TBTTSP - Chapter 15
Chapter 15: Xu Wanqing Tells a Story (5)
You toss me a quince, I give you fine jade. Not as repayment—
Xu Wanqing could not continue this line of thought.
From her perspective, the overnight disappearance of the kite she had made with her own hands was truly strange. If it wasn't Shang Yi who came in the afternoon, then it must have been Zhang Xu who took it.
Zhang Xu was careless and wouldn't think to check every corner of the house. She didn't even know how many books she owned, let alone think to look carefully beside a dusty cabinet.
Xu Wanqing's suspicion fell upon Shang Yi.
If it was Shang Yi, she had likely already seen the words expressing her feelings.
She breathed a sigh of relief, as if a great weight had been lifted. Only a lingering wish remained—the desire to fly the kite with her own hands. But now, it seemed that would be impossible.
Shang Yi had shown her such concern, had been so considerate of her feelings, and had even gifted her a book. She had no way to repay this kindness.
If she were to list Shang Yi's good qualities, Xu Wanqing knew she couldn't. She remembered every single thing, every incident. Many moments, even a single glance or a simple phrase, coalesced into a burning fire of gratitude.
The little maidservant had just come in from outside. Finding it too hot, she brought in some sour plum soup and then refused to go out again.
The weather was growing warmer. Xu Wanqing knew it herself; the study offered no escape from the heat. She put down her brush and only then realized her back was drenched in sweat.
She wiped the sweat with a handkerchief, then picked up the copy of The Golden Lotus she had just finished transcribing and read it over again. Forgetting the stuffiness of the room, she would laugh out loud with delight whenever she came to a part she found clever, causing the little maid to simply fan herself with her hand and stare at her blankly.
At dinner that evening, her mother placed a slice of green bamboo shoot in her bowl. With a warmth she couldn't quite suppress beneath a casual demeanor, she announced a happy occasion: "Squire Wang from the west side of the city is looking to remarry. He's made inquiries about you, saying you are exceptionally beautiful, well-read and sensible, and young. He's interested—"
She raised her eyes slightly. "Wanqing does not wish to marry."
Her mother was slightly taken aback. She paused what she was about to say, rolling her tongue in her mouth before continuing in a tone that brooked no argument: "It's set for the twenty-fifth of this month. Since this is your second marriage, it can't be a public affair. It won't be a grand celebration. You should start preparing your things and take those useless books of yours with you. Squire Wang comes from a wealthy household, not like Scholar Wang. Many other unmarried maidens would beg for such an opportunity, yet you dare to be picky. You stay at home reading day and night, ruining your virtue. Which of the neighbors doesn't know you were divorced? They wait every day for you to step outside just to laugh at you. It's one thing if you don't go out, but when we do, we're red-faced with shame…"
"I will do as Mother wishes." She cut off the rest of her mother's words softly and promptly. The remainder of the meal was eaten in silence. Afterward, her mother added the final lock to the matter: "Your father and brothers have already agreed."
"I understand."
The little maidservant, unaware of her thoughts, said slowly, "Are we moving again?"
"You'll only suffer if you follow me. Wouldn't it be better to stay here at home?" Xu Wanqing offered the child a smile and gently pinched the little maid's cheek.
"Will you suffer if you get married, Miss? But every girl has to get married. Does that mean they all suffer?"
Children speak without inhibition. She smiled but did not answer.
The Golden Lotus was pressed to the bottom of the chest. Such a shocking work must never see the light of day. On top of it, she placed proper books like the Four Books, and on top of those, Admonitions for Women. The chest was packed to look perfectly obedient.
As she packed her things, the little maidservant bustled about by her side.
"You shouldn't follow me."
"I will follow you, Miss!"
Still, Xu Wanqing went to her mother and asked for an old servant woman to be sent with her instead. She expected to be mistreated in the large household and thought it would be inappropriate to bring a young child with her.
She was too frail and scholarly to protect her.
Before the wedding day, the old servant woman examined her pair of feet and made her a new pair of shoes, adorned with two pairs of red butterflies, giving them a festive air.
Her mother was very pleased. She liked having an old servant like this to constantly teach Xu Wanqing the rules of propriety, lest she bring shame upon their family.
A small sedan chair carried her out. At night, she entered Squire Wang's home through a side gate.
The Squire was tall and his clothes were clean. When he saw her, he first tilted his head to size her up, then dismissed the servants.
She was secretly afraid.
When she married Scholar Wang, he had not been gentle with her. Her mother had taught her early on what to expect, but she had never imagined such humiliation and shame. It seemed the Scholar had been so forceful only for the sake of the "maiden's blood," but in her view, the crimson spots were likely just from being injured.
She sat primly on the edge of the bed, a man standing before her.
The red candles flickered and swayed. She twisted her handkerchief so tightly it became damp with sweat.
"What sort of books do you read?"
"I don't read much… I only know a few characters…" She thought of Dream of the Red Chamber and suddenly understood Lin Daiyu's situation.
"You say that too?"
The Squire was middle-aged, with some white at his temples and laugh lines at the corners of his eyes. He didn't look hateful. But he was so much taller than her, and so stout, he was twice her size.
He seemed disappointed. "You should rest," he said softly. "I'll come see you again tomorrow."
Hearing the door close, she tiptoed over and lifted a layer of the curtain to peek. The man had indeed left.
Was the man testing her to see if she read books?
She didn't want to reveal her true abilities.
The next day, she would go to the future world. Her mind was in turmoil, and she didn't sleep for half the night.
When she woke up, she looked at the calendar. It was a school day.
Because she was constantly worried about what the Squire would think of her sleeping so soundly, she spent the entire morning anxious and distracted. Even the boy in the seat behind her noticed something was wrong. He pulled her hair and said, "Zhang Xu, what's wrong with you?"
"Nothing."
Her desk mate, Li Zhaodi, seemed to want to motivate her with academics again. Whenever the teacher called on someone, she would insist on pulling her up to answer together. But with her mind in a daze, she didn't know the answers, which earned her many scoldings that morning.
She endured until the afternoon. When she returned, Squire Wang was sitting by the bed. A cold sweat broke out on her skin, and she sat up. "…Squire… Husband."
"You're quite the heavy sleeper. You probably didn't sleep well yesterday, did you?"
She couldn't claim she hadn't slept well every day. Recalling the precedent set with Scholar Wang, she said with difficulty, "I have a strange illness. Every other day, I fall into a deep sleep and cannot wake until noon."
"Oh? Have you had a physician look at it?"
"They only said my qi and blood are deficient, but they don't know the root cause of the illness."
"I'll invite a master physician another day. It's nothing to worry about. Since that's the case, just rest well. Is everything else all right?"
"Very well."
"Right. All of you, leave us." The Squire dismissed the crowd of servants and took out a stack of draft manuscripts himself.
It was as if a basin of cold water had been poured over her head. In her panic, Xu Wanqing actually reached out to snatch them, but the Squire was tall and strong. He simply raised his arm, and she couldn't reach.
"See? I guessed correctly. This is indeed your handwriting. I never expected you to have such vision. The ending for Ximen Qing has a deeper meaning. I truly underestimated you."
Xu Wanqing stood frozen on the spot, unable to say a word.
"How about this? I'll take it to a printing house to have it published. Everyone loves reading novels these days. With the money we earn, we'll split it seventy-thirty. You take the larger share. What do you say?"
"This really isn't my…"
"Don't be so modest."
"The author of this book is someone else! I received it in a dream!"
In her desperation, she fabricated a story about a prophetic dream, claiming that Lanling Xiaoxiaosheng was some deity who guided her in her sleep. She added that there were several other deities, each with their own divine powers, and that it was absolutely not something she could have written herself.
"You can't write?" The Squire seemed to believe her and was exceptionally disappointed.
She nodded.
"I know you're wary of me. We can talk about this again in the future. We'll publish the book under the name Lanling Xiaoxiaosheng, and the money will still be split seventy-thirty. I didn't marry you for your looks. I just despise uneducated women; their faces are detestable. To me, since most women are more or less the same, I might as well find one who is pleasing to the eye. I don't hate you, nor do I have any intention of loving you, but since we'll be spending a long time together, we should at least be friends."
The man left.
A cold sweat soaked her entire body. Xu Wanqing got off the bed, feeling that this matter was complicated, a great many worries weighing on her heart.
She had to tell Shang Yi.
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