Chapter 587: Such a Couple [Seeking Monthly Tickets]
The woman gave a slight twitch at the corner of her mouth, ignoring the middle-aged woman's words. Qiu Cheng, however, smiled and stood up to greet her, taking the food box from the middle-aged woman's hand. He said, "A little drink is good for the soul, as my wife knows. I don't have any other hobbies, just this. If I don't have a drink when we're discussing serious matters, I feel really uncomfortable. It's not like she hasn't tried to persuade me, but I just wouldn't listen."
Upon hearing this, the middle-aged woman smiled and said coquettishly, "Oh, so you won't listen to what I say, Master?"
Qiu Cheng hurriedly said, "I will listen, I will definitely listen today."
The middle-aged woman raised her hand and pushed his chest away, saying shyly, "Your sister is still here, how can you say such things without feeling ashamed? Alright, alright, I know you can't give up this habit, but drinking on an empty stomach is bad for your internal organs. I specially prepared some stomach-soothing drinks for you today."
Qiu Cheng exaggeratedly anticipated the unexpected response.
"Madam's culinary skills are unparalleled; we are fortunate to have such a delicious meal today."
He beckoned to the woman to come and try it together.
The woman agreed in a flat tone.
The middle-aged woman smiled and said, "Why are you still so polite, sister? We are all family. You work hard for your master's career, while I am not as capable as you and can only do this little thing within my power." As she spoke, she added bowls of food for the two of them.
Qiu Cheng was moved by what he saw.
The middle-aged woman is Qiu Cheng's wife, and the two have been married since childhood. Although Qiu Cheng comes from the second branch of the Qiu family and is the only direct heir of the second branch, the resources of the second branch are far inferior to those of the first branch. He can only get scraps from the first branch.
Therefore, this couple had gone through hardships together.
Qiu Cheng truly respected his wife, who was also virtuous and generous. She not only managed the inner quarters and backyard perfectly, handling all the household chores with clarity, but also treated the concubines in the backyard with gentleness. Qiu Cheng had many children, which was largely due to her care.
She would always take the initiative to back down whenever it was in Qiu Cheng's best interest. For example, she was the one who brought up the matter of women.
Qiu Cheng didn't have this idea at first.
It wasn't that he was particularly principled, but rather that, in terms of relationship, the woman was a distant niece from his first wife's family. She hailed from Longwu County, a prosperous family. Even without producing many scholars or martial artists, three generations of hard work and dedication had amassed enviable wealth in Longwu County. However, fate intervened, and Shen Tang arrived in Longwu County.
He's truly a nemesis sent from heaven!
According to the woman, this man was cunning, greedy, and treacherous. His reputation for "benevolence" was a lie. As soon as he arrived in Longwu County, he revealed his ugly true colors, using excuses to plunder and extort money, killing and robbing the men of various families and seizing their land.
Fearing retaliation from various families, they slaughtered the men.
The women in each family lost their protection and met a tragic end.
The woman watched helplessly as all the men in her household were brutally murdered. Her mother led her and her sisters from the back courtyard to flee, but they were betrayed by a treacherous servant on the way. The servants swept away the women, leaving the poor women to die or fall ill in the chaos of the outside world.
My mother starved to death on the way.
The sisters were also sold by their stepmother in exchange for grain.
She was the only lucky one; she survived and went to live with her distant aunt.
Hatred began to grow in her heart.
In the dead of night, the faces of her family members flashed before her eyes. She dreamed of the carefree days she and her sisters spent in the backyard admiring flowers and playing the zither, of her strict but loving father, of her doting older brother, and of her clingy younger brother.
No matter how beautiful the scene, it was ultimately frozen in time with rolling heads and terrified, grotesque faces.
she--
I really hate Shen Tang!
I hate this person so much that I wish I could drink his blood and eat his flesh!
But she also knew that she was powerless to do anything about it.
Even though Shen Tang was just a minor border prefect with little reputation, he was still not someone that a mere orphan like her could shake.
She was intelligent from a young age and was raised by her father as a boy. Her father even held her several times and said regretfully, "If you were a boy, why would you worry about the family business having no one to inherit it or make it prosperous? What a pity, what a pity." She received the same education that the boys in the family received.
Whether it was because the heavens heard her prayers, or because she was truly a chosen one among millions, one day after things had settled down in the Qiu family, she discovered something unusual. When she discovered the anomaly, she was filled with fear, dread, surprise, and joy.
She didn't make a fuss about it.
But she knew she saw a glimmer of hope for revenge.
They were secretly plotting how to bring down Shen Tang.
She was an orphan living under someone else's roof, powerless, without influence or fame, and soon she would become the only female scholar. If her secret were discovered, there was a small chance she would become a "rare commodity," but a high probability she would be killed as a monster. She couldn't take the risk.
The safest approach is to seek refuge with a reliable person.
They grew steadily under the protection of the other party.
After much thought, Qiu Cheng was the only one who fit the bill.
The woman was just sixteen years old at the time, having just come of age. Despite the great changes she had experienced, she was still not wary enough and underestimated the complexity of human nature. She found an opportunity to demonstrate her special qualities to Qiu Cheng and begged to join his ranks as a retainer.
Qiu Cheng was naturally shocked.
His first thought was that his wife's distant relative, a niece, wasn't a niece at all, but a nephew. He immediately regretted his poor judgment, having allowed his wife to settle the niece in the backyard. The thought that he might have been cuckolded more than once made him turn green with rage.
Until the misunderstanding is cleared up.
The lady instructed her personal maid to verify the woman's identity.
Indeed, she is a woman through and through.
Only when that awful feeling of being cheated on is far away from him.
However, the thorny issue is not over yet.
The woman became a hot potato.
I have never heard of a scholar with a literary mind who is actually a woman.
Is this an ominous and unsettling sign, like a hen crowing at dawn, or a unique and auspicious omen from heaven?
Whether it's good or bad depends entirely on what people say.
Qiu Cheng knew that the woman was intelligent and quick-witted.
The other party would also give him advice through his wife. Although neither of them said it, Qiu Cheng knew his wife's capabilities—she was a master at managing the household, but completely clueless about business planning. Naturally, someone would give her guidance behind the scenes.
Despite his concern, he spared the woman's life.
Only a few close confidants knew the truth.
The more time he spent with him, the more he realized how different the other person was.
They were quite different from ordinary women in the inner quarters.
Whether it's what you see or what you think.
His wife said, "My lord, this is inappropriate."
Qiu Cheng didn't understand at first, but he quickly realized what it meant.
Feigning ignorance: [How is it inappropriate?]
[Shuniang is, after all, unmarried. If word gets out that she often has long, private conversations with her master, what will become of her reputation?]
Qiu Cheng, sensing the implied meaning in the music, felt a surge of interest, but refrained from taking the initiative: "That's your niece from your mother's side, and I'm her uncle. I have nothing to hide... What harm would it do if word got out?"
The wife said, "She's said to be my niece, but the relationship has become increasingly distant and strained, the aunt-niece bond has grown weaker and weaker. Ultimately, it's inappropriate... and she's an orphan... If she could have a different identity, my lord wouldn't have to worry about it anymore."
Qiu Cheng asked: "What identity should I adopt?"
His wife smiled and asked, "What does my lord say?"
Qiu Cheng: [How could she agree? In the prime of her life, to be with a man so much older—isn't that a waste?]
His wife said, "You don't need to worry about that, my lord."
Afterwards, the wife went to persuade the woman.
It also involves appealing to their emotions and reasoning with them.
She said, "Shuniang, we're family, so let's not be so formal. Your aunt isn't trying to harm you. Think about it: are you more likely to be trusted by the Lord as a strategist, or more valued as a member of his family? One is always an outsider, the other always an insider; there's a difference in closeness. The Lord is a man of great loyalty and righteousness; he will certainly not abandon you."
The woman, looking at her aunt who was all talk and no action, naturally had a lot of unspoken difficulties. She wanted to refuse, but knew she didn't have the upper hand, because refusing meant her current situation would change. And she hadn't avenged her great grudge yet; she couldn't afford to be easily rejected by Qiu Cheng.
(￣▽￣)"
Everyone was curious about why the woman could cultivate, since she was from Longwu County. The prerequisite for cultivation has never been loyalty; otherwise, what about Qishan, who wandered around causing the deaths of his bosses?
As for the woman's current situation and status, it is reasonable—an existence that goes against the general environment needs strong protection to survive peacefully, otherwise she will be at the mercy of others.
As for her hatred and disgust towards Tang Mei, it's understandable from her perspective. She was living a comfortable life as a wealthy young lady when suddenly disaster struck: her family business was seized, her father and brothers were killed, her mother died, and her sisters suffered. It's impossible not to hate her. As for whether her own family deserved to die, would those who benefited from the system even consider that question?
(End of this chapter)
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