Marry a Northern Song Dynasty civil servant

Chapter 52

Unmoved: "It's so dark and remote, who would pass by? I don't care. I've been traveling for half a year, and after putting on airs for one day, I haven't even eaten enough tonight. I'm too weak to walk anymore!"

Song Xiaohua became more and more pitiful as she spoke, and finally she simply squatted on the ground and acted like a brat: "You heartless, filthy scoundrel!"

Lu Ziqi was at his wit's end, so he had no choice but to squat down as well: "What are you talking about?"

"Your thoughts are so filthy, what else could you be but a scoundrel? You'd rather watch me work myself to death than carry me, what else could you be but heartless? God, how miserable my life is, how did I end up marrying such a heartless man!~"

"…………"

If someone were to pass by now and witness this scene, they would surely think they'd seen a ghost or been possessed. The usually dashing, upright, and self-possessed Second Master was now squatting by the roadside without a care for his image, while the legendary Second Madam, supposedly dignified and elegant enough to rival any noblewoman, was now wailing like a village woman, tears streaming down her face. These two monkey-like creatures could absolutely not be the Second Master and Second Madam, and unable to bear such a jarring experience, they gouged out their own eyes…

Lu Ziqi was defeated by Song Xiaohua's shameless and unreasonable behavior.

Anyway, Nianyuan Garden is in sight, and there's a bamboo grove just ahead. Most of the servants are busy cleaning up the mess from the evening banquet, so we shouldn't encounter any unwanted people on this short journey. So… I'll go along with her this time!

This girl is truly his nemesis...

Seeing that he had no choice but to turn around and face away from her, Song Xiaohua immediately smiled and climbed up on all fours.

On a midsummer night, the heat still lingers. Bodies, worn from a long day, smell slightly of sweat, which mingles with the fragrance of sachets, flowers, and bamboo in the air, creating a mesmerizing and enchanting atmosphere.

His back was as broad and strong as a mountain, capable of bearing heavy burdens and also of carrying the love she poured out.

She is petite and graceful, able to withstand both storms and his gentle affection.

"Holly, did I do well today?"

"Good. Better than I expected."

Am I smart or not?

"Intelligent, more intelligent than I expected."

"Tch, everything's unexpected. What, do you actually think I'm a complete idiot?"

"I don't know if I'm dumber than a pig, but I do know that I'll soon be heavier than a pig."

"...Dare to call me fat, I'll bite you to death!"

"Hey~ you actually bit me? So you're not a pig after all, you're actually a little dog?"

"...Then I'll show you what it means to be worse than a pig or a dog!"

Laughter and chatter filled the bamboo grove, startling countless birds that roosted there.

During her six-month trip, in addition to broadening her horizons and appreciating the beautiful scenery, Song Xiaohua also gained a very important achievement: she learned how to get along and interact with the wives of officials, noblewomen, and young ladies from wealthy families.

Wherever they went, Lu Ziqi would tell her in a letter beforehand about the families of the local officials, which ones came from prestigious families and which ones came from ordinary people, which ones had good family upbringing and whose behavior was worth studying and learning from, and which ones were cunning and mean or had a hidden sharp tongue but were not to be imitated but could be observed carefully.

Then, ask the local officials to let her family accompany Song Xiaohua on a sightseeing trip or to host a banquet for her to stay for a few days.

It was precisely because of Lu Ziqi's painstaking arrangements that Song Xiaohua was able to handle the situation with ease today, leaving no room for criticism and preventing others from looking down on her.

After a while of playing around, Song Xiaohua got a little tired and obediently nestled on that reassuring shoulder, inhaling that familiar scent: "Dongqing, don't you think we've been too high-profile? We've made such a commotion as soon as we entered the manor. Won't that make people envious and jealous?"

Lu Ziqi carried that soft, boneless body slowly, and smiled gently upon hearing this: "I returned this time with the intention of making great strides, whether in the court or at home. Just remember one thing: from now on, your principle in dealing with people here is to be assertive rather than humble! Yaoyao, with me here, I will never let you suffer the slightest harm, but you yourself must also learn how to protect yourself, and never give those with ulterior motives an opportunity to take advantage of you! Do you understand?"

"Understood~ In short, I won't offend others unless they offend me, and if they do, I will retaliate until they dare not offend me again. I, Song Xiaohua, am neither a pushover nor a saint. I believe in revenge!

Lu Ziqi stopped, turned his head slightly, and said in a deep voice, "No, what you need to do is not give anyone the opportunity to hurt you."

"Okay, okay, we're going to nip all the conspiracies, schemes, and dirty tricks in the bud, right?"

Song Xiaohua gently pecked his cheek: "You just go ahead and do what you need to do. I'll take care of everything at home."

Lu Ziqi's smile lines gradually widened as he nodded, his voice as clear as bamboo: "Okay."

The author has something to say: "Be neither humble nor arrogant" was a motto given by Premier Zhou to a certain incredibly capable underground party member who was serving in the high ranks of the Nationalist army. I have plagiarized it; my apologies...

By the way, I want to pay my utmost respect to the great Premier Zhou Enlai, my eternal idol!

Chapter Fifty-Five: Reunion of People and the Moon

It wasn't until they were almost out of the bamboo forest and near the gate of Nianyuan Garden that Song Xiaohua finally had enough of this "Pigsy Carrying His Bride" drama.

Lu Ziqi half-squatted down to let her down, but she became playful again and hung there swinging around like a wild monkey. Just then, they heard a door open, and a huge black shadow rushed out and pounced. Startled, Lu Ziqi's heart skipped a beat and his legs went weak. He and Song Xiaohua, who was hanging on him, fell flat on their backs. Song Wuque, who was following closely behind and hadn't had time to brake, rolled around in a heap on the grass by the bamboo forest.

And so, in this glamorous way, the matriarch of the household, Song Xiaohua, met her servants...

After the maids, servants, and old women, who had finally recovered somewhat from their extreme shock, hurriedly helped the two up, Song Xiaohua managed to force herself to remain calm, brushing the bits of grass off her clothes, removing a bamboo leaf from her head, and then waving and saying in a perfunctory manner, "Hello everyone, thank you for your hard work!" Lu Ziqi, on the other hand, could only lower his head and glare at the culprit, Song Wuque, who was squatting nonchalantly to the side, before finally giving in. He couldn't help but lament in his heart that the image and authority he had painstakingly cultivated for over twenty years had been completely destroyed in an instant…

However, this incident also shows that the people in Nianyuan are all mature and prudent. They quickly adjusted their emotions and began to act as if nothing had happened. They lined up in two rows according to the rules to welcome the mistress into the garden, and then gathered in the main hall to pay their respects one by one.

Song Xiaohua was already dizzy from seeing all sorts of people all day, and she really didn't have the energy to get to know them all right now. Anyway, they were all from her own garden, and there would be plenty of time later. So, she just smiled and nodded at most of them, exchanged a few perfunctory words, and then ignored them.

Besides the three people, there was Xiaoyan, who was terrified by Song Wuque during the day; Yourong, a young servant in blue robes who was waiting at the city gate as a guide; and Tingxian, a girl who was about sixteen or seventeen years old, whose appearance was not outstanding but whose temperament was very gentle and calm.

Xiaoyan and Tingxian are the head maids in this 'Nianyuan', while Yourong is Lu Ziqi's servant.

Seeing that Song Xiaohua was truly exhausted, Lu Ziqi dismissed the servants and sent two head maids to scent the bed.

After everyone had left, You Rong lingered and approached Lu Ziqi, saying, "Second Master, I'm so sorry, I opened the door. But that big dog was scratching at the door, and I didn't dare not open it for it..."

Thinking back to the embarrassing moment before, Lu Ziqi felt frustrated and angrily raised his hand to give him a hard knock on the head: "Look at your pathetic self, you can't even handle a mere dog!"

You Rong grimaced and rubbed his forehead, retreated to the door, and said, "Like master, like servant!" before disappearing in a flash.

Seeing Lu Ziqi's discomfitured expression, Song Xiaohua couldn't help but chuckle in a low voice, "It's common knowledge that our Second Master is afraid of dogs!"

"This brat is getting bolder and more unruly. Looks like we need to teach him a lesson!"

"Isn't he the little page you mentioned in your letter? You can't bear to part with him!"

Years ago, Lu Ziqi, heartbroken and disillusioned, left home, destroying the indentures of all his former servants and paying them off. Only one person refused to leave, insisting on staying in the Lu family to wait for his return—You Rong, who had been his page since the age of five. Seeing his commendable loyalty, Lu Tuo, moved by compassion, took him in.

Upon hearing that Lu Ziqi had returned home, You Rong rushed to his former master without saying a word, infuriating Old Master Lu. He cursed that he had fed and cared for this brat for three years, and that if he had known this would happen, he should have kicked him out of the house back then, regardless of whether he hanged himself or banged his head against the wall and died however he wanted.

You Rong's indenture had been cancelled, making him a free man, but he was willing to work as a servant so he could continue to serve his former employer. Lu Ziqi, who had known him for over a decade and admired his reliability and honesty, allowed him to accompany him in and out of the government office, while also keeping an eye out for a better future for him.

Song Xiaohua's deep impression of You Rong wasn't entirely due to his loyalty, but rather because of his name—

Tolerance is greatness, and greatness lies in tolerance. (The last part, "乳...大...", is a separate, unrelated phrase and doesn't translate directly.)

I just took a closer look. He's about seventeen or eighteen years old, with delicate features and a clever look. He still has a bit of childishness left. His build is also just starting out. He's tall and thin, like a bean sprout. He probably doesn't even have a pectoral muscle. That area is really not big at all...

However, could it be that, like Lu Ziqi, he is actually quite well-endowed, but his clothes just conceal it?

Under Song Xiaohua's distorted gaze, Lu Ziqi felt a chill run down his spine. He coughed lightly and stood up: "It's getting late. You should rest early after your bath!"

"Take a bath?" Song Xiaohua's eyes darted around a couple of times before she got up as well. "You go first, I'm hungry, I'll get something to eat first."

"Alright, tell the servants what you'd like to eat."

"Alright, that's enough, just go, go!"

Song Xiaohua pushed Lu Ziqi towards the door, but stopped abruptly when they were almost there. She turned to face him and said in a serious tone, "Dongqing, don't you think I've changed in some way?"

The abrupt question startled Lu Ziqi, who hesitated for a moment before tentatively replying, "You've become...prettier?"

He nodded seriously: "Specifically?"

"Hmm... your skin is even whiter."

Is there any more?

"Hmm...my hair is darker and longer."

"Just these two?"

"Well... in terms of temperament, I am more dignified and generous."

"continue."

"This one...is more gentle and virtuous in temperament."

That's all?

Lu Ziqi racked his brains for a while, and could only beg for mercy with a bitter face: "Yaoyao, I've already said things against my conscience, isn't that enough?"

"…………"

Song Xiaohua huffed and puffed, striking a classic teapot pose with her hands on her hips: "You don't care about me at all, no wonder the clothes you bought for me don't fit!"

"No, it fits perfectly!" Lu Ziqi carefully examined the floor-length purple gauze dress he had specially prepared for her. "This was custom-made for you by the best tailor in the capital, according to my specifications. Ling'er is still growing, and I was able to prepare a well-fitting dress for him based on your description in your letter. Besides, you haven't changed much since we parted..."

"No change?!" Song Xiaohua poked his shoulder fiercely: "You wait, I'll show you whether there's any change or not in a moment!"