Chapter 83 I confess, my name is "Xiao He Fan"!
Zeng Zhengqing had been running around doing errands for days and was already exhausted. Upon hearing the bad news, he was even more furious and could no longer hold on. His vision went black and he fainted. He was temporarily placed in Jingzhao Nunnery to recuperate.
He couldn't sleep, his mind preoccupied with Qingduo. Awakening from a nightmare, he heard of a woman he'd rescued from the mountain at the nunnery. Asking about her appearance and figure, he became even more certain that it was Qingduo! Ignoring his fever, he rushed into the rain and ran towards her.
Only after the two met again did his heart finally settle down.
Qingduo helped him back to the guest room and took a dry cloth to wipe his body. Zeng Zhengqing wanted to do it himself, but Qingduo refused.
As she wiped him down, she complained, "How could you be so foolish? Your body is so hot, and you still went out in the rain. What if it made your condition worse?"
She kept rambling on and on, and Zeng Zhengqing didn't argue. When Qingduo saw that he didn't respond, she looked up and found him staring at her intently, so she said reproachfully, "What are you looking at? Did you hear what I said?"
Zeng Zhengqing pulled her into his arms: "Look at you."
He gently brushed against her hair, murmuring, "I can never get enough of looking at her."
Qingduo looked down at her clothes: "I always like brightly colored dresses, but I didn't expect that wearing a plain color today would look so good!"
She heard Zeng Zhengqing's muffled laughter from above. Unconvinced, she looked up and questioned, "What? Isn't that right?"
"Yes." Zeng Zhengqing smiled and hugged her even tighter, feeling very relieved. He had heard the rumors in the city and was worried that Qingduo would be unhappy, but now that he saw her as carefree as usual, he was relieved.
He didn't think it was Qingduo's disguise at all. He had the privilege of witnessing her acting skills before, and this kind of clarity and composure was something she couldn't fake.
“Qingqing,” Qingduo pushed him away, sat up straight, and said solemnly, “I have something to tell you.”
Zeng Zhengqing also sat up straight and said, "Alright, I'm all ears."
Qingduo took a deep breath and then suddenly exhaled, her face full of worry: "You, you should be prepared, you're still sick, so please don't get angry."
Zeng Zhengqing guessed what she wanted to say, reached out and took her hand, and said gently, "I'm not angry."
Qingduo took another deep breath. Although she had made up her mind, it was still not an easy thing to be honest with Zeng Zhengqing at this moment.
Feeling his warmth in her palm, and the gentle encouragement in his eyes, Qingduo mustered her courage again and said, "Qingqing, you know that I used to make a living by selling paintings."
“But I lied to you. I’m not only good at painting flowers and birds, I’m actually…” Qingduo exhaled, “I’m also very good at painting erotic art…”
She didn't know that Zeng Zhengqing already knew about this. Seeing his furrowed brows, she assumed he was displeased. But this was her past, and she couldn't avoid it. She could only bite the bullet and continue. Then she heard him say:
"If only I had gone to find you sooner."
Qingduo's eyes widened: "Huh?"
"If I could have gone to find you sooner, my fiancée wouldn't have had to suffer so much." He gripped her hand tightly, his eyes filled with tenderness.
A warm current instantly swept over her body, and Qingduo covered his hand with her other hand: "There were indeed many things we had no choice but to do at the time, but now that I think about it, I was quite happy with myself."
"Moreover, there are still depictions of romance in my paintings today."
She looked directly into Zeng Zhengqing's eyes and said frankly, "The new painter 'Xiao He Fan' in Wuzhou City is actually me."
Before Zeng Zhengqing could respond, she rattled off her words in one breath, her tone growing increasingly firm: "Even with all the rumors circulating in the city, I have no intention of stopping. This is something I love, and I want to keep doing it. I'm not a printing press; I don't need to live up to other people's expectations."
"If I'm going to live, I'm going to live a life that reflects my own identity!"
When Zeng Zhengqing heard her confess that she was "Xiao He Fan," he initially wanted to tell her that he was the owner of "Mingzhu Painting Shop" and could help her resolve the situation. However, seeing Qing Duo's unwavering determination, he suddenly realized that even without his help, she could overcome everything in her own way.
How unnecessary his worries were! He suddenly changed his mind, becoming curious about how she intended to live her own life. He immediately put on his best acting, feigning surprise:
"Ah? You're the most popular painter right now, 'Little Lotus'!"
A hint of pride appeared on Qingduo's face, but she feigned modesty and said, "I wouldn't call myself the 'best'!"
Zeng Zhengqing couldn't help but laugh, and he suppressed his laughter as he continued, "Incredible! Our family actually has such an outstanding painter! It's truly an honor for the Zeng family!"
This praise comes from the bottom of my heart and cannot be faked.
Upon hearing this, Qingduo's eyebrows nearly flew off, but she still forced herself to remain calm and said, "The world only knows that I drew erotic pictures, but they don't know that 'Xiaohe Fan' is me. I don't intend to hide it any longer. Xiaohe Fan and Changying Heroine, who drew erotic pictures, are all me. I don't care whether they want to understand the real Tang Qingduo or not, but I, Tang Qingduo, want to show myself off to the fullest!"
Zeng Zhengqing laughed heartily upon hearing this. He hadn't expected Qingduo to make such a decisive move and reveal everything. It perfectly aligned with his previous plan.
Since it would have to be made public sooner or later anyway, and she already seemed to have this intention, he might as well go with the flow and help her make her official debut.
*
Seeing Qingduo return safely, Fangqing hugged her, crying and laughing at the same time. Knowing that she liked sweets, she had prepared all kinds of desserts, such as white fungus soup, crystal cake, steamed sugar cheese... feeding her in different ways.
After a satisfying meal, Qingduo stretched on the bed in the evening: "Fangqing gave me a massage just now, and I feel so comfortable all over."
She sighed, "Ah! This world can't be without Fangqing!"
Zeng Zhengqing lay on his side beside him, propped his head up, and chuckled softly, "I can make you comfortable too."
Qingduo rolled her eyes at him: "Zeng Zhengqing, you've gone out for a while, how come you've become so shameless!"
Zeng Zhengqing leaned over and kissed her, then hugged her and laughed, "Why are you putting on airs in front of your own wife?"
"Okay, I'll tell you exactly what you look like, and then I'll spread the word." Qingduo revealed a sly smile.
"Didn't you spread the word already?" Zeng Zhengqing said leisurely. "Xiao He Fan, all your paintings are based on me. Your paintings are so popular, you should at least show your appreciation, right?" As he spoke, he tightened his grip on her arm.
Qingduo's eyes widened: "You want a share?"
Zeng Zhengqing sighed helplessly, and was about to speak his mind when Qingduo spoke again: "That's right, you've dedicated yourself to my cause, so you should get some benefits."
"Dedication"? That sounds a bit strange.
Zeng Zhengqing was both annoyed and amused. Before he could speak, Qingduo seemed to have made a great decision and said, "How about this, you get two and I get eight."
"Do you think this is a share of the profits from writing stories in my shop?" Boss Zeng immediately became serious at the mention of money. "Putting aside the fact that I provided all your writing materials, shouldn't you give me some compensation for me, the dignified head of the Zeng family, appearing on those explicit paintings?"
Qingduo blinked, feigning ignorance: "Compensation for selling yourself?"
"Tang Qingduo!"
Qingduo shrank her neck, feeling guilty, and said, "Okay, okay, how about three and seven?"
“Fifty-five,” Zeng Zhengqing argued forcefully.
"That won't do!" How greedy! Qingduo retorted, sticking her neck out. "You're just sacrificing your looks, and you want to get the same pay as me, the painter? Painting is very mentally taxing! Fifty-fifty is absolutely not enough, at most forty-six!"
“Deal.” Zeng Zhengqing quickly agreed and gave her a light kiss on the lips.
Qingduo opened her mouth wide, speechless for a moment. She hadn't expected him to agree so readily, and suddenly felt like she'd been tricked. It was as if he'd led her by the nose, easily achieving his goal.
Indeed, when dealing with businessmen, one must be extra careful; when dealing with unscrupulous businessmen, one must be even more vigilant.
After a while, Zeng Zhengqing seemed to remember something and persisted, saying, "Let me see your account books sometime."
"What ledger? I don't have a ledger. The money is all kept in the box," Qingduo confessed honestly.
"Then I'll help you sort it out, but don't try to fool me."
"Okay!" Qingduo reluctantly agreed, muttering under her breath, "So greedy, she's even eyeing the few taels of silver I have."
What are you muttering about?
"It's nothing!" Qingduo rolled around on the spot, wrapping the blanket around herself, not caring whether Zeng Zhengqing had a blanket or not!
"sleep!"
*
Qingduo stayed in bed until her stomach growled before finally getting up. Rubbing her eyes and yawning, she walked out. As she reached the outer room, she suddenly realized something was wrong. Why was there a man sitting at the dining table?
Zeng Zhengqing went to the shop early in the morning, so who is this person?
She woke up instantly, stared intently, and couldn't believe her eyes. She rubbed them and exclaimed, "Father, what brings you here?"
“I’m not skipping school,” she waved her hands repeatedly. “I’m just a little tired and want to rest for a couple of days. Oh, didn’t I already send someone to tell you?”
Tang Li took a sip of porridge and said calmly, "I've come to see the popular artist Xiao He Fan."
Qingduo chuckled: "Qingqing has already told you everything."
Tang Li snorted: "I am your master. Others may not recognize your handwriting, but do you think I wouldn't?"
"So you already knew..." Qingduo said awkwardly.
“I went fishing on the lake with my friends, and as soon as we got back, I heard those rumors. I was worried about you, so I came to check on you. I didn’t expect to hear that you got lost in the mountains.”
"You scared me to death, Tang Azhao!" Tang Li's tone was tinged with lingering fear.
Qingduo knew that her father was concerned about her, so she didn't talk back. Fortunately, Tang Li saw that she looked rosy-cheeked and didn't scold her anymore. After the two finished breakfast, Tang Li took Qingduo fishing.
Qingduo sat by the river, resting her chin on her hand, staring at the water with a bored expression.
She glanced at Tang Li on her left, who was humming a tune, looking quite carefree. Qingduo suppressed her impatience and turned back to stare at the tip of her fishing rod.
She really didn't understand what was so fun about fishing.
Suddenly, the fishing rod bobbed up and down almost imperceptibly, and Qingduo immediately jumped up and shouted, "It's on the hook!"
She grabbed the fishing rod and pulled hard, but the other end of the fishing line didn't budge, and the fishing rod bent into an arc.
Qingduo yelled, "Big fish! It's a big fish!" She crouched back like she was in a tug-of-war. Tang Li was about to get up to help her when there was a "bang," and Qingduo stumbled backward, finally landing on her bottom. She lost her grip on the fishing rod, which slammed down on Tang Li's head.
Tang Li quickly dodged to the side, still shaken, and said, "Everyone else kills two birds with one stone, but you're trying to take two lives with one shot!"
Qingduo struggled to her feet, clutching her bottom, and complained, "I didn't catch any fish, but my butt is now split in four!"
"Oh, my butt, you're such a bad omen for being my butt. It gets bruised and purple every few days!" Qingduo cried out.
She limped back to the stool, sat down carefully, and as soon as she touched the stool, she bounced up as if she had stepped on a board of nails.
"Ouch, ouch, that hurts so much!"
She yelled, "I'm not playing anymore! Fishing is bad luck for me!"
Tang Li found a new fishing line and tied it on for her, saying, "It's only one cast. Try a few more times and you'll find it fun."
"I don't think so," Qingduo said dismissively, arms crossed. "It's so boring sitting here like this. I should have brought my art supplies with me. The scenery here is quite nice, and I can paint..."
Her gaze was drawn to Tang Li's actions, and she momentarily forgot what she was about to say.
Tang Li steadily threaded the end of the line through the small hole on the pole, wrapped it around his fingertip, and tied a knot to secure it. The whole movement was as smooth and steady as flowing water.
Qingduo's gaze was fixed on Tang Li's hand. When he handed her the fishing rod, she didn't take it but couldn't help asking, "Dad, why aren't your hands shaking anymore?"
The fishing rod trembled slightly, and Tang Li replied vaguely, "Uh, just, just right."
He shoved the fishing rod straight into Qingduo's hand: "Hurry up and fish! Hurry up and fish!"
If Qingqing said this, it might be somewhat believable, but Qingduo didn't believe it when her father said it. She didn't move, and pressed on, "'Just now' refers to what time?"
Tang Li stammered, "It was just a few days ago, um, a while ago, well, I had too many things to do, so I can't remember some of them."
"Then I'll go back and ask Aunt Zhu."
“It was a month after I fell into the river,” Tang Li replied immediately.
Qingduo's eyes widened: "So you were already better all along!"
She pointed at Tang Li angrily: "Tang Li, you're lying!"
"I felt so bad for you when I thought about how you hurt your hand, but it turns out it was all for nothing!"
"Hmph! I thought you were crippled and could no longer paint, so I decided to wait until I finished my studies to complete that erotic painting for you. Now that you're all better, paint it yourself! Do your own thing!"
After Qingduo finished speaking, she turned around, crossed her arms, ignored Tang Li, and pouted so much that a small oil lamp could be hung on her lips.
After a long silence behind him, Tang Li's deep voice finally came: "Ah Zhao, your father has actually been unable to paint for a long time."
Qingduo was still angry and refused to turn around after hearing these words. However, she had many questions in her mind and couldn't help but prick up her ears and listen carefully.
"Back then, I was imprisoned for cheating and was subjected to finger crushing, which damaged my bones and muscles. Although my daily life is fine, painting requires controlling the brushstrokes, and my hands can no longer perform such delicate movements."
Qingduo turned around abruptly to look at him, her face full of astonishment. Tang Li smiled bitterly and said, "Everyone thinks that I stopped writing and retired because I suffered a blow, but only your mother knows my helplessness."
"Father!" Qingduo's heart was in turmoil, and she rushed forward to hug Tang Li.
She finally understood. She used to wonder why her father's paintings could fetch high prices on the market. If her father painted a few, they would never live a life of poverty.
She had also resented her father for her mother's funeral. He only cared about his vow and refused to make an exception by painting a picture to earn money so that their mother could have a dignified burial. So when her father said he would teach her painting skills and that she would definitely be able to earn a lot of money with her talent, she didn't believe it at all.
Now she understands everything.
Qingduo couldn't imagine being accused of cheating. Even if there was no concrete evidence in the end, and it was just a matter of everyone being punished equally and the matter being hastily concluded, the unfounded stain would penetrate far deeper into people's hearts than a clear conclusion of innocence. This was enough to crush her father, this prodigy. Heaven had taken away his proudest talent, which was tantamount to tearing his soul out of his body.
The more she thought about it, the sadder and more heartbroken she became. She hugged Tang Li and cried out, "Father, Father, how much pain must you be in!"
"Father, why didn't you tell me sooner? If I had known, I would have studied painting diligently and passed on your skills!"
Tang Li patted his daughter's back gently and said softly, "My dear daughter, I am very pleased that you have this thought. But you don't need to be sad. I have lived to such an old age, and I can deal with everything like chewing sugarcane. I chew a few times and then spit it out, leaving only a sweet aftertaste."
“Baby, Dad knows you have a talent for drawing and you like it very much, but if you want to go down this path, you have to make the decision yourself. I hope that when you make the decision, it is not for anyone else, including us, but just because you want to do it yourself.”
"This is a wish shared by your mother and me."
Qingduo let go of him, tears glistening in her eyes. Her parents never asked her to become anyone else; they knew clearly that she was the one and only Qingduo. They had always nurtured her with love, allowing her to grow into the real Qingduo she was.
She doesn't need to please anyone, nor does she need to endure grievances; they just want her to belong to herself.
Faced with the noise and chaos of the world, Qingduo once lost her way, but now she ignites the light in her heart and dances freely and vigorously.
Just as the parents expected,
Just as I had always longed for.
Tang Li wiped away Qing Duo's tears: "One more shot?"
Qingduo stopped crying and smiled, nodded, picked up the fishing rod, and casually cast the hook into the water.
Upon hearing the truth, she was overwhelmed with emotion and couldn't calm down for a long time. As she was still thinking about it, her fishing rod suddenly trembled. It seemed that a fish had really taken the bait this time.
When the father and son returned home that evening, Zhu Niang glanced into the fish basket and saw a large fish about two feet long and several small fish. She kept praising, "Good job, Zhao! You caught so many small fish on your first try!"
Tang Li's face was gloomy: "Those small ones were caught by me, the big ones are... Hmph, she just got lucky today!"
"Luck is a skill too," Qingduo exclaimed smugly.
"Dad's right, fishing is so much fun!"
*
Lu Nong inquired along the way, wandering east and west, and finally arrived at the door of a house. She raised her hand to knock, but then noticed a plume of black smoke rising from the yard. Startled, she quickly pounded on the door and called out, "Brother Shen, Brother Shen, are you there? Open the door quickly!"
As soon as the door opened, Shen Bingyan stood inside. Seeing Lu Nong, his weary face revealed surprise: "Lu Nong?"
Lu Nong looked nervous and peered into the courtyard. Shen Bingyan followed her gaze and turned around, instantly understanding her concerns. He explained, "It's nothing. There are too many useless manuscripts at home, so we just burned them all."
Lu Nong breathed a sigh of relief and said, "You haven't been to the book fair for several days, and I was really worried, so I came to check on you." As she spoke, she looked Shen Bingyan up and down and said in surprise, "We haven't seen each other since the poetry fair. How come you've become so thin these days?"
Before he could finish speaking, a gust of wind swept in a thick cloud of smoke, and Shen Bingyan began to cough violently. Lu Nong hurriedly patted his back, but he coughed so hard he bent over, as if he were about to vomit up his internal organs.
Seeing this, Lu Nong quickly went inside, poured a glass of water, and handed it to him. Shen Bingyan drank it down in large gulps, and after catching his breath for a long time, he gradually stopped coughing.
“I’ve caught a cold. You should go home today to avoid passing on your illness to me,” he said in a hoarse voice.
Lu Nong glanced around the courtyard. In the middle stood a brazier, flames licking at the scattered pages of books, billowing black smoke rising. A stack of manuscripts lay beside the brazier, and several wine jars sat on the other side. A few unburnt scraps of paper swirled on the ground.
Lu Nong frowned slightly: "The county examination is just around the corner. You're already unwell, so you shouldn't be drinking. If you continue to be unwell and miss the exam, wouldn't all your previous efforts be wasted?"
Seeing the mess in the courtyard, she said, "Let me help you clean it up. It's inconvenient for you to tidy up while you're sick."
As she spoke, she squatted down to pick up the scraps of paper from the ground. Shen Bingyan was shocked and quickly bent down to pull her arm, stopping her, saying, "No need!"
But it was too late. Lu Nong had already picked up a piece of paper. Staring at the words on it, she asked in a low voice, "What is this?"
Shen Bingyan reached out to snatch it, saying, "It's nothing." Lu Nong, however, refused to let go. She picked up a few more pieces from the surrounding area, looked at the contents, and stared directly at him: "How come the names of the characters on these pieces are exactly the same as those in my novel 'Painting Hall Spring'?"
Shen Bingyan looked away: "I just read a few storybooks to pass the time when I have nothing to do."
"Look?" Lu Nong raised the piece of paper in her hand, her eyes blazing, and questioned, "But why is this all handwritten? And it's all your handwriting! Why are there signs of alteration on it?"
"Moreover, the plot here wasn't written by me at all!"
"Shen Bingyan," she said firmly, "what exactly happened?"
Shen Bingyan straightened up, her tone calm and indifferent: "If you already have the answer in your heart, why ask me again?"
"You...you're the ghostwriter for Zi Pian's third book?" Lu Nong still found it hard to believe.
"So what if it is?" Shen Bingyan slowly walked to the brazier, turned his back to her, and reached out to warm his hands by the fire.
These words made Lu Nong's blood boil. She suppressed her anger and said coldly, "Zipian plagiarized my story, and you helped her continue writing it. That is aiding and abetting evil!"
"Who would turn down money?" His tone remained indifferent, as if Lu Nong was making a mountain out of a molehill.
"Since you've already chosen your side, why did you even bother getting close to me?" Lu Nong could no longer contain her anger and shouted sharply, "Shen Bingyan, what are you up to?"
“I don’t need to explain to you, Miss Tao,” Shen Bingyan said indifferently. “I don’t want to be questioned in my own home. You should go back.”
The wind carried the ashes up and then rustled them off, landing on the two people's shoulders. The courtyard was so quiet that only the sound of the wind could be heard, and the smell of burning permeated the air.
After a long silence, Lu Nong said slowly and deliberately, "Those who walk different paths cannot make plans together. Let's part ways here!"
The courtyard gate was wide open, the wind rattling the bolt back and forth with a hollow sound. Shen Bingyan casually picked up a jar of wine and took a big gulp.
"Good riddance..." he murmured, his face a mixture of smile and sorrow. "I've already wronged you once, and I shouldn't have burdened you any further..."
He stared intently at the leaping flames, which seemed to transform into a red-hot fork, aiming straight for his throat. Suddenly, he felt breathless, bent over, and began to cough violently.
-----------------------
Author's note: The day after tomorrow (Thursday)
A chapter at around midnight
One point per chapter
Two more chapters
[shy]
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