Chapter 115, Extra 17: A wonderful love story in the Republic of China
When Ji Rang, the eldest son of the Ji family, was studying abroad in England, his family arranged a marriage for him and sent him a telegram telling him that they would get engaged when he returned from his studies abroad.
Young Master Ji, who had been lawless and dissolute since childhood and was known throughout the foreign land, was furious and sent a telegram to his family in a firm tone: He, Ji Rang, would rather die or jump off the cruise ship than marry a woman he didn't know!
His grandfather, a famous capitalist in Shanghai, an old man respectfully called "Mr. Ji" by everyone, replied to him calmly: If you don't want to get married, don't come back. If you come back, you must get married. If you have the ability, stay in Britain for the rest of your life.
Ji's mother stood by with a worried look on her face and asked the old man, "You are irritating him like this, what if he really doesn't come back?"
Old Master Ji smiled coldly: "Don't you understand his character? The more you provoke him, the more he will go against you. I think we will see this brat in less than seven days."
Otherwise, why do they say that no one knows a son better than his father, and no one knows a grandson better than his grandfather?
At this time, Ji Rang had indeed boarded the cruise ship back home in a rage.
The grandfather who always loved him so much actually said, "If you don't get married, don't come back." Listen, is this human language?! For a mere outsider, he didn't even want his precious grandson!
He wanted to go back and see where this woman who bewitched his family came from!
Also returning to China with him were his friends and classmates, all of whom were well-known playboys in Shanghai. During their years abroad, they had accepted a lot of new ideas and new education, and had become more and more bohemian. They talked about reform and resistance to innovation all the time, and looked down on the old-fashioned behaviors in China.
When they heard that Ji Rang had been arranged to marry, they gloated over his misfortune and gave advice at once:
——"You insisted that you would never marry me, so could they knock you out and force you to go to the wedding hall?"
——"I heard that women in those old houses still bind their feet. The bones in their feet are broken. Tsk, tsk, it hurts just thinking about it."
——"Ah, please don't compromise. Just looking at those little feet will definitely give you nightmares!"
——"If you ask me, you should bring a girlfriend back with you and do it first and ask for permission later!"
Ji Rang stood on the deck, looking at the endless blue sea, clenched his fists, and said righteously: "Reform starts with resisting the old-fashioned arranged marriage! This time, I will never compromise!"
It rained heavily in Shanghai on the day I returned to China.
The Ji family sent a car to pick him up. Fugui, the son of the Ji family gardener who grew up with Ji Rang, and his little follower, excitedly helped him carry his luggage to the car. After getting in the car, his eyes were red: "Master, you are finally back. Fugui missed you so much."
Ji Rang was extremely upset: "Stop, stop, stop, first tell me about that woman, where is her background?"
Fugui, who had been with him since childhood, immediately understood who he was talking about: "You mean Miss Qi? She is the youngest daughter of the Qi family. Master, you know the Qi family, right? It's a famous Chinese medicine clinic, and Mr. Qi is known as the living Hua Tuo! At the beginning of the year, the master had rheumatism and was in so much pain that he couldn't get out of bed. Going to the hospital for injections and intravenous drips was useless! Later, Mr. Qi took Miss Qi to live in the Ji Mansion for a month, taking good care of her day and night, and the master finally got better."
Ji Rang was incredulous: "Grandpa sold me out just for this?!"
"That's right, she's my lifesaver. Besides, everyone in the mansion likes Miss Qi, she's actually a very nice person..."
Before he could finish his words, Ji Rang blasted him: "She's such a piece of shit! Shut up!"
The car drove to Ji Mansion in the heavy rain. Just as it arrived at the gate and was waiting for the servants to open the iron gate, two rickshaws stopped beside it. Ji Rang was lost in thought as he stared at the heavy rain outside the window. He first saw a blue and white umbrella stretched out, the umbrella cloth spread out in the rain, and a slender figure jumped out of the car.
She was wearing a pastel-colored jacket and skirt, white cloth shoes with embroidery, her long hair was tied up in a neat bun, and two thin braids hung down from her neck, which made her eyebrows and eyes look pretty and as beautiful as stars and moons.
She held an umbrella in one hand and a big bag in the other, and her white cloth shoes splashed in the water as she ran through the small door.
It wasn't until her back disappeared in the rain that Ji Rang realized what was happening. He turned around and asked Fugui, "Who is that?"
Fugui looked around and saw nothing, so he said casually, "Maybe she's a maid in the mansion."
The car drove in, and Ji Rang walked in without waiting for Fugui to open his umbrella. Madam Ji had been waiting at the door for a long time. She had studied abroad for several years, and when she saw him, she hugged him and cried. Everyone in the mansion came, except the old man.
After putting away his luggage and comforting his mother, Ji Rang drank a sip of hot tea before asking, "Where's Grandpa?"
Mrs. Ji said, "It has been raining these days, and Grandpa's rheumatism has come back. He is resting in the house."
Ji Rang frowned: "Have you taken the medicine?"
"I have taken it. I have finished the previous medicine. Today, the little girl from the Qi family sent me some more medicine. I am preparing it now." After Mrs. Ji finished speaking, she saw Ji Rang's expression change instantly and quickly took his hand to comfort him: "Don't rush to object. Go meet the person first. We will never harm you. The little daughter of the Qi family is a good girl. If you can be with her..."
Ji Rang shook off her hand, stood up, and shouted angrily: "No matter how good a girl is, I don't like her! Anyway, I won't agree to this marriage! I am the master of my own life, and you don't need to arrange it for me!"
Just as he finished yelling, a powerful voice came from the second floor: "You've been abroad for a few years and you really think you're the representative of the new era? Considering all the shit you did in those years, I think it's a bargain for you to let Yingying marry you!"
Ji Rang looked up and saw that Old Man Ji was sitting in a wheelchair, with a look of anger on his face. Next to him stood a little girl with an unnatural look on her face.
A pastel-colored jacket and skirt, a cute bun, and white cloth shoes.
It was the girl he had just seen in the rain.
Ji Rang, who was about to have a big argument with his grandfather, suddenly felt like his throat was blocked and he couldn't utter a word.
Mrs. Ji quickly stood up and said, "Arang just came back, Yingying is here too, stop arguing. Dad, why did you get up? Yingying, is Grandpa's medicine ready?"
The girl pushing the wheelchair nodded and said softly, "It's boiling in the pot. It will be ready in another hour. The pharmacy is still busy. I have to go back."
Ji Rang was still a little dazed until the girl left Ji Mansion.
Old Master Ji came downstairs and lectured him for most of the day, but he didn't say a word in reply. He just kept his head down, looking listless, and no one knew what he was thinking.
Seeing him like this, the old man thought he had scolded him too harshly. In the end, he felt sorry for his grandson, so he softened his tone and said earnestly, "You can't find a good girl like Yingying even with a lantern. Grandpa is in such a hurry to marry you off because he's afraid that she'll be snatched away by someone else! Now that you're back, hang out with those bad friends less and spend more time with Yingying. Maybe you'll fall in love with her after spending some time with her."
Ji Rang's face turned pale and blue, and finally he went back to his room to rest without saying a word.
Mrs. Ji looked at his dejected back with distress: "Arang seems to have suffered a big blow this time, Dad, otherwise, let's just forget it..."
Old Master Ji sighed heavily, and after a long while he said, "Let's wait and see. If he really doesn't want to, I can't force him to marry me. Besides, the Qi family, seeing his behavior, will never marry their daughter to him."
At this time, Qi Ying, who was holding a prescription to help Qi's father get medicine, stepped on the ladder and said, "I met the eldest young master of the Ji family today."
Father Qi immediately dropped the scales and came over to ask, "How is it?"
Qi Ying opened the medicine cabinet and grabbed a handful of holly: "Just as the rumors say, he has a bad temper and a bad personality. Dad, I think he is very reluctant about this marriage, and I don't like people like him either, so let's forget it."
Father Qi frowned and said, "Marriage is not a joke! Since I made a promise to Mr. Ji, I cannot go back on my word." He paused, sighed, and said, "Yingying, now the whole of Shanghai is calling for getting rid of the old and welcoming the new. Do you know that Chinese medicine is also among these old evils? Our Qi family is about to decline. If I can't find you a reliable husband's family, how can I explain to your mother when I die in the future?"
Qi Ying was silent for a while, then turned around and asked: "What if he insists on not marrying me?"
Father Qi sighed and waved his hand: "That's fine. I can always find a good marriage for you."
Qi Ying curved her eyes and smiled obediently.
Heavy rain fell for three consecutive days. After the rain stopped, Grandpa Ji drove Ji Rang, who had been lying in the room, out and asked him to go to the Qi family pharmacy to ask Qi Ying out to play.
Ji Rang had been struggling with himself in his room these days, and he didn't sleep well, so he was almost schizophrenic. When he went out, he was hit by the glaring sunlight and felt dizzy, and almost couldn't stand.
He didn't dare drive, so he asked the driver to take him to the pharmacy.
When the car was halfway there, Ji Rang saw Qi Ying buying flowers at a street shop.
He asked the driver to stop the car, straightened his collar, touched his hair, cleared his throat, and finally pushed open the car door and walked over.
Qi Ying was squatting among a pile of flowers, choosing among them. She was wearing a white and green jacket and skirt today, and she looked very pretty. Ji Rang walked behind her, but he didn't know how to greet him, so he kept waiting. After waiting for ten minutes, Qi Ying didn't notice him.
Ji Rang couldn't stand it anymore and said dissatisfiedly: "What kind of flowers do you choose that take you so long?"
When Qi Ying turned around and saw him, she was stunned for a few seconds before she smiled politely and stood up to greet him: "Master Ji, why are you here?"
Ji Rang cleared his throat, and then cleared his throat again. After a long while, he squeezed out four words: "I'm here to buy flowers."
Qi Ying smiled, picked up the flowers she had chosen, walked to the side to pay the bill, and was about to walk out the door.
Ji Rang was anxious: "Hey, don't you have anything to tell me?"
The little girl paused and turned around. The dragonfly pendant on her earring was swaying in the air, spreading its wings as if ready to fly. She looked at him for a few times and said in a soft and sweet voice, "Master Ji, your eye sockets are dark, your face is swollen, your lips are pale, and you are mentally exhausted. This is a typical case of insufficient spleen and stomach qi. I suggest you see a doctor."
After saying that, he walked out of the store holding the flowers.
Ji Rang: “???”
Ah, I'm so angry. I'm so angry that I feel dizzy.
Ji Rang took a long time to calm down before he started to catch up.
Qi Ying had already reached the corner of the street. Seeing him catch up, she did not stop. She just glanced at the flowers in her arms and said softly, "Master Ji, I know what you are going to say. Don't worry, I don't want to marry you either. As long as some time passes, they will see our firm attitude and will stop forcing us."
Ji Rang was stunned, and immediately said dissatisfiedly: "You don't want to marry me? Why don't you want to marry me? How am I not worthy of you?!"
Qi Ying: “…”
This person not only has a bad temper and a bad personality, but is also unreasonable!
Looking at the little girl who left angrily, Young Master Ji didn't understand what he had done wrong.
A few days later, when he was playing polo with a friend, his friend said to him, "I saw your fiancée at the university the other day. I took a special look and her feet were not small!"
Ji Rang poked the man off his horse with a pole.
The next day, he ran to the school.
When he found Qi Ying, she was walking with a young man wearing a Mao suit and glasses, chatting and laughing. Ji Rang hid behind a tree and saw the man holding an English textbook. When the two passed by, he heard the man saying, "Would you like have dinner with me?"
The girl's soft eyes opened wide, a shy smile formed at the corners of her lips, and she said embarrassedly: "I...I don't understand."
The young man smiled and said, "It's okay. You have just started learning the twenty-six letters. Take your time. I will teach you."
She said obediently: "Well, thank you for being willing to teach you."
The two of them walked away talking and laughing, and Ji Rang behind the tree was almost angry to death.
Why learn English!!! What's the point of learning English!!! If you are Chinese, just speak Chinese!!!
Qi Ying didn't come back until the sun went down. When she reached the entrance of the alley, she saw a young master in a Western dress sitting on the steps holding a book.
The afterglow of the setting sun shone on half of his face, making him look lazy and exceptionally handsome.
Seeing her coming back, he stood up immediately, and the lazy expression on his face was gone, looking particularly serious. Qi Ying approached hesitantly and asked in a low voice: "Master Ji, are you waiting for me?"
Ji Rang stuffed the book in his arms over to him.
It is an English dictionary.
Qi Ying looked at him puzzledly.
He raised his chin slightly, with an arrogant look on his face, but his eyes were a little wandering. He said in a natural way: "I heard that you are learning English?"
Qi Ying nodded and asked, "How do you know?"
Young Master Ji waved his hand impatiently: "It's not important!" He glared at her a few times, looking a little fierce: "What kind of teacher are you looking for? The accent is not authentic at all!"
Qi Ying tilted her head and looked at him: "But I only know him well. He is my father's patient."
Ji Rang immediately said proudly: "Now that you know me, I will teach you."
The little girl looked skeptical: "You?"
The young master jumped up and down: "Don't look down on me! I studied abroad!"
Qi Ying originally felt that it was not good to have contact with other men, but since the young master in front of her was her fiancé, she could have free contact with him.
After a little thought, he agreed.
Ji Rang was very proud.
After that day, Qi Ying would take three days a week to go to Ji Mansion to learn English with Ji Rang. She had never been to school since she was a child, and her father taught her how to read and write, and all she read was the Three Obediences and Four Virtues of supporting one's husband and educating one's children. A few days ago, she watched a foreign movie with her best friend, and became interested in foreign literary works, so she wanted to learn English and read those works.
There are many famous foreign books in Ji Rang's study.
She studied, checked and watched every day, and had no idea that Master Ji stayed up late every day to cram English in order to teach her.
Damn it, it’s all because of my youth and recklessness and my love of play.
But fortunately, she had studied abroad and had some basic skills. When she read the sentences in the book to Qi Ying with a standard accent, she was always generous with her praise: "Wow, you are amazing."
It’s worth staying up late!
But in fact, given the reputation of the Qi family, Qi Ying has no shortage of suitors.
Although the two families had made an engagement, everyone knew that the dandy young master of the Ji family did not agree with the marriage and it would be cancelled sooner or later. Young men who had feelings for Qi Ying often came to her house under the pretext of seeing a doctor to show their presence.
After Ji Rang knew about it, he stopped sleeping in every morning and ran to Qi's pharmacy early. He carried a chair and sat at the door. He would block any young man from entering.
He had a reputation as a playboy, and everyone was afraid of him and didn't dare to force their way in, so he drove away many of Qi's father's patients.
Father Qi: “…………”
Qi Ying: “…………”
She called him to the backyard and asked angrily, "What do you want to do?"
Young Master Ji was very calm: "Exercise my rights as a fiancé."
Qi Ying: “…………” She was incredulous. “Didn’t you disagree with this marriage? What are you doing now? You don’t want to marry me, and now you’re making such a fuss. Do you want me to never find a good family again? How can you be so mean!?”
The eldest young master was so angry that he vomited blood. He thought he had shown it clearly. He just didn't want to slap himself in the face. After all, he once swore to heaven that he would not marry her, but now... He was too ashamed to speak, so he wanted to prove it with actions, but she misunderstood him.
Ji Rang was so angry: "I am such a bad guy! Do you know how bad I am now? I just want you to be unable to get married! No one else dares to marry you except me!"
Qi Ying was so angry at this man that she was speechless.
Close the door and ignore him for three days.
Ji Rang was angry all night but calmed down. He went to the medicine store as usual the next day. Qi Ying's door was never opened until the third day, when the young man who lived next door brought a puppy.
The dog he raised gave birth to puppies, and he gave one to Qi Ying to raise.
Ji Rang hid behind the courtyard gate and watched her holding the puppy and talking and laughing with the young man. When he thought of the look on her face towards him, he was almost furious.
That night, while everyone in the Qi family was asleep, he carried a puppy over the wall and replaced the dog.
The next morning, when Qi Ying was about to feed the dog, she saw that the dog had changed color.
Ji Rang, who was squatting in the yard watering the flowers, acted nonchalantly: "Is there? Isn't it this color? It may be that the puppy shed its hair and it faded."
Qi Ying glared at him angrily: "I don't want to talk to you!"
The shameless young master came over and said, "I bought two movie tickets. It's a remake of that foreign work you like. Let's go watch it together?"
Qi Ying: "No! I won't go!"
Ji Rang: "I'll buy you some candied haws."
Qi Ying: "...Hawthorn flavor?"
Later, Ji Rang and Qi Ying got married.
Shocked! Those who were waiting to see Young Master Ji cancel the engagement were stunned.
When his friends who had seen him swearing not to marry laughed at him, Master Ji said confidently: "The great Russian writer V. Zvezda said that love is fleeting, and we must have the courage to seize love, experience love, and embrace love."
The brothers were stunned when they heard this.
After returning home, Qi Ying searched Ji Rang's study but couldn't find the great Russian writer he mentioned.
She ran to Ji Rang and asked, "Can you show me the work of W. Zydziłowowski that you mentioned?"
Ji Rang went to the study, opened the drawer, and shamelessly took out the love letter he had written: "Here you go."
Qi Ying: “…”
She later found out that he had said: I. Myself. Vovsky.
This unlearned dandy!!!
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