Chapter 85: Nurturing for a Thousand Days, Using for a Moment
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### Chapter 85: Nurturing for a Thousand Days, Using for a Moment
“You’re just using this so-called spring outing painting, depicting women rowing on the lake, to remind me of your mother’s death…” Cui Xiang said, almost punctuating each word. “You intend to make me restless on my birthday, don’t you?”
Cui Jing's expression froze momentarily upon hearing this.
He lowered his gaze to the half-unfolded painting thrown on the ground, depicting a woman in a boat—
Indeed.
His mother had died on such a spring day.
On that day, his mother, who had been ill for a long time, suddenly left the house, her hair neatly arranged, jade hairpin shining, and her lake-blue dress looking particularly bright and new.
She smiled and patted his head, saying she wanted to go boating and asked if he wanted to join her.
At that time, he was just over four years old and nodded excitedly.
As soon as his mother took his hand, his father’s stern voice came from behind, reprimanding him for being only playful and not striving for progress, saying that the teacher was already waiting in the study and that he should go there immediately.
In the morning light, he had no choice but to let go of his mother’s hand.
He didn’t even have time to see the expression on her face then.
That day, his mother still went boating.
And it was that day, after he had properly greeted the teacher and came out of the study, that his mother was no longer there.
Later he heard that when the boat reached the shore, his mother had closed her eyes.
That day, the spring sun was bright, and the scenery on the lake should have been beautiful; the wind must have been warm.
But was his mother, alone in the boat, sad or afraid?
If he hadn’t gone to the study to listen to the teacher that day, if he hadn’t let go of his mother’s hand, if he could have stayed with her, would her sadness and fear have been lessened?
Since marrying into the Cui family, his mother seemed never to have been happy.
So, in her final moments, she chose to walk out of the Cui family gate and leave this world amidst the lake’s light and mountains.
“I knew it! You’ve listened to those old gossips around your mother since childhood, and you firmly believe I caused her death! You’ve held this grudge ever since!”
His father’s voice pulled Cui Jing back from those fragmented memories.
“But I never wronged her in the slightest… It was her stubborn personality that caused her to become depressed and ill!”
Even after many years, Cui Xiang couldn’t remain calm while bringing up old matters: “While she was alive, I didn’t even have a concubine, and after you were born, the whole family regarded you as the future head of the Cui family and nurtured you… I owe nothing to you and your mother, but how have you repaid me? She showed me her sharpness while alive, and after she left, you harbored resentment towards me, opposing me at every turn, showing me no respect. Today, you even refuse to let me enjoy a birthday banquet—”
Listening to his father’s words finally come to an end, Cui Jing replied, “When my mother passed, I was still very young, and my memories are nowhere near as deep as my father’s. This painting was sought out by my men and I didn’t pay close attention to it.”
Cui Xiang scoffed, “So you mean I’ve misunderstood you?”
Cui Jing raised his eyes to look at him: “If this painting were a gift from someone else, would father think the same way?”
“Of course not!” Cui Xiang replied with scorn: “But you are not just anyone. Others wouldn’t have such calculating thoughts about me!”
“Thus, the painting is without fault. The image of a woman rowing on the lake is harmless. Offering this painting as a birthday gift to father is also without fault—” Cui Jing's voice remained calm, “The fault lies only with me.”
Cui Xiang’s brows, filled with anger, twitched: “You seem to dislike speaking, yet you’re eloquent, well aware of how to absolve yourself of guilt while using clever words to accuse others! Today is supposed to be my birthday, and this is how you wish me well?”
“If my father sees me with a guilty heart, then he thinks every word I say is to absolve myself,” Cui Jing looked again at the painting at his feet, “I do not see my father as an enemy, nor would I bother to use such heartless tricks to insult him. It’s just that since my father sees me as an enemy, everything he sees is filled with malice.”
Cui Xiang suddenly tightened his ten fingers in his sleeves: “You…”
Cui Jing had already raised his hand to salute, his demeanor devoid of any fluctuation: “Today, disturbing my father’s birthday celebration is unfilial of Cui Jing. I will take my leave first and will be ready to accept family punishment whenever.”
Watching the retreating figure of the young man, Cui Xiang’s lips trembled with anger: “Unruly son!”
“I shouldn’t have married Zheng and brought forth this debt-collecting disaster!”
Cui Jing turned and left the study.
As he pushed open the door, Cui Lang, waiting outside, was startled and quickly stepped back, awkwardly smiling, “Elder brother… I… I just got here.”
Cui Jing didn’t say much and left the place.
Seeing that figure, Cui Lang hesitated to speak but didn’t dare call him back.
The echoes of the previous conversation lingered in his ears, and Cui Lang felt a deep anger and grievance for his elder brother. Unable to bear it any longer, he entered the study: “Father, I really need to speak to you about this!”
Behind the desk, Cui Xiang, leaning against the edge, lifted his eyes, his face gloomy, his eyes filled with rage.
Cui Lang shivered and changed his words, speaking seriously: “As the saying goes… anger harms one’s health. Father should rest early; I will take my leave.”
He bent his body and took two steps back, spotting the painting, and couldn’t help but whisper, “This painting… father doesn’t want it, right?”
Cui Xiang replied, “Have someone take it down, throw it away, or burn it!”
“Don’t! That would waste money.” Cui Lang hurriedly picked it up and hugged it, saying, “If father doesn’t want it, then let it be mine.”
Cui Xiang’s anger intensified, pointing to the door: “Get out!”
“Okay!” Cui Lang quickly took the painting and dashed out.
Watching Cui Lang exit with the painting, a servant approached.
Cui Lang sighed: “This is a spring outing painting by Zhan Ziqian, worth a fortune…”
Hearing the sound of shattered porcelain coming from the study behind him, the servant quietly remarked, “My lord, not only is this painting priceless, but it’s also sought after amidst wealth and danger.”
With both the master and elder son injured, only the second son benefited from the situation.
Cui Lang blew off the dust on the painting and carefully rolled it up, sighing, “However, more precious than this painting is my elder brother’s intention…”
What father truly wasted was this intention.
Thinking of the overly calm figure of his brother as he left, Cui Lang felt that after this incident, even if father wanted to waste his elder brother’s intention, he probably wouldn’t have the chance anymore.
“Father can’t be a reincarnation of a drama queen,” Cui Lang murmured. “Just wait and see; he will regret this later.”
Finally, he hummed and said, “Next time you want me to trick my elder brother into coming home for a scolding, I’m not doing it.”
(not bad no malice at all huhuhu I misjudge this family of three)
---
The moon was cool as water.
Cui Jing and his party dismounted outside the Xuanzhe Mansion.
“Why has the Grand General returned? Didn’t he say he would stay at home tonight for the birthday banquet of the Cui family?” A soldier quietly asked Cui Yuanxiang once Cui Jing had walked away.
Today was the birthday of the Grand General’s father, so the General should have stayed at home.
Cui Yuanxiang sighed: “Do we still need to ask?”
It was clear that the Cui family wasn’t behaving properly again.
Cui Yuanxiang said no more and instructed the soldiers to prepare the wine.
Moonlight spilled on the roof tiles of the Xuanzhe Mansion like a layer of silver frost.
The young man sat on the rooftop, beside him was a white porcelain wine jar.
From time to time, a gentle breeze blew, softly brushing across the young man’s well-defined face.
At that moment, a shadow suddenly surged from behind him, carrying a fierce wind—
Cui Jing remained steady and moved to the side, evading the sneak attack from behind.
The next moment, that person covered his eyes from behind, deliberately puffing his cheeks and speaking in a muffled voice: “Guess who I am!”
Cui Jing: “I can’t guess.”
“Ha ha, it’s me!” The other person released his hand.
Cui Jing turned to look: “Oh, it’s you, Senior.”
Ah Dian smiled proudly and sat down beside him.
Cui Jing took a sip of wine and casually asked, “Why are you back?”
“I came to get something! I’ll sleep here for a night and head back tomorrow!”
Hearing that he had already considered his stay at the Chang family as “going back,” Cui Jing smiled slightly: “It seems Senior has been very happy living in the Chang residence lately.”
“Because of little A Li!”
Cui Jing nodded, “I can tell.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not getting into trouble outside anymore,” Ah Dian said, suddenly feeling a bit proud, as if he had found a strong backing. “But Little A Li said that if I get into trouble again or if anyone bullies me, she will take care of it for me!”
Cui Jing took another sip of wine, “What a big talk.”
Ever since she had boldly declared her intent to take up the Zhan Xiu, her tone had always been quite bold.
Ah Dian raised hischin a little, feeling somewhat proud. “But Little A Li always keeps her promises; she has never gone back on her word!”
He then added, “Just like the prince.”
As he spoke, he cupped his face in his hands, looking at the bright moon with a serious and innocent expression, like a child.
Upon hearing this, Cui Jing temporarily set down the wine jug he had brought to his lips, tilting his head to look at the moon alongside Ah Dian. He softly asked, “What kind of person is the prince?”
Ah Dian blinked, “Haven’t you seen him?”
Cui Jing replied, “But only once.”
Only once —
That brief statement seemed to carry a lot of regret.
Ah Dian felt regretful too: “What a pity! If you could see the prince a few more times, you would definitely like him just like we do!”
Cui Jing smiled silently.
But you don’t need to see someone multiple times to like them —
Yet if one were to say “like,” that would be too shallow.
Ah Dian spoke innocently, “The moon is what it is, the sun is what it is, the mountains are what they are, the flowers are what they are; the prince is just like that. Xiao Jing, do you understand what I mean?”
Cui Jing smiled and nodded, “What you said is very understandable.”
“The prince used to like sitting here drinking wine with someone, but she only allowed me to accompany him . Do you know why?”
Cui Jing shook his head.
“Because I’m really good at peeling chestnuts!” Ah Dian said, taking out a few chestnuts. “When the prince drinks, I peel the chestnuts for him .”
Recalling the past made Ah Dian smile happily. “When the chestnut shells fell, Uncle Chang and the others would be below sweeping them up!”
Cui Jing looked at the chestnuts in his palm and after a moment, picked one up to quietly admire under the moonlight.
“Does the prince like to eat chestnuts when he drinks—”
Ah Dian replied seriously, “The prince likes to eat chestnuts even when he doesn’t drink; he says he eats a mountain of chestnuts every year!”
Cui Jing laughed, “The prince has quite the boastful mouth.”
Upon hearing the word “also,” Cui Jing momentarily lost his focus.
Ah Dian continued, “The prince says his favorite thing is eating chestnuts, but his least favorite is peeling them!”
Cui Jing returned to his senses and smiled again.
Whether it was from drinking too much or simply because everything he heard was about the prince, he felt like she had been smiling the whole evening.
“Actually, the prince also broke his promise once…” Ah Dian’s sadness sometimes came on suddenly. he crossed his arms in front of him, resting his head on them, and spoke dejectedly, “The last time the prince left, he told me to wait for him to come back at the Xuanzhe Mansion, but he never returned.”
Cui Jing turned her head, gazing in the direction of Dayun Temple.
“Perhaps you can wait a little longer; the prince may not have broken his promise.”
With the effects of the alcohol coming on, he could hardly tell if he was comforting the child or expressing his own impractical and bold fantasies.
He understood clearly that with the passage of time, all things in the world were destined to move forward, neither stopping nor turning back —
Yet he always felt that such a person should come back.
A gust of wind blew, scattering away this fantastical dreamlike illusion along with the scent of wine.
……
As Autumn entered, the capital grew warmer, and the ladies folded away their cloaks into storage, leaving only light and soft spring garments. The flower banquets and poetry gatherings in various residences became more lively, and invitations fluttered like spring butterflies into the hands of various ladies and young masters.
On this day, after Chang Suining returned from the training grounds and bathed, Ah Zhi came in holding two invitations, presenting them to Chang Suining, who was sitting at the dressing table.
Chang Suining casually picked up one invitation and unfolded it to read.
The maid Xi'er, who was combing her hair, saw it and couldn’t help but be surprised, “Marquis Ying’s residence… Is this an invitation from the Ming family?”
Rather than calling it the Ming family, it was more like the enemy family.
Instead of an invitation, it felt more like a declaration!
Seeing Chang Suining close the invitation, Xi'er hurriedly asked, “Are you going, miss?”
If she were going, she would need to practice a bit more these past few days!
Chang Suining said casually, “I’m not going.”
Regardless of whether this invitation was widely distributed among the noble ladies in the capital or if it was simply a side note that included her, the fact remained that she had beaten the Marquis Ying’s heir, Ming Jin, and he was still under house arrest; if she went, wouldn’t she be causing trouble for both the Ming family and herself?
She didn’t mind causing trouble for others, but she wouldn’t add to the trouble without any benefits.
Moreover, entering the Ming family felt somewhat like entering the tiger’s den; it was unwise to add to a troublesome situation with no chance of winning.
As she spoke, she had already opened the other invitation.
“This one is good.” Chang Suining nodded, saying, “I’ll go to the Marquis Zheng’s residence.”
This was an invitation from Duan Shi, inviting her to tea at her residence.
Although she wasn’t accustomed to being the junior in front of her friends, she truly needed Duan shi’s help at this moment.
She had previously lavished gifts on Duan Zhenyi to keep her secret well, treating her with plenty of good food and drink.
As the saying goes, “Nurturing a good relationship for a thousand days, using it for just a moment,” it was precisely like this.
The next day, Chang Suining took the invitation and arrived at the Marquis Zheng’s residence.
Duan shi was very pleased.
But she noticed that Chang Suining didn’t seem very happy.
During casual conversation, Chang Suining mentioned that she had been dreaming about the princess Chongyue lately, sounding quite inexplicably sorrowful —
“... My father and the others say that I was saved by the late crown prince when I was a child, but for some reason, the person who saved me in my dreams has become Princess Chongyue.”
Duan Shi was taken aback upon hearing this.
This child… How did she dreamily unveil the truth?
(End of this chapter)
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