Chapter 17 "Brother Tang, I want to see..."
Cui Xintang raised an eyebrow, her voice slightly hoarse, "Yes."
Meng Yuanxiao's eyes curved into a smile as she wrapped her arms around his neck and brought her lips to his.
When they parted, Meng Yuanxiao rubbed his temples and said, "Brother Tang, I think I'm a little drunk."
"Hmm?" Cui Xintang asked with a smile, "Are you drunk?"
Meng Yuanxiao muttered to himself, "Otherwise, why would I feel that Lu Erlang looks somewhat like you?"
Actually, she herself was a little puzzled as to why she had immediately forgotten about Lu Erlang when she married Brother Tang.
She was a little confused, but then she heard Cui Xintang chuckle and ask her, "How much silver did you earn from those paintings?"
Meng Yuanxiao snapped back to reality. "How did you know?"
It was truly absurd for a young woman like her to sell her paintings, and she knew it herself, which is why she wanted to keep it a secret from him.
Cui Xintang chuckled and said, "Last night, when I returned from my official duties, my servants informed me."
Meng Yuanxiao: "..."
Cui Xintang gently traced her moist lips with his fingers. "Your husband has kept it a secret for you, not letting anyone tell Mother or Meng Xu. How will Yuanyuan thank me?"
As he said this, Meng Yuanxiao, sitting on his lap, keenly sensed that he was subtly making a move, already pressing against her.
Her face flushed red, and she moved back a little, glancing down at the scene.
Seeing the shape of that area through her clothes, Meng Yuanxiao suddenly recalled Mingyue's words from that day.
“It’s spectacular.”
Meng Yuanxiao pursed her lips, unable to look away for a moment.
For some reason, she boldly reached out and poked it with her finger, then pinched it with two fingers.
Cui Xintang froze for a moment, and Meng Yuanxiao felt the thing suddenly jump in her hand. She was startled and hurriedly dropped it.
The intense gaze overhead was burning hot, and Meng Yuanxiao's cheeks flushed red. When she met his eyes, her almond-shaped eyes also held a hint of fervor.
"Brother Tang, I want to see it."
Cui Xintang: "...What do you want to think?"
Meng Yuanxiao bit her lip and remained silent, raising her hand to untie the garland tied around his waist.
Perhaps he wasn't brave enough, as he was a bit clumsy and it took him a long time to unravel it.
Cui Xintang let her do as she pleased, watching her clumsily lift his coat, undo his belt, and pull his trousers outward with her slender white fingers.
Then, he leaned forward and peeked inside.
The soft hair brushed against his lower abdomen, and Cui Xintang tensed up instantly.
Meng Yuanxiao glanced at it only once before hurriedly throwing it away.
He seemed startled, his brows furrowed tightly, his eyes filled with horror and a hint of disgust.
Cui Xintang: "..."
Meng Yuanxiao's mind went blank, his eyes fixed on that spot through Cui Xintang's pants.
I had never looked at it carefully before; it turns out it's like this.
Its appearance is hard to describe; it's quite large and a bit ugly.
She swallowed hard, her flushed face paling slightly, and it took her a while to accept the fact.
Still somewhat unwilling, he hesitated for a moment, then pulled down his pants and took another look.
This time, they looked for a little longer, and just as they were feeling surprised and curious, Cui Xintang's voice came softly from above, "Have you looked enough?"
Meng Yuanxiao immediately came to her senses, quickly turned her face away, and hurriedly tied his belt back on for him.
I breathed a sigh of relief once I tied the belt back up and it was no longer visible.
After finally managing to banish what she had just seen from her mind, she looked up and met Cui Xintang's half-smiling eyes.
"Yuanyuan hasn't said how she wants to thank me yet."
Meng Yuanxiao: "..."
Her heart was pounding, her eyes were blinking, and after a slight hesitation, she deliberately clung to him and sat closer, rubbing against him mischievously.
Noticing that Cui Xintang had frozen in place, Meng Yuanxiao laughed triumphantly and kissed him on the lips.
"That story I wanted to try but didn't dare to last time, Brother Tang, would you like to try it with me tonight?"
She should have been thanking him, but instead she was trying to curry favor with him. Cui Xintang was both amused and annoyed, trying to ignore the heat beneath her, her eyes growing even darker.
"That depends on whether Yuanyuan is brave enough tonight."
Meng Yuanxiao, having drunk some wine, was indeed quite bold. She wasn't afraid at all; she clung to Cui Xintang's neck and leaned in to kiss him again.
"Brother Tang, I only got thirty taels from selling my paintings, which isn't enough to treat my girlfriends to a meal today. Please make up the difference!"
Previously, when she spent money extravagantly and didn't want her mother and older brother to know, she would often run to him and beg him to make up for it.
Cui Xintang was already used to it, so he casually agreed, then pinched her buttocks and said in a hoarse voice, "Didn't I give you all my money? You can take it yourself."
“Okay!” Meng Yuanxiao’s eyes crinkled into a smile.
After saying that, she looked a little aggrieved, "Brother Tang, you don't know, those girls teased me again today."
Cui Xintang raised his eyebrows, waiting for her to speak.
"Today I wanted them to envy me, but they laughed at me and said, 'Ha, it's just thirty taels of silver, what's that? If you're so capable, go and take the exam to become a painter at the Imperial Academy, then we'll respect you!'"
With a serious expression, she spoke with great conviction, leaving Cui Xintang speechless for a moment.
Meng Yuanxiao looked at him with her moist almond-shaped eyes, "Brother Tang, do you think I can pass the painter exam?"
Cui Xintang thought for a moment and asked, "Why do you want to take the exam to become a painter?"
Without hesitation, Meng Yuanxiao replied, "I haven't been involved much these past few days, and Sister Chen has managed the household affairs very well. So there's no need to keep me confined to the mansion. I want to do what I like."
"Things you like?"
Meng Yuanxiao nodded solemnly, "Yes."
Cui Xintang smiled and asked, "Yuanyuan, do you know what time your husband gets up to go to work every day?"
Meng Yuanxiao: "...I don't know."
"If you pass the imperial examination and become a painter in the Imperial Academy, you will become a female official in the Hanlin Academy. From then on, you will have to get up before dawn every day to go to the yamen, just like me. You can no longer sleep in."
Meng Yuanxiao: "..."
"Still want to take the exam to become a female official?"
Meng Yuanxiao gritted his teeth and said, "Yes!"
Cui Xintang was amused by her, "It's not too late to talk about it when you can get up at the same time as me."
Meng Yuanxiao leaned against him, feeling annoyed for a moment, then remembered something and asked, "Brother Tang, how's the matter of the Ministry of Revenue's inspection that you told me about?"
Cui Xintang became slightly more serious. "My superior summoned me today and spoke to me about this matter again."
Meng Yuanxiao asked in surprise, "You're not really going to go, are you?"
Cui Xintang paused for a moment, then said, "Judging from what the superior said today, that's what he meant."
Meng Yuanxiao grew anxious, "You're going to be gone for so long, what will I do if I miss you?"
Brother Tang once said that the inspection should start from the south and then go north, inspecting all routes. It would take at least a year, and at most even longer.
She pursed her lips. "Why don't you take me with you?"
"..." Cui Xintang said with a smile, "Yuanyuan, do you think it's a trip? You'll be traveling to several places, and not to mention the long journey, you'll be either working in the fields or dealing with the local officials. I'm afraid you won't be able to stand it for even a day."
Meng Yuanxiao felt a pang of sadness, her nose stung, and tears streamed down her face.
"..." Cui Xintang said helplessly, "Why did you have to cry? There will only be more things like this in the future. Do you have to cry every time?"
After saying that, he added, "Isn't my father-in-law often away from the capital and not in the city?"
Meng Yuanxiao sniffed and said in a muffled voice, "Brother Tang, can't you not go? There are so many people in the Ministry of Revenue, why can't someone else go instead?"
Cui Xintang remained silent for a moment.
The Princess already knew about his meeting with the Prince of Liang that day. He originally thought the Princess would change her mind and send someone else to inspect the area.
But today, the superior's intention is clearly still to send him.
He couldn't quite figure out what the princess was thinking, but he knew perfectly well that he absolutely couldn't go on the inspection again, or the princess would become suspicious of him.
Therefore, he still had to find a way to decline the inspection assignment.
However, he couldn't say these things to Meng Yuanxiao, so he only said, "Your husband is just a doctor right now. How can he make decisions about government affairs?"
Meng Yuanxiao's eyes were brimming with tears, and she remained silent.
Helpless, Cui Xintang reached out and wiped away her tears. "Then how about I take you with me?"
These words were just to coax her. Meng Yuanxiao said stubbornly, "I don't want to go. I can't bear to leave my mother. It's so comfortable staying in the capital. I don't want to suffer with you."
Cui Xintang was amused by her and said, "You little ingrate."
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