Chapter 60: Revelation

Translated by Pill Bug

Edited by Gumihou

 

Fu Qiuning stepped forward and saw the painful marks on the back of that master’s neck. She could not help her exclamation of surprise. “Goodness, this bug is not small. It must be a mature one to have stung such a large area.”

When she applied the ointment, Jin Fengju was the one who exclaimed in surprise at the cool and refreshing feeling, “What is this ointment? Did you prepare it yourself?

Fu Qiuning laughed, “Do you see me as omnipotent? This ointment was something the old ancestor gave me. She was worried about the many insects that might be hidden inside Night Breeze Pavilion, and especially gave this and some other medicines to me. Unexpectedly, you are the first beneficiary.”

While still speaking, she continued to apply the ointment evenly to the stung area. Finally, she straightened up and said, “I shall be going outside now. Lord Husband may take off your clothes and see if there are any more insects hidden within the folds. Be attentive and do not let them sting you again.”

“No need.” Jin Fengju also straightened up and sat down on the kang bed, “If there were any more bugs, would they wait until now to sting me? I would have been stung until I have no intact skin left.” He raised his head and looked through the window. The twins and Jin Ming had collected all the jujubes in a large basket. Suddenly, he asked, “What were you doing outside just now? How did you know I have been stung by these things?”

“If you had not personally suffered, would you have been so cautious? Indeed, you were paranoid to the point of making sure to kill all the fallen caterpillars before allowing Feng’er and Jiao’er to pick up the jujubes. People are often wise after eating a loss.” As she placed the ointment into the drawer, Fu Qiuning continued, “I planned to fetch some jujubes and steam a pot to eat. I had completely forgotten about it after tending to your matter.”

“Jujubes can be steamed?” Jin Fengju was immediately curious.

Fu Qiuning laughed, “But of course. Surely Lord Husband has eaten steamed jujube buns and New Year cakes stuffed with jujubes? Are they not delicious?”

Jin Fengju said, “Of course, they are good, but they are usually dried and stuffed in a bun before they are steamed. Are you saying these half-red, half-green jujubes could be just as delicious when steamed?”

“When they are done, won’t Lord Husband know when you try it? As the saying goes, ‘though ten thousand changes pass, it still retains its root’. It doesn’t matter if they are green jujubes or dried jujubes, they will always taste like jujubes. Surely it is not possible for them to taste like stinky tofu after they are steamed?” Fu Qiuning finished with a smile before turning around and making her way toward the garden.

There was no special meaning behind her smile. She was mostly amused by how such a brilliant Young Marquis could be so dumb at times.

Unexpectedly, the Young Marquis was the one left dumbfounded by her brief, amused glance. Stunned, he sat in place for a long time in his chair. After some time, the corners of his lips curved up in a smile and he said to himself, “For someone who strived to appear ordinary, her eyes could be so vivid, ah. In fact, one could even call it flirtatious?”

 

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During lunchtime, a plate of steamed jujubes appeared on the table. Curious, Jin Fengju picked one up and ate it. When the steamed fruit entered his mouth, it felt sweet and as tender as cotton. Although it was not as unctuous and sweet as the ones in steamed buns, it had its own pure fragrance. He had always liked jujubes and could not help eating more. The more he ate, the better he became at peeling the steamed jujubes skin. Gradually, he only had to pinch the jujube a little and a large piece of skin would be taken off.

Jin Changfeng and Jin Changjiao displayed the terrible side of genetics as they too showed similar interest in the jujubes. In short, because Jin Fengju loved jujubes, the twins ended up loving this fruit too. For a while, their chopsticks fell like rain upon the plate of jujubes. Fu Qiuning had not even touched one yet, but the plate was already empty.

“Is there any more? Bring more out,” Jin Fengju actually raised the empty plate and shook it at Aunt Yu, who was just standing behind Fu Qiuning.

Fu Qiuning snatched the plate away and set it aside with a huff, “These are not something that could be easily digested. From the way you three eat, you will give yourself belly aches.” She turned to Aunt Yu and said, “Bring out the digestive soup that I had made earlier for Lord Husband, Feng’er and Jiao’er.” She smiled at Jin Fengju and said, “I don’t usually let the children have that many either. Unexpectedly, your presence made me break the dinner table rules.”

After drinking the soup, Jin Fengju leaned back on the quilt at the head of the kang bed like an old master. Fu Qiuning looked at his lazy appearance and couldn’t help but laugh, “What’s this? Am I right to say that you plan to take a nap at my place?”

“If you had not said it, I would never have noticed. However, now that you’ve mentioned it, I do feel a little sleepy,” Jin Fengju stretched out the kang bed, grabbed a pillow and opened his arms welcomingly at Jin Changfeng and Jin Changjiao. “Come, my son, my daughter, let father hug you to sleep.”

“You may sleep on your own if you like. They still have to practice the qin,” Fu Qiuning said indifferently as she led the children out by the hand. Jin Fengju had laid out quietly on the bed, spread out like a beauty in a painting for a moment before he realised that Fu Qiuning had really left with the children.

Suddenly, he sat up and hollered, “Practice the qin? I’m about to take a nap and you want the children to practice the qin now?! Are you trying to stop me from sleeping? Fu Qiuning, qin practices are not allowed, you hear me?”

His answer was the sound of plucked strings drifting leisurely from the study not far away. Jin Fengju sat in place and gnashed his teeth as he glared in the direction of the study. A long time later, with nothing but the unceasing sound of qin practice around him, he fell backwards and covered his ears with his hands. He muttered, “This is wrong, this is wrong, I should never have made that vow back then. That is not my woman, therefore, she is not easy to deal with, ah. Cousin sister and those concubines, have any of them dared to treat me like this? Humph, try to stop me from sleeping? That just makes me want to sleep more. You just watch.” With that, he held his breath [1] and eventually, did, in fact, fall asleep.

He slept for nearly two hours. When he finally woke up, the house was deathly quiet, missing even the sound of birds chirping. As for Jin Ming, he had no idea where that servant had gone.

“That disgraceful thing, don’t tell me he had hidden somewhere to laze around?” Jin Fengju stretched and rolled on the bed a little more. That earth made kang bed was even more comfortable than the custom-ordered Chinese Rosewood bed he had imported from Suzhou.

He got up, tidied his clothes, put on his shoes and walked out. The entire courtyard was silent. He pushed aside the bamboo curtains and headed for the backyard. The greenery there was lush and beautiful, but there was no one around. Soon, however, he heard the sound of laughter coming from the kitchen.

“Is it time to make dinner?” Puzzled, Jin Fengju approached the kitchen and saw that the entire floor, wide though it was, was covered with jujubes. Jin Ming was also there, busily packing jujubes into various bamboo or willow wicker baskets together with Aunt Yu and the others. As far as he could tell, they were picking out the twigs and dead leaves from the pile.

“So this is where you all are. Yi? Where’s Qiuning?” Jin Fengju stepped into the kitchen. Jin Changjiao immediately picked out two large, red jujubes and handed them to him, sweetly saying, “Father, you can have these now.”

“Mm, my good child.” Jin Fengju stroked his daughter’s head and took a bite. Indeed, they were very sweet.

“Madam is in the study.” Aunt Yu replied with a smile. Jin Fengju nodded, turned around and headed for the study.

When he stepped into the study, he noticed Fu Qiuning busily writing something on paper. Curiosity rose in his heart and he thought: Could it be possible that Qiuning is also practising her large words?

Quietly, he went over to take a look. The paper was dense with small words. From what he could read, the last few lines were: [2]

“Zhongqing [3]: 

A deserted and silent place, a past once filled with affection.

Recall the past, a couple as sweet as honey.

Recall the past, a couple as sticky as paste.

A sudden thunderbolt breaks a clear sky, 

A sudden animosity struck from nowhere.

A lamentable old mother bitter with opposition,

A lamentable couple’s bitter sobs.

A divorce letter, a sign of eternal goodbye,

Two lines of hot tears split the guts.

The waning dusk makes it hard to search for people,

The waning dusk falls upon empty ruins.

Lanzhi, you wove five pieces of cloth in three days, O the cloth!

Lanzhi is gone, do you know?

She and I were born on the same pillow, we will die in the same pit.

Why did you, you of a thousand silks and ten thousand threads,

Ten thousand threads and a thousand silks

Unable to tie Lanzhi to me, ah?

I shall renew my oath to Lanzhi,

Though our bodies may separate our hearts will never part.

I hear talk that her brother and mother are hurrying her to remarry.

I heard her leaning against the door, hoping for my visit.

Today is the day of her bigamy, it is I who have wronged my virtuous wife

Today is the day, when peacocks fly southeast, after death the peacocks shall rest together!

 

 

 [Gumihou: Er, I wonder what is going through JFJ’s mind when he read this super tragic opera]

 

 Pill Bug TL Notes:

 

[1] I don’t know about you, but personally, I can’t sleep if I’m choking for breath!

 

[2] The following excerpt is from the Yue Opera derivative of <<Southeast Fly The Peacocks>> <孔雀东南飞>, you can see it here if interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tB-U01hoA18

The poem cadence has many parts in 7 words, and it’s hard to convey the same artistical meaning in 7 English syllables too.

http://people.wku.edu/haiwang.yuan/China/tales/kongquedongnanfei.htm

 

[3] This guy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wei_Qing, a Chinese general of the Western Han dynasty, the dynasty before the Three Kingdoms era of ancient China.

 

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