Zhan Chun - Chapter 2
His brow furrowed even deeper: "What nonsense are you spouting? Are you going to tell me or not?"
Yi Chun had no choice but to say seriously, "Alright, Yun Qing. I like you. What do you think of me? Let's go and plead with Master and ask him to make the decision, okay?"
His expression turned strange, as if he had seen a group of pigs suddenly fly into the sky. He muttered, "Ge Yichun, what did you just say? Say it again?"
Yichun's face was flushed, even more beautiful than the peach blossoms.
"I said, I like you, and I want to marry you. Do you like it?"
He remained silent for a long, long time, with only the sound of raindrops hitting the umbrella. The longer Yichun waited, the more chaotic her heartbeat felt, just like that sound.
He suddenly revealed an angry expression of being insulted or mocked, his eyebrows raised: "Have you had enough? Can't you behave yourself? Was I born to be played with by you?"
Yichun's eyes widened in surprise: "When did I tease you? I'm being serious."
He disgustedly flicked his sleeves, brushing the water off his clothes, and said coldly, "Have you ever been serious? Fine, let's say you really are. You like me and want to marry me. What do you think you are? Do you even deserve me to marry you? You should use that time to go back and look in the mirror!"
He turned and walked away. Yichun quickly chased after him, saying, "Hey, I really was being serious! Why are you getting angry with me? Is Wenjing really better than me?"
He turned around and said only one sentence: "She's better than you in every way. What do you mean you like me? Who do you think you are!"
The purple bamboo umbrella fell to the ground, and Yichun stood blankly in the peach grove for a long time.
She's always been slow to understand, and she's still not quite sure what kind of treatment she's received.
Looking back on the eight years I spent with him, the long stretch of time unfolds slowly in my mind like flowing water.
She was only six years old when she met him. Because her parents were servants at Jianlan Manor, she was convinced that she would become a maid in the future. She would carry a rag around and wipe and wash things every day as a form of practice.
In some ways, Yichun is a very serious and responsible good kid.
Later, she met Mo Yunqing by the river. Taking advantage of his status as the master, he cursed and beat her, demanding that she play with his wooden sword. Yichun became impatient with his pestering, snatched the wooden sword, and slapped it on his face, leaving him bedridden for three days.
Who would have thought that this beating would change her life forever? The owner of the manor came looking for her that very night. Her parents thought he was there to interrogate her, so they tied Yichun up and left her outside the door, leaving her to be dealt with as he saw fit.
The owner of the manor did not hit her; instead, he patted her head and praised her as a good child, and then untied the rope.
Her father leaned out of the window, his voice trembling with tears: "Master, this child has offended the master, it's a terrible crime... You can punish us however you like, we will never utter a sound!"
The owner of the manor then laughed and said, "I see that this child has extraordinary talent and is a good candidate for martial arts. Why don't you make him my apprentice?"
After saying that, he lowered his head and asked Yichun, "How about it? Do you want to learn martial arts from your master? In the future, I will pass on the Zhanchun Sword to you."
The Zhan Chun Sword is incomparably sharp and has a cold, gleaming light. It is a famous weapon in the martial arts world and a symbol of Jianlan Manor.
Yichun thought that the sword was very sharp; it would be extremely convenient to use for cutting vegetables and melons. So she happily agreed.
She became a disciple of Jianlan Manor without even realizing it.
I heard that the martial arts of Jianlan Manor are only passed down to blood relatives, and only to men, not women. But her master insisted on changing the old rules, under the pretext of not being able to stay in seclusion, and recruited four or five children to teach martial arts, regardless of gender.
Of course, Yichun didn't care about any of this. All she knew was that her identity had changed. She was no longer a maid but her master's apprentice, and she had to practice martial arts diligently from now on, so as not to be ashamed.
From then on, he followed his master and practiced martial arts every day on the One Inch Golden Platform covered with camellias.
Including her and Mo Yunqing, their master had a total of six disciples. The eldest was eighteen years old and was constantly scolded by their master for being lazy, lustful, and forgetting his roots. Later, when Yichun was eight years old, the eldest brother disappeared. It was said that he had abducted a girl from a family at the foot of the manor and eloped. She didn't know if he had been caught.
Later, when Yichun turned eleven, her second senior brother eloped with her third senior sister. Before leaving, the two left a letter, cursing their master for being strict and cruel, and inhuman. Enraged, he tore up the letter on the spot and sent people down the mountain to capture them, but in the end, nothing came of it.
When Yichun was thirteen years old, his fourth senior brother stole the Zhanchun Sword and tried to go down the mountain. When he was discovered, his master cut off his arm and expelled him from the sect. He was never seen again.
From then on, Yichun rarely saw his master smile. He always pursed his lips and frowned. When instructing them on swordsmanship, he would often be lost in thought for a moment, his mind wandering somewhere else.
Of the six disciples, only his son and one female disciple remained. Occasionally, when the master was drunk, he would sigh, "I made many mistakes in choosing disciples, but I also made the right choice with one. Yichun, you must work hard and not disappoint your master." Then he would pat her head.
Because her master was exceptionally strict, Mo Yunqing couldn't stand it. She would often hide in the peach grove behind the mountain and cry, or argue with Yi Chun in person.
She learned everything quickly and well, leaving him far behind. For a servant to surpass her master was naturally a big deal. Mo Yunqing disliked her intensely and often cursed her to her face: "Tomboy! You're dirtier than a pig in a sty! Don't come near me!"
Yichun then looked down at her sweaty clothes and messy hair, feeling that everything was fine and there was nothing wrong with her, and couldn't figure out what he was angry about.
The younger sister, Erniu, was precocious despite her young age. Hearing her talk about these things, she winked and said, "Sister, I heard that men only bully the women they like. Young Master Yunqing likes you, right?"
She thought about it carefully, and it really was true. When her senior brother and the others were around before, Mo Yunqing never picked a fight with them.
Oh, child, if you like someone, just say it! What's there to be shy about? He's so handsome; all the peach blossoms in the back hills combined can't compare to his smile. Of course, she'd love to be with him.
From then on, the way she looked at Mo Yunqing inevitably carried a hint of something...
Once, he overheard his master talking to him in private. His master said, "You always pick on Yichun. I know you don't like her because I've always spoiled her, and you're unhappy about it. If you're really unwilling, I'll send her away too, and the Zhanchun Sword of the manor will be yours alone from now on. What do you say?"
Mo Yunqing said anxiously, "You've driven away so many people, and now you want to drive her away too? Do you want me to suffocate alone in the manor? I can't even find anyone to talk to!"
Yichun was deeply moved upon hearing this; it was clear that he did have feelings for her.
She decided that she would agree to go down the mountain with him and treat him better in the future.
Half a month later, the master brought back two disciples from the foot of the mountain, a boy and a girl.
The boy's name is Yang Shen, he is one month younger than Yi Chun, and he is fourteen years old this year.
The woman's name is Wenjing, she is one year younger than Yichun, and she is thirteen years old this year.
Everything changed after Wenjing arrived.
She was like a magnificent rainbow that suddenly appeared in the sky, gracefully descending into Jianlan Manor.
Yichun had to admit that she had never seen such a beautiful young girl before; she truly lived up to her name, being gentle and quiet.