Song Shi’an: “???”
As expected, she was very skilled at shifting blame — the black pot [黑锅 – “blame”] was directly dumped onto his head.
He could only change his phrasing: “A woman should be reserved. Matters like these should be initiated by the man.”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Chun instantly climbed the pole again, once more lowering her upper body, bringing her face close to Song Shi’an’s.
She pointed at her own cheek, closed her eyes, and with an expression full of anticipation said, “Then Husband, kiss me.”
Song Shi’an: “……”
He had never seen such a shameless woman!
Simply impossible to communicate with — didn’t listen to human language, only knew how to make a scene and be unreasonable.
He said speechlessly: “You should know when to stop.”
“‘Know when to stop’ — what does that mean? I never studied, I don’t understand such profound words, eh.”
Jiang Chun opened her eyes, blinking her large apricot-shaped eyes, looking at him with a face full of innocence.
Song Shi’an sneered inwardly.
Never studied? Guess whether I believe it?
But on the surface, he could only switch to a different tone, lowered his voice, and coldly said, “Enough. Stop messing around.”
Jiang Chun, with that temperament of pulling when led and kicking when pushed, immediately made a scene: “Who’s messing around, who’s messing around? You were clearly the one who said the man should take the initiative! Are you kissing me or not? If not, then let’s just stay stuck like this until Father comes back — let him see just how loving we are, stacked on top of each other in broad daylight!”
Song Shi’an: “……”
He closed his eyes helplessly. This person’s words were so unfiltered, it was truly unsightly.
“Get down. Stop making a fuss, alright?”
He softened his tone, gently coaxing her.
Song Shi’an’s voice was already elegant and magnetic, and when he coaxed someone, it was as tender as can be — Jiang Chun felt her bones going soft just listening, and she almost nodded in agreement.
At the critical moment, she suddenly snapped out of it.
“Damn!” she couldn’t help cursing in her heart. This guy actually used a pretty-boy tactic on her — and she almost fell for it!
Her gaze fell to his lips, which were slightly more rosy than before, and she threatened: “I advise Husband to behave and obey. Otherwise, if you make me angry, it won’t just be a kiss on the cheek.”
Song Shi’an’s eyes followed her gaze downward, and he instantly understood her meaning.
If he didn’t kiss her on the cheek, she would forcibly kiss his lips.
A wise man submits to circumstances. He could only raise his head with difficulty, gently pressed his lips to her cheek, then quickly pulled away.
His face and neck looked as if they had been dyed in red ink, completely flushed through.
“Aiya!”
Jiang Chun clutched her kissed cheek and shouted noisily, “Aiya, I’ve been kissed by Husband, my purity is lost! Husband must take responsibility for me! If you don’t want me anymore in the future, then I won’t live!”
Song Shi’an: “……”
This pian ci [碰瓷 – literally “bumping porcelain,” slang for faking harm to claim compensation, like a scam] was worse than the old man in the city last time who tried to pian ci her — even more fake.
But the fact that he kissed her was real — that couldn’t be faked.
Though it was she who forced him to kiss her — it wasn’t that he did it of his own will.
As for taking responsibility — even without this incident, he would still bring her back to the capital and make her the wife of the Grand Secretary, enjoying glory and wealth for a lifetime.
So, kissed then kissed — it wasn’t that big a deal, was it?
He sighed, tilted his head and glanced toward the window, and said, “Father is coming back soon — hurry and get off.”
Jiang Chun continued kneeling and leaning over him without moving, squinting at him: “Don’t try to smooth things over and brush me off — unless you promise to take responsibility, I won’t get off.”
Song Shi’an said helplessly, “Don’t worry, I will take responsibility.”
Jiang Chun still pressed on relentlessly: “You sound so reluctant — anyone can tell you’re just perfunctorily brushing me off.”
Song Shi’an closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then raised his hand to the side of his ear and solemnly said, “I, Song Shi’an, swear to Heaven, in this life I will take responsibility for Jiang Chun, never abandon or forsake her. If I break this oath, Heaven and Earth shall not tolerate me.”
Taking responsibility and never abandoning or forsaking — that didn’t mean becoming a real married couple with her. Those were two different things.
Lowering his hand, he glared at her and said with irritation, “Satisfied now?”
Jiang Chun was more than satisfied.
In ancient times — especially for literati — oaths were taken extremely seriously. They wouldn’t swear lightly, but once they did, they wouldn’t dare break it even if they had to chase through the heavens above or the underworld below.
She nimbly flipped off of him, grinning: “I will also take responsibility for Husband — never abandon, never forsake.”
Song Shi’an sat up and said blandly, “Then I truly thank you.”
“Husband, what’s with the politeness between us?” Jiang Chun tossed him a flirty wink, then jumped off the kang, bouncing off to prepare lunch.
The room quieted down. Song Shi’an let out a long sigh.
This wandering ghost from who-knows-where, her ability to cling was top-notch — he truly couldn’t resist.
Meanwhile in the kitchen, Jiang Chun hummed a tune while chopping radish, in a mood that could only be described as radiant.
Now it was kissing the cheek. Next would be kissing the little mouth, kissing the neck, kissing the chest, kissing the—
As bold as one dares to be, so plentiful will the harvest be.
As long as her skin was thick enough, in the end, she would surely get it all.
“Chun-niang!” [椿娘 – a familiar or affectionate form of address, “Chun-girl” or “Chun-daughter”]
With a loud bang, the main gate was pushed open. Jiang He’s loud voice rang out in the courtyard, urgency in his tone.
“Dad.” Jiang Chun answered, put down the knife and radish, wiped her hands on her apron, and walked out while asking, “Dad, what’s wrong?”
Jiang He jogged over, reached out and pulled Jiang Chun into the kitchen, speaking in a low voice: “Yin-jie [Sister Yin] has gotten into trouble. I’m going to Lizheng Zhou’s house to borrow a mule cart. You come with me to your aunt’s place.”
Jiang Chun was shocked: “What happened to Yin-jie? I went to Aunt’s place this morning, she didn’t mention anything.”
Jiang He sighed and said, “It just happened — I’ll explain it to you in detail on the way. I’ll go borrow the mule cart first.”
After saying that, he lifted his foot and walked out.
Jiang Chun also stopped cutting the radish. She set up the small twin-handled iron pot and quickly stir-fried an egg.
Then she sliced a mantou, dipped it in egg liquid, and pan-fried a plate of mantou slices.
She carried the two dishes to the dining table, called Song Shi’an out to eat, and explained to him: “Something happened with Wang Yin’er at Eldest Aunt’s house. I’m going with Dad to Aunt’s place.”
Song Shi’an frowned: “You two aren’t eating?”
Jiang Chun sighed and said, “No time to eat. We’ll just buy a few buns in town later to fill up a bit.”
Song Shi’an stayed silent. After eating a few bites of stir-fried egg, he reminded her, worried she might act rashly and cause trouble: “That family is an official household. Commoners don’t fight officials — don’t act impulsively and rush to take the lead.”
Jiang Chun originally wanted to roll her eyes at him, but thinking that he meant well, she nodded and said: “I know.”
For someone like Wang Bo — a powerless nobody — if she beat him up, she could bear the consequences.
But Wang Yin’er had been sold to a wealthy, powerful household. She’d have to be crazy to go stir up trouble there.
—
Jiang He soon borrowed the mule cart, and the father and daughter rushed toward the town in a hurry.
On the way, Jiang He recounted all the news he’d heard from his brother-in-law Zheng Yi to Jiang Chun.
The family that Wang Yin’er was sold to had the surname Liu. Several members of the Liu clan held official posts in the court. The one with the highest rank was Old Master Liu’s own brother, the Second Old Master, who was serving as a prefect in the south — a proper fourth-rank official.
Wang Yin’er had originally been a second-class maidservant serving beside Old Master Liu’s second granddaughter — Second Miss Liu — and was greatly favored by her. She was just waiting for the two first-class maids to marry out so she could be promoted.
It could be said her prospects were bright.
Who knew that this year during the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Second Old Master’s grandson came to Hongye County under his grandfather’s orders to visit Old Master Liu, and just happened to lay eyes on Wang Yin’er, then directly asked Old Master Liu for her.
Old Master Liu was put in a difficult spot.
If he refused, it would be a bit like not giving his brother face.
His brother was the most highly ranked official in the clan, and that nephew-grandson was his brother’s most beloved grandson — the rest of the family’s sons still relied on that brother for promotion.
If he agreed, it would disgrace his own granddaughter.
After all, this was a second-class maid who followed his granddaughter in and out all day. If she ended up becoming a concubine of her cousin, it wouldn’t pass under social scrutiny.
After thinking it over, he had Old Madam Liu find some fault in Wang Yin’er, beat her with twenty strokes of the rod, then drove her out.
To cut off the nephew-grandson’s thoughts, the twenty strokes were delivered severely — intending to cripple her.
According to what Zheng Yi said, when Wang Yin’er was carried back to the Wang family, her whole body’s clothes were soaked through with blood, and she was already breathing out more than she was breathing in.
Jiang Chun immediately asked in alarm: “Did they get a doctor?”
Jiang He replied: “Even if they did, it could only be Old Doctor Qi. But his skills — they’re fine for treating headaches and fevers, but for such serious injuries, he can’t manage. Good thing your uncle heard about this — before informing me, he had already sent your cousin Peng to Hongye County to get Doctor Cao from Baohe Hall.”
Jiang Chun let out a breath of relief: “Uncle really knows what he’s doing. When Wang Yin’er pulls through, she must give him a proper thank you.”
Jiang He didn’t take credit on behalf of his brother-in-law, and nodded: “That’s how it should be.”
When the father and daughter arrived at the Wang family, the inside of the house was quite “lively.” Old Lady Cao was wailing as if her heart had been torn apart, Jiang Xi was silently crying with streaming tears, and Wang Jin’s wife, Madam Zhou, was howling loudly.
Wang Bo and Wang Jin, father and son, were crouching on the ground, occasionally letting out cries of “Awoo, awoo, awoo.”
Anyone who didn’t know better would think Wang Yin’er had already passed away.
But obviously not — Jiang Chun, who had no nearsightedness, could see at a glance that the back of the girl lying on the kang was still rising and falling.
She roared: “Shut up, all of you! Whoever keeps crying, I’ll beat them!”
The crying inside the room immediately stopped. A pin drop could be heard.
Jiang Chun was very satisfied with everyone’s tact, and pointed at Wang Bo, who could at least speak clearly, and asked: “Did you call Old Doctor Qi? What did he say?”
Wang Bo replied in a muffled voice: “We did. He said the injuries were too severe, he was powerless, told us to seek someone more skilled.”
Jiang Chun pressed further: “So did you seek someone else?”
Wang Bo didn’t respond.
Old Lady Cao interjected: “How could we? Our family has no carriage, no cart — how would we go to the county seat? And besides, the county seat is so far from our town — even if we go to invite a doctor, the doctor might not agree to come. Even if they do, the consultation fee will be sky-high. Where would we get that kind of silver?”
Jiang Chun sneered coldly: “No silver? Then how come I heard the Liu family, knowing they beat her too harshly and were in the wrong, paid your family one hundred taels of silver as medical compensation?”
Old Lady Cao immediately shrieked like a screaming chicken: “Y-You—how do you know that?!”
Jiang Chun ignored her. Her cousin had already gone to the county seat to fetch the doctor. Once the doctor arrived, even if they didn’t pay, they’d have to.