Chapter 8, Young Hero

It is once again the time of day that the nobility of Jiankang enjoys the most

When A-Lü reached this point, she noticed Zhang Qi's indifferent expression and couldn't help but pout, saying: "Let me tell you, A-Qi, you haven't seen Mo Lang. Once you meet him, you will definitely like him too."

Zhang Qi looked up and saw the maid applying a light layer of powder, and couldn't help but smile and say: "Besides him, the handsome young man has returned as well, hasn't he?"

Reaching out to touch her face, Zhang Qi thought: There is still some time.

Xiao Shimo, Zhang Qi has heard so much over the past three months that his ears have developed calluses. It is said that he is tall and handsome, with a refined appearance, and at such a young age, he has already gained considerable fame for his talents, with his poems and essays being recited throughout the south and north of the Yangtze River.

The slyness on her face made the maid A-Lü blush. She pouted and let out a soft hum, but in the blink of an eye, she was all smiles again. "You usually stay cooped up in your room, so of course you wouldn't know anything. Let me tell you, the young master Xiao has also arrived."

Focusing intently, practicing stroke by stroke in the air

At this point, A-Lü's eyes darted, and suddenly she rushed forward, pulling Zhang Qi forcefully and dragging her towards the door.

In this era, paper is a precious rarity. The Zhang family is also a wealthy household, but it is impossible for such a noble family to provide a large amount of valuable paper and ink for someone of low status like Zhang Qi to practice calligraphy. To avoid wasting the brush, she cannot even dip it in water to practice on the table.

A-Lü was about to refute, but then saw Zhang Qi take out a handkerchief from her bosom and gently dab it on her face

In the past three months, with good nutrition and sleep, Zhang Qi's height has increased significantly, resembling a delicate sapling. Moreover, the malnourished pallor on her face and body has gradually been replaced by a fair and rosy complexion

Zhang Qi's movements were gentle and rhythmic. After wiping for a while, A Luqi asked, "Why have you been rubbing at the corner of my eye and in front of my ear for so long?" Zhang Qi did not respond, withdrew her finger, which was stained with rouge, and rearranged her disheveled hair.

In the blink of an eye, Zhang Qi has returned to the Zhang residence for three months. She arrived in late autumn, and now, with winter having passed, it is already early spring.

In a few months, Zhang Qi will turn fourteen years old. If she were a legitimate daughter of the Zhang family, arrangements for marriage would already be underway, with suitors being considered and engagements being prepared.

Hearing her complaints and seeing the frustration in A-Lü's eyes, Zhang Qi couldn't help but smile slightly. She said softly, "It's just makeup that has smudged, what is there to be angry about?"

As soon as these words were spoken, Zhang Qi let out a soft laugh. Accompanying her laughter was the clear and bright laughter of a young man.

In this world, there are not many beautiful concubines and maidservants in the mansion who can be presented in public, as they are not worthy of attention. ... I remember that the wealthiest man, Shi Chong, would use beautiful maidservants as a means to an end ... . Whenever distinguished guests arrived, he would instruct the maidservants to persuade them to drink! If the guests refused to drink, he would have the heads of the maidservants chopped off

At this moment, the sun had just set in the west, and lanterns were hung everywhere in the house. Not far away, the fragrance of incense mingled with the scent of rouge wafted through the air, and laughter could be heard from time to time

With a swipe of her hand across her face, A-Lü regretted and cried out, "It's all your fault, living in such a remote place, causing me to waste so much time just looking for you"

After this incident, none of them dared to offend Zhang Qi. After learning five characters, it was already time for dinner

... ...

In the room, Zhang Qi pressed down on the bronze mirror, reached for the scissors, and trimmed her hair a little shorter to keep it out of her eyes. After her careful examination, her hairstyle perfectly concealed three-tenths of her beauty. With her current appearance, which could only be described as having five-tenths of beauty, this concealment could only be considered as being delicate and not overly striking.

Returning to the room, with the shimmering light from outside, Zhang Qi took out the brush distributed in class today, took a deep breath, and began to write in the air.

Before Zhang Qi could speak, A Lu had already said with a smile: "A Qi, hasn't your father returned? If you stay here sulking, when will he remember you, his daughter? I suggest we go to the front yard right now; perhaps your father will catch a glimpse of you and recognize his daughter. Then, he will open his mouth, and you will start living the good life that only a legitimate daughter of the Zhang family can enjoy"

The journey from here to the front courtyard takes at least half an hour. A-Lü, pulling Zhang Qilian, hurriedly ran, and by the time they reached the front courtyard, they were both panting. Moreover, the makeup that she had deliberately applied on her face had also smudged quite a bit.

After practicing for an hour, Zhang Qi fell asleep early

Zhang Qi opened the screen window of the room, gazing at the scattered lights floating among the shadows of the trees, looking towards the source of the melodious sounds. That place was familiar to her; it was where the Zhang residence kept its concubines and songstresses, and it was also the most likely destination for a beautiful sister-in-law of her lowly status.

Just as I stood up, a clear voice from outside rang out, "Aqi, Aqi, I heard that your father has returned, do you know?" As she spoke, a round-faced, big-eyed maid, about fourteen or fifteen years old, pushed the door open and entered.

Zhang Qi raised her head, the bright moon shining high in the sky. Through the night mist that enveloped the heavens, she could not see further. However, without needing to look, she knew that all the prominent families like the Zhang family, all the powerful and wealthy households, were at this moment filled with the sound of music and the lingering fragrance of cosmetics.

As she ran to the edge of the pond and stretched out her hand, Zhang Qi let out a startled cry. She pointed in astonishment at her own reflection in the pond, her cheeks noticeably slimmer, her brows and eyes more refined, deep, and captivating. Just as she was about to say something, she suddenly slapped the back of her head and exclaimed: "The place where the masters live is indeed different; even the water in the pond reflects a more beautiful version of oneself than what we have back home."

After a while, Zhang Qi put away her handkerchief, and A Lu pulled her forward again. As they walked, A Lu noticed the pond beside them and said gloomily, "Let me see if I can still meet someone."

Certainly, compared to those concubines, Zhang Qi, who has the bloodline of the Zhang family from Jiankang, holds a more noble status. However, the more noble one is, the more the aristocrats and wealthy individuals tend to collect.

Zhang Qi was caught off guard by her dragging and stumbled. By the time she regained her composure, she had already been pulled out of the room by A Lu

On one occasion, he even beheaded more than a dozen beautiful maidservants in succession

Zhang Qi was both amused and exasperated, and she said cheerfully, "Clearly, it was meant for you to go see some young man, yet you found such an excuse." Despite saying this, she ultimately followed in A-Lv's footsteps

This matter has been widely circulated until now, and many nobles still emulate it. People like to mention this incident, not because Shi Chong regarded human life as worthless, but because of his extravagance! Consider those beautiful maidens, collected from various places, and then taught the arts of music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, etiquette, and adornment; how much gold and silver was spent on each of them? Yet he would say "chop" and would do so without a hint of regret. Such generosity is remarkably similar to when he smashed the priceless coral tree of his father-in-law with a single blow.

Zhang Qi took a deep breath, pulling her thoughts back. When she turned around, her youthful face was reflected in the celadon vase

There is still some time before her beauty blossoms

Whenever Xiao Mo is mentioned, A Lu's face turns crimson, and her eyes seem to well up with tears

After having dinner, Zhang Qi went to the kitchen designated by her sister-in-law Liang, helping to organize the firewood and clean up. After working for about half an hour, she was able to return to her room