disturbed in his sweet dreams the most in his life. He jumped out of bed in anger and wanted to curse. He dragged his shoes past the screen and suddenly remembered that it was Feng Ning outside. She was raised in the military camp by her father-in-law when she was young. Over time, she developed the habit of getting up early for training, and no one could stop her. Ji Mingxiu gave in and turned his head back to the bed, trying to take another nap. However, the waving of sticks and the "hey ha" outside were too loud and powerful. Ji Mingxiu had to cover his head with the quilt and barely fell asleep. At this time, he thought of Yanru again. That girl was lazy and never got up early. If he was with Yanru at this moment, he wouldn't be like this.
The red tasseled spear swung in a graceful and sharp arc, and with a backflip from Qi Fengning, it stabbed into the air, gleaming in the rising sun. The maids around her applauded, and Madam Zhao, who came with the dowry, said with a smile, "Speaking of the Qi family's military tactics, our daughter has the best, far better than our uncle. It's a pity that the daughter is not a man, otherwise the Qi family's military achievements would be even greater than they are now." Before she finished speaking, Madam Zhao suddenly realized that this remark would probably make Qi Fengning unhappy, and quickly pretended to slap her face, "Alas, I'm already tongue-tied, and as I get older, I'm even more prone to talking nonsense. Madam, please punish me quickly and teach me a lesson."
"You old girl, so pretentious, it always seems like I'm being mean to you." Qi Fengning didn't care. She smiled and extended her right hand. A little maid quickly stepped forward and took the red-tasseled spear. She clapped her hands and reclined on the nearby rosewood recliner. As she grew older, Qi Fengning had long since learned to let go of her pain. She had forgotten her dreams of joining the frontier army and discarded her worn-out military manuals, retaining only the habit of daily morning drills. She wielded the three weapons in turn, the military staff, the red-tasseled spear, and the sword. She sweated profusely, panted heavily, and squinted her eyes. The faint golden sunlight and the sweet breeze would gently brush against her gradually relaxing face.
In the warm darkness, she temporarily ceased to be the dignified and graceful Madam Ji, nor was she Miss Qi, the instrument of the Qi family's marriage, a tool for establishing a moral bond. Instead, her teenage years as "Feng Ning" seemed to return: the thick wooden fences of the military camp, the faded war drums, the polished weapons—everything was coated in a dusty gray, a tragic and heroic atmosphere. She and her brother dueled in the open space within the camp. Her brother's skill was inferior to hers, and within five strokes each, her sword would reach his neck. The deputy general's son, a clerk with limited martial arts skills, also joined the army, standing by and accompanying her and her brother. Initially, he played the Qiang flute, but she complained that its hoarse and mocking sound was unpleasant to listen to, so he immediately switched to the pipa. To the twanging of the pipa, Qi Fengning and her brother, clad in golden armor and bearing spears, mounted their horses, relentlessly crushing the barbarian barbarians who ate raw meat and drank blood and murdered the border civilians. The deputy general's son stood at the camp gate, holding a pipa, waiting for their triumphant return. As she rode up, the dry wind from the border kicked up dust, and the foul odor of the men in the tents filled her nostrils... Qi Fengning felt a wave of disgust, frowning as she opened her eyes. Her husband, who had been betrothed to her since childhood, looked at her flatteringly, "What would you like for lunch, sister?"
I'm tired of seeing you, how can I eat anything else? Qi Fengning rubbed her nose and waved her hand. Aunt Zhao understood and offered her tea. She took a sip and said lightly, "You're up so early? Are you missing the goddess so much that you can't sleep?"
Ji Mingxiu said, "Tsk, sister, what are you saying? Everything in our house, and even my heart, is for you. Jinling has so many good things, and you rarely come here. I'm just worried that you won't have enough to eat and have fun."
Qi Fengning squinted and said, "Stop saying disgusting things. It's so early in the morning. Are you trying to make anyone vomit? I'm not here to travel with you. Where's that painting of the Bronze Sparrow Tower? The people in Handan are asking for it."
"It's finished, it's already finished. Wang'er, bring it here for Madam to see." Ji Mingxiu called out, and Wang'er deftly unrolled the scroll with another servant, showing it to Qi Fengning. She didn't get up, but simply lazily laid there, teacup in hand, scanning it up and down, quite satisfied. "Hmm, it's quite good. They'll definitely like it in Handan. Where are your account books for your business in Jinling? Bring them to me." Wang'er presented them, and Qi Fengning flipped through them one by one. The number of paintings matched the receipt from the bank.
"Okay, there's nothing wrong with it." Qi Fengning told Madam Zhao to put it away and planned, "Now that we have all the things and the money, and we have the small garden, we can have someone make some bamboo screens and bamboo couches to put under the porch, and get some birds. It will be very interesting. I'll go out and look around and find some interesting things to put in the garden as decorations."
Ji Mingxiu applauded and said, "Okay, I'll go with my sister. She was unhappy yesterday and didn't have a good time."
Qi Fengning curled her lips and said, "Let's go shopping. Mother Zhao and I will go. You should take advantage of today to deal with that little bitch. The rumors have spread all the way to Handan. How long do you think you can keep her with my money?"
Ji Mingxiu fell silent. They had only been together for a little over a year, and Yanru's natural youthfulness was indeed captivating. She had also been well-trained, so it would be a shame to let such a beauty go so easily. Qi Fengning saw through her husband's hypocritical hesitation and teased, "Reluctant? Well, I won't force you to break up. Let's get a divorce. As you said in the ancestral hall, the house, garden, shop, land deeds, and those paintings will all belong to me. You can leave the house and go out with your little hoof to be a perfect couple. How do you think?"
"That won't do." Ji Mingxiu answered straightforwardly. Money is his lifeblood, and he can't give it up. And if he really divorced Qi Fengning, those two damn brothers-in-law would ruin his reputation. By then, no matter how many thousands of paintings he painted, he wouldn't be as rich as he is now. If you have a woman, you have to worry about money, but if you have money, you don't have to worry about women. That being the case, his eyes immediately became deep and tender, and he held Qi Fengning's hand: "Sister, what are you saying? Do you really think that the love between you and me doesn't count? Don't be jealous. There's really nothing between me and her. I just helped the teacher and taught painting for a few days at Qiu Shui's place. I met a student and used her to paint two paintings for me. If you don't like her, I'll break up with you. It's no big deal. Sister, don't always mention divorce in the future. It hurts our relationship."
A quick decision was in order. After breakfast, as soon as Qi Fengning left, he began to contemplate his "disposal" of Yanru. After hundreds of days and nights of sharing a bed and countless encounters, Ji Mingxiu knew her inherent greed, adept at using affection as a shield for her demands. Furthermore, she had a resolute mother. If he directly and frankly announced his separation from her, he would undoubtedly suffer. The situation was too thorny. After considerable deliberation, Ji Mingxiu finally came up with a foolproof plan and hurriedly ordered Wang'er to fetch Yanru.
Wang'er searched the small courtyard and the academy but couldn't find her. At Liu'er's reminder, he went to You's house and brought Yanru to Ji Mingxiu.
To make things easier for him, Ji Mingxiu booked a boat banquet at the most expensive Yuyu Qionglou in Jinling City. When Yanru first saw Wang'er, she was still mad at Ji Mingxiu and vowed that she would never reconcile with him so easily. But after walking through the magnificent hall of the restaurant, her mood suddenly improved. Stepping onto the small boat decorated with silk and flowers, Yanru felt that his apology was truly solemn. With her feet on the dark red woven mats that only merchants from the Western Regions had, Yanru said to herself, "If he gives me a way out later, I'll get off. That tigress is so ferocious, I think he's having a hard time too. I want to use my gentleness to let him know that I'm the one who loves him the most."
When she pulled aside the curtain made of emerald pearls, she saw Ji Mingxiu sitting at the main seat with a worried look on his face. Yanru, putting on airs for a moment, pouting and chin raised, sat down across from him. The table was filled with delicious dishes Yanru had never seen before. She was a little hungry and couldn't stop glancing upwards.
Ji Mingxiu saw through her little trick and took the initiative to move to her side. On the most beautiful plate on the table, a huge lotus flower bloomed. Ji Mingxiu picked up a "petal", dipped it in the marinade, and placed it on Yanru's plate. "You must be hungry. Let's eat first. Try this and guess what it is."
Yanru took a bite and said, "It's duck meat!"
Ji Mingxiu said, "Yes, this is called Lotus Duck Skewers. It's the most famous dish in this restaurant, and only the head chef knows how to make it. Try this one too." He passed each dish to Yanru, letting her eat while he introduced it. Yanru devoured the delicious food with relish. After she was full, she quickly put aside the grievances of yesterday and indulged in the sweet love she was having with her lover. She burped softly and fell lightly into his arms: "It's delicious, so delicious that I want to die."
Ji Mingxiu stroked her hair and said, "Yanru, it's all my fault. I made you suffer so much. I wanted to speak up for you yesterday, but I know her temper. If I had helped you, she would have beaten you to death. Alas, how could I bear to let you suffer so much?"
Yanru's heart trembled, and she simply squatted down and held his hand: "I know, I know how good Xiulang is to me. I couldn't sleep all night last night, and I really didn't want to see Xiulang again. But when I saw you today, my anger subsided. Xiulang, the teacher always said that time is money. You are getting older, and I am also at the age to get married. She seems to be in good health, so let's not wait until she dies, just divorce her, and I will be with you." She was complacent and thought to herself: Compared with that tigress, I am so gentle, so pitiful and cute, I don't believe you don't want me.
Ji Mingxiu's heart skipped a beat. At that time, Qi Fengning wrote in a letter home that he caught a cold after practicing martial arts in the morning and had a high fever, which lasted two days to subside. He just said it casually, how could she remember it so clearly? Was she really waiting for Qi Fengning to die? This hypocritical man completely forgot that it was he who hoped that something bad would happen to the first wife in front of the concubine. He only cursed in his heart that such a vicious woman at such a young age should be broken up soon. He adjusted his expression and tone, and stroked Yanru's delicate and delicate hands: "Alas, Yanru, this matter is not that simple. Her family relies on military merits and is very domineering. Even if I really become a widower, her brothers will force me not to marry again. Forget it, I'm old, and I have to accept my fate with such a daughter-in-law. But you are different. You are still young and your youth is very precious. You can't waste your days on me. Let's... break up."
Upon hearing this, Yanru froze for a long moment before bursting into hysterical sobs: "Are you abandoning me?! Ji Mingxiu, you black-hearted, short-lived bastard! I was a diligent student at the academy when I met you and followed you. Because of you, I was gossiped about by my classmates all day long, and even my mother nearly beat me to death. And you, henpecked, threw me away without a word! Even if you had a cat or a dog, you wouldn't do that!" Yanru yelled, wiping her snot and tears, waving her little fists and hitting Ji Mingxiu. After all, he was a grown man, and it was not easy to fight back against a woman. Moreover, although this woman had some ulterior motives for him, she loved him after all. Ji Mingxiu could only endure it, listening to her wailing for half an hour. When she was tired of hammering, he pretended to hug her and acted heartbroken: "Don't blame me, Yanru, I didn't want to do this either. If you continue to follow me, she will beat you to death. You've sacrificed enough for me, I can't let you get hurt again. Don't worry, I won't abandon you either."
Yanru perked up, sniffing her nose and wiping her tears with a handkerchief: "How much banknotes do you want to give me? Or do you want to buy a new yard for my family?"
Ji Mingxiu shook his head and grasped her shoulders. "Yanru, money is a vulgar thing. You're right. I've delayed your studies at the academy and ruined your reputation, so I've carefully considered the consequences for you. As the saying goes, it's better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish. If I only give you a sum of money, you'll eventually spend it all. What will you do then? Besides, if you accept the money, what will outsiders think of it? Those gossipy old women will definitely say it's the money you paid for selling your body and smear your reputation. Let's live a better life together. I can't bear to see you suffer this humiliation again. I have to turn myself into a step and help you climb up step by step, so that you can find a way to become better than if you had been with me, a hundred times, a thousand times better."
His feelings were sincere, and Yanru was quite moved by his recognition: "Xiulang, what do you want to do? Find a good marriage for me? Are you willing to give me up?"
Ji Mingxiu stared into Yanru's eyes and said solemnly, "Yanru, I will send you to study in the capital."
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