Chapter 100 Tomb Sweeping Day, Wooden Lump
A cool breeze was blowing at night, and several birds hopped on the branches.
Zong Suyi stood by the window, wrapped in a thick cloak, his clear eyes gazing quietly at the stars and moon in the sky.
His well-defined knuckles gripped the windowsill tightly, seemingly oblivious to the fact that his hands were turning red from the cold.
His mind went blank as he recalled the first half of his life, a life of glory and ambition.
He recalled the scene of his grandmother playing with him in the yard when he was a child. The wind was warm that day, and the air was filled with the joyful laughter of children. His mother stood gently by, watching them play, and even his most domineering and unreasonable father did not hesitate to show a smile...
But even though it was only three years apart, it felt like a lifetime ago.
Zong Suyi lowered his head sadly, his heart heavy with sorrow.
Suddenly, a pair of hands tightly wrapped around Zong Suyi's waist from behind, resting his chin on his shoulder. The person's hot body temperature dispelled the chill around him.
"What are you thinking about?" Warm breath brushed against his neck, the other person's voice was deep.
"It's nothing, it's just chilly at night, so I came to close the window." Zong Suyi smiled faintly, not telling her the truth. He rarely mentioned his parents and clansmen in front of others.
How can the parents of a lowly servant be considered legitimate relatives of their lord? Moreover, having become someone's concubine, his parents and relatives in the underworld should be ashamed of him.
He always remembered his identity, and at most coveted her love, but dared not hope for anything more.
Zhang Ting held Zong Suyi in her arms, closed her eyes, and recalled his unusual behavior during this period.
In previous years, Zong Suyi would have already prepared for the Qingming Festival to commemorate his clansmen by this time, but with Qingming Festival just around the corner, he hasn't even started making preparations yet.
Is it because you are going to the capital that you are acting so cautiously?
She quietly opened her eyes, her clear gaze falling on the tree branch. Zong Suyi's complicated and dangerous background was indeed a major problem, and could very well be a stumbling block on her path to officialdom.
Zhang Ting knew Zong Suyi's worries, but didn't ask. She held his hand and smiled as if she didn't know anything, "It's cold, go to sleep."
Zong Suyi didn't want his low spirits to affect his wife, so he forced a smile, like a stiff wooden man, and said, "Mmm."
Zhang Ting put her arm around him and walked back, her expression gentle and unchanged.
Late at night, the lights in the room went off and then on again.
Zhang Ting remembered that there were still two memorials to deal with, so she quickly put on her clothes and got up. Zong Suyi, on the other hand, was wrapped in a quilt and fell into a deep sleep. Her fair and delicate face was deeply buried in the mattress, and she looked obedient and serene. Zhang Ting glanced at her and then quietly looked at her for a while.
Finally, he let out a sigh of relief.
Having become accustomed to playing along with people in public, I'm always used to weighing the pros and cons. But even when I know that certain things should be cleanly ended, I still find it hard to let go.
Zong Suyi, that's enough.
...
The next day, at dawn.
Zong Suyi opened her eyes groggily and subconsciously touched her side; it was cold. She had to go to her shift again.
He was so sleepy that his eyelids were drooping. He turned over, ready to take a nap, but in his drowsy state, he heard a familiar sound of footsteps.
Zong Suyi opened one eye and, through the thin, dark blue curtain, saw a tall, slender figure walking towards him.
Is she the mistress of the house?
"Didn't you go to work?" Zong Suyi asked, lying on the bed, her voice heavy with a nasal tone.
"What duty are you on today? What day is it? Have you forgotten?"
Zhang Ting lifted the curtain and tied it up. Turning around, she saw Zong Suyi still lying blankly on the couch, his eyes vacant and revealing a simple-minded look.
"You're awake, get up now, don't be late." She found it quite amusing and slapped his pert buttocks with a "smack." Even the hardest man's buttocks are soft, let alone Zong Suyi, who was a delicate and soft young man. His buttocks trembled frequently, like a piece of soft and tender tofu.
Zong Suyi immediately snapped out of her daze, covered her buttocks in shame and indignation, and glared at her as she got off the bed, "You lecher!"
Tsk, they're an old married couple, yet they're still so thin-skinned.
Zhang Ting pulled her husband off the bed and threw his clothes at him.
Zong Suyi was suddenly pulled so hard he almost stumbled and fell. Before he could even curse, a plain-colored garment was draped over his head. This time, he was really angry.
Zong Suyi spent a great deal of effort tearing off the clothes on her head, then stood with her hands on her hips, glaring angrily at the culprit, "What do you want to do?"
Zhang Ting showed no displeasure at his resentment, and smiled gently, "After changing your clothes and having breakfast, you still have to go to worship your ancestors." She reached out and pinched his nose playfully, "Don't miss the auspicious time."
Ancestor worship?
Only the principal wife is qualified to accompany her to the ancestral worship ceremony, but he... his identity is sensitive, he brings trouble with him, and he is not a good match for the principal wife.
Zong Suyi's heart trembled. He stared at her, but his lips trembled as he stammered, his hands tightly gripping his clothes, at a loss for what to do.
He longed to reciprocate his wife's feelings, to throw himself into her arms and feel her burning warmth, to be tenderly loved and cared for by her, and to have her gaze fixed solely on him.
But when that day actually came, he cowered and retreated, fearing that he would bring disaster upon his wife...
He feared that his wife didn't love him enough, but he also feared that she loved him too much and would ruin his future.
Tears welled up in his eyes, and Zong Suyi bit his lip tightly. His pupils reflected his lover's dazed figure. Her eyes seemed to hold a thousand strands of tenderness. She could always forgive his shortcomings. But he couldn't control his emotions and rushed over to hug her tightly.
"My lady... let's go pay respects to our ancestors."
Let's just call him selfish. Even if he's a burden that everyone hates, he'll still cling to her tightly!
Zhang Ting stroked his soft, black hair, leaned down and kissed him. Her gaze was like a gentle spring stream, warm and clear, carrying a silent warmth that flowed out softly. "Go change your clothes, my love." Go see your family whom you haven't seen for three years, and don't leave with any regrets.
"I have already had paper money, incense, candles, fruits, and other offerings prepared. You just need to come with me."
"Mm." Zong Suyi responded in a muffled voice, but the tears streaming down her face soaked her lover's shoulder. He quickly stepped out of her embrace, turned his head to wipe away the tears on his face, and said, "My wife, you should also go and change your clothes."
Zhang Ting glanced at Zong Suyi's damp shoulder, unconcerned, and instead reached out to rub Zong Suyi's head. "Okay."
At the end of Chen Shi (7-9 AM), Zhang Ting and her husband arrived at the former mass grave.
When she last came here, she was thinking about how to get rid of this big trouble. Now, she has married this big trouble, and the two are almost having a child. How things really can change in an instant.
After the servants finished clearing away the weeds around them, Zhang Ting and her husband knelt on the ground, offered incense, and kowtowed. The transparent white smoke swirled around them, as if guided by something, and slowly floated into the sky.
Zhang Ting didn't believe in ghosts or gods, and couldn't explain her current state of mind. However, an indescribable feeling welled up in her chest, both invigorating and warming, making her feel utterly unfamiliar with the world around her.
After the memorial ceremony was over, Zong Suyi was about to burn some more paper money. He smiled and said, "My lady, why don't you go for a walk in the back? I'll be here for a while."
Zhang Ting nodded slightly, pacing alone under the tree, pursing her lips. The surrounding green hills and clear waters were beautiful, but her mood was far more complicated than last time.
She slowly turned her head and saw her husband, who had been calm and composed just moments before, sobbing as if he were silently weeping. She abruptly looked away, a strange bitterness rising in her heart.
She used to think that Zong Suyi was all alone, just like her, but he was different from her. He was the precious jewel of his family, and even if the nest was empty, the migratory birds would still count the familiar feathers in the nest and miss the stars in the sky.
...
Since that day when she shone brightly at the Hanlin Academy, attracting the admiration of her colleagues, Zhang Ting has thrived there. The head of the academy, wary of her strength and popularity, dares not make things difficult for her, lest she suffer a severe humiliation.
As for others, they dared not step forward to point fingers.
Fortunately, this moment of fame brought Zhang Ting great renown within the Hanlin Academy. With numerous classic texts slated for compilation, she was invited to join a group of readers and lecturers in handling the project. Many senior and experienced scholars were no match for her and were not selected.
That day, Zhang Ting was returning home after finishing his shift as usual, but his carriage was stopped on the road.
"Hey, move aside! Let me see Lord Zhang."
"I have good news to tell Lord Zhang, you dark-skinned old woman, don't you dare ruin your master's good time!"
Good news?
Zhang Ting, who had been resting with her eyes closed, lazily lifted her eyelids and pulled back the curtain to take a look.
The person blocking the way was a middle-aged man dressed in a royal blue silk robe. He was fair-skinned, plump, and looked very fortunate.
But Zhang Ting was certain he had never seen this person before. "Who are you? Why are you stopping my carriage?"
The official matchmaker turned around and exclaimed, "Wow! He really is as the rumors say—a man of unparalleled talent and remarkable promise!" He inwardly declared, "I was absolutely right to come today!"
It turns out that the official matchmaker had run into a snag with Zhang Shu, and seeing that she was making no progress with her mentor, she turned her attention to her apprentice.
He first bowed gracefully, then, waving his handkerchief, smiled and said, "Lord Zhang, you may not know this, but I am an official matchmaker from the north of the city. I have heard that you are exceptionally talented and beautiful, and that you are still unmarried, so I have come to arrange a marriage for you." The young masters and noblemen he had in his hands were all of excellent appearance and family background. If he could successfully arrange such a marriage, he would not only receive a huge sum of money from both families, but also make himself famous throughout the capital.
The official matchmaker became increasingly excited, staring at Zhang Ting as if she were a piece of fat meat about to be devoured, forgetting that she, as an official, could not be disrespectful.
"Hehe, Lord Zhang, please rest assured! I have been arranging marriages for official families for over twenty years without a single failure. I have extensive connections and will surely find you a virtuous husband and beautiful wife~"
Zhang Ting's eyelids twitched. If she were to marry another woman, given Zong Suyi's temperament, wouldn't she cry herself blind?
He then politely declined, saying, "Thank you for your kind offer, matchmaker, but I have no intention of getting married at the moment. Thank you for your trouble."
The matchmaker suspected she had gone mad from reading too much. What woman of that age wouldn't yearn for her husband? She earnestly advised, "Lord Zhang, the men I've arranged for you are all from noble families, proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, with dignified appearances and graceful figures—all are unparalleled beauties."
Zhang Ting shook his head and said only, "I certainly did not have such an intention." He then instructed the coachman to set off.
"Hey! Lord Zhang, that young master is very wealthy and has taken a liking to you!" The matchmaker was caught off guard when the carriage drove away and hurriedly chased after it, but she couldn't catch up no matter what she did.
He took a couple of deep breaths, spat on the ground, and cursed under his breath what an unthinkable blockhead this was!
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