Chapter 4. The one holding Shanhe was none other than Liang Ye! ...
Liang Shao stared at Shanhe's fair and delicate skin, and almost unconsciously picked up the calligraphy brush lying to the side, suddenly feeling an urge to write his name all over her body. Shanhe slapped him away, shouting sharply, "What are you doing!"
As if his soul had suddenly returned to his body, Liang Shao seemed to have just come to his senses. He dropped the sheep's hair brush and pulled Shanhe into his arms.
Shanhe knew he was getting a little emotional again, so she softened her tone and asked gently, "What's wrong?"
Liang Shao pouted: "It's comfortable to hold."
Even now, they're still being stubborn.
After embracing each other naked for a while, Liang Shao suddenly said, "Let's go."
"Huh? Where are we going?" Shanhe didn't understand what was wrong with him again. Before she could react, she suddenly felt dizzy and was lifted into the air. Liang Shao's arms were like iron hoops around her waist and back, and he walked straight towards the carved door.
Shanhe was so frightened she almost cried out, "What are you doing! The maids are still outside!"
Liang Shao said, "They're all asleep." Although he said that, he still took the official robe he had worn during the day and draped it over Shanhe, saying, "Wrap yourself up."
No matter how much Shanhe refused, he still carried her through the corridor and straight to the study. Pushing open the door, the fragrance of pine and ink wafted out.
Liang Shao sat down in the armchair behind the desk, turned Shanhe over so that she was sitting with her back to him and facing the desk. He opened the brocade box containing the land deeds and field deeds, took out a thick stack of documents, and placed them on the table: "Give them all to Shanshan to manage."
When Shanhe suddenly saw so many land deeds, her heart was captivated. She stared tremblingly at the deeds, noting the size and location of each plot of land, and clicked her tongue in amazement. "It seems I'd better treat Liang Shao well," Shanhe thought, "so I can get a couple more land deeds and make life easier for myself later."
Before she could finish her thought, she heard a soft voice behind her: "Shanshan, straighten up."
Before she could react, a sudden force gripped her waist, causing her to dangle in mid-air for a moment like a fish out of water, before abruptly falling back down. Shanhe gasped, curling her toes: "How come again…?"
Liang Shao released his grip and pressed himself against Shan He's back. The land deeds, worth a fortune, were now pressed beneath Shan He, leaving deep and shallow sweat stains. Liang Shao chuckled softly, then stood up and gripped Shan He's waist, applying pressure from both sides.
Her chest was cool, but her back was hot; Shanhe shivered between the ice and fire. Only after all the sails had passed did she lie down among the scattered contracts, breathing rapidly, her hair disheveled and hairpins askew.
When Liang Shao pulled her up, several land deeds were stuck to her chest and abdomen, making the two of them burst into laughter. Liang Shao peeled them off one by one: "Ugh, what a spineless bastard! After only a short while, she's already willingly followed Shan Shan. Luckily, I'm a well-known philanthropist in the surrounding area. I'll go to the government office tomorrow to get the documents changed to Shan Shan's name, and that will satisfy these bastards' wishes."
Shanhe smiled weakly, pointed to another stack of neatly folded land deeds in the brocade box, and asked, "Is this also yours? So many?"
Liang Shao glanced at it casually: "It belongs to my elder brother." He explained: "After my elder brother went to the capital to prepare for the exam, his study was empty. He was afraid that the things inside would be taken by unscrupulous people, so he locked them all here with me."
"It looks like it has at least as much as yours."
“That’s for sure.” Liang Shao raised his eyebrows and said, “My eldest brother is the eldest grandson of the eldest branch of the family, and he will be a high-ranking official in the future, so naturally he should be well rewarded.”
Upon hearing this, Shanhe couldn't help but think of her own background, and she lowered her eyes without asking any further questions.
Meanwhile, Liang Ye's study had been empty for several months. Although servants occasionally swept and cleaned it, they dared not touch the writing implements. Therefore, tonight, after Liang Ye finished serving the old master his medicine and returned to his room to prepare ink for studying, he discovered that the Duan inkstone on the table had long since cracked in two.
Unable to find a new inkstone, he hesitated for a moment before remembering that Liang Shao had a new inkstone in his study, so he headed straight for Shuyu Pavilion. On the way, his heart pounded, wondering if he would run into Shanhe, and if so, what he should say.
The Shuyu Pavilion was completely silent. The lights in all the rooms were off, except for a small, warm yellow light coming from the main room, indicating that everyone was asleep.
Liang Ye felt a void in his heart and lowered his eyes as he stepped onto the stone steps leading to the study. He had only taken one step when he suddenly heard heavy breathing and soft moans from inside. Liang Ye froze, followed by Liang Shao's hoarse, incoherent calls of "Shanshan," growing increasingly urgent before abruptly stopping, leaving only two long, overlapping sighs. After a while, teasing remarks like "It's all wet" and "The carpet is dirty" came from Liang Shao. Liang Ye blushed deeply, clutching the hem of his clothes, but his feet wouldn't move. The upright and courteous Liang Ye, known as a gentleman of integrity, stood in the shadows of the corridor, listening intently to the sounds from inside. He was a man of utmost self-discipline and self-restraint, but at this moment, he had cast aside all pretense of propriety and shame, his mind filled only with:
Didn't we already sign the divorce papers? Aren't we sleeping in separate beds every night?
There was another rustling sound inside, seemingly coming towards the door. Liang Ye was startled and immediately found a corner to stand in, hiding half of his body behind the swaying shadows of the trees. A dozen or so steps away, the study door opened from the inside, and Liang Shao, completely naked, carried Shan He out. Shan He's hair was disheveled, and she was wearing Liang Shao's official robe, which trailed on the ground. She lay on top of Liang Shao, her face listlessly resting on his shoulder. As they walked, Shan He's two feet, hooked around Liang Shao's waist, dangled in the air, the tips of her embroidered shoes bouncing.
Shanhe glanced up and saw Liang Ye standing behind the tree, looking radiant and upright in the moonlight. Her beautiful eyes widened, and she gasped. Liang Shao, not knowing what was wrong, stopped and looked down at her, asking, "What's wrong?"
Shanhe shook her head hurriedly: "It's nothing. I...you...I'm going to slide down."
Liang Shao curled his lips, grabbed Shanhe's buttocks and lifted her up: "Hook your feet properly."
Shanhe was still stunned, staring at Liang Ye. Their eyes met, and Shanhe felt incredibly ashamed and indignant. But Liang Shao, that rascal, was completely oblivious, and at that moment, he stopped and stole another kiss on her cheek. Shanhe pinched the back of his neck, truly annoyed: "Are you leaving or not?!"
Liang Shao was confused. Seeing Shanhe puffed up in anger, he assumed she was embarrassed. He wanted to kiss her again, but was afraid she would really get angry, so he carried Shanhe back to the main house.
The moonlight shone like a ribbon. Behind the shadows of the trees, Liang Ye stood with his fists clenched, his knuckles cracking. His usually gentle and warm eyes were now filled with a fierce glint. It was all because he had failed to discipline Liang Shao in the past, allowing him to act so recklessly now. Having signed the divorce papers, he should have treated him with respect and kindness. How could he possibly live up to Shan He's expectations and his grandfather's earnest entrustment? The more Liang Ye thought about it, the more he felt he had spoiled Liang Shao too much in the past, which had fostered his current domineering and exploitative nature.
That night, Liang Ye ultimately failed to finish his reading. The sage's scroll lay spread on the table, densely covered with his own numerous red annotations. The crooked, red and black ink, like ants, crawled from the pages onto his hands, then covered his entire body. In the blink of an eye, the writing disappeared, and Shan He, draped in an official robe, lay nestled in someone's arms on the book. The person holding Shan He turned their head, startling Liang Ye so much that he dropped his writing brush to the ground.
The one holding Shanhe was none other than himself!
The next morning, Liang Ye, Liang Shao, and Xue Shanhe gathered at Old Master Liang's Shouxi Hall to pay their respects. Because everyone was present, Old Master Liang was all smiles, talked more, and ate more porridge. Shanhe sat on the edge of the bed, feeding the old master spoonful by spoonful, while Liang Ye and Liang Shao sat below, both watching Shanhe with their own thoughts.
Because he had been beaten yesterday, Liang Shao was very obedient and asked Shan He to give him the porridge bowl so that he could feed his grandfather.
Shanhe was replaced by him and sat in his seat, directly facing Liang Ye. Their eyes met, and Shanhe quickly looked away, feeling her heart pounding like a drum. She lowered her head, her fingertips twisting the fabric on her knees incessantly.
Liang Ye's expression remained unchanged, and he smiled as usual, saying, "Ah Shao is naughty, and these days it's all thanks to Shan He taking care of Grandfather."
“No,” Shanhe’s voice was barely audible, “it was all what I should do.”
Upon hearing this, Old Master Liang began to speak at length about Shanhe's virtues. He first praised her for being filial and diligent, serving him medicine every day without disliking him, an old man. Then he slowly spoke of Liang Ye and Liang Shao's deceased parents, saying with a touch of melancholy, "If they were still here, the house would be more lively."
Liang Ye agreed. He knew how good Shanhe was.
The first time I saw her, she was dressed simply, with only a silver hairpin in her hair. She sat obediently beside Liang Shao. Although she had the most gentle and graceful appearance, her eyes and brows showed a firmness. During the meal, she peeled shrimp and crabs herself and invited Old Master Liang to eat first, doing a better job than he and his two grandsons, Liang Shao.
Later, I saw her mostly in the Shouxi Hall. She served the old master his medicine every day, never complaining of the bitterness. The old master was getting on in years, and the room was filled with the unique smell of old age, which even the incense couldn't dissipate. Liang Shao grumbled about it, but Shanhe didn't care, paying her respects every day without fail. Last Mid-Autumn Festival, the old master drank too much wine, and the next day his stomach upset caused him to vomit all his lunch. Before a rinsing bowl could be served, Shanhe caught it with both hands. At that moment, Liang Ye stood trembling behind her, realizing that in terms of filial piety, he could never do what Shanhe did.
Later, with the old master's permission, Shanhe began to prepare an extra portion of the soup and stew for Liangye, to help alleviate the fatigue of studying for the exams. Whenever Shanhe brought the soup to the study, she would stare blankly at his writing, sometimes even discerning which sentences were well-written and which were slightly inferior. Liangye then realized that she had once been educated and practiced calligraphy. During those days, studying was tedious and boring, and Liangye's greatest anticipation each day was for Shanhe to stand on the veranda with a food box, smiling and calling out, "Big Brother."
It was probably because of all the good things about Shanhe that Liang Ye had accumulated in his heart that when he accidentally discovered the divorce agreement that Liang Shao had hidden in the land deed that night, his first reaction was not to be angry, but to let out a long sigh.
Xue Shanhe cannot be considered A Shao's wife.
very nice.
That night, the seedling in his heart sprouted.
Liang Ye left after lunch. Liang Shao specially asked the government office for leave, carefully checked his luggage, and then personally sealed the carriage. At three-quarters past Shen time, Liang Shao and Shanhe saw Liang Ye off to the long pavilion. Before leaving, Liang Ye called Liang Shao aside and whispered many instructions, mainly asking him to take good care of the family and visit his grandfather more often, to which Liang Shao agreed.
When it was time to leave, Liang Ye sighed, "Shanhe is a good girl, you should treat her well."
Liang Shao was stunned for a moment, then stiffened his neck and said, "When have I ever treated her badly?" But he felt very guilty inside.
After Liang Ye left, Liang Shao had to rush back to the yamen. He originally intended to send Shanhe home first, but Shanhe said, "I've never really strolled around the streets of Mizhou before. I've finally managed to get out today, so I'll wander around a bit before going back." Liang Shao thought this made sense, so he left his servant to accompany Shanhe and whipped his horse to ride back to the yamen.
Meanwhile, Shanhe sat inside the carriage, which meandered from the outskirts of the city towards the city center. She took out a scroll from a hidden compartment in the carriage; it was one she had painted before. Because yesterday's painting had been soiled, this was the only one she had on hand.
Shanhe instructed people to stop the carriage in front of Danxia Painting Studio, and then entered the studio alone, carrying the painting scroll.
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