Chapter 53 053 Falling on the Edge
The next morning, Du Qingtang received four articles titled "My Dream".
The number of words in the articles ranges from three to five hundred. Although they are not written in regular script, they are neat and can show the girls' seriousness and concentration when writing.
The only flaw is that some of the characters are missing parts, making them look out of place.
Du Qingtang is a strict teacher, but she is occasionally tolerant, especially when it comes to words that she has not yet taught her students.
Du Qingtang asked, "Are you all self-taught?"
Du Qingzhu smiled and said, "Ju Jieer happened to know that there's an old lady in the alley who can read. Let's go ask her and then practice when we get back."
Du Qingju added: "Grandma doesn't know many words, so..."
Du Qingtang understood, put away the four articles, and said before leaving, "I'll be back tonight."
The girls were stunned at first, then slowly realized what this meant and were ecstatic.
"Is Tang Ge'er going to continue teaching us to read and write?"
“That’s fantastic!”
"I had planned to recite the Three Character Classic last night, but ended up going to the Lantern Festival. I have to recite it for Tang Ge'er tonight."
Du Qingju glanced at the lanterns in the main hall and chuckled.
The dark clouds that had shrouded the Du family courtyard for two full months finally dissipated, and smiles returned to the girls' faces.
......
"So, have you reconciled with your fifth and sixth sisters?"
On the way back to the academy, Fu Ci asked Du Qingtang with a smile.
Du Qingtang: "If it's not a quarrel, how can we talk about reconciliation?"
She just took this opportunity to let Du Qingmei and Du Qinglan calm down and think and reflect.
As it turned out, they did not disappoint her.
Fu Ci snorted, not sure if he believed it or not, and changed the subject: "I only have one class today. I'm going to the bookstore in the afternoon to hand in my painting and buy two math problem books."
The college entrance examination will be next year, so you can start preparing now.
The examination content is similar to that of the county and prefectural examinations, including eight-legged essays, examination poems, dictation, and arithmetic problems.
To this day, arithmetic problems are still Fu Ci's weakness.
Fu Ci always felt that if the provincial examination asked about arithmetic, she would probably not even get second place.
"I hate people who come up with arithmetic problems!" Fu Ci gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, saying angrily, "I'd rather write ten eight-part essays than a single arithmetic problem!"
Du Qingtang declined to comment.
Fu Ci's situation is no different from that of a liberal arts student solving advanced math problems. One can imagine how painful it is.
She was good at arithmetic, but she couldn't answer questions for Fu Ci. At most, she could give some pointers.
"The imperial examination is a must-test question. There's no way to avoid it. All you can do is write more and practice more."
"well--"
Fu Ci let out a long sigh.
A quarter of an hour later, the two of them walked into Class A of Tongsheng one after another.
Cao Xingcan called Du Qingtang and said, "I just did an arithmetic problem, and it seems to be a little off. Come over and take a look."
Fu Ci poked Du Qingtang, signaling her to hurry over, then turned around and walked away as if there was a dog chasing him.
There was no dog, just an arithmetic problem.
Du Qingtang stuffed the school bag into Fu Ci's hand and asked her to take it. Then he walked towards Cao Xingcan and asked, "What's the problem?"
Cao Xingcan placed the workbook in front of Du Qingtang: "This question..."
After some discussion, there is indeed a problem.
Cao Xingcan's expression softened. "I was right after all. I'll go find the teacher later."
Du Qingtang nodded, returned to his seat, and waited for the class to start.
......
After the calligraphy class, Cao Xingcan went to find the arithmetic teacher, while Du Qingtang and Fu Ci went to the bookstore.
The three of them walked together for a while, and Cao Xingcan said, "Please bring me a copy of the eight-legged essay question book."
Du Qingtang agreed and handed over the painting after arriving at the bookstore. He and Fu Ci each received 223 wen as wages.
Fu Ci bought two arithmetic exercise books, and Du Qingtang bought four calligraphy books for the girls in the family. Finally, they did not forget to pick up a book of eight-legged essay exercises.
While paying, several scholars were chatting outside the door.
"Have you heard? More than a month ago, the Duke of Changguo's mansion was brutally massacred. Hundreds of people died in the mansion, and only twenty or thirty people were left."
"But last year, a Duke of Changguo's mansion won the top three places?"
"It was the Duke of Changguo's Mansion, and even that top scholar couldn't escape death."
"With no one in the court and no descendants, the Duke of Changguo Mansion, which has been glorious for a hundred years, is about to decline."
"No! No! A lean camel is bigger than a horse. Don't forget that there are still the Imperial Concubine and the Second Prince in the palace. Moreover, the Duke of Changguo has many relatives and they are intertwined. If one suffers, all suffer and if one prospers, all prosper. What's more..."
The person who spoke deliberately kept the question in suspense.
"What's more? Just tell me!"
The man smiled and said, "Just last month, the Duke of Changguo's Mansion found the eldest grandson of the eldest wife who had been wandering around. The Duke of Changguo, despite his illness, sought an official position for him. Now, the second son of Qi Hezhang has been appointed to the Ministry of Personnel."
"They are truly worthy of being a noble family. To be an official, we must work hard and persevere, but they can get it easily."
"Ah, this is fate!"
"If he is the legitimate grandson, why would he be wandering outside?"
"You don't understand this, don't you? The Duke of Changguo is a first-rank official, extremely powerful and influential, with many supporters, but also many enemies. Many wealthy families, to prevent the extinction of their lineage, would hide one or two of their children..."
"Qingtang, I've paid, let's go."
Fu Ci's brisk voice brought Du Qingtang back to reality from her contemplation. She coughed lightly and said calmly, "Well, let's go."
After they left the bookstore, Fu Ci pondered, "Is that Second Young Master Qi a recommendation for an official position?"
In Daxia, there are two ways to become an official in the court.
Become an official through imperial examination and recommendation.
The former was more common, and both children of officials and children of poor families could pass the imperial examination and become officials in the court.
Compared with the imperial examination system, recommendation for official appointment is less authoritative and more inclined to rely on personal connections.
To put it more bluntly, they are just connections, and they are watered down and easily criticized.
Du Qingtang mused, "I guess so, but the person who recommended him is of unusually high status."
Fu Ci remained noncommittal. "Of course, the Supreme Lord is honorable, but the Duke of Changguo's Mansion is truly... If it weren't for this calamity, the Second Young Master Qi would probably never have returned."
A hint of darkness flashed across Du Qingtang's eyes.
She didn't remember that Qi Heming had a cousin named Qi Hezhang.
The only son of Qi Lianmao's eldest son who died young was clearly named Qi Hezhou.
......
In the afternoon, Du Qingtang and Fu Ci went to Du Ji Snacks.
Du Qingtang was doing homework in the small room in the backyard, while Fu Ci was doing odd jobs in the shop in the front.
As the sun sets, the girls see off the last batch of diners and go home.
Fu Ci was doing exercises on the side. Du Qingtang took out a copybook and said, "I bought this at the bookstore today. You can practice according to it."
Four girls took four calligraphy books and gently opened them.
“What beautiful handwriting!”
"I want to be like this too!"
Du Qingtang looked at Du Qingmei and Du Qinglan: "Don't you want to recite the Three Character Classic? I have time now."
Du Qinglan pushed Du Qingmei from behind. Du Qingmei was caught off guard and was pushed directly in front of Du Qingtang.
Du Qinglan shouted loudly: "Fifth sister said she wants to recite it first!"
Du Qingmei: "...Well, I'll go first."
I can’t have this stinky sister anymore!
Du Qingzhu took out the "Three Character Classic" and read it head to head with Du Qingju, listening to Du Qingmei reciting the text while comparing it with the book.
Fu Ci also put down his brush and arithmetic problems and came over to join in the fun.
"...Be careful and make every effort."
Du Qingmei finished reciting the whole thing without taking a breath, and looked at the youngest brother anxiously: "Tang Ge'er, how did I do?"
Du Qingtang nodded slightly: "Not bad."
Du Qingmei smiled with her lips pursed, and there was light in her eyes.
Next it was Du Qinglan's turn.
“Man is born good…”
After all, I have been reciting it for more than a month, over and over again, so it becomes smooth and fluent.
After the meeting, Du Qingtang also praised Du Qinglan.
The young girl grinned, her uneasiness completely dissipated.
"Go and do the exercises. If you don't understand, come back and ask me." Du Qingtang said to Fu Ci, then spread out the rice paper and dipped the brush in ink. "Starting from today, do thirty words every day. Tomorrow I will teach you the Three Character Classic..."
The girls listened attentively, writing and drawing on the table with their fingers, tracing the horizontal, vertical and diagonal strokes.
After teaching thirty characters, Teacher Du went offline. Du Qingtang asked the girls to practice calligraphy on their own, sat next to Fu Ci, and did arithmetic problems with her.
The flickering candlelight in the room created a quiet atmosphere.
-
In mid-July, the sun was scorching and the weather was getting hotter.
At this time, the horse riding and archery classes were tantamount to torture.
After practicing archery or getting off their horses, the students were all sweating profusely, their faces flushed, and they cried out that they couldn't bear it any longer.
Even when sitting in the classroom, I was sweating profusely, my whole body was sticky and I felt very uncomfortable.
Many of the students who studied hard all day developed blisters and even pustules on their backs and buttocks, which were painful and itchy and they suffered terribly.
Coincidentally, at this time, the Huimin Medical Clinic in the county town launched a talcum powder that was said to be effective in preventing prickly heat.
Even if you already have prickly heat, it can heal quickly by using some kind of ointment.
When the students heard the news, they decided to go to Huimin Medical Clinic for treatment with a desperate attitude.
The ointment is milky yellow in color and feels a bit cool when applied on the body. After just three days, the prickly heat on my body has improved significantly.
After another three days, the symptoms subsided and he was completely cured.
The ointment has done its job and it’s time to use talcum powder instead.
Talcum powder is a white powder with a light fragrance. Use the matching powder puff to evenly pat the areas of your body that are prone to sweating. Not only will your skin become slippery, but it will also be very dry.
After that, even if I sat for ten hours every day, I never got prickly heat again.
As the first beneficiaries, students from Qingyuan Academy spontaneously recommended talcum powder to the scholars around them who were suffering from the scorching heat.
Word of mouth spread from one person to ten, and from ten to a hundred, and talcum powder became a major signature product of Huimin Medical Clinic. Every day, countless scholars came to ask for medicine.
Fu Ci heard something and was extremely moved.
After disguising herself as a man to study for her brother, Fu Ci carefully wrapped her chest with a white cloth to prevent her identity from being exposed, even though she had not developed yet.
It is hot in the summer and you will sweat if you move a little. Sweat accumulates under the white cloth. It is hot and stuffy, so it is hard not to get prickly heat.
After school that day, on the way to Du Ji Snack Shop, Fu Ci nonchalantly stated his request: "I have prickly heat on my back, and I'm going to Huimin Medical Clinic to buy a can of talcum powder."
Du Qingtang glanced at Fu Ci and made a guess: "No need to go, I have several cans at home."
Fu Ci shook his head: "I heard that talcum powder is a bit expensive, how can I use yours?"
Du Qingtang said, "I gave the formula for the talcum powder to Huimin Medical Clinic."
Fu Ci: "Ah?"
Du Qingtang emphasized: "The doctor at Huimin Medical Clinic made talcum powder according to the prescription and gave me several bottles. This stuff is only effective for five months, so it would be a waste if I don't use it up."
Fu Ci scratched his head, touched his chin, gasped, and had a complicated expression: "Qingtang, tell me honestly, do you have any surprises that I don't know about?"
Du Qingtang said profoundly, "It is born in response to the times, and it is random and unpredictable."
Last year she agreed with the girls to use the 1,200 taels as an investment.
Over the past six months, Du Qingtang has set up many businesses to make money, including talcum powder and frostbite cream.
In her previous life, because she sat for long periods of time to study, she developed many prickly heat rashes on her body and was so itchy that she couldn't sleep at night.
The Du family was poor, and she was short of money and couldn't afford expensive ointments, so she simply borrowed medical books and tinkered with them herself, and she actually managed to make a low-quality version of talcum powder.
Du Qingtang not only suffers from prickly heat in the summer, but also frostbite in the winter.
Yuanshi only cares about the Yuan family and doesn't care about the lives of others. Du Qingtang has to do everything by himself. His hands are in a terrible state after touching cold water in winter.
So she came up with frostbite cream.
These two things worked well, and Du Qingtang vaguely remembered the recipes. After his rebirth, he bought the ingredients, combined them with modern recipes, and successfully made improved versions, which he sold to Huimin Medical Clinic.
And it’s not a one-time buyout, but a profit-sharing method.
A can of talcum powder costs twenty cents, and Du Qingtang can get five cents. It is a hot seller right now, and he is expected to earn dozens of taels in one summer.
Enough to buy a shop.
"What a timely one!" Fu Ci clapped his hands and laughed, "Then I won't be polite."
That evening, Du Ji Snacks closed, and Fu Ci went to the courtyard with Du Qingtang, taking away two cans of talcum powder when he left.
Du Qingtang also returned to the academy.
Let’s give the girls a day off today, have a night’s rest, and continue learning to read tomorrow.
......
After returning to the dormitory, Du Qingtang and Fu Ci completed the homework assigned by the teacher, then practiced exercises and drew illustrations until the hour of Hai.
Fu Ci cleaned his brush and hung it together with Du Qingtang's. He raised his wrist to wipe the sweat from his forehead. "It's so hot and humid today. Is it going to rain?"
Du Qingtang squatted in front of the cupboard, sorting clothes. Hearing this, he said without turning his head, "It hasn't rained since the beginning of summer. If there is no rain, the crops in the fields will suffer."
Although the few acres of land in the family are now cultivated by my third uncle's family, a certain amount of grain from the harvest twice a year must be given to the Du family to cover the rental fee.
When the crops die, they have to buy food.
This reminded Fu Ci of the few acres of land at home. Now she lived in the dormitory and could only eat a few bites of land throughout the year. Whether the land was damaged or not had little to do with her.
She didn't dare reveal her cold thoughts to Du Qingtang. She bent down to get the wooden basin under the bunk bed and prepared to go to the bathroom to fetch water.
After getting the wooden basin, he stood up and felt a sharp pain in his abdomen. Fu Ci screamed and sat down on the bed as the wooden basin fell to the ground.
Du Qingtang heard the cry and immediately turned around. Seeing Fu Ci holding his stomach with a pale face, he stepped forward and asked, "What's wrong?"
Fu Ci took a deep breath, frowning, "Just now my stomach hurt so badly, like a cramp."
Du Qingtang looked at her intently for a few seconds and asked, "Do you want to go to the clinic?"
The clinic was closed at this hour, but it didn't matter, she could use silver to break it open.
Fu Ci shook his head: "No need, it doesn't hurt now, it might be a slip when I bent over."
Du Qingtang stopped asking questions and the two of them went to the bathroom to get some water, washed up and went to sleep.
......
As expected, it was overcast and very hot during the day, and it rained heavily at night.
There was a strong wind outside, and the rain was hitting the roof, doors and windows, startling countless students.
Du Qingtang has always been a light sleeper. After waking up with a start, he got up to check the doors and windows. Then, while listening to the wind and rain outside the window, he silently recited "Mencius" and gradually fell asleep.
The rain continued for half the night and continued the next day, but it was much lighter.
Because they couldn't attend the horse riding and archery class due to the rain and snow, Du Qingtang and Fu Ci shared an umbrella and went to the library to read.
The library was crowded with students who were unable to attend the horse riding and archery classes and came here to kill time.
They stood by the bookshelf or sat on the floor, all consciously keeping quiet, gently turning the pages of the book, and never disturbing others.
There were also a few teachers and professors sitting in the corner, in groups of three or four, discussing something in low voices.
Du Qingtang and Fu Ci picked up two books and were about to find a place to sit down when a middle-aged man in a dark ochre round-necked robe came towards them.
Fu Ci saw who it was and was surprised: "Why are you..." Wearing a round-necked robe that only professors can wear?
The middle-aged man paused, smiled, and nodded, "It's you. It's been a while since I saw you reading under the statue of Confucius."
Even Du Qingtang, who had seen a lot of things, couldn't hide his surprise at this moment: "Are you a professor at the academy?"
The middle-aged man, Yao Xuan, remained calm and said, "Indeed, he is the professor."
He used to be a professor, but now he is the dean.
To round it off, he is a professor at the college.
Fu Ci's expression was subtle: "I always thought you were... you were a craftsman working in the academy."
Yao Xuan laughed dryly, his tone unconvincing, "Don't you think a craftsman's short shirt is very comfortable and easy to walk around in?"
Du Qingtang: “…”
Fu Ci: “…”
Silence is a corner of today's library.
Du Qingtang spoke first, breaking the awkward silence: "We've all been living outside lately, so we haven't been going to the Confucius statue for morning readings."
Yao Xuan twirled his beard and said, "I see. Are you still in the introductory class?"
Fu Ci said: "We have been promoted to Tongsheng."
Yao Xuan exclaimed: "He has become a student at such a young age. He is truly a young talent."
In fact, he had known it for a long time, but he just had nothing to say and changed the subject so that the two children would forget the misunderstanding of the craftsman and the professor.
At this moment, another middle-aged man in a dark ochre round-necked robe came over: "Zijing, you..."
Yao Xuan's eyes flashed, and before the other party could finish speaking, he spoke: "My name is Wen Boqing, you can just call me Professor Wen."
After searching the library for a long time, Wen Boqing finally found his old friend and was about to discuss academy affairs with him: "???"
Your name is Wen Boqing, so what is my name?
Du Qingtang and Fu Ci bowed and said softly, "I greet Professor Wen."
After the ceremony, he looked at Wen Boqing.
Wen Boqing: "...You can just call me Professor Yao. I have something important to discuss with Professor Wen, so I'll go ahead."
After saying that, he pulled Yao Xuan away.
Fu Ci's voice came from behind him, soft but remarkably clear: "Professor Yao? If I remember correctly, the dean of our academy is also named Yao?"
Yao Xuanhu's body shook.
Du Qingtang said: "The world is so big, there are many people with the same surname."
Yao Xuan breathed a sigh of relief, and it was his turn to pull Wen Boqing and quickly escape from the scene.
After leaving the library, the two of them went to their residence holding umbrellas.
Wen Boqing said angrily: "Why did you lie to them?"
Yao Xuan sighed, "I didn't expect to run into them in the library. Fu Wen called me professor, so I just went along with it."
Wen Boqing laughed heartily, gloating over his misfortune: "There is no such thing as an impenetrable wall. I'm waiting for the day when they find out you're the headmaster!"
He not only wanted to see how the two children would react, but also how Yao Xuan would respond!
Hahahaha!
Wen Boqing couldn't stop laughing, which was very penetrating in the rain and attracted the attention of passers-by.
Yao Xuan was so angry that his beard curled up, and he really wanted to pretend that he didn't know this person.
After laughing, Wen Boqing said seriously, "Zijing, I have been observing these two children these days, and I find that compared to Du Qingtang, Fu Wen is more to my liking."
Yao Xuan: "Xing Rang, why do you say that?"
Wen Boqing twirled his beard and argued confidently, "That kid absolutely hates arithmetic."
And he happens to be one too.
Yao Xuan was silent for a long time, then——
“Hahahahahahaha!”
Things change over time, and no one can escape the fate of heaven.
Wen Boqing listened to his old friend's arrogant laughter and sighed to the sky.
-
Du Qingtang and Fu Ci spent the whole afternoon reading in the library. They borrowed another book before leaving and continued reading it when they returned in the evening.
When I came out of the library, I found that the rain had gotten heavier again.
The sky was filled with lightning and thunder, accompanied by rumbling thunder. Lightning streaked across the sky, almost tearing the sky apart.
The rain was pouring down. I just stood under the eaves, and before I stepped into the rain, the corners of my robe were already soaked.
Du Qingtang: "Do you want to go back now or wait a while?"
Fu Ci: "This rain won't stop anytime soon, let's run faster. At worst we can go back and change clothes."
So the two of them ran wildly in the rain.
When they returned to the dormitory, they were soaked, with wet hair stuck to their faces, as if they had just been pulled out of the water.
Du Qingtang and Fu Ci looked at each other and burst out laughing.
"Change your clothes quickly, don't catch a cold."
"You first or me?"
Du Qingtang remembered Fu Ci's unusual behavior last night and said without hesitation, "You go first."
Fu Ci didn't hesitate and boiled some hot water. They washed their hair together, then lined up to dry their bodies and change into clean clothes.
While Du Qingtang was passing by, Fu Ci was standing outside the door, chatting with the students next door.
A gust of wind blew in his face, Fu Ci shivered, covered his nose and sneezed.
She didn't know if it was her illusion, but her lower abdomen was aching again.
Fu Ci exhaled a breath, covered it with his wide sleeves, and rubbed his stomach quietly.
The rain continued until the beginning of the Xu hour.
The discomfort in Fu Ci's lower abdomen not only did not subside, but became more and more severe. It was as if someone was holding a knife and stirring it violently in her stomach. The pain made her legs weak and cold sweats broke out.
She thought she was hungry, so she asked Du Qingtang to bring her two buns when he went to the cafeteria, but the pain did not subside after she ate them.
Du Qingtang poured her a cup of warm water: "The hot water bottle from last winter is still there. I'll pour some water over your stomach to warm it up, and maybe you'll feel better."
Fu Ci lay on the bed, a weak smile on his lips: "Sorry to bother Qingtang."
Du Qingtang went to the cupboard to find a hot water bottle: "As I should, you took care of me before."
Fu Ci was stunned and his smile deepened.
Du Qingtang went to the bathroom, filled the hot water bottle with hot water, and returned to give it to Fu Ci: "Don't read tonight, go to bed early, and remember to call me if you feel unwell."
The hot water bottle was placed on his stomach through a layer of underwear. Perhaps because people are particularly vulnerable when they are unwell, Fu Ci's nose felt sore and his eyes were hot.
"Qingtang, you are so nice to me."
"Qingtang, my parents are not as kind to me as you are."
"Qingtang, let's be good friends for life."
Seeing that she was almost dizzy from the pain, Du Qingtang made some noises, then he lowered the bed curtains and sat down at the table, flipping through the books he had borrowed from the library, until midnight before he went to bed.
......
Fu Ci fell asleep in a daze, holding the hot water bottle.
While half asleep and half awake, I felt a sharp pain in my lower abdomen.
Fu Ci suddenly woke up, reached out and touched it, his fingertips were wet and sticky.
She sat up with a somersault, dazed and staring at her red hands with horror on her face.
Am I going to die?
Otherwise, why would so much blood be shed?
No wonder she had stomachache these past two days, it turns out she had an incurable disease!
Fu Ci's nose felt sore and tears fell down.
She is going to die.
She is only fourteen years old.
She also wants to continue studying.
As she cried, Fu Ci hiccupped, and she was so scared that she quickly covered her mouth with her clean hand, for fear of waking up Du Qingtang next door.
Qingtang will definitely be very sad if she dies.
Or leave secretly?
Qingtang would only think that she had stopped studying and would never imagine that she was dead.
Fu Ci pursed his lips and sobbed silently.
Heartbroken, his confused mind gradually came to clarity.
In a flash, Fu Ci recalled a few years ago when he overheard the women in the village chatting.
"Before I got married and had children, I was in excruciating pain during those few days every month."
"Alas, this is the bad thing about being a woman. Menstruation is really torturous. It's inconvenient to work during those few days. It's sticky."
It hurts like hell.
bleed.
Menstruation.
Fu Ci's expression froze, he lowered his head as if he was about to cry, and moved a few times.
The underwear is dirty.
Still sticky.
So is it possible that she is not dying, but having her period?
In the darkness, Fu Ci blinked and rolled out of bed.
"Crack—"
The movement was too intense and the bunk bed groaned.
Du Qingtang poked his head out from behind the bed curtains: "What's wrong?"
Fu Ci shook his head like a rattle and almost bit his tongue when he answered: "It's okay, you can continue to sleep."
Du Qingtang glanced at her, then curled up and continued to sleep.
Fu Ci dealt with the underwear as quickly as possible, cut off the clean part to use as a menstrual cloth, and tiptoed onto the bed.
His stomach still hurt, and Fu Ci curled up in the quilt, covering his stomach with both hands.
After feeling relieved for surviving the disaster, Fu Ci gradually calmed down.
She looked at the bed curtains made of scraps of cloth and thought of many things in an instant.
She had heard the women in the village talk about menstruation before.
Women have their period every month. Some have stomach pains, while others are fine.
Obviously, Fu Ci belongs to the former.
Fu Ci couldn't help but wonder if her severe stomachache was because Fu Wen pushed her into the river when she was a child.
It was winter at the time, and Fu Wen pushed her into the water. Her parents heard her cries for help, but they indulged Fu Wen and didn't care whether she lived or died.
If she had stomach pain every time she had her period in the future, and her period happened to coincide with an examination at the academy, or even an imperial examination, the pain would distract her and she would definitely fail the exam.
The women in the village also said that sometimes menstruation has a smell, and if the inspector finds it during the body search during the imperial examination...
Fu Ci closed his eyes tightly.
Her identity as a girl will be exposed, she will be thrown into prison and executed at a later date.
During this long, extremely hot summer night, a chill spread from the soles of my feet to the top of my head, and then to my limbs, bones, and internal organs.
Fu Ci felt as if he was in a deep icy pond and began to tremble uncontrollably.
Despair and fear were like vines, tightly wrapping around Fu Ci.
She hugged herself tightly with both hands, tears streaming down her face, wetting the pillowcase.
Fu Ci cried for a long time. She curled up and sobbed. She cried so hard that she became unconscious and didn't even know when she fell asleep.
......
The suppressed sobbing gradually stopped, and Du Qingtang opened his eyes, without any trace of sleepiness in them.
Fu Ci was crying.
She is scared.
Looking back to the past, Du Qingtang also hid in her quilt and cried secretly at night because she had just started her period and was worried that she would be discovered during the body search during the imperial examination.
But when she woke up, life had to go on, and she had to continue studying and taking the imperial examinations.
Du Qingtang got out of bed, walked to Fu Ci's bed, and gently lifted the bed curtains.
It was a hot and stuffy night, and with a hot water bottle in his arms, Fu Ci kicked off the quilt and slept with his legs spread out.
Just as she was about to pull the quilt to cover her, as she was afraid her stomach would get cold, Fu Ci grabbed her hand in his dream and started mumbling nonsense.
"Dad, don't hit me!"
"I don't want to die, wu..."
Du Qingtang leaned over, stroked Fu Ci's hair, and whispered, "Go to sleep, I'm here."
Gradually, Fu Ci stopped mumbling and fell asleep with wet eyelashes.
Du Qingtang took away the cold hot water bottle, covered her with a quilt, tidied the bed curtains, lay back and closed his eyes.
The sound of raindrops patters, and a good night's sleep.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
