Chapter 049
Author: Feast of Masks
Raws: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=3185016
Translated by Pill Bug
Edited by Gumihou
Early the next morning, the Zhao couple prepared to set off, with Zhao Jinrui accompanying them.
The Zhao family was wealthy enough to own a cart, though it was merely a slow and bumpy ox cart, fit only for carrying goods. Zhao Jinrui was visibly unhappy as he bumped along the road, irritated by the rough ride.
By the time the rattling cart reached Yuqing Village, the scowl on Zhao Jinrui’s face made it look like someone owed him dozens of taels of silver.
Old Zhao was seated in her room when she heard that her elder brother and his wife had arrived. She instinctively got off the kang bed in a rush to greet her elders when she stopped herself and sat back down. She also pulled Xue Cui’e back, stopping the girl from bouncing out to greet them.
“You are a maiden in your own home, be more reserved. Go to the inner room. Mother will talk to them.”
Before long, the men of the Xue family returned, except for Xue Qinghuai, who was still conducting business outside. That day also happened to be Xue Tingxiang’s rest day, which meant Zhao’er was at home.
Early that morning, Xue Tingxiang had dug out the <<Three Character Classic>> which he had personally copied out, intending to teach Zhao’er to read.
Zhao’er was seated across the square table on the kang bed, looking very solemn and studious with her back upright and her hands behind her back. She was clearly imitating the little pupils on their first days of elementary schooling.
Xue Tingxiang was a little surprised by Zhao’er’s earnest pose before realising the truth. Well, while it was amusing to see her assume that this was how studying was done, it was not a bad thing. Instead of correcting her, he decided to assume the position of a stern schoolteacher and got off the kang in search of a thin bamboo stick. All the while snickering inwardly at her serious pose.
At the sight of the bamboo stick, Zhao’er immediately thought of the ruler that was used as a punishment tool at the private schools. She knew that those who did not study well would be beaten.
Quite a few students were beaten at Xue Qingshan’s school. Moreover, those students had no way to seek justice since it was believed that the teachers were beating the students ‘for their own good’.
“Are you really thinking of hitting me?” she asked, her voice full of uncertainty.
Xue Tingxiang gave her a stern look, “Those who make mistakes will be punished. Those who do not pay proper attention to their studies will be punished as well. Therefore, you must study hard and avoid mistakes.”
From the way he stood and spoke, if he had a beard on him, he would look every bit like the village tutor. Zhao’er, who held scholars in great reverence, immediately gave up any thought of taking this lightly and became more serious.
“This is the best way to enter into your studies. You should know that you are a student and that I am your teacher. In short, you are a student of ours,” said Xue Tingxiang in a pretentious manner. He continued, “Reading and studying is not merely the act of recognising words. One must also understand their meaning. Thus, I shall now begin by educating you on the <<Standards for Being a Good Student and Child>>.”
He retrieved the old copy of <<Standards for Being a Good Student and Child>> he had memorised. It was the same text that was used to test him and Xue Juncai in that fateful competition to prove who was the better scholar. He spread the piece of paper out in front of Zhao’er, thinking: I should copy out a new version of <<Standards for Being a Good Student and Child>> for Zhao’er to use.
“I will read one line out loud, you read after me. Do not just memorise my words. You must also learn to match the characters with it.” After a pause, he began to recite the lines in that exaggerated, rhythmic manner that was used to teach small children.
“Standards for Being a Good Student and Child, teachings of the sages. First, respect your siblings. Next, be prudent and trustworthy, care for all, and keep close to virtuous friends. With spare time, study literature. [1] This is the general precept. Now, let’s begin the first chapter: Filial Piety.”
Since Zhao’er could not read, Xue Tingxiang used the bamboo stick to point out every word he sounded, showing her what each word looked like. Once she had learned to differentiate the words, they could truly get started on their lessons.
Thus, when the Zhao family arrived, Xue Tingxiang was in the middle of teaching Zhao’er to read.
When Zhao’er heard noises coming from outside, she craned her neck to try and look out the window. Who would have thought that Xue Tingxiang would tap her back with the bamboo stick?
“When studying, one must focus wholeheartedly. One’s mind is not allowed to wander.”
It was not a hard tap, yet the light reminder served its purpose. Zhao’er immediately sat back down, hands behind her, and continued reciting.
Yet, she still felt a bit aggrieved. To think that she, a mature young woman would be disciplined by her little man…
As though sensing her discontent, Xue Tingxiang looked at her calmly and said, “You must understand that I am now your teacher, and you a student. Status is not based on age but on one’s level of knowledge. Because your level of learning is not as high as mine, you should take my words as truth.”
“Oh.”
Meanwhile, Old Zhao had been pulling a sulky face this whole time. If Old Man Xue had not returned home in time, Zhao Wang and Hong’shi might have stormed back home in a huff.
Even though she was his own sister, Zhao Wang had to admit that his wife was right—this younger sister of his really was insufferable. As far as he could recall, his sister had not been like this before. Just when did she change?
Being far wiser than Old Zhao, Old Man Xue understood that their Xue girl would eventually have to leave their nest to become someone else’s daughter-in-law. Therefore, while he showed some displeasure, he did not make things too difficult for them. At least, not to the point where he offended others.
After a little more back-and-forth, the two families settled down enough to begin discussions on the wedding details for the young couple.
Zhao Jinrui felt stifled while inside the room. So, he let himself out into the courtyard. He was distracted by the sound of someone reciting <<Standards for Being a Good Student and Child>> from one of the rooms and thought that a child of the Xue family was just starting out in their studies. However, a moment later he frowned. Surely, that was a woman’s voice and not a child’s?
Curious, he walked over to investigate, but just as he reached the window where the sound was coming from, someone grabbed him from behind.
Turning around. It was Cui’e.
“Brother Jinrui, what are you standing here for?”
“I heard someone reading out loud…”
“Oh, that. That’s just Gouzi having nothing better to do than teaching Zhao’er to read. He clearly has too much time on his hands.” Then, Xue Cui’e’s tone changed, becoming indescribably tender and coy as she said, “Brother Jinrui. Do come with me, there’s something I want to tell you.”
“What are you doing? Stop pulling on me.”
“Aiya, come on now, just follow me.”
Inside, Zhao’er and Xue Tingxiang exchanged a look.
Those two, really! To think that they would actually talk about such shameful things right outside someone else’s window. Were they not afraid of being overheard?
Zhao’er practically hung out the window to see where the couple was going and saw them pulling and teasing each other as they walked off. In a flash, she rolled off the kang bed and was out the door before Xue Tingxiang could stop her.
Xue Cui’e led Zhao Jinrui to the vegetable garden behind the house.
The Xue family’s vegetable garden behind the main property was very large. There was a pigpen there, along with a chicken coop and woodshed, as well as two piles of straw and an outhouse.
Xue Cui’e must have known how inappropriate it would look if anyone were to see them together without anyone else around. So, she pulled Zhao Jinrui into the woodshed. It was the best place to hide away for a bit since hardly anyone ever went there. The wood for the kitchen fires was usually enough to last for several days.
Zhao Jinrui shook off her hand and brushed at his clothes. “Well? What is it that you want to tell me so badly? Enough to drag me over to a place like this?” he said as he looked around the woodshed with distaste.
This woodshed was an abandoned house which had been repurposed as a shed. The broken tiled roof had been replaced with thatch and the walls were made of mud. It was an oddly well-lighted woodshed with a proper door and windows. The only thing out of place were the piles of neatly stacked firewood.
Xue Cui’e, feeling a bit aggrieved, said, “Elder Brother Jinrui, after so long, don’t you miss me?”
Zhao Jinrui glanced at her, saying nothing. However, to Xue Cui’e, his silence meant acquiescence, and she leaned forward with a shy little blush, saying, “I missed you too.”
Zhao’er could not help the shiver that ran up her spine. She could not believe that Xue Cui’e actually spoke in that weird tone!
Just as she was about to leave, someone appeared behind her.
Startled, she looked back and saw that it was just Xue Tingxiang. However, her erratic movement had knocked a bamboo pole leaning against the corner of the house. The pole fell to the ground with a sharp clatter. Zhao Jinrui immediately looked over and called out, “Who’s there?”
Xue Cui’e listened carefully for a moment, then casually said, “No one’s there. It must have been some stray cat. Hardly anyone comes by this woodshed, maybe only once in ten days or half a month.”
Zhao Jinrui turned back to her, “So, what did you want to say? Say it quickly now, or I’m leaving.”
He was just turning to leave when Xue Cui’e hugged him from the back, her arms going around his waist.
“Elder Brother Jinrui, why so heartless? It’s been so long since our last meeting. Do you not miss me? Don’t you wish to speak with me? Don’t you know just how much I thought of you, day and night, and night and day… I wish to fly over and see you, but Mother would not let me. Come, feel this, Mother said that women do not start showing until five months later, but Brother Jinrui, I am carrying your child.”
As the saying goes, men’s thoughts are never on the same rails as women’s. How could Zhao Jinrui, a man in the prime of his youth, resist being pulled and hugged by Xue Cui’e like that? Especially since Xue Cui’e was quite pretty in her own way. The hand, which had been pressed against her stomach, slowly wandered upwards.
Zhao Jinrui pinched Xue Cui’e’s plump chest and said, “You little bitch, seducing me like this. You don’t miss me; you just miss my…”
“Elder Brother Jinrui, what are you saying?” Xue Cui’e blushed, lowering her flushed neck shyly.
“Saying? Well, why don’t you tell me? I’m saying this.”
As the couple exchanged coy talks, their hands roved all over each other and lips started smacking against skin.
Outside, Zhao’er’s eyes were opened so wide that they almost fell out of her head.
Tsk tsk, these two really have no shame. They are at someone else’s house, ah! Still, if they had not been so reckless, a certain someone’s belly would not have swelled before marriage.
She was so absorbed by the sight that she had completely forgotten that there was someone beside her.
Moreover, it was a male person.
The more Zhao’er watched, the more uneasy she felt. Why were they taking their clothes off now? As more of Xue Cui’e’s fair, ample chest was exposed, the more flustered she became, especially when Zhao Jinrui started biting and kissing the plump white chest…
Zhao’er’s cheeks burned, but she still wanted to watch-
“Cough…”
Zhao’er did not even flinch at the sound. It was only after Xue Tingxiang started tugging at her arm that she reacted.
“When did you get here?” she hissed at him.
Xue Tingxiang squinted at her and said, “I have been here since the beginning. Did you actually forget?”
“Oh, oh, oh, let’s go.”
“You don’t want to watch anymore?”
“What’s there to watch? It’s more entertaining to see Heizi go after one of his little bitches,” she said as she tugged Xue Tingxiang along.
She had just randomly said the first thing that popped into her head. Who knew that Xue Tingxiang would latch on to it so hard?
“You watched Heizi go after little bitches?”
Zhao’er nodded unconsciously, her attention mainly on getting away from the woodshed quickly. “You’ve never seen it? Our Heizi is a real rascal. I found him climbing on Cai Hua, Xue Qiang’s family dog, and refusing to get off.”
It wasn’t until she realised that Xue Tingxiang had stopped walking that Zhao’er realised that she was a grown woman and that it was probably not proper for her to say such things. Still, this was the countryside and people were not shy about such things. With so many animals running around the place, it was not rare to see a pair of dogs mating by the roadside. It was just something that they all grew up seeing.
Even so, while it was acceptable for animals to mate as they liked, wherever they liked, people could not do as they liked. Never mind the unmarried girls—unmarried men and young wives would often gather in small groups of three or five to make suggestive jokes and talk about those things.
Thanks to this kind of environment, rural youths and maidens knew about such things early on. Zhao’er knew of it too, but this was still her first time encountering such a situation in person.
When she recalled the scene from earlier, her cheeks reddened, and she averted her eyes. “Why is a child like you asking about this anyway?”
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, something felt amiss. That’s because she was the one being scolded earlier, but now… wait. Her mind became muddled as she tried to parse through the confusing relationship.
Just as she was about to say something, Xue Tingxiang cut in to say, “I am not a child anymore. We can get married next year and do what Zhao Jinrui is doing with Little Aunt.”
As she stared at her little man’s serious face, something exploded within Zhao’er’s mind.
[Gumihou: Hahahaha!!]
Pill Bug TL Notes:
[1] The original Chinese text comes in sets of three words, being quite smooth to read, if a bit hard to understand at a glance.弟子规，圣人训，首孝弟，次谨信，泛爱众，而亲仁，有余力，则学文
Gumihou: There is no real way to capture the compact rhythm of Chinese poems without losing a bunch of other things.
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