Chapter 29 The sour gourd isn't a bitter fruit; its essence is rich with emotion and boundless meaning. ...
Zhuque Avenue stretched as far as the eye could see. Wen Shiqin carried Su Jinxiu on his back, walking step by step from the bustling city towards Xiuxiang Alley.
Unbeknownst to them, in the distance, atop the Lingxiao Pavilion, someone was holding a beaded feather fan and sipping wine.
This pavilion, with its carved beams and painted rafters, offers a panoramic view of the bustling city of Bianjing. On the table, a multitude of market items, each glanced at by Su Jinxiu, are displayed.
The alcohol blurred his vision, yet his gaze remained fixed on the departing figures.
Under the moonlight, Su Jinxiu gently draped her arms over Wen Shiqin's shoulders, clutching a string of crimson candied hawthorns in her palms, thickly coated with sugar frost, glistening like amber in the twilight.
She tried several times to speak, either to ask him why he had suddenly fallen silent, or to praise the enticing aroma of the candied hawthorn, but the words were always forced back by the oppressive atmosphere surrounding Wen Shiqin.
His back was warm and broad, and he carried the person steadily. Only his profile was cold and hard, and he remained silent the whole way, like a walking ice sculpture.
Su Jinxiu leaned on his shoulder, sighing inwardly. She couldn't figure out how she had angered this little tyrant. Finally, her gaze fell back on the candied hawthorn, the glistening sugar frosting looking incredibly tempting.
Anyway, asking more questions won't do any good, so I'll just eat one to satisfy my craving.
She brought the candied hawthorn to her lips, her sharp canine teeth about to touch the sweet sugar coating, when Wen Shiqin suddenly jerked her up. The force wasn't strong, but it just happened to shift her mouth away from the sugar coating, causing the sugar frosting to rub against her cheek.
Su Jinxiu was taken aback, thinking that his arms were sore from carrying it for a long time, so she lifted it up a bit, but didn't pay attention and brought the candied hawthorn back to him.
Just as we were about to bump into each other, there was another jolt.
This time, she had some doubts. Looking up, she saw a gentle slope ahead and wondered if he was using her for leverage because the uphill path was difficult. So she put the candied hawthorn to her mouth again.
As a result, the third bounce came quickly and accurately.
Su Jinxiu almost dropped the candied hawthorn in her hand. This time, even she, who was not very bright, understood that it was not because the road was difficult to walk on, but because Wen Shiqin had done it on purpose!
"Aqin, what are you doing?" She freed one hand and patted his shoulder lightly.
He remained silent for a long while before finally squeezing out a few words through gritted teeth: "The road is difficult."
Difficult to walk? There is no road in Bianjing City smoother than this Zhuque Avenue.
Su Jinxiu unconsciously gripped his collar, and looking at his inexplicably gloomy profile, a sudden thought struck her.
Does he also want to eat this candied hawthorn?
So she held the candied hawthorn to his lips.
"You try it first."
Wen Shiqin lowered his eyes to look at the bunch of bright red fruit, then opened his mouth and took a bite. Su Jinxiu gently pulled the fruit away, allowing him to eat it whole. She then nestled back into his shoulder, her warm breath brushing against his ear, and softly asked, "Is it sweet?"
Wen Shiqin remained silent and did not answer, but continued walking until he reached the edge of a lotus pond.
The pond is a vast expanse of blue that stretches to the sky, and a gentle breeze stirs it, making it sway gracefully.
He turned around and walked across a more distant stone bridge, muttering, "It's so sour."
acid?
Su Jinxiu looked down at the candied hawthorn in her hand. The hawthorns were plump and bright red, with a deep glaze of sugar. They didn't look sour at all.
She opened her mouth, took a bite of half a piece, chewed it slowly, and muttered, "It's not sour. Did you miss the sugar coating? It's quite sweet. Try another one."
Wen Shiqin leaned over and ate the other half she had left, still mostly coated in sugar. He chewed it, but his brows furrowed even more.
"It's still sour, so incredibly sour."
Su Jinxiu was completely confused. She slowly tasted the one in her mouth. It was perfectly sweet. They were eating the same one, so why did it taste sour in his mouth?
Su Jinxiu was lost in thought when Wen Shiqin suddenly pinched the soft flesh of her calf lightly, making her tremble.
“I heard everything Yi Ruxu said.”
Su Jinxiu fell silent for a moment, unsure of how to respond.
"What are you feeling guilty about, elder sister?" Wen Shiqin's voice was hoarse. "Do you think that if he can make it onto the Dragon and Tiger List in the future, he will be better than me? Or is it that you have already secretly fallen for him?"
"It was my stupidity that delayed you; I never realized that you two were a match made in heaven."
Su Jinxiu could only make a futile attempt to explain: "No, Brother Ruxu... it was just a gift between close friends. He just said it casually, just said it casually."
Wen Shiqin chuckled: "Just saying it casually? What kind of scholar who has studied hard for years would casually mention proposing marriage to the girl next door? Sister, tell me, if I hadn't turned back halfway, would you have agreed to marry him on the spot and become his wife?"
Su Jinxiu stammered anxiously, "I...I never thought about any of that! I only hope to do my embroidery well, earn more money, and support your studies and help you get married. I have absolutely no romantic feelings for him!"
Wen Shiqin's pace gradually slowed, but the pressure on her knees remained firm. The lanterns of the bluestone alley flickered behind them, casting long, thin shadows that overlapped against the wall.
“Support my education…” he repeated these four words in a low voice, his voice muffled in his chest, “My older sister always said she would support my education.”
"Then next month, I will also go to Bailudong to study."
He also wanted to study at Bailudong Academy, to achieve fame and success, and to reach the pinnacle of his craft, surpassing everyone else.
It wasn't just for his own ambitions, but more importantly, he absolutely couldn't tolerate the fact that when Yi Ruxu passed the imperial examination with flying colors and rose to prominence, he wouldn't even have the right to stand on equal footing with him or any other formidable rival.
Su Jinxiu recalled the miscellaneous notes she had seen a few days ago. They mentioned that Shi Qin was born with the talent of a high-ranking official and was destined for a career in government, instructing her not to disrupt his original destiny. She had been struggling to find a way to persuade him, and now that the opportunity had arrived, she quickly added, "If you truly want to go, your elder sister will provide for you!"
Wen Shiqin shook his head: "No need. Sister, keep your savings for yourself and take good care of your livelihood. I have my own way of making money."
In the blink of an eye, they arrived at his doorstep. He gently put her down, turned around, and opened the door.
After settling her on the stone bench, Wen Shiqin turned around and fetched a basin of hot water.
"Soaking your feet improves blood circulation."
He then prepared some ointment and placed it on the table. He then knelt on one knee and dipped his hand into the water to wash her feet.
Su Jinxiu was startled by his action and quickly pulled her feet to the corner of the wooden tub. "No, no need, I can do it myself."
Wen Shiqin's hands were still immersed in the water, but he looked up at her pitifully, "Since you saw Yi Ruxu, I don't even have the chance to wash your feet anymore?"
"What does this have to do with him?"
Wen Shiqin lowered his eyes and remained silent. His expression, which had just eased slightly, instantly returned to its previous gloom. He directly grabbed her foot and began to gently massage it.
Su Jinxiu had no way to avoid it, so she had to endure the itching and let his fingers stroke the instep, massage the sole, and then pinch each of her plump toes.
Wen Shiqin saw her curling up involuntarily. Her small, white feet and the soft, delicate touch of her fingertips made him feel a surge of inexplicable heat.
Su Jinxiu was in no better shape; she felt the water was scalding hot, and the heat climbed up her ankles, making her almost sweat. She dared not look at his well-defined hands, nor at his handsome nose when he lowered his eyes. She hurriedly turned her head away, pretending to examine the orchids she had planted a few days ago, trying to distract herself.
The next second, his hand moved up and pinched her calf. She couldn't help but gasp and turn around.
“Sister has been gone for so long, let me loosen your calves for you.” Wen Shiqin said naturally.
Even though she was a time traveler and didn't care much about the outdated idea that ancient women exposing their feet and legs was related to chastity, she still felt that this action was a bit excessive, so she wanted to pull down the skirt that he had just lifted up to her knees.
Just then, a knock came from outside the door, carrying Lan Shexiang's voice, "Qiaoniang, are you there?"
"Aqin!" Su Jinxiu said anxiously.
Wen Shiqin, however, remained unhurried: "Come in, come in. Is washing my sister's feet something shameful?"
He called out towards the door, "Miss Lan, come in, your elder sister is here."
Su Jinxiu gripped the edge of the stone table tightly; her heart was completely dead.
Lan Shexiang was stunned when he came in and saw this scene, then laughed, "Oh, did I disturb you?"
Wen Shiqin said to Lan Shexiang with a calm expression, "Miss Lan, please go to your sister's bedroom and sit for a while. After I wash her feet, I will let her go over there."
Lan Shexiang was pleased with the outcome, readily agreed, and then turned and left.
Su Jinxiu watched Lan Shexiang enter the room, feeling extremely embarrassed. Suddenly, he pinched her calf hard, and she couldn't help but let out a soft groan. When she came to her senses, she saw his ambiguous smile after his evil scheme had succeeded.
She couldn't take it anymore; she wished she could disappear into a hole and escape, but her legs were firmly held in his grasp. In the end, she could only cross her arms, lie face down on the stone table, and completely give up resisting.
Lying like this, out of sight, out of mind, but it's also a complete surrender.
When Wen Shiqin saw her like this, a smile appeared on his lips. He carefully washed her feet, massaged and relaxed them, applied ointment, and then picked her up horizontally, lifted the beaded curtain and entered the room, gently placing her on the bed.
He leaned close to her ear, his warm breath brushing against her: "I'll go make you some rose milk tea."
Su Jinxiu didn't look at him or say anything. Wen Shiqin's eyes flashed with a smile, but he didn't tease her anymore and turned to leave.
Lan Shexiang walked from the couch in the outer room to the bed curtains. She saw that Su Jinxiu had wrapped herself in the quilt like a silkworm cocoon, her head was hanging low, but her cheeks were very red and she looked listless. So she did not tease her anymore, but said, "I saw that young master again at the lantern festival just now."
Upon hearing this, Su Jinxiu immediately perked up, abruptly raising her head with sparkling eyes: "Really? How did it go? Did you say anything?"
Seeing that she was finally no longer awkward, Lan Shexiang smiled and chatted with her about what she had seen and heard at the lantern market. The two of them chatted enthusiastically, and the awkward atmosphere from before was completely swept away.
When the conversation turned to Lan Shexiang's sweetheart, Su Jinxiu's joy turned to worry. Remembering the arranged marriage her family had set for her, she asked, "Have you been back to the Lan residence?"
As soon as he said that, the previously chattering atmosphere instantly quieted down.
Lan Shexiang said, "I was just about to tell you that when I return to the manor next month, I will ask my father to cancel this marriage."
Su Jinxiu became more hesitant and took her hand, advising, "Next time, take me to meet your sweetheart and see if he's reliable. If he's just a smooth talker, don't rush to reject him..."
If he's just putting on a show, he might not even be as good as the eldest son of the Minister of Agriculture.
Before he could finish speaking, Lan Shexiang could no longer listen and said firmly, "He must be the best person in the world. You'll know when you meet him. If you want to be discerning, you'll understand when you see him."
Su Jinxiu couldn't help but marvel. She had always seen Lan Shexiang as clear-headed, but she never expected that once she fell in love, she would be so blinded by lust.
After seeing Lan Shexiang off, the peaceful and stable life that used to be like a steady stream of water suddenly became difficult.
This financial hardship is not about money, but about time.
Because the results of the provincial examinations were released in August, Yi Ruxu and Wen Shiqin both passed with flying colors and would soon be setting off for Bailudong Academy for further studies. Xie Hongying, on the other hand, did not need to take the exams as a stepping stone; his family already had powerful connections and had paved his future with money.
The journey from Bianjing to Jiangzhou by land takes more than ten days, while the waterway, though faster, still takes seven days.
This journey would take them until the spring imperial examinations the following year, a journey that would be long and arduous, making the trip too costly. Thus, they had only a few days left to spend together.
Author's Note: Wen Shiqin secretly rewarded himself again. Isn't that a bit too much to ask of him? [666]
This volume only has two or three chapters left before the second volume begins.
Volume Two is all about how absence makes the heart grow fonder! [Rabbit head with upright ears][Rabbit head with upright ears][Rabbit head with upright ears]
Establish a relationship immediately [empty bowl]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com