Chapter 47: Regretfully Coaxing His Wife, His First Glimpse of Talent, Yet a Thorn in His Back...
In her dream, Qingduo engaged in a verbal battle with Zeng Zhengqing for three hundred rounds, leaving him speechless and her own mouth dry. Before she had fully woken up from her dream, she mumbled, "Fang Qing, water, water."
Soon someone helped her up, and a glass of water was brought to her lips. Without opening her eyes, she drank the water in large gulps. At that moment, someone gently whispered in her ear, "Slow down."
man?
Where did this man come from?
Oh no, it's a womanizer!
Qingduo suddenly woke up with a start. She opened her eyes and was about to shout when she swallowed a mouthful of water and started coughing. She had already seen that the person speaking was Zeng Zhengqing. She grabbed his sleeve tightly and glared at him. What was this man doing at her bedside in the middle of the night instead of sleeping? He made her choke on water!
Zeng Zhengqing's right arm was being held tightly, so he could only gently pat her back with his left hand. Qingduo stopped coughing and questioned, "What are you doing here?"
He whispered, "I was worried about you, so I came to check on you."
If he hadn't startled me, I wouldn't have choked on water!
Qingduo said irritably, "I'm fine, you don't need to worry about me! Go back to sleep!" She was about to lie down when Zeng Zhengqing pulled her up.
"Don't touch me!" Qingduo disgustedly shook off his hand, rolled down, and turned her back to him.
Zeng Zhengqing sighed: "Madam, I was wrong yesterday."
Was he... apologizing? Qingduo perked up her ears, only to hear him continue, "I should have controlled my emotions; I really shouldn't have lost my temper with you."
Qingduo couldn't help but turn around. When Zeng Zhengqing saw that Qingduo was looking at him and was no longer as resistant as before, he was immediately invigorated and his courage increased. He said, "I have reflected on this carefully. You have always been reasonable. If I had advised you properly, we would not have ended up having such an unpleasant argument like yesterday."
Qingduo sat up, listened to his words, her tone softened, and she glanced at him with a wronged look, scolding, "You were so scary yesterday! You scared me so much that I was shaking all over, but you ignored me and kept yelling at me, you were so fierce!" After saying that, she pouted and her eyes reddened.
Zeng Zhengqing felt extremely guilty and hugged Qingduo in his arms: "I didn't consider your feelings, I really shouldn't have done that. I will never make this mistake again in the future."
He stroked the soft body in his arms and whispered, "You are naturally innocent and pure, which is truly precious. I have no power to undo or change what you have experienced before, but after you married me, I have been determined to protect your sincere heart and not want worldly affairs to disturb you. Therefore, I have taken care of all the household affairs and business management in the shops. You just need to do what you like."
"Now that Lu Nong's matter has been resolved, once she signs with Chen's, someone will naturally take care of it. As for the others, alas, even Buddha cannot necessarily save everyone, let alone us mortals? Let's leave it at that and focus on your painting, okay?"
Qingduo nestled softly in his arms, listening to his gentle words. Even in the night, it felt like sunshine was enveloping her, warm and comforting. She felt like a pearl, shining brightly in the sun. But that last sentence was like Hou Yi's arrow shooting down the sun, or like a sudden, unexpected chill in spring. Her face darkened, and she pushed him away.
Zeng Zhengqing was stunned, his hands still in the embracing posture. Qingduo said with a straight face, "So that's the point! I thought you were genuinely apologizing to me, but actually you wanted me to stop helping them seek justice. Humph, I almost fell for your sweet talk!"
Zeng Zhengqing hurriedly explained, "These are two different things. My apology was sincere, and my advice was sincere. I have never been insincere with you! Please don't misunderstand!"
Qingduo was clearly skeptical: "Your heart is inside your stomach, you can't see it, how can you prove it's true or false? Regardless of whether it's true or false, if you still have any objections to seeking justice, then there's no point in talking between us! You can leave!"
These words sounded familiar. Zeng Zhengqing remembered that it was the words he deliberately said when he tried to entice Qingduo to kiss him in the study that day. He never expected that the boomerang would come back and pierce him.
No matter what he tried to explain, Qingduo gave him no more chances. She quickly lay down, covered her ears with her hands, and even pulled the blanket over herself, completely ignoring him.
Zeng Zhengqing sighed and had no choice but to leave the room.
*
Hahahaha!
A series of laughs came from a private room at Fuyuanju. A passing waiter almost dropped the roast chicken on his plate. He quickly steadied it, looked towards the source of the laughter, and muttered a few words. If it weren't for the generosity of these two gentlemen, he would have definitely cursed them!
"What are you laughing at!" Zeng Zhengqing said unhappily from inside the private room.
Liu Ke continued to laugh uncontrollably: "Hahahaha, I'm laughing, I'm laughing! You, you Zeng Yuanbai, have finally met your match!"
"Very good, very good! Now I have truly gained an ally!"
He wiped away the tears of laughter from the corners of his eyes: "If you ask me, you should have just kissed her then and there, and she wouldn't be able to say a word!"
"And then take a bite?" Zeng Zhengqing mocked.
"What's this! It's just marital fun!" Liu Ke said dismissively, clearly having enjoyed such "playful banter" quite often. He laughed, "You're still relatively new to marriage and inexperienced. I can resolve these little conflicts in a day. Take the time I mentioned the separate rooms to you, for example. Wanwan told me to appease her as soon as we got back, and I was back in my room that same day!"
"Oh? May I ask what ingenious trick you used, sir?"
"This..." Liu Ke was speechless for a moment. He glanced at Zeng Zhengqing and saw his serious eyes. He immediately realized that Zeng Zhengqing was not joking, but genuinely asking for advice. So he said with a grin, "This is my ultimate move, which combines my best methods for coaxing my wife. You, a novice, can't do it!"
His eyes lit up and he smiled, “But we’re friends. You took me in when I was down on my luck. How about this, you treat me to this meal, and I’ll teach you a few tricks.”
"I am deeply grateful for your help in finding the painting shop last time. I should have prepared a banquet to thank you long ago," Zeng Zhengqing said calmly.
Liu Ke chuckled inwardly. Yuan Bai clearly wanted to learn, but he was too proud to admit it and used other excuses to invite people over. He picked up his cup, took a small sip, cleared his throat, and said, "To coax a wife, to coax a wife, the word 'coax' is the key. When husband and wife quarrel, they inevitably argue about right and wrong. 'Coaxing' is to ask people to temporarily put right and wrong aside—to temporarily ignore it, not to completely abandon it!"
"'Coaxing' is about seizing an opportunity to communicate. If your wife is unwilling to talk to you, even if you have a thousand words to say, they will remain unspoken. In the end, you will be left alone in an empty bed, lamenting and grieving. Alas!"
"Although you are new to the field, there is one thing you do exceptionally well. Do you know what it is?"
"Huh?" Zeng Zhengqing frowned, completely bewildered.
"It's about what you just mentioned. Go and apologize!" Liu Ke slammed his cup down on the table. "A husband should have this understanding: no matter what mistakes are made, they are all my fault. This is not about being humble, but about having the magnanimity of a great man! A gentleman's heart can accommodate the world, so why can't he tolerate his wife's criticism?"
"Oh! There's no coercion involved. It's entirely out of respect, love, pity, and tenderness for her. It's just a matter of bowing our heads and admitting our mistake. With just this small step, we can make the ladies' brows relax and their smiles return. Why not do something so worthwhile!" Liu Ke said arrogantly.
Zeng Zhengqing clenched his fist to cover his mouth, remaining silent as he watched his performance with a look full of doubt, pondering in his mind where the nearest clinic to Fuyuanju was.
"Of course, on the other hand, girls tend to overthink things. If I don't resolve this quickly, Wanwan might figure out that I have ulterior motives. One mistake could turn into two crimes, which would be asking for trouble! It's better to cut the Gordian knot and get it all clean!" Liu Ke sighed.
Seeing that he was back to normal, Zeng Zhengqing breathed a sigh of relief and said, "After saying so much, there isn't a single practical solution. The only one is something I've actually done."
"What's the rush! I have to explain the whole story clearly! You not only need to know how to use it, but you also need to know why you should do it..."
"I'm going back to the shop first." Zeng Zhengqing made a move to get up, but Liu Ke quickly stopped him, saying, "I'll talk, I'll talk!"
“I have to call you anyway, so that we can have a harmonious marriage before your birthday!” He continued, “This ‘coaxing’ is nothing more than two aspects: ‘saying’ and ‘doing’.”
...Nonsense! A person's outward manifestation, besides "speaking," is nothing more than "doing"! Truly, your words are just words! Zeng Zhengqing thought to himself, speechless.
"Speaking is one way, but being subtle is more meaningful, such as writing a poem or song, which conveys deep emotions."
"The most effective way to show your appreciation is by giving gifts. What woman doesn't love a gift? The key is to cater to her tastes. For example, my Wanwan loves new dresses..."
Once he started talking about his "skills," Liu Ke's words flowed like the Yellow River, fully displaying his love for his wife. Zeng Zhengqing listened silently to his methods. Although she had many worries in her heart, what he said seemed to make some sense. The longer this matter was delayed, the more Qingduo would start to overthink. After all, she already had a great talent for imagination even over trivial matters.
This matter cannot be delayed; we must get started immediately!
Although Liu Ke was unreliable, he was, after all, "battle-hardened" and should have long been "skilled through practice." This was, after all, my first time encountering marital conflict, and I had no experience whatsoever. After much thought, I could only follow his method. I figured he had tried it countless times, so it shouldn't be a big mistake.
That evening, he wrote a short poem on a letter to express his "deep affection" and sent it to Fangqing. Soon after, Fangqing brought a food box to see him.
Could this be a dish cooked by Qingduo herself? A glimmer of hope sprouted in Zeng Zhengqing's heart.
"Has the young mistress read the letter?" he asked with a smile.
“I read it,” Fang Qing nodded, then opened the food box and took out a plate of steamed buns, saying with difficulty, “The young mistress said that if the young master has acid reflux, he should eat more steamed buns so that he won’t vomit any sour poems that would disturb her peace.”
Zeng Zhengqing: ...
*
The next day, Qingduo returned from Tang Li's place. Fang Qing, who hadn't even swept the courtyard, came up to her and whispered, "Young Madam, the young master just brought some gifts. I've put them on the table. Please go in and take a look."
Qingduo said disdainfully, "Is it going to be another cheesy poem?"
"No," Fang Qing shook her head and said, "It's a whole box of stuff, and I heard it's very expensive!"
"Hmph, no matter how he tries to bribe me, I won't change my mind!" Qingduo muttered as she walked in.
Fangqing continued sweeping, but after only a few strokes, she heard a few loud clattering sounds. Looking up, she saw bolts of silk being thrown out of the window. She quickly leaned the broom against the wall and hurried back inside.
"Young Madam, this is at least a token of the young master's goodwill!" Fang Qing stepped forward and snatched the handkerchief from Qing Duo's hand, feeling distressed.
Qingduo stamped her foot and gritted her teeth, saying, "What kind of sentiment is this! He's clearly mocking me!"
"Huh?" Fang Qing was puzzled, only to hear Qing Duo say resentfully:
“During our argument before, I said that even if I had to sell my paintings, I would help them get that money back. But today he sent so much silk for painting, which is clearly a mockery of me! Doesn't that mean, ‘Go ahead and paint, if you really want to get the money back using your method, you'll probably need to paint this many paintings!’ Isn't this just ridiculing me?”
She bent down and threw them out one after another, shouting, "I'll teach you to laugh at me! I'll teach you to laugh at me!"
Fang Qing sighed deeply. "Sigh, we can't persuade the young mistress no matter what we do. She gets angry as soon as we try to persuade her. It's not easy for the young master to put in the effort, but it seems to be having the opposite effect."
What's wrong with the young master? How come he always manages to precisely bring bad luck upon the young mistress?
This is really weird!
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Author's note: Zeng Zhengqing: ...I always said my wife is an extraordinary person.
He said bitterly: Liu Ke has ruined me!
[I keep thinking about Qingduo's childhood, and I can't resist writing some of Qingduo's daily life as a baby. It will be available in my column 'Next Book Please Add to Favorites' on July 15th. Please enjoy reading!]
[Not reading this won't affect your reading experience. Enjoy!]
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