Sécurité

Chapitre 46

Although Qiu Ye had never met Sister Cheng before, she had long heard of her reputation and was unwilling to budge. She pleaded in a low voice, "Young Master, please send me somewhere else. My life will be in danger if I go to the Jin family." Upon hearing this, Cheng Mutian became even more eager to send her over to Sister Cheng for discipline and told A-Yun to take her away quickly. Seeing that he showed her no pity whatsoever, Qiu Ye said in despair, "Young Master, the birthmark on your body..."

Cheng Mutian kicked her, cutting her off abruptly. He was about to kick her again when Ayun, fearing she might get hurt, quickly grabbed him, saying, "Young Master, what's the rush? You're not a woman, why are you afraid of what she'll say?" She didn't know that Cheng Mutian was different from ordinary men; he cared a great deal about his "purity." How could he tolerate a concubine tarnishing his reputation? He shook off her hand and was about to kick her again.

Cailian and Xiaoyuan hurried downstairs and happened to see this scene. They rushed over to ask for details. After hearing what Ayun had said, they laughed and said, "Young master, don't worry about this. I just went to see my eldest sister. She said that as long as she hears this concubine talking nonsense, she will hang her up and beat her to death."

Sister Cheng is Xiao Yuan, and she is always a woman of her word. Qiu Ye dared not say anything more and obediently followed A Yun to the Jin family. She was a very open-minded person. Before she even reached the door, she had already put Cheng Mutian out of her mind and was secretly thinking about how to win over Jin Jiu Shao, coax Sister Cheng, and suppress the other concubines.

Cheng Mutian's pent-up anger vanished, and he happily returned to his room to be with his wife. Xiao Yuan, however, grabbed his hand, trembling with fear: "Luckily, my stepmother switched sides at the crucial moment. Otherwise, what would I have done if Qiu Ye had really succeeded?" Cheng Mutian laughed: "So what if she dragged me into the room and drugged me? I can even smell how many herbs were soaked in your cotton swab. How could I be fooled by a little aphrodisiac?"

Xiao Yuan asked in surprise, "You've smelled that stuff?" Cheng Mutian let slip the secret and was so embarrassed he wanted to disappear into the ground. Before he could finish his embarrassment, Xiao Yuan changed the subject: "You also thought she would pull you into her room and drug you? You mean, if she pulled you in, you would have gone?"

Cheng Mutian had just dealt with his stepmother when he was angered by his wife again. He suddenly stood up and said, "You've been acting like this ever since you got pregnant. I'm not talking to you anymore." "Is that so?" Xiao Yuan wasn't angry. She lowered her head and touched her still flat belly, and asked leisurely, "Since your stepmother gave Qiu Ye the aphrodisiac, why did she switch sides at the last minute?" Cheng Mutian's face always flushed, and he glanced elsewhere as he replied, "Perhaps she had planned it all along, intending to use the aphrodisiac to scheme against Qiu Ye." Xiao Yuan pressed on relentlessly, "Qiu Ye hasn't done anything to wrong your stepmother. Besides, her parents are still in Madam Xin's hands. What need would your stepmother have to scheme against her? Wouldn't it be better to keep her around to seduce you and cause me trouble?"

Cheng Mutian gave up and said, "It's just what you think, what else is there to ask?" Seeing that Xiao Yuan was about to open her mouth again, he quickly took a flower hairpin from the table, blew on the "hejiao" behind him, stuck it to her mouth, and while she was in a flustered state, he secretly chuckled and slipped out.

The "glue" was so sticky that it dissolved with a breath, and by the time Xiao Yuan managed to peel the flower hairpin off, Cheng Mutian had already disappeared. She had never seen her husband act so childishly before, and for a moment she was more happy than angry. Staring at the flower hairpin in her hand, she was unconsciously lost in thought.

Chapter 136 Women in the Southern Song Dynasty Also Engaged in Sumo Wrestling (Part 1)

Another month or so passed in the blink of an eye, and Xiao Yuan's pregnancy finally stabilized completely. Qiu Ye, upon entering the Jin family, found her cleverness utterly useless in front of Sister Cheng, who only revered brute force. She was beaten several times before finally becoming obedient.

Madam Qian sighed all day long about the money flowing out of her dowry, neglecting everything else. Master Cheng, on the other hand, ate only vegetables and radishes every day, and his diabetes miraculously improved. With large bags of aphrodisiacs in hand, he was able to occasionally have a good time in bed.

Cheng Mutian returned from the Jin family's place and asked Xiaoyuan, "Would you like to go out for a walk?" Xiaoyuan was three months pregnant and was feeling very tired. She lay on the couch with Wu Ge in her arms and mumbled, "You're just trying to coax me. Would you, this old-fashioned young master, allow me to go out on the street?" Cheng Mutian picked up Wu Ge and took his place, laughing, "Going to the street is indeed not allowed, but taking a stroll in the garden is fine."

Xiao Yuan yawned, not very interested: "The New Year is almost here. Let's find a way to move back before the New Year, so we can stroll around our own garden every day." Cheng Mutian said: "I'm afraid we can only spend the New Year here. The government has sent people to guard around our house, just waiting for us to go back for the New Year and walk into their trap. I heard they've even prepared a carriage." Xiao Yuan was startled and opened her eyes: "A carriage? If we pretend to be poor, we won't go to jail, will we?" Cheng Mutian laughed: "That carriage isn't for picking up people, it's for carrying money."

These government officials are really obsessed with money, forcing people to spend the New Year away from home. Xiao Yuan sighed, patted her lower abdomen, and said, "This child won't be born outside, will it?" Cheng Mutian laughed and said, "Don't worry, I heard the war is over and they're negotiating peace now. Taxes are bound to rise, but forcing people to buy official positions will only last until the New Year. After the New Year and the Lantern Festival, we'll move back."

The day of returning home was just around the corner, and Xiao Yuan immediately perked up, her playful nature rekindled. She asked, "I heard that during festivals, many wealthy families in the city open their gardens to the public for recreation. Is that true?" Cheng Mutian nodded and said, "The Fulan Garden, the Dongshan Plum Pavilion of Sanmao Temple, the Dongqiong Garden of Chujiatang in Qingshou Temple, and the Xiufang Garden of the Yang family all open their doors to people to enjoy the spring scenery every January. Inside the main hall, there are various games and trinkets for sale, and there are also singers in the garden to entertain guests." Looking at Xiao Yuan's bright, expectant eyes, he added, "Those places are too crowded. How can you go? This time, the Jin family's myna bird 'Bai' is staying in an apartment building and has nowhere to hold a 'tangbing party,' so he borrowed a friend's garden to host a banquet for his guests."

The term "hundred" refers to the hundredth day after a child's birth. It is said that this day is a critical juncture, after which the child will grow up more easily. Therefore, on this day, relatives, friends, and neighbors are invited to celebrate.

Xiao Yuan chuckled upon hearing this: "His son is the eighth in his family? We'll send a myna bird as a congratulatory gift. But the 'Tangbing Gathering' will definitely be crowded, and I'm too tired to go. Anyway, they live in the building upstairs, so I can go over and offer my congratulations anytime."

Cheng Mutian said, "There's nothing to it. Business associates have heard that the Jin family is extremely poor, and their relatives are all in the north. The garden they borrowed belongs to the Li family because of your third sister-in-law." Xiao Yuan counted on her fingers and figured it would probably be the same few relatives she usually visited. She nodded and said, "Then you can go for a stroll. I just don't know what kind of trick you're up to by inviting me so warmly."

Cheng Tian glared at her and said, "What kind of crazy ideas could I possibly have? It's just that you'll be traveling by sedan chair all the way there and back, so it won't tire you out. It's not good for a pregnant woman to stay in this building all the time. Besides, although Jin Jiu Shao is a bit frivolous, he's quite the entertainer. I heard that this time he's not hiring a theatrical troupe, but some kind of show that you don't usually see. Don't you always complain that as a woman from a wealthy family, you can't go to the entertainment district? This is such a great opportunity, why don't you take Wu Ge to see it?"

Xiao Yuan said aggrievedly, "I said one thing, and you talked about it for ages."

"Young Master means well. Young Madam, please don't let him down." Ah, who was guarding the door outside, had overheard everything that was being said inside. Fearing that Xiao Yuan might still say something against going, he quickly spoke through the curtain.

Xiao Yuan peeked through the curtain and saw, besides A Yun, also the corners of A Cai and Cai Lian's clothes. She couldn't help but smile. These girls were all feeling stifled in this cramped apartment. Even though Cai Lian was already married and not yet twenty, she was still quite playful.

Cheng Mutian saw her smile. Without another word, he went out to call the maids, instructing them to go in and help the young mistress prepare for the soup dumpling party.

Ayun pulled Acai along, skipping and hopping into the house. She laughed, "I wonder what fun things Young Master Jin has prepared?" Cailian, much more composed than the two children, patted them and said, "All you know is playing! Hurry up and prepare the tips for the performers on stage, and the gifts for meeting them." The tips were for the performers. The gifts were for people they were meeting for the first time at the Li family's house. Xiaoyuan watched them open the chest and rummage through the brocade and gold ingots. She quickly said, "Don't forget we're pretending to be poor. Keep it simple. We should also prepare some of these things for the young master. He'll need them while he's seated at the front." Cailian prepared everything according to her wishes. Fearing the Jin family might not have prepared anything small, she also brought a few of Wu Ge's portable trinkets.

Two days later, Sister Cheng came to invite Xiao Yuan, saying with a smile, "Today we have prepared a few tables of wine and a show, and we hope you will do us the honor of joining us." Xiao Yuan took her hand and walked towards the sedan chair outside, but said, "You are the host, why don't you go and greet the guests first, instead of inviting me, the guest, to come along."

Sister Cheng said, "You're starting to talk about rules like Erlang. There are no outsiders here today, so I'll go with whoever I want." Madam Qian's sedan chair was parked nearby, so her voice must have carried over. Xiao Yuan glanced helplessly at Sister Cheng and got into the same sedan chair as her.

Sister Cheng sat down beside her, quite excited, and said, "I heard that your stepmother is using her dowry money to manage the household? You're really something, I don't have that kind of ability." Xiao Yuan remembered the scheme Cheng Mutian had set up earlier, and smiled as she covered up the lie: "When I was managing the household, I used my dowry money just the same way, so what's the big deal?" She then apologized to her, "Second Master gave a concubine to Young Master Jin without even saying hello, I hope you won't be offended."

Sister Cheng chuckled, “You’ve been cooped up in your room for a month, not going out at all, and you’re still relying on the old almanac. That Qiu Ye, my Ninth Young Master doesn’t like her. Luckily, a friend of mine is staying in Lin’an and has no one to take care of him, so I lent her to him.”

A concubine can be rented, given away, exchanged, and even lent out? Xiao Yuan shrank into the corner, feeling like a country bumpkin, with many questions popping into her mind: Will the concubines lent out be returned? If they are returned, will Young Master Jin continue to use them?

As she thought about it, her face grew hot. The Li family's garden was not far away, and they would arrive in a moment. Sister Cheng was busy assigning people to set up the venue, and she did not notice the blush on her face.

It was winter, and most flowers had withered, but the Li family had a garden full of beautiful plum blossoms, which looked stunning against the white snow. Xiao Yuan wanted to admire the flowers a little longer, but the maids strictly followed Cheng Mutian's instructions and did not allow her to linger outside. Ayun and Acai, one on each side, helped her into the warm pavilion.

As soon as they entered the door, Wu Ge rushed over, calling for his mother. Before he could grab Xiao Yuan's legs, Cai Lian picked him up and coaxed him, "Your mother has a little brother in her belly, so I can't hold you." Cai Lian was shrewd in her work, but she was not good at coaxing children. When Wu Ge heard this, he waved his little fist and shouted, "My little brother is bad, hit him!"

Xiao Mang picked up Wu Ge and kissed his slightly cold little face. She said softly, "You didn't want your fourth aunt to play with the big knife with you because she's a girl, so how about I give birth to a little brother for you to play with, okay?" Wu Ge hugged her neck and nodded as if he understood. Xiao Yuan kissed him a few more times, shook her head at Sister-in-law Yu who was about to take Wu Ge from her, and sat down on the chair with him in her arms.

Sure enough, being poor meant fewer customers. She drank half a cup of tea before Li Wuniang and Cheng Sanniang each came in carrying a plum vase. She quickly put Wu Ge down and taught him to greet his aunt and uncle.

Li Wuniang handed her the plum vase, saying, "I saw the plum blossoms were blooming beautifully, so I picked one for you too." Xiao Yuan was about to say that it wasn't appropriate to do this without the owner's permission when she suddenly remembered that this garden belonged to her family. So she gladly accepted the elegant gift and told A Cai to take the flower back first and then come back.

Li Wuniang picked up Wu Ge and played with him for a while, then asked Xiao Yuan, "My eldest son is having a snowball fight with the servants on the hillside outside. Why don't you send Wu Ge to play there too?" Before Xiao Yuan could answer, Wu Ge said "Okay" first, which made everyone laugh.

After Wu Ge went up the slope, only the three of them, the aunt and sister-in-law, remained in the warm pavilion. Seeing Xiao Yuan frequently looking outside, Li Wu Niang laughed and said, "Don't look anymore. There are only the three of us sitting here. We'll open this window later, and we can see the snow scene and the stage. Isn't that wonderful?"

Cheng San Niang had just bought an official position for Gan Shier. Although she had spent all her money and was a bit poor, she was happy in other aspects, so she became more cheerful. She laughed and said, "Looking at the scenery is secondary. The main thing is that there are no elders here. Otherwise, we would have to follow the rules. How could we watch the play in peace?"

Xiao Yuan asked in surprise, "Aren't the elders here?" Li Wu Niang told the little maid to open a window for her to see, and said, "There's a warm room on the side, where your mother-in-law, Sister Cheng's mother-in-law, and my mother are all sitting."

Xiao Yuan had hosted guests at her own home and visited other people's homes many times, but this was the first time she had encountered such a hassle-free situation. She couldn't hide her smile: "Who came up with such a brilliant idea?" Cheng San Niang gave her a wink and subtly pointed to Li Wu Niang. Xiao Yuan quickly stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Thank you for your trouble, Third Sister-in-law. I hope I didn't cause you any trouble?"

Li Wuniang waved her hand and laughed, "My own mother is the one who makes the decisions in the Li family, so what's there to be embarrassed about? The key is that Sister Cheng is understanding and didn't insist on sitting together."

Chapter 137 Women in the Southern Song Dynasty Also Engaged in Sumo Wrestling (Part 2)

Although they didn't sit with the elders, they still had to be polite. Xiao Yuan took Cheng San Niang's hand and led her to the adjacent warm pavilion to exchange greetings before returning to their seats. After a while, Sister Cheng also slipped over and said with a smile, "There are advantages to having fewer guests. I can even steal a moment of leisure from my busy schedule."

After the banquet began, the children were each led to their own meals by their wet nurses. The four of them occupied a table, and since they knew each other very well, they ate and drank very comfortably. Xiao Yuan quietly asked Sister Cheng, "Were the young mistresses of the Li family not invited?" Sister Cheng replied, "We were invited, but they refused to come because they saw that our family was poor."

No wonder Cheng Mutian said that the Li family lent out this garden because of Li Wuniang's influence. Xiao Yuan sighed inwardly and drank the juice in her cup in one gulp.

After several rounds of drinks, when the performance began on stage, the Jin family's wet nurse brought over a myna bird. Sister Cheng quickly got up to take it and held it herself, showing it to each of them. Everyone said the child was handsome, and they each brought out their gifts. Xiao Yuan took a gold lock and put it on his head. Thinking of Ji Liu Niang, who had died not long ago, she couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

After Sister Cheng took the child to the elders, Li Wuniang asked, "I heard that the child's birth mother was dragged to her death before she even finished her postpartum confinement? Her family even came to file a lawsuit? Who won in the end?" This was truly a sore subject. Sister Cheng pretended not to hear and lowered her head to drink her wine. There were only three people at the table, and Xiao Yuan couldn't avoid it, so she answered, "Who spread this rumor? Sister Ji died from postpartum hemorrhage. The Ji family filed a lawsuit because they wanted to get back her dowry."

Li Wuniang said, "Although she is dead, she still has a son. There is no reason for her to return the dowry. The Jin family will probably win this case." Xiao Yuan did not want to talk about it anymore, so she nodded slightly and turned her gaze to the stage outside the window.

On the high stage, two children, dressed only in thin clothes, leaned on the ground like calves, touching heads together and nodding back and forth, competing with each other.

Xiao Yuan glanced at it for a moment, then asked with a smile, "What are they doing? It looks a lot like the Chi You play where they wear ox horns and clash."

Cheng San Niang laughed, "That was just a child's play. One day, my husband had me dress up as a servant and take me to a brothel." Li Wu Niang was envious, "I've helped with the family business since I was little. Although I'm not exactly a sheltered young lady, I've never been to a brothel." Xiao Yuan was a little worried that this was against the rules. Li Wu Niang teased her, saying that she had changed her temperament after marrying Cheng Er Lang, and retorted, "Since you married my third brother, why haven't I seen you go out anymore?"

No matter how strong-willed a woman is at home, she still has to follow her husband's lead. The three of them looked at each other and smiled, their expressions a mixture of resignation and heartache, known only to themselves.

Suddenly, they heard cheers from outside. It was a man's voice. Xiao Yuan and Cheng San Niang were both startled. Li Wu Niang quickly said, "The men are drinking in the building behind us. Although it's close by, we can't see them, and they can't see us either."

Xiao Yuan took a sip of juice to calm herself down and said, "Their voices were too sudden. That's why I panicked. We're all close relatives. What's there to hide?"

Cheng San Niang covered her mouth and laughed, "That's right. If there were outsiders, brother wouldn't have allowed sister-in-law to come." Xiao Yuan was very happy to see her much more cheerful. But she scolded, "What are you saying? It's my eldest sister's son's 100th birthday. He has to come."

Then came another round of cheers. It turned out the little boy in red on stage had won. Xiao Yuan pricked up her ears and listened intently. She thought she could hear Cheng Mutian's voice in the cheers. A smile appeared on her face. She ordered Ayun to tear off a string of coins and scatter them onto the stage. Then the officiant announced loudly, "Thank you for the reward, young master and young mistress of the Cheng family—"

The two children saw the stage full of coins and scrambled to grab them. They even started fighting over who got the last coin. The onlookers knew it was all an act, but they couldn't help but laugh and gave the children another handful of coins.

Xiao Yuan saw them being led to the stage. She asked Sister Cheng, who had just returned, "What other programs are there?" Sister Cheng pointed out the window and said, "Still sumo wrestling. Look—" The three people at the table all looked towards the stage. Third Sister Cheng gasped and covered her eyes. Fifth Sister Li laughed, "They're women, not men. What are you so scared of?" Xiao Yuan stared blankly at the two muscular women on the stage, their arms and waists exposed. After a long pause, she finally said, "So, the Song Dynasty also has women who play sumo wrestling. But they don't look fat at all."

Sister Cheng and Li Wuniang were seeing women's sumo wrestling for the first time, so they didn't notice her grammatical error. Only Cheng Sanniang glanced at her. Xiao Yuan realized what she meant when she saw that glance and was slightly startled. She realized that she had used the word "also" in her words, and it would be difficult to explain if someone asked her about it. She thought for a moment and said, "I've only heard Erlang mention that there are foreign women who play sumo. I never thought that our Great Song Dynasty also has such heroines. I thought they were as fat as the foreign female sumo wrestlers Erlang described."

Sister Cheng snorted coldly and said, "Do you even know what women's sumo wrestling is called? They call it 'women's nude play.' We're just here for the fun, who knows what the men are watching? If someone is too fat, will they even watch?"

The men—their men—were sitting upstairs in the back. What were they looking at? Was it the exposed arms, or the bare waists? In the blink of an eye, the thoughts of the women at the table drifted from the female sumo wrestlers on the stage to the men behind them.

Li Wuniang suddenly laughed and said, "What are you doing? Master Cheng and Jin Jiu have seen plenty of women, why would they care about these two? If Master Cheng and Gan Shier are willing to take you to the entertainment district, you should let him take a look."

After she finished speaking, she walked to the window first and deliberately called out loudly, "Are there any men wrestling sumo? We should invite a few to come and watch. What's the point of having only women?"

Taking advantage of the fact that this was her maternal home, she acted recklessly and unrestrainedly, which frightened the others quite a bit. They hurriedly rushed over to pull her back to her seat and sent people to the next room and the back to spread the word that it was just Li Wu Niang joking when she was drunk.

Li Wuniang was indignant, blaming them for being too timid, and even wanted to go to the window to shout. Xiao Yuan quickly changed the subject and asked her, "Third Sister-in-law, you only mentioned Jin Jiushao and Gan Shier just now, why didn't you mention my Cheng Erlang?" Li Wuniang looked at her and smiled, tears streaming down her face, but her answer was irrelevant: "Who is as lucky as you? Even when you send a concubine to your husband, he won't accept her."

Xiao Yuan took out a handkerchief to wipe away her tears and comforted her, "Today is our eldest sister's joyous day. Third sister-in-law should be laughing, not crying." But Sister Cheng said, "Let her cry if she wants to. Your third brother is also not good enough. He is not as good as our Jin Jiu Shao."

It turns out that He Yaohong has recently become obsessed with male concubines, keeping a mistress outside the city and indulging in nightly revelry without returning home. He even claimed that taking a concubine was for the purpose of continuing the family line and expanding the family, so what is the reason for his obsession with male entertainers? Xiaoyuan sighed for the third time today and said, "Third sister-in-law, don't be sad. I will persuade Third Brother another day."

Li Wuniang forced a smile, helped herself out to wash her face, and Sister Cheng watched her turn past the window, then whispered to Xiaoyuan and Sister Cheng Sanniang, "I hadn't finished telling you yet, but your third brother suffered a great loss because of his preference for male concubines..." She was always carefree, but Sister Cheng Sanniang, afraid that the pregnant Xiaoyuan would get upset, quickly interrupted her, saying, "Is there anything Eighth Brother needs? I'll have my husband make some for him." Sister Cheng also realized what she meant, changed the subject, and replied, "He's still young, we'll trouble Gan Shier when he's older."

Even though He Yaohong was a man, he still doted on his third brother. Xiao Yuan was feeling uneasy, but seeing that they had changed the subject, she pretended not to have heard anything. She grabbed some dried fruit and started peeling it, then went to the window to watch the sumo wrestling. She saw two female sumo wrestlers, one dressed in red and the other in green, looking quite striking together. Sister Cheng realized she had misspoke and pulled Third Sister Cheng to the window to act as a commentator, saying, "The one in red is called Xiao Guan Suo, and the one in green is called Wang Chun Chun. They are both famous sumo wrestlers from Lin'an City."

As they were talking, Xiao Guan on the stage seized an opening and pounced on Wang Chun Chun, grabbing her waist and pulling her sharply. No one knew how she used her strength, but instead of knocking Wang Chun Chun down, she untied her belt, and the bright green pants slid straight down to her insteps, revealing her two white and firm thighs.

Silent for a moment, then deafening cheers erupted from upstairs. Sister Cheng looked very displeased and gritted her teeth as she cursed, "A bunch of stinking brats, they're joining in the commotion too."

Before Wang Chun Chun on the stage could even pull up her pants, a basket of reward money was brought over. Several servants, probably only eleven or twelve years old, threw coins onto the stage while shouting, "Young Master and Young Mistress of the Jin family, please reward us!" Sister Cheng spat heavily out the window: "Who wants to reward that slut who deliberately tore off her pants?"

Unexpectedly, the servant didn't finish speaking and continued to shout, "The young master and young mistress of the Cheng family will reward you—the young master and young mistress of the Gan family will reward you—the young master and young mistress of the He family will reward you—" Xiao Yuan slapped Sister Cheng without any politeness and said angrily, "If anyone is rewarded, it must be your Jin Jiu Shao who is up to this."

Cheng San Niang also expressed her dissatisfaction, clicking her tongue and saying, "Elder sister, you can't take this one as a concubine; she knows sumo wrestling."

Sister Cheng was amused by their banter and said with a smile, "To apologize, how about I treat you to some men's sumo wrestling?"

Xiao Yuan and Cheng San Niang thought she was joking, but after Xiao Guan Suo and Wang Chun Chun left the stage, two men came up next. They were first surprised, then laughed. The so-called male sumo wrestlers were wrapped up tightly, with thin arms and legs. Judging from their age, they were no more than fifteen years old.

After washing her face and reapplying rouge, Li Wuniang came into the room and smiled at Sister Cheng, saying, "I saw that female sumo wrestler who dropped her pants just now. Now that it's our turn to have some fun, you can be a little careless."

Sister Cheng, a bold and outspoken woman, laughed and said, "What's so difficult about that? Just give them a few tips and make them both drop their pants." For some unknown reason, the two of them actually took the money and had someone secretly go to the stage to inform them that they should also drop their pants for everyone's amusement.

Before they even knew whether the two young sumo wrestlers would agree, Xiao Yuan and Cheng San Niang were already terrified and turned pale.

Chapter 138 Women in the Southern Song Dynasty Also Engaged in Sumo Wrestling (Part 2)

The eldest sister and Li Wuniang ignored all advice and insisted on sending two maids to carry the money. They then whispered a few words to Ayun and sent her off. A short while later, Ayun came running back excitedly. Xiaoyuan initially thought the two young sumo wrestlers had taken the money and were about to drop their pants, which had frightened her so much, but upon asking, she realized it wasn't them. Ayun stammered, "Young...Young Madam, that's Sun...Sun..." She was usually quick-witted, but this time she couldn't finish her sentence. Acai continued, "Sun Dalang?"

A-Yun nodded vigorously, pointing to the man in the red short shirt on the right side of the stage, and said, "Young Madam, that's him. I couldn't see him clearly from a distance, but I recognized him at a glance when he came to the stage. He's back from the north." Xiao-Yuan was quite surprised. Sun Da-Lang was so young, yet he had the ability to escape from the battlefield. But why didn't he go home after returning? Instead, he had joined a sumo wrestling troupe. Seeing that she didn't speak, A-Yun said anxiously, "Young Madam, aren't you going to call him?" Cai-Lian laughed first, "He's still one of our family members. How can we not call him and ask him?" Xiao-Yuan nodded, and A-Yun rushed out like an arrow, pulling Sun Da-Lang back in in an instant.

When Sister Cheng and Li Wuniang saw that this was the young man from Xiaoyuan's family who had fought on the battlefield last year, and remembered that they had just tried to teach him to take off his pants, their faces turned red. They sat around the table, drinking one cup after another, trying to cover their faces with wine and women.

Xiao Yuan only learned after asking Sun Dalang that last May, the Song army was trapped in Ji County. He was too young to be a soldier, so he took the opportunity to sneak out and beg his way back to Lin'an. More than a month has passed, but the Cheng family mansion is now deserted. From time to time, soldiers patrol there. He doesn't know what happened and has no money, so he had to rely on his martial arts skills to join a sumo wrestling troupe.

Xiao Yuan then asked about the whereabouts of the two martial arts masters who had gone with him. Sun Dalang's eyes reddened as he said, "They all died in Ji County, including Tian Er." A Yun wiped away her tears and said, "You're lucky. Those two martial arts masters are just dead. They dragged you into the battlefield. They weren't good people. But why did Tian Er die too?"

Xiao Yuan remained silent for a long time before saying, "Those who sacrificed their lives for the country are all heroes. How can you speak such disrespectful words?" Her family pretended to be poor and short of money, so she borrowed a few servants from Li Wu Niang and ordered them to go to Tian Er's house and the two martial arts masters' houses to deliver the news, as well as money, food, and winter supplies.

Having learned her lesson, Ayun dared not speak again. She ran out to call Sun Shi to see her son Lian, but thinking that this was Sister Cheng's joyous day, how could she stage a scene of mother and son recognizing each other with tears streaming down their faces? So she stopped her and told her to take Sun Dalang out to see Sun Shi.

When A-Yun left, she didn't return. Cai-Lian and A-Cai couldn't help but chuckle. Sister Cheng watched the spear-fighting on stage for a while, then suddenly remembered the past and asked, "That girl named A-Yun, she had feelings for Sun Da-Lang, didn't she? She even used that as an excuse to become my Jin Jiu-Shao's concubine."

Xiao Yuan said, "Whether she means it or not, let them be. As long as Sun Dalang comes to ask for my hand in marriage, I will give it to him." Then she instructed A Cai, "Go and tell the sumo wrestling team, so that others won't say that we have abducted their sumo wrestlers."

Ah Ying left, but returned with the head of the sumo troupe. The head kowtowed outside the door, saying, "Young Madam Cheng, I didn't know that Sun Dalang was a slave, which is why I made him sign a contract of servitude." Xiao Yuan smiled, Cai Lian took the money and gave it to him to redeem Sun Dalang. The head troupe was overjoyed to see that she not only didn't blame him but also gave him the money. He kowtowed and thanked her again and again before leaving.

As dusk fell, the stage began to perform "Flying Wire" and "Meteor Shower." "Flying Wire" involved igniting a gunpowder tube suspended horizontally at both ends by taut copper wires. The small tube would then shoot out colorful flames and rapidly travel from one end of the wire to the other, creating a dazzling display of sparks. "Meteor Shower" was likely the precursor to the later "skyrocket." A paper tube was filled with gunpowder and iron powder. The opening was sealed with a layer of mud, leaving a nozzle at the tail. The gunpowder was ignited with a fuse, causing the paper tube to shoot skyward with dazzling light, resembling a shooting star.

Everyone praised it. The children's performance was perfectly suited to the role. Sister Cheng was quite pleased with herself. She then summoned a group of children dressed in patchwork clothes to perform martial arts on stage. She scattered iron coins, making them scramble for them and create a spectacle.

After the banquet, everyone took their leave. Xiao Yuan had arrived in the same sedan chair as Sister Cheng. Cheng Mutian had been worried all the way there. On the way back, emboldened by his drunkenness, he pulled her into his own sedan chair. Although there had been some minor incidents at today's "Tangbing Gathering," Xiao Yuan was very happy. Leaning against Cheng Mutian, she recounted everything she had seen and heard at the banquet. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law sat separately. Sun Dalang returned…

Cheng Mutian laughed, "So that's why I didn't see Father today. It turns out it was your third sister-in-law and eldest sister who caused trouble. They made the elders sit at a separate table. But it seems only Father and Mr. Li are there. It's so lonely." Xiaoyuan grabbed his ear and said, "You all wish you could sit separately. Otherwise, how could you possibly look at Wang Chunchun's white legs?" Cheng Mutian knew he was in the wrong and didn't want to pull away from her hand. He said, "That's a common trick. I knew about this, that's why I brought you along. Otherwise, if you had heard rumors, you would have come looking for trouble with me." Xiaoyuan sheepishly withdrew her hand, "Am I that unreasonable?" Cheng Mutian chuckled and patted her belly, "If you're unreasonable, then be reasonable."

Back home, Xiaoyuan ordered the kitchen to prepare a special plum and ginger soup to cure hangovers and brought it to him. She personally fed it to him.

She waited until he was comfortable before cautiously inquiring about He Yaohong's affair with male concubines. Cheng Mutian impatiently scolded her for meddling. Xiao Yuan, sitting at the foot of the couch, regretted her words, "If I had known you would act this way, I wouldn't have stopped you, eldest sister. I would have let her continue." Cheng Mutian got up and hugged her, smiling wryly, "It's just that he keeps a mistress outside the East Gate. It's not that I wanted to hide it from you, but I really felt there was nothing to say. Anyway, your third brother either dotes on women or men, except for your third sister-in-law."

Xiao Yuan was both amused and exasperated by his last sentence, saying, "I don't know if those two are just incompatible, but after all these years, they still don't get along. If I have a daughter in the future, I will definitely not allow her to choose a husband from among those who have passed the imperial examinations. Men, if they don't choose their wives themselves, they just don't know how to cherish them." Cheng Mutian pinched her cheek and scolded, "How could a daughter of the Cheng family show her face in public among those who have passed the imperial examinations?" Xiao Yuan asked curiously, "I've heard that choosing a husband from among those who have passed the imperial examinations is a very popular activity, and many daughters of high-ranking officials and wealthy families do it. Why don't you allow it?"

Cheng Mutian laughed and said, "They kidnapped the newly appointed top scholar to their home. Through a curtain or screen, the young lady could see the scholar, but the scholar couldn't see the young lady. Even if things didn't work out, they wouldn't lose face." Xiao Yuan was stunned for a moment and said, "So it was Third Sister-in-law who made a mistake back then." Unexpectedly, Cheng Mutian felt more sorry for Li Wu Niang and sighed, "No matter how reckless your Third Sister-in-law was back then, all these years she has raised concubines, bought official positions, and raised sons for your Third Brother. Her merits and demerits should be balanced out."

As a woman, Xiao Yuan naturally felt sorry for Li Wu Niang, but she had received a lot of care from He Yao Hong, so she couldn't bring herself to hate him even if she wanted to. She could only sigh helplessly, undress, and go to sleep. Cheng Mu Tian, still smelling of alcohol, couldn't sleep after Xiao Yuan brought up the topic again. He chuckled to himself, "Do you know why your third brother suddenly became so fond of children? It's not that he truly loves men, but rather that he's worried about that ten thousand strings of cash." Xiao Yuan turned over, a hint of surprise in her voice, "Not male prostitutes, but male prostitutes? That's not... a little, a child?"