Chapter 40 If Life Were Only As Beautiful As Our First Meeting
Xiao Wan'er stopped unfolding the calligraphy copybook and instead rolled it up again and put it back in the box.
Mr. Yue Ming observed their movements clearly, stood with his hands behind his back, and softly hummed:
"Miss Wan'er, now tell me, is this calligraphy truly written by Chen Yi?"
Before Xiao Wan'er could answer, Xiao Die couldn't hold back any longer, "Miss, this really was written by the young master. I was right there at the time, and I even saw wisps of light..."
At this moment, Xiao Jinghong raised his hand to interrupt her: "Alright, Xiaodie, no need to say more."
After Xiaodie reluctantly shut her mouth, she looked at the old man and bowed slightly, saying, "The origin of this calligraphy will be explained to Mr. Yueming by the Xiao family later."
Mr. Yue Ming glanced at her and nodded calmly: "I await your good news."
After saying that, he turned and walked away.
Several students from the neighborhood bowed to the Xiao family and others, and then followed them.
Wang Lixing glanced at the expressions of the two young ladies, then at Xiaodie, who was pouting and about to cry, and hesitated before bowing and saying:
“Young Miss, Second Young Miss, this calligraphy was indeed written by the young master.”
Xiao Jinghong looked at him, her eyes, hidden beneath her half-armor, glistening slightly, as if she hadn't expected him to speak at this moment.
After thinking for a moment, she said, "I already know about this matter. Let's talk about it when we get back to the manor."
Then, Xiao Jinghong instructed Xiao Die to follow, and then helped Xiao Wan'er back onto the carriage.
Xiaodie followed closely behind, sitting on the outside of the carriage, her head bowed, not daring to look up for even a second.
She didn't know what she had said wrong, and couldn't help feeling a little uneasy.
At this moment, Xiao Wan'er put the calligraphy copybook aside and asked, "Xiao Die, did you really watch your son-in-law write this?"
"Yes, Miss, Xiaodie wouldn't dare to lie."
The two Xiao sisters exchanged a glance, and Xiao Wan'er's eyes, which held both joy and reproach, seemed to say that her second sister had found a good husband.
Xiao Jinghong, however, still had some doubts.
To be precise, she found it hard to believe her elder sister's claim that "one's handwriting reflects one's character," otherwise how could she explain her husband's abduction of women and visits to brothels?
Thinking of this, Xiao Jinghong asked, "Xiao Die, tell me everything that the young master has said and done during this time."
"Yes, Second Miss..."
Xiao Die glanced at the half-nail on her face, then lowered her head again and began to speak haltingly.
The story is recounted in great detail, from Chen Yi being confined to copy the family rules, to writing the poem "Shuzhou Yin: Marrying into the Xiao Family," to being released from confinement and going to the brothels in the south of the city, and to his pretense of "abducting a woman" to help Li Huaigu and Yunxiang.
There was only one thing that Xiaodie kept hidden—the poem called "Ode to the Graceful Goddess." She didn't dare mention it, for fear that the Second Miss would punish her son-in-law if she heard it.
After she finished speaking, the carriage remained silent for a long time.
Xiao Wan'er went through Chen Yi's actions in her mind, and when she recalled that night when Chen Yi climbed over the wall to Jiaxing Garden, she couldn't help but smile.
The pure white downy fur accentuated her jade-like face, making her even more radiant, as pure as a blooming lotus flower.
"Second sister, the things your husband has done cannot be understood by ordinary standards."
"Perhaps." Xiao Jinghong temporarily put aside her grudges.
Compared to those pretentious scholars and celebrities, and ordinary people who just parrot others, Xiaodie's words clearly carried more weight.
Xiao Wan'er knew that she was a bit cold-hearted, so she didn't say anything more, but instead opened the calligraphy copybook again.
As she gracefully unfolded the paper, five feet long, each character on it appeared as a wisp of shimmering white light.
However, the luster on the calligraphy quickly faded, leaving only faintly shimmering characters.
Xiao Wan'er stared, her eyes suddenly freezing.
As if those horizontal and vertical strokes possessed a strange power, they held her gaze captive for even a moment.
Not only her, but Xiao Jinghong beside her was the same.
However, unlike Xiao Wan'er who did not practice martial arts, Xiao Jinghong saw not just simple words in this calligraphy book, but wisps of ethereal and leisurely artistic conception.
In a daze, she seemed to see a figure in a long robe strolling through the mountains and fields.
The figure had a slender build, long hair tied up in a bun at the back of his head, and a gentle smile on his handsome face as he calmly observed the beautiful scenery around him.
"My brother-in-law's handwriting is truly unconventional. No, it should be said that his handwriting has already formed its own style."
After a long silence, Xiao Wan'er exclaimed, "No wonder Mr. Yue Ming said that earlier; the significance of this calligraphy is probably..."
It is likely that it would attract countless famous calligraphers of the Great Wei Dynasty.
Just like Mr. Yue Ming today, who disregarded his status and image to argue with a maid from a noble family.
Xiao Jinghong came to his senses and nodded, saying, "That should be the case."
Xiao Wan'er looked at her with a mixture of joy and reproach: "Second sister, are you unhappy?"
"Sister, you're overthinking it."
Xiao Jinghong turned her head to look out the car window, the image of the person she had just seen in the calligraphy copybook still lingering in her mind, and a strange curiosity arose in her heart.
In fact, before the marriage, she had secretly gone to Fengchun Tower to see Chen Yi once.
At the time, she only felt that her husband, like other Confucian scholars, had a strong bookish air about him, as well as a hint of resentment and gloom.
It was completely different from the "husband" she heard from other people nowadays.
Therefore, Xiao Jinghong was very curious about what had happened to Chen Yi during the time she was away from the Marquis's residence.
Could it be that someone switched the beams and pillars?
Not long after.
Shen Huatang drove the carriage into the Xiao family gate, followed by another carriage of the same style, as well as Wang Lixing and others.
Watching the carriage pass through the middle courtyard and head straight for the backyard, Ge Laosan muttered to himself, "Judging from the way our two young ladies are acting, I have a feeling that the young master is doomed this time."
*Smack*
Wang Lixing couldn't help but slap him, glaring at him and saying, "Are you out of your mind? How dare you say such a thing?"
Just as Ge Laosan was about to speak, he suddenly realized what was happening and quickly put his hands together in apology: "Brother Xing, please forgive me. Miss has not been in the manor these days, and I forgot."
He did forget.
It's somewhat better that Miss Xiao Wan'er doesn't have martial arts skills.
However, the second young lady, Xiao Jinghong, is a fourth-grade cultivator. Her martial arts skills have long surpassed the ordinary. She can hear sounds that others cannot hear, see things that others cannot see, and even tread on clouds to soar into the sky.
Such a powerful person can be overheard even if one doesn't pay attention to him.
Liu Si'er glanced at the two of them and whispered, "In any case, with the Second Miss back, everyone in the manor will be more well-behaved."
Damn it, the one that needs to behave the most is that fledgling!
...
With the return of the two young ladies of the Xiao family to the manor, the news spread throughout all the residences of the Marquis's estate.
Clean house.
When the old Marquis received the message from his servant, he was playing chess with the Duke of Gan and others. Upon hearing the news, a slight smile appeared on his face.
"Having returned to the manor in a flash, I will not keep you two company any longer."
Zhang Xuan curled his lip slightly: "You old scoundrel, you're shameless enough. You've also gotten incredibly lucky that your Xiao family produced such a prodigy as Jinghong."
Sun Fu nodded: "The words may be rough, but the reasoning is sound; that is indeed the case."
The old marquis wasn't annoyed; after his initial amusement, a hint of melancholy crept onto his face.
"If their parents hadn't both died on the battlefield, why would my Xiao family have let Jinghong take the lead?"
"Alright, alright, don't say anything discouraging on a happy day."
"Jinghong can only last another ten years at most. When Wuge returns from Jinling, your Xiao family will still be the same Xiao family."
"I hope so."
Meanwhile, outside Chunhe Garden.
Xiao Jinghong and Xiao Wan'er arrived outside the garden together, followed by Shen Huatang and a girl wearing a silver half-armor, each carrying a bag.
Xiao Die, Wang Lixing, and others followed behind.
Xiaodie glanced at Chunhe Garden and vaguely heard the young master laughing and joking inside. She stammered, "Miss, should I go and inform the young master?"
Xiao Jinghong waved his hand to indicate that it was not necessary, and also signaled them to stop and be quiet.
Then she and Xiao Wan'er walked into Chunhe Garden together, and the sounds around them became clear.
"The most... Brother-in-law, you've been fishing for fish for almost a month and haven't caught a single one."
Young Master Zhang Heng's tone still held disdain, but his attitude had clearly improved compared to before.
“Brother, you don’t understand. My brother-in-law once said that this is called ‘Jiang Taigong fishing, those who are willing will take the bait.’ It’s not that my brother-in-law can’t catch them, but that he doesn’t want to catch them.”
Hearing Xiao Wuge's childish voice, Xiao Wan'er suppressed a cough and winked at Xiao Jinghong.
They immediately looked at the figure squatting by the pond, digging in the soil with a small shovel, and heard him say:
“You are a promising young man, Wu Ge. Your knowledge is more than enough to surpass that of the Crown Prince.”
"real?"
"Impossible! I, the young master, am also learned!"
"For example, Your Highness?" Chen Yi said mischievously, "It's not like you're trying to lie and getting caught by your elders, then getting a severe beating, is it?"
After saying that, he and Xiao Wuge both laughed, which made Zhang Heng so angry that he yelled and screamed.
"It's a good thing. Your mother sent you to Chunhe Garden, so from now on you will..."
As he spoke, Chen Yi pinched the earthworm he had dug out of the soil, "Look, it's so big!"
He was about to show off to the two little ones when he spotted Xiao Jinghong wearing a half-mask and Xiao Wan'er with a smile on her face not far away, and he was taken aback.
Upon seeing the people who had arrived, Xiao Wuge cheered and ran over, calling out affectionately, "Big sister, second sister, you're finally back!"
Zhang Heng seemed to have met his nemesis after being glanced at by Xiao Jinghong, and he became obedient: "Big Cousin, Second Cousin."
Chen Yi quietly observed them, then suddenly smiled and raised his hand to greet them: "Madam, Eldest Sister."
Seeing that he was just smiling gently, Xiao Jinghong felt a little dazed as his figure and appearance gradually overlapped with the one she had seen in the calligraphy copybook.
The originally illusory and blurry image gradually solidified into a real man holding a wriggling earthworm in his hand, yet he remained gentle and easygoing.
At this moment, Chen Yi was also looking at Xiao Jinghong.
Despite the half-mask obscuring his view, he could easily tell that Xiao Jinghong was exceptionally handsome, especially his eyes, which resembled those of Xiao Wan'er.
However, what caught Chen Yi's attention even more was her temperament, that proud and independent temperament, as aloof as an immortal.
The two gazed at each other for a long time.
Xiao Jinghong came to her senses first and turned her head away uncomfortably: "Husband, I just returned to the manor. I'll go change my clothes first."
Xiao Wan'er noticed her gaze and immediately smiled ambiguously, which made her quicken her pace as she turned around.
As Chen Yi gazed at her retreating figure, her silhouette and appearance were already clearly etched into his mind, and he smiled knowingly.
"If only life could be like our first meeting."
"Madam, you do indeed possess a beauty that is as graceful as a startled swan..."
(End of this chapter)
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