Chapter 50: I thought the first battle would hurt, but I never expected it to hurt this much.
A flurry of kisses fell on her lips and body like raindrops. Something seemed to sprout in Qingduo's heart as well; her arms transformed into vines, climbing up his neck and her body upwards, yet she was held firmly by him, inseparable from him.
"ah!"
A sudden, excruciating pain shot through my lower body.
Someone wants to cut her off!
Qingduo gasped, pushing Zeng Zhengqing away with both hands and feet, and said angrily, "You attacked me!"
Zeng Zhengqing pressed down on her leg to prevent her from accidentally kicking, and reassured her, "I've tried to be as gentle as I can, so I'll be even gentler."
Qingduo still refused to let go, her face full of disbelief. Just this little bit, before even penetrating, hurt this much; she couldn't imagine how much it would actually hurt!
She asked doubtfully, "Are you... are you sure... you..." She thought quickly, trying to find a replacement for "will," "can," or "may" without hurting his pride as a man. Finally, she said, "Do you know what to do?"
"Of course!" Zeng Zhengqing could not accept such skepticism. He would answer with his actions!
Qingduo quickly stopped him, questioning, "You really know?" A terrifying thought flashed through her mind, and she exclaimed in shock, "You've had that thought?"
"...Don't smear my innocence!"
Zeng Zhengqing leaned down to kiss her, but Qingduo covered his mouth, still doubting whether he really knew how: "Then how do you know how?"
She suddenly remembered that Zeng Zhengqing had once given her a book of erotic illustrations as her "enlightenment," and coincidentally, it was the one she had drawn herself. She blurted out, "So, you also look at erotic pictures...?"
Taking advantage of her momentary daze, Zeng Zhengqing pressed down her hand that was pushing him away, intending to continue his unfinished "great undertaking." However, Qingduo dodged left and right and refused to cooperate. He suppressed his agitation and coaxed, "Azhao, let's try again. Women are often uncomfortable the first time, I will be careful. You go first, you allow me first, allow me... When we are intimate, you can do whatever you want, and I will do it."
Hearing the pleading tone in her words, Qingduo's heart softened. "Fine, fine," she thought, "if I stick my neck out, I'll get two cuts. Two cuts are not as good as one." She closed her eyes again and said resolutely, "Do it!"
She was "deeply aware of righteousness" in her heart, but her body was like a morning glory that had closed at dusk, lying flat and stiff, her limbs stuck together, impossible to pry apart.
Zeng Zhengqing was already nervous from the start. Although he wasn't unfamiliar with the people, he was completely unfamiliar with the area. He was also worried about hurting Qingduo, so he was hesitant and timid. Furthermore, this was clearly a task for two people, and the other girl was lying there like a dried-out salted fish, silently conveying two words: "Rejection." How could he possibly "make a move"?
Zeng Zhengqing sighed deeply, turned over and lay on the bed, covering his eyes with his arm, and said helplessly, "You really are my living ancestor!"
With a rustling sound, Qingduo pulled the blanket up to cover herself, leaving only her head sticking out. She shrank her neck and whispered, "I'm sorry."
"I thought I was ready... but it still didn't work, it hurts..." Qingduo said, sounding a little aggrieved, but mostly angry at being deceived.
No wonder most erotic paintings are drawn by men! They're just for men to deceive people! It's excruciatingly painful! Where's the pleasure?!
Zeng Zhengqing lowered his arm, turned to look directly into her eyes, and said softly, "You don't need to apologize. You didn't do anything wrong. I was just too impatient. On the bright side, we've both taken a big step forward, haven't we?"
Even so, Qingduo sighed and said worriedly, "What if I'm always afraid of pain? Does that mean we'll never be able to..."
"No, it won't happen." Zeng Zhengqing hugged her and stopped her from overthinking, assuring her.
“...You’re so optimistic.” A muffled voice came from inside her arms.
Zeng Zhengqing laughed. The two snuggled together, whispering sweet nothings, and fell asleep in each other's arms as the long, quiet night passed.
Qingduo felt an itch on her face in her hazy state, as if something was crawling on it. She reached out and scratched it several times, but couldn't catch it. Frustrated, she opened her eyes and saw Zeng Zhengqing sitting up, looking down at her with a smile in his starry eyes.
He held a strand of her hair in his hand, brushed it across her face, and chuckled, "Sleeping soundly, my lady!"
Hate!
Qingduo squinted to stop him, but he nimbly dodged her. She waved her hands in the air, muttering, "Don't bother me! Let me sleep a little longer! You go to sleep too!"
But then I heard him sigh, "The duck that was about to be eaten has flown away, how am I supposed to sleep?"
Who are you calling a duck?
Qingduo was displeased. She came to her senses, opened her eyes, and retorted, "I'm a fairy, and you're the duck!"
Her eyes lit up, and an idea came to her. Before Zeng Zhengqing could speak, she pinched his mouth shut and, pouting, said, "My name is Zeng Zhengqing, and I am a duck!"
She pinched it twice more: "Gah! Gah!"
Hahahaha!
In the end, he couldn't stop laughing, and his limbs went weak, so he let go of him. Zeng Zhengqing was taken aback at first, but then he couldn't help but laugh too. He laughed and said, "Alright! Then the duck will peck at the fairy!" As soon as he finished speaking, he hugged Qingduo and kissed her wildly. Qingduo giggled and dodged left and right.
In the courtyard, the maids were sweeping when they heard laughter coming from inside the house. They couldn't help but chuckle. One of the maids, Xiao Hui, grinned at Fang Qing and said, "Young Master is back to stay again!"
Fang Qing smiled and nodded, secretly wondering what the young master had done to win the favor of the young mistress. He had ignored her before, but yesterday, as soon as the young mistress returned, she rushed to prepare a birthday banquet for him.
Unable to understand, she shook her head again. As long as they made up, who cares what the reason was?
Just then, Xiaohui nudged her with her elbow and whispered, "Do you think we'll be welcoming a young master or a young lady soon?"
The two girls looked towards the house with a knowing glance, exchanged a look, covered their mouths and laughed, their understanding unspoken.
*
When the owner of the Cailanzhai dyeing workshop was forty years old, she gave birth to her son, Dong Wenyuan. To pray for the safety of both mother and child, she frequently went to the temple to chant Buddhist scriptures and copy sutras. She eventually gave birth to him safely. She always felt this was due to the merit of her sincere worship, a miracle from Buddha.
From then on, she loved listening to stories of virtuous men and women who accumulated good deeds and received blessings. Dong Wenyuan followed her around and was influenced by her. He sincerely believed that gods and Buddhas were worthy of respect and that the power of the gods controlled everything in the dark.
He usually enjoyed listening to stories about gods and ghosts. After hearing so many, he felt an itch to make up his own. However, although he loved listening to stories, he didn't like reading or writing and didn't know many characters. So he had to ask someone to record the stories he dictated, and then find a bookseller to print them into booklets to sell. Now, he has nine booklets in total.
Most of those stories were pieces he'd heard from others, pieced together, embellished, and adapted. He knew he didn't have a talent for it; after all, of those nine books, only one didn't lose money, and the others, aside from himself, few people bought them. And that one book… well, there was something else to it.
Fortunately, his family was well-off, and his mother cared for him and covered the losses, so he didn't take it too seriously. That day, Dong Wenyuan went to the Yuqian Tea House as usual to drink tea, but actually he went to listen to stories.
The waiter, attentive to this regular customer, quietly placed the Longjing tea and several pastries on the table. Dong Wenyuan was already engrossed in the storyteller's tales of fortune-telling:
"...This fortune teller is no ordinary man. It is said that he can see the secrets of heaven. Fortune telling is all about fate, and he will only tell fortunes for those who are destined to be with him."
“Just look at his appearance, it’s even stranger: he looks like a teenager, but he has a big beard on his chin, and no one knows how old he is. Although he is short, his divination skills are superb, and no one doubts or praises him. Because his childlike face contains a clear mind, everyone calls him the ‘Baby-faced Diviner’.”
Dong Wenyuan was listening intently when someone mocked, "These fortune tellers are the best at lying! Last time I asked that blind man Li at the street corner when I would get rich, and he said this year. Bah! The year is almost over, and I haven't seen a penny of money!"
Someone immediately retorted, "Anyone with eyes can see that Blind Li isn't blind at all. You can't even see that, no wonder you were fooled!" Everyone burst into laughter at this.
The man's face flushed red, and he slammed his fist on the table, yelling, "I'm going to settle the score with him right now!" He stormed off. The crowd couldn't help but whisper among themselves when suddenly a woman spoke up, "In my opinion, when it comes to fortune-telling, the outcome of the divination is one thing, but more importantly, it depends on the sincerity of the person seeking the divination."
"If one is sincere, even the worst fortune slip will be enough for someone who can see through destiny to point out a way and give one a chance to turn things around; if one is not sincere, even the best fortune slip will be difficult to fulfill."
Dong Wenyuan couldn't help but scrutinize the woman. He noticed that she was slender yet possessed a pure and elegant air. Her words and phrases resonated with him, and he couldn't help but nod in approval.
Just as she was pondering this, she heard the storyteller laugh and say, "What you say is true, young lady. One day, the youthful-looking fortune teller was traveling with his page when dusk fell. They found a house to stay at. The couple was kind and hospitable and treated them with great hospitality. They happened to have an only son who was going to the capital to take the imperial examination the next day, so the couple asked him to tell their fortune."
"Having received such a favor, it was difficult to refuse. The fortune teller inquired about the only son's birth date and time, closed his eyes for a moment, and instructed him: 'If you wish to succeed in this trip to the capital, do not receive any guests before the results are announced, and absolutely do not engage in any social interactions.'"
The couple expressed their deepest gratitude and gave their son countless instructions. But their only son didn't take it seriously at all. He thought that he had studied hard for years, and whether he passed the exam or not depended entirely on his own talent, not on the words of a fortune teller! So after arriving in the capital, he continued to socialize with friends and made new acquaintances. The two of them had very pleasant conversations. Later, they visited several senior officials in the court together, and they were indescribably full of pride and high spirits.
"Time flies, and before we knew it, it was time for the results to be released..."
"How is it? Did he pass the exam?" a tea drinker asked anxiously, leaning forward.
"Don't be impatient, sir. On the day the results were announced, he was full of confidence. He squeezed into the crowd and looked straight up to the top. Hey! Right at the top was his own name. He had actually become the top scholar!"
"Huh? So even if 'youthful appearance' is considered accurate, it's not true!" A disdainful whisper arose from the crowd. Dong Wenyuan straightened up, but in his heart, he felt that it wasn't that simple.
Sure enough, the storyteller smiled slightly: "During the ceremony of announcing the winners, he was ranked first as the top scholar. Just as he was about to raise his wine cup to thank the emperor for his grace, someone shouted: 'Your Majesty, I impeach the newly appointed top scholar for cheating!'"
"Huh?" Dong Wenyuan was taken aback, his arm braced against the table, causing him to knock over his teacup. The other tea drinkers also began to discuss the matter, wondering if it was true or not.
The storyteller took a sip of tea and continued, "The emperor was furious. No matter how he tried to explain, he ordered the Imperial Guards to take him to the Zhenfu Division for questioning. His new acquaintance, the senior he had visited before the exam, was also imprisoned. It turned out that this senior was the examiner who set the questions and was suspected of leaking the questions to the junior."
"Finally, an imperial edict was issued, declaring him guilty of 'climbing the social ladder and cheating in the imperial examinations,' stripping him of his title of top scholar, sending him back to his hometown, and barring him from taking the imperial examinations for the rest of his life."
As the saying goes: A bright future is nothing but a pipe dream.
Everyone sighed. Some lamented the man's plight, while others marveled at the accuracy of the sorcerer's predictions. Had he heeded the sorcerer's advice, the man might have already risen to great heights.
Dong Wenyuan, however, felt that this person was ignorant and arrogant. If it were him, he would have listened to him obediently and respected the secrets of heaven, and would never have ended up like this.
Hmph! What brilliant scholar? He's not as knowledgeable about the inexplicable forces as the top scholar! The cause and effect in this story perfectly matched his belief in destiny. He felt pleased and immediately ordered his servant to deliver the reward to the storyteller. The storyteller accepted the reward, bowed to him, and said, "Thank you for the reward, Master Dong!"
Dong Wenyuan nodded slightly. The waiter brought him fresh tea, which he drank a few sips of. He listened to a few more stories, but none of them were as satisfying as the first one. So he got up, gracefully got into his sedan chair, and left.
How much longer until we get home?
"Almost there, almost there. Just around the corner, we'll be there soon," the servant beside the sedan chair hurriedly replied.
Dong Wenyuan couldn't help but recall the story from earlier, when suddenly he heard someone reciting it in front of him.
"Where does life's long road lead? A quick calculation reveals the truth. The predetermined fate of three lifetimes confuses the mind, and a youthful-looking fortune teller proclaims destiny."
Dong Wenyuan was shocked. What? A "youthful-looking sorcerer"? Had he heard correctly? He had actually encountered a youthful-looking sorcerer?
He hurriedly lifted the sedan curtain and saw a man coming towards him, wearing a gray overcoat and a square scarf on his head. He had a long beard that hung down, but his skin was incredibly smooth. He had the appearance of a young man but the beard of an old man. He looked exactly like the storyteller had described as a youthful-looking sorcerer! Behind him was a tall man with a dark face who carried a banner with the words "Youthful Face" written on it.
Dong Wenyuan had no more doubts. He shouted, "Master, stop!" and yelled, "Stop the sedan chair! Stop the sedan chair!" Before the sedan chair had even come to a complete stop, he rushed down, straightened his clothes, and respectfully bowed down, his heart filled with excitement: "Master Tongyan, I, I am so fortunate to have met you!"
"Oh? You know me?" the youthful-looking fortune teller asked, stroking his long beard.
Dong Wenyuan then realized that the man's voice possessed both the vicissitudes of an old man and the clear, youthful tone, and he couldn't help but marvel at it. He replied respectfully, "Yes, yes. I have long heard that the master has discerning eyes and is only willing to divine past events for those with the right destiny. Today, I dare to step forward, wondering if I am fortunate enough to catch the master's eye?"
"If you don't mind, I would like to ask you to give me some guidance. Of course, I will not let you waste your time. I will present you with a small gift right away."
The "master" squinted and scrutinized Dong Wenyuan carefully, making Dong dare not blink. The "master" then closed his eyes again, seemingly lost in thought, muttering something under his breath. Suddenly, he opened his eyes and laughed, "I am your silver... I have some kind of destiny with you."
Dong Wenyuan was overjoyed: "My home is just ahead. Please, Master, move aside. No, please, Master, get into the sedan chair. I'll walk. Let's go back to my residence, have some tea, and talk again. My family has the finest Biluochun tea!"
"Tea?" The "youthful-looking" fortune teller shook his head. "I won't drink tea. I'm an old man, and if I drink tea, I won't be able to sleep at night!"
"However, if there is ice cream cheese, this old man can have a bowl."
He held up a finger and shook it, saying with a smile.
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Author's Note: Qingduo: Let me do some calculations~ (muttering to herself)
Yeah, I think I'm the cutest. [shy]
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