However, once Qian Yixiu had heard the names of the Qian family members, she couldn't help but give a thumbs-up to Old man Qian. These names were incredibly impressive.
Sons and daughters are named Gui and Xiang, implying that money is valuable and fragrant, which is quite the truth. The grandsons' names suggested that money spread across the rivers of Sichuan, whereas the granddaughters' names evoked images of bowls full, plates full, branches full, blossoms full, and skies full of rosy clouds.
No wonder Qian Manjiang was so ambitious; he was simply following in his grandfather's footsteps.
As evening came and all the guests had been sent away, the young men eager to eavesdrop were dragged out one by one by Old woman Qian pulling their ears. Qian Manjiang was under pressure; the elder members of the Qian family were all unanimously looking forward to him seizing every opportunity to carry out the grand plan of sowing his seeds.
Taking advantage of the moment Qian Manjiang went to wash up, Lady Wu went to the left wing room. Taking Cheng Yue's hand, she advised, "Later, you must do whatever Brother Jiang tells you to do. If you obey, Brother Jiang will like you." Then, with a stern face, she threatened, "If you don't obey, Mother will kick you out, and you'll have nowhere to sleep and nothing to eat."
After hearing Lady Wu's words, Cheng Yue was indeed frightened, her big beautiful eyes brimming with tears, as she promised, "Obey — I will obey."
Lady Wu smiled, "Good, that's what a good child does. If you obey, you can become a mother and have babies."
Just as Qian Manjiang walked in, Cheng Yue looked at him blankly and said, "Obey Brother Jiang's words, become — a mother, have — babies."
Qian Manjiang's face turned red to the tips of his ears, and he let out a sheepish laugh.
Lady Wu said with a smile, "Yueyue spoke well, indeed that's how it should be." Then she whispered instructions to Qian Manjiang, "Yueyue is different from other girls; don't scare her. You need to coax her slowly, otherwise, it might backfire." Seeing her son nod, she stepped out of the room.
Once she left, she didn't go to her own room but instead crept outside the left wing room's window to eavesdrop, thinking that if her son couldn't manage, she would go back in to help. They needed to make sure the couple "sang songs" every night to increase the chances of pregnancy.
Qian Sangui, trembling, hobbled out leaning on his cane and tugged at her clothes, making Lady Wu blush as she followed him back to their room.
Knowing that Lady Wu was eavesdropping outside the window, Qian Manjiang felt embarrassed to say much and just sat upright on the edge of the bed. Only when he heard his mother's footsteps moving away did he relax completely.
He turned to look at Cheng Yue; his little wife was already beautiful, but under the lamp light, she appeared even more obscured by shadows and enticing. Her big watery eyes, her small pouting red mouth, and her delicate chin made Qian Manjiang's body heat up. Seizing her hand, he said, "Yueyue, you promised to listen to your brother, right?"
Cheng Yue nodded and said, "Yes, obey — become a mother, have — babies."
Qian Manjiang's eyes curled up with a smile as he said, "Yueyue is so well-behaved, let's settle down."
Perhaps because he always engaged in physical labor and martial arts, his unassuming appearance still hinted at the presence of a few abs when revealed.
Hiding behind a table waiting to watch the drama, Qian Yixiu felt something was off. Even though the show was free and no one would mind, and the leads were stunning enough to make both gods and men envious, watching her little father and little mother create herself didn't seem quite right; it also seemed to violate human relationships.
Yet she was really reluctant to leave; she really wanted to see how her silly mother would be seduced by her little father. After an internal struggle, she finally rationalized it. She wasn't their daughter yet, so what was the harm in listening from around the corner? Thus, with little grace, she squeezed behind a red-painted cabinet nearby. This cabinet, brought from Qian's Main Courtyard, was the finest piece of furniture they had. It had been in Lady Wu's bedroom until yesterday when it was moved to the west room by Qian Manchuan and others.
Sounds of rustling came, with Qian Manjiang panting, "Shall we play a game of fighting? Yueyue pretends to lose, and I win."
"Fighting is bad, Yueyue doesn't like it," said Cheng Yue.
Qian Manjiang replied, "But our child will like it, and when he sees how fun it is, he will rush over and crawl inside Yueyue's belly."
"Where is the child?"
"Under — the table, or — behind the cabinet."
"Why hasn't Yueyue seen him?"
"He's playing hide-and-seek with Yueyue."
…
Tsk, tsk, tsk, this little father... Qian Yixiu could not listen any longer. This fifteen-year-old boy, how could he be like this? People from ancient times matured early, and ancient men even more so.
Even if Qian Yixiu's metaphorical thick skin was impenetrable, she felt embarrassed to keep listening.
She hastily floated out the window. Her ghostly hearing was so sensitive that she could still hear Cheng Yue's cries of pain and Qian Manjiang coaxing her, even from the courtyard; thus, she drifted out of the courtyard.
Though Ma Mian's words had not been explicit, the information they contained was immense. She wanted to wander the mountains, taking advantage now that she didn't tire easily, moved quickly, and didn't have to worry about wild animals. She wanted to see if there was anything valuable, so she could dig it up later. This family was as poor as could be; she had no idea if her little father would return, and even if he did, there was no telling how many years it would take. If she were to travel through time, wanting a good life depended on her small hands creating wealth.
As she was deep in thought, a sharp, agonizing scream suddenly filled the courtyard, followed by Qian Manxia's cries of fear.
...........................
Many thanks to Qian Yi Yi Ren Yan and Hera@Qianlin for their rewards, Ruixin's purse, a fragrance pouch from Life like Water, and thanks to everyone for their recommendations and comments. Support for the new book is sought, for clicks, recommendations, and favorites.