Married Thrice to Salted Fish

Chapter 21

From then on, Lu Wancheng paid a lot of attention to the developments in Qingdai Pavilion and asked after Qingdai Pavilion every day. Huan Tong came in from the outside and before he could even speak, Lu Wancheng pinched his throat and said, “Young Master, Shaojun, there’s finally been an incident in Qingdai Pavilion!”

Lin Qingyu: “…”

Huan Tong looked completely at a loss. “What?”

Lu Wancheng smiled and said, “I’m guessing that someday you’re going to say that so I was imitating the way you talk.”

Lin Qingyu pulled the rug from under him right on the spot, “First of all, Huan Tong wouldn’t call me ‘Shaojun’. If you’re going to imitate him then at least try to imitate him well. Secondly, for livening-up medicine to harm someone’s core isn’t something that can be done in a day.” Lin Qingyu couldn’t help being suspicious, “Why are you even more anxious than I am?”

“Well, isn’t that because I’m bored doing nothing but resting? I’m always coughing and I can’t sleep.”

Lu Wancheng hadn’t been sleeping well lately. He even had swaths of bluish purple under his eyes.

Lin Qingyu thought for a while, and asked Huan Tong, “And what have you come here for?”

“Oh,” Watching the two banter, Huan Tong almost forgot his purpose for coming. “Manager Zhang is here.”

Lin Qingyu said, “Let him in.”

Zhang Shiquan had come this time to tell them of something strange. Among the various businesses of the Hou Mansion, the restaurants and shops in the city along with the villages in the countryside accounted for half of them. The villages in the countryside depended on the weather for their crops. A drought could spell total crop failure for more than half the year. At the beginning of this year, Xuzhou has been suffering from a drought. Strangely, the income of several villages in Xuzhou did not decrease but increased instead. No problem could be seen on the books, and the grain has indeed been sent to the Hou Mansion’s warehouse. It really was quite puzzling.

Seeing Zhang Shiquan so worried, Huan Tong asked, “We received more of the harvest instead of less. Isn’t this a fortunate event?”

Zhang Shiquan said, “Seeing as we do not know where this wealth has come from, if it turns out to be ill-gotten, the entire Hou Mansion may be implicated.”

Lin Qingyu cast a sidelong glance at Lu Wancheng who was lying atop the luohan. The noble son who was resting on the couch was still ever as relaxed and content despite his illness. Eyes half-lidded, he remained aloof to matters that didn’t personally affect him.

Zhang Shiquan asked, “Shaojun, may I send someone to investigate this matter?”

Lin Qingyu’s heart was moved but when his thoughts reached his lips, he changed his words, “No need. In any case, this isn’t a deficit in income. I simply don’t feel like bothering about it.”

Lu Wancheng’s eyes opened wide and Lin Qingyu fancied he could even see his ears perk up. He couldn’t help finding it all amusing.

Zhang Shiquan said hesitantly, “Shaojun, I think it won’t do to handle this matter carelessly. It would be better to investigate it.”

“We’ll talk about it some other time.” Lin Qingyu stood up and said, “I’m a little tired. I’m going back to the room to rest. Do as you please.”

As soon as Lin Qingyu left, a worry-wart steward and a salted fish looked at each other.

It was common knowledge that Young Master Hou has always been indifferent to everything, holding himself above all worldly matters. He never asked about the household affairs, no matter how big or small. They needed only to listen to the Shaojun’s orders. Now that Shaojun said not to investigate, although he did not approve of such practices, he could only follow orders.

Zhang Shiquan sighed, “Young Master Hou, I will withdraw first.”

“Wait.” Lu Wancheng said solemnly, “Xuzhou needs to be investigated, and you must do it yourself. I suspect…” Lu Wancheng paused. “It’s not too late yet. You must leave as soon as possible.”

Ever since Zhang Shiquan entered the Hou Mansion, Young Master Hou has only given him one order — to share the Shaojun’s worries for him, nothing else. Young Master Hou suddenly taking an interest in this matter, he blurted out in surprise, “But Shaojun said…”

“Shaojun is tired, and mistakes in judgment are inevitable.” Lu Wancheng said, sounding quite unwilling, “I will reluctantly have to be the one to worry about his inheritance for him.”

Zhang Shiquan didn’t dare delay and set off for Xuzhou the very next day. After Lin Qingyu learned about it, he observed Lu Wancheng even more carefully.

What should be done, what should not be done; what can be done and what cannot be done; Lu Wancheng could tell more clearly than anyone else. But he just didn’t bother to move; he just wanted to lie flat. It wasn’t until no one would help him do it, that he forces himself to do it.

Lu Wancheng once said that he was tired of studying but was still able to take the first place. At that time, he merely took it as Lu Wancheng talking rubbish. Now… he actually believed it.

It was a scorching summer and the intense heat was unbearable. Lin Qingyu had been inside the bath room for a long time. His flimsy clothes had long been soaked in sweat, the feeling of it sticking to his skin was extremely uncomfortable. He stretched out his hand to test the water temperature, and feeling it acceptable, asked Huan Tong to push Lu Wancheng in.

For all Lu Wancheng’s laziness, he paid great attention to personal cleanliness. When he was in good health, he would take a bath every day in summer. Lin Qingyu was worried he would catch a cold, so he asked him to wash only every other day. Lu Wancheng was still quite unwilling and wanted to kick up a fuss. Fortunately, the Hou Mansion was a rich household and the servants were very attentive. When Lin Qingyu got vexed by his fuss, he simply left him to the servants.

Lin Qingyu sprinkled medicinal powder into the bath tub. Hearing movement from the direction of the doorway, without turning his head to look back, he said, “It’s ready.”

Lu Wancheng was a little surprised. “Why are you…”

“It’s been a long time but your cough shows no sign of improving. It’s getting in the way of people’s sleep. A medicated bath before going to bed may help you get better.” Lin Qingyu turned around. He tucked the hair sticking to his cheeks from sweat behind his ears.

The candles were lit in the bath room and mist suffused the air. Lin Qingyu’s cheeks had turned rosy from the steam and even his lips seemed to be covered in a sheen of lustrous moisture.

Lu Wancheng let out an “Oh” and silently looked away. Lin Qingyu said, “Huan Tong, help Young Master Hou undress.”

Huan Tong said, full of vigor, “Yes, Young Master.”

Lu Wancheng allowed Huan Tong to strip off his clothes for him. He asked, “Qingyu, are you going to stay and watch me take a bath?”

“No. The water temperature of the medicated bath is very important. One point higher or one point lower will affect the efficacy, so I want to stay to monitor it.”

Lu Wancheng’s eyes blinked. “Then you are going to watch me take a bath.”

Lin Qingyu’s tone grew heavier. “I said I’m not.”

Lu Wancheng smiled, “Sigh. What should I do if I am a little shy?”

Lin Qingyu used only ten words to make Lu Wancheng shed his shamelessness. “Do we not share a profound friendship, my good brother?”

It was as though Lu Wancheng woke up from a dream “…good brother!”

Lu Wancheng was stripped until only his underpants were left on. The two of them helped him into the tub, all the while as he grumbled, “This body is as weak as a chicken. It’s got no abs. It’s so ugly.”

He stayed at home all the year round. Lu Wancheng’s complexion was fairer than some women, and his limbs were slender. It was completely far from being ugly. Lu Wancheng shunned it as ugly probably because he preferred a strong and sturdy body.

The bath tub wasn’t very big and Lu Wancheng only submerged the lower half of his chest into the medicated bath. Lin Qingyu and Huan Tong scooped the water onto his shoulders so that the decoction would fully soaked his whole body.

The bath room was filled with medicinal fragrance. Mixed with hot water vapor, it made one’s breathing run a little bit faster.

Lin Qingyu suddenly said, “Young Master Hou.”

Lu Wancheng was pouring the decoction over himself, “Hm?”

Lin Qingyu stretched out his hand and raised Lu Wancheng’s chin, looking carefully at him under the light of the lamp.

Lu Wancheng’s heartbeat gradually became unstable. Voice low, he said, “What are you looking at me for?”

Lin Qingyu let go and his lips curved into a smile, “Finally, I understand you.”

When Lu Wancheng saw Lin Qingyu’s smile, he himself couldn’t help from smiling back. “Why do you say that?”

“You appear tired and lazy on the surface, but underneath, you’re actually eager to be best in everything. Like me, you don’t like the feeling of being subjugated. So even if you hate studying, in order to get first place, you still forced yourself to work hard. Even if your ‘mama’ hands over heavy responsibilities upon you, to the point that you can’t even get your fill of sleep, you still learn everything well. Even if I don’t want to wade through the muddy waters of the Nan’an Hou’s Mansion, in the end, you still take action.”

He was lazy and didn’t like losing; he willfully drifts along but could still win in spite of that. Lu Wancheng was really a strange person.

The smile in Lu Wancheng’s eyes deepened. “You’re right but also not quite. In the past, when I was studying, some people competed with me. If didn’t wish to lose, I could only study. But now, in the Nan’an Hou Mansion, I am someone who’s about to die. What is there for me to strive for?” After that, Lu Wancheng himself seemed dazed. “That’s right, what on earth am I striving for?”

Lin Qingyu said light, “That’s something you should ask yourself.”

Lu Wancheng thought for a while. He raised his eyes to look at Lin Qingyu. Lin Qingyu’s brows were enveloped in mist; they looked as though they were tinged with affectionate warmth.

“Of course it’s because Young Master Hou need only move his lips in the mansion and someone else would help him do things. It really saves on effort.”

Suddenly hearing Huan Tong’s voice, Lu Wancheng was so shocked that he dove into the water, leaving only his head exposed. “Why are you here?”

Huan Tong scratched his head. “I’ve always been here.”

Lu Wancheng: “…”

After that soak in the medicinal bath, Lu Wancheng slept peacefully that night. When he woke up the next day, his vigor improved a lot and his cough wasn’t as severe as before. Lu Wancheng couldn’t help but guess, “Is this the legendary ‘ last radiance of the setting sun ‘?”

Lin Qingyu nodded. “Yes, we can start helping you prepare for the funeral.”

Lu Wancheng smiled and said, “Then I have to think about which clothes to wear when I die.”

In the past, Lu Wancheng also used to frequently make jokes about his death. Lin Qingyu had heard it a lot, so naturally, he shouldn’t take it seriously. But now…

Lin Qingyu looked at the lush trees outside the window, and slowly clenched his fists.

After lunch, Lu Wancheng went to take a nap as usual. But he was disturbed by the sound of a bamboo flute, making him unable to sleep soundly. Lin Qingyu had Hua Lu go see what was going on. It turned out it was the entertainers Lu Qiaosong provided for in the courtyard playing some music.

Lu Qiaosong’s Qingdai Pavilion and the Blue Wind Pavilion were far apart. Usually, the sounds of Lu Qiaosong’s life of dissipation wouldn’t reach them in their courtyard. But for whatever reason, today, Lu Qiaosong had set up a pipa in the pavilion closest to the Blue Wind Pavilion. Aside from the sound of pipa, from time to time, the sound of bird song as well as chatter and laughter would drift into their pavilion.

Lin Qingyu said, making no attempt to conceal his words, “Why is he not dead yet?”

Lu Wancheng said, “Your medicine might not be that effective?”

“How could that be possible?” Lin Qingyu said coldly, “I think he too knows that his body is weak, so he doesn’t dare to drink and have fun as much as he usually does. I’ll go and see.”

Lu Wancheng sighed and stood up with difficulty. “Then, I’ll go too.”

Lin Qingyu pushed Lu Wancheng to the pavilion. From a distance, they could already see that there were many people inside. All these young Gongzi were Lu Qiaosong’s poetry friends. Lu Qiaosong prided himself on being romantic and refined. He often had gatherings with his poet friends. They claiedm to be composing poetry while enjoying wine. Only they knew whether they did things other than that.

Lu Qiaosong was under confinement. He wasn’t allowed out of the house, so his poet friends came to his door instead. But looking at them sitting around the pavilion, each of them had a nice-looking woman in their arms. There were also a few entertainers under the pavilion strumming pipas.

Lu Qiaosong held a brush in his hand, swiping it in ink. All his friends around him were applauding. A female singer was leaning against him, fanning herself with a silk gauze fan, a smile on her face.

The first to see Lin Qingyu and Lu Wancheng were the pipa-playing girls. They were all occupants of the Hou Mansion and even though they had never seen Lin Qingyu, they had long heard from others that this Shaojun was not someone to be trifled with. Of the two people that the Shaojun personally dealt with last time, one was demoted to the lowest rank of servants, made to do dirty and tiring errands every day, and the other went crazy and was sent out of the Hou Mansion — that Momo had even been the Madam’s trusted aide.

When the girl playing the pipa saw Lin Qingyu, she hurriedly stopped. The music came to a sudden halt, causing the rest of the people to turn around and look. Lu Qiaosong’s expression changed, and he threw the brush in his hand onto the painting; the ink slowly smearing onto the paper.

Compared to him, the eyes of his poet friend as they looked at the two people were intrigued. Everyone who knew Lu Qiaosong knew that Lu Qiaosong had a sick elder brother who was not long of this world. In all likelihood, he must be the one in the wheelchair.

The only thing that could be said was that he was worthy of being the eldest son of a noble house. Even seated in a wheelchair, the noble air around Young Master Hou was hard to conceal. And the one behind him…they were all long time patrons of the brothels, there was no kind of beauty that they haven’t seen before, but when they first saw this person, they were still a little surprised and they all exchanged appreciative looks.

Unexpectedly, despite being listless and sickly, Young Master Hou was quite fortunate in love. It was a pity that no matter how beautiful the beauty, he wouldn’t be able to enjoy it.

“This must be Young Master Hou,” said a young man in a royal blue brocade robe. “I am called Zeng Tianlei. Greetings to Young Master Hou.”

Lu Wancheng propped his cheek on his hand and said with much interest, “Why did you all stop? Continue with the dancing and music.”

Everyone looked at each other helplessly. Zeng Tianlei was the type who knew how to live on other’s favor. He said with a smile, “Perhaps our merrymaking here has disturbed Young Master Hou?”

Lin Qingyu said coldly, “What do you think?”

Now that he had spoken, the others could finally squarely cast their eyes on him. A man next to Lu Qiaosong seemed to have drank a bit too much and was unable to even stand steady. He stared fixedly at Lin Qingyu and said, “Qiaosong Xiong, is this beautiful lady your elder brother’s concubine?”

Lin Qingyu’s pupils shrank slightly. His hands around the wheelchair’s handles suddenly tightened.

Lu Qiaosong laughed and said, “Who can compare to Huang Xiong when it comes to having a discerning eye? Come, come, come. Tell me, why do you think he is a concubine, not a proper wife?”

The drunk man spouted nonsense: “If you marry…you must marry the perfect wife, with integrity and talent. A proper wife would be busy assisting her husband and taking care of the children, managing the household. How could she possibly grow such a bewitching appearance?”

Zeng Tianlei whispered, “Huang Xiong, stop talking.”

“Why shouldn’t he speak? What he said was good!” Lu Qiaosong picked up the wine cup, “I, your younger brother, offers a toast to you for your wise words!”

Just when Lin Qingyu was about to have a fit of anger, he suddenly felt someone patting the back of his hand. He heard Lu Wancheng saying with a smile, “My wife is dignified and refined, of an elegant temperament. He clearly has all the markings of a legal wife. Does this brother have eye problems?”

Zeng Tianlei cupped his hand in the other and saluted. He said, “Huang Xiong has offended Shaojun. Huang Xiong has had too much to drink and made those remarks under the influence of alcohol. I hope that Shaojun will not take it to heart.”

“That won’t do. Drunk or not, he has said those things. But since you have all come here, then you are all guests and I must give you some face.” Lu Wancheng tapped the armrest with the tip of his fingers. “How about we do it this way? This Huang Xiong will be penalized with ten cups of drink. If he accepts, then I shall forget all about this matter. How about it?”

“Ten cups?” Zeng Tianlei said, “Huang Xiong is already this drunk, how can he possibly still drink ten more cups?”

Lin Qingyu said coldly, “Since you feel so sorry for him, are you here to drink for him?”

“This……”

What Lu Qiaosong brought out to treat his friends to today were all aged vintage wines. Three cups and it would get to your head; five cups and you’d be drunk; ten cups and you would die from intoxication, it would take two or three days to recover.

“Isn’t it just drinking? I’ll drink for him.” Lu Qiaosong volunteered, “Come on, serve me the wine.”

Zeng Tianlei stopped him. “Qiaosong, you can’t. The doctor said, your body…”

“It’s just drinking. Who is there for me, Lu Qiaosong, to be afraid of?”

Zeng Tianlei couldn’t stop him and he watched on helplessly as Lu Qiaosong drank one cup after another. When he finished the last cup, he was surprisingly still sober. After drinking the last cup, Lu Qiaosong upended the cup on the table, wiped off the liquid from the corner of his mouth and looked at Lu Wancheng, as though trying to provoke him, “So, are you satisfied now?”

Lu Wancheng clapped his hands and laughed. “Third Brother is a good drinker.”

Lu Qiaosong coldly snorted, “I’ve finished your penalty. If there’s nothing else, then forgive me for not seeing you off.”

Lu Wancheng smiled lightly. “Wife, let’s go back.”

Lin Qingyu glanced at Lu Qiaosong, his eyes seemed to be looking at a dead man.

That night, a woman’s scream broke the usual tranquility of the Hou Mansion. The noise of a commotion gradually rose. The sound of chaotic footsteps mixed with hushed whispers gradually spread from the Qingdai Pavilion to the Blue Wind Pavilion. Not long after, Huan Tong, charging in in a hurry, finally said those words “Young Master, Young Master Hou, there’s finally been an incident in Qingdai Pavilion!”

Standing by the window, Lin Qingyu turned to Lu Wancheng and smiled. “Wancheng, would you like to go out and take a look?”

“Let’s go, let’s go.” After saying so, Lu Wancheng was a bit dazed, feeling that there was something not quite right. It took a while before he realized what was wrong and he let out an involuntary chuckle.

It turned out that if you wanted the beautiful villain to change the way he addressed you, you only needed to let him successfully “do evil”. If he was happy, he might call anything.

It was very good, though a bit punishing to the kidneys. But in any case, it wasn't his kidneys being punished.

Lu Wancheng looked down at where his heart would be and suddenly had an idea.

If… if Lin Qingyu called him by his own name, how would he possibly feel?