CH 27

Chapter 27 – Disappointing Reality

“I said that I’ll marry you again, why don’t you believe me?”

Xiao Jingfeng did not find it troublesome.  If they could be reunited as husband and wife, he would send over a big red sedan chair to marry her.

At that time, their wedding was done in haste and was very sloppy.  All the wedding rituals were kept to a minimum because they were in a hurry to get married before he was due to leave and join the army.  The bride came in an ox cart without any dowry.  Then they hurriedly and simply bowed to seal the marriage, held a feast, and entered the bridal chamber to consummate the marriage.  Early the next morning, the new daughter-in-law served tea to the elders.

She did not even wear a bright red wedding dress but only had on a red blouse and skirt without any accessories on her hands and had heavy makeup painted on her face.

Xiao Jingfeng heard that the stepmother treated the children of the first wife harshly.  After a year of mourning for his first wife, Li Jing’er’s father remarried and then had a big fat son the next year.  Father Li who already had 3 sons and 2 daughters was overjoyed with the birth of the son and handed over control of the family to the newly wedded wife.

Ever since the woman entered the family, the 5 children of the first wife led a difficult life.  The eldest son was over 20 years of age but he was not allowed to marry because the stepmother was afraid that the daughter-in-law will seize power upon entering the family.

The second son who was 18 years old had someone he likes but he was not permitted to marry.  The stepmother insisted that the family did not have money and could not afford to pay for the betrothal gift.  He was then forced to leave for the city to do odd jobs so he could earn enough money to marry a wife.

The 12-year-old youngest son was said to be talented.  If it were not for the protection of the four older siblings, he might not even have had the chance to attend a private school for 4 years.

The situation of the daughters was even worse.  Li Jing’er was the eldest daughter and as soon as she finished the mourning period, she was indiscriminately matched-made with other people.  On the surface, it was said that a generous dowry was given but in actual fact, the few boxes were empty.  The youngest daughter aged 14 years was forced to marry the lame son of the wealthy Sun Family and was crying when taken away.

“It’s not that I don’t believe you but did I say I want to take back the water that was thrown out?  I married into your family once before and learned a lesson from them.  It’s heartless of you to want me to enter that fire pit again.”

It’s not that no one wants me, so why should I let myself be buried in that pit of deep waters and fiery flames?

“Didn’t I tell you that we’ll be splitting from the family?  Wait for me, Jing Niang.  Very soon we will be living on our own and you don’t have to stay together with the rest of the Xiao Family.”

It is only right to support his parents but he will no longer be so stupid to support the First and Third Branches as well.

Filial piety is not about giving out money at random and his ability is limited.

“Wait until you’ve split up with your family then we’ll talk.”

Great idea but a disappointing reality.

Li Jing’er rolled her eyes in her heart and thought to herself.

That top-notch family will never allow him to change his life so easily.  He is a laborer without pay, a willing and hardworking ox, a financial backer who gives out money on demand, and one who has an unlimited future.  Letting him go would be a loss to the whole family.

“Jing Niang, I’ll definitely split up with the family and won’t condone their repeated demands anymore.  I’ll give you and the children a stable home and you don’t have to work so hard.  You can just sit at home and order the servants around.”

There will be a day all these will come true.  He will work harder to gain a few more merits and when he becomes the commander of a thousand households………..

“Xiao Jingfeng, take your hand away.”  Li Jing’er’s voice was calm, so calm that it made one shudder.

He was a little breathless and his voice was unsteady.  “Just let me touch to quench my thirst.”

“It’s my breast you’re touching.”

He had slipped his hand in to knead and rub and at the same time, he was pinching the tip and making it firm and erect.

“It has grown big.”  That’s good!

It is natural for them to grow big after giving birth as they nurture the next generation.  However, when the words came from him, they sounded a little less indiscreet but more enticing.

“However big they have grown, it has nothing to do with you.  If you don’t stop whatever you’re doing then don’t blame me for being rude.”

Men’s wickedness is the result of being spoilt by women and she never spoils men.

“Don’t be polite with me, we’re family……….  Ah!  Jing Niang, you……”

She really………is not polite!

“Mother, thunder……..scared.”   A terrified voice sounded.

Li Jing’er patted her daughter’s back and coaxed her back to sleep.

“Don’t be afraid, Mother had driven the thunder away.  He won’t scare you again……..”

***☆☆☆***

“Ha, ha, ha…….what happened to you?!”

Following the incident of the bee’s attack, Chen Dasheng did not encounter anything interesting again.  Every day, he would train and lead the troops on patrol.

The monotonous repetition every day made him grow impatient and just as he was feeling bored, the person who was the victim of the last incident came to him again.  When he saw the person’s deformed face, uncontrollable laughter burst forth from his throat.

“I was bitten.”

“A woman?”

“A woman.”  The bite was very hard.

“A masterpiece from your wife again?”  He made a guess.

Xiao Jingfeng nodded with a wry smile.  “She doesn’t find me pleasing.”

“I don’t find you pleasing as well!  However, I never thought of making you unable to face others.”

Such a brilliant move that should be borrowed one fine day!

Xiao Jingfeng showed a helpless look.

“Don’t talk so sarcastically.   This is an accident and I don’t think she deliberately bit this place.  It’s too eye-catching.”

However, he did not believe his own words.  Li Jing’er had picked the right place to give him a very hard bite and was confident that he would not fight back.

“What were the two of you doing?  If it was something too intense between husband and wife, you should practice some restraint and know your limits.  Don’t play with your life.”

He said the words with jealousy and envy as if he was able to witness the fierce battle between both husband and wife.

So jealous of that little nest!  So sour that vinegar can even be produced!

Chen Dasheng also had once married a wife but that matter was hard to explain!

At present, he has a confidante called Widow Xing who is 3 years older than him.  She is flirtatious and bewitching but he has no intention to marry her because he is not her only man.

Even if he wanted to do anything, he would not feel depressed and at least he feels happy physically and mentally.

“I’m here to ask if my leave can be extended…… preferably until next spring.”

“You can dream.”  Chen Dasheng rejected him instantly.

What does he think he is here for?  Being a soldier is not like doing business where there are off-peak and peak periods.  One cannot just do business when one feels like it and just stop when one is not in the mood.

“Anyway, there’s no war going on at this time.  As a Baihu who has a minor position, I am dispensable.  You can just keep one eye close and one eye open.  With just a wave of your hand, wouldn’t this matter of mine be approved?”

Returning to the guard base is only to do physical training which is not any different from what he has been doing in the mountain.

“Perhaps I would’ve approved If you had asked me for leave two weeks ago but there’s something that the men in the guard base don’t know.  If my surname is not Chen, I’m afraid I wouldn’t know anything as well.”

Upon seeing Chen Dasheng’s serious expression, Xiao Jingfeng’s expression froze.

“What is it?”

“General Zhen Rong met with assassins.”  And the assassination almost succeeded.

“What?!”  He was startled.

“Don’t panic, he is only injured on his left shoulder.  The injury is not serious and he’ll be fine after applying the medicine.”

It was only a flesh wound and did not reach the bones.  It was good luck amid great misfortune.

“That’s good.”  He sighed with relief.

“This time the peace talks didn’t proceed well.  There were two parties inside Country Feng whereby one party wanted peace to recuperate while the other party wanted to battle until death.  The assassins who came for the General were sent by the party that opposed the peace talks.  Altogether 12 assassins were sent and 7 of them were killed on the spot, 5 of them fled……..”

“Wait, they didn’t flee in the direction of Sanhe Guard Base, did they?”

Then the situation is indeed serious.  Assassins are usually considered as ‘dead soldiers’ who take their deaths as a form of returning home and have nothing to fear.

Chen Dasheng sighed heavily.

“It’s heard that one of them is Agulie, the left-hand man of Country Feng’s King.  He is much crueler compared to the others and will do anything to achieve his goals.  If he is really coming in our direction then I’m afraid the injured and dead will pave the way.”

“Then will they hide in the mountains?”

Xiao Jingfeng’s hands were shaking when he spoke and his whole body felt as if it was submerged in a thousand-year-old iceberg with the icy cold seeping into his bones.

Upon seeing there was something wrong with Xiao Jingfeng’s expression and the panic showing on his face, Chen Dasheng laughed and patted his shoulder.

“Don’t scare yourself.  Except for your wife who is an eccentric, who will go up the mountain?  In the mountains there are no rice, no food supplies, and no ladies to drink wine with……..only fools will venture up the mountain.”

“Really?”  Perhaps he was overthinking.

However, his heart still felt uneasy and he could not keep calm.  He was constantly wondering whether anything will happen to the mother and children.  He was worried that they would encounter people that they should not meet.

“Brother, don’t make it difficult for me.  Although my surname is Chen, above me there are still a whole bunch of Superiors, Tongzhi*, and Generals.  They are not easy to deceive.”

(Tongzhi is a deputy prefect, a fifth-ranked official in charge of local affairs such as salt, grain, catching robbers, river defense, sea frontier, river engineering, water conservancy, as well as clearing military registrations.)

Those people were originally stationed in the Guard Base and not in the same group with them.  If Chen Dasheng is to let Xiao Jingfeng go then money has to be used to get him through.

“I’m worried about Jing Niang and the children.  Winter is coming and the mountain winds will be freezing.  If it snows, the path up and down the mountain will be difficult to access.  If anything happens, how can she, a woman, take care of her three children?”

Cry out to the heavens, the heavens won’t respond.  Cry out to the earth, the earth won’t react*.  Trapped in the city of sorrow.

(Cry out to the heavens, the heavens won’t respond.  Cry out to the earth, the earth won’t react is an idiom meaning that help is out of reach and one is doomed.)

Chen Dasheng twitched his lips and showed a little disdain to mock this wife slave.

Wasn’t it the same last year?  It makes no difference whether he is there or not.  The mother and children are living happily and leading a better life than him.

“You’re getting upset over nothing.  A woman is a strong mother and there’s no difficulty that she can’t overcome.”

He is only blindly worried as if he had never seen a woman in his life.  He is so protective of her like she is the apple of his eye.  If it is too heavy, he is afraid she’d fall and if it is too light, he is afraid she’d drop.

This is too outrageous, it’s just showing off!  Next time, he will marry 8 to 10 wives and hug them on his left and right.  Hugging his wives and concubines, he wants to see who is envious of who for such good blessings!