FID – Chapter 204

It was late at night and the Lius were used to going to bed early, so after watching the match, they bid each other and went to their rooms.

A few juniors were still discussing the sparring session.

Shi Xianrou was sandwiched between Liu Zhiqiu and Feng Mohan. “Miss Shi, your martial arts is so powerful. How did you practice it? I saw it just now. You hit a punch, and the wind blew and scraped up Aunt Hong’s hair!”

“It was simply too wonderful just now. I did not expect Wei Hong to be inferior to you. Do you often fight with people? Seeing that you’re skilled and experienced, you have not beaten up many people in private, right?”

Shi Xianrou answered them one by one good-naturedly, “I followed my father to practice martial arts since childhood and later went to the battlefield with him for a look…I don’t often fight with people, but I also have quite a lot of experience in actual battles…For now, I never lost…”

Qian Wanjin stood next to her, pressing his lips together. The more he listened, to the colder his heart felt.

A picture suddenly popped in his mind. He quarreled with Shi Xianrou, and then she pinned him down and beat him. 

Hiss! Shivers all over! He quickly shook his head to drive that image out.

Was he bewitched?

He wasn’t going to marry her! Even if someone would get beaten up in the future, it would be her husband, not him!

He was afraid of nothing!

But his legs were shaking!

Since Qian Wanjin brought Shi Xianrou as his fiancée, the family didn’t let her stay in the first courtyard guest room and instead in the inner courtyard guest room, next to Liu Yusheng.

The group of people went to the inner courtyard and parted ways with Qian Wanjin and others in the second courtyard.

Before leaving, Shi Xianrou looked at him and suddenly whispered in his ear, “Don’t worry, I won’t beat you in the future.”

“…” Qian Wanjin fled.

What the hell was this woman?!

She knew what he was thinking?

Looking at the man’s back as he fled in embarrassment and then seeing the woman’s gaze at the man’s back with a shadow of a teasing smile, Liu Yusheng burst out laughing despite herself.

“I couldn’t tell that you could tease people. When we first met, I thought you were a pretty decent girl.”

Shi Xianrou walked beside the girl, entered the inner courtyard side by side with her, and then laughed. “You’re right. I’m only like this with Qian Wanjin.”

After a pause, she continued, “He is too slow. If I don’t take the initiative, I won’t get anything done in this life.”

Liu Yusheng raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you already engaged?”

“He doesn’t want to marry me.”

“You want to marry him.”

Shi Xianrou turned her head to Liu Yusheng. “I like him.”

“…” This confession should be addressed to Qian Wanjin, right?

“Did I scare you?” The woman smiled. “You know what? Before I came, I treated you as a rival. In fact, I came to spy on my so-called enemy and cow you into submission while at it.”

“…And what about now?”

“Maybe we can be friends. You’re very nice.”

“I also quite like you.” Liu Yusheng smiled away. Shi Xianrou was very open in nature. She did like her.

Someone who dared to blurt things so bluntly, she had only seen this one among all the women in all these years.

She reminded her of a modern day person.

A soldier.

Her aura was very positive, but not rigid.

She dared to love, to hate – heroic.

Upon entering the inner courtyard, the two did not immediately return to their rooms to rest but headed to the stone table under the green bamboo and sat down.

The moon was hazy, and the evening breeze was blowing through the bamboo leaves and making a rustling sound.

The night was deep and quiet.

“I heard you say you had seen the battlefield. Did you go to war?”

Shi Xianrou tilted her head to gaze at the moon overhead, partly squinting her eyes, as if recalling that past.

“As a child, my father was just an small-fry lieutenant, an insignificant head of the barracks. Back then, there was unrest on the border and he was transferred from the capital to the border under the army’s command. We went as a family and lived in a small town on the border. I’ve witnessed plenty of battles and turmoil over there. Whenever I saw the displacement of people, my blood often boiled. When I grew up, I sneaked into the military camp and disguised myself as a man for three years. So sometimes, I act more like a man.”

“And then?”

“Later…” The woman lowered her head with a shallow smile. “Later, I heard news from the capital that the eldest son of the Qian family frequently escaped from marriage on the way to a blind date, which made the Qian family elder issue a death order, to capture him and take him back to marry. I was anxious, so I returned.”

“You mean, you came back to the capital for Qian Wanjin?”

“My father was promoted to Vice Admiral in the army. Moreover, the border is stable this year, so I was able to be transferred back to the capital. Do you think I’m in the right place at the right time?”

Liu Yusheng didn’t know what to say. Qian Wanjin, that bastard, got lucky.

However, he was worthy of such a woman.

Absolute sincerity was worthy of his honest disposition.

In the second courtyard, Qian Wanjin was in the dark about their exchange. He returned to his room and fell asleep. A short time later echoed a roaring snore.

Dazed and confused, as if trapped in a dream.

In the dream, there were two little chubby kids – a chubby boy and a chubby girl, both with bruises on their faces and sitting in an alley on the streets of the capital.

“In the future, if someone bullies you again, fight back! What’s wrong with being fat? Let me tell you, fat people are blessed. The fatter they are, the more blessed they are!” The fatty sniffed and wiped off the blood stains on his nose, speaking with full momentum.

“Really? They all say I’m so ugly when I’m fat like this.” The chubby girl pursed her lips, her chubby cheeks bulging and tears hanging on her round eyes. 

Aigoo, too adorable! She resembled those chubby babies in New Year paintings sold at the stall across the street.

“Where do you look ugly? Fat and chubby, see the New Year paintings hanging over there. The New Year babies are fat, how cute!”

“But they also said that no one will want me in the future if I’m fat.”

“They have no vision! Don’t be afraid. If no one wants you in the future, come to me. I want you!”

Qian Wanjin was jolted awake.

That dignified fatty in his dream was all too familiar. Wasn’t it him?

But who was the chubby girl?

He did not remember anything!

Good thing, it was just a dream.

Not real.

How could he be so young and set his life with someone?!

How stupid!

In the morning, the Lius would be picking loquats at the orchard, so there was ruckus in the yard so early.

Most of the villagers who had spare time would come to help.

Grandma Liu, Chen Xiulan, and Du Juan were preparing tea. By the time they reached the mountain, they could drink a cup of tea without having to go far and quench their thirst while picking fruit.

There would be crowds, and more tea had to be prepared, so they were too busy to rest.

Several elders in the family came crowding into the kitchen to help.

Feng Mohan squeezed in between the adults and ran back and forth.

“Grandma, is it this kind of tea? With so big a pot of water, is it enough to soak a small bowl of tea leaves?”

“Grandpa, the firewood pile is next to you. Remember to add firewood. Don’t let the fire burn out!”

“Granduncle, grandma said if you want a bucket for water, go to our neighbor’s house to borrow a few. There are not enough at home!”

“Uncle Zhiqiu, there isn’t enough manpower. We’re very busy. Go get Uncle Jinzi to help!” As for his Imperial Uncle, forget it. He dared not  mention him.

When Liu Yusheng appeared, what he saw was the picture of the little boy commanding in full force.

He was almost the image of a steward with a megaphone.