Chapter 6
Amidst a chorus of accusations of indecency, Wang Ying emerged from the bedroom, trembling with laughter. Teasing Chen Qingyan was probably one of the few sources of amusement for him.
This kid's been studying too much and he's gone crazy. He talks about propriety, morality, and shame all the time, but he can't even use proper swear words when he curses. He's also always embarrassed. It's hilarious.
It's a pity that he's not in good health; he might pass away any day. Thinking about it that way, it's quite a shame.
When we arrived at the main room, the food was already laid out on the table.
After asking a few questions about his family, Li went into the inner room without even eating, clutching her forehead. The two children also looked unwell, keeping their heads down and not saying a word.
Wang Ying tentatively asked, "Has something happened at home?"
Chen Qingyun opened her mouth to speak, but tears fell down her cheeks.
Wang Ying was startled and quickly took out a handkerchief and handed it over, saying, "It's alright, it's alright, tell me slowly."
"You just left this morning, and my brother fainted. The doctor came and gave him acupuncture to bring him back to life, sob sob sob..."
Wang Ying was taken aback. He seemed to be in good spirits when he came back. How could he suddenly become so seriously ill?
"Did the doctor say anything else?"
Chen Qingyun nodded, "They said my brother probably doesn't have much time left, at most three months, at least... at least half a month, and told me to prepare in advance..." Chen Qingyun finished speaking and was already sobbing.
Sanlang was also wiping away tears, which made Wang Ying feel terrible.
"Don't listen to that nonsense from Langzhong. I think your eldest brother is fine. He'll probably be alright after some rest."
The two children, their eyes red and swollen, looked at him and asked, "Really?"
"Yes, definitely." Although Wang Ying had only been at the Chen family for two days and didn't have a deep relationship with them yet, she still had to plan for herself.
If Chen Qingyan dies, he will nominally become a widow, and the Chen family will lose its pillar.
Li Shi's personality is not suited to take over the family business, and Chen Qingyun and Chen Qingsong are too young. In the end, they will most likely have to rely on the second master of the Chen family.
Judging from that man's character, it would be strange if he didn't devour the Chen family alive. Besides, I just offended him yesterday, and there's no guarantee he won't retaliate in the future.
Thinking about this, Wang Ying began to get anxious. Chen Qingyan couldn't die!
When he returned to the bedroom, Uncle Chen was helping Chen Qingyan wipe his face. Having learned what had happened during the day, Uncle Chen looked full of remorse.
Before his death, the master instructed me to take good care of the eldest son. I'm useless; not only have I failed to take good care of him, but now...
Hearing Uncle Chen's suppressed sobs, Chen Qingyan sighed, "Go and rest."
"This old servant will stay here tonight to serve you."
"No need, you've been driving all day."
"I'm not tired, please let me stay!"
Seeing that the two were about to argue, Wang Ying coughed and said, "Um, how about I take care of him tonight?"
Uncle Chen was stunned for a moment before he realized that the two were already married, and it was indeed inappropriate for him to stay there.
"Then I'll have to trouble you, young master."
"It's alright, Uncle Chen, you should go back and rest."
After seeing the person off, Wang Ying closed the door, moved a stool, and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Hey, I heard you fainted during the day?"
Chen Qingyan snorted coldly, closed her eyes, and lay on the pillow, looking like she didn't want to pay any attention to him.
"Have you not eaten again?"
Chen Qingyan opened his eyes in surprise, wondering how he had guessed it.
“Sometimes I really don’t understand what you’re thinking. If you really want to die, I’ll teach you. This bed curtain is pretty good. You can hang yourself without even getting off the ground. If you think hanging is unsightly, this teacup or tea bowl will do. You can smash it and cut your wrists to die. Or, if all else fails, you can just smash your head against a wall and die…”
What exactly are you trying to say?
Wang Ying put away her playful smile and said, "If you want to die, then die cleanly. What's the point of dragging it out and making everyone sad and upset with you?"
"I don't……"
"If you don't want to die, why don't you take good care of your health? Or do you think your reputation is more important than your life?"
Chen Qingyan pursed her lips and remained silent, but tears welled up in her eyes. "You simply don't understand..."
“I don’t know how much your face is worth. I only know that if you die, your second uncle’s family can move in tomorrow, occupy your house and land, bully your mother, mistreat your younger siblings, and maybe Qingyun will have to become someone’s bride to bring good luck.”
"Impossible! I won't let him do that!"
"Don't you know what kind of person your second uncle is? Besides, you're dead, how could you have stopped him?"
Chen Qingyan's chest heaved with anger, his eyes glaring at Wang Ying.
"Don't get angry with me. I'm just telling you in advance what will happen in the future."
"What good is knowing? I am already on my deathbed."
Wang Ying got angry when she saw his half-dead appearance. "Why do you have to act like this? So what if you failed the imperial examination? If you fail once, take it again. I've seen people take the exam until they're fifty or sixty years old before they pass."
"You don't understand at all! Do you think I didn't want to take the exam?! If it were just one failure, I wouldn't be in this situation!" Chen Qingyan suddenly slumped onto the pillow as if deflated. "I can't take the imperial examination anymore, I can never take it again..."
As she spoke, she choked up, her sobs gradually growing louder until she finally burst into tears, as if trying to vent her grievances and anger.
Afraid that he would faint, Wang Ying quickly reached out to support him, leaning him against her shoulder and patting his back to help him catch his breath.
"Take a deep breath and cry slowly!"
Chen Qingyan cried for almost fifteen minutes before she gradually calmed down. She reached out and pushed Wang Ying away, then lay back down on the bed, lifeless.
"What do you mean by saying you can't take the imperial examinations anymore?"
"It's none of your business."
"Tell me, we've been husband and wife for a while now. If you die, you'll still need me to burn paper money for you."
"Shameless..."
"Yes, yes, I'm shameless. If you don't want me to be your wife, let's call each other brothers. I'm a little older than you, so you can call me Big Brother."
Chen Qingyan looked at Wang Ying with a strange gaze. How could there be such a young man? It was something he had never heard of or seen before. Could it be that all young men in the countryside were so bold?
He had never told his family about not being able to take the imperial examinations, and it had been a source of deep anxiety for him. Now, for some reason, he suddenly felt the urge to confide in them, but just as he opened his mouth, there was a knock on the door.
"Knock knock knock, young master, what happened?" It turned out that Uncle Chen heard crying from inside the house and rushed over to ask.
Wang Ying quickly replied, "It's alright, it's alright, Uncle Chen, you should go to sleep early."
After everyone left, Chen Qingyan refused to say anything more. No matter how Wang Ying threatened or coaxed him, he remained defiant, pretending to be dead with his eyes closed.
"Fine, if you don't want to talk about it, I won't ask anymore. I know you're hiding something. It's better to live than to die. If you die, your mother will be the most heartbroken. If she can't think straight and takes you with her, then all the family business will be handed over to someone else."
"Besides, it's not a big deal if you can't participate in the imperial examinations. You have hands and feet, you can read and write, and you can do other things too."
Chen Qingyan looked at him in surprise, "Do something else?" Since he started learning at the age of six, he had regarded taking the imperial examination as the only goal in his life and had never thought that he could do anything else.
“For example, farming. Your family has hundreds of acres of fertile land, right? It takes skill to farm it well.”
"The tenants will take care of farming; why should I do it myself?"
"It's different when others plant seeds than when you plant them yourself. Don't you feel a great sense of accomplishment watching the seeds you planted take root and sprout in the soil, grow green leaves and flowers, and finally bear fruit?"
Chen Qingyan shook his head.
"Hey, you wouldn't understand even if I told you. Going into business or learning a few skills is a good option."
“Those are all lowly professions, how could I do such things?”
Wang Ying was deeply hurt by his feudalistic ideas.
"There is no inherent hierarchy among professions; it is merely people's subjective perception that assigns them such distinctions. You must understand that the wealthy merchants of the South are so rich that they rival the wealth of a nation, and even high-ranking officials treat them with deference. As for artisans, the imperial court also has a Ministry of Works, whose head holds a second-rank position, on par with the other six ministries. How can one say that their profession is lowly?"
Chen Qingyan was stunned by his words, finding it hard to believe that they came from a young man in a village.
How do you know about these things?
Wang Ying stammered, "There's a private school in our village. I used to eavesdrop on the teacher when I went up the mountain to collect firewood. Not only did I hear these things, but I also learned quite a few characters..."
Chen Qingyan had no doubts, after all, it was hard to imagine how he knew about the outside world except for this explanation.
After all, this dynasty was characterized by limited information access and inconvenient transportation, and ordinary people would basically never leave the place where they lived for their entire lives.
Seeing his thoughtful expression, Wang Ying knew he had taken her words to heart, so she got up, picked up her bedding, and prepared to continue sleeping on the floor.
"You... why don't you sleep on the bed? The floor is cold..." Originally, he planned to have the servants clean up the west wing for him to stay in, but he was drowsy for half the day and the house was in a mess, so he didn't have time to make arrangements.
"It's alright, I can sleep like this." Wang Ying was still worried about the experimental field and didn't dare to move the place easily, since she didn't know if that thing was triggered at a fixed location.
After blowing out the candles, the two lay down, each lost in their own thoughts. After an incense stick's time, Wang Ying saw a flash of white light again, and a drop of water suddenly landed on her face.
He opened his eyes and found himself back in the experimental field, only this time with dark clouds overhead and rain falling!
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