After the family fell, I wanted to lie down

Chapter 121 A House with Many Wives and Concubines

The poem "Young Man's Chivalry" was of great significance to them. When they heard that this poem was going to be used, they were immediately shocked. Many people frowned and looked at the woman sitting in the middle of the field, somewhat worried about whether she could perfectly interpret the essence of the poem.

How could such a delicate woman display such aura? The softness in the previous "Shui Tiao Ge Tou" was acceptable, but everyone was confused at this time.

Yutang didn't explain anything but just smiled at me, looked at the person sitting in front of him and said, "Master Yingzi said it's okay, then it's okay."

Seeing everyone's doubts, Yingge said, "It's not just chanting." She seemed to not want to continue here, but after a slight pause, she continued, "I think there may be something else." Zhilin said from the side.

Everyone looked at him and he didn't speak. Ye Muyang couldn't wait any longer and said, "What are you talking about? If you have something to say, just say it directly."

"You can dance with swords." The young men's eyes suddenly lit up when they danced with swords. Su Qinghe nodded and said, "That's great. This way you won't look weak. The sword energy can dilute the weak energy."

Yu Tang was now anxious, "But I don't know how to dance with a sword."

"What's the problem? Of course there is someone who can teach you." Zhilin looked at Yingge without saying anything. Everyone looked at the boy in front of them. The boy's face was as calm as ever with a hint of embarrassment.

"I just said you were weird. Why so many people came this time? I feel embarrassed." These words made the teenagers present burst into laughter.

"San Sanlang, come one more, San Sanlang, come one more!" everyone cheered.

In my impression, Yingge is quiet and polite. She composes poems and couplets, but rarely wields swords or guns. Most of the time, she goes unnoticed, but no one can ignore her presence.

Su Qingyu stood up and said, "Come, come, let me tell you, San Sanlang is very powerful. She learned martial arts from the Liu family's martial arts master, and she is as good as two people at once."

The teenagers were in an uproar, and it was obvious that some of them did not quite believe what he said.

Some people even took direct action and said, "Come on, come on, take it out for a spin and you'll know whether it's a mule or a horse."

Suddenly there was a quarrel in Xiaolin Hall.

The young men here were making a fuss and making way for each other. They took off their outer shirts one by one, wearing tight-sleeved shirts inside, tied their belts, and picked up the crutches in their hands. Suddenly, she moved, thrust the bamboo sticks forward, took a step, and kicked.

"The young knight is on the march, with lofty ambitions filling the universe." Her recitation of the poem is accompanied by actions.

The noise here also attracted the women who were enjoying the scenery not far away, and they all gathered around curiously. Fu Zijing's steps that had originally been walking out of the yard also stopped. In the winter, the woods and white trees were intertwined. The young man in blue clothes was nimble and his movements were crisp. He used the bamboo stick in front of him to either poke or chop, with softness and strength. He recited poems in his mouth, seeming to be full of energy and yet depressed.

The noise gradually died down, and Zhilin, who was playing the piano nearby, also stopped. Only the young man in the crowd was seen dancing with a sword.

It seemed like a long time had passed, and then in the blink of an eye, the young man stood in the middle, tapping the ground with his bamboo stick, and asked, "Are you okay?"

The young man's demeanor left everyone speechless. The women also gathered around and cheered, and some were even bold enough to directly call out "Master Yingge."

One of them actually started shouting, and the others followed suit, and the boys started joking again. Su Qinghe looked at the boy standing there with his bamboo stick in his hand, and glanced at Yutang beside him and said, "You will also dress up as a man and you will definitely look stunning."

The gathering in the mountains did not last long, and the sword dance was not something Yu Tang could learn by just practicing it once or twice. After agreeing on a time to come back to learn, everyone left with satisfied smiles.

The women who were watching probably guessed that there would be nothing exciting to watch later, so they all dispersed and went home.

Yutang also smiled and did not stay long with the group of young men. He got on the carriage and drove into the city.

Ye Muyang invited Yingge to go to the restaurant for a drink, but Yingge did not agree. A group of young men of all ages were walking on the street.

The young men were dressed in fine clothes and riding horses, singing and marching, which was very eye-catching. "Master Yingzi, do you want some fish?"

A familiar voice of greeting came from the side. Yingge looked over and said to the fishmonger with a smile, "No need today, big sister." The boys laughed again, "Yingge, look, even the fishmonger is willing to give you fish, why not give it to me."

Before Yingge could reply, the young man said, "Because Master Yingzi calls me Big Sister, and you call me Auntie."

The boys burst into laughter again. "San San Lang is really extraordinary. He even didn't let the eldest sister go. His mouth is as sweet as honey."

Yingge smiled but did not reply. The people who took over watched the group of teenagers pass by. Only Liu Abao, who was among the onlookers, glared at the fishmongering woman. He thought that Yingge was really a disaster, attracting women everywhere and being a man, he couldn't be kept at home.

Su Qingyu came back from the party and didn't see Su Qinghe. She wondered, "Is he studying hard again?"

The maidservant in the room said, "No, Master Qinghe was led astray by Master Qingyu. He is now at the stage."

On the stage, this was quite new. Su Qinghe had never liked singing operas. This news made him curious and surprised. He tapped the little maid on the forehead and said, "You are naughty, aren't you? It's not me who led you astray. Singing operas is obviously a hobby of yours, isn't it?"

It was getting dark, and a few lanterns were lit on the Su family's stage, casting flickering light on the stage. A man dressed as a martial artist was singing Life and Death.

Su Qinghe sat under the stage, looking focused and distracted. Su Qingyu sat down beside him and asked, "Brother, I remember you never liked watching plays, why are you here now?"

"Look, this piece is very interesting, and the martial artist is very beautiful."

The Suqing River is "beautiful, but it's a little different."

"Well, not quite the same? What does that mean?" Su Qingyu was puzzled.

Su Qingyu looked at the dancing martial artist on the stage. He was dressed in gorgeous clothes and was handsome. He seemed puzzled and said, "What's the difference? They are all the same."

Su Qinghe said, “Different means different.

"Brother, you are talking nonsense. How about I sing for you?" After saying that, she flicked her sleeves and went on stage. After a simple dress-up, Su Qingyu began to speak, "My dear, you have a sandalwood table and jade desk, four treasures of the study, various schools of thought, the Book of Rites and the Spring and Autumn Annals, a thousand volumes of poetry and books, and a hundred scrolls of paintings. Look at that scroll..."

Su Qinghe looked at Su Qingyu on the stage and found it a little funny. "What's wrong with me? Studying is studying. Why am I having random thoughts?"

A long, clear voice spread throughout the Su family's yard. Su Qingyu on the stage sang a song very happily. Su Qinghe glanced at her and smiled back.

On the fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, Mr. Zichun reminded everyone that the county examination was approaching and that all candidates should work hard and not slack off during the New Year. Then everyone went back.

The school and shops were all closed, and the school became quiet without students. At night, in Xiaolin Hall at the foot of Qinghe Academy, Zhixing looked at an article in front of him and criticized it in a foul language, "Do you think I'm blind? Did you write this article?"

"Sir, you really have a keen eye. You can tell at a glance that this is not my article. Why don't you take a look at this one? Otherwise, your keen eye will be wasted."

Zhixing took a quick glance and said, "What a crap article."

"Is there such a terrible person? I would like to congratulate you, Mr. Ichiban."

"Where is the word congratulations?"

"Sir, you taught such a terrible person. Doesn't it feel like pie in the sky?"

"How do you say this?"

"Look, the teacher can teach a person who knows nothing, and he may even become the top scorer in the exam. Don't you think you feel a sense of accomplishment? Isn't this a surprise?"

Zhixing laughed dryly and said, "It's better not to have this surprise. I won't accept any more students. Just put away your cleverness."

"Ah, this is not good, the master saw through me again."

"Sir, are you going to accept a disciple or not?"

"Humph, do you think I'm a casual person? I won't accept it."

"If you release one sheep, do you also release two?"

"Do you think I accept disciples casually? I depend on opportunity. Otherwise, why do you think I chose you?"

"Otherwise, why don't you go to Mr. Zichun yourself?"

"Hey, I originally thought that you have great abilities and can easily change a person's fate."

Zhixing grabbed a handful of beans from the table and said with some sarcasm and disdain, "How do you know that if you change your fate, then it is a good fate? A person's life destiny should be in his own hands. If you can't control your own fate and leave it to others, then it is not called fate."

Yingge retracted the article and said, "If you don't want to teach, forget it. Why do you have to feed others poisonous chicken soup?"

Chicken soup. Zhixing, who already understood Yingge's logic, poked the chicken on the plate with chopsticks and said, "You are so mean. Even if there is chicken soup, I won't give it to you, so as not to ruin it. Go and write another article."

"You are taking revenge."

"Hey, how could that be? Do I look like that kind of person? What I mean is that you should revise this article. If you don't revise it, it will just be a piece of crap."

Yingge lowered her head and took a serious look at it. Well, this article was written by Zhilin, originally because she wanted him to make some progress in his studies.

But Zhilin did not give her this opportunity.

Yingge was stopped at the city gate. She ignored the strange looks from others and watched Zhilin pushing two pigs out of the city with great effort. "It's almost the end of the year, and there are many people buying meat. I've been busy for several days. I saw Yutang's sword dance, and she has basically mastered it. Master Yingzi taught her well."

Yingge smiled and said, "The young man is chivalrous, and she can sing it without any problems. Zhilin, you taught her well."

Due to time constraints, the two of them have been teaching Yu Tang at different times during this period and have had almost no chance to meet each other, but they also know each other's progress.

"So, what do you think of the article I wrote after so long?"

He actually asked, what should I do? Yingge didn't know how to reply him. If she said okay, it would be a bit against her will. If she said no, it would hurt people. Otherwise, she could say that she hadn't had time to read it, but this was also a lie, and it was not good to lie...

Zhilin was amused when he saw her embarrassment. He raised his sleeve to wipe the sweat off his forehead and said, "Is it not okay? You won't talk anymore."

I still couldn't hide it from him. I have been writing articles with him all these days, but I never told him that he had taken over. Naturally, he always reports good news but not bad news. I guess he would have guessed it himself.

"Well, you should read more books. You have much less time to read than others. I shouldn't have asked you to write articles."

"In fact, I know even without you telling me that I don't have much talent for studying."

Oh, this can be guessed, Yingge was stunned.

"In fact, I know something even if you don't tell me. When I first entered school, a teacher said that my academic performance depended entirely on luck, but I had some talent in music, chess, calligraphy and painting. For example, I usually learn music and chess very quickly. This may be inherited from my father. But I am very slow in studying. I thought I would make some progress after three years."

Yingge said, "In fact, you haven't even been studying for three years. It's not that long at all."

"Actually, I feel like I'll be the same no matter how many years I study. You're much better than me."

Yingge said, "I'm different, I'm different, I...learned it a long time ago, I can't compare."

"So I'm not comparing myself to anyone. How can people be the same? You don't have to comfort me. I'm fine."

At this time, because the two of them were standing on the road and talking, they blocked the way of others. Hearing an urging voice behind them, they hurriedly moved to the side of the road. Yingge also helped push the pig-carrying cart forward some distance.

“It stinks, doesn’t it?

"It's not bad."

"I've told you before that I'm not studying for the sake of the imperial examination. Of course, it would be great if I could pass the imperial examination, but I study just because I like it. Although my teacher says that I'm not talented, I'll just study slowly, one year, two years, three years, or five or ten years. After all, I'm doing what I like, and it won't be hard."

Yingge looked at him and said this. After he finished speaking, Yingge bowed to him and said, "It seems that I was wrong."

Zhilin said, "Yes, you are wrong."

The two smiled at each other, and Zhilin pointed to the lane beside him and said, "Okay, I have to get busy. The meat sold at the Zhang family's pork shop is very expensive during the New Year. If you need it, go buy it, but I won't give you a discount. The master of the Zhang family is very stingy."

Yingge waved his hand and said, "It's okay, we are not short of money."

Zhilin smiled again, pulled the rope on the car and walked forward.

"Or I'll help you push the cart."

"No, no, it's just snowing, not raining. It's okay, I can do it myself. You should go back quickly. It's cold and we have to worship our ancestors today."

Yingge stood on the side of the road with her hands tucked into her sleeves, watching Zhilin pulling a cart loaded with pig cages and blending into the crowd.

During the Chinese New Year, firecrackers were set off in every household. The same was true in the mixed courtyard. The children wore new clothes and held cakes in their hands. When they saw Yingge coming, they all called him "Young Master Yingzi". Yingge greeted them with a smile. Xue and Xiao Taohong were busy packing up at home. Yingge had not celebrated the Spring Festival since her relatives in modern times passed away. This was her first time experiencing it in ancient times. Peach charms, door gods, spring invitations... all kinds of things were pasted on the door and the front wall. He stood at the door and saw Xue's mother and Xiao Taohong busying around. He looked dazed for a moment, as if nothing was so real now.

"Ge'er, it's so cold, what are you doing standing at the door? Come in." Then she pointed at the door and said, "Hey, go hang up the lantern. Wait a little longer and we'll almost have dinner."

On New Year's Eve, Xue and Yingge were the only ones left in the mixed courtyard. All the servants who had families were given a day off. At this time, the sounds of the lively ancestor worship ceremony from the Liu family could also be heard here.

Yingge looked at Xue who was humming a little tune and making dumplings under the lamp, and asked in confusion, "Mom, don't we worship our ancestors?"

Xue's mother was stunned by her question, and then seemed to suddenly realize and said, "Oh, I forgot, you don't remember what happened before. Our ancestor worship has always been simple." After that, she looked at the sky outside and said, "Then let's worship our ancestors." After that, she carried two futons, a pot of wine and two plates of cakes, and went to one direction of the yard. She asked Yingge to kneel down, and she knelt on another futon.

"Okay, just kowtow three times to the sky." Xue said.

Yingge knelt down according to Xue's mother's instructions. She was speechless. It was the first time in her life that she had seen such an ancestor worship. Was it a little too trifling?

Then she turned around to look at Xue's mother behind her. Aren't elders supposed to kneel in front of the younger ones when offering sacrifices to their ancestors? Why did her family do it the other way around? Was this also a tradition that she didn't know about? Well, raising a daughter as a son is the biggest tradition, right? Forget it, I won't ask. It's New Year's Day, and it won't be good to ask and cause Xue's mother to be sad. So let it be.

Yingge leaned forward and kowtowed. At this moment, she did not notice that Xue's mother behind her was following her and bowing with a bit of humility when she kowtowed.

I knocked outside and heard the crackling sound of firecrackers, followed by the noise of children. Brilliant fireworks were blooming in the night sky and the air was filled with the scent of pine.

Xue smiled and said, "It's time for Master Liu to set off the fireworks. Let's go and have a look."

Yingge and Xue's mother walked out. There was a crowd of people outside the Liu family's house. Adults and children were watching the fireworks with laughter. This night would probably last until dawn.

Yingge looked at the night sky and thought of Zhixing. She was not worried about him. He had said it himself last time. He had a large number of wives, concubines and children, and when he left, he did not tell her when he would come back.

I'm just a little curious and wonder what his home is like with so many wives and concubines.