TL: Hua
Chapter 2: Second Miss Xiao
Speaking of this marriage, when his father arranged a marriage for him, Lin Zikui was only fourteen years old and had not yet begun to fall in love. He was very ignorant about the idea of getting married.
At that time, Lin Zikui was devoted to reading the books of sages. He studied sutras at the age of three and was known as a child prodigy. He was able to write at the age of seven. He ranked first in the county school at the age of nine. At the age of fourteen, he won the Huainan County Examination!
At this age, he was a rare genius!
Unfortunately, he suffered from an eye disease. In the spring of the following year, when he took the examination, Lin Zikui suddenly felt unbearable pain in his eyes. He knew the test questions by heart but could not write.
He failed the exam and was ashamed of his scholar title, so he sadly returned to Fengtai County.
At that time, Lord Xiao was still a seventh-rank official. He happened to handle a major case and was appreciated by a nobleman, so he moved his family to Jinling.
Lin Zikui lived in Fengtai County and studied hard. His vision became increasingly blurred, and he had to get close to read. The doctor did not allow him to use his eyes like this, so he couldn’t study all the time.
This allowed him to have some distracting thoughts in his mind.
The second miss Xiao was three years older than him.
Lin Zikui didn’t know her full name and hadn’t seen her face, but he had imagined in his mind that this was his unmarried wife. What would she look like, and what would her personality be like?
His eye disease didn’t heal, so his father took him to visit famous doctors everywhere. Last winter, he got seriously ill and passed away.
Lin Zikui cried until his eyes were swollen, and he was in a daze for several months. This year, when he was sorting out old things at home, he found the dusty marriage certificate, which was well preserved.
In August, the results of the autumn examination1The provincial examination was held in the provincial capital every three years, usually in August, so it was also called the “Autumn Examination.” were announced, and the neighbors were beating gongs and drums. Lin Zikui was listening to the book boy reading for him when someone passed by his door and called him “Lin-juren2举人 “Juren” is the title given to a scholar who was recommended by the governor of the county. Those who passed the provincial exam are also called juren..”
Soon after that, Lin Zikui took Mo Liu to Jinling.
At this time, they arrived at Xingzhi Temple and first went into the main hall to kneel down and worship the god of literature. Lin Zikui lowered his head and saw that his appearance was disheveled, making him ashamed.
Afterwards, the master and servant were led by the young Taoist priest to the depths of the Taoist temple and into a secluded guest hall.
There is a palm-sized plaque hanging at the entrance of the guest hall, with the three characters “Xixin Hall” engraved vertically. Entering the small courtyard, there are two rooms inside and outside, with bamboo curtains and elm wood tables under the eaves. Spots of light are reflected on the old wooden table, like water waves flowing, and waves of sandalwood are coming from the main room.
The Taoist said in a gentle voice, “This is a guest hall specially prepared for scholars who are preparing for the imperial examination. If you stay for a few days, Xingzhi Temple will not charge you for accommodation. You can share three meals a day with other Taoist priests and stay as long as you want. Nowadays, there are few scholars in the guest hall. Lin-jushi, you two, one big and one small, will pay 20 coins a day.”
It’s really cheap!
Lin Zikui took out silver from his sleeve, thinking that if he broke off the engagement with Miss Xiao, it would be inconvenient to live here, but… maybe Miss Xiao couldn’t stand him and turned back to Jinling?
This possibility is quite high.
Lin Zikui wanted to stay for a long time, but he didn’t know what would happen in the future, so he could only pay two hundred coins first: “My servant and I will stay for a few days. Thank you for your help. What’s your name?”
“Jushi, you don’t have to be polite. My name is Lingyuan.”
Lin Zikui looked around and could barely see all the furnishings. There was no bathroom here, but there was a shabby bamboo screen.
He hesitated and asked, “Excuse me, Taoist Lingyuan, is there a bathtub in the guest hall? Where can I get hot water? I got my clothes dirty when I went up the mountain, and I needed to wash up. Tomorrow morning, I have to visit the abbot.”
Taoist Lingyuan: “Lin-jushi’s arrival is quite sudden, so these things are not ready yet. The temple is busy today. There are nobles living in the east guest hall. I will send some items for you to use later. If you are in a hurry to take a bath, you can go to the back mountain, where there are several hot springs.”
Hearing this, Mo Liu leaned close to Lin Zikui’s ear and said, “Young master, I saw an orange tree in the back mountain; let’s go!”
“Good… then many thanks to Taoist Lingyuan.”
Lin Zikui put down the book box, carefully took out the pen, ink, paper, and inkstone one by one, and put the book on the table.
Soon, Taoist Lingyuan brought clean bedding, bamboo mats, two clean, plain gray Taoist robes, and some food. Lin Zikui thanked him again and again.
He is gentle, respectful, and frugal, with the best temper, as if anyone could bully him.
Lingyuan left after explaining some things. It was just past noon, and Mo Liu felt sleepy, but he was thinking about the oranges. Meanwhile, Lin Zikui also wanted to take a bath: “I’m a little too unkempt right now to pay respect to the god of literature or visit the second miss. .”
Mo Liu forced himself to wake up, yawned, and picked up the medicine: “Let’s go to the back mountain, young master.”
There are several paths in the back of the mountain that are less traveled, so they are not as easy to walk on as the ones in the front.
Lin Zikui followed the sound of the water and climbed the steps. Mo Liu picked a lot of oranges along the way, eating while walking. When he saw the small ancestral temple on the roadside, he asked his young master to worship.
The two walked for an incense stick3Around 5 minutes and a half and finally saw a hot spring with steam bubbling behind a row of green bamboos.
Lin Zikui reached out and felt the water temperature was slightly hot, but not enough to burn him.
Mo Liu took out the medicine pack and said, “Young Master, apply the medicine.”
The medicine pack is thin and prescribed by the doctor for Lin Zikui. It is taken orally and used externally. The medicine pack is applied to the eyelids and removed after two hours.
“The doctor said that when bathing, the hot air will be fumigated, and the medicine will be absorbed faster.” Mo Liu said this while diligently wrapping a black cloth around Lin Zikui and blindfolding him.
Mo Liu held the orange and yawned as he sat on the stone behind him.
The darkness came in front of him, and Lin Zikui said, “Mo Liu, your clothes are dirty too; don’t you want to wash them?”
“I am not in a hurry, young master. You wash up first.” Mo Liu thought he didn’t like cleanliness as much as his young master. Besides, the young master is shy, likes to bathe alone, and doesn’t like people around.
Lin Zikui had no choice but to listen to him. Although his eyes were covered and he could not see at all, his senses were still there. He took off his clothes layer by layer until he was naked and his skin was chilled by the wind.
He hissed softly, squatted on the ground, and slowly went into the water like a blind man. One foot stepped on the bottom of the pool, and then the other foot went down. Finally, he slowly squatted into the slightly hot spring water, which gradually covered his waist, abdomen, stomach, and chest…
Only the white collarbone and smooth shoulders were left above the water.
The weak scholar Lin Zikui didn’t know that on the other side of the hot spring, there was a martial arts practitioner named Marquis Dingbei, who leisurely watched him take off all his clothes and go into the water without moving or making a sound.
Those eyes were better than peach blossoms; they were naturally affectionate and smiling. Despite this, few people said that he was friendly.
Xiao Fu looked at Lin Zikui’s eyes, sweeping inch by inch from the lower half of his uncovered face to the hidden underwater.
This blind man couldn’t spot him at all.
Xiao Fu lazily leaned against the stone wall, holding his chin with one hand and looking at him.
Exhausted from the journey, Lin Zikui also yawned, leaning his head against a cold stone. He had gotten used to blindfolding for the past three years and was not as helpless as at the beginning. The bitter fragrance of herbs filled the air, and Lin Zikui said, “Mo Liu?”
“Young Master…what’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing. I just asked if you accidentally fell asleep. We walked from Jinling, where we slept, and ate in the open. You are so young, yet you have suffered with me. I feel sorry for you. Next spring, I will definitely pass the imperial examination… Then, you won’t have to suffer anymore.”
Speaking of imperial examination, Mo Liu became much more energetic.
“It is a blessing for Mo Liu to follow the young master! You have taught me to read and study, given me a name, and taken me away from Fengtai County to Jinling. My parents passed away early, and I regarded the young master as my father!”
“…”
Lin Zikui was helpless: “Mo Liu, I am only four or five years older than you; how could I give birth to a child as old as you?”
“Ptooey, ptooey, Mo Liu is wrong. I regarded the young master as my brother. But if you and Miss Xiao get married in the future, you will have children.”
Lin Zikui shook his head and said, “The marriage with second miss Xiao will definitely not work out.”
“Why not? If you pass the imperial examination in the spring of next year, win the favor of His Majesty in the palace examination, and get first place, you will be appointed to the cabinet! Let’s see if Lord Xiao, the head of the Ministry of Revenue, will regret it by then! He will definitely come to pick you up to marry the second young miss.”
“Don’t talk nonsense.”
“I know; I remember everything you said. But this is in the wilderness, not in Jinling; Mo Liu is not talking nonsense. That Lord Xiao is just a snob…”
Lin Zikui shook his head: “First, it is as difficult as ascending to heaven to pass the imperial examination. It is not as easy as you said.”
“But you were able to write at the age of three, write poems at the age of seven, and passed the provincial examination at the age of fourteen. As the old saying goes, Jieyuan is worth gold, and Jinshi is worth silver4Jieyuan is the candidate who passes the provincial examination. Jinshi is the candidate who passes the imperial examination.. If it were not for the sudden eye disease, you would have passed the imperial examination three years ago!”
Lin Zikui ignored him and continued, “Second, I have never met the second young miss and have no feelings for her. I came to Xingzhi Temple to visit her this time because I couldn’t meet Lord Xiao. I wanted to be frank with her and explain this marriage clearly. Others said that I wanted to climb the high branch, which was not my intention. If she intends to cancel the engagement, I will tear up the marriage certificate and never mention it. No one will know about this old story, so it will not damage her reputation.”
Mo Liu suddenly realized: “Yes, the second young miss is three years older than the young master. In the future, my young master will be the top scholar in the imperial examination, will be favored by the princess, and will become a prince consort… This marriage—if it’s gone, it’s gone! We don’t want it!”
The heat was filled, and Lin Zikui felt that the water temperature was getting a little too hot. The medicinal power dispersed and rolled around to smother his eyes.
Lin Zikui stood up a little, and his chest, which was scalded by the hot water, floated to the surface of the water. He laughed at Mo Liu and said, “You little ghost. I don’t want to be the son-in-law of the Xiao family, nor do I want to be a prince consort.”
When he smiled, a small dimple bloomed on his left cheek, adding a touch of cuteness to his elegant and refined temperament.
The book boy asked again, “What does the young master want to be?”
“A real man should help the world, eradicate evil, and assist the weak! Although the world is peaceful now, the emperor is tyrannical and unjust and does not care about what people say. It’s really…” At this point, Lin Zikui slowly lost his voice.
Even Mo Liu didn’t hear clearly and asked him, “What did the young master say?”
“Nothing.” If someone heard it, he would be beheaded.
The bamboo leaves drifted down on his hair. Lin Zikui reached out and touched them, picking up two leaves that appeared to be still there. He tilted his head and submerged his hair in the water as well.
In the haze, he seemed to be able to feel a line of sight straight ahead.
But just now, he clearly saw that no one was here.
Consider it an illusion; he didn’t care.
But this line of sight became stronger and stronger—so strong that it could not be ignored! With the sound of flowing water, Lin Zikui felt a little uneasy, and he felt a little dizzy from soaking in the water, so he quickly climbed up and said, “Mo Liu, I want to dress; don’t look at me.”
Lin Zikui turned his back, with water drops hanging on his body, one by one, flowing down along the groove of his back, waist, and buttocks. Lin Zikui bent his legs, naked, and bent down to pick up the clean clothes stacked on the stone.
But he was blindfolded after all and put on the wrong clothes. After a long time, Mo Liu said he wanted to help him, but Lin Zikui refused: “Turn your back; don’t look at me; I’m a blind man, not a disabled person.”
The word “blind” was emphasized deliberately.
Although Lin Zikui had a good temper, he was stubborn at times. Mo Liu was his book boy, not his servant, and he shouldn’t let Mo Liu do things like dressing.
“Oh.” Mo Liu thought he was shy and took a sneak peek. He thought to himself that the young master’s skin was truly fair and unparalleled. He had been studying at home for many years, and except for some calluses on his fingers, the rest of his skin was smooth as cream.
No wonder those scholars in the academy called him a beauty behind his back.
Lin Zikui put on his clothes, leaned on Mo Liu’s shoulders, walked a long way, and then asked in a low voice, “Just now, did you see someone else in the hotspring?”
Mo Liu opened his eyes wide: “I just looked; there was no one!”
Lin Zikui’s face was a little more serious. “Did you look carefully?”
“I…” Mo Liu shook his head. “I didn’t look carefully… Did the young master find someone?!”
“It seems that there is someone… So I stopped you from looking just now.” Even getting out of the bath was mentioned aloud.
Mo Liu was terrified: “Why didn’t the young master say anything? Is that person a man or a woman?”
“I don’t know. If it’s a woman…she would scream if she saw a man. Or maybe she wouldn’t dare to say anything because I’m blind and pretend not to be there. But if it’s a man…” Lin Zikui began to get confused. “Why did he keep looking at me with such intense eyes?”
Mo Liu: “Needless to say, that must be a pervert!”
