Chapter 19 He might as well just call himself Lang.
"Well, you old bastard, how dare you treat me like this! You've had a three-year-old bastard child for the past year!"
"Silly Flower, don't scold Gou'er. He's the son I raised for ten months. At my age, who in the village doesn't have sons and daughters? You're not well, so there's nothing I can do!"
"I can't get pregnant because of you! And now you're looking down on me? I'm divorcing you and finding a better man!"
Upon hearing this, the man jumped up and down, his previous gentle expression vanishing. "You've divorced me! How am I supposed to face the Chamber of Commerce? We've been husband and wife for over twenty years! Are you really going to be so heartless?"
Aunt Zhang wouldn't budge and insisted on divorcing him.
The man made a threatening statement:
"I am the husband, you are the wife. I married you, you have no right to divorce me! You don't even have the right to a divorce! Even if you go to the officials in the county town, it won't do you any good!"
Aunt Zhang never expected that the man who always dared not go west would treat her like this. She was furious and went up to him to fight.
This time the blow was much heavier than the last. The man was beaten black and blue, but perhaps feeling guilty, he didn't fight back.
Finally, Aunt Zhang's hands were red from hitting the glass, her eyes were swollen and bulging, and she dragged her tired body back into the house.
Jiang Shuifu felt her heart sink as she watched this scene. It turned out that the affection between husband and wife after so many years was so shallow. The man had found a mistress and had a child with her during their marriage, and the woman couldn't even get a divorce.
She finally realized that not all couples in the world are as loving and harmonious as parents. There are examples right before her eyes of couples who have been together for many years but have ended up parting ways and hurling insults at each other.
What about her and Shen Jizhao? What was the outcome?
Shen Jizhao casually mentioned something unrelated: "Didn't you want to go to the Obon Festival? We'll go to the city to celebrate on the day."
She smiled at him, but the smile didn't reach her eyes.
He watched the whole thing without the slightest change in expression. Yes, he was the biggest source of the prohibition against divorce and the prohibition against divorce.
Let alone other people's marital affairs, even between them, he wouldn't say much, because for them, marriage or divorce was entirely up to him.
In the following days, noises of fighting often came from the courtyard. Shen Jizhao didn't want to hear it, so he closed the door and returned to his desk to continue sketching.
There was also a buck-toothed rabbit standing on his desk. The rabbit was so ugly, with its teeth bared and mouth agape. It was quite amusing. He glanced at the woman who was absentmindedly embroidering.
This woman, what does it matter to her what other people are arguing? It's been two hours and she still looks listless.
He couldn't stand it anymore, so he pulled her to the desk:
Can you draw?
Jiang Shuifu stared at him blankly.
Okay, he understands, she won't.
It was only then that he realized what he had drawn: an ugly, toothless buck-toothed rabbit.
He took a deep breath and handed her the pen:
“Draw it according to this, and I will help you with the coloring.”
Jiang Shuifu laughed out loud. The buck-toothed rabbit he hadn't finished drawing was so ugly; it couldn't compare to the one she had made up at all.
From a young age, she was an unconventional young lady from a prominent family. She was proficient in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, but only in books. She had read books and was somewhat literate.
She held the pen and tried to copy the cat and tiger carefully, but her hand was always unsteady, trembling here and there. Before long, her sleeve was stained with ink.
Shen Jizhao couldn't bear to look at how his Crown Princess had grown up.
He took the pen from her hand and guided her in drawing. She looked up at him and suddenly felt that he was like a pillar of strength.
He was steady and skillful, and the painting was completed very quickly.
This was the first painting she had ever done, and she thought she had done it very well, hoping to receive praise: "Husband, is it beautiful?"
He almost blurted out, "Ugly."
With her watery eyes pleading pitifully, she asked him, "Then, my husband, can you teach me?"
He gave him a cold look: "Didn't I teach you once? Don't be too greedy."
Jiang Shuifu nodded. That's how he is. He only speaks once, saves people only once, and under normal circumstances, he only shares a room with someone on their wedding day.
He simply called himself Lang.
*
Time flies. The seedlings in the soil have already grown vines and need trellises for them to climb and grow. Jiang Shuifu has no experience and is small in stature, so she makes the wooden trellises crooked and crooked.
Shen Jizhao, who was standing nearby, was struggling with a chicken.
Since he started making money selling things, he has become less and less concerned about feeding the chickens. He often only feeds them once a day, and he leaves after digging with a hoe, without even loosening the soil.
Therefore, the chicken protested, flapping its wings and pecking at him with its feathers. How could he let the livestock touch him even a little bit? He grabbed a hoe and chased them away.
Finally, the chicken had no choice but to surrender and go find food on its own.
Jiang Shuifu, who was building the wooden frame, witnessed this comical scene and was both amused and exasperated.
"Husband, please feed it well. We've raised it for so long, and it always comes to the door to greet us when we come back from our trip."
As she spoke, the wooden frame she was holding suddenly tilted forward and pressed down on her. Her body leaned back for a split second, but Shen Jizhao immediately caught her, stuffed some loose silver into her hand, and told her to stop.
"It's hungry. Are you hungry too? If you want some fruits and vegetables, just go buy some."
Jiang Shuifu was unhappy. How could that be the same? They planted it with their own hands; it represented their shared experiences and memories.
Shen Jizhao sneered: "I don't want to relive this experience a second time."
Jiang Shuifu ignored him and continued to walk, ignoring his indifference.
These past few days, Aunt Zhang has been unusually quiet, not making a fuss at all, and hasn't even left the house. Fearing she might starve to death, I carefully knocked on her door before going in.
I thought Aunt Zhang would be listless or even in tears, but to my surprise, she was eating a big meal of fish and meat, gnawing on a bone, her mouth covered in grease, and she called out to Jiang Shuifu:
"Young lady, come and eat with me. This was all sent to me by that old bastard."
Jiang Shuifu was incredulous; the old woman looked nothing like she had a few days ago.
Aunt Zhang noticed her surprise and explained it to her directly:
"Young lady, you're still young. You don't understand that at my age, only I am the most important person. My husband and I have been married for decades, but it still can't compare to the beautiful women outside. That's just how the world is. So, let him find a concubine if he wants. I won't stop him!"
But isn't the old lady making a fuss about divorcing her husband?
The old woman smiled:
“I was just pretending. I knew he was having an affair a long time ago, and I was sad for a while. But now that he's become rich, I have to take a little bit of his money. Making a scene with him is just to let him know that I'm not someone to mess with, and to dispel his idea of divorcing me, his wife who has been through so much. After making a scene, I pretend to be sad for a few days, and that's when our marital bond comes in handy. We'll both back down.”
Jiang Shuifu was stunned. Were they husband and wife or rivals?
“I am still his wife, and he promised to give me a good life. I am very happy. I used to always put men first and revolve my life around him, which even hurt my body. Life is too long. In the end, I forgot to love myself. I won’t be that stupid again!”
Despite the sweltering summer heat, Jiang Shuifu felt a chill; the old woman's words still echoed in her ears:
"That's how couples are in this world. It's not terrible to have a shallow bond; what's terrible is not being able to let go and thinking that things will get better. Little do they know that they are torturing themselves every day. The most important thing in life is to be content."
She stared intently at Shen Jizhao, her eyes gleaming with a deep, unfathomable light, and upon closer inspection, a faint hint of fear could be seen within them.
Shen Jizhao tapped on the dining table.
"Hurry up and eat! What are you looking at me for? You're not even enjoying your meal?"
Jiang Shuifu didn't know how she felt. She wanted to grow fruits and vegetables, but he disagreed. However, various fruits and vegetables appeared on the table, which he had bought for her.
Does this mean he cares about her more than before?
She dared not draw any conclusions; she had never been able to fathom his thoughts.
She didn't want to guess anymore, and her body instantly relaxed. She suddenly realized that only one thing mattered: the word "happy" he said.
"My husband, we must be happy together! We both want that!"
*
"My lord, the Obon Festival in the city is just as lively as in the capital!"
Jiang Shuifu ran ahead, and Shen Jizhao walked behind.
His leg injury has almost healed, and he no longer needs crutches. He has returned to his former noble demeanor, walking with his hands behind his back.
The streets were packed with people; everyone had come to the city for the festival, and laughter filled the air. Suddenly, she saw a man and woman holding hands releasing river lanterns in the distance.
She wanted to go too: "Husband, shall we release river lanterns together?"
When I turned around, he was gone.
Her eyes kept searching for him.
"Husband? Husband?"
Jiang Shuifu ran back to look for him, searching all the places she had been, but still couldn't find him.
A mist rose in her eyes. The city was not like the countryside. What if someone came after him again? He had only just recovered from his injuries; how could he possibly fight back?
She continued running forward, but her wrist was suddenly grabbed, and she was spun around into his arms. He managed to restrain her in time.
Why are you crying?
Jiang Shuifu stopped and stared at him for two seconds before sniffing blankly: "I thought you were being chased."
She touched her face and corrected herself, "I didn't cry."
Unbeknownst to her, her misty haze had gradually gathered, transforming into a single, crystal-clear teardrop, quietly hanging at the corner of her eye, like a beauty mark.
A beauty mark under the eye is always alluring.
Shen Jizhao stared at her, his eyes dark, and took out something from his hand and gave it to her: "Weren't you going to release a river lantern?"
His crown princess loved to cry. Only the weak cry, and he didn't like that. But today, her single tear seemed to flow through his blood and reach the very edge of his heart.
He suddenly realized that she was beautiful when she cried, but of course, she was even more foolish.
He's being chased, why is she crying? And she still goes to find him, ha!
He didn't let go of her wrist, and pulled her all the way to the riverbank, where there were many lit river lanterns.
He tried to light the lanterns like the people around him, but he had no experience. He accidentally burned his hand and burned the lanterns. He tried to light them for a long time, but he couldn't get one to work.
Jiang Shuifu wasn't in a good mood. When she turned to look at him, he casually snatched someone else's money. The person was about to get angry when he received the money and immediately put on a smiling face.
"Husband, have you already lit the river lanterns?"
Shen Jizhao nodded, as if seeking credit: "Easy."
Jiang Shuifu responded with an "oh":
“I’d like to order it with my husband.”
Shen Jizhao: "...It's not impossible."
Jiang Shuifu was delighted. She asked him to peel open the lotus flower to reveal the candle in the center. With her delicate hands, as if picking a lotus seedpod, she gently touched it and succeeded.
Shen Jizhao discovered that his Crown Princess wasn't incapable of doing anything wrong; she could cook, embroider, make him a walking stick, and buy him an inkstone...
The lotus lantern shimmered in her hands, her eyes were slightly moist, and she gazed at the sky as if recalling something:
"Today is the Ghost Festival. We light river lanterns to pay homage to our loved ones in heaven. Mother, can you see them? Don't worry, your daughter is married now. These river lanterns were lit by my husband and me for you."
"And your daughter will be happy, so you should be smiling in heaven too!"
Her mother wanted her to smile and be happy, but sometimes she forgot.
Her mother in heaven must be angry with her. She will definitely live each day well from now on.
Shen Jizhao felt that something about her was different, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He took her hand, and the two of them, holding the river lantern, released it into the river.
"Our river lantern will surely drift the farthest and bring the most blessings."
Since she wanted to be happy, she tried to discuss it with him for the first time:
“My mother passed away when I was little, and I have slept alone since I was a child. My father, a grown man, did not know how to take care of me, so he sent me to my maternal grandparents’ house. My maternal grandparents’ family doted on me. I had everything I wanted. My personality was shaped by being loved. Husband, can you please stop saying that I am unruly? I have really studied hard and I have learned very well.”
Her eyes were sincere yet flickered with a dim light; she was telling him about her unhappiness.
Shen Jizhao was unaware that she held a grudge over those words, because he had grown up in a world of rules and regulations, and naturally treated everyone the same way. But his Crown Princess felt wronged, and after a few moments of silence, he nodded: "Mm."
He will be more tolerant of her. Since they are already married and this cannot be changed, he will try to treat her as his wife.
He suddenly blurted out, "Were you looking at the stars in the haystack last time?"
Jiang Shuifu asked in confusion, "There are no stars in the afternoon."
Shen Jizhao led her through the bustling crowd. "We have it now."
Jiang Shuifu showed her most genuine smile in recent days. Watching the stars with Shen Jizhao was truly a romantic thing.
"Is my husband good to me? The stars you showed me, I could look at them all night! I don't know the stars, so my husband will explain all the stars in the sky to me!"
Shen Jizhao froze instantly, his pupils reflecting a servile figure.
"Your Highness, your subordinate has come to fetch you."
It's Jinqing.
A note from the author:
----------------------
Prepayment
A confident, adorable, and stunningly beautiful woman meets a cold-hearted, ruthless, and heartless man.
Everyone says that Qiao Yinyao can use witchcraft to bewitch the handsome and virtuous Fu Zhou, making him so infatuated that a skinny girl like her could actually marry the prince.
Qiao Yinyao was very satisfied with her fiancé. He was handsome, had a pleasant voice, and treated her well. Everyone else said that he was just pretending and wouldn't really like her.
She shook her head, disbelieving; she only believed his words.
She had been looking forward to a happy wedding, but what awaited her was a scene of corpses strewn across the land, filled with wails and cries of blood.
Clad in a jet-black robe trimmed with gold, he stood high above, the howling wind whipping the sharp edges of the garments into a menacing grimace. He listened calmly to the threatening words:
"Your woman, or your throne, which do you want?"
Qiao Yinyao wasn't flustered at all, even though there was a bloody mark on her neck, because he would save her.
Fu Zhoujing picked up the bow and arrow, slowly drew it back, and hit the target with a single shot. His cold laughter rang out.
"I don't want any of them!"
Only then did she realize that he had only used her as a shield, a way to die in his place.
-
Fu Zhoujing had a handsome face, but a cruel and ruthless nature. He was ambitious and unscrupulous, climbing to the top by stepping on his own brothers.
He met a woman by chance who was perfect as his bargaining chip.
He doted on her and loved her.
Once the deed was done, she was no longer of any use, and he stopped pretending.
"If you obey, I will give you a place to stay."
But it's just a title; child, she doesn't deserve it.
Qiao Yinyao recognized his face and, under his mocking and disdainful gaze, turned and threw herself into Fu Youyin's arms.
This was the first time in Fu Youyin's life that he had met such a foolish woman, and he disregarded her girlish thoughts.
But unexpectedly, she turned out to be his sister-in-law.
He got interested; he was about to start snatching it!
Fu Zhoujing, having achieved his goal, firmly secured his position as crown prince, but his heart was filled with extreme turmoil. She was actually going to remarry! And to his younger brother no less!
On their wedding day, he, dressed in red, lifted her veil:
"I told you I would give you a home, you can't refuse!"
Qiao Yinyao slapped him twice hard, "Get out of here!"
Consumption Guide:
* Warning: Brothers vying for supremacy.
The second male lead has a lot of screen time and is a yandere (obsessive/obsessive) character.
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