Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Qin Yaru felt weak all over, struggling to rub her forehead as she sat on the muddy ground holding her son. Her mind was in a jumble, and the incessant chatter of Mrs. Sun had left her head heavy. Now that it was quiet, she finally had the strength to look around.
This was a very simple courtyard, but it was relatively tidy. To the east, there was a vegetable patch of about twenty square meters, lush and green. Although it only contained ordinary vegetables, it still looked charming.
There was a wooden house facing south, with drafty walls and in disrepair. Through the open window, she could see only a dark wooden bed, a half-broken bench, and a square table painted in bright red with intricate carvings. On top of it sat an oil lamp and a rough ceramic bowl.
Clinging to her leg was a boy of about three or four years old, his eyes red from crying. He wore a coarse hemp outfit patched up in places, which was relatively clean despite being a bit dusty at the cuffs from his playful nature.
Qin Yaru looked down at herself; she too was dressed in a narrow-sleeved skirt. A bitter smile involuntarily appeared on her face—she hadn't worn this outfit in over twenty years, yet here she was again. If she still didn't understand what had happened, she would truly be foolish!
"Mom, Mom?"
Seeing his mother lost in thought on the ground, the boy's face flashed with worry as he tugged at Qin Yaru's sleeve and called out through gritted teeth.
Qin Yaru reflexively patted the boy's back to soothe him into silence, a complex expression flickering in her eyes.
At that moment, hurried footsteps approached from outside. A middle-aged woman with her hair wrapped in coarse blue cloth came over, carrying a wooden bucket of water and walking unsteadily.
"Da Lang, what happened?"
"Aunt Wang, please come see my mom!" Da Lang exclaimed joyfully upon seeing her.
The woman entered and saw Qin Yaru sitting on the ground with a furrowed brow. She quickly set down the bucket and reached out to help her up while chattering away: "Could it be that that old shrew from the Zhou family is causing trouble again? Consort Qin, it's not that I'm criticizing you, but your temperament is too soft. Now that your husband has gone to Beijing for the exams, I may be just an ordinary person, but I know how difficult these exams are. It’s common for someone to be away for three or five years. You’re home alone taking care of Da Lang; if you don’t toughen up a bit, how will you manage?"
After scolding her for a while and seeing Qin Yaru's sorrowful expression with flushed cheeks looking pitifully delicate, Aunt Wang couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. Together with Da Lang on either side, they helped Qin Yaru into the house and onto the bed. She sighed inwardly; it was indeed difficult for such an elegant and beautiful wife to engage in verbal disputes with an ordinary villager.
Qin Yaru was beautiful—she had a slender waist and curvy hips, delicate and graceful skin, and long slanted phoenix eyes with pupils as dark as ink. Even her slight frown or gentle smile were charming beyond compare; she exuded an alluring charm without being overly seductive. Anyone who saw her would surely give her high praise for her beauty.
Even when compared to the renowned beauties of Kaifeng City, she stood out significantly.
However, such beauty in this place was bound to attract trouble.
Men from the surrounding villages often found excuses to sneak into the Chen Family, hoping to catch a glimpse of Consort Qin's lovely face. During this season, when the customs were still relatively simple, and with the Chen Family being quite prosperous in Wudang County, Consort Qin maintained a dignified demeanor and rarely ventured outside. The locals held her in some regard, especially since her husband was a respected scholar, allowing her life to remain stable.
Yet, they had a troublesome neighbor. Mrs. Sun next door was known for her fierce temperament and often caused a scene, which the locals had grown accustomed to.
"I just hope Chen Wulang passes the imperial examination and returns soon, so he can earn back your phoenix crown and robes, not tarnishing your talent and beauty," Sister Wang sighed.
Qin Yaru lowered her gaze—indeed, that person had passed the examination and was even appointed as the Top Scholar by the Sage, parading through the streets in glory. But she felt unworthy of such a crown and robes!
Sister Wang continued to chatter on about various matters. "You must keep your doors tightly shut while you're home alone. If that old tiger from the Zhou family comes to cause trouble, just shout for help; I'll come to drive her away."
Qin Yaru listened quietly, nodding gently with a hint of a smile in her eyes. "Sister-in-law, don't worry; I'm fine."
She wasn't afraid of that old tiger; it was Zhou Erlang from the Zhou family who truly disgusted her.
Seeing Qin Yaru's expression as gentle as ever but with newfound resilience in her brows and a glow on her face—despite looking tired—Sister Wang felt relieved. As dusk deepened and Da Lang began to nod off sleepily, she decided not to linger longer and left after giving a few instructions.
After Sister Wang departed, Qin Yaru sat quietly for a while. Eventually, as darkness fell, she snapped back to reality and noticed Da Lang half-asleep on the bed with his stomach growling and tears still in his eyes. A mix of emotions swirled within her, but she followed the long-buried memories and slowly made her way to the kitchen.
Upon entering, she glanced around until she found the rice jar in the corner. She grabbed a handful of millet, rinsed it clean, then took out a chipped pot, washed it thoroughly, and prepared to cook.
However, when it came time to start the fire, Qin Yaru struggled with the flint for quite some time before finally managing to ignite the kindling. Watching the bright yellow flames flicker up, she couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness—after more than twenty years without lighting a fire like this, even someone like her who had once been accustomed to such tasks felt clumsy.
Before becoming Qin Yaru, she was the daughter of an official family during the Northern Song Dynasty, born with the name Qin Yaru. She married the renowned top scholar Chen Wulang, also known as Chen Wenyue.
At that time, she was filled with joy. Besides longing for the phoenix crown and the colorful robes, she hoped that the officials would hear her father's grievances and clear the Qin Family's name. However, she never expected that her husband, the esteemed top scholar, would take another wife and even marry a princess!
In the stories passed down through the ages, Qin Xianglian went to the capital to sue Duke Consort Chen Shimei, who was punished, and justice was served. What a thrilling tale it was! But that was merely a story.
Qin Yaru smiled bitterly; her fate was similar to that of Qin Xianglian. Yet her life did not resemble that of Qin Xianglian in the story, who encountered a Bao Gong willing to stand up for her. She did not know what happened to Qin Xianglian in the story, who ended up with her two children. All she knew was that she had never had the courage to resist her fate and helplessly transformed from a legitimate wife into a concubine, even less than a concubine.
Fortunately, it is not too late now!
Her pink nails unknowingly dug into her palm, blood seeping out, but Qin Yaru felt nothing—her father and elder brother were still alive, and her younger sister was doing well. Their family would surely reunite one day.
"Mother, I'm hungry."
Da Lang leaned against the wooden door of the kitchen, rubbing his eyes with a timid gaze, resembling a discarded beast.
Qin Yaru bit her lip hard enough to draw blood from her lightly tinted lips. The pain surged forth uncontrollably, but in the end, she couldn't bear it. With a long sigh, she softened her expression: "Wait a moment; I'll make you some porridge."
Comment 0 Comment Count