[This is so boring. I want to pick cherries.]
Tong Aning swung listlessly beneath the grape arbor. It was the third month of spring, and tender green shoots and leaves sprouted from the arbor, brimming with spring life.
Seeing how much Tong Aning liked it, her maternal grandfather had specially transplanted this grapevine into her courtyard. This variety was rarely seen in the capital.
Last year, Tong Aning had waited eagerly every day for it to flower and bear fruit, then eaten so many grapes that she had made herself sick of them. Now she had developed a craving for something else.
Su Zhouyue came over with some cherries and, without a word, popped one into Tong Aning's mouth. "You really do forget the pain once the scar heals. You only fell into the pond a few days ago, and now you want to fall out of a tree?"
Tong Aning drew Su Zhouyue down beside her and leaned against her shoulder, swaying back and forth. "Mother, wish something good for me, won't you?"
"When I say no, I mean no."
As she spoke, Su Zhouyue popped another cherry into Tong Aning's mouth.
[Why is Mother so fierce?]
She dared call her fierce?
Su Zhouyue raised her hand.
[Still, Mother really is beautiful.]
Su Zhouyue wore a moon-white short jacket beneath a pale green gauze robe. Her brows and eyes were gentle, and she was as beautiful as a heavenly fairy.
This girl. Su Zhouyue changed course with her raised hand and lightly tapped Tong Aning's forehead.
[How about flying a kite instead?]
She had only behaved herself for a moment.
Su Zhouyue held her hand down and smoothed her hair. "It's windy. The physician said you're frail. If you fly off along with the kite, where is Mother supposed to find another daughter?"
Tong Aning settled down, though she found it strange.
[How does Mother know what I'm thinking? Can she hear my thoughts?]
Su Zhouyue choked. She put on a stern face. "Stop letting your imagination run wild. Even cherries can't keep your mouth busy."
Tong Aning ate more than half the plate of cherries, grew bored, and went back inside. In the end, she did not continue suspecting that Su Zhouyue could hear her thoughts.
Su Zhouyue breathed a sigh of relief. Of course she could hear them.
A few days earlier, Tong Aning had accidentally fallen into the water. After she woke up, the whole family discovered that they could hear her thoughts.
Along with Tong Aning's thoughts, a young child's voice had also appeared. Tong Aning seemed to call her a system?
This business with her thoughts was far too strange.
Su Zhouyue had not slept all night. The next day, she took Tong Aning to a temple to offer incense and specifically sought a protective talisman for her, only to discover that they could not speak of being able to hear her thoughts.
The temple's abbot reassured Su Zhouyue that this might be an opportunity granted by Heaven. Only then did she feel considerably more at ease.
Fortunately, Tong Aning remained as lively as ever, and it did not affect her, so Su Zhouyue let her be.
"Madam." Nanny Xu, who attended Su Zhouyue, hurried over to her. "The second young lady has returned."
Sure enough, behind Nanny Xu stood her second daughter, who had returned to her husband's family only a few days ago.
Su Zhouyue held out her hand, and Tong Siyan placed hers in it. Studying her daughter's complexion, Su Zhouyue asked in surprise, "Why do you look so pale?"
Then a possibility occurred to her. "Could it be..."
Tong Siyan pressed her lips together and nodded.
Su Zhouyue's expression turned solemn.
Tong Aning's thoughts truly had no adverse effects. They even seemed capable of predicting the future.
The day after Tong Aning fell into the water, Tong Siyan had come to visit her.
At the time, Tong Aning's thoughts had said that the second son-in-law, always so honest and kind, had long been carrying on with his younger cousin. She was even secretly pregnant, and they were only waiting for the day it came to light so she could be brought into the household on equal footing with Tong Siyan.
Su Zhouyue and Tong Aobai had chosen this son-in-law from thousands of candidates. His family background and character were excellent in every way, which was why they had felt comfortable marrying Tong Siyan to him.
If he really was as Tong Aning had said...
Su Zhouyue would be the first to make him pay.
Tong Siyan drank some hot tea, and her complexion improved a little. "After going back these past two days, I had someone make discreet inquiries. It turns out that everyone in the Cui household knew. I was the only one kept in the dark."
How hateful that their family had been so thoroughly deceived. She had even intended to live with that beast Cui Heng in mutual respect.
Tong Siyan tightened her grip on her cup.
Su Zhouyue patted the back of Tong Siyan's hand. Tong Siyan looked over to see her mother's face as still and dark as deep water. "Yanyan, don't worry. Mother will see that you get justice."
Tong Siyan shook her head and said softly, "Mother, I want to handle this myself."
"Yanyan..."
"Mother, don't worry. I will make sure Cui Heng's reputation is utterly ruined."
Su Zhouyue could see the ruthlessness in Tong Siyan's eyes. Everyone in their marquis's household was doing well. Her daughter had grown up now; it was time to let her face some things herself.
"All right, Yanyan. Once you've handled it, I'll have your father send a sedan chair-an eight-bearer sedan chair-to bring you home."
Tong Siyan's heart softened. "All right."
"What sedan chair?"
Tong Aning came out, and her eyes lit up at the sight of Tong Siyan. She threw herself into her arms like a kitten. "Second Sister, you're back."
Tong Siyan stroked Tong Aning's hair. "Yes."
Tong Aning took her hand and whispered, "Let's go pick cherries."
"What?"
Tong Siyan had not caught it, but Su Zhouyue had heard perfectly clearly. She smiled. "Go on, go on. You can't sit still anyway."
"I'll ask Uncle Zhao to bring a ladder, then go get Fifth Sister."
Tong Aning lifted her skirts and ran off at top speed. Su Zhouyue and Tong Siyan followed.
And so, when Tong Fengye came home, he found the whole family gathered merrily around the cherry tree.
"Second Sister, you're back."
"I only just got here. Are you done with classes?"
Tong Fengye made a couple of affirmative noises. Then something occurred to him, and he lowered his voice. "About Second Brother-in-law..."
Tong Siyan nodded.
Tong Fengye immediately rolled up his sleeves. "Second Sister, don't worry. I'll twist his head right off."
Tong Siyan covered her mouth and chuckled. Su Zhouyue scolded him, "Tong Fengye, has all your learning gone into a dog's belly?"
Tong Fengye scratched his head and ventured, "Then should I beat Cui Heng to death with a book?"
Su Zhouyue grew even more exasperated. "Stop talking about life and death all day."
"Oh."
Tong Fengye remembered something else and spoke even more quietly this time. "Then Fourth Sister really can..."
"Yes."
The moment Su Zhouyue finished speaking, Tong Fengye ran off.
"Tong Fengye, what are you running so fast for?"
"I'm going to ask Fourth Sister about my grades. Mother, you might need to give me my reward early."
Su Zhouyue: "..."
Tong Fengye stood beneath the tree, gazing eagerly up at Tong Aning. "Fourth Sister, the Imperial Academy exams are coming up. What place do you think I'll get?"
Tong Aning was busy picking cherries from the tree. At his question, she said, "Third Brother, study hard, and you're sure to get a good ranking."
But in reality-
[Sigh. Third Brother will come dead last again this time.]
The smile vanished from Tong Fengye's face. He trudged back to Su Zhouyue and Tong Siyan, looking utterly crestfallen, and murmured, "Mother, it's all over."
"It certainly is." Su Zhouyue's face remained gentle, but there was murderous intent in her eyes. "You wanted an early reward, did you? Wonderful. Now you can get your beating early."
"What beating?"
Tong Aobai, who had just returned, slipped an arm around Su Zhouyue's waist. He frowned at his two daughters enjoying themselves immensely in the cherry tree. "Aning climbed that high again? Hasn't she learned her lesson?"
Su Zhouyue said unhappily, "If she isn't trying to climb a tree, she wants to fly a kite. What can I do?"
Tong Aobai hurriedly said, "Thank you for your hard work, my dear."
Tsk, tsk, tsk, Tong Fengye thought. Was this what Fourth Sister called henpecked?
Tong Aning and Tong Yi'an came up to Su Zhouyue and Tong Aobai with armfuls of cherries. Tong Yi'an gazed pleadingly at Su Zhouyue. "Mother, can we have candied cherries tonight?"
How could Su Zhouyue bear to refuse her? She stroked both their heads. "All right."
Tong Aning and Tong Yi'an cheered. Su Zhouyue said, "Uncle Zhao, sorry for the trouble, but please have someone take the remaining cherries to the kitchen. Tell them we're having candied cherries tonight."
"Yes, Madam."
Tong Aning and Tong Yi'an came inside carrying washed cherries. One brought a plate to Su Zhouyue and Tong Aobai, while the other brought a plate to Tong Siyan and Tong Fengye.
Tong Aobai said, "Aning has more or less recovered. She can return to the Imperial Academy in a few days."
[No!]
[I don't want to take exams!]
"Father, I suddenly feel dizzy and weak..."
"No dodging your exams!"
Tong Aning: "..."
[It's fine, it's fine. Third Brother will be dead last anyway. He can take the heat for me for a while.]
Plop.
The cherry in Tong Fengye's hand fell to the floor.
What did this have to do with him?
What an undeserved calamity.
"Dead last?"
Tong Aobai looked at Tong Fengye and asked in a low voice.
Tong Fengye laughed hollowly. "Father, I can explain."
[Sigh. Third Brother comes dead last every time. He really isn't cut out for studying.]
Tong Fengye: "..."
He marched angrily over to Tong Aning and stuffed quite a few cherries into her mouth. "Eat your cherries. You talk too much."
Tong Aning: "???"
"Tong Fengye!"
At the sound of Tong Aobai's voice, Tong Fengye's legs began to weaken. Perhaps he should behave himself and fetch the cane?
Tong Aobai was nearly beside himself with anger. He was going to give Tong Fengye a beating, yet the boy actually dared to run.
Tong Aobai pointed the cane at Tong Fengye. "Tong Fengye, have your wings grown strong enough to defy me?"
Tong Fengye stiffened his neck. "Even if I were a little chick, I wouldn't be stupid enough to stand still and let you hit me!"
"You..."
As Tong Fengye scurried away with his hands over his head, he glimpsed out of the corner of his eye his fifth sister eating cherries, his fourth sister continuing to fan the flames, his mother smiling with perfect composure, and his second sister drinking her tea with exquisite elegance, entirely unconcerned.
Oh, and his father, whose face had turned livid with anger at him, and his eldest brother, who had just returned from the Ministry of Justice looking utterly lifeless.
Did anyone care whether he lived or died?
Unable to catch him, Tong Aobai threw down the cane. Just then, Nanny Xu came to say dinner was ready. "Let's eat," Tong Aobai said.
Wonderful. Tong Fengye clutched his chest. He had survived another day in the marquis's household.
Author's note:
Father: Tong Aobai. Mother: Su Zhouyue. Eldest Brother: Tong Yibin.
Second Sister: Tong Siyan. Third Brother: Tong Fengye. Fourth Sister: Tong Aning.
Fifth Sister: Tong Yi'an.
Our Ningning is the fourth sister~
I wanted to write some warm everyday moments and Ningning's melon-eating life~
An auspicious start to the story! [Scatter flowers] [Scatter flowers] [Scatter flowers]