Love Like the Galaxy

Chapter Thirty-Five:
The Problem is That She’s Still a Pig’s Head

Old Madam Wan predicted it. That night, Wan Qiqi indeed had to sleep with Shaoshang. 

After changing into a thin silk gown with light pink embroidery, Wan Qiqi wanted to put a beaded chain around her neck again. Shaoshang couldn’t bear it anymore and stopped her. “Didn’t Uncle just tell you to wear two less?”

“I was supposed to wear a gold bracelet and a jade phoenix pendant,” Wan Qiqi said wrongly.

Shaoshang sighed and lay down to sleep.

There was no one around in the middle of the night, and it was a good time to talk nonsense. Shaoshang quickly asked about Old Madam Wan and what was going on with her eyes and ears. “This is not a secret,” Wan Qiqi said strangely, “you don’t even know it…”

In the darkness, Shaoshang skillfully used her voice-acting skills and said in grievance, “Firstly, there is no discussion at home, and secondly… no one told me…”

Wan Qiqi suddenly realized that the Cheng family was really a kind and honest family.* “My father was less than ten years old at the time,” she said. “My grandfather passed in a hurry and didn’t have time to appoint a trusted person. So, people from other clans forced their way to my grandmother’s door and said that she came from a poor family and didn’t have a household. They told her to quickly hand my father over to them to be raised properly and for her to remarry on her own. All the private property given to her by Grandfather could be taken away and counted as a dowry. My grandmother refused, so they said that she would definitely not be able to keep it, and perhaps in the future, my grandfather’s family property would be passed on to another man…”
[Wan Qiqi is being overly sarcastic here.]

“Well, those clansmen will not stick with other men because they stick to themselves!” Shaoshang complained. The old drama of taking advantage of the weakness of the direct branch to seize power was not new. 

Wan Qiqi chuckled and then lowered her voice. “There were many children from the Wan family branches that hated Grandfather and they helped their elders, waiting to take their share of the spoils. Therefore, no matter how Grandmother swore, they would not give up. So, my grandmother gouged out one eye and cut one ear, threw the eye and ear at the person in charge, and said she would never remarry. Grandfather’s confidants were originally not good at meddling in the affairs of the Wan family and, upon hearing this, they were furious and immediately rushed to support Grandmother.”

“So… what happened later?” Shaoshang was heartbroken.

“After more than a month of standoff, my grandfather and his men rushed from afar. He was Grandfather’s sworn brother and was even more famous for his benevolent and righteous heroes. No one in Sui County knew him. Under the pressure of the soft moonlight, those scumbag uncles finally stopped!”

Shaoshang remained silent and then chuckled, “That’s why.”

“Later on,” Wan Qiqi said with hatred, “my grandmother slowly changed generals, conquered people’s hearts, and gradually established her prestige. My grandfather finally didn’t have to travel to Sui County seven or eight times a year. In a few more years, my grandfather got crowned early and led his own team, and began to clean up the scumbags and uncles who had forced my grandmother back then.”

“How did they clean up?” Shaoshang was very interested in the specific steps. 

“There were many ways,” Wan Qiqi said. “Tell their children to experience the suppression of bandits, a few die here, a few die there. Or, take up lawsuits and some will die on the way to exile. Let those old people watch their own children and grandchildren wither…”

Shaoshang felt a thrill, and this girl who treated herself extremely well did not take murder so lightly when it came to it. For her small-town sister, the cruelest thing she did in her life was knocking someone’s head with a beer bottle, and it didn’t even break.

Speaking of this, Wan Qiqi suddenly let out a big sigh. “So, not only are the main branches of our family sparse with heirs, but there aren’t many other branches of our family. My grandmother always said that Father was too cruel to her fellow lineages and hurt others, which was why her knees are empty. But Father told me that after Grandmother gouged out her eye and cut her ear off, she had a headache and the wound oozed blood, and couldn’t sleep at night. It took her more than ten years to get through it. When he saw her suffer such a big crime as a child, he hated it when he remembered it.”

Shaoshang remained silent for a long time until Wan Qiqi thought she was asleep before she heard her ask, “Were your grandfather and grandmother close?” It was common for widows to remarry in this era, especially for Old Madam Wan, who was not only young and beautiful at that time, but also had a large dowry.

This time, it was Wan Qiqi who remained silent for a long time before speaking. “I’ve never met my grandfather, but I heard from my grandmother that she came from a humble background. However, my grandfather has never underestimated her, and has always respected and admired her. He married her with thorough etiquette and even said that she was the best woman in the world. For the sake of my grandfather’s words, she was not afraid to scrape off every piece of her flesh.”

After speaking, both girls lay quietly on their backs in silence. 

“… Treat me as a leader of the country and I will repay you as the leader of the country,” Shaoshang whispered. 

Wan Qiqi leaned on her shoulder and began to cry softly. She was tired from crying before falling asleep.

The next day when they got up, the two girls had red eyes. The difference was that Shaoshang’s redness and swelling were hidden under bruises, which couldn’t be seen. However, Wan Qiqi was like two big peaches hanging on her face. Shaoshang quickly presented the white jade jar gifted by Yuan Shen. The ointment inside was a light red color with a faint fragrance, and applied to her face was even more soft and comfortable.

“Where is this ointment from? It’s even more effective than my father’s golden sore medicine.” In just half a day, the redness and swelling on Wan Qiqi’s eyes had completely subsided. 

Shaoshang smirked. “It was given by my Third Aunt. It seems that some disciple of Bailu Mountain dedicated it to Old Master Sang.”

“I see!” Wan Qiqi said. “… Well, it seems that it doesn’t work on you.” Her dear sister still had a swollen face, like Babaofan (rice pudding with eight-delicious ingredients) soaked overnight.

Because someone couldn’t tell the difference between external trauma and internal stasis! So, it seemed that Yuan Shen must have never been in a fight since he was young. 

Just after having breakfast, Shaoshang’s three brothers came to visit.

Cheng Yong sincerely apologized to Old Madam Wan, saying that his family had caused trouble to the Wan family. Cheng Song dragged Wan Qiqi in front of Madam Wan and talked about the rumors of the market outside, making them laugh incessantly. Cheng Shaogong brought Shaoshang a bag full of snacks, as well as a self-drawn spell he had just enshrined for his younger sister, telling her to put it under her pillow and see if she could turn around her recent bad luck. 

At the same time, they brought clothes and other things to Shaoshang, and also said that Madam Xiao had tacitly allowed her to stay with the Wan family for a few days. She was told to continue to practice calligraphy on the wooden slips for the time being. 

At this point, Shaoshang had no worries and settled down with peace of mind. Except for the slower recovery from the injury, her life at the Wan family home could be described as perfect. Eating and sleeping together with Wan Qiqi every day, with beautiful silk, delicacies of mountains and seas, and various decadent and pleasant experiences. Even if she washed her feet, four or five maidservants would pinch her ten toes. 

Wan Qiqi also taught her to gamble on chess, throw pots, and dice… Sometimes there were not enough people in the game, and Wan Qiqi even had to bring in several elderly maids of Wan Songbai. Everyone laughed and laughed incessantly, occasionally even seeking arbitration from Madam Wan when they were in disagreement in gambling. The family environment was harmonious enough.

“Do your mother and the concubines get along?”

Since arriving here, Shaoshang had been secretly looking forward to watching a pure, traditional and authentic ancient wife-concubine fight. Unfortunately, there were no concubines in the Cheng family.

“Don’t you know? Mother treats them so well. She provides them with delicious food and drinks so they leave Father alone. Unfortunately, when I was a child, the concubines did have some ambitions, but now they are all down…” Wan Qiqi shook her head, expressing disappointment at the professional ability and enterprising spirit of these concubines.

After sighing, she continued to play with Shaoshang. 

If it weren’t for the unstable ice surface, she would have wanted to play on the ice with Shaoshang, and even stole a jar of Wan Songbai’s hidden liquor. The two girls were so drunk that they prepared several colorful roosters and planned to take Shaoshang to see the cockfighting around in the market square to see the world when she was no longer looking like a pig.

The two girls played happily, and Madam Wan wanted to cry but was worried. After Shaoshang returned home, Madam Xiao would find out that her daughter, who was naughty but incomprehensible, went to stay at her own house, and when she came back, she was already proficient in eating, drinking, and playing. 

At this point, Shaoshang, as an adult soul with self-control, showed an advantage. After a few days of confusion and happiness, she suddenly asked Wan Qiqi for a pen, ink, and wooden slips, and began to read and practice calligraphy for two hours every day. She persisted in learning before playing – the memory of the ancient characters she had just learned were not firm yet, so she couldn’t forget them. 

 At first, Wan Qiqi wanted to force Shaoshang to play, but couldn’t match Shaoshang’s eloquence.

“There are two types of friends in the world. One can be called dog meat, who eats, drinks, and plays, but is of little use when there’s an urgent matter. The other is called a heart-to-heart friend, who sees a friend in need and can sacrifice to accompany that friend.”

In order to show mutual respect, Wan Qiqi had to give up her body and study with Shaoshang.

Madam Wan immediately stopped crying and quickly expressed to her mother-in-law, “You are so insightful and visionary, you are so talented and gifted…” Old Madam Wan drove her away impatiently. 

There were also times when Shaoshang was left alone.

Although Madam Wan did not have extensive social connections, she needed to occasionally take Wan Qiqi out to banquets and other social gatherings. During those times, Shaoshang would wander aimlessly around the mansion, curious to explore the ancient buildings around her, and the one that interested her the most was a small wooden bridge. 

The curved small bridge was only over ten meters wide, seven or eight meters long, and arched high like a new rainbow. It was a wooden structure, without any iron nails or copper wedges. It all relied on the superb skills and precise calculations of the carpenters. The length, width, and width of the wood were different, and the top, bottom, left, and right were intertwined and layered. 

Once, when talking with the steward of the Wan family, Shaoshang learned that in the previous case of the Bu clan’s defection, this small wooden bridge was hit and hit by soldiers who came to search for the family, and now it had a sense of shaking. The bridge was exquisitely crafted, not something that ordinary craftsmen could repair and knock on. The steward said that it could only be completely dismantled and rebuilt.

Shaoshang sighed regretfully. While resting alone in the afternoon that day, her heart suddenly moved and her thirst for knowledge erupted. She quickly got dressed, held her breath, and cautiously climbed under the bridge to check – the stream under the bridge was less than a foot deep, and the water under the thin ice surface was flowing slowly. The colorful stones laid under the bottom were faintly visible, suggesting that the bridge and stream were originally for ornamental purposes.

Shaoshang curled up, bowed her back, tried her best to raise her head and raised her hands to touch the important joints. After a while, she smiled slightly. There was no need to bother finding a craftsman to dismantle it at all, just pull out a few small twigs, and the wooden bridge would fall apart on its own after a while. It was also easy to rebuild because she could already draw the structural diagram of the bridge as it was!

Just as she was thinking of her pride, Shaoshang suddenly heard the sound of footsteps on the bank above her head. She immediately realized that many people were coming towards her. Shaoshang suddenly felt embarrassed; she had gone to another’s house as a guest, she was covered in mud and groping under the bridge. In the eyes of ancient people, this would be a strange habit. After thinking about it, she decided not to go out and to wait for someone to leave before climbing up.

The group of people walked and talked slowly, their voices coming closer, and the rough sound of Wan Songbai’s laughter rang out.

“…Master Ling was joking that I, Wan Songbai, love the treasure map of Meiji the most in my life. No one knows, what kind of pictures are drawn, how can I understand them! No, no, absolutely not…” He trailed off laughing.

Then there was a cold and gentle voice from a young man, “Since Marquis Wan said no, I’ll drop it. However, yesterday I heard that Marquis Wan and Wang Langguan had an appointment to play Cuju together and I thought that your leg injury was better…”

The footsteps on the shore suddenly stopped, and only Wan Songbai chuckled a few times. Shaoshang recognized that the laughter was not sincere.

Sweat began to appear on her forehead and she shouted in her heart, ‘Get out of here! I don’t want to hear anything that shouldn’t be heard! What’s wrong with his legs? They don’t want to play football when their legs are good!’
[Cuju is an ancient form of Chinese football (soccer for North Americans).]

Fortunately, this group of people only paused for a moment, then lifted their feet and left. This time, their footsteps were hurried and they quickly left. Shaoshang only vaguely heard Uncle Wan say, “Master Ling, please follow me,” and the rest of the words were barely audible.

After they left, Shaoshang quickly crawled out from under the bridge, patted the soil on her body, and snuck back to the house to eliminate the evidence. 

She was so scared that she couldn’t fall asleep for a nap. After Shaoshang cleaned up, she simply changed into a waistband riding outfit with folded sleeves and a wide skirt, and prepared to go to the racetrack to consolidate her equestrian skills, which the Thirteenth Sister had just taught her.

The old man in charge of the stable brought Shaoshang a gentle little mare she used to ride every day, and even put on a beautiful and new saddle. Shaoshang admired the exquisite copper clasps on her stirrups and happily led the horse away without letting the old soldier follow. 

The racetrack in the Wan family’s backyard was not big and, judging by the size of Uncle Wan’s belly, not many people visited. Leading the horse to the arena, Shaoshang placed her left foot into the stirrup and hoisted herself into the air and onto the saddle, with a standard and graceful posture – although this body appeared weak, the coordination of limbs was still good. Shaoshang felt proud, but as soon as she settled into the saddle, she became uncomfortable.

It turned out that this new saddle had never adjusted the length of the stirrups according to Shaoshang’s leg length. She realized that her feet couldn’t even reach the stirrup.

This was a common mistake for beginners. 

Shaoshang deeply believed that riding a horse was not like riding a bicycle. Even if the breaks didn’t work, you could still land on your feet. Riding a horse was not a small risk. If you didn’t want to fall and be unable to take care of yourself for the rest of your life, you had to be careful. 

Because her feet were hanging in the air, she could only tightly grip the horse’s belly with her thighs to avoid the unstable center of gravity. Fortunately, this little mare had a kind temperament and didn’t move. It stood still, only occasionally stomping the ground and snorting.

Shaoshang stayed frozen in the saddle for a long time, then slowly turned and tried to stretch her left foot to reach the stirrup, intending to dismount so she could adjust the straps. She had just passed halfway through her body’s center of gravity, she suddenly felt that the surroundings were extremely quiet. When she looked up, she broke out into a cold sweat and nearly fell off the horse.

There was a circle of people standing at the entrance of the racetrack – more than ten armed guards with crossbows and arrows. However, they were not wearing black armor, but rather snow-white knee robes and brown leather armor, quietly surrounding the ‘Master Ling.’

According to Wan Qiqi’s unclear introduction, this person was Ling Buyi, with the nickname of Zisheng, and a close confidante of the emperor. One of the positions was Deputy Lieutenant Guanglu Xun, who led the Left Cavalry Battalion of the Yulin Guard and was also appointed as the Yue Cavalry Captain of the Fifth Colonel of the Northern Army. 

And so on.

Being able to remember those awkward names had been a struggle for Wan Qiqi, and Shaoshang expressed great appreciation. 

Today, he was dressed in a deep robe with a cross collar, narrow sleeves, and a curved train. The robe was as red as blood, woven with intricate dark golden animal patterns. He was covered in a large robe with sleeves of the same color, and his right arm was bare. He was wearing a black gold ribbon that was five fingers wide around his waist. The wind swept the sand and dust in the field, driving the train on his body, as if blood was rolling all around him.

Shaoshang had never seen a man wear such a deep red and fiery color before. She only felt that the overwhelming yellow sand and soil set off his skin as white as jade, his handsome appearance, and a thrilling beauty. 

Ling Buyi slowly walked through the guards and walked step by step towards the girl who was hanging half off the horse. 

Shaoshang felt extremely embarrassed. 

At this moment, she was neither up nor down, and the atmosphere was weird. With all the tricks she knew, she could not think of what to do for a moment.

Ling Buyi walked to the horse, and Shaoshang was about to say hello and exchange a few pleasantries first to calm the atmosphere down before talking. Unexpectedly, the slender and handsome man stretched out his right hand to hold the girl’s slim waist without saying a word.

Shaoshang’s whole body was tense, and she watched as the white and slender man’s big palm almost squeezed half of her waist – oh my god, she urgently needed Director Xiao to spread the knowledge of etiquette and law. How was this polite?!

Before she could react, Ling Buyi pushed her body back with a slight force.

Shaoshang sat in the saddle in a daze, her mind wandering. She saw Ling Buyi lower his head to adjust the stirrup. “Are you surnamed Wan or Cheng?” he asked casually. 

Shaoshang tightly gripped the reins with both hands and fixed her gaze on his pitch-black hair. Her intuition told her it was best not to let Ling Buyi know who she was. She smiled with difficulty. “… the Wan and Cheng families have been very close for years, and the younger generations are taught etiquette together…”

“Oh,” Ling Buyi said, “then your surname is Cheng.”

Shaoshang was speechless. 

Ling Buyi finished adjusting the stirrup and went to the other side. “The Cheng family has three brothers, each with children. Who is your father?”

Shaoshang continued to struggle as if she was on death’s door and said with a dry smile, “Brothers and sisters are close, how can children be separated from each other…”

“You’re the daughter of General Cheng, then.”

Shaoshang thought, ‘Why are you still asking me!’

After adjusting the leather straps on both sides, Ling Buyi raised his head and looked straight at the girl on the horse. He was very tall and could still look straight into her eyes while standing on the ground. Shaoshang was able to see his face clearly.

The sword eyebrows flew diagonally into his temples, his eyes were like the stars, his nose like a peak ridge, and the expression was romantic. Although the face was smiling, the whole body was filled with a desolate and solemn atmosphere. He was very young, younger than she had imagined. She had originally thought that someone of the same rank as Uncle Wan wouldn’t be too young, but it seemed like he was about the same age as Yuan Shen.

He looked at the girl with a fearful face and smiled faintly, “Just now, how much did you hear when I talked to Marquis Wan?”

Shaoshang’s heart became cold, this man had noticed her hiding under the bridge! She tried her best to calm down and replied in the sincerest tone of her life, “I only heard a sentence or two about you asking Uncle Wan if his leg was better. That’s it, really!”

Ling Buyi stared at her, pulled the stirrup with one hand and slowly put her foot into it with the other.

The girl’s delicate and childish demeanor was like a fragile and charming little bird. Through knee-high riding boots, he could grip her calves together. Then, he slowly closed his palm and said, “The ice hasn’t melted yet, what were you doing down there?”

Shaoshang could feel her calf being tightly held; this was terrifying, it felt as if she was in the mouth of a fierce beast, with its huge sharp teeth about to bite her flesh in the next moment.

“I was looking at the bridge, really,” she said, trembling. “I was looking at how the wood at the bottom of the bridge was built. You have to believe me! It’s real!” She knew this was a bit absurd. Few ancient people could understand the great spirit of science and technology, but every word she spoke was the truth. She had never been so sincere in her life!

Ling Buyi stared at the girl for a long time. He suddenly remembered that night at the Lantern Festival, where the fireworks were brilliant, colorful, and beautiful as a crescent moon. The little girl also looked up curiously, observing the various forms of the rotating lanterns without blinking. 

He smiled slightly and said, “Perhaps you don’t believe it, but in fact, I do believe what you say.”

‘You got it right,’ Shaoshang thought. She really didn’t believe it.

After the initial horror passed, Shaoshang quickly began to think. Should she call for help? After calling for help, could the person who responded rush past the group of guards wearing armor and swords before Ling Buyi strangled her to death?

As for why Ling Buyi wanted to strangle her, she didn’t know. But it was always right to plan for the worst. 

Full of wild thoughts, Ling Buyi stopped speaking and turned to the other side, placing Shaoshang’s other foot in the stirrup. Then he flicked his sleeves and walked away. After a while, together with his group of guards, they all walked away. 

The yellow sand on the racetrack rose slightly, bringing a few withered leaves from the distant courtyard, and the surroundings were quiet as if nothing had happened just now. Shaoshang stayed for a long time until the good-tempered little mare impatiently kicked the sand, and she finally regained her composure.

It was a pity she liked the Wan family so much. There was no Director Xiao in charge here, no brothers who were prone to gossip in the mansion, and also a Thirteenth Sister who could accompany her to be like-minded. Every day she was comfortable and at ease, and she wanted to stay longer. But for now, she thought it was best to go home.

Shaoshang wiped the cold sweat from her forehead and slowly circled the racetrack.

The biggest advantage of being from a multicultural town for several years was that she had small animal-like instincts without being taught, and instinctively knew how to seek benefits and avoid harm. 

Yuan Shen was not easy to provoke, but after meeting a couple of times, she was familiar with him and knew how to provoke occasionally.

Ling Buyi was someone to not provoke, and those who did would cause great trouble so they should be polite and kind.

After thinking for a while, Shaoshang suddenly became confused. From a heart-to-heart perspective, Ling Buyi was the most handsome man she had ever seen, and could be called a beautiful man. She was not a nun, why didn’t she just have the slightest desire to be charming just now?

It wasn’t until the ninth round of the track that Shaoshang touched her face and suddenly realized. She still had a pig’s head at the moment, and she was still a gentle and charming yarn!

…

I have definitely not adjusted the stirrups while going for a horseback ride before, it’s an unsettling feeling! I also second Shaoshang’s thoughts on horseback riding. I cracked a bunch of ribs after being bucked off my cousin’s horse.

The Author’s Note for this chapter:

‘There are about three more chapters and then the first volume is coming to an end.

As for Ling Buyi’s name, in the Qin, Han, Wei, and Jin Dynasties, most men in our country had single names, but there were many exceptions. For example, Zhang Liang’s eldest son was called Zhang Buyi.

There was a general in the Han Dynasty named Cheng Bushi.

There was a big legalist named Shen Buhai. 

These double names are quite interesting, and they seem to be negative in tone.’