Mr. Science
Under a clear blue sky and bright spring sunshine, the bustling Xiding Street is filled with a dazzling array of shops, and the lively laughter and chatter brighten up the beautiful spring scenery.
The streets were bustling with people and traffic, a truly vibrant scene. Following the straight avenue, a long queue had already formed at the end of the street corner. This quiet place, which should have been deserted, was strangely attracting a variety of people of different backgrounds.
If you get closer, you will see a rather shabby and simple stall, with a bamboo pole next to it, on which hangs a cloth banner that is a bit worn from washing, with a few big characters written on it: "Mr. Amazing Calculation".
"Young master, you may face a bloody disaster today." The speaker was a fortune teller in a dark blue long robe sitting under a cloth banner.
The fortune teller had delicate features, with bright, dark eyes like stars. He looked young and exuded a lively spirit. Judging from his facial features alone, he was undoubtedly a handsome and refined young man. However, the unusually long beard on his chin made him appear even more pale and scholarly, more like a private tutor.
At this moment, the fortune teller carefully examined the young man in front of him, stroking his beard and shaking his head in a serious manner: "Young master, have you been frequenting those brothels lately?"
The young master in front of the stall blushed, but since it concerned his life and fortune, he dared not argue and could only nod resentfully: "So what if it is? My wife at home is so annoying, and she won't even let me go out and have some fun."
Upon hearing this, the fortune teller sighed with regret: "Young master, you are mistaken. Your wife is destined to bring wealth and prosperity to her husband. Neglecting her will only harm your own fortune."
The young man seemed skeptical, but his expression changed, his eyes widening as he asked, "Is what you're saying true?"
Thinking back, in the three years since she married into the family, Hui Niang had no other faults besides being a little hot-tempered, and she managed the household affairs very well. The neighbors all praised her as a virtuous wife.
Thinking about it this way, he began to believe it to some extent.
"If you trust me, sir, you should go home now and not go anywhere else. The truth will be clear tomorrow."
After pondering for a moment, the young master calmed his chest, drew a circle in the air with the hem of his robe, and turned to go home.
Before anyone else could speak, a young maid in a pink jacket rushed over, catching her breath and wiping the sweat from her brow before anxiously saying, "Young...Master, something has happened at home!"
The maidservant leaned down and whispered a few words in the fortune teller's ear. The latter's expression changed, and he stood up, picked up the cloth banner, and said, "Everyone, let's call it a day. Something has happened at home, so I have to go back first."
Zhu Qinghe turned into the fabric shop next door, greeted the proprietress who was leaning against the counter, picked up her clothes, lifted the curtain, and went into the dressing room in the back room.
She changed out of the long cloth gown she wore when she was fortune-telling and back into the attire of a young lady from a noble family. Ruyi was pacing anxiously outside: "Miss, what should we do? Aunt Song is so heartless. She actually wants to marry you off to that Xu Fu who is over fifty years old. Who in this capital doesn't know that Xu Fu was lazy, lecherous, and stupid when he was young? He even had his leg broken for harassing other people's young ladies."
"If you really marry such a scoundrel, Miss, you'll have no way out."
Zhu Qinghe carefully removed the fake beard from her chin, and upon hearing this, a deep and chilling coldness flashed in her clear almond-shaped eyes.
There was indeed no way out, because in her previous life she died on her first night after marrying into the Xu family.
In her previous life, her stepmother, Madam Song, coveted the Xu family's high dowry and sold her to them without her consent. She was determined to die rather than submit and planned to escape halfway. However, to prevent her escape, Madam Song gave her an excessive dose of inferior sleeping pills, which killed her.
When she opened her eyes again, she was back three months in the past. The past seemed like a dream, a lifetime had passed, and it took her several days to process this fact.
If you count the days, today is the day the Xu family comes to discuss the marriage and prepare for the betrothal.
Zhu Qinghe narrowed her eyes, a cold smile curving her lips. It's finally here. She's been preparing for this day for a long time.
The imposing stone lions stand on either side of the entrance. The once magnificent mansion is now in decline. Even the steps at the entrance are covered with withered leaves swept by the wind, lying there gray and glaringly because no one has swept them away.
This is the Zhu residence today, and also Zhu Qinghe's home.
Inside the main hall, a middle-aged woman wearing a pomegranate-purple chrysanthemum patterned top and a matching skirt smiled as she picked up her teacup: "Since Master Xu is interested in my Qinghe, then it is her good fortune."
The woman who came from the Xu family to discuss marriage was an old servant woman. She had served the Xu family for two generations and, having seen much, was naturally discerning. She understood the woman's attitude immediately and her expression grew increasingly contemptuous. The Zhu family was once so glorious, but that was only because the eldest son of the Zhu family had been an important minister in the previous dynasty. All the credit belonged to the eldest son of the main branch, while the second son of the second branch was neither good at literature nor martial arts. He barely managed to obtain the title of Xiucai (a scholar who passed the lowest level of the imperial examinations) and remained unremarkable throughout his life.
However, fortunes change, and after the change of dynasties, the meritorious officials of the previous dynasty have long since disappeared. The Zhu family has long since declined, with only the second branch remaining, which is only better than those commoners by having the title of "the former dynasty's mighty general's mansion".
No wonder she's fallen so low as to sell her daughter for personal gain. The old servant glanced at Song Shi. Song Shi was just over thirty, with faint wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. Her high cheekbones carried a meanness and pettiness typical of the stock market, but when she smiled, one could still see some of the coquettish charm of her youth.
The old servant woman said calmly, "In that case, the marriage is officially settled."
Song was overjoyed, as if she could see the gleaming silver coins clattering into her purse. Just as she was about to agree, a frightened and terrified female voice rang out.
"Help!"
The person who came was dressed in plain clothes on such a festive day, looking like a poor maid who had run out of someone's mourning hall. Her hair was messy and she didn't have any jewelry or accessories. She ran over in a flustered manner.
Upon seeing this, Madam Song frowned: "Zhu Qinghe! The guests are still here. What kind of behavior is this?"
The old servant woman was taken aback for a moment, then carefully examined the person in front of her. This was Zhu Qinghe, the eldest daughter of the second branch of the Zhu family.
Following her gaze, one could clearly see the woman three steps away. Her delicate eyebrows resembled distant mountains shrouded in mist, her bright, sparkling eyes shone like stars, and her nose was exquisite with thin lips. She appeared demure and frail, truly a rare beauty. However, the old servant woman frowned, looking rather eccentric.
Zhu Qinghe met the gaze of the old servant woman who was sizing her up, rushed over, bent down, grabbed her hand, and said pitifully, "You must be the person from the Xu family who came to propose marriage."
"Please save me!" Zhu Qinghe pleaded pitifully.
The old maid stood up and asked slowly with a kind expression, "Miss Zhu, what's wrong? You can tell me anything without worry."
Zhu Qinghe seemed relieved and said, "The fortune teller on the street said I'll have a bloody disaster in the next few days. You've come to propose marriage, right? I agree. I don't need the dowry. Can I marry you right now?"
Madam Song was so angry that her face turned ashen. She clenched the handkerchief in her hand, which was hidden in her sleeve, and cursed inwardly. What kind of medicine did Zhu Qinghe take today? What kind of girl would rush to marry him? She has no shame at all!
She doesn't even want a betrothal gift? She must be crazy.
"Zhu Qinghe—" Madam Song slammed her hand on the table in a fit of rage, stood up, and strode over to grab Zhu Qinghe. Zhu Qinghe flinched in fear, and the old maid blocked Madam Song's outstretched hand, which was stained with bright red nail polish. Her expression was not very pleasant.
"Madam, there's no need to be angry. You should at least make things clear." As soon as she finished speaking, the maids and servants brought by the Xu family all came over with frosty expressions, forming a human wall to block her from the outside.
Song was blocked from the outside by the Xu family's people. She was so angry that she clutched her chest and gasped for breath. What had gotten into that little slut today?
Zhu Qinghe shrank behind the old servant woman, who looked at her kindly: "Miss Zhu, don't be afraid, tell me slowly. You said the fortune teller said you would have a bloody disaster recently, what does that mean?"
The Xu family suddenly became wealthy during the generation of Xu Fu's father. It is said that they got their fortunes by following the guidance of a fortune teller. Therefore, everyone in the Xu family believed in this.
The old servant woman naturally noticed this as well. If the new bride was considered unlucky, she would certainly not be allowed to enter the Xu family.
Zhu Qinghe then took out the "approval document" she had prepared earlier, and said in a panicked tone: "At the beginning of the month, my aunt took me to the temple to burn incense. The abbot said that I would have a bloody disaster soon and that I had to get married to transfer the disaster to resolve it."
“My aunt was only doing it for my own good,” Zhu Qinghe lowered her head, looking weak and helpless. “After that, my aunt started arranging a marriage for me.”
“But today I passed by Mr. Science’s fortune-telling stall on the street, and Mr. Science…” Zhu Qinghe covered her face, looking very sad and scared. “Mr. Science actually said that my bad luck is getting worse and worse, and if I don’t get married by the end of the month, I’m afraid I’ll really die.”
The old servant woman, clutching the "approval document" in her hand, listened to her narration, her face already darkening. Her gaze towards Song Shi was also very unfriendly. Song Shi was truly cunning, marrying her ill-fated stepdaughter to their Xu family, not only solving a major problem but also receiving a considerable dowry.
Are they treating the Xu family like fools? If it weren't for Miss Zhu's stupidity and lack of cunning that exposed this matter, wouldn't the Xu family have welcomed back a jinx?
Zhu Qinghe was completely unaware of the old servant woman's change in mindset. She innocently grabbed her arm and asked, "You came so late! It's almost the end of the month. Can we go to the Xu residence today? I'm so scared."
The old maidservant sneered and shook off Zhu Qinghe's hand, her eyes fixed on the pale-faced Song Shi: "Madam Zhu is a woman of deep thoughts, yet her daughter is so innocent. Our Xu family is truly not worthy of her. Farewell."
The group left the Zhu residence in a grand procession. Zhu Qinghe slightly curved her lips into a smile. Before Song Shi could even open fire on her, she gave Ruyi a wink and then cried out, "It's over! The marriage negotiations have fallen through. It seems I really can't escape this bloodshed."
After shouting that, she closed her eyes and fell straight backward.
Ruyi helped her up and called out anxiously, "Miss—Miss—what's wrong? Don't scare Ruyi."
Song felt a throbbing pain in her head and her temples were throbbing. Before she could even speak, someone strode in through the door.
Upon seeing the scene clearly, he asked in a deep voice, "What is this?"
Madam Song looked up, her expression somewhat guilty: "Master, why did you suddenly come back?"
The person who returned was Zhu Qinghe's father, Zhu Yinian. In his generation, the Zhu family only had two brothers. The eldest, Zhu Yichen, was a military general, and the second was a civil official. However, because Zhu Yichen was a former general of the previous dynasty with a distinguished reputation, even though the current emperor was kind-hearted, he could not be without resentment. As a result, Zhu Yinian only managed to obtain a leisurely civil position in the court. He had no power or influence and his salary was not high, so the Zhu family's life became increasingly difficult.
As soon as Zhu Yinian returned, she turned around and cried out, "Master, you're finally back! Miss has fainted!"
Zhu Yinian looked displeased, bent down and picked the person up, and ordered sternly, "Hurry up and fetch a doctor."
"Yes." The servant nodded and bowed as he left.
Left standing there, Song was so angry that she stomped her feet. How could the timing be so coincidental? It wasn't even time for the end of the day yet, and the master had already returned so early.
It seems I can't touch Zhu Qinghe these next few days. I thought I could get rid of this troublemaker before the master returns, finalize the marriage with the Xu family, and then explain to the master that everything would be fine.
Who knew that Zhu Qinghe's outburst would ruin everything, and they would have to find another way.
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