Chapter 60: At the mercy of others, Senior Sister visits.
The night was quiet, with only the chirping of cicadas coming from the trees outside the courtyard.
"It should feel better by tomorrow morning." Zhang Ting lowered her eyes, closed the medicine bottle, and turned to put it in the drawer of her desk. She couldn't find the time today, so she had secretly asked Du Zaolang to bring it out for her.
"Mmm." Zong Suyi responded in a muffled voice, her hands tightly gripping the quilt. Thinking of the warm yet cool touch just now, her body trembled violently, and she was so embarrassed that she almost buried her face in the quilt.
Zhang Ting washed her hands in the basin, wiped them clean with a handkerchief, and returned to the bedside.
Seeing Zong Suyi's appearance, she found it amusing and pulled him out from under the covers. She put her arm around his shoulder, but he hurriedly pushed her away. His face was flushed, and he kept his knees tightly together, as if he was hiding something. But after a while, she couldn't help but rub against him.
Zhang Ting vaguely understood something, and forcibly pulled his knees apart. Sure enough, she saw that the fabric on the snow-white silk was still wet.
Zong Suyi was extremely embarrassed and angry. He pushed her away with all his might, grabbed the quilt next to him to cover himself, and whispered, "Don't look!" He was afraid that Zhang Ting would think he was being promiscuous. But, just thinking about the image of her hand on his body, thinking about that tingling, bone-deep touch, made his back tremble violently, and then... he simply couldn't control himself.
He bit his thin lip, his brows furrowed, and felt the pain intensify, rubbing it restlessly.
Zhang Ting turned her head away. She had done everything she should have done and seen everything she shouldn't have seen, but she still couldn't help feeling embarrassed. She turned her head toward Zong Suyi and whispered to comfort him, "You are still injured. It's not appropriate to do that today."
"Um."
Zhang Ting hesitated for a moment, then suggested, "How about I sleep in the guest room tonight?"
Zong Suyi involuntarily moved closer to her, pursed her lips in dissatisfaction, and glanced at her: "We're only newlyweds, and you're already living in separate rooms. What do you want them to think of me?"
"Then, I'll stay." A huge weight was lifted from Zhang Ting's heart. She didn't want to sleep in another room, so she added, "Please add another quilt."
They were so tired last night that they fell asleep, and today, both of them were lying in bed in their undergarments, which felt a little strange.
Zong Suyi turned his back but still couldn't sleep. He asked Zhang Shu what he had said to Zhang Ting after he left.
"They mentioned some funny stories from your childhood, saying that you used to be mischievous and naughty."
Upon hearing this, Zong Suyi knew that she was teasing her again. She pulled the blanket over herself, turned over, and glared at her, retorting, "I didn't." She wanted to reach out and pinch her, but she withdrew her hand halfway, afraid that it would start hurting again.
He straightened his body and moved away, getting further away from Zhang Ting.
Seeing how he avoided her like the plague, Zhang Ting's lips curled up slightly, a mischievous thought suddenly forming in her mind. She deliberately asked, "Does my husband need to change his trousers?"
Startled by her question, Zong Suyi was a little confused. "Change what?" Then she realized that she was being mocked. A fire suddenly rose in her heart. It was all because of this person!
Enraged, Zong Suyi turned over to torture her, but his hand was restrained as soon as he reached out. Unwilling to give up, he dodged her attack and tried again, but this time both his hands were firmly subdued. He was panting heavily from exhaustion, and just as he tried to lift his foot, it was pressed down again, like a fish on a chopping board, completely at her mercy.
He snorted and turned his head away, conveying a sense of "a scholar can be killed but not humiliated," but Zhang Ting felt that his knees didn't think so.
She smiled and raised an eyebrow. It seemed like she couldn't get through the night without doing something.
The candlelight was dim and yellow, creating a dark and gloomy atmosphere.
Zhang Ting's eyes were veiled in the darkness. She leaned down and kissed his thin lips, caressing them tenderly. Then, she suddenly pried open his lips. As they intertwined, his body went limp, his eyes became misty and filled with tears. He no longer had the strength to struggle.
She released his hand, grasped his slender white neck, and left fine marks on it. Zong Suyi groaned softly, clutching the quilt with both hands, leaving folds and wrinkles.
Suddenly, at a certain moment, he burst into tears, pleading and crying out, "I was wrong, please don't do this!" His voice was filled with sobs and lamentations. He began to struggle uncontrollably, leaving a long, wet stain on the bed.
Newlyweds, inseparable.
Time flies by, and half a month has passed in the blink of an eye.
Today, the warehouse staff cleared out Boss Mi's assets. Magistrate Song delegated his official duties to Assistant Magistrate Niu, and with a smile on his face, he leisurely returned to his residence with his trusted confidants.
She reclined comfortably in the chair, picked up the ledger and checked each item one by one, finally letting out a satisfied sigh.
The confidant was from a collateral branch of the clan, named Song Ti, and the two had an extremely close relationship.
Song Ti exclaimed, "As expected of the county magistrate, you are truly farsighted! With a single move, you drove that traitor Mi out of the county, eliminating a major threat and gaining immense wealth—truly killing two birds with one stone!"
Magistrate Song snorted, secretly delighted, but still said aloud, "Otherwise, how could I really capture that slut? What would happen if she betrayed me?"
She felt that she hadn't fully recovered from the heatstroke she had suffered a few days ago, and her head was still a little dizzy. Thinking of this, she suddenly asked, "What did the tribe say?"
Song Ti pondered for a moment, then bowed and replied, "I haven't received a letter yet, but I expect it will be in the next day or two."
As soon as you speak of the devil, the gatekeeper rushed in, handed the letter to Magistrate Song, and then greeted him, saying, "Sir, this was sent from the capital."
"Oh?" Magistrate Song tossed the account book to Song Ti, lazily took the letter, and slowly opened it. A casual glance almost made her jaw drop. She hurriedly tried to get up but lost her balance and suddenly fell back onto the recliner. Song Ti quickly came over to help her up, saying, "Your Excellency, what does the letter say?"
After that day, after inquiring about Zhang Ting's background several times and learning that she came from the capital, Magistrate Song wrote to her family to ask them to investigate further.
Magistrate Song handed her the letter, then frantically searched the room, wailing, "Oh dear! What is Zhang Ting thinking? He's brought such a huge mess back here!"
Song Ti looked at her with suspicion, then her gaze fell on the paper, where she was equally astonished: "Her little servant is actually the grandson of the Prime Minister!"
"What should I do? I was wrong to trust Zhang Ting! Not only have I gotten myself into huge trouble, but I've also been implicated."
Magistrate Song was alarmed when he thought about how he had been in close contact with Zhang Ting recently and had even commissioned the production of books to publicize their deeds. What if His Majesty took offense?
Is she going to lose her official position, or her head?
Magistrate Song, recalling the rumored tragic state of the Zong family, was so frightened that he covered his face with tears and clutched his head tightly.
Song Ti didn't think the matter was that serious. After pondering for a moment, she pulled Magistrate Song aside and said, "Your Excellency, please don't worry. Since Zhang Ting was able to take the clan's bloodline out of the capital, it must have been with His Majesty's tacit approval. She has been safe and sound so far, so how could it involve you?"
Hearing her say this, Magistrate Song thought for a moment and found it quite reasonable. She breathed a sigh of relief and slumped back into her recliner. However, after this incident, she dared not mention the marriage alliance with Zhang Ting again, and cautiously discussed with Song Ti, "How about we take back that book?"
Song Ti choked, reminding her that many people in Tongzhou Prefecture had already seen the book, so even if it were taken back, it wouldn't be of much use.
Magistrate Song was filled with resentment and wanted to vent his anger, but Zhang Ting was the junior sister of County Magistrate Niu and had now become the beloved disciple of Master Zhang. With a powerful figure protecting her, he couldn't find a legitimate reason to arrest her.
If taking another step doesn't work, she'll take a step back. She's determined to distance herself from Zhang Ting and fade the impression that people associate her with her.
Meanwhile, on the other side, a new guest has arrived at the Zhang residence today.
This morning, Zhang Ting ordered Zheng Er to prepare some local gifts to send to her three sisters in the capital. When she returned to report, she was followed by a strange woman, dressed simply but with a bright and dignified appearance.
Zheng Er explained, "Master, this young lady claims to be your fellow disciple."
The unfamiliar woman smiled and said amiably, "Junior sister, I am Yang Fuchen, greetings." She then bowed to Zhang Ting.
"I will hand the gift I prepared for you to the servant as soon as I enter. I hope you like it."
"No need to be so polite." Zhang Ting had already received a letter from her senior sister saying that she was coming to visit today, but she didn't expect her to arrive today.
She happily greeted Yang Fuchen, then called a servant to invite her teacher over. She invited him to sit down in the main hall and they reminisced about their wonderful time together.
For the past two weeks, Zhang Shu has been staying at Zhang Ting's residence. In the mornings, he teaches her policy essays and calligraphy, and in the afternoons, he tests her knowledge. If he has free time, he also plays chess with Zong Suyi.
Zhang Ting had heard her teacher introduce her senior sister, Yang Fuchen. She was sincere and honest, and although she came from a humble background, she was very intelligent. At only twenty-six years old, she had already achieved the second-highest rank in the provincial examination and was highly respected among the students in Taizhou Prefecture.
Now that I've met her in person and observed her demeanor, I can't help but feel a sense of goodwill towards her.
After a while, Zhang Shu walked in with a nonchalant air, a wine gourd hanging from his waist. He grinned and said, "The Minister of Works has arrived."
Zhang Ting's lips twitched, and she looked away, unable to bear to watch.
Yang Fuchen was used to this and greeted him as usual.
Zhang Shu was overjoyed to see his first disciple. His craving for alcohol kicked in, and he uncorked the bottle and took a big gulp.
As Zhang Shu let out a sigh of relief, Yang Fuchen lowered his eyes and took out what he was holding and offered it to her, "This is a letter that Aunt Liu sent with her disciple when we passed through Taizhou Prefecture."
Upon hearing the name "Aunt Liu," Zhang Shu immediately formed a plan. After reading the letter, he found that, as expected, Liu Yu, that old dog, had his eye on her newly accepted apprentice and was using every means to lure her and her people back to Jiangnan.
Just as Zhang Ting had a solid foundation and was in need of a whetstone to hone her skills, she gave a half-yawn and turned to Zhang Ting, saying, "Little Ting, come with me back to Jiangnan the day after tomorrow. Write another article in the next two days. Your Aunt Liu is no pushover."
"It's a good opportunity to meet your second and third senior sisters."
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