RATMOFANF: Chapter 76

Glossary

·Shen Jingxiu: The female protagonist, wife of Li Ling.

·Li Ling: The male protagonist, heir of Zhenguo Duke Manor.

·Xu Wanning: Li Xian's wife.

·Qingluan: Ninth Princess, Li Ling's cousin.

·Liu Yunzhi: The scholar from Jiangnan.

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Chapter 76: A Heavy Feeling Settled in Jingxiu's Heart

True to his reputation as a renowned talent, Liu Yunzhi's travelogue was not only compiled with clear logic and distinct layers but was also written in elegant prose that captivated the reader.

The book encompassed not only the landscapes, geographical features, and local customs within the Great Qi empire but also contained detailed descriptions of the surrounding states. Furthermore, for the more profound and difficult-to-understand sections, the author had provided detailed annotations.

It was evident this book was the product of immense painstaking effort.

Upon returning to Qingfeng Yuan, Jingxiu picked up the book and began reading it with great interest.

When Li Ling returned from duty, he saw his wife reclining on the daybed, engrossed in reading. He walked straight to her side. "You're in quite a leisurely mood today." As he spoke, he took the book from her hand. "What are you reading?"

Li Ling glanced down and murmured to himself, "Oh, a travelogue." He casually flipped through a few pages and couldn't help but praise, "Compiled quite well. It seems like a good book."

"Where did you get it?" Li Ling asked offhandedly.

Jingxiu took the book back from him, closed it, and pointed to Liu Yunzhi's inscribed name on the cover. "A gift from Master Liu."

When Li Ling saw the name "Liu Yunzhi" on the cover, the smile on his face instantly vanished.

He glanced at his wife and asked, "He came to the manor today? Or did he have someone else deliver it to you?"

Jingxiu put the book down and looked at Li Ling. "I was just about to ask you. Third Sister said it was you who ordered the gatekeepers not to let him in. Is that true?"

Li Ling stood up and began taking off his official robes by himself. His expression indifferent, he admitted, "Indeed, it was my order."

Jingxiu slipped on her soft shoes and got off the daybed. She took the official robes he had removed and hung them properly on the clothes rack. "A visitor is a guest. Moreover, Master Liu is the teacher of Third Sister and Xing'er at the official academy. How could you treat him so discourteously?"

Li Ling's face darkened with a cold snort. "I just find that fellow surnamed Liu unpleasant to look at."

Jingxiu asked, puzzled, "Do you have some past grievance with Master Liu, Husband?"

Li Ling's face showed disdain as he scoffed, "He's just a fellow who plays with brush and ink. What grievance could I possibly have with him?"

This was just being unreasonable.

Jingxiu replied, "Since there's no grievance, your actions today were truly impolite. What will Master Liu think of us? I'm afraid he might become biased against Third Sister and Xing'er in the future."

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Li Ling raised an eyebrow sharply. "He wouldn't dare! If he truly angers me, don't blame me for driving him out of Chang'an City."

His face was somber, and his tone carried a sharp edge.

Li Ling was not the type to bully others by flaunting his power, but today he seemed to have taken the wrong medicine.

Jingxiu looked at him incredulously. "For no reason, why must you pick a fight with Master Liu?"

She glanced at his cold expression and asked tentatively, "Did you encounter some tricky matter outside?"

Li Ling came back to his senses. Seeing the slight worry in his wife's eyes, his expression finally softened a little. He stepped forward and put an arm around her shoulder. "It's nothing. It's just that this fellow surnamed Liu doesn't look like a proper gentleman. Stay away from him in the future."

As he spoke, he walked to the daybed, picked up the travelogue, and continued, "I'll have someone return this book to him later."

Finally, Jingxiu understood the reason for Li Ling's behavior.

She looked at Li Ling with a smile. "Master Liu's visit today was simply to thank me and Third Sister for helping him the other day. Don't misunderstand."

Seeing Li Ling's face darken again, Jingxiu walked up to him. Glancing at his expression, she suppressed a smile and said, "Are you jealous?"

Someone as stern and solemn as Li Ling would certainly not admit to that. He threw the book in his hand down, turned away with a cold face, and lay flat on the bed by himself.

As if he had suffered some great injustice.

Jingxiu laughed inwardly at his childishness but dared not show it on her face. She walked to the bedside, sat on the footstool, and reached out to pinch Li Ling's nose.

Li Ling, however, turned his head away from her hand, his face still gloomy.

Jingxiu took off her shoes and got onto the bed. Leaning over him, she whispered in his ear, "Really angry? Not going to talk to me?"

Seeing Li Ling remain motionless with a sullen face, Jingxiu lost her patience with his stubbornness. "Fine, sulk here by yourself then. I still have a lot of things to attend to." With that, she got up to leave the bed.

But just as she had slipped on her shoes, Li Ling grabbed her, pulled her back onto the bed, and immediately the light gauze bed curtains fell.

"It's broad daylight. What are you doing?" Jingxiu whispered, lowering her voice.

Li Ling looked at his young wife beneath him and replied, "You barely said three kind words to me just now before losing patience." Then, his voice became husky. "It seems you need another lesson."

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Jingxiu giggled. "Who told you to be so petty? A grown man still needs coaxing?"

After a bout of intimacy, the two fell asleep in each other's arms. When they woke, the moon was already hanging from the willow branches.

Jingxiu got up and pushed Li Ling. "Get up quickly. After dinner, I still have to sort through the accounts."

Li Ling got up as well, pinched his young wife's ear, and replied, "During the day, you were only interested in reading that idle book hastily compiled by that scholar. Now you remember proper business."

As she dressed, Jingxiu replied, "When you first saw the book, you praised it as good. Now you're changing your expression faster than turning a page."

He hadn't known then that the book was authored by that fellow surnamed Liu.

Bringing this up again, Li Ling still felt disgruntled. He turned to his wife and said, "Reading too much hurts your eyes. If you feel bored, when the Lantern Festival comes, I'll take you to see the lanterns."

Jingxiu agreed. Once they were both ready, they called for Ziyun to serve the meal.

As Ziyun was directing Danzhu and Bilü to set the table, Xu Wanning arrived. Seeing Ziyun carrying a food box into the inner room from outside, she asked, "It's so late already. Why are you only having dinner now?"

Ziyun naturally wouldn't tell the truth that ever since the young master returned in the evening, the young couple had been shut inside the room being intimately affectionate.

She smiled and evaded politely, "The young master returned late today, so the schedule was delayed."

Just then, hearing Xu Wanning's voice, Jingxiu came out to greet her. "Eldest Sister-in-law, please come in."

Xu Wanning entered the room, glanced at the half-set table, and said, "You haven't eaten yet. I won't stay long. I just came from Grandmother's place. There's news from the palace." She looked at Jingxiu and asked, "Guess which courtyard the Ninth Princess chose for her stay?"

That morning, Jingxiu had already sent someone to deliver the sketches of the three top-notch courtyards into the palace. She hadn't expected a reply so quickly.

Jingxiu smiled and replied, "Anyway, all three courtyards are excellent. Whichever the Ninth Princess chooses, we'll just have someone arrange it according to her preferences."

Xu Wanning sighed. "If she had chosen one of those three, there'd be nothing to say, and no need for extra effort."

Jingxiu asked, puzzled, "Did she not fancy any of the three?"

Xu Wanning said bluntly, "Exactly. A female official from the palace came to report earlier. She said our imperial cousin wants to stay in Zizhu Ge."

Xu Wanning complained, "That courtyard is small and old. It's been empty for a long time. I really don't know what she was thinking to fancy that place."

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

That courtyard, Zizhu Ge, indeed wasn't the best choice. However, it was only a few steps away from the North Study where Li Ling handled official business, and also not far from their own Qingfeng Yuan.

A heavy feeling settled in Jingxiu's heart. She couldn't help but glance at Li Ling.

(End of Chapter)

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