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墨書 Inktalez
He tirelessly brushed away her hair, captivated by the lively pair of white rabbits. He adored the graceful curve of her neck when she leaned back, unable to resist the urge to caress and kiss her.
Time passed without him noticing, and the delicate shadow on the wall was finally replaced by a strong figure, transitioning from standing tall to bending down.
Qi Chong decided to take the villagers up the mountain again. After a day of hard work, he prepared a bath for Yu Chunmiao and then went to his mother's room to share his plans with her.
Chen Ruolan paused with the awl in her hand, the thick sole of the shoe halted mid-stitch. She wasn't sad; she was just afraid—afraid that her son would follow in his father's footsteps.
"Mother, I’ve always taken them up the mountain; I just need to get through this hurdle," Qi Chong said, sitting beside her and taking the shoe sole from her hands. "I have other ideas for them to earn money."
His father had only blamed Yang Zhengshan at the end of his life, never holding any grievances against the villagers.
Chen Ruolan wiped away unshed tears, tilting her head back before speaking after a long pause. "You are now the head of the family; whatever you decide is what goes. I’ve never been useful, never had any ideas to help you make decisions."
"Who said that?" Qi Chong squatted in front of his mother, wiping her tears away. "Didn’t you help me marry Yu Chunmiao? Yuan Er is also counting on you to find him a good wife."
Chen Ruolan embraced Qi Chong, stroking his head. "Qi Chong, don’t be as honest as your father. Those who are not straightforward should be dealt with firmly; don’t hurt yourself in the process."
The son understood; his father's lessons were clear before him. "I will be careful," Qi Chong reassured his mother. "Every day, wherever I go and whatever I do, I will tell you clearly."
After comforting his mother for a while longer, he returned to his own room.
"How did it go? Did Mother agree?" Yu Chunmiao asked as she dried her hair.
Qi Chong took her handkerchief and gently dried her long black hair. "She agreed; I’ll spread the news tomorrow."
Yu Chunmiao’s hair was thick and long; it took half a handkerchief before it became ineffective.
"Yu Chunmiao, get dressed; I’ll take you outside for some fresh air so your hair dries faster."
She shook her head. "No, there are snakes outside; I won’t go."
Qi Chong brought her an outer garment. "I’ll carry you; if a snake bites anyone, it will be me—not you."
Yu Chunmiao hesitated, caught between fear and curiosity about what lay beyond.
Leaning closer to her ear, Qi Chong spoke with a hint of temptation, "A kiss and a hug will make it all better."
Yu Chunmiao quickly put on her outer garment.
On the deserted country road, she sat on his shoulder, wrapping her arms around the man's head. Qi Chong steadied her legs as he ran back and forth, while Qian Duo Duo, panting, followed behind, clearly exhausted, yet Qi Chong showed no signs of fatigue.
They raced to the village entrance, and Yu Chunmiao spread her arms wide, feeling as if she could truly fly.
On the way back, Qi Chong slowed his pace, and Qian Duo Duo hung his head, trailing behind them slowly.
"Who wrote 'The one who first worries about the troubles of the world'?" Yu Chunmiao asked. "What did he do?"
"His name is Fan Zhongyan," she recalled from memory. "He was a good official. You’re not thinking of taking the imperial examination to become an official, are you?"
Qi Chong chuckled self-deprecatingly. "In this village, I seem different because I've read some books. But once I leave this village and enter the outside world, I’ll be nothing at all."
"I’m naturally reserved and don’t like to talk; I despise evil. If I were to become an official, I fear I wouldn’t last long before being devoured until there’s nothing left of me."
Yu Chunmiao summarized the personalities of their three brothers: "You are too rigid and easily broken; being gentle is your strength. You really aren’t suited to be an official. Yuan Er is straightforward and also not fit for it. Among the three of you, it seems only Qi Rong will manage to make a living in the officialdom."
Above them hung a crescent moon, casting a long shadow of their intertwined figures on the ground, just like their hearts and minds—each contained within the other.
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