Sweet and Sour Memories (Ziqiu’s Side Story)
Zhou Ziqiu felt that only the first nineteen years of her life were joyful, especially the year she met Shi Li. That year became a solace she would often recall in her lonely remaining years.
It was the 106th year of the Great Qi dynasty. The soldiers on the expedition repeatedly achieved extraordinary feats, with King Si Rong and General-in-Chief Biaoji earning the most distinguished merits. The Western Xia was continuously defeated, the border situation slightly stabilized, and the common people, long trapped in turmoil, finally caught a breath.
The flowers in Bianjing bloomed most splendidly that year. From a distance, countless carved railings and painted buildings were hidden in a mist of pink and white, a sight even celestial beings would commend as a fairyland.
Because her elder brother was not in the capital, her sister-in-law happened to be ill, and the elders were aged, it fell upon Zhou Ziqiu to come forward and attend the Chief Minister of Qi’s banquet.
The title of the most beautiful woman in the capital was not without reason. Even if she was somewhat lazy in her grooming today, when Zhou Ziqiu alighted with the help of Chunhong’s hand, she still drew frequent glances. A young lad stared at her, forgetting his manners, only to be rapped on the back of the head by an elder beside him.
Zhou Ziqiu smiled gracefully and turned around to catch the six or seven-year-old Ci Ke. The girl had red lips and white teeth, and apart from her eyebrows and eyes, she bore some resemblance to Zhou Ziqiu, undoubtedly a budding beauty.
Ci Ke, being unaccustomed to going out, was somewhat shy and clung to Zhou Ziqiu’s leg like an ornament. Zhou Ziqiu, however, did not hold her: “Ci Ke, you are growing up, so you must walk on your own.”
The birthday banquet’s proceedings were mostly the same as usual. Zhou Ziqiu did not see any familiar female companions and felt rather bored, almost lulled to sleep by the sound of the qin several times. It wasn’t until Ci Ke accidentally broke a teacup that she slowly woke up.
“Please bring us another teacup and pour some tea,” Zhou Ziqiu said, adjusting her disheveled hairpin, to a girl who looked like a maid approaching her. The girl appeared taller than Zhou Ziqiu, dressed in plain peasant clothes, with long limbs, and walked silently.
The girl paused in her actions but said nothing.
“Did you hear me?” Zhou Ziqiu’s voice grew louder, her phoenix eyes lifted, revealing a somewhat arrogant tone.
The girl suddenly turned and left. After a while, she returned with a cup of clear tea and gently placed it on the table. Zhou Ziqiu, feeling somewhat thirsty, picked it up and took a sip.
“Ugh.” She turned her head and spat it all out.
“Stop right there! What did you pour for me?” The thing was sour and salty, unpleasant to drink. Zhou Ziqiu, somewhat annoyed, propped herself up on the table and grabbed the girl, finally getting a clear look at her face.
She did not seem to be from the Central Plains, with eyebrows that extended into her temples, a high-bridged nose, and deep-set eyes. The light-colored pupils reflected the sunlight, reminding one of wild animals in the mountains, untamed and rebellious.
The same light-colored hair curled and draped down from her temples in two strands, her skin showing a healthy complexion weathered by the elements, with a faint pink hue.
She looked about fifteen or sixteen years old, much younger than Zhou Ziqiu.
“Can’t you taste it?” The girl looked at her with downcast eyes, retrieving her arm. “It seems that not only is your eyesight poor, but your tongue is lacking as well.”
Zhou Ziqiu, who had just been astonished by the girl’s appearance, felt a surge of anger at these provocative words. Just as she was about to retort, she saw the girl pat her clothes and calmly sit in the seat next to her.
The words of reprimand stuck in her throat, and Zhou Ziqiu felt as if she was choking, unable to vent her frustration.
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Afterwards, Zhou Ziqiu, for some unknown reason, was compelled to inquire about the girl’s identity. Only then did she learn that the girl was a guest invited by the Chief Minister of Qi.
This was the first time Zhou Ziqiu met Shi Li.
The second time Zhou Ziqiu saw Shi Li was on the bustling Imperial Street in Bianjing. This time, she had sneaked out of the mansion to have fun, without bringing a single maid.
Even dressed in commoners’ attire, her appearance could not be concealed, like summer flowers in their prime, blooming under the brilliant sunlight.
On the long street, there was an old man making dough figurines. The figurines under his hands were vivid and lifelike, incredibly exquisite. Zhou Ziqiu stood among the crowd watching for a long time and picked the most beautiful one. Just as she was about to take out some silver, a slender hand from the opposite side placed a copper coin into the old man’s hand and precisely took away the dough figurine that Zhou Ziqiu had set her heart on.
Zhou Ziqiu looked up and saw that the person in front of her was none other than that girl from before. The remaining anger from last time flared up again. Zhou Ziqiu turned and squeezed out of the crowd, yanking Shi Li around in a circle.
“This dough figurine is the one I picked. If you want one, choose another!” Zhou Ziqiu reached out and snatched the dough figurine, slapping the copper coin into Shi Li’s palm.
Shi Li was initially a bit surprised. After seeing Zhou Ziqiu’s face clearly, she twisted her hand and snatched the figurine back.
“It’s really overbearing of you to say that. The figurine was there, and whoever bought it first owns it. If you were slow to take out your silver, how can you blame me?” Shi Li raised her dark eyebrows and stuffed the copper coin back into Zhou Ziqiu’s hand.
Seeing the figurine taken away again, Zhou Ziqiu’s temper flared up. She snatched it back: “I already told the old man that I wanted this one. It’s your fault for not listening, so you’re in the wrong first!”
Shi Li’s mouth opened slightly but said nothing more. With a flick of her left hand, Zhou Ziqiu hadn’t even seen what happened before the dough figurine was back in Shi Li’s palm.
“You!”
Zhou Ziqiu’s eyes reddened with anger, but before she could speak, Shi Li interrupted her lazily: “Young lady, I am a person of the Jianghu, not like the servants in your household. You can’t just say whatever you want. If you truly want it, you have to follow the rules of the Jianghu and take it yourself. Only if you have the skill to take it will it be yours.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Zhou Ziqiu’s hand reached out towards her. Shi Li, however, was unconcerned. She leaned back slightly and let go of the dough figurine with her left hand, letting it fall straight down and land steadily in her right hand, evading Zhou Ziqiu’s grasp.
Refusing to give up, Zhou Ziqiu tried to snatch it several more times, but she couldn’t even touch the stick of the figurine. In her final attempt, she lunged too aggressively, tripping and falling towards Shi Li. Shi Li lightly sidestepped, and the capital’s most beautiful woman staggered several steps. Fortunately, a tree stopped her fall, saving her flower-like face from hitting the ground.
Zhou Ziqiu was both angry and embarrassed. If it weren’t for her stubborn pride, she might have cried right there on the street. Instead, she leaned against the locust tree, glaring furiously at the girl in front of her.
Those phoenix eyes were truly beautiful, but Shi Li seemed completely unmoved. She shook the dough figurine triumphantly in her hand and swaggered past Zhou Ziqiu.
Zhou Ziqiu had been pampered all her life. Because of her status, no one ever spoke harshly to her, especially her elder brother, who indulged her in everything and never said a single harsh word.
Thus, she had never despised anyone as much as she despised Shi Li.
Life is full of disappointments. After this incident, almost every time she went out, she would run into Shi Li, and almost every time they would end up in a fierce argument.
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However, just when Zhou Ziqiu thought she would forever despise her, their relationship suddenly took a turn.
She couldn’t recall which encounter marked the change; she only remembered that the weather was fine that day. A girl from the neighboring house had invited her to go pick out some new rouge, so she took Chunhong and went out. As they walked to a place shaded by an ancient locust tree, she looked up and saw Shi Li lying on one of the branches.
Zhou Ziqiu snorted through her nose, which made Shi Li look down and glance at her. “What a narrow world it is for enemies to meet. I only came out for some peace and quiet, yet here I am running into the great Miss Zhou again.”
“Do you think I want to run into you?” Zhou Ziqiu retorted sarcastically, “You’ve ruined my mood for no reason.”
At her words, Shi Li flipped her long legs, instantly dropping from the tree. The branches shook with her movement, scattering raindrop-like water droplets all over Zhou Ziqiu.
Zhou Ziqiu hurriedly tried to dodge, but she couldn’t avoid it. Seeing the pink gauze dress her brother had given her now stained with mud spots, she couldn’t hide her anger: “Shi Li!”
Shi Li hadn’t meant to dirty her dress and was momentarily stunned. She wanted to step forward to check, but Zhou Ziqiu pushed her away.
“Why are you so awful? Every time I meet you, nothing good ever happens!” Zhou Ziqiu, overwhelmed by anger, lost her composure and spoke harshly, “They were right. People like you really have no manners.”
Hearing this, Shi Li frowned: “What kind of people have no manners? Is judging people by their appearance right from the start considered well-mannered, Miss Zhou?”
“You know very well what kind of person would raise someone as unruly as you. There’s no need for me to repeat it.” Zhou Ziqiu held back her tears and turned around, but suddenly felt a tightness in her collar. Her feet left the ground, and she couldn’t help but scream in surprise.
When her vision steadied again, she found herself standing on a tree branch more than ten feet high. The branch swayed, scaring her so much that her face turned pale and her legs went weak, forcing her to cling tightly to the trunk.
Meanwhile, Shi Li had somehow returned to the ground, standing there with her arms crossed and a look of displeasure on her face.
“What are you doing!” Zhou Ziqiu couldn’t hold back her tears this time and shouted, sniffling, “Chunhong, why aren’t you calling for help!”
The maid, who had been scared stiff, snapped back to her senses, lifted her skirt, and ran off, quickly disappearing from sight.
“We martial artists never bully the weak, but we also won’t tolerate others’ insults. If Miss Zhou apologizes today, I will stay far away from you in the future. If you insist on throwing your tantrum, then you can wait for your maid to rescue you,” Shi Li said angrily.
Zhou Ziqiu was already afraid of heights, and with the tree trunk being damp and slippery, she couldn’t hold on no matter what. She was terrified but too proud to ask for help, so she kept her mouth tightly shut.
“In that case, farewell,” Shi Li said, seeing that Zhou Ziqiu remained silent. She lowered her arms and turned to walk towards the street corner.
As Shi Li walked farther away, Zhou Ziqiu became both angry and scared. She wanted to call her back, but just then, her foot slipped, and she screamed as she fell.
Shi Li had only taken a few steps when she heard the sound of wind behind her and knew something was wrong. Her body instantly became a blur as she flashed towards the falling red figure.
The scream was abruptly cut off. Shi Li let out a muffled grunt; she hadn’t had enough time to catch Zhou Ziqiu properly. Zhou Ziqiu landed right on top of her, causing her back to hit a stone, and the pain made her break out in a cold sweat.
Zhou Ziqiu was stunned. She lay on Shi Li’s chest, and although the girl was tall, her figure was still quite slender. Even through the clothes, she could feel her bones.
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There was none of the sweaty stench that her female companions gossiped about regarding those who escort caravans. Instead, there was a sweet, milky fragrance typical of young girls.
After an unknown amount of time, Shi Li finally had the strength to pat her. Only then did Zhou Ziqiu react, hurriedly rolling off to the side. She didn’t care if her dress got dirty and reached out to help Shi Li up.
The girl’s forehead was covered in sweat from the pain, her body limp. One hand supported her on the ground while the other reached for the spot on her back that had hit the stone, near her lower waist.
“Are you alright?” Zhou Ziqiu panicked. She reached out to touch Shi Li’s back, but Shi Li instinctively pushed her hand away.
“I’m sorry…” Zhou Ziqiu wiped her tears and said softly. Her tear-streaked face, resembling a pear blossom bathed in rain, softened even Shi Li’s heart a bit. Shi Li stared at her face, momentarily dazed.
“Can you get up? Let’s go to the clinic.” Seeing Shi Li not respond, Zhou Ziqiu thought she had hurt her and became even more scared and anxious, with tears continuously streaming down her face.
At this moment, the girl who had always been at odds with her suddenly reached out and wiped away the tears at the corner of her eye with her fingertip.
Zhou Ziqiu was stunned.