Fish Meat – Chapter 145
by Little PandaThe Second Year of Zhao Wu
Morning Like Blue Clouds (9)
Zhen Wenjun knew that Wei Tingxu was someone who would directly do whatever she wanted to do, without wasting words, but this surprise still exceeded her expectations.
Wei Tingxu actually bought a mansion in Runing? She had just started her official position and had to go to the National Economic Bureau early every morning, how could she have time to look at properties?
Zhen Wenjun was like an excited child, spending the whole night pestering Wei Tingxu with questions.
Wei Tingxu thoroughly enjoyed her persistent questioning: “Tomorrow I’ll take you to see it, then you’ll know.”
“Tomorrow? Going tomorrow? So soon?”
“If you don’t want to go, we can postpone it.”
Zhen Wenjun both hated and loved Wei Tingxu’s way of talking: “You clearly know how eager I am, I wish we could go right now!”
“Now? That works.” Wei Tingxu immediately stood up and called out to Ah Zhu who was waiting in the courtyard, “Ah Zhu, prepare the horses.”
“Young Lady,” Ah Zhu approached gracefully, “Where does Young Lady want to go so late?”
“Wanquan District.”
After silently glancing at Zhen Wenjun, Ah Zhu smiled and agreed, then went to prepare the horses.
After Ah Zhu left, Zhen Wenjun laughingly pulled at Wei Tingxu: “What are you doing, going out so late?”
“Look at you, you’re so excited your nose is sweating,” Wei Tingxu poked her delicate little nose, “You clearly want to go. Let’s go.” Wei Tingxu pulled her toward the door, “Let me show you our own home.”
Zhen Wenjun never imagined that Wei Tingxu could read even the subtlest emotions in her heart.
The Wei Mansion in Runing was Wei Tingxu’s home, she had lived there for many years, and her presence could be felt throughout the entire household. But for Zhen Wenjun, it was a foreign place, and no matter how long she lived there, she could never truly become part of the Wei household with her status as a “life-saving benefactor.” She never mentioned her discomfort because she didn’t want to trouble Wei Tingxu, and Wei Tingxu never discussed it, perhaps because she felt there was no need to talk about it—she had already thought of a solution and put it into action.
This time, Li Yanyi was very pleased with the great achievements of the Path of Ten Thousand Directions project. Li Yanyi originally wanted to reward her with jewelry and gold, but Wei Tingxu negotiated with Li Yanyi, asking if the jewelry and gold could be exchanged for a mansion in Runing City – it didn’t need to be large, just big enough to live in.
In Runing City, every inch of land is worth golds, even remote suburban land was very expensive. More importantly, in the capital under the Son of Heaven, money alone couldn’t buy property. One needed to have proof of paying land tax for ten consecutive years in the local area and have no criminal record to exchange for a house-purchasing permit. Land tax was generally paid by household, and each household could only purchase one mansion in Runing, which made tax collection and population counting more convenient for management. Wei Tingxu wasn’t the head of the Wei household, so naturally didn’t have land tax certificates, and without certificates, couldn’t buy a house.
What she asked from Li Yanyi was this house-purchasing permit.
The coachman was going to drive for them, but Wei Tingxu asked him to step down, letting Zhen Wenjun take control of the carriage, just the two of them heading to the mysterious mansion.
Zhen Wenjun’s heart pounded as she raised the horsewhip.
Today was the Dragon Boat Festival, there was no curfew, and Runing City remained lively after dark, with crowds flowing through two marketplaces, making Runing a sleepless city tonight.
Both the district gates and market entrances were tied with human figures made of mugwort, used to ward off evil spirits. People on the streets wore various colored longevity threads on their arms, and the air was filled with the fragrance of zongzi (traditional rice dumplings).
The brilliant lights and bustling sounds attracted Wei Tingxu to roll up the curtain and look outside.
“It’s so lively, Zizhuo.” Zhen Wenjun’s carriage-driving skills had improved, and without stopping, she had already grabbed a handful of seven-colored candy pearls, tried a few, found them sweet and delicious, and passed them to Wei Tingxu.
Wei Tingxu took the candy, and in the prosperous, joyful atmosphere, Zhen Wenjun’s genuine smile was imprinted in her eyes, moving her and making her somewhat reluctant to part.
Zhen Wenjun drove the carriage with Wei Tingxu through the market, heading south to Wanquan District.
Wanquan District was home to officials and nobles, with half of the fifth-rank and above officials residing there, and land prices were extremely high. As Zhen Wenjun drove through the district gate, they passed numerous officials’ mansions, with vermillion gates facing south, not luxurious but carrying an indescribable dignity. Even during grand festivals, they remained unapproachable.
“We’re here,” Wei Tingxu pointed to a two-door mansion not far ahead, “This is the first one, and my favorite.”
Zhen Wenjun stopped the carriage, noticing that the door knocker wasn’t the beast head (symbol of high officials), but rather an exquisite flower-petal shaped tin ring. The stone steps were made of irregular lake stones, with embroidered stools and scattered branches inside, making her heart flutter just from looking at the entrance.
Wei Tingxu passed through two thin gauze lanterns and small stone lions, opened the mansion gate, and led Zhen Wenjun inside.
“Be careful.”
By the bright moonlight, Zhen Wenjun held Wei Tingxu’s hand as they slowly stepped over the threshold, went around the screen wall made of nanmu wood (precious Chinese wood), and entered the courtyard.
The inner compound was higher than the outer area, being a set of duplex buildings. The view was grand and dignified, and Zhen Wenjun fell in love with it instantly.
“I left a gauze lantern on the stone table, go light it.”
“Alright.”
Tonight the moon was bright with few stars, and no floating clouds covered the sky. Zhen Wenjun quickly adjusted to the darkness and found the gauze lantern and flint.
She removed the lantern shade, lit the wick, replaced the pale yellow thin shade, and lifted it to illuminate the corridor. Compared to the Wei Mansion, this courtyard wasn’t large, but its layout was quite ingenious.
The main path in the courtyard was paved with Wukang stone (high-quality granite). During Runing’s rainy summers, moss typical of Jiangnan would grow, giving it a natural, ethereal quality, both ancient and elegant. The pond was only half the size of the Wei family’s, but the lotus flowers floating on the surface were meticulously maintained, small and lovely. A small bridge with carved cloud patterns spanned the pond, leading to a pavilion and tea house. Deep in the corridor stood a small tower with gauze lanterns faintly visible hanging above.
Wei Tingxu said: “The house isn’t big enough, so the tower serves as both a library and a qin room.”
As Zhen Wenjun walked and looked around, Wei Tingxu’s few words could paint a picture in her mind of their life here together. From the ruyi-patterned lattice windows (auspicious pattern), gardenia flowers white as snow, to the various potted arrangements in the terraces… this residence didn’t have an overwhelming sense of wealth, but elegant details could be found everywhere, making Zhen Wenjun like it more and more.
Opening the main hall’s door and lighting all the lamps inside, Zhen Wenjun discovered Wei Tingxu had already cleaned everything thoroughly, showing she was quite satisfied with the place. The interior was much more spacious than it appeared from outside, and most special was a patch of moonlight shining through at the deepest part of the house.
Zhen Wenjun walked under the moonlight and looked up, able to see the starry sky through the glass roof. Seeing the brilliant Milky Way, her heart was deeply moved.
“This is a place I’m quite satisfied with. The previous resident was a poet who came to the capital for the imperial examination, a person from Jiangnan who truly understood the mysteries of garden landscaping,” Wei Tingxu slowly approached, “They say he served as an official in the capital for over ten years, but due to his humble birth remained only a minor court recorder, unable to achieve much. When he realized this, he became disillusioned and spent all his wealth to buy this residence. He intended to spend his remaining years here, but was mocked and ridiculed by other high officials in the district, forcing him to sell it at a low price.”
“How could this happen?” Zhen Wenjun was indignant, “This courtyard has so many precious rubbings and thoughtful details everywhere, showing how much the original owner loved it. How can Wanquan District not even accommodate one refined scholar?”
“This is the true portrait of current Da Yu. Everyone wants to live in their imaginary noble circles, rejecting everything outside, looking down on and refusing to understand others, without any sense of crisis or desire to compete. This circle is like Furong Powde, becoming more addictive and corrupt with each use. Yet there’s still a group of people reinforcing this cycle, making the highest pillars of Da Yu increasingly corrupt, while they remain immersed in their comfort zone, probably unable to wake up even when the roof collapses on them.”
Zhen Wenjun looked at her: “Zizhuo cares about the whole world, which is a blessing for the people of Da Yu.”
Wei Tingxu’s lips curled slightly, looking like she was forcing a smile, not really showing the satisfaction one usually shows when being praised.
Zhen Wenjun seemed to have missed Wei Tingxu’s true thoughts.
She felt a bit disappointed.
After all these years, Zhen Wenjun sometimes felt she understood Wei Tingxu well, but more often she realized that Wei Tingxu kept an absolutely private and secret area in her heart that no one, no matter how intimate, could cross into.
She could give her body to someone intimate, but her heart would never completely belong to anyone.
“Let’s go look at the next mansion.” As Wei Tingxu was about to leave, Zhen Wenjun suddenly sat down with a “swoosh.”
“Let’s stay with this one, no need to go anywhere else.”
Wei Tingxu turned around and saw a bright beam of moonlight shining on Zhen Wenjun, making her look as if she had descended from the moonlight itself.
“The other three are bigger and more spacious.”
Zhen Wenjun shook her head and beckoned her over.
Wei Tingxu saw her open flirtation and walked over with interest.
“Come here,” Zhen Wenjun patted her thigh, “Sit here.”
Wei Tingxu obediently sat down facing her, and Zhen Wenjun wrapped her arms around her waist while gazing at her face. Sure enough, in the moonlight, Wei Tingxu was incomparably beautiful. No matter how many times one looked at this face, it was easy to become enchanted and forget everything else around.
As her fingertips traced Wei Tingxu’s delicate chin, Zhen Wenjun became somewhat intoxicated again.
“Don’t you like it here? I can tell you feel sympathy for that poet. I like it here too. Our home doesn’t need to be too big – if it’s too big, I’d have to run several steps from the entrance just to hug you.”
Wei Tingxu chuckled: “Wenjun, can’t you have more ambition? Is this really what you’re thinking about?”
“Yes, I have no ambition – I just want to be able to hug you right when I get home.”
Moonlight spread across Zhen Wenjun’s smooth, slightly sweaty back. Zhen Wenjun’s hands supported Wei Tingxu’s waist as they gazed at each other, close enough to breathe in each other’s unique scent.
She deeply regretted not bringing the newly formulated pleasure-enhancing pill with her, otherwise she could have tested its effects now.
In the new formula of the pleasure-enhancing pill, she had changed one ingredient to make people more sensitive while reducing physical harm. She felt extremely regretful and kept getting distracted.
Wei Tingxu held her face, making her focus on looking at her.
Wei Tingxu’s hair was dampened with sweat, her clothes hanging loosely on her arms. The numerous scars weren’t ugly at all; instead, they gave off a sense of vulnerability that contrasted sharply with her strong personality, making Zhen Wenjun even more fascinated.
Wei Tingxu knew what she was thinking: “Stop thinking about it… concentrate.”
“Hmm?”
“I think I’m feeling something.”
“Wh-where?”
“Right there, where you just…”
After their brocade curtains and spring evening (a euphemism for intimacy), they felt even more attached to this modest mansion, and both Zhen Wenjun and Wei Tingxu decided to take it.
“After all, we’ve already consecrated it,” Zhen Wenjun stood at the mansion entrance with her arms crossed, looking smug.
Wei Tingxu: “…”
Mother Wei didn’t approve of Wei Tingxu moving out, especially living with Zhen Wenjun. However, her disapproval was her own issue, and Wei Tingxu didn’t care.
Zhen Wenjun discovered that Wei Tingxu’s relationship with her family wasn’t bad – they cared for and cherished each other, but Wei Tingxu was too strong-willed. Once she decided to do something, she wouldn’t consider others’ opinions at all; neither Father, Mother, nor Elder Sister could sway her even slightly.
Wei Tingxu was a person with a hard heart (meaning strong-willed and unyielding).
After returning to Runing, Xiaohua’s condition became increasingly stable, but she still needed constant care. Wei Tingxu wanted to bring her to the new mansion in Wanquan District, but Zhong Ji disagreed.
“She can’t handle any travel right now, even for a short distance.” Zhong Ji showed unprecedented firmness, with an attitude suggesting she would fight to the death anyone who dared to move Xiaohua.
Wei Tingxu didn’t say much, letting Xiaohua stay at the Wei family home to recover, saying they’d discuss it after she got better.
Wei Tingxu moved out first, and Xiaohua flew into a rage at Zhong Ji, throwing the medicine bowl at her head, soaking her with medicine.
“I live only to protect Young Lady… what right do you have to interfere in matters between Young Lady and me!” Xiaohua wanted to strike Zhong Ji dead on the spot, but Zhong Ji wasn’t afraid at all because she knew Xiaohua’s current condition. Forget killing someone – she didn’t even have the strength to kill a rat.
“You should think about why you’re really living.” Zhong Ji casually wiped the medicine from her hair, and her leisurely words immediately stopped Xiaohua’s frantic coughing.
“Only when Wei Tingxu dies will you realize you’re a person, not her dog.”
Xiaohua glared at her: “What did you say?”
Zhong Ji slightly raised her eyebrows: “You heard me, didn’t you?”
0 Comments