maid
They traveled on a large ship, ten zhang long and three chi wide, with two decks. In addition to rooms for resting, there was a kitchen, a study, and a small hall, essentially bringing houses from the shore onto the ship.
After leaving Gu Qingchen's room, Chunlai went to the kitchen and applied cold water to her face, but it didn't help much. There was still a faint blush on her right cheek, which looked even more striking compared to her fair left cheek.
She stood on the deck by the ship, gazing blankly at the clear, bright sky ahead, watching the waves crashing against the sea as the ship sailed by. This magnificent view failed to stir her appreciation; her eyes remained vacant, somewhat numb.
The ship was large, but she had no corner of her own. The upper deck was the master's room, and the lower deck was the servants' room. The servants at least had a small bed to rest on, but she could only cling to Cui Dongchi. Only this deck was where she could stay for a while.
A maid came over and called to her, "Sister Chunlai, the young master is looking for you!"
She snapped out of her daze, blinked her sore eyes, composed herself, and her usual gentle smile returned to her face as she replied, "Coming!"
There was a knock on the door, but Cui Dongchi didn't even look up. The person outside didn't need his response either, and entered.
He continued flipping through the account books, not even glancing at the newcomers, and simply said, "These are freshly picked oranges, let's eat them."
Chun looked at the plate of fruit on the table. The oranges were all plump and large, with visible fuzz on the peel and a few glistening water droplets on them.
Now, at this time of year, and sailing at sea, these fresh oranges are even more expensive. When Chunlai went to the young lady's room, she only saw a few small oranges there.
She silently peeled off the fruit; the flesh was plump and juicy, dripping down her fingers. She then placed the fruit near Cui Dongchi's mouth.
Cui Dongchi smiled and took her hand to feed him. He took a bite, and when he looked up at her, his smile froze slightly as he noticed the unnatural red mark on her right cheek.
Remembering what the maid had said about the young lady looking for her, Cui Dongchi immediately understood. He frowned slightly and touched the maid's face with some dissatisfaction: "Next time she calls you over, just make an excuse to refuse."
Chunlai gave a soft "hmm" and then held the fruit to his mouth. Cui Dongchi took another bite, and after he finished the fruit, he deliberately sucked the juice from his jade finger with his lips and tongue, his teasing intent was very strong.
Chunlai knew his nature well, so she let him put his arm around her waist and sit on his lap. She wrapped her arms around the back of Cui Dongchi's neck, closed her eyes, and their lips and tongues intertwined.
The sweet taste of the loquat reached Chunlai's mouth, but it couldn't dispel the sourness in her heart.
After the sun set, it quickly got dark, but Gu Qingchen couldn't fall asleep. She was about to go talk to her younger brother when she saw the maid blushing and stammering, preventing her from entering.
The man's panting and the woman's moans mingled together, followed by a deliberately suppressed scream, then the woman's sobs and the man's coaxing voices.
Gu Qingchen's face turned red instantly. Just by listening to the noise from outside the door, she knew how intense the commotion inside was. She was both annoyed and embarrassed, and hurriedly turned and left.
Chunlai inside couldn't take it anymore. She wrapped her arms around Cui Dongchi's shoulder and begged him to let her go. Only after a while could she stop and catch her breath.
She leaned against him, listening to Cui Dongchi's rapid heartbeat and panting. She could feel the sweat on his cheeks from the intensity of their lovemaking. She looked up slightly and saw that he also had his eyes closed, savoring the lingering afterglow.
She smiled gently, moved closer to him, and let him hold her. She closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep, accompanied by her lover's breathing.
The day before they docked, Gu Qingchen again asked her maid to invite Chunlai over. Chunlai, who was still packing clothes for Cui Dongchi, could only smile bitterly as she recalled the instructions from that day.
She was just a maid, and she had no right to say no in front of her master. So she put down her work and went to Gu Qingchen's room.
Because of the continuous sea voyage, this young lady was really not used to the water. A few days ago, she was so nauseous that she couldn't eat anything and could only lie in bed and rest with her eyes closed.
After Chunlai helped her sit up, he obediently knelt beside her and listened to her instructions.
Gu Qingchen knew that Lu Chang would be going to Shiyu Port to pick up her younger brother the next day. She didn't want Lu Chang to see her haggard appearance, so she planned to go back to her house in Jinning City after disembarking. However, before leaving, she specifically instructed Chunlai to find out about Lu Chang's relationship with the woman in his house.
When spring comes, she will be allowed to leave.
Recalling the events that had transpired on the ship a few days prior, Chunlai looked at Jingwan, who was always smiling, and felt genuinely happy for her.
Why should she ask any more questions? The comfort in her eyes says it all. Once the young lady visits the Lu family and sees all this for herself, she'll give up!
Chunlai finally understood why her young master had agreed to bring the young lady along – he wanted to see for himself and dispel her feelings for Young Master Lu!
Having finally made a friend like this, she didn't want to have ulterior motives in her interactions with her, so she ignored Gu Qingchen's words and continued chatting and laughing with her.
Before parting, they agreed to go to Shiyu City together three days later.
After seeing Cui Dongchi off, Yuan Cheng, without avoiding Jing Wan, said to Lu Chang, "Three years ago, I visited Lord Cui in Jianchuan, but I didn't see his son. Now that I've met him, I realize that Lord Cui has such a clever and insightful son. But I don't understand. Although Lord Cui is listed in the Cui clan genealogy of Wanxi, he is actually the son of Emperor Daizong, with noble blood. How could the dignified Duke of Dingguo let his son go on the trade route?"
Lu Chang had also thought about this question. He asked Cui Dongchi, but Cui said that he was not suited to be an official and preferred to do business.
“I’ve always loved freedom and disliked being restrained! The official robes of the Great Wei are so tight they could strangle my neck, I’m not going to wear them!”
Lu Chang did not comment, but in his view, Cui Dongchi might have other motives.
Sure enough, when he told Yuan Cheng the reason, Yuan Cheng looked at the departing carriage and said indifferently, "Is that so?"
He didn't ask Lu Chang for an answer, but lowered his head slightly and looked at Jing Wan kindly: "Little Awan, a friend came to see me a few days ago and gave me some ancient books. There is one that is about jade carving. I forgot to bring it today. I will bring it to you tomorrow."
Jingwan smiled and replied, "Thank you very much, Lord Yuan. But there's no need for you to deliver it. I'm going to the market tomorrow and will happen to pass by your residence. I'll pick it up there then, is that alright?"
Yuan Cheng should certainly be.
Since that day when they confided in each other in Fuyu Mountain, Lu Chang has stopped being jealous. However, the repeated calls of "Lord Yuan" from Jing Wan still make Lu Chang somewhat unhappy.
They were so close, it really felt like they were siblings. But then he thought about it, and realized that Jingwan and he were people with shallow family ties. Since she had so many people who loved her, he felt more at ease.
With that thought, the unpleasant feeling quietly dissipated, and the steps as she led the person into the mansion became light and free.
The next day, Jingwan went to Yuancheng's residence, bringing with her a jar of pickled radish she had made herself. The pickled radish was sweet and sour, a delicious side dish to accompany rice, and it was also a great way to finish a large bowl of porridge in the morning.
Yuan Cheng thanked her and led her to the study, showing her what books she needed to read.
"When the waves are too big to go out to sea, you can stay at home and read books, which can also help pass the time."
Jingwan was naturally delighted, and was even more amazed when she saw the room full of books Yuancheng had filled.
The spacious room contained more than ten bookshelves, with all kinds of books neatly arranged on them, including local chronicles, vernacular novels, and collections of calligraphy and paintings, all categorized in a dazzling manner.
She still couldn't understand those classics, but she was particularly interested in the novels on the shelf. She picked out two that suited her taste and noticed a booklet lying across the other books, as if the owner had taken it out of the shelf and hadn't put it back in time, just leaving it there casually.
Curious, she picked it up and flipped through it, only to discover that it was a picture book. Each page was filled with illustrations, which were not complicated, just simple line drawings, but because the artist was extremely skilled, the scenes depicted were brought to life for the viewer.
Some paintings are accompanied by a few simple words, while others are signed with a name: Yuan Cheng.
Was it painted by Yuan Daren?
She flipped through a few pages and saw that the paintings depicted the local customs and culture of Lingnan: fishing boats moored in the harbor, and several seabirds flying low over the sea; the oyster houses of the coastal people, with their curved lines vividly depicting the way oyster shells filled the houses; the most recent painting was a scene of a hurricane, with waves rising several meters high, a huge ship about to be capsized by the waves, the roofs of thatched houses flying into the sky in the distance, and houses next to them collapsing...
"What are you looking at so intently?"
Yuan Cheng came over and looked at her too, only to find that she was looking at the painting he had casually drawn.
Jingwan admired this Master Yuan even more. She had known for his literary talent before, but now she realized that his painting skills were also first-rate. She praised him, saying, "When I was young, I couldn't read or study, but if I had seen paintings like yours back then, I could have seen all the world's wonders without leaving home."
Yuan Cheng was taken aback.
Then he joked, "You've learned quite a few idioms now; it seems Lu Chang taught you a lot."
When he mentioned this, Jingwan pouted in dissatisfaction. Last time, her cousin had told her about setting up a school in Chaozhou and even said he would invite a tutor to their home to teach her. She thought it was a joke, but he was serious and actually invited a tutor to come and continue teaching her. Not only that, but he would also check her homework every day when he returned home. If she was lazy, he would hit her palms several times with a small bamboo stick.
Jingwan was confined to the mansion, feeling extremely stifled. Fortunately, she caught a cold and had a fever that lasted for three days. Lu Chang stayed by her side for three days until she regained consciousness. However, she remained listless and barely ate anything. Lu Chang felt extremely sorry for her and comforted her every day. He never allowed her to study again. After she recovered, he only hoped that she would live a happy life and never mentioned studying again.
She brought home a lot of books from Yuan Cheng, looking silly and happy. Lu Chang told Fang Juan to pack her clothes, and then sat with her on the terrace, looking at the novels together.
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