Chapter 74 Returning Home: Zeng Zhengqing Refuses Marriage... A Slap in the Face to the Past
Before they knew it, the day of departure arrived, and the group said goodbye at the dock.
The luggage had already been loaded onto the ship, and it was time to board. Huiying and Qingduo still held hands, refusing to let go. They looked at each other, their eyes brimming with tears. After saying something, they hugged each other again and burst into tears.
Zeng Yong, Zeng Zhengqing, and Zhengji, who were also feeling sad about parting, couldn't help but sigh when they saw Huiying and Qingduo embracing and weeping, looking so reluctant to part.
Zeng Yong asked, "Zhengji, are you sure you don't want to take the exam?"
Zeng Zhengji glanced at his elder brother and replied, "Yes, Uncle."
Zeng Zhengqing's heart skipped a beat, and he suddenly looked at his younger brother. Zeng Zhengji quickly looked away, feeling his brother's gaze burning on his face.
Zeng Yong sighed, "Alright, you all have your own plans. I'm too old to force you!"
"What a pity!" He sighed and looked into the distance. His gaze inadvertently fell on Qingduo again. Remembering something, he murmured, "But things are not without hope."
Zhengji followed his gaze, his heart filled with surprise and doubt. He wondered, "Why was my uncle looking at my sister-in-law when he said that? Could it be that he knows something?" As he thought this, his heart began to race.
To everyone's surprise, Zeng Yong then laughed and said, "When Zhengqing was young, he was unwilling to marry the Tang family's daughter and even had a big fight with his father. But now look at the two of them, aren't they a perfect couple?"
Zeng Zhengqing's face turned bright red. Zhengji looked at his brother in surprise, unable to believe it: "Big brother, is this true?"
Zeng Zhengqing glanced at Qingduo subconsciously, and seeing that they were still hugging each other, he felt a little relieved and said in a low voice, "Uncle! Why are you talking about this! This, this is all in the past!"
Is it really true?
"What's going on?" Zhengji looked at his elder brother, then at his uncle. "If it was a big commotion, I don't remember anything like that."
"Of course you don't know, you were still young then!" Zeng Yong shook his head with a smile, his thoughts drifting back to the past. "When your family went to the capital, I went to see you on my way to run some errands. Your older brother was wiping away tears, looking very aggrieved. I asked him what had happened."
"He said your father arranged a marriage for him with a girl who was mischievous and unruly, not at all the kind of well-mannered, dignified, and quiet lady he longed for. Not only did his protest fail, but he was also beaten, so it's no wonder he felt wronged."
Zeng Zhengji was taken aback by these words. He then looked at Zeng Zhengqing, who was averting his gaze. Rarely seeing his brother make such a fool of himself, he couldn't help but burst into laughter: "Oh my! So, my brother's taste is truly 'a matter of fortunes changing every thirty years'! Hahaha!"
Zeng Zhengqing looked embarrassed, but out of the corner of his eye he noticed Qingduo and the others looking over after hearing the laughter. He quickly whispered to them, "Keep it down!"
It was too late. Qingduo walked over and asked curiously, "What's so fun about it? I want to hear too!"
"It's nothing!" Zeng Zhengqing hurriedly went to greet her and pushed her to the other side. "It's just some trivial matter. By the way, have you packed the gifts you bought for everyone?"
"Of course! I have a very detailed plan, but what exactly are you all..."
"Oh, there's more. Is your shoulder better? Does it still hurt?"
Qingduo subconsciously rubbed her shoulders: "It still hurts!" she complained. "Huiying is so light, I only carried her around a few times, how come it's still not better? It's all your fault for not giving me a proper massage that day! You were massaging me and then..."
Zeng Zhengqing interrupted her loudly: "I had someone go to Luzhou Restaurant in advance and pack your favorite goose and duck skewers, roasted mutton, and glutinous rice balls. You can eat them when you get on the ship."
Qingduo belatedly realized that she had almost mentioned their private matters, and her cheeks instantly flushed. But upon hearing Zeng Zhengqing's words, she immediately forgot her embarrassment and clapped her hands with a beaming smile: "Great, great!"
Zeng Yong watched the two figures disappear into the distance, a smile spreading across his face. He recalled how his beloved nephew had cried and complained, and how Zheng Qing, usually so respectful to his elders, had actually made a scene. He figured that girl really wasn't right for him. Since this was a major event in his nephew's life, he went to consult his younger brother, Zeng Wei.
“I heard Zhengqing mention that the girl is mischievous and naughty. She teased him on their first meeting and lies easily. On one hand, it might be due to her childlike nature, and on the other hand, it's probably because her family is too lenient and hasn't established proper rules. Even if you admire her father's talent, you can't ignore Zhengqing's feelings, and you certainly can't disregard the Zeng family's standards for choosing a daughter-in-law!”
What did his second brother say at that time?
He remembers it very clearly.
"Zhengqing is a deep-thinking child. He maintains a certain distance from everyone he interacts with and doesn't easily reveal his thoughts. He seems mature and composed, but in reality, he finds it difficult to trust others and dislikes things being out of his control."
“But Xiao Qingduo is different. She is lively and cute, like a passionate fire, full of energy. Her mother and I both think that the two of them are a good match. Maybe she can break the dullness in Zhengqing’s life and make him slowly open his heart!”
Green blossoms.
Zeng Yong silently repeated the name in his heart.
It illuminates thousands of mountains and countless flowers.
yes!
He couldn't help but look into Huiying's bright eyes.
She truly shines in all directions!
*
"Finally home!" Qingduo jumped onto the bed excitedly. "No wonder people say, there's no place like home!"
She stretched her arms and legs on the bed and exclaimed sincerely, "I love my 'doghouse'!"
Seeing Zeng Zhengqing standing motionless by the bed, she wriggled to the inside, patted the space she had made, and sincerely invited, "Qingqing, you come and lie down too!"
Zeng Zhengqing, however, was distracted: "You can lie down."
Qingduo crossed her arms behind her head, crossed her legs and swung them back and forth: "Oh dear! What's wrong with our eldest son Zeng again? His face is so gloomy, like it's been filled with ink! Tell me quickly, I promise I'll help you out of your troubles!"
"Stop fooling around. I'm thinking about serious matters."
“Of course, the things you think about are all very ‘serious’.” Qingduo winked at him.
“Grandma, I’m talking about Zhengji, Zeng Zhengji.” Zeng Zhengqing sighed.
"Oh!" Qingduo didn't seem to care. She asked, "After you talked on the boat, you seemed preoccupied. What happened?"
"He ultimately decided not to take the exam."
"Oh, isn't that what you wanted?"
“Sigh, but that’s not what he meant. I always feel sorry for him.” Zeng Zhengqing sighed again.
"You're so awkward," Qingduo said mercilessly. "You're the one who didn't want him to take the exam, but now that he's decided not to, you're still upset. What exactly do you want from him?"
"I always said one shouldn't be too greedy! How can everything go as planned? You can only choose one."
Zeng Zhengqing looked at Qingduo in surprise, then smiled with relief: "You're right. I'll make it up to him properly from now on. I'll find a way to support whatever he wants to do."
Qingduo nodded in satisfaction.
See? She's got some skills, isn't she? She solved it so quickly!
She felt smug, and her raised right leg shook rapidly before suddenly stopping.
Oh dear! She almost forgot, Zeng Zhengji wasn't skipping the exam; he was taking it secretly. And she was the one who came up with this idea for him!
The so-called "no more exams" was nothing but a lie to lull Zeng Zhengqing into a false sense of security!
She scrambled to her feet, grabbed Zeng Zhengqing's hand guiltily, and said earnestly, "Qingqing! You must remember this! If one day you find out what Zhengji has done, it has nothing to do with me!"
"...What do you mean by that?"
“It’s just…” Qingduo racked her brains, trying to find a precise word, “It’s just that I’m innocent, I absolutely did not have an affair with my brother-in-law!”
"What nonsense are you spouting!" Zeng Zhengqing released his grip in displeasure.
"Yes, yes, just pretend they're talking nonsense!" After explaining all this, Qingduo felt relieved and rolled around on the bed again. "My own bed is still the most comfortable!"
Overconfident, she rolled over from the inside of the wall and lost her balance, about to fall off the bed and onto the floor.
"Ouch!" She hurriedly reached out to grab something, only managing to grab the corner of the blanket. It was just a matter of falling from her body to falling with the blanket. Fortunately, Zeng Zhengqing reacted quickly and grabbed her upper body, thus protecting her head.
It was a false alarm. Qingduo was stunned for a moment before saying, "That scared me to death!"
"That's exactly what I was going to say!" Zeng Zhengqing scolded, "Do you think you're rolling around in bed like a pancake? Tossing and turning all day!"
"However, since this pie has fallen from the sky, let me eat you up in one bite!" He opened his mouth, pretending to take a bite out of Qingduo.
Once Qingduo recovered, she naturally refused to admit defeat. She flipped over and hugged Zeng Zhengqing, pinning him beneath her, and shouted, "Take this, Qingqing, I'll roll you up in a pancake!"
"How about that?" She pressed down on him, preventing him from getting up, and said smugly, shaking her head, "Do you admit defeat? Do you give up?"
"Alright, alright, I give up, I surrender," Zeng Zhengqing gave up struggling and simply lay down on the ground, laughing, "I submit to King Qingduo, I will do as you please!"
Qingduo smiled and leaned down, her hands caressing his face, getting closer and closer to him. Zeng Zhengqing closed his eyes, feeling his wife's breath above him, like a feather, tickling his heart.
He held his breath, waiting for that moment. Then—
"ah!"
I felt a sharp pain in both cheeks.
Zeng Zhengqing suddenly opened his eyes and pressed down on Qingduo's hands, which were rubbing her face from side to side: "What are you doing?"
"Kneading dough!" Her calm demeanor couldn't hide the sly glint in her eyes. "Didn't you say I was a pancake? I'm going to turn you into a pancake too!"
"Let go! Didn't you say 'whatever you want'? A gentleman's word is his bond!"
It should be "at your discretion," but not this kind of "discretion"!
Seeing Qingduo's smug smile, Zeng Zhengqing resignedly let go of her hands.
Qingduo grabbed his face and pulled it to both sides, then solemnly introduced, "Let's start pulling the dough!"
Zeng Zhengqing had no choice.
well!
How could he have married such an unromantic woman?
*
When Qingduo returned, she first visited her father and brought them gifts. She also asked Aunt Zhu to sell her newly painted picture of the Qingming Festival.
Not long after, Aunt Zhu brought back news that the owner of Mingzhu Painting Shop intended to sign a long-term contract with her: the remuneration for each painting he created would be increased, and if he could complete a whole series, he would receive an extra sum of money, as well as a fixed subsidy every year.
Hearing about the extra money, Qingduo was already quite satisfied. However, she had to personally handle the signing of the contract. Although she could disguise herself and pretend to be someone else, the cautious Qingduo insisted that Aunt Zhu make it clear to Manager Fang that her true identity must not be revealed; this was the only condition for the cooperation.
Upon their first meeting, the shopkeeper brought up Qingqing, confirming that he knew her. She absolutely couldn't let Qingqing know that he was the model for her "handsome man" series!
He absolutely must not find out about my "selling my husband" scheme!
After arranging everything, Qingduo, carrying her small bundle, excitedly went to find Lu Nong.
Before she even reached her house, she ran into Zhu Yi on the way.
Qingduo's eyes lit up, and she waved excitedly, "Brother Zhu! I'm back!"
How enthusiastic she was! But Zhu Yi crossed his arms and said coldly, "Hmph! Tang Qingduo! Look what you've done!"
Qingduo looked down at her package, which contained gifts for him and Lu Nong, and exclaimed in surprise, "Brother Zhu, you've become so smart in just a few days!"
How do you know I did a good deed?
She exclaimed from the bottom of her heart, "Truly, one should look at a person with new eyes after three days' absence!"
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Author's Note: Next Monday morning
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