Chapter 1, The Son of the Treacherous Minister (Middle)
Hu Xiaotian's gaze was captivated by the beautiful scenery of this spring day, with white clouds reflecting on the surface of the lake. He saw fish swimming through the white clouds and birds flying over the water.
Upon seeing that this girl in red dared to injure someone, and that she had struck their young master, the four bodyguards immediately rushed forward. The first to charge was Liang Dazhuang, who was Hu Xiaotian's personal servant. When his master was in danger, he naturally had to be the first to charge. The girl in red possessed considerable martial skills, wielding her riding whip as if it were guided by a divine force, hitting her targets with precision, leaving several bodyguards in a state of distress.
How wonderful it would be if Miss Li were to take on such a form? Hu Xiaotian thought to himself, I would not mind sharing a bed with you, nor would I mind marrying you and having children. Living a simple and leisurely life together for a lifetime would indeed be a beautiful thing.
At the banks of Cuiyun Lake, visitors are as numerous as weaving threads, the lake's surface is as smooth as a mirror, and the water is a vibrant green. The afternoon sunlight shines upon the lake, casting a silvery glow like brocade. A row of pleasure boats and painted barges are moving across the heart of the lake, startling the gulls and egrets that occasionally take flight from the resting surface, spreading their white wings and tracing beautiful silver arcs in the warm spring sky
Hu Xiaotian was lost in thought, and by the time he realized what was happening, it was already too late. The galloping steed was about to collide with him when the girl in red, quick-witted and agile, seized the reins with her delicate, snow-white hands. The rouge horse came to a sudden halt, letting out a long neigh, its front hooves raised high, almost rearing up on the spot
The most outrageous thing is that he hung several sandbags of different sizes on the large tree in the yard, and whenever he had nothing to do, he would rush up to kick and hit them as if he were mad, only stopping when he was completely exhausted and drenched in sweat
The hooves suddenly struck down, producing a loud bang on the bluestone pavement, just two feet away from Hu Xiaotian, truly a heart-stopping moment. If the young girl hesitated for even a moment longer, the horse would surely have knocked Hu Xiaotian away.
Although Hu Xiaotian had regained consciousness for half a year, it took him a full four months to restore his physical health. The body bestowed upon him by fate was not robust; it was frail and pale, with weak limbs and a lack of vitality. The Hu family was quite affluent, providing him with luxurious food and clothing every day, so he should not have been malnourished. The true reason was that for the past sixteen years, Hu Xiaotian had been afraid of sunlight, always preferring to hide in dark corners. The long-term lack of sunlight naturally affected the production of vitamin D, which in turn impacted the body's absorption of calcium. In other words, over the past sixteen years, he not only suffered from a lack of mental acuity but also from calcium deficiency.
A young girl in a red dress rode a bright red steed, galloping fiercely towards Hu Xiaotian. As she rode, she shouted, "Get out of the way, get out of the way!" In the blink of an eye, she had already arrived in front of Hu Xiaotian.
The crowd ahead suddenly became chaotic, with people hurriedly moving aside. A rapid sound of hooves echoed in the warm spring air, the cobblestone road resonating with a rhythmic cadence as the hooves struck the ground, while the delicate grass on both sides of the road trembled slightly under the vibrations
In the eyes of the Hu family's servants, this young master is someone who enjoys tormenting himself and does not understand how to enjoy life. Although he has regained his senses and is able to speak, his mind remains quite abnormal. For the Hu family, it is a matter of joy to accept a fool even if he has turned into a madman; after sixteen years of being a fool, how much worse could it possibly be?
Hu Xiaotian still feels the pain from that whip to this day. Before he could recover, he heard a delicate cry from the girl in red, who flew out from the rouge. He had to admit that the way this girl flew through the air was truly beautiful, resembling a celestial being descending from the heavens, as she executed a series of elegant and graceful twisting movements in the air.
When Hu Xiaotian saw this young woman, the first thought that sprang to his mind was—what a beauty! After twenty-eight years of dedicated work and business, his emotional life was completely empty. Due to his dissatisfaction with his own engagement, the sunny spring day stirred people's hearts, and because everyone has a desire for beauty, coupled with the effect of his repressed masculine hormones from two lifetimes, he became particularly sensitive to beautiful women.
The sound of melodious silk and bamboo music occasionally drifts from the boats, interspersed with the tinkling laughter akin to silver bells. On such a beautiful day, a girl who has been cooped up in her chamber all winter cannot help but seize the opportunity to breathe fresh air under the pretext of enjoying the spring outing. Countless students are also wandering by the lakeside, engaging in what is commonly referred to as experiencing life. Naturally, among them are wealthy young masters who take advantage of this opportunity to pursue romantic encounters under the guise of experiencing life.
However, no matter how wonderful the flight may be, it ultimately has to land, due to gravity! Newton had long proven this principle. Hu Xiaotian's gaze followed the delicate figure of the girl, anticipating a scene where her face would hit the ground, leaving her bruised and battered. After all, who told you to provoke me? There is a certain hostility; it seems that Hu Xiaotian's hostility has been unusually intense lately
The Hu family is affluent and prosperous, possessing horse-drawn carriages, soft sedan chairs, and even hundreds of fine horses. However, on the limited occasions they venture out, they choose to walk. As for this chestnut horse, it is almost always led out by Hu and brought back again, and it is rare to see him riding it.
Although Hoover only took action at the end, his methods were the most skillful. To catch a thief, first catch the leader; to shoot a person, first shoot the horse. He quietly circled behind the Rouge Horse and thrust the firewater stick forcefully into the middle of its hindquarters. The three-foot-long stick immediately penetrated more than half of its length, causing the Rouge Horse to jump and whinny in pain. Having raised horses for many years, Hoover understood their temperament extremely well. It is not easy to make a horse obey, but if a horse refuses to listen, he can find thousands of ways to deal with it. He thrust the firewater stick forcefully into the middle of the Rouge Horse's hindquarters, and the three-foot-long stick immediately penetrated more than half of its length, causing the Rouge Horse to jump and whinny in pain. Hoover, having raised horses for many years, understood their temperament extremely well. It is not easy to make a horse obey, but if a horse refuses to listen, he can find thousands of ways to deal with it.
Hu Xiaotian did not take a sedan when he went out, but a horse was essential. The groom, Hoover, who shares a name with a certain American president, held a firewood stick in one hand and led a chestnut steed with the other, following at the end. The light jingling of the harness attracted the attention of many passersby. Hu Xiaotian had thought more than once that Hoover was only destined to lead his horse here for him
The young girl in the red dress had a flushed face, not only due to the wild running just now but also because of Hu Xiaotian's lingering gaze upon her. This is an era that emphasizes the gentleman's principle of expressing feelings while adhering to propriety, an era where it is deemed inappropriate to gaze at others without permission, and equally, an era where physical contact between men and women is discouraged.
The servants behind Hu Xiaotian were so frightened that their faces turned pale; their duty was to protect this precious young master. If anything were to happen to the young master, the Minister of Personnel would undoubtedly flay them alive.
The young master of the Hu family possesses many peculiarities that are difficult for others to comprehend. For instance, he enjoys lying in the courtyard wearing only a pair of underpants to sunbathe, insisting on tanning his fair skin to a wheat-colored brown. Additionally, he recently had a pond dug in the backyard, which neither houses fish or shrimp nor cultivates lotus flowers, but is instead constructed with square blue stones. He then takes time each day to strip off his clothes and swim around in it, scaring the maids and servants to the point of embarrassment, causing them to avoid passing by that area whenever possible. If they cannot circumvent it, they must close their eyes, as this situation has often led to maids and servants getting bruised from colliding with the corridor pillars.
The girl in the red dress was not known for her good temper. First, she was blocked in her path by Hu Xiaotian, and then this fellow stared at her without any restraint, which immediately ignited her anger. She raised the riding whip in her hand and struck it down on Hu Xiaotian's head, exclaiming, "Shameless scoundrel, what is there to look at?"
In the past six months, while Hu Xiaotian quietly explored the new world, he began to purposefully and systematically exercise his body. With abundant sunshine, fresh air, pure and unpolluted water sources, and a variety of nutritious and safe foods, Hu Xiaotian transformed his body into a state that can be described as fit in just four months. Only those who have experienced death truly understand the importance of health to oneself. The body is the capital of revolution, and it is equally the capital for enjoying life. Hu Xiaotian transformed his body into a state that can be described as fit in just four months. Only those who have experienced death truly understand the importance of health to oneself. The body is the capital of revolution, and it is equally the capital for enjoying life.
The girl in the red dress ultimately did not allow Hu Xiaotian to fulfill his heartfelt wishes. The flying distance exceeded everyone's imagination, soaring away from the horse's back, crossing the bluestone path, leaping over the lush green grass by the lakeside, and heading straight towards the shimmering Cuiyun Lake.
Hu Xiaotian did not expect that this girl in red would actually resort to violence. In a moment of panic, he raised his arm to block, but the whip struck his arm with a loud crack, tearing his outer garment apart and leaving a long gash on his arm, which throbbed painfully.
Hu Xiaotian walked at the forefront, dressed in a blue robe with silver-threaded flowing cloud patterns embroidered on the collar and cuffs. A wide brocade belt was tied around his waist, and he wore a black gauze hat adorned with a lustrous blue jade on his forehead. His height was 1.78 meters, which, according to the Dakan measurement standard, should be close to 7 feet 5 inches, with one foot being approximately 24 centimeters. On his feet were a pair of thin-soled riding boots; although they were called thin-soled, they actually had a height of 3 centimeters. While this was not comparable to the 7-centimeter thick-soled official boots custom-made by the old man to enhance his height, it still provided a certain degree of elevation. Thus, Hu Xiaotian's height naturally exceeded 1.80 meters, and although he did not stand out significantly in the crowd, he could still be considered somewhat elegant and poised.
Where there are dashing young men, there will naturally be infatuated young women. Such a season is inherently one that easily fosters budding feelings of love. Hu Xiaotian gazed at the youthful girls passing by him, some beautiful and charming, others youthful and delightful, each adorned in vibrant attire, exuding feminine allure. When he recalled the daughter of the Li family, to whom he was betrothed, said to have been paralyzed for five years and possessing an exceedingly unattractive appearance, his previously uplifted mood, buoyed by the pleasant spring scenery, instantly soured. To spend a lifetime with such a paralyzed patient would be more sorrowful than death itself.
Hu Xiaotian was also startled by the sudden unexpected scene. He raised his head and saw a young girl dressed in a red arrow-sleeved, front-opening samurai outfit, draped in a green-patterned brocade feather cloak, wearing red lantern pants, overlaid with a hollow gold-threaded gauze skirt, and black embroidered riding boots with thin soles. Her hair was styled in a hanging bun with split strands, the black hair divided into two sections, tied at the top without any support, naturally cascading down, with the ends tied and hanging over her shoulders, resembling the tail of a spring swallow. Her features were picturesque, and combined with her attire, she appeared truly charming and delightful.
Although the whip of the girl in the red dress was formidable, it is easy to dodge a direct attack but difficult to guard against a hidden one. She never expected that her steed would be ambushed, suddenly going mad, and her delicate body was violently thrown off by that rouge horse, soaring through the air like riding on clouds.