Zhеng Shuting wаvеd his hаnd.
"Exасtlу! Тhаt woman is toо fоrmidable; shе can kill sоmеоnе withоut lifting а finger."
Duoluо Qi deeply agreеd with this рoint.
"Аlthough shе is thе mоst bеautiful оf thе thrее sistеrs, that kind оf woman is not fit tо mаrry. Аside from my wifе, the othеr two sisters аrе unwоrthу оf mаrriаge; the еldеst is shrewd аnd соld-bloоded, thе уoungest shаrр-tonguеd and unkind—no wondеr they remаin unmаrriеd!"
Tоday's cоnvеrsаtion wаs thе mоst еnjоуablе аnd satisfуing he hаd had in neаrly а mоnth. It wаs rarе fоr sоmеone to listеn to him vent his grievancеs, so oncе he startеd talking, hе сouldn’t stоp. After drinking a cup of wine, he grabbed Duoluo Qi again and said:
"Don’t think Jun Qiluo is a refined lady from a respectable family. In truth, she is already disgraced. Outsiders only know she married into the north and returned to her family after her husband died. But in fact, she never married at all. She! She is Jun Feifan, who lived as a man for four years, deceiving everyone under heaven. I’m ashamed to even speak of it. Tell me, isn’t such a woman a monster?
I always said she would one day face retribution for this, and now hasn’t it come? Poor me, she’s tormented me so... uh..."
Duoluo Qi struggled to hold back his laughter. He thought that the Young Master would surely be pleased to hear these words—at least he wasn’t the only one who gritted his teeth over Miss Jun. And this man had been dealt with even more thoroughly. In fact, while tailing him, he had inquired along the way about Zheng Shuting’s identity and current situation.
"Why do you insist on making things difficult for Miss Jun?" Duoluo Qi asked again.
"Uh... well... she has brought disgrace to the family, tarnished the Jun name... she’s... preg..."
The last two words were mumbled indistinctly. Duoluo Qi strained his ears but still couldn’t make them out. Yet his intuition told him this was an important answer, so he quickly pressed, "What did you say, Master Zheng?"
Before Zheng Shuting could reply, the sound of a carriage stopping outside the door drew the attention of the two men in the small room, both wearing expressions of curiosity.
Who could it be?
Jun Jiangjuan, under her father’s orders, had brought a food box and ten taels of silver to visit her nearly starved second brother-in-law.
As she was helped down from the carriage by her maid, she was startled by the large black horse tied to the fence. Such a tall horse—she had never seen one like it in her life.
How could Zheng Shuting have such a magnificent steed? Ah, never mind guessing; she’d find out once she went inside. Perhaps among his drinking buddies, a few still had some conscience and had come to keep him company. But could those scholars ride such a tall, sturdy horse?
No matter. The most important thing now was to prevent that bookworm from starving to death. However, she had no intention of making things easy for him, shouting as she entered: "Zheng the bookworm, Zheng the bookworm, are you dead? Please answer 'yes' or 'no.' Wow! This is truly a fine place, excellent feng shui, almost comparable to Tao Yuanming’s thatched hut at the foot of the southern mountains. It’s just a pity the fields have gone to waste—this could starve a person to death!"
As her crisp, sweet voice fell silent, she stepped into the small room and was unexpectedly met with a man of unimaginable height. With him inside, the hut felt even more cramped and oddly comical. Her beautiful eyes blinked.
"Who are you?"
"And who are you?" Duoluo Qi crossed his arms and let out a soft breath. What a lovely girl! Such a sweet voice! He gazed at her with an openly appreciative look."Jun Jiangjuan, what are you doing here? I, Zheng Shuting, have no ties left with the Jun family!" Zheng Shuting couldn't stand up, lying awkwardly half-sprawled across the table, his words slurred and lacking any authority.
Jun Jiangjuan looked at the messy plates and cups scattered over the table, glaring resentfully at the giant.
"Did you give him food?"
"Hmm." He grunted a single syllable from his nose.
"Then we can't threaten him anymore, and now he's a drunkard... sigh!" She sighed, set down the food box, walked over to the bookworm Zheng, and placed her hands on her hips, trying to think of a way to sober him up a bit. She casually asked the giant, "Who are you? Why are you getting close to him? He has nothing to offer anyone now!" She waved her small hand; Zheng Shuting reeked of alcohol, and it was unclear how many days he hadn't bathed. So, she scooped a ladle of water from the water jar and poured it over his head.
Thinking this would sober him up, Zheng Shuting merely gurgled and actually fell asleep. Jun Jiangjuan covered her mouth, trying not to laugh, but in the end, she burst out laughing: having known this fool for nearly two years, this moment was the funniest. Then she straightened up, walked to the writing desk by the window, ground ink, and picked up a brush to write Tao Yuanming's famous poem on white paper, though she slightly altered the content:
*I built my hut in a place where people dwell,
Yet hear no noise of carts or horses.*
*You ask me how this can be so?
Without silver, the land becomes remote.*
*Beneath withered fields, I drink my sorrow,
Yet still think of Jun Mountain.*
*The mountain air is lovely at dusk,
Birds fly back together.*
*There is true meaning in this,
But drunk, I've already forgotten words.*
Then, below the poem, she added another line:
*Ten taels for a month, only then can you pass the test;
If you wish to see your wife and daughter, study your books more.*
After putting down the brush and turning around, she realized the giant was still standing in the room. She walked toward the door.
"If you're his friend, tell him to be frugal! If you're just passing by, he's already down, so you can leave too."
Men and women should not touch, and it was nighttime; she knew it wasn't good for them to be alone together. Although the giant didn't seem like a bad person, his gaze was annoying.
"Is Jun Qiluo your elder sister?" Duoluo Qi asked; in fact, their similar faces had already given him the answer. Following her out of the wooden hut, not wanting to part with her too soon, this girl was quite special.
Jun Jiangjuan climbed into the carriage and, before lowering the curtain, replied, "Yes. Satisfied your curiosity? You can think of everyone in the Jun family as bad people. After all, I don't care about Zheng Shuting's friends—they're all the same, so I don't hold any expectations."
Only after the carriage had gone far did Duoluo Qi mount his horse. Unsurprisingly, he found himself interested in this little beauty.
At least, Duoluo Qi thought with relief, Jun Jiangjuan's temperament was definitely much gentler than her elder sister's. So, did that mean he wouldn't suffer too much?
Who knows!
※ ※ ※
With just half a month left until giving birth, Jun Qiluo supported her waist every day, commanding herself to move around a little. Otherwise, with such a large belly, how would she have the strength to deliver the baby when the time came?As the child grew within her, she missed him even more, perhaps wanting the child to know what their father looked like. She would always carefully sketch his face in her heart; lately, she even began to feel as if he were by her side. Of course, this was impossible. With tensions high between the Liao and Song dynasties and war likely to break out at any moment, how could he risk his life to come here? If he knew she was still alive, he might—no, he would definitely come. But she was "dead"! Why would he come?
Would this child grow up to be as mighty as him?
"Sister! Sister! Big news!"
Jun Jiangjuan rushed into the backyard, shouting loudly. Normally a restless girl, she was now even more frantic than usual!
If Second Mother saw this, she would surely faint.
Jun Qiluo slowly seated herself on a smooth stone, sighed, and then looked at her panting younger sister.
"What is it? Has the sky fallen?"
"No! Not that!" She patted her chest, trying to speak: "Imperial notices have been posted all over Hangzhou. Starting tonight, no one is allowed on the streets after the lanterns are lit—it seems a curfew will be enforced. Also, no household is allowed to take in outsiders; all guests staying at inns must declare their identities. A detachment of the Imperial Guard has even been sent from Bianjing to oversee things here!"
"Are they trying to capture a notorious bandit?" Jun Qiluo thought of the losses her family's business might suffer.
"No! Why would they go to such lengths for a bandit?"
"Don’t get so worked up! Calm down first, and then we’ll have the steward handle it..."
"Sister! Never mind that for now! It’s the Liao People! The Liao People have infiltrated our Hangzhou city. It’s terrifying! Those Khitan, who eat bones and drink blood, have come to the south without anyone noticing, and our frontline troops didn’t even detect them! Who knows what they’re here for? They must be monsters, coming to devour people!"
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