Chapter 34 Challenging the advances of women who seduce men outside the marriage
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In the afterglow of the setting sun, I could barely make out Lin Xihe's simple handwriting.
Scared out of your wits, died, are you satisfied now... LOL, I'm afraid of bugs? Who do you think you are? I'm perfectly fine, I won't die, are you disappointed?
After carefully identifying each character, my gaze fell upon the final signature: a row of trees, a stream, and a lotus flower.
Three small, simple line drawings form the signature of Lin Xihe.
Next to the signature is an explanation: The name has too many strokes.
The preface to the article remains silent. Such a woman, she can't even be bothered to write her own name.
He unfolded another note, and this time it wasn't written in difficult simplified characters, but rather a picture: a small figure resembling a piece of firewood, with a long shawl around its neck.
"What does it mean?" Wen Zhixu flipped through the pages again and again, but could not figure it out.
"Hey, what's this?" Xie Qi, who had been lying in wait despite being beaten up, had been lurking behind Wen Zhixu for a long time.
His sleazy, shameless nature was itching: "Is it a letter from Lady Lin? What did she write? Why can't I understand a single word? Her handwriting looks like earthworms!"
"Let her be ugly, what's it to you?" Wen Zhixu elbowed him.
No matter how much Xie Qi cried out, Wen Zhixu simply wouldn't let him see it.
Xie Qi retorted angrily, "You're just like a dog guarding its food!"
Without saying a word, Wen Zhixu kicked his leg bone.
"Ahhh!" Xie Qi came with two good legs, but left with only one limp.
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The following morning, Lin Xihe practiced military boxing in the courtyard.
Spring had quietly passed more than halfway, and the heavy jacket was replaced with a light gauze lining. Halfway through her sentence, she turned around and caught a glimpse of a pigeon perched on the top of a crabapple tree.
"You're here again?"
"Gurgle." The voice carried a hint of grievance.
The paper tube tied to the pigeon's leg had visibly grown larger.
She was immediately taken aback: "What's wrong with Wen Zhixu? Is he here to deliver a letter, or to participate in a triathlon?"
The densely packed small characters were all traditional Chinese characters that gave her a headache, but she managed to pick out a few simplified characters from them.
Lin Xihe's mind swirled between traditional and simplified Chinese characters as she frowned, "Tch, copying me again? Openly challenging me? Showing off how fast you learn?"
The letter stated: Xie Hanlin's calligraphy is exquisite, but his grandson Xie Qi, despite coming from a prestigious family, has a less than flattering handwriting, which resembles earthworms...
Lin Xihe was completely bewildered. Wasn't Xie Qi Wen Zhixu's best friend? Why was he making sarcastic remarks about Xie Qi?
She read a few more paragraphs, and became even more confused.
"Xie Qi and ●● were childhood sweethearts," the middle part was probably a person's name, the characters blurred together, forming two black blobs, completely unlike Wen Zhixu's style, "Their love is stronger than gold, though they are not betrothed, they will not marry anyone but each other..."
Lin Xihe rubbed her sore eyes and said in confusion, "Who Xie Qi grew up with, who he married... even if he marries his stepmother, it has nothing to do with me."
The preface to this article is written in a rambling, letter-like style, which is completely unlike my usual style.
The letter was signed again with the same phrase: This pigeon will only fly back if it carries a reply.
"..."
When Lin Zhirou and her servants barged into Tinghe Pavilion, Lin Xihe was lying on the soft grass, biting the tip of a calligraphy brush.
"You actually ordered Yan'er to catch bugs for you?!"
Lin Xihe tilted her head and glanced at her out of the corner of her eye. In just a few days, Lin Zhirou had gotten even rounder.
"Oh! You like catching bugs too? Then you can catch some for me."
Lin Zhirou's round face immediately caved in: "You!"
“Okay.” Lin Xihe turned her face away and continued writing the letter. “There are enough earthworms. The nymphs are hard to catch. It likes poplar trees. Remember to look under the poplar trees.”
"..." Lin Zhirou, who had come to interrogate him, was angered by Lin Xihe's words.
After Lin Xihe finished writing the letter, she folded it into a small cube and tied it to the pigeon's leg.
The pigeon spread its wings and soared into the blue sky.
Sending a message by carrier pigeon? Lin Zhirou looked at her warily. This fool has no friends and must be doing something shady.
Instead of getting an explanation from Lin Pinyan, he ended up getting very angry.
Granny Wang offered a plan: "The eldest young lady and the second young master are engaged, but she is not behaving herself. Why don't we spread the news? What do you think the second young master will do when he hears this?"
Lin Zhirou: "He'll definitely think she's unfaithful and seducing other men, and Brother Zhixu will definitely break off the engagement with her!"
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As in previous years, after the memorial service, Wen Zhixu stayed in the ancestral hall to copy scriptures and burn them, in order to pray for the deceased brother's soul.
The flames seemed to whisper secrets. Wen Zhixu returned to his desk and wrote a short letter to his elder brother: "I visited Mother the other day; she is well. The medicine has been delivered, and Madam Lin will ensure she takes it. Please rest assured, brother..."
Wen Qi, who was responsible for burning the scriptures in the brazier, was surprised. In previous years, the second young master would just bury himself in copying scriptures and never write letters. Now his behavior was completely different; perhaps he was lovesick.
Wen Qi caught a glimpse of Xiao Xin out of the corner of his eye: Madam Lin's daughter has woken up. She's no longer a fool, and now she's going against me at every turn... I'm angry...
His hand trembled as if he had seen something extraordinary, and he immediately threw the letter into the brazier.
The pigeons flew back once more. Wen Zhixu finished reading the preface, his brow furrowing.
Wen Qi, who had been keeping a close watch on things, secretly thought something was wrong. It must be that Miss Lin had written something nonsense again, angering the Second Young Master.
Unexpectedly, Wen Zhixu had a carrier pigeon delivered.
The servant carefully examined its ankles and wings: "Reporting to the Second Young Master, there is no news."
"..."
"Gurgle?"
The gazes of the person and the bird met.
Preface: "Have you not lacked or missed letters?"
"Coo coo coo!" The homing pigeon protested vehemently in response to its owner's questioning.
"Then why did she only write a few words?"
Not bothered at all, Lin Xihe, who didn't want to use a brush, simply wrote four words: "Read and do not reply."
A nameless anger suddenly flared up. Wen Zhixu was not a master who would make things difficult for his servants, so he turned his anger on the innocent pigeon: "Eat, eat, all you know is how to eat! What use are you to me?!"
The pigeon: "..." The corn kernels in its mouth suddenly didn't taste good anymore.
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With their arch-rival gone, the car wheels rolled across the empty alleyway, making even the air feel exceptionally fresh.
"The spring sunshine is perfect for wasting time." Lin Xihe lifted the carriage curtain, her sleeves scattering sunlight. "My pockets are full of money, perfect for spending."
Qingwu felt cheerful as she listened to her mistress humming an off-key tune.
This street market in Shengjing sold birds, cats, dogs, and insects, much like a modern flower and bird market. The street was bustling with people, and the Lin family's carriage was stuck halfway through the road. Lin Xihe didn't mind and got out of the carriage with Qingwu to walk.
The waiter at Yulin Garden was a shrewd man. He saw a young lady dressed in fine silk alighting from a luxurious carriage from afar, and he immediately came out of the shop with a big smile to greet her.
When Lin Xihe was still "Lin Xiaosi," she was disliked by this waiter and was kicked out of the shop on the spot. Of course, she held a grudge and turned to leave.
"Why is the noble person leaving?" The waiter's eyes fell on the birdcage in the maid's hand. Wasn't the myna bird in the cage the one that the Wen family had been searching for like crazy?
He looked troubled; the notice for the bird search at the Wen residence was still hanging in the Imperial Garden, offering a reward of a thousand taels of silver!
Caught between offending the young lady and the hefty reward, the waiter hesitated for a moment before blurting out, "This bird looks quite similar to the one that Young Master Wen lost."
Lin Xihe smiled: "It's his."
"..."
The waiter cast a pleading look at the shopkeeper.
Although the sparrow was not bought from Yulin Garden, Wen Zhixu was a frequent customer of the shop, and the shopkeeper certainly did not want to offend the Wen family.
The young lady in front of him was dressed too elegantly. The quality of the fabric and the exquisite embroidery subtly revealed her wealth and status, and it was definitely not the product of an ordinary embroidery workshop.
The shopkeeper didn't want to offend either side.
While she was thinking it over, the maidservant beside the young lady had already ordered the waiter to bring out the dried insects and was picking them out.
The young lady seemed to have a natural aversion to insects, keeping her distance. She personally carried the birdcage, brought her face close to the edge, and asked the sparrow, "Bubu, do you eat earthworms?"
"Gah."
It probably means she likes to eat them. The young lady instructed the waiter to pack more dried earthworms.
The shopkeeper smiled ingratiatingly and cautiously inquired, "Miss, since it's Young Master Wen's sparrow, isn't its name Cuihuang?"
Lin Xihe disagreed: "That was a former name."
"..."
The crowd outside dispersed somewhat, and the coachman stopped the carriage outside the Imperial Garden.
"Oh, isn't this the carriage from Lord Lin's residence?" A deep male voice rang out.
Everyone turned around and saw a middle-aged man dressed in purple walking over, with a brightly colored parrot perched on his shoulder.
"Master Cheng!" the shopkeeper greeted him warmly.
From Lin Xihe's perspective, a fat eggplant suddenly jumped into the store.
Master Cheng immediately recognized Lin Xihe's identity and bowed with a smile, saying, "Miss Lin."
"Do you know me?" Lin Xihe sized him up, her gaze then drifting to the parrot. She subconsciously placed her arm across her birdcage, subtly blocking its view—afraid that the big guy would frighten her little bird.
Master Cheng nodded: "Of course."
The carriage outside was Lin Zhaoheng's newly purchased car. Who else but the eldest daughter of the Lin family could make him willingly give up his carriage? The arrogant second young lady of the Lin family had never received such treatment.
"Coco, greet someone."
The parrot reluctantly called out, "Miss Lin!"
The parrot mimicked speech, earning praise from everyone around it.
After paying for the dried insects, Qingwu was about to leave with Lin Xihe.
The shopkeeper caught up: "Miss Lin, it's Cuihuang from the Wen family, the second young master's household..."
"I'm taking care of his bird for him, is there a problem?" Lin Xihe was puzzled. Would she mistreat her enemy's pet? Please, she's a pet lover!
Upon hearing Wen Zhixu's name, Master Cheng stepped forward and said, "Miss Lin, please wait."
"What brings you here, Master Cheng?" Lin Xihe gripped the birdcage tightly. Was this Master Cheng a friend of Wen Zhixu? Did he want to take the bird?
Master Cheng was not tall, and with the "height-increasing" shoes that the shoe shop owner was promoting, his line of sight was barely level with Lin Xihe's.
“I’ve heard that the Jade Phoenix that Young Master Wen has been carefully raising can’t speak, but my Keke is only one year old this year and can speak eloquently. She is more capable than Young Master Wen’s Jade Phoenix.” Master Cheng raised his head. “Keke, recite a poem.”
The parrot tilted its head and recited in perfect pronunciation: "The bright moonlight shines before my bed..."
"Good! Good!" someone applauded.
Unbeknownst to him, Master Cheng had grown taller than Lin Xihe, looking down at her with a sense of superiority. He felt quite pleased with himself: "But it was I, Master Cheng, who had a discerning eye and bought it from the Hu merchant. Young Master Wen was a step too slow and was indignant. He turned around and bought Cuihuang from the Sparrow Shop."
"So what if it's a foreign bird?" Lin Xihe scoffed. "Does your Coco speak Persian?"
Master Cheng was speechless.
Of course not.
Today, with the preface to the article absent, he seized the perfect opportunity to vent his anger.
"You talk as if it were the Cuihuang Society," Master Cheng said loudly.
Everyone in Shengjing knows that Wen Zhixu was cheated when buying a dog, kept a bird that didn't know how to speak, and even his majestic white horse couldn't find its way.
With a light tap of her slender fingers on the birdcage twice, Lin Xihe calmly said, "Cuihuang, say a few words of Persian to everyone."
The bird, with its crooked neck, didn't understand its new owner's meaning for a moment.
Everyone burst into laughter, and Master Cheng laughed especially heartily.
Qingwu understood and immediately lured it with dried insects.
Lin Xihe: "Bu Bu? Say a few words."
The myna bird in the cage finally opened its mouth lazily.
"hello."
Nice.
"..."
The sparrow got more and more carried away, chattering out a whole string of words.
Although the onlookers didn't understand anything, seeing the myna bird's impressive posture and melodious voice, they thought the bird was very eloquent and clever.
Master Cheng was astonished for a long time. How could the second son of the Wen family's sparrow talk? In his memory, the bird was extremely dull-witted and could not speak a single word of human language except for monotonous cawing.
But the Second Young Master Wen spoiled this stupid bird like a treasure!
He was unconvinced and insisted on finding fault: "How can nonsense be considered Persian? What's the point of raising a sparrow that can't even sing properly and can only talk nonsense?"
Lin Xihe immediately retorted: "Keeping pets isn't for showing off. Wen Zhixu is happy to do it. Who's it bothering? He has a kind heart. What law has he broken?"
"..." Master Cheng was speechless.
She ignored Master Cheng, bent down, and lowered her gaze to the level of the caged birds.
"My baby is so smart!"
Whose myna bird is this amazing?
Bu Bu gradually lost herself amidst Lin Xihe's constant praise.
"A waterfall plunges three thousand feet..."
"Li Bai was about to set sail in his boat..."
Someone chuckled: "Hey, this bird likes Li Bai's poems!"
Some people countered, "Master Cheng's Cocoa can also recite it."
Everyone looked over expectantly. To their surprise, Master Cheng looked displeased. He had spent a whole year teaching Cheng the line "The bright moonlight before my bed" before Cheng finally made a breakthrough, but now he had failed miserably in front of Lu Ban.
Master Cheng hurriedly said "Excuse me," and turned to leave with his parrot. In his haste, he stumbled, and his new shoes flew into the air.
It almost hit Lin Xihe.
She took a half step back and stared at the shoes for a while. The heels were thick, and at first glance, they were different from ordinary shoes. Upon closer inspection, the insoles were much thicker than usual.
Lin Xihe muttered, "BBK, the insoles are too thick and it's easy to sprain your ankle. They need to improve them."
Master Cheng couldn't stay a moment longer, so he sent his servant to pick up his shoes and ran away as fast as he could, limping.
The parrot gripped his shoulder, flapping its wings incessantly and chanting, "Rise higher and higher, rise higher and higher..."
In the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Master Cheng had completely lost face.
While others stroll around, Linxi He walks his bird.
After using the Flower Stamen Stone, Que'er's health improved day by day. She couldn't stay in the house and wanted to come out and wander around all day.
"You can only stay for one hour," Lin Xihe set the time. "You need to take a nap later, understand?"
"Gah."
She was a little reluctant to return the clever little bird.
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The Wen family's carriage circled around the city.
Wen Qilian said something strange: all the bird-finding notices posted on the wall were gone.
The sparrow was in Lin Xihe's hands. That day, a notice with a strange pig's head inexplicably floated into his mansion... After some thought, it wasn't hard to figure out who the mastermind was.
Linxi He.
"Go to Yulin Garden."
Wen Qi was taken aback, thinking that the second young master was furious and wanted to demand an explanation from the eldest daughter of the Lin family.
But Wen Zhixu said, "Go tell Manager Que Si that Cuihuang has been found and there's no need for him to keep an eye out for me anymore."
The carriages were blocked outside Tianming Tea Garden, and the storyteller's voice could be clearly heard:
"After the parrot was defeated, the wealthy man stomped his feet on the ground, humiliated and indignant, and fled!"
"Who told him to provoke that young lady? Turns out, her myna bird is eloquent and can even recite poetry!"
The more Wen Zhi listened, the more suspicious he became: the plot clearly seemed to be based on his own Cuihuang's story. But the most crucial point didn't make sense: how did the sparrow's owner become a "young lady"?
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The author's note: "Moonlight shines before my bed. A waterfall plunges three thousand feet. Li Bai is about to set sail in his boat." These lines are from Li Bai's poem.
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