Chapter 58 Ehuang and Nvying
The blazing sun was like a fire, and the shimmering river surface looked as if coated with oil. The wind blew in, carrying waves of heat, and it slammed into Xue Jia's face.
"Damn it, why hasn't You Yanru arrived yet?"
Yanru had gone to Jinling to fetch her younger sister to study in Beijing. On their return, their boat was sailing with the Jinling merchant caravan, and they were expected to arrive today. Xue Jia finished breakfast and leisurely left, hoping to ask Yanru to wait for him. However, by the time he reached the dock, he'd been drinking so much tea from the tea stall that he'd had to pee, and the boat hadn't even docked. Xue Jia waited absentmindedly, wiping the sweat from his face. He wished he could fly into the river and drag Yanru from the boat home, sparing her the hardship.
"Damn it, no more waiting! Let's go home and tell You Yanru to figure it out herself." Xue Jia's patience was completely melted by the heat wave. He stood up and pulled Long'er to leave. Long'er hurriedly said, "Don't worry, sir! Isn't the boat coming?"
The small boat with the flag with the word "Xue" on it became more and more eye-catching. Xue Jia wiped the stickiness off his neck with a handkerchief, stretched his muscles, and followed Long'er lazily, his eyes fixed on the two sisters of the Yu family who walked out of the cabin one after another.
The child's height is several times faster than the leeks in the field. It has been almost a year since I last got married in the autumn of last year. Yanbao has become as tall as her sister, and her fatness has faded. Her waist and outline are beginning to show. Qian Lao Niang, Pei Lan and Yan Ru, three generations of grandparents and grandchildren, share a round, flat face with dull lines. But Yanbao is more like You Kang, with a slightly pointed chin and sharp features. With a slightly developed body, she exudes a heroic spirit between a girl and a boy. She is slightly similar to his childhood sweetheart Dong, and is exactly what Xue Jia has always liked. He looked at his wife's sister with the eyes that a man uses to look at and examine a woman, and smiled lewdly: "Is my aunt here? Wow, it's been a long time since we last met. You look so beautiful. Are you tired on the road? Are you sick from the boat ride? Let's go home!"
As he spoke, he extended his hand warmly, imitating the loving gesture of an elder, and pretended to put his arm around Yanbao's shoulders. Yanbao had always judged people by appearance, and hated all ugly people in the world, especially this one, who was so ugly that he was covered in sweat and looked like the ugliest person in the world. She dodged nimbly, slipping aside, and said through Yanru, "I'm tired and dizzy, but I can still walk. Please support my sister."
Yanru was extremely upset to see her husband fawning over his sister. She pushed Yanbao away with her butt, sending her flying to Long'er's side. She took out her handkerchief and gently tapped Xue Jiahan's greasy forehead, acting like a favored bride, showing Yanbao the favor she, a newlywed bride of a wealthy family, enjoyed. "Sir, why are you rushing here so early to pick me up? Look at how sweaty you are. You must be exhausted for me. Where is our carriage, Long'er? Hurry and pull it over."
"Do you think I'm willing? If you know you're tired, why did you send me a letter asking me to come pick you up? There are so many donkey carts by the river, can't you just rent one yourself?" Xue Jia had no intention of following the steps and playing the sweet, affectionate role they used to. He shut Yanru up with his words, vowing to humiliate her in front of her sister. Fortunately, Yanbao had no patience for the ugly man. She looked around and pestered Long'er with questions, pretending not to hear even if she did.
The new class of female students was scheduled to begin after the Beginning of Autumn. Yanbao settled temporarily in Daiyuan, sharing her sister and brother-in-law's quarters. The summer heat was scorching, and Yanbao, a childlike woman with few male children since childhood, was unconcerned with dress etiquette. Inside, she wore only a cool, comfortable, gauze outer garment, which dimly covered her arms and wrists, giving her a distinctly romantic air of "holding a lute, half-hidden." Xue Jia, coming in and out, would often see her, and the sight of her attire captivated him, his mind roaming with wild thoughts. His gaze shifted three inches from her face to her neck, then two inches from her wrist to her arm, and he could not help but slump in his seat. So, every morning and evening, at meals, he had a small round table set up, so that he could lean against Yanru and be close to Yanbao. The two sisters had similar faces, but very different personalities and temperaments. Flanked by these two young women, one older and one younger, Xue Jia couldn't help but feel the pleasure of hugging them both. He felt that he was comparable to Emperor Shun in ancient times, as beautiful as Yanbao and as charming as Ehuang and Nvying. Both sisters became his possessions. In the paradise of Daiyuan, Xue Jia closed the door and became a local emperor, enjoying the blessing of having two wives given by God in his endless fantasies and sexual fantasies.
On this particular day, the weather was beautiful, and Xue Jia, with great compassion, said to Yanru, "You didn't know before, but behind Tiekan Temple there's a mountain peak where a gigantic statue of Guanyin has been carved. Years of wind and rain have damaged the image of Guanyin. The court fenced it off for two or three years, then allocated funds for another two or three years to repair it, and it was only repaired this spring. My aunt's been here for nearly two weeks, and we haven't had a chance to go out and have some fun. Why not go today and burn some incense at Tiekan Temple and see the newly built statue?"
"Okay, okay, let's go!" Yanru was bored of being bored in the garden for a long time, and she was eager to go, so she quickly called Yanbao to prepare. A lamp wick dipped in oil, Yanbao didn't have much jewelry or makeup, so after changing her clothes, she went into Yanru's room and rubbed her sister's things openly, and the two of them scrambled for the mirror to put on makeup. Xue Jia leaned on the half-worn chaise longue, with his feet in the air and shaking his legs, one arm supporting his head, staring at the small window with interest, and two peach blossoms on a tree were putting on makeup. Seeing Yanbao sticking flower ornaments on her eyebrows, Xue Jia's devilish mind had evil thoughts in his mind, he stood up and walked behind the two sisters, opened his arms and lightly hugged them, and said with a smile: "Auntie has good eyebrows and eyes, and her flower ornaments are also well painted. People say that seeing people eating makes one's stomach itch. Auntie and sister painted so beautifully, why not make one for brother-in-law too, and let the three of us stick them on, so that others can see that we are a family."
Yanru noticed that Xue Jia had been deliberately seizing every opportunity to tease Yanbao recently. She said in a strange voice with a smile, "You are quite enthusiastic towards Yanbao."
"When my aunt meets my brother-in-law, it's like seeing a brother. And it's the same when my brother-in-law meets my little sister." Xue Jia turned his wife's wary gaze behind his head and coaxed Yan Bao to smile: "Aunt, draw one for my brother-in-law."
"You are a grown man, you want to draw your eyebrows and put on your hairpins before going out? If you are sick, go see a doctor instead of staying here and going crazy." Yan Bao was disgusted and spoke without thinking. Xue Jia's eyes immediately turned colder and ignited with blue flames. Yanru was afraid that he would lose his temper and just slam the table and the bench. If he patted his butt and walked away, leaving her in Dai Garden without paying any attention, wouldn't she suffer again? In order to please Xue Jia, she hurriedly pushed Yan Bao's shoulder and spat: "Little hoof, do you use this mouth to fart? How can you talk to your brother-in-law? Isn't your brother-in-law treating you well enough?"
Seeing her sister's fierce expression, Yan Bao's heart trembled. Although she was her sister, she was also her brother-in-law's territory. If she stayed here, her eating, drinking, defecating, urinating, and sleeping would be controlled by them. She couldn't afford to offend this couple. Yan Bao, though a child, quickly changed her expression and said with a smile, "Tsk, just kidding, brother-in-law won't be angry with me." Then she took the copper ink for eyebrow drawing, stood up, patted her seat, and called to Xue Jia, "Brother-in-law, come sit down, I'll draw for you."
With the ugly pig-faced frog-like figure at her side, Yanbao acted as if she was ready to die. Xue Jia took this as an unconventional way of acting like a spoiled child and found it very appealing. He sat down in Yanbao's seat without hesitation and stretched his face towards her: "Thank you, sister-in-law. Draw as you like. I'll like it no matter how you do it."
Yanbao looked at her sister for help. Yanru crossed her arms, chin raised, her left eye cold, her right eye angry, the corner of her mouth curved in a playful manner, but she had no intention of speaking up for Yanbao - she acquiesced to everything Xue Jia did.
Yanbao suddenly felt the bitterness of living under someone else's roof. Thinking of the good food and drink in the capital, she took a deep breath and picked up her brush to draw Xue Jia's eyebrows. He had naturally greasy skin and disliked washing, so the oil accumulated on his brow bones and the bridge of his nose reflected light. Yanbao silently repeated three times, "Pretend that You Yanru is marrying Liu Xiang," "Pretend that You Yanru is marrying Liu Xiang," "Pretend that You Yanru is marrying Liu Xiang," raising her elbow and carefully applying the lines, lest if they went awry, she would have to scrub them off and go through the pain all over again. After drawing the left side, her fingers felt sore and swollen. Drawing the right side was a struggle. As she finished, her elbow shook, and her pinky finger accidentally touched Xue Jia's cheek, rubbing against the gray grease that stuck to her skin.
Yanbao almost fainted.
Xue Jia was completely different. His heart was filled with emotion. He picked up the mirror and admired it. "Tsk, my second sister can draw eyebrows for men so well. I wonder which fool will be so lucky to marry our aunt in the future."
Yanru sneered: "It's hard to say which fool is lucky. I think you are quite happy."
Xue Jia raised his eyebrows, hugged Yanru forcefully, kissed her on the face, and smiled lewdly: "I am indeed blessed. I am enjoying the happiness of the boudoir."
"Bah, who the hell wants to enjoy the shitty pleasure of the boudoir with you." Yanbao cursed inwardly, slipped into the copper basin, and rubbed her fingers until they turned red.
After packing up, the three of them, leaving their servants behind, drove to Tiekan Temple. The horses galloped, and in a moment, they reached the top of the mountain. Xue Jia parked the carriage inside the temple, exchanged greetings with the abbot, and led the two sisters, Yu Shi, out the back door of the temple. After walking a few dozen steps, they parted the wild bamboo and trees, and suddenly a clear view opened up. Across the cliff, an enormous statue of Guanyin towered before them, wearing a celestial crown and celestial robes, with a kind and downcast gaze. The lush greenery of the surrounding trees made the Guanyin even more solemn and majestic. Yanru and Yanbao clasped their hands together in devout worship. Xue Jia, unfazed, turned his back, coughed a few times, spat, folded his hands, shook his feet, and looked around for fun.
Yan Bao said, "Brother-in-law, with such a great Bodhisattva Guanyin in front of us, can you please be more considerate?"
Xue Jia didn't care: "Isn't it just a human figure carved out of a mountain? It can't move, speak, or blink. I never believe in such things. A lifeless thing, in terms of ability, is not even as great as my adoptive father."
Yanbao shouted "Amitabha" a few times, not bothering to pay attention to him. At this moment, only the soft rustling of footsteps could be heard on the path, mixed with the sound of human voices. "This statue of the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara is more accurately called the Universal Compassionate Avalokitesvara, also known as the Universal Mercy Avalokitesvara. The name "Universal Mercy" literally means compassionate salvation for all living beings, and is a Dharma image praising the merits of Avalokitesvara. The late emperor built it here, having the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara look down upon the mortal world from the peak. This symbolizes the universal virtue and compassion of the Universal Mercy Avalokitesvara, extending to all living beings, and her heart of salvation."
This tone was quite familiar to Yanru. She searched for the answer in her mind. Xue Jia reacted quickly and stood at the intersection and said to the inside, "I was wondering who knew so much. It's you. That makes sense. You married a monk and you don't know how to make money every day. You just talk about ghosts and gods."
A person walked out of the path. Yanru looked closely - wasn't it Yi Bin? Yi Bin gave Xue Jia a fierce look, disdainful of words, turned around and stretched out his hand to pull someone out. Yanbao saw it and became excited, waving and calling out: "Sister Zheng! Sister Zheng!"
Zheng Sirui looked in the direction of the voice and said with a smile, "Yanru and Yanbao, why are you here?"
No one paid any attention to Xue Jia. He tried to prove his whereabouts by saying, "I drove them here. Who is like the wife of the Yi family? She used to walk up the mountain, and now she is married to a poor monk who has returned to secular life. She can only walk up the mountain."
"You're sick!" The four women rolled their eyes at him in unison. Xue Jia, feeling bored, left a hasty exit after saying, "You guys chat for a while, I'm going back to Tiekan Temple." Yanru saw Zheng Sirui and Yi Bin, arm in arm, more affectionate than she and Yanbao, her sisters, and she got jealous: "Sirui, why are you two together? Yibin, aren't you in Jinling?"
Zheng Sirui said, "Yi Bin's herbal medicine business is doing very well. Last month, there was a flood in Yongzhou, resulting in countless casualties. The court urgently requisitioned medicines from all over the country. Yi Bin made a small profit from supplying Yongzhou, and now he has begun to expand into the capital, traveling back and forth between Jinling and the capital to resell herbal medicines. Caiyuan is with me, so she contacted me to meet with Caiyuan."
Yi Bin interrupted: "Don't talk about making money, that's half a donation. I'm not trying to profit from this national disaster. I'm just using this as a way to open up a channel for selling medicine in Beijing."
Yanru noticed Yi Bin's decisive demeanor. Compared to the time she was teased by her classmates at Qiushui Academy, she looked much better dressed—though still not as good as before her marriage, of course. She wore no makeup, and her features, once graceful and gentle, ladylike demeanor, were now gone. Instead, she wore the air of a decisive businessman, evidently someone who had endured much hardship and hardship in the marketplace.
Yanru quietly gave Yanbao a look, and Yanbao quickly understood: "Look, you gave up being the wife of a wealthy family and married a poor man, causing trouble with your family and making everyone in your family desert you. This is the end you have."
Yan Ru said with a sly smile, "What about your husband? Call him out! I remember he was incredibly handsome even when he was bald. I wonder if he'd look even better with hair."
Yi Bin smiled, unwilling to be outdone: "That's certainly not as pretty as the silver. Silver is so much more pleasing to the eye, and it can even surpass Liu Jiansheng. By the way, do you sleep with the silver or your husband at night? If you sleep with your husband, will you dream of him turning into a toad hit by the silver?"
After hearing this, Yanbao, regardless of the fact that it was a mockery of her sister, burst into laughter, stumbling back and forth, gasping for breath. Zheng Sirui supported Yanbao and smoothed her back, complaining: "Alright, alright, we are all classmates, don't be so mean, if the little sister sees it, it will be a bad influence on her."
Yanru and Yibin looked at each other, groaned, and turned away without another word. Yibin led Zheng Sirui forward to admire the view of the mountains. There was no fence at the edge of the cliff, only a vast expanse of emptiness. Below was a bottomless abyss. Zheng Sirui was afraid of heights. One look and her limbs went limp, her tongue bitter, and she screamed, "I'm not going, I'm not going."
Yi Bin said, "Then what did you say about going to Shu? Oh, how dangerous and high it is! The Shu Road is as difficult as climbing to the sky. If you were on the Shu Road, wouldn't you be scared to death?" After saying this, he pretended to pull Zheng Sirui forward. Zheng Sirui turned pale and huddled in place, clinging to a bamboo. Seeing this, Yanru became annoyed and pulled Yi Bin's hand away: "Don't mess with me! She fell from a tree when she was a child and is afraid of heights. She trembles when she stands on anything higher than her. Don't mess with me!"
Yi Bin quickly stopped and apologized repeatedly.
"See, I'm the only one who treats you best and understands you best!" Yanru helped Zheng Sirui up, looking at her innocently. Zheng Sirui regained her composure and breathed a sigh of relief. The four of them, tired of the scenery, paid their respects to the statue of Guanyin and agreed to return to Tiekan Temple together. Yanbao was extremely enthusiastic, grabbing Zheng Sirui's arm. Zheng Sirui smiled and said, "Are you coming to the capital so early?"
"Yes, I was thinking of coming to the capital soon to play with you." Yan Bao had always liked Zheng Sirui, and she never tired of sweet talk. She chatted endlessly, pulling Zheng Sirui aside and telling her everything that had happened recently. Zheng Sirui had originally thought it was just a fun chat, listening for fun until Yan Bao said, "My brother-in-law may be ugly, but he's quite capable. He invited people to dinner and said a few words, and he got me into Guanyan Academy."
Zheng Sirui froze and turned to look at Yanru: "You, what's wrong?"
Yanru wanted to strangle You Yanbao, the stupid, tongue-tied bastard, to death right away. She hurriedly pulled Zheng Sirui over and walked away quickly, saying, "Don't be angry. I was just trying to appease our family."
Zheng Sirui thought about how she had run around for this matter, spending a fortune and having to pay so many smiles. Yanru had only said a few words of thanks afterwards, not even bothering to offer a meal. She didn't want to argue with Yanru, but Yanru actually gave the credit to Xue Jia. She couldn't help but fuss, "What's so good about this? I even begged Lu Zhiling for help, and you don't even remember my kindness?"
Yanru disagreed: "I know it's you! I know, I remember! Well, I just remember it, why do you care what my mother and my grandmother think? I just remember it, isn't it? Yanbao has always liked you. It doesn't matter whether she knows that you helped her or not. She has always liked you anyway! Ruirui, don't be so stingy. You know what my status is in the family. It's because I married into a good family that my mother treats me well. Don't bother with me about this."
Zheng Sirui was so angry that she was dizzy. She lowered her voice and said, "Why am I the one who made a fuss? It was me who took care of everything. Xue Jia, Xue Jia didn't do anything, so why did he get such a good result?"
Yanru felt that Zheng Sirui was making a big deal out of nothing, so she perfunctorily said, "Alright, Ruirui, I was wrong, that's enough. Oh, don't think about it, just forget it! Anyway, as long as you're here, it's enough for me to remember your kindness."
Zheng Sirui was filled with grievances and ignored Yanru. For the first time, she shook off Yanru's hand and ran forward alone.
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