The two of them competed secretly and tested each other's strength. They were evenly matched, so they smiled at each other and let go at the same time, feeling a sense of mutual appreciation.
"What are you two doing?" Ding Dusai's voice came from the gate.
"Madam Ding." Zhang Shixun turned around quickly.
Ding Dusai, wearing a scarlet cloak, stood under the lantern at the door and looked at him with a smile.
Under the dim lanterns, Ding Dusai's smile was as beautiful as a flower, her eyes were longing, and her smile was charming, like a fairy who had descended to earth.
"Madam Ding." Zhang Shixun called her again.
"You said you would come to see me often, but you haven't come to see me for 65 days. You don't keep your word." Ding Dusai pouted.
"Ah? I'm so sorry I haven't come to see you in all these days. To be honest, I've been busy training in the barracks these days and haven't had the time." Zhang Shixun said apologetically, "Look, I just got off yesterday, and I came to see you today. I first went to the Lotus Pavilion, but it was empty. I thought something had happened, so I hurried to your house. But then, your drunken old man pulled me aside and scolded me. After finally finding out you were with Madam Li, I rushed here without stopping."
"Oh! My dad is drunk again? Really? He drinks whenever he has free time, and he won't stop until he's drunk." Ding Dusai dodged his feet and asked, "Is Dad okay?"
"Nothing! He was already asleep in bed when I came, snoring loudly. Auntie is home too."
"Did you see Mom? She went to see a relative today, and I thought she wouldn't be back tonight... Hehe! That's good. I don't have to rush back to look after Dad."
The two of them started talking warmly as soon as they met.
Han Shizhong, standing by, couldn't take it anymore and complained, "Saisai, you two are just busy talking, but you've left me, your uncle, aside. How can that be justified?"
"Uncle, you're treating yourself like an outsider, aren't you?" Ding Dusai, hearing his uncle's strange words, retreated in order to advance, "You're not afraid of being strangers anymore."
Han Shizhong laughed when he heard this. "It's not that I'm estranged, but your niece's heart has already turned out." Then he shook his head and said, "As the saying goes, a girl can't be kept at home when she grows up."
"Uncle! You...!" Saisai glared at him in reproach.
"Alright! I won't say any more. You two should hurry in. They must be waiting anxiously inside."
"Uncle, don't stand outside alone, let's go in together." Ding Du Track.
"It's better for me to stay outside. There are so many beautiful women in there. It's suffocating for a soldier like me to stay inside."
"Brother Han...no, no! Uncle, isn't my aunt in there too? Let's go in together so that she won't miss you." Zhang Shixun said, holding Han Shizhong's arm.
Ding Dusai held his other arm and said in a coquettish voice, "That's right, uncle, come in with us. If you feel uncomfortable, just sit aside and have some tea."
Han Shizhong had no choice but to follow the two men in.
Li Shishi's guest room was very lively, filled with the chattering of women's voices, occasionally interspersed with giggles.
As soon as Ding Dusai and the other two entered the room, they immediately attracted the attention of a group of women.
"Master Zhang, it's been a long time!" Li Shishi came forward, her bright eyes gazing at Zhang Shixun. "You've gotten darker and thinner. It seems life in the military camp is very hard."
"Mr. Zhang, long time no see. Although you have lost some weight as your sister said, you look more energetic." Sun Sansi also said.
The women in the room greeted him one after another.
Zhang Shixun glanced around the room and recognized most of the people. Except for Li Shishi and Sun Sansi, the others included Xu Poxi, Feng Yinu, Wang Jingnu, and sisters Xue Zida and Xue Zixiao, etc. The other beauties were unfamiliar to him and he had never seen them before.
"Everyone! It is really presumptuous of me to come here today. I hope you can forgive me for any impoliteness." Zhang Shixun made a bow.
Li Shishi asked the maid to make room for the two men while smiling and saying, "We sisters were just talking about you. We didn't expect you to come uninvited. What a pleasant surprise."
"Really?" Zhang Shixun pretended to be surprised. "No wonder my ears were itching this afternoon. Someone is talking about me. What bad things are you saying about me? Tell me."
"You are wrong. We are not saying bad things about you, but the opposite." Li Shishi let him and Han Shizhong sit down.
"So, you are praising me?" This was not the first time Zhang Shixun came here. He sat down generously and pulled Han Shizhong to the seat next to him.
Zhang Shixun had a sharp eye. He noticed that the great hero Han Shizhong was very restrained and looked at a loss, which was very funny.
A woman in red came over, pulled out a handkerchief from her sleeve, and generously handed it to Han Shizhong, saying, "Sir, you are a strong man, and perhaps you are not used to the warmth here. Please wipe the sweat off your face."
When Zhang Shixun heard this, he knew that the woman in red must be the heroine Liang Hongyu, who has been praised for thousands of years.
"Uncle, is this my aunt?" Zhang Shixun asked Han Shizhong.
Han Shizhong grinned and replied, "Exactly! She is my new wife—'Auntie' is a strange name. You should call her 'Sister-in-law'; it sounds better."
Zhang Shixun quickly stood up and bowed respectfully, saying, "I, Zhang Shixun, greet my aunt... my aunt." After saying this, he began to sweat. It was because Liang Hongyu seemed to be about the same age as him, and he always felt uncomfortable calling her "aunt."
Liang Hongyu squatted down and bowed, saying, "My humble self is Liang Hongyu, nice to meet you..."
"Ah! She is your nephew, so it is only natural for her to bow to you. As her aunt, just accept it. There is no need to return the greeting." Sun Sansi hurriedly pulled Liang Hongyu up.
Everyone present laughed together.
Liang Hongyu also laughed and said self-deprecatingly, "Shixun is about the same age as me, but I actually treated him as my peer."
Zhang Shixun felt very embarrassed. Although he and Ding Dusai were in love with each other, they had not yet established a formal relationship. Logically speaking, there was no need for him to acknowledge her as a relative. However, both he and everyone else took it for granted that Han Shizhong and the other two were his elders.
It seems that his relationship with Ding Dusai has been recognized by everyone.
From the moment he saw Han Shizhong, Zhang Shixun secretly made up his mind that he must not let this man go at any cost. If he let him get away, he would definitely be the biggest idiot of all time.
Everyone laughed and joked for a while before sitting down one after another.
"Mr. Zhang, we sisters are gathered together today to celebrate the establishment of the Women's Federation. This Women's Federation was your idea. Tell me, how can we sisters not talk about you?" Li Shishi said with a smile.
"Congratulations! Congratulations!" Zhang Shixun cupped his hands. "This is something worth celebrating. From now on, women will slowly hold up this half of the sky."
"Sir, half the sky? You said we women are half the sky?" Ding Dusai was overjoyed when he heard this.
"Of course, women are just as capable as men. Who says women are inferior to men? Women can also hold up half the sky!"
"Well said!" All the girls present clapped and cheered, their faces showing joy.
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