Chapter 32 Provoking Our Child? When Does Madam Plan to Give Birth?
"ah!"
Qingduo struggled to get up, as if she were sitting on a bed of nails. Zeng Zhengqing reacted quickly, pressing his hand down on her shoulder, and Qingduo involuntarily fell onto his lap again, leaning forward and lunging at Zeng Zhengqing. Her arms instinctively wrapped around his neck, and her head buzzed. She frantically tried to let go and push him away, but his arms held her tightly, and she couldn't move.
Countless brilliant plans crumbled like peeling paint from a dilapidated wall, leaving only a blank in her mind. Qingduo, her face flushed, pushed against his chest.
Zeng Zhengqing said in a low voice, "So, in Madam's heart, I am not trustworthy."
"No, no..." Qingduo stammered. She had felt calm and at ease during his embrace before, so why was she so uneasy this time? Her heart felt like it was going to jump out of her throat.
"What is that?"
He smiled faintly and gently stroked the back of her head, seemingly to encourage her, but Qingduo felt a chill run down her spine.
Observing words and expressions, listening carefully to discern reason, was her natural instinct. Regardless of the specific content of the words, the tone of voice carried its own warmth or coldness; even the most skilled at disguise could not hide their true feelings. Zeng Zhengqing's words, however, were like a breath of cold air exhaled after eating ice cream.
Fear!
She had never seen this Qingqing before!
Qingduo shrank her neck and leaned forward to avoid it. She was afraid that the five fingers would turn into long fingernails and poke five holes in her head.
"Yes..." The answer came out of her mouth without her thinking, "The day I met them, I secretly ran away to play instead of going to Dad's to learn to paint. When I got home, I found that you had carefully prepared art supplies for me. I didn't want to, I didn't want to let you down, so I didn't say anything."
Zeng Zhengqing was not surprised. His wife couldn't even keep a secret about something as trivial as a millet grain, let alone his "great achievements." He had thought that she was keeping quiet for another embarrassing reason, but he didn't expect that she didn't want to waste his efforts.
He gently pressed his palm against the back of his neck, and their foreheads touched. Qingduo heard him sigh, "Fool."
"I have been underestimated by the lady."
Qingduo wanted to look up and speak, but Zeng Zhengqing's hand was pressed behind her back, preventing her from moving. She could only look up at him and retort fiercely, "No, absolutely not!"
"Then why do you think I wouldn't support your choice?"
"It's wrong to sneak out and not go to art class!"
“What is ‘right’? What is ‘wrong’? In my opinion, whatever Madam wants to do is right. If she wants to learn to paint, she should go; if she wants to play, she should play. Doing what she wants is the right thing to do.”
Qingduo was taken aback. Her father always said that the Zeng family followed the rules and regulations, but her husband repeatedly told her to be unrestrained and act according to her own will, which was quite like the style of her Tang family. She herself was like the daughter of the Zeng family, adhering to the rules and regulations.
She instinctively retorted, "'The breadth of learning lies in perseverance,' and the key to learning is persistence. It's certainly wrong of me to indulge myself. If you think it's right for me to stop studying, aren't you afraid I'll give up halfway?"
Zeng Zhengqing released Qingduo, met her stubborn gaze, and smiled, "What am I afraid of! Doesn't Madam still have a scale in her heart?"
Qingduo was taken aback, then realized that this was Zeng Zhengqing's trust in her. A surge of warmth welled up inside her, but she still retorted defiantly, "What?! I think you're just spoiling them too much. You even said you'd teach our children, but I don't think you can do it right!"
"Our child?" Zeng Zhengqing raised an eyebrow, a faint smile playing on his lips. "When does Madam plan to give birth?"
When should I show him the camellia-colored gauze dress?
All the blood rushed to her head, and Qingduo was shocked and pale. She struggled wildly out of his embrace, scrambling to curl up in the corner on the right, and said in embarrassment and anger, "You! You! Stop...stop changing the subject!"
Seeing his wife become "red again," Zeng Zhengqing chuckled softly a few times and then stopped there. Qingduo, blushing, stole glances at his profile and, seeing the smile on his lips, became even more certain that "that part" of his body had healed. Otherwise, why would he have made it so explicit?
Hmm! Let's brew a few more doses to consolidate the effect, and then...
The camellia embroidery with its border shimmered silver in her mind, and the fading blush returned. She quickly covered her face, feeling the heat on her hands. For a moment, the carriage was silent, while the sounds of wheels turning, horses' hooves, and people talking outside grew clearer.
"The second volume of 'Painting Hall Spring' has been published? As expected of Zi Pian!"
The cacophony of voices surged like hot soup in a pot, but Qingduo's ears keenly caught the sentence. She shuddered and lifted her face from her hands.
What? Zi Pian? That liar who plagiarized Sister Lu Nong's storybook, and now he's writing "Hua Tang Chun" again? Did she hear that right?
Qingduo was stunned for a moment, then quickly lifted the carriage curtain and called for the car to stop. After getting out of the car, she looked around for a while and then locked her gaze on two women who were walking and talking. She rushed forward.
"Sisters, were you talking about Zi Pian and 'Hua Tang Chun' just now?" Qing Duo asked, glancing at the two women's hands. The cover read "Hua Tang Chun Part 2," confirming her guess. She suppressed her anger and forced a smile, "Hehehehe, is it really written by Zi Pian? I heard before that this book was written by someone else, and she used that person's name. How come there's a second volume now?"
"Ah, you mean that matter!" one of the women in green said disdainfully. "The official statement has already been made that the author of this book is Zi Pian alone! That person just came out to extort money because Zi Pian's writing is good!"
Qingduo was taken aback. The wind had changed so quickly? She hurriedly asked, "Which official statement was it?"
"It's 'Shouzhentang,' the exclusive distributor of 'Huatangchun'!" another woman said. "Manager Sai was really pitiful. When the fake author caused trouble, he had to settle things by giving the fake author one hundred taels of silver to protect Zipian's reputation! Alas, Zipian's success today is thanks to Manager Sai!"
"What a scoundrel!" Qingduo gritted her teeth and thought to herself. When she proposed that "Huatang Chun" could not be printed and sold under Ziqian's name, he agreed so readily! Sister Lu Nong clearly only received thirty taels, but he made it out to be one hundred taels!
He twisted the truth, calling "Lu" "Pian," like Pigsy wielding his weapon—turning the tables! What he said was utter utter nonsense! It stank so badly it was unbearable!
The woman in green chimed in, "If it weren't for Manager Sai, we almost wouldn't have seen the second volume of 'Huatangchun'!" She added, "Actually, it doesn't matter if it wasn't written by Zi Pian. I just want to see this story. As long as it's interesting, that's fine. So what if it's borrowed? All writing is plagiarism. If you can make it interesting, then Zi Pian is really capable."
Qingduo's anger burned in her throat. In their mouths, Lu Nong's blood and tears were not as good as a word "interesting." They spat "fairness and justice" on the ground as if it were a phlegm, driven by their shallow desire for pleasure.
She forced a smile: "Well, as far as I know, who would discover they have a problem themselves? 'Shouzhentang' can't just admit to stealing this book; maybe they're just trying to make a profit and are deceiving us. How come his words sound like official statements?"
The two men looked at him warily and questioned, "Why are you taking the side of others? Are you a follower of Zi Pian?"
Qingduo sneered: "Who would follow a liar? Only a fool would believe their nonsense!"
The two realized they had been tricked by Qingduo and immediately started cursing. Qingduo wasn't angry; instead, she grinned, stuck out her tongue, and made faces at them: "Hehehe, Zipian is a liar, Zipian is the liar, I'll tell you, I'll tell you, what can you do about it?"
When Zeng Zhengqing rushed over, the scene before him made him momentarily mistaken for a cockfighting arena. Two "fighting roosters" on the left raised their heads and let out deafening cries, while the "fighting rooster" on the right remained silent, leaping from side to side, sometimes shaking its head, sometimes using its skirt as wings, flapping its wings and kicking up dust which it then shook off towards its opponent. Seeing the one on the left quickly raise its arm to block, it persisted, stretching its neck again and again, its eyes fixed on its opponent, its arrogant attitude seemingly a provocation: "Come on! Come on!"
A crowd had already gathered around, laughing and pointing. Zeng Zhengqing closed his eyes, steeled his heart, stepped forward, stood behind Qingduo, gently tugged at her sleeve, and whispered, "Husband... Qingduo, let it go."
The sarcastic tone on Qingduo's face vanished instantly. Her expression darkened, and she said resentfully, "It's no use! I've been tricked! That bastard Sai Gaopi actually turned around and accused us of being fake Sister Lu Nong. I'll fight them to the death!"
Zeng Zhengqing was taken aback before realizing who she meant by "fighting dog farts." Seeing that his wife was about to rush over and start her "chicken fight dance" again, completely ignoring his advice, the situation escalated. If he hadn't dodged in time, he would have been slapped in the face.
"How dare you hit my husband?" Qingduo roared in fury, bending her elbow and shouting, "Take this punch!"
Before she could even put her newly learned boxing skills to use, she was suddenly launched into the air. In an instant, everything went upside down before her eyes. She found herself being carried on Zeng Zhengqing's shoulder. She pounded on his back violently, like drumsticks striking alternately, and shouted, "Put me down! Put me down!"
Zeng Zhengqing moved with incredible speed, as if he were a fisherman who had accidentally caught a large, slippery fish. If he didn't put it in the fish basket quickly, the fish would "whoosh" into the water and never be found again.
His steps grew faster and faster, and gradually, walking turned into running. Even though Qingduo patted his back repeatedly, no one understood his intention to get down. She was unwilling to give up; wasn't this desertion in the face of battle? In this situation, she could only struggle to her feet, her index finger hovering in the air, pointing directly at the two blurred figures behind her, gritting her teeth and saying, "You just wait and see! I'll peel off their fake skins!"
*
The moment the carriage started moving, Zeng Zhengqing breathed a sigh of relief without making it obvious. "Big Carp" was still thrashing about inside the carriage for a while, while Qingduo kicked her legs wildly, grumbling, "Damn it! How could I have so easily trusted that guy!"
"You too!" Qingduo complained. "I was just about to stand up for you, and you just told me to run away without a fight! That's called 'repaying kindness with enmity'!"
Every inch of skin on his back was still throbbing. Zeng Zhengqing said helplessly, cupping his hands in greeting, "Alright, alright, I've embarrassed you, Madam. But getting entangled with them won't help. I'll find another way to repay your kindness."
After hearing his gentle words, Qingduo gradually calmed down and asked in confusion, "What method?"
Zeng Zhengqing sighed, “Madam, I wanted to tell Miss Lu Nong just now, but I was distracted and missed it. I have also heard of the reputation of ‘Hua Tang Chun’. Judging from its sales volume, Miss Lu Nong’s due amount is far more than thirty taels.”
Qingduo was stunned. She remembered the number she had just heard: "One, one hundred taels?"
Zeng Zhengqing shook his head, "At least this number is the minimum." He held up two fingers.
Qingduo stared in disbelief, then said angrily, "We've been terribly cheated by him! He only gave us thirty taels to get rid of us!"
“Miss Lu Nong is your friend, and I will not stand idly by. I will handle this matter.”
Zeng Zhengqing explained his plan, and Qingduo pouted after listening, saying, "That's it? Not satisfying at all!" She volunteered, "I'll do it! To be honest, I'm quite experienced in causing trouble!"
Zeng Zhengqing found it amusing. He pinched her "duck beak" and said, "No."
"On what grounds?"
“Just because you caused such a scene last time and almost got beaten up!” Zeng Zhengqing stared at her and said solemnly, “I want you to promise me that no matter what, you will never put yourself in danger again.”
"Just hearing the description is enough to terrify me. I will never allow you to do this again!"
When Qingduo saw Zeng Zhengqing's brows furrowed deeply, and recalled the moment he froze when he heard that Zhu Yi had saved her, she blurted out, "Oh! So you were worried about me!"
"Oh dear," she patted his shoulder, looking relaxed, "Don't worry, I'm fine. Brother Zhu might be a little simple-minded, but he's incredibly skilled; he took them down in no time..."
Seeing her nonchalant attitude, Zeng Zhengqing said sternly, "What if he hadn't shown up? Have you thought about the consequences?"
Qingduo hadn't expected this. She stammered, "Brother Zhu didn't show up? Then... then we'll be fine. I've always been lucky enough to escape danger, I..."
The image of her shivering sister Lu Nong embracing her flashed before her eyes, and she suddenly stopped talking. Yes! If Zhu Yi hadn't appeared, she and Lu Nong would have had no way to escape and would have been left battered and bruised! Thinking of this, she couldn't help but shudder.
“You’ve narrowly escaped death, so don’t let yourself become complacent!” Zeng Zhengqing said firmly. “It would be more appropriate to handle this matter my way, so there’s no need to say more.”
Seeing Qingduo's unconvinced expression, he gently comforted her, saying, "I'll take care of these trivial matters. You just need to enjoy your calligraphy and painting with your friends without worrying about anything else."
"Trivial matters?" Qingduo, contrary to her usual self, said seriously, "No, this matter concerns every one of us. Not to mention that Sister Lu Nong is my friend, I am a painter, and I know exactly what it feels like to have your work impersonated. This is not just a loss of money, but also a disgrace, a heart-wrenching pain!"
"My power is meager, but if I remain a bystander, wouldn't I lose even this meager power? If I don't speak up, how will they know that I care, that I care deeply?"
"If one of me cares, there must be many others who care. When they see me stand up, they might be moved and willing to fight alongside me. That would become a hundred 'me's, a thousand 'me's. 'Even a trickle can become a river; even a small spark can start a prairie fire.' When we gather together, we can overwhelm and burn away these greedy, rampant scoundrels!"
As Qingduo spoke, she became more and more impassioned, her hands clenched into fists, as if she were about to rush over with a "meow" and take them down in one bite if the enemy were in front of her.
Zeng Zhengqing gazed at her for a long time, a new respect welling up in his heart. He was already convinced that Qingduo could influence many people; at this moment, the righteous spirit emanating from her had already deeply moved him. She was like a red-tasseled spear, its blade gleaming coldly, its tassels burning brightly; even still, she was fierce, and a single thrust would be unstoppable.
He couldn't stop it, nor could he stop it.
Zeng Zhengqing sat upright, his hands resting on his knees: "What you just said makes me feel ashamed of myself. I am willing to follow you and do righteous things to illuminate the chaotic world."
Qingduo was stunned for a moment, then overjoyed. She had finally received this belated praise, and her heart exploded with joy. She leaped up, threw herself at Zeng Zhengqing, excitedly hugged and shook him, then let go, dancing with glee.
"My dear, people say, 'When husband and wife are of one mind, their strength can break metal!' Let's unite and beat Sai Goupi and Zi Pian to a pulp, leaving them utterly humiliated and running for their lives!"
"Yes, sir." Zeng Zhengqing's eyes gleamed with a warm smile as he said, word by word, "Let's capture the thief together!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com