0048 The Golden Hairpin (Part Two)
Zhan Yaoguang stiffened, paced around the room somewhat awkwardly, and finally leaned against the windowsill, mentally preparing herself before speaking.
“I remember…you learned medicine and poison making from the lineage of Sister Zhanqing and the others since you were a child?”
Zhan Yinyuan nodded.
For over a hundred years, the sorcerer clan of western Hunan has divided their academic fields according to natural talents.
Those with exceptional talent in controlling Gu, such as Shiyi Niang, Zhan Yuheng, and Zhan Yaoguang, learned to raise and release Gu from a young age; those with slightly weaker talent learned the art of medicine and poison; and those with even less talent engaged in trade, mulberry cultivation, and other similar jobs.
After hesitating for a while, Zhan Yaoguang, under Zhan Yinyuan's curious gaze, braced herself and asked, "Do you have any contraceptive pills on you?"
"Yes, you know that Sister Zhanqing and the others are always unrestrained when it comes to that kind of thing. Even though they came to find you this time on the orders of the clan chief, they've done quite a bit along the way..."
Zhan Yinyuan stopped mid-sentence, looking at Zhan Yaoguang with surprise and wariness: "Why are you asking these questions?"
Zhan Yaoguang, in a fit of desperation, stretched out her hand to him: "It's fine if you brought it. Give me everything you have on you first."
Zhan Yinyuan was taken aback by his request. A thought suddenly came to his mind, so he took the pulse of the wrist with the hand that the man had reached out. His already round eyes widened even more.
“Thirteenth Brother…” Zhan Yinyuan’s lips moved slightly, then he suddenly threw himself into Zhan Yaoguang’s arms and burst into tears, “Thirteenth Brother, you are so pitiful… Waaah, we were too late, and you have suffered such humiliation…”
Zhan Yinyuan was overcome with emotion and wept bitterly.
His thirteenth brother, the most handsome and virtuous thirteenth son in the clan, lost his virginity after just one trip to the Central Plains!
Zhan Yaoguang frowned and pulled him up from in front of her: "Why are you crying? If you don't want to give it, then forget it. I'll think of another way."
See, see!
Thirteenth Brother was unwilling to have children with the woman who had taken his virginity; he was indeed forced into it!
Zhan Yinyuan choked up as he raised his face, his voice trembling with sobs, and said with a heavy heart, "Thirteenth Brother, how did that woman force you? Don't be sad, in the future, the brothers and sisters in the clan will definitely avenge you."
Zhan Yinyuan thought that even though his thirteenth brother was exceptionally skilled in martial arts and possessed the art of Gu poison, he was still new to the Central Plains and was bound to suffer an unexpected setback.
Zhan Yaoguang discerned the implication in Zhan Yinyuan's words.
So he thought he was forced into it.
The boy leaned against the window with his arms crossed, the moonlight and swaying leaves behind him.
"Who told you I was forced? I liked her, admired her, and was with her willingly."
Zhan Yaoguang slightly raised her chin, her eyebrows and eyes revealing an undisguised joy.
Zhan Yinyuan was completely stunned and asked in a low voice, "Thirteenth Brother... likes her?"
The boy's cheeks were burning, but he still nodded firmly.
Zhan Yinyuan: "...!"
The women of the Central Plains are truly remarkable; they managed to capture the heart of his thirteenth brother, who is usually clueless about love, and he even adopted such a resolute stance of wanting no one but her.
With teary eyes and trembling hands, Zhan Yinyuan took out a small jade bottle from the bamboo basket placed by the bedside: "This is a contraceptive pill. Thirteenth Brother, take one before you do anything. The effect will last for about half a month. After half a month, take another one."
Zhan Yaoguang reached out to take it, but saw that Zhan Yinyuan was gripping the bottle tightly and wouldn't let go.
He frowned, and then saw Zhan Yinyuan pouting, tears streaming down his face: "Thirteenth Brother, you must take good care of yourself and not be deceived by bad women outside."
Zhan Yaoguang emphasized: "She's a good person, and... she likes me too!"
Zhan Yinyuan: "..."
This person has completely lost their mind; not even a hundred oxen could pull them back.
The young man exhaled a breath of stale air: "Never mind, never mind. You are good-looking anyway. When you suffer a loss in the future and return to the clan, there will always be an elder sister who will want you."
Zhan Yaoguang frowned: "Don't say such things. Every sister and sister in the clan deserves better. As for her and me, if she doesn't want me, then... I will still like her. I will just stay far away from her in the future."
Having said that, he was too lazy to argue with Zhan Yinyuan anymore. He snatched the jade bottle, swallowed a pill with plain water, and turned to leave. But when he passed the mirror stand, he saw a square sandalwood box carved with orchids and chrysanthemums.
"What's this?"
Zhan Yinyuan followed his gaze and said, "This is a pearl that my brother, who runs a business in the clan, brought back from Southeast Asia. He said it was the best one that had been found in recent years. I begged him for a long time before I finally got it."
Zhan Yaoguang opened the box and saw a lustrous, round pearl quietly inside.
The moonlight, like shimmering water, brushed across the pearly surface, creating a sliver of arc-shaped radiance, much like the jade dew melting between the veins of a clear, green lotus leaf in the sky, unshaken by the wind and undiminished by the sun's glow.
Pearls are not uncommon, but pearls that are so round, full, and smooth are rare.
The last time he saw...
No, there was no last time. This was the most beautiful jewel he had ever seen in his life.
Zhan Yaoguang suddenly became interested: "Little Fifteen, how many times have you handled this thing?"
"I only recently acquired it, and I've kept it in a box ever since, reluctant to take it out to play with..." Zhan Yinyuan said honestly.
"Then give me this bead, and I'll trade you all the treasures I've acquired before."
"What?" Zhan Yinyuan didn't understand for a moment.
“I told you I’d give up all my old treasures and trade them all for this bead.”
Zhan Yinyuan was overjoyed and readily agreed.
Zhan Yaoguang used to love collecting rare and precious items, such as gold essence, water essence, fire pearls, and serpentine beads. He filled a small half-box with all sorts of things.
While each of these items individually may not be considered top-tier or valuable, together they constitute a considerable fortune, potentially worth more than this single bead, and he might even make a small profit.
Therefore, he agreed without thinking.
Having completed the deal, Zhan Yinyuan saw Zhan Yaoguang off. As he closed the window and prepared to blow out the lamp and go to sleep, a sudden wave of melancholy washed over him—
That bead must have been offered to that young lady by my thirteenth brother.
Thirteenth Brother has truly gone mad. Not only has his virginity been taken by a young girl, but he also seems to be enjoying it, even going to great lengths to make her happy.
Thinking of this, he inexplicably pulled out the cloth ball that Zhan Yaoguang had written on, and unfolded it slightly, only to see it covered with "very happy", "very happy", "very happy"...
Zhan Yinyuan: "..."
What a madman!
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