Chapter 84 Senior Sister's Ambition: Plain and Simple...
That day, Zhang Ting was listening to Zheng Er report on the old matter that he had previously instructed her to investigate. After the events were recounted, the atmosphere in the study became heavy, as if a layer of ice had been frozen over. Both of them looked unwell. Just then, there was a knock on the door, "Knock knock—".
"Junior sister."
Recognizing the voice as Third Senior Sister, Zhang Ting gave Zheng Er a subtle wink, then turned and softened his voice, saying, "Senior Sister, please come in."
Zheng Er bowed respectfully to the host and slowly withdrew. Just then, Wu Pingliu entered. Zheng Er bowed and invited her in, saying with a smile, "Miss Wu, please come in. I will go and order tea and refreshments right away."
Wu Pingliu's gaze was serene. She merely nodded slightly to her before entering with several books in her arms. With her eyes lowered, she asked, "Junior Sister, have I disturbed you while you were handling your official duties?"
"Please have a seat, Senior Sister." Zhang Ting smiled and gestured with her right hand. "You've arrived just in time. May I ask what brings you here?"
Over the years, she had only been close to Xun Han and Yang Fuchen, while her third senior sister was introverted and disliked socializing, so she rarely interacted with her. This time, she couldn't figure out her intentions.
Following her fourth junior sister's guidance, Wu Pingliu sat down, sitting upright. She lowered her head and stroked the cover of the book, pursed her lips, and said, "I heard from the teacher that you are very good at current affairs, junior sister." She paused, then looked up at Zhang Ting with a serious expression, "I have come today to ask you for some guidance."
"Senior sister is joking. My understanding of current affairs is just so-so. I can only say that I was exchanging ideas and discussing things with you," Zhang Ting replied with a smile, assuming that it was just the application of current affairs in policy essays.
Upon receiving the books from Wu Pingliu, her face suddenly tensed, and a solemn expression appeared. She casually flipped through them; these books all recounted local legends, and all were set in remote and impoverished areas.
"What's wrong, Senior Sister?" Zhang Ting asked, frowning in confusion.
Wu Pingliu's fingers gently rested on the edge of her cloak, her right earlobe standing out clearly in the backlight. She smiled slightly, "I'm not happy with you, junior sister. As long as I pass the imperial examination this time, no matter how high or low my ranking is, I want to ask for a chance to be sent to one of these poor and impoverished places."
Zhang Ting never expected that her usually most silent and proud third senior sister would harbor such a strong sense of pride.
"Senior sister has such high aspirations." Zhang Ting admired those who were willing to endure hardship, but she herself could not do it.
As fellow students, Zhang Ting, not intending to hold back, shared everything he knew with Wu Pingliu, from the evolution and development of local customs and traditions to the improvement and management of dikes.
At the end, he kindly advised her: "Even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake. Senior sister, you must not act impulsively."
Wu Pingliu benefited greatly from this trip. She was impressed by her fourth junior sister's profound knowledge and marveled at how there are indeed people more knowledgeable than herself.
Upon hearing this, he cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Junior Sister. I will keep it in mind."
Wu Pingliu took back the book she had brought and bid farewell to her fourth junior sister. Suddenly, she paused, then turned around and nervously fiddled with the hem of her clothes, saying, "Junior sister, could you please not tell anyone about this?"
Zhang Ting was surprised. Her third senior sister hadn't even told the teacher? She really kept it a secret.
She asked another question: "Has Senior Sister...discussed this with her family?" Third Senior Sister had been married for several years and had two children.
Today, after a long chat with her fourth junior sister, Wu Pingliu felt that their relationship had become much closer. She smiled and said, "The place I'm going to is difficult and dangerous, and I might even encounter some dangers. I shouldn't burden my husband and daughters." Her husband loves to be pretty, and her children are pampered in every way. Those places are so poor and desolate, how can she possibly raise them well?
This means that she had not consulted with anyone and was planning to go alone.
Zhang Ting frowned deeply, utterly perplexed by Wu Pingliu's actions. If she were ever to serve in such a treacherous frontier region, she would certainly take Zong Suyi with her; she wouldn't feel at ease without keeping him under her watchful eye. Even if life was tough, it was only temporary; after the hardship, things would always look brighter.
But she didn't want to interfere with her third senior sister's choice, and simply replied, "Okay."
Satisfied with her junior sister's promise, Wu Pingliu finally left.
Another month passed in the blink of an eye, and the miscellaneous tasks at the incense shop came to an end, allowing Zong Suyi to finally catch his breath.
But with about ten days left before the imperial examination, he stopped worrying about having children and started to fret about Zhang Ting's examination.
Zong Suyi had been looking at the list of items he had compiled a month ago several times a day. During the day, he also went to Guoan Temple to ask for a lot of talismans, a total of 188 talismans for the top scholar, which he pasted on the bed where the two of them slept, completely covering it.
That night, Zhang Ting returned late from talking with her teacher. She was so tired that she crawled into bed. Half asleep, she looked up and saw a circle of talismans surrounding her. She thought that her identity as a transmigrator had been discovered and she was being treated as a demon!
She was so frightened that she was wide awake. When she saw Zong Suyi sleeping peacefully beside her, she remembered that he had gone to the temple that day.
Zhang Ting was both amused and exasperated: "..." She really didn't know what to say.
She pinched Zong Suyi's delicate nose in retaliation. He felt the suffocation but remained unconscious, only grimacing as he unconsciously slapped away the culprit's hand, mumbling groggily, "Stop messing around..."
Zhang Ting chuckled twice, released his hand to stop making things difficult for Zong Suyi, smoothed out his furrowed brows, scooped him up and held him in her arms, resting her chin on the top of his head.
Zong Suyi smelled the familiar scent, closed his eyes, smacked his lips twice, and subconsciously hugged her back. The two of them sank into the soft bedding and fell into a deep sleep.
The next day, at the crack of dawn, Zong Suyi woke up, nestled against Zhang Ting. He raised his hand to rub his eyes, slowly yawned, and then rested his head on her again.
Yesterday, he lay in bed tossing and turning, waiting for this person to return. From 7:15 PM to 7:30 PM, he waited for the person to return. But he fell asleep while tossing and turning and never saw the person again.
Zong Suyi asked in a hoarse voice, "When did you get back last night?" He suddenly felt his teeth itching, so he opened his mouth and picked up a piece of meat, grinding it between his teeth.
It was still early, and Zhang Ting had just woken up. She pulled the person closer to her, her voice languid and nasal: "It's almost midnight, sleep a little longer." Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her shoulder. "Ouch!" She opened her eyes abruptly to find a dog biting and rubbing against her flesh.
She let out a heavy breath, grabbed Zong Suyi's chin with one hand, and forcibly separated him.
"You're having another biting fit, aren't you?" Lately, Zong Suyi has been biting people all the time for some reason.
She was sleeping soundly, so I gave her a bite.
While we were having a romantic conversation, I gave her a bite.
I put a piece of paper on my desk while I read, and then I gave her a bite.
Zhang Ting was truly impressed. If there hadn't been a rabies vaccine in ancient times, she would have dragged Zong Suyi to get a shot!
Zong Suyi was extremely dissatisfied that there was nothing in her mouth. She frowned and accused her of her evil deeds with her eyes, while struggling and flailing her hands as if to pounce on her again.
"Want to get beaten up?"
This is not the same kind of beating. These words were extremely intimidating, and although Zong Suyi pouted unhappily, she dared not continue.
He shook his head violently, shook off the hand on his cheek, sat up, glanced at Zhang Ting, raised his smooth, fair chin, and with an arrogant look that said, "I'm magnanimous and won't hold it against you," he slapped her thigh and said in a very heroic manner, "Get out of the way, I have important business to attend to today!"
Zhang Ting rested her hands behind her head, her dark, glassy eyes watching him act foolishly, while a faint smile played on her lips.
Zong Suyi shrank back abruptly, a chill running down her spine. She dared not fool around anymore, nor could she stay any longer. She quickly climbed off the bed, slipped on her shoes, and rushed out.
After he left, Zhang Ting chuckled softly, then got out of bed, dressed, washed up, and went to the outer room to practice martial arts.
Life was ordinary, but fulfilling and interesting.
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