When I heard that they weren't beggars but had come to find me, I quickly put down my book and lifted the cotton curtain.
A woman walked in through the courtyard gate; she was unbelievably tall. Having grown accustomed to the petite and graceful women of the Jiangnan water towns over the past two months, seeing such a tall woman was quite an eye-opener; I had to look up to see her.
I smiled politely at her from a distance, "I am the owner of the museum, Shi Murong."
To make it easier to walk, I even changed my name, combining my father's and mother's surnames into one, which is quite easy to pronounce.
The woman was in her early twenties, with an ordinary appearance. She walked with a brisk and graceful gait, without the slightest hint of elegance.
She walked up to me, suddenly took out a handkerchief and covered her face, sobbing, "Master Shi, you must do me justice!"
I was taken aback. "Ma'am, what's wrong? Please tell me slowly. I really don't deserve to be called 'in charge'." This isn't a scene usually only seen in public halls, so why am I witnessing it here?
"Even an upright official finds it hard to settle family disputes. They don't get involved anyway."
My scalp tingled. "I... I don't care either." Even honest officials don't care about this, so why should I?
She wiped her face with a couple of breaths, took the handkerchief off, and glared at him, saying, "Didn't you open this martial arts school to stand up for women? Aren't I a weak woman?"
I glanced at her timidly, thinking to myself, you are indeed a woman, but you don't look weak at all. However, since she considered herself a weak woman and was in a sorrowful mood, I naturally couldn't say that she was tall and strong, so I could only say tactfully, "Ah, sister, you misunderstand. I was just trying to teach the girls some self-defense skills to deal with flower thieves, I shouldn't have mentioned anything about backing them up."
She widened her eyes and exclaimed, "My husband is a complete womanizer!"
I stared in surprise at the family of the flower thief, thinking unkindly that her family's flower thief really had poor taste; why didn't he pick the fresh flowers, but instead picked a large hemp stalk?
As I was wondering about this, the woman started sobbing again: "What's even more infuriating is that now he doesn't choose me, he only chooses other people."
I exclaimed in surprise, "This, this is terrible! If we get caught, we'll face legal trouble!"
She said with a bitter face, "Master Shi, that's why I came to find you."
"What use is it for you to come to me?" I don't care about catching thieves, especially flower thieves.
"I'll learn kung fu so I can discipline him when I get back."
"this……"
“He disliked me because I was too tall and not womanly enough. He beat and scolded me all day long and even planned to divorce me and remarry. I refused, so he went out to philander. Later, when he ran out of money, he became a womanizer. I must learn martial arts so I can go back and teach him a lesson.”
Such a scoundrel definitely needs to be taught a lesson. Looking at her tearful appearance, I felt sorry for her. So I said, "Sister, then come at dawn tomorrow."
“Master Shi, may I stay here? I have been kicked out of my home and have nowhere to go. I am very strong and can do hard work, chopping wood, carrying water, I can do everything.”
I hesitated. Was it really appropriate to leave a stranger in the house?
“Master, I know this request is abrupt and presumptuous. How about I stay under the eaves outside your building?”
My heart softened when I heard that; this woman was truly pitiful. How could I let her live under my roof? She wasn't some little sparrow.
I pointed to the west corner of the yard, "There's an empty room next to the woodshed, filled with some odds and ends. If you don't mind, you can stay there."
She was so happy she almost jumped for joy. "That's wonderful! I'm so grateful, how could I possibly complain!"
And so, another person joined my Rouge Martial Arts School. This lady, though tall and imposing, had an extremely gentle and soft name: Chen Gege. I read it once and felt my tongue go weak, but when I thought of her height, which was almost touching the door, I felt, alas, that the name was truly unsuitable.
She was indeed incredibly strong, hardworking, and brave.
Ever since she arrived, she's taken care of chopping wood and carrying water all by herself. Once, a thief had just climbed over the courtyard wall. Before Big Black and Little Black could even call out a few times, and before I could even get a chance to fight, I saw her rush up with her wood-chopping knife, the gleaming blade flashing wildly, making a lot of noise. The thief was so scared that he yelled and jumped over the wall to escape.
I secretly admired her courage, so I put extra effort into teaching her kung fu, often giving her extra lessons after class. Unfortunately, this Sister Chen was really not very bright; her slowness was exhausting. I taught her hand-in-hand, but she just couldn't learn. Half a month passed in the blink of an eye, and I started to worry. At this rate, I feared I would have to support her indefinitely, and she would never graduate.
I decided to talk to her and have a short meeting.
"Sister Chen," she said with a smile, "just call me Princess Chen."
"Chen Gege, it's like this. You've been here for half a month, but you haven't learned anything. I'm very sorry, I think maybe we're not meant to be. Why don't you find another master somewhere else?"
Chen Gege suddenly stood up, and I sat on the stool looking up at her. She was really tall.
She declared confidently, "I've made up my mind about Master Shi, and I'm not going anywhere else. I refuse to believe that if others can learn it, I can't. They can learn it in a month, and I can learn it in a year. At worst, I can learn it for ten years."
I felt a pang of pain in my teeth. You study for ten years, and I... wouldn't I have to support you for ten years? I rubbed my forehead, slowly stood up, and walked out of the house. Sigh, being a good person isn't something you can just do casually.
Sure enough, Chen Gege became even more diligent afterward, pestering me day and night to learn kung fu. I was almost overwhelmed by her persistence.
I plan to have another serious talk with her.
"Chen Gege, you've been here for two months now, haven't you?"
"Hmm. Two months and seven days."
"Actually, what I want to say is that God always gives people certain abilities and limitations when they are born. For example, I was born unable to cook. At least when I manage to cook the vegetables, they are always overcooked and tasteless." Next, what I want to say is that you were never born to learn martial arts, so you should just give up.
However, before I could even say that crucial sentence, Chen Gege patted her chest and said, "It's okay, I can cook. I'll take care of cooking tomorrow too."
I was speechless for a moment, then the meeting adjourned.
Starting the next day, Chen Gege also took care of all three meals a day. Aunt Liu was bored and embarrassed to accept her wages for nothing, so she asked me to let her quit.
I couldn't persuade her to stay, so I had to give Aunt Liu's wages to Chen Gege. She refused, saying that she had been eating and living there for free and wanted to repay me properly.
She kept her word, working so diligently it almost drove me crazy. I was lying on the soft couch reading, and within half an hour, she meticulously wiped my armrest three times with a cloth. I felt like she was about to rub the paint off the armrest. I felt bad, but I was too embarrassed to say anything, so I could only watch helplessly. Being diligent can't be wrong, right?
She noticed me staring at her, so she stopped and asked, "Why are you looking at my hands?"
I wasn't looking at her hands; I was looking at the paint she had trampled under her hands.
I coughed lightly and exclaimed, "Wow, your hands are so big!"
She looked at her own hand, then at mine, and suddenly grabbed my hand and placed it in hers.
Her hands were large and warm, and the moment they touched my skin, I felt a strange sensation. I froze, embarrassed, and pulled my hand away. What was she trying to do?
She stared blankly at my hands for a long time before finally humming, "Look at your hands, that's what you call a woman's hands. They're almost half the size of mine."
I could only comfort her, "You have big hands and are strong, that's good too."
She nodded, then leaned down next to me and vigorously wiped the armrest. I couldn't concentrate on my book anymore; out of sight, out of mind, I decided to lie down on the bed and read instead.
Unexpectedly, she followed me to the bedside and started wiping the headboard of my bed, wiping it vigorously and back and forth.
I'm speechless... I think we'll need to find a painter soon.
Her diligence left me feeling helpless. Watching her busy herself without asking for wages, I felt like a tyrant exploiting people, and I felt very guilty.
So I taught her even more diligently. Unfortunately, she showed no improvement, and I gradually understood what it meant to be "a hopeless case." I also began to question whether the saying "Heaven rewards diligence" was truly true.
Winter is just around the corner, and the weather is getting colder every day. There are fewer and fewer people at the Rouge Martial Arts School. I'll take this opportunity to buy some things for my parents and bring them back with me. With the New Year approaching, it would be really inexcusable not to go home for the holidays; it would be unfilial.
Upon hearing this, Chen Gege immediately followed behind me, saying, "Master, take me to get your things."
"I'll take Xiaolan and Xiaorui with me. You stay home and watch the house."
"Even the two of them aren't as strong as me alone, so take me with you."
Looking into her eager eyes, I had no choice but to take her along. After visiting many places, I discovered that Chen Gege had a really good eye; the things she picked out for me were both beautiful and practical.
I got tired from walking around, so I went up to a teahouse to rest.
Chen Gege poured me some tea and asked, "Master, are you going home for the New Year?"
I took a sip of tea and said, "I really want to go back, but there's someone in my family I don't want to see, and I'm having a problem with that."
To keep things quiet, my mother has always claimed that "Unforgettable Clothes" is a business of Guiyun Manor. She originally planned to wait until after my wedding, watching Jiang Chen and I become a loving couple, before considering moving out. I don't know if we've moved out yet. If I go back, I'll inevitably face Jiang Chen. I don't know why, but I've always felt a strong resistance to thinking about him, to facing him. I just want time to gradually fade my feelings for him, so I can see him with a calm and rational mindset. But sometimes, I wonder if my avoidance of facing him is because I'm afraid of seeing him and discovering he's already married to Yu Muxi?
I was a little lost in thought. When I came to my senses, I found Chen Gege standing there holding a teapot, looking at me thoughtfully.
I asked casually, "Are you going back?"
“I will go with the curator. If you go back, I will go back; if you don’t go back, I will stay here with you.”
"Ah, no need, no need, you are welcome to come and go as you please."
She chuckled softly, then lowered her head and remained silent.
That night, I looked at the pile of things I had bought and was still worried about whether or not I should go back at the end of the year.
Suddenly, I heard a slight sound coming from the roof beams.
Could it be another thief? Why didn't Big Black and Little Black call out? This thief really doesn't know how to pick his time. On the night of the fifteenth, when the moon is as bright as a silver plate, he actually comes out to play, and even sets his sights on the martial arts school. What a brainless thief.
I drew my sword, gently pushed open the door, and looked up to see Princess Chen sitting on the roof of the opposite room. A ladder was placed at her feet. She was sitting there holding a large wine jar, swinging her big feet.
I sighed. Luckily, I saw this look; any other man would probably find it hard to fall in love with her.
I tilted my head back and asked with a laugh, "Why are you drinking on the rooftop?"
After a long pause, she said in a low, resentful voice, "Today is my birthday."
Upon hearing this, my smile vanished. This birthday was truly rather bleak.
I went to the kitchen, cooked two dishes, then carried them on a plate to the yard, placed them on the stone table, and said, "Gege Chen, come, let me have a drink with you?"
Holding the wine jar, Chen Gege exclaimed loudly, "Really?"
"Of course it's true."
She quickly climbed down the ladder, and I thought she was quite agile today. It seems that after practicing martial arts for a while, she has made some progress.
"Thank you, Master."
"No need to thank me."
Her alcohol tolerance was truly astonishing; she drank one glass after another without showing the slightest sign of drunkenness. I thought of Jiang Chen; he also had a high alcohol tolerance. I wondered who would come out on top if he and Chen Gege had a contest someday.
"Don't drink so fast. It's your birthday today, you should be drinking happily. Why are you drinking like you're drowning your sorrows?"
She sighed softly, "What's there to be happy about? Nobody remembers my birthday."
Her tone was very sad. I was taken aback and immediately felt sympathy for her.
She poured herself another large glass and muttered to herself, "I remember his birthday clearly and prepare a gift for him every year. But he never remembers my birthday and has never given me a gift."
Who was she talking about? Her husband? He's utterly heartless. I patted her arm. "It's better to forget someone like that."
She glanced at me and shook her head. "I can't forget it."
"They say, they say, that people forget about it after a while." I wasn't sure myself when I said that. Half a year has passed, and I still haven't forgotten what happened that day.
"Is that so?" she asked softly, then tilted her head back and took a big gulp.
"About that."
She glanced at me and poured herself another large glass. I saw the wine jar was almost empty and tried to stop her, but she wouldn't let go.
I had no choice but to let her drink. Well, sometimes getting drunk is a good thing. For some reason, I suddenly wanted a drink too. I picked up the glass in front of me, took a small sip, and frowned. The wine didn't taste good at all. Why did anyone like it so much? Just to relieve their worries?