Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Feeling drowsy, Xing Ruyi was startled awake by the loud crackling of firecrackers. Annoyed, she sat up and saw a white shadow dart out of the window. Looking down, she noticed two distinct fox paw prints imprinted on her light pink shirt.
"Stinky Fox, Seductive Fox, get back here!"
Her shout was powerful enough to knock a few leaves off the windowsill, but not a single hair from the fox remained.
"Stinky Fox, you dead fox! Not only did you vanish without a trace, but you also dared to take advantage of me while I was sleeping." She slapped the paw prints on her chest in frustration, feeling like biting her tongue. Why was it that everyone else got to be taken advantage of by handsome men while she had to suffer at the hands of a Seductive Fox?
The sound of firecrackers grew closer, and Xing Ruyi decided not to dwell on the paw prints any longer. She changed into a Crescent White shirt and rushed out into the courtyard. As she reached the door, she paused to tidy her appearance, lifting her skirt like a proper lady before opening the door.
As soon as she opened it, a burst of firecracker debris hit her eyelids. Just as she was about to curse, she heard a familiar voice asking, "Are you hurt?"
"I'm not injured, just a bit sore," Xing Ruyi replied, rubbing her eyelids and lamenting her bad luck for not checking the almanac before heading out today.
"Don't rub it; let me take a look." The hand rubbing her eyelids was gently removed, revealing a very familiar face through her squinted vision.
"Brother Chang, long time no see! What are you doing here?"
"It's not broken; just a little red," Chang Tai said dismissively, his eyes reflecting a sense of melancholy that clearly wasn't due to Xing Ruyi.
"Setting off firecrackers this early in the morning—what's going on? Is someone opening a business or getting married?" Xing Ruyi stood on tiptoe but could only see a sea of red ahead along with a crowd gathered to watch, making it hard to discern what was happening.
"It's Yanniang," Chang Tai replied with an air of dejection.
"What about Yanniang?" Xing Ruyi, still on her tiptoes, turned her gaze back upon hearing the name Yanniang. "Isn't Yanniang's illness completely cured? Why hasn't she agreed to marry you?"
Chang Tai forced a bitter smile and pointed ahead. "The one sitting in that sedan chair is Yanniang; today is her wedding day."
"Ah!" Xing Ruyi exclaimed in surprise, almost biting her tongue. She could only hold her cheeks and exhale. "Yanniang is getting married today? Then you... you... oh, I understand now. The woman you love is marrying someone else; no wonder you look so desolate and your eyes so gloomy."
Xing Ruyi was not the only one affected; Chang Tai, a strong man, was on the verge of tears, but he held back, his nostrils twitching in restraint.
Xing Ruyi shook her head and pulled Chang Tai into the courtyard, closing the door behind them. She then said to him, "If you want to cry, just cry. Men are not made of steel or rough wood; there are times when they feel sad and shed tears. Isn't there a song that says? 'It's not a crime for a man to cry.' Oh, I forgot; you probably haven't heard that song. But it doesn't matter; I've closed the door. Now it's just the two of us in the courtyard. Even if you cry, no one will see you; it won't tarnish your reputation as a wise Constable."
As Xing Ruyi rambled on, Chang Tai suddenly turned his back to her, facing the wall, his shoulders shaking violently.
This was the second time Xing Ruyi had seen a man cry, and this time it was a burly man. The first time was with her father when she was about eight or nine years old. Her mother had been hit by a truck that ran a red light while out shopping and died instantly. That deep night after her mother's funeral, she woke up groggily to hear someone crying—a low sound, heavily suppressed. She tiptoed out of her bedroom and saw her father sitting on the sofa with her mother's photo on the coffee table in front of him.
She felt shocked because from the moment she learned of her mother's passing until the funeral, her father had remained unusually calm—so calm that it made her feel he had never cared for her mother at all. But now he was crying, weeping over her mother's photo. Not knowing what to do, she cautiously moved beside him, wrapped her arms around his waist, and pressed her face against him.
Then suddenly, her father turned around and embraced her tightly, beginning to sob loudly as if releasing all his pent-up sorrow like floodgates bursting open. It was then that Xing Ruyi realized men could be even more terrifyingly sorrowful than women.
She looked at Chang Tai's trembling shoulders, gently pressed her lips together, walked over, and wrapped her arms around his waist from behind. Chang Tai's body stiffened for a moment before he began to sob softly.
"Brother Chang, if you're going to cry, then let it all out. Once you're done crying, you'll find that the sky is still blue and the water is still clear. As for Yanniang, you should be happy for her; she has finally found someone she loves. With such a grand ceremony and such an elaborate wedding procession, she should be happy, right?"
Xing Ruyi had expected Chang Tai to wail like her father did back then; however, he managed to suppress even his quiet sobs.
"Sister Ruyi, men and women should not have close contact, and do not let Chang Tai tarnish your reputation."
Xing Ruyi thought long and hard, never expecting that Chang Tai would utter such a hypocritical remark at such a sorrowful moment. She rolled her eyes in frustration and headed to the kitchen.
"Brother Chang, you can cry by yourself for now. I'll go prepare some food and drinks so you don't get thirsty from all those tears."
Chang Tai was feeling quite miserable when he heard Xing Ruyi's words. His mouth twitched, and he couldn't help but laugh. With that laugh, much of the sadness that had been weighing on his heart seemed to dissipate. He looked outside through the door; the sound of firecrackers was gradually fading away. Perhaps Sister Ruyi was right; he should bless Yanniang instead of standing here feeling sad.
In the kitchen, Xing Ruyi diced yam, carrots, and bell peppers, adding peas and corn, then stir-fried them with minced garlic and scallions. A colorful dish of Colorful Yam Dices was ready in no time. Afterward, she took some ice cubes from the Ice Cell that had been stored during winter, sliced bitter melon thinly to blanch it in water for marination, and placed it on top of the ice. She also carved carrots into flower shapes for decoration. Finally, she prepared a plate of Drunken Peanuts and brought out her homemade Plum Wine to serve in the courtyard.
Comment 0 Comment Count