Forbidden to Bully the Storybook’s Heroine – Chapter 93
by Little PandaMarriage
After Jiang Yao returned, she entertained many friends from the battlefield who came to visit. Today, she had specifically cleared her schedule to see her master.
Sima Wujiang was waiting for Jiang Yao at the Great General’s Residence.
When she arrived alone, his stern and fierce tiger-like eyes first swept over her from head to toe. Then, he couldn’t help but look behind her, left and right, but saw nothing. Finally, he had to look back at her, his voice somewhat gruff, making Jiang Yao’s ears ache. “Where’s that little wifey of yours? Why didn’t she come with you? Shan’er said you found a little wife, a scholar?”
Hearing her master mention Muyun, Jiang Yao was about to overflow with embarrassment.
Today… she had been kicked out by her wife. She had left her wife’s body covered in purple and blue bruises; there wasn’t a single patch of unblemished skin. Muyun had complained that she had no sense of restraint, turned her back to her, and refused to speak to her.
Jiang Yao had tried every trick to coax her but couldn’t even get a single glance, so she had no choice but to come see her master by herself.
Of course, she couldn’t say any of this to her master. Jiang Yao cleared her throat and simply said that her wife was feeling unwell today and couldn’t come.
Sima Wujiang nodded in understanding. “Bring your wife over when you have time. Let her try your shiniang’s cooking, and we can all get acquainted.”
“Yes, I know.”
Whenever Song Muyun was mentioned, Jiang Yao’s eyes would become exceptionally gentle.
Sima Wujiang asked her about the battle of Linjiang City. He listened to some details that Sima Jushan didn’t know, and the more he heard, the more satisfied he became. He was completely unlike the strict father he was with Sima Jushan, and he smiled as he patted Jiang Yao’s shoulder. “You’re good material for carrying on my legacy. That boy, Shan’er, is not cut out to be a great commander. I just hope he can serve as a minor general under you in the future.”
Sima Wujiang naturally knew that his son’s contribution to this battle was minimal, but he had long since accepted it.
His son’s martial arts weren’t the most outstanding, and his mind was simple. He had no part in military strategy and could only follow others’ commands.
If no one protected him in this life, who knew what position he could reach? A fourth-rank official at the highest.
The two of them spent the entire day catching up. They had lunch at the Great General’s Residence, and in the afternoon, she practiced swordsmanship with her master. Of course, it wasn’t just her practicing. The Great General got carried away with his teaching and dragged Sima Jushan over to practice as well. With Sima Jushan there, Jiang Yao didn’t get scolded much; he took all the scoldings for her.
It wasn’t until the sun slanted west that Jiang Yao picked up her sword and rose to take her leave.
Sima Jushan lay on the ground, panting like a dead dog. Seeing that Jiang Yao was about to leave, he gasped, “What, in a hurry to go back to your wife?”
Jiang Yao smiled and gave him a light kick. “You know the answer, yet you still ask.”
She bid her master farewell. “I’ll come again tomorrow. When Yun’er is feeling better, I’ll bring her with me.”
Her master nodded in satisfaction and waved her off.
Jiang Yao left the Great General’s Residence, but instead of going straight back to the Jiang Residence, she first went to the street to buy some pastries.
She bought all of her wife’s favorite pastries and also ordered a serving of chicken soup to go from the head chef at Zui Changchun. She was going home to coax her wife.
Just as she had guessed, a maidservant told her that Madam had been in a bad mood all day. She hadn’t even left her room and would often stare blankly into space. At lunch, she had asked if Jiang Yao was coming back, and upon hearing that she wasn’t, she had eaten very little.
Jiang Yao’s heart clenched, and the hand holding the pastries trembled. Even when her wife was angry with her and ignoring her, she still wanted to eat with her. How could she have forgotten that?
She had dared to stay out for a meal after making her wife unhappy. She must have eaten a bear’s heart and a leopard’s gall.1
Jiang Yao swallowed, her heart suddenly tightening with nervousness. She walked in almost timidly, went around the jade-carved screen depicting a lake and mountain landscape, and entered the inner room, where she saw the slender figure sitting on the soft couch.
Her wife was looking at one of her storybooks with a rather cold expression. She looked up when she heard the noise, but as soon as she saw it was her, that cold face immediately changed. She shot her a glare, pretending to be fierce.
Jiang Yao’s hands were full. She cleared her throat, walked over, and smiled at her fawningly, piling everything in her hands onto the table. “Yun’er, are you still angry with me?”
Song Muyun tried hard to shift her gaze from her to the storybook, her voice also feigning coldness. “What did you come back for? Weren’t you having a great time playing outside by yourself?”
Jiang Yao was speechless.
She really was angry. It made sense; they had rarely been apart for a whole day for so long. It was normal for her to be unhappy.
Having convinced herself, she began to coax her with a smile.
“How could I be happy without you? I was thinking of you all day. Don’t be angry anymore. I bought your favorite pea flour cake, and I also got a tureen of clear-stewed chicken soup. Want to try it?”
Song Muyun’s peripheral vision caught the chicken soup she had opened. It was steaming, and the savory aroma wafted out, lingering at the tip of her nose. She actually wanted to drink some, but she still mumbled softly and resentfully, “You know to buy me food, but you don’t know to come back and have lunch with me. You had to leave me to eat alone, and you still say you can’t be happy without me. It’s all lies.”
She was becoming more and more clingy. It was only today that she had suddenly realized that without Jiang Yao around, she had no appetite at all. She had only hastily drunk half a small bowl of congee before she couldn’t eat anymore, her mind completely preoccupied with Jiang Yao, wondering what she was doing at that moment, and if she had thought of her.
Hearing her complaints, Jiang Yao’s heart softened. She reached out to stroke her fluffy head, and seeing that she didn’t resist and sat there obediently letting her touch her, she breathed a sigh of relief. She sat down next to Song Muyun, lifted her onto her lap, and explained while playing with her soft, warm, jade-like fingers, “I went to see my master. He insisted I stay for lunch, so it wasn’t right for me to leave, especially since we haven’t seen each other in so long. How about I take you with me next time?”
She pressed her cheek against Song Muyun’s fair, delicate one and coaxed her softly.
When Song Muyun heard that she was going to take her to see her master, her expression changed from a pouty complaint to apprehension. “Your master? The Great General of this dynasty? I heard he loves teaching people martial arts the most. Will he… will he not like me?”
Most martial artists disliked scholarly types. She had heard that the civil and military officials at court had never gotten along. She was worried that Jiang Yao’s master wouldn’t like her.
Jiang Yao kneaded her wife’s soft, rounded shoulders. Seeing her worry about this and that, she found it amusing. “So what if my master doesn’t like you? What are you afraid of? He is who he is, and I am who I am. He may not like you, but I like you. We’re just going so you can recognize him, to avoid not knowing him if you run into him outside. Don’t worry about such things.”
Song Muyun’s long lashes trembled. Her anxious mood did indeed ease a little because of Jiang Yao’s words. The corners of her lips curved up slightly, revealing a faint smile. “I don’t care. You still have to put in a good word for me with your master. I don’t want the elders around you to dislike me~”
She was already sitting on Jiang Yao’s lap, and now she simply draped herself over Jiang Yao’s chest, hugging her shoulders and swaying back and forth, acting spoiled. Jiang Yao’s heart melted completely. Cradling the soft body in her arms, she agreed without hesitation, “Alright, alright, I will. I definitely won’t let my master dislike you. You’re my wife; he’ll definitely like you too.”
As she spoke, she lowered her head to find Song Muyun’s crimson lips. She practically took the small mouth entirely into her own, sucking on it again and again until Muyun was breathless. With teary eyes, Song Muyun pushed Jiang Yao away, panting softly as she requested, “I want to drink the chicken soup. It’s going to get cold.”
Chicken soup was naturally best when hot. Jiang Yao nodded, opened the window, and instructed the maidservant waiting outside to bring a small bowl, spoon, and chopsticks. She first ladled a bowl of soup for Song Muyun, then used the chopsticks to break up some chicken meat and put it in. “Mm, it’s still hot. Drink up, be careful it’s hot.”
The earthenware pot retained heat very well; it was still scalding to the touch when she took it out.
“Mm.”
Song Muyun was very easy to coax now. In truth, the moment she saw Jiang Yao, her anger had already vanished. And hearing that she was going to take her to meet the elders in her life, showing how much she valued her, made it even harder to stay angry. She obediently agreed and sipped the soup in small mouthfuls. The chicken was stewed until it was tender and falling apart, soaked in broth, and tasted delicious.
She sat in Jiang Yao’s lap, swinging her little legs, eating the food she had specially bought for her. For once, her appetite was wide open. She ate more than half of the chicken before leaning against Jiang Yao and saying pitifully that she couldn’t eat anymore.
She was an expert at playing pitiful to win Jiang Yao’s sympathy. After just returning from the borderlands, Jiang Yao had been bullying her almost madly, as if trying to make up for the months they had missed. Only when she put on a wronged and pitiful act could she make Jiang Yao’s conscience temporarily surface and let her off.
Jiang Yao was weakest against this. Her heart softened infinitely, and knowing that she disliked waste, she immediately said, “If you can’t eat it, I’ll eat it. In any case, none of it will be left.”
The young woman looked at her with a smile in her eyes, then nuzzled against her again, saying clingingly, “You’re the best person to me in this world.”
Jiang Yao picked up the spoon and small bowl Song Muyun had used and chuckled. “Of course. I adore you, so I have to spoil you, lest one day you regret being with a woman like me.”
She lowered her head and took a sip of soup, feeling soft lips press against the side of her face. The woman’s voice was muffled but firm in its denial. “I’ll never regret it. I just like being with you. I just like women.”
“That’s good. I like you too.”
Jiang Yao drank every last drop of the chicken soup in the pot. The remaining pastries were spread out to one side, so they could have a piece to taste whenever they felt peckish. Jiang Yao flopped onto her back on the soft couch, showing some fatigue. After all, she had been practicing martial arts for half the day, and her arms were a bit sore.
Without a second thought, Song Muyun also rolled over, tumbling into Jiang Yao’s arms. She lifted her beautiful, jade-like face and nuzzled against her, as if she were trying to steal a kiss.
Jiang Yao wrapped an arm around her waist, letting her move about in her embrace with an expression of both helplessness and indulgence.
After a moment, she moved to sit up, pulling the other woman with her. They leaned against the window, and she casually picked up the storybook that had been tossed aside earlier, handing it back to Song Muyun. “Weren’t you reading this just now? Now that I’m back, shall we read it together?”
The young woman’s beautiful eyes curved, sparkling with countless stars. She leaned against Jiang Yao’s chest, nodded obediently, and opened the storybook to read with her.
The days passed quietly and peacefully. Soon, it was the day for those who had performed meritorious service in the battle of Linjiang City to be rewarded.
Many officials’ sons had participated in this battle. Even if they had no great merits, the Emperor still granted them rewards out of consideration for their parents. The rewards were announced from the lowest rank upwards, with Jiang Yao and Wen Yueyu being last.
As the main general, Wen Yueyu naturally took the primary credit, with Jiang Yao second.
To be honest, the Emperor was very reluctant to reward Jiang Yao. After all, the Jiang family’s power was indeed great now. But Jiang Heng was staring at him, and for some reason, the Eighth Prince was singing Jiang Yao’s praises in unison with Wen Yueyu. With the two of them echoing each other,2 he had no choice but to grant a generous reward, lest he dishearten the military officials.
Fortunately, Jiang Yao was a “mirror polisher,”3 and Jiang Huai was a fop.
In the end, the Emperor issued a decree promoting Wen Yueyu one rank to Junior Third-Rank Yulin General,4 and Jiang Yao to Junior Fifth-Rank Dingyuan General,5 skipping several ranks. He also awarded them a thousand taels of gold and silver and several chests of precious jewelry crafted in the inner palace.
The jewelry couldn’t be sold and was too much to wear, so Jiang Yao didn’t care much about it. She was just happy that she could finally display her skills on the battlefield.
After court, many officials crowded around to congratulate Jiang Heng, saying things like “a tiger father will not have a dog daughter.”6 The Jiang family was already at its peak, and now that Jiang Yao had also entered officialdom, it made people even more envious. They couldn’t wait to curry favor, inviting the two of them to the best restaurant in the capital for a meal after court.
Jiang Yao had no interest in feigning civility with these ministers,7 and her father never attended these private gatherings. He refused without hesitation, simply saying that his wife was waiting at home and they would get together next time.
The ministers were long used to his refusals and didn’t say anything more. Hearing this, they all left. However, Sima Wujiang walked over, patted Jiang Yao’s shoulder, and told her to bring Song Muyun to the General’s Residence for lunch. Her shiniang wanted to meet the young lady.
Jiang Yao nodded and agreed. When she got back, she told Song Muyun about it.
This clearly startled her. She wasn’t prepared, and to make matters worse, Jiang Yao had made the impromptu arrangement with them to go at noon. This infuriated her. She kept pushing Jiang Yao away, blaming her for not leaving her any time to prepare, and wouldn’t let her get close, pouting with a small mouth.
She stood in front of the wardrobe, painstakingly selecting a suitable and appropriate dress. After changing, she sat at the dressing table to do her makeup. She applied a light layer of powder, put on some blush to look a bit more vibrant, and used a light-colored lip rouge that wasn’t intense or garish. Paired with her outfit, it actually made her look quite demure.
She was extremely nervous, as if she were going to meet her second father-in-law. Her palms were slick with a fine sweat.
Jiang Yao vexedly moved a small stool to sit to one side. She thought and thought, but she couldn’t figure out what Muyun needed to prepare for. What was there to be so nervous about?
She was bold and extroverted, so she naturally didn’t understand the thoughts of an introverted person.
When the other woman was finally ready, she stood up gracefully and at last paid attention to Jiang Yao.
She twirled in front of Jiang Yao, the ornaments on her hairpins swaying slightly. She looked at her apprehensively and asked cautiously, “Do I look good like this?”
The woman was wearing a yellow dress that made her look extremely demure and proper. Two step-shake hairpins were inserted diagonally in her hair, occasionally clinking together with a crisp sound.
Her pair of phoenix eyes were exquisite and beautiful, as clear as a fawn’s. Her nose was small and pert, and her vermilion lips were red without any rouge, equally petite. Her complexion was as fair as snow. It was hard to imagine anyone disliking her.
Jiang Yao was rather helpless. She reached out and pinched the woman’s fleshy cheek, praising her sincerely, “Beautiful. My wife is naturally beautiful. I can hardly tear my eyes away.”
“Am I dignified?”
“Dignified, dignified. You couldn’t be more dignified.”
It was true. She wasn’t just saying it to coax her!
Song Muyun was somewhat satisfied with this answer. She looked down at her pale yellow skirt, then suddenly looked up, her eyes sparkling. “Do I look likable like this?”
Jiang Yao was speechless.
Helpless, and to prevent the young woman from worrying the whole way there, she could only go along with her. “Likable, likable. You look extremely likable. Who could bear to dislike you, hmm?”
“I’m not asking to be greatly liked. It’s enough if I’m not disliked.”
She had heard that the Great General’s wife was also once a female general on the battlefield. He probably preferred female generals more, right?
Song Muyun hesitated, then selected a few gifts from the storeroom and left the residence with Jiang Yao.
Two guards stood outside the Great General’s Residence. A single glance showed they were agile and also martial artists. The entire residence seemed solemn and imposing. Song Muyun pressed her lips together, subconsciously wanting to hide behind Jiang Yao, but she also wanted to appear more poised, lest the Great General and his wife get a bad impression of her. She steeled herself and walked with her to the entrance.
The two guards at the gate only moved their necks when they saw Jiang Yao, turning to look at her and calling out, “Young Miss.” Then they turned back to their posts, dutifully guarding the gate.
Jiang Yao acknowledged them and introduced, “This is my wife.”
They immediately greeted Song Muyun in unison, “Madam!”
Song Muyun was a little embarrassed. She nodded lightly and was pulled inside by Jiang Yao.
Even after they entered, she was still trying her best to soothe her wife. “Don’t be afraid. My master is a decent person; he won’t say anything unpleasant. If he dares to, I’ll beat him up. Sima Jushan is also here today. You’re somewhat acquainted with him. He has a pretty good personality, which shows that my master isn’t some extremely strict person either.”
“Mm, I know.”
Song Muyun leaned against Jiang Yao’s chest and answered softly.
Just as they were about to reach the front hall, the Sima family came out to greet them.
Sima Jushan stood behind his father and mother and whistled at Jiang Yao. “You’re finally here. We’ve been waiting for you for ages. Was it your wife busy with her makeup and clothes?”
Usually, when it was just Jiang Yao, she would arrive in half a shichen at most. This time, they had waited a full two shichen. Jiang Yao wasn’t the type to dawdle, so it had to be her wife.
As soon as he said this, Madam Sima was so speechless she almost threw her stupid son out. It was hard to imagine such a brainless comment coming from her son’s mouth. If he spoke to other women like this, he really deserved to never find a wife.
Didn’t he see the young lady’s expression had changed?
Sima Jushan’s words did indeed make Song Muyun’s cheeks flush slightly. Her body also stiffened, and she quietly tightened her grip on Jiang Yao’s hand. Jiang Yao immediately glared at Sima Jushan. “I was the one who lost track of time picking out gifts for shifu and shiniang. Shut up and get lost.”
What kind of idiot was this, getting her wife all worked up?
Madam Sima immediately chimed in, ignoring Sima Jushan. “Oh, you child. Didn’t I tell you before that you don’t need to bring anything? We’re family having a meal. Why be so polite?”
“This must be your wife, right? Her name is Muyun?”
Madam Sima looked over. Song Muyun’s heart inevitably tensed, rising to her throat. She bowed slightly and replied obediently, “Yes, Madam.”
“Aiya, why call me Madam? I’m Yao’er’s shiniang. You can just call me shiniang too.”
Madam Sima was dressed smartly and had a frank and friendly personality. Song Muyun’s worries finally eased a little, and she smiled gently. “Yes, shiniang.”
Jiang Yao put her arm around Song Muyun and introduced her to Sima Wujiang. “Master, this is my wife. What do you think? Beautiful, right? She picked out the gifts too.”
She showed the gifts to the two elders. After they had a look, she handed them to a waiting servant. Sima Jushan couldn’t stand the silence and spoke up again, “Do only my parents get gifts? What about me, what about me?”
Jiang Yao said, “Get lost. Don’t force me to whip you in front of my master.”
He just had to stir up trouble. Later, Yun’er would blame herself again for being thoughtless.
Sima Jushan was speechless.
Song Muyun was speechless.
She was so shocked that she tugged on Jiang Yao’s sleeve. His parents were right there; how could Jiang Yao speak so carelessly? Weren’t her master and shiniang angry?
But she soon discovered that her master and shiniang were not angry at all. In fact, no one even took Sima Jushan’s words seriously. They completely ignored him.
Sima Wujiang looked at Song Muyun, nodded, and praised, “Indeed, she’s very pretty. A polite and good child, too. You’ve found a real treasure. No wonder your father said you’re very fond of her.”
“Of course. The proudest achievement of my life was coaxing Muyun home.”
She smiled and said naturally, “Shall we go inside and talk? I’m getting hungry.”
Her shiniang smiled and took Song Muyun’s hand, leading her inside.
Song Muyun’s body stiffened slightly again. She lowered her head demurely and heard her shiniang say, “I prepared this meal myself today. Muyun must try it and see if it’s to your taste.”
“Okay. Thank you for your trouble, shiniang.”
Song Muyun thanked her with a blush and was seated next to Jiang Yao.
Sima Jushan deeply felt the different treatment his parents gave to men and women. It never occurred to him how tactless he had been. He was just angry that no one paid attention when he spoke.
And Jiang Yao was always scolding him. His father didn’t even try to control her!
Sima Jushan was filled with resentment, but he didn’t dare say a word.
The dishes had already been cooked and were being kept warm. They hadn’t all been served yet. Sima Wujiang clinked wine cups with Jiang Yao, drained his in one gulp, then looked at Sima Jushan, who was radiating resentment above his head, and said in a deep voice, “I was too embarrassed to beat you at court today. General Yulin said you were constantly getting injured on the battlefield and being rescued by Jiang Yao, and that you spent two out of three months in the wounded soldiers’ camp. Is that true?”
Sima Jushan was suddenly called out, and in such a serious tone. His whole body went rigid, and he subconsciously sat up straight, defending himself, “No, it’s not just me. Others get injured too…”
He looked extremely guilty as he forced himself to speak. Sima Wujiang’s old face was grim. “Are the others also the Great General’s son?!”
…
Why can’t the Great General’s son get injured! It’s perfectly normal to get injured on the battlefield. He only stayed in the wounded soldiers’ camp because it was less trouble, thinking it would be more convenient for bandaging and applying medicine. Even Wen Yueyu had praised his perseverance in front of the Emperor, saying that despite such heavy injuries, he was unwilling to rest for more than a few days before rushing back to the battlefield. How did it become nothing but a crime when it came from his father’s mouth?
Sima Wujiang could tell with one look that he was unconvinced and immediately snorted gruffly. “As my son, it’s expected that you do well. If you do poorly, you bring shame to my name! Do you think that just because General Yulin praised you before His Majesty, she truly admires you?”
Sima Jushan was dumbfounded. Wasn’t that the case?
“Idiot! She was clearly just being polite for my sake, while implicitly suggesting that your martial arts are poor, which is why you get injured so frequently!”
Sima Wujiang was always infuriated by this brainless son of his. He couldn’t say more than a couple of sentences without starting to scold him. In the end, it was Jiang Yao who stopped him. “Master, Jushan’s current skills are already quite good compared to his peers. Please don’t scold him. Ahem, even if you must scold him… can’t you wait until we’ve left? You’re scaring Yun’er.”
Sima Jushan was speechless.
Are you even human? I’m getting chewed out like a dog here,8 and all you care about is that your wife is scared. There’s no justice in this world, absolutely no justice!
Madam Sima, who had been silent all this time, letting her son be scolded, now spoke up, chiding her husband, “That’s right. Muyun is a scholar. How can she be used to you spouting vulgarities like this? Stop it now. Here, Muyun, try this. This is my specialty. Your master loves it.”
She used the serving chopsticks to give Song Muyun a piece of strong liquor roasted duck.
Song Muyun was indeed a little frightened by the Great General’s imposing manner. She sat there with her head down, not even daring to breathe too loudly, afraid that the Great General would notice her too.
She hadn’t expected that the Great General wouldn’t notice her, but Jiang Yao would.
“Thank you, shimu.”
She lowered her head, not daring to look at anyone’s expression, and obediently ate the duck, which had a strong aroma of liquor.
Sima Wujiang took another sip of wine and said to Sima Jushan, “For the sake of my disciple’s wife, I’ll let you off this time. This afternoon, I’ll personally spar with you. We need to train you properly, so you don’t keep getting wounded here and stabbed there like an untrained soldier.”
Sima Jushan buried his head in his food. “I know, I know. Just stop talking.”
Jiang Yao’s expression was completely unaffected by the father and son. She continued to serve Song Muyun food. It was her girl’s first time here, and she was frightened by her master, so she was acting very reserved. If she didn’t help her get food, the young woman would probably only eat plain rice.
“Do you like the roasted duck?” Jiang Yao asked after she finished the piece her shimu had given her.
Song Muyun was actually so nervous that she hadn’t even heard what Jiang Yao was saying and just nodded repeatedly.
Before Jiang Yao could get her some, Madam Sima had already served her. Her small porcelain bowl was piled high with roasted duck. She was all smiles. “It’s rare that a child like you enjoys my cooking. Here, eat more. You’re too thin now. It’s good to be a little plumper; you’ll look better in your wedding dress.”
At these words, both Song Muyun and Jiang Yao were stunned.
Jiang Yao looked up, dumbfounded. “Shiniang, how did you know I was going to marry Muyun?”
She had the idea, and she had promised Muyun, but they hadn’t set a date yet. How did her shiniang know?
Song Muyun had just been stunned by Madam Sima’s words, and now she looked at Jiang Yao in even greater shock. She… she wants to marry me? Is it the kind of marriage I’m thinking of? How come I never knew…
She vaguely remembered Jiang Yao did seem to have said she wanted to marry her, to let everyone know they were together. But that was a long time ago, and she hadn’t mentioned it again since. She had thought… she had thought it was a joke…
Madam Sima looked at Song Muyun with a gentle and kind expression, growing more and more satisfied the longer she looked. “It was your mother. When you two were on the battlefield, she asked me if we should hold one for you. I said I’d decide after I met the person. Seeing her today, I must say your taste is excellent. You really should hurry up, lest someone else snatches her away.”
Song Muyun’s grip on her chopsticks tightened. Her eyes held a hint of disbelief, a hint of pure joy, and finally, a hazy mist gradually veiled them. Afraid that others would see, she quickly lowered her head. In her ears, she heard Jiang Yao’s clear and confident voice. “Yun’er won’t be snatched away by anyone. She likes me the most. I just didn’t expect that Mother and I would have the same idea. I was already planning to marry her openly and honorably.”
She was going to marry Yun’er, make Yun’er her wife. They would become a real family.
Song Muyun buried her head and ate the meat, mouthful by mouthful, barely able to taste what it was. She only felt happy. The woman she loved was going to marry her and bring her home. She finally… was going to have a home again.
Footnotes
- An idiom for having audacious courage, often used sarcastically to ask if someone has a death wish.
- The original is “one sings, the other harmonizes” (一唱一和, yī chàng yī hè), an idiom for two people acting in perfect concert.
- A classical and literary euphemism (磨镜, mó jìng) for female homosexuality.
- The name “Yulin” (羽林) means “Feathered Forest” and refers to an elite imperial guard unit.
- The name “Dingyuan” (定远) means “Pacifying the Distant.”
- The female version of the common chengyu “a tiger father will not beget a dog son,” meaning an outstanding father will not raise a worthless child.
- The original is “feign civility and compliance with a snake” (虚与委蛇, xū yǔ wēi yí), an idiom for dealing with someone perfunctorily by pretending to be nice.
- The original is “drenched in dog’s blood” (狗血淋头, gǒu xuè lín tóu), a vivid idiom for being on the receiving end of a harsh scolding.
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