CH 123

Chapter 123: Compromise

Author: White Pear Flower

Raws: https://book.qidian.com/info/2386994/

Translated Gumihou

Proofread by Pill Bug

[1] Continue the chapter with poor FQN’s trauma from the previous chapter. It’s only been two days, you seriously think I’m going to let FQN go ‘uwu~~ tee hee’ to JFJ’s ‘hearty laugh’?

“You sure know how to enjoy yourself.” [1]

Jin Fengju came in, announcing himself with a hearty laugh as Fu Qiuning stood up. He looked around the garden and nodded with satisfaction, saying, “Now that the flowers have bloomed, it is really lovely. That new rose frame looks very good, and the flowers on the fences are wonderful too. Did you build it yourself?”

[1a] Fu Qiuning paused, looking at the grin on that handsome face. It screamed ‘Praise me! Praise me!’ So, he wanted to be praised for his high-handed attitude, should she go with it? Should she ignore it?

[1a] The silence that followed the hearty, enthusiastic laughter had stretched a little too long to be anything but awkward. What could she do but thrilled an equally loud laugh and said, “Naturally it is not something I could do alone! Naturally, Aunt Yu and Yu Jie help. Of course, with the people you brought in, the yard is even more orderly and clean! Is it not?”

Jin Fengji nodded [2a] slowly, “Indeed, did I not tell you earlier that you should have more people here? But you insisted that you like the quiet and refused each time. What do you think? Do you now know the benefits of having more people?”

[2a] It was half taunt and half self-praise. However, when it did not elicit either praise or scolding from Fu Qiuning, he looked to see what caught her attention and saw her looking at the large gecko in Jin Ming’s hand. Ah, he thought: Dear Qiuning must have been frightened by the sight of that beast. I wonder what kind of look she would reveal~~

Beaming he said, “We found this fellow in the garden on our way here. It looked interesting so I brought it for you to play with~”

Fu Qiuning snorted coldly. [1b] “Other madams and mistresses in this estate raises cats and dogs in their houses, but you brought me a gecko?” As she spoke, she approached Jin Ming and poked the gecko’s tail, causing the creature to twist frantically in Jin Ming’s hand. She smirked, “I supposed it’s a little more interesting than a regular animal.”

Yu Jie and Aunt Yu were done with their flowers and ran over to look at the gecko as well. Surprised, they said, “Well, to think that it’s that time already? Goodness.” Then, they too poked the gecko with their bare hands, tormenting the poor creature who could not break out of Jin Ming’s grip at all.

Jin Ming blinked at the ladies, “Why is everyone so daring at Madam’s place? Not a single one of you is afraid of it?”

Fu Qiuning’s [2b] eyes flashed once before lowering, with a smile she said, “What is there to be afraid of? Though these things are rare in the north, they often crawl about the walls during summer, especially around the lantern lights. We like having them around as they keep the mosquito population down. Down south, there would be even more of them. They neither bite nor sting, what is there to be afraid of?”

Yu Jie grinned, “Isn’t it so? Speaking of which, it is basically just a poor four-legged snake. Everyone is afraid of snakes, but once God drew legs on the snake [3], it is rendered harmless.”

[4] “I also hear they could be made into medicine,” said Fu Qiuning casually. “Though I can’t say much for the quality of their meat. Not even the bigger ones.”

[4] “… …”

[4] “… …”

“I- I heard that aside from being useful for eating mosquitoes,” Jin Ming quickly interjected, eager to fill in this awkward silence, “these things could be made into medicine! Th-that’s right, when I was a child, my mother said that dried Gecko was an important ingredient for the Gecko Sand [4a].”

“Gecko Sand?” [4a] Jin Fengju frowned, “Just what is that? Some kind of medicine?”

“According to my old mother, a few hundred years ago, girls like to put it on their person as proof of their chastity. [5] So, it was also called Chastity Proving Dust. Now that this trend had fallen out of favour, it could be said that the geckos had escaped persecution.”

[6] “Wait,” said Fu Qiuning, “are those dust or sand a sign women wear to show their chastity or could it actually show whether they are still virgins?”

[6a] “Ah, um, that is… th-this servant’s old mother said that it could prove a woman’s chastity…”

[6] “But how? How do bits of gecko dust know whether a woman is still a virgin? Is it through their blood or sweat?”

[6a] “M-madam, this is… this servant is unsure, perhaps, an older matron…”

[6a] “Wh-why are you so interested in this…” asked Jin Fengju in confusion.

[6] “Why aren’t you interested? Isn’t it fascinating how mere powder could detect whether a woman had been penetra-“

[6a] “Right, yes, fascinating,” Jin Fengju said loudly. “Can we please stop talking about… geckos?”

[6b] Fu Qiuning glanced at the spluttering man from the corner of her eyes. With how everyone is so interested in her v, especially this man and his wife, she had half expected the couple to work in tandem to get her into his bed. It was not out of Jiang Wanying’s personality to ‘help’ her husband bed a woman if she thinks it would improve her relationship with said scum.

[6b] After all, women who helped their husbands kidnap girls and rape them exist even in the modern world. She would not be surprised if scums like these exist here. Tch, how horrible it is to be in an era where a woman’s chastity became her identity, and her status dependent on who their father xx with…

“Qiuning, what is it?” [7] in Jin Fengju’s eyes, he saw Fu Qiuning trembling, lips pressed together as though gnashing her teeth. Her eyes looked empty, almost in a daze and he could not help but pull her hand and said, “If anything is troubling you, do speak up. So long as you are willing to disclose to me your grievances, is there any matter within this estate that I could not settle?”

[7a] Fu Qiuning observed this man quietly. There were… so many things she could say to this statement, most of them ending with ‘are you serious?’ and ‘for real?’

In the end, she merely said, “Nothing, it’s nothing,” she murmured with a bitter smile as she shook her head. This Jin Fengju’s concern may not be false, but this kind of hot and heavy passion would more than likely fizzle out fast as soon as it is ignited. [7b] Moreover, there was no such thing as adultery for men in this era, only X number of wives, concubines and bedmates. Therefore, she could not bet her life on this fickle man’s ‘favour’.

“Qiuning…” Jin Fengju suddenly felt anxious, he grasped Fu Qiuning’s hand even more tightly. “Remember what I said? So long as you are within this estate, I shall never allow even a bit of harm come to you…”

Fu Qiuning’s laughter was sudden and abrupt. Her voice was very high as she said, “Indeed, I remember. You have said many things to me and I remember them all. I could only hope that when the time comes the Young Marquis would not default on his many promises, ah.”

Jin Fengju nearly choked. He had not expected Fu Qiuning to bring up his very first promises to her. Unable to refute or argue against her words, he fell into a slight depression. Though he desperately wished to brush this ugly moment aside, he was unwilling to appear as a liar before Fu Qiuning for the third time. Thus, he could only maintain a painful silence, wishing to reassure, but unable to speak without being labelled a liar.

Fu Qiuning knew that Jin Fengju [7c] was being tormented by his thoughts, but did not bother to reassure or correct him. Why should she? Let him stew. After allowing a long moment of awkward silence, she said, “What is Lord Husband’s purpose for coming here?”

“Can I not come without purpose?” Jin Fengju thickened his face and sat down beside her. He looked at the garden with its blooming flowers and fresh green trees, saying with a gentle voice, “To be honest, I really like this place. Each time I look at you and this courtyard brimming with bright and cheerful plants, my heart feels at peace and my mind becomes clearer. Qiuning, you regard this place as a paradise, so, how could I treat it otherwise? Only, this place is too remote.”

Fu Qiuning sneered, “Only a place that is far away from the secular world could be considered a paradise. You wish to experience paradise, yet admonished it for being far away. Do you not know that it is impossible to obtain both fish and bear paws from the same location?”

Jin Fengju smiled and said, “Indeed, there is this saying too. Only… very well, I shall think over the matter again. Although there is no courtyard within the inner court with a garden like Night Breeze Pavilion, I recall that there’s a courtyard in Yong Cui Garden called Elegant Mansion. It is very similar to Night Breeze Pavilion and though it is still inside the garden, it is much closer to the main entrance. Close enough to narrowly be counted as part of the inner court, just barely so. Since you refuse to enter the inner court and Night Breeze Pavilion is too remote, how about this compromise?”

Fu Qiuning considered. This was not bad, at least, she would not be too close to those scheming people. Moreover, according to <<Dreams of Red Mansion>>, only the 12 Beauties of Jinling [8], like the beautiful Daiyu, were allowed to stay inside the garden. I can’t be compared to any of the ladies in the Red Mansion, but could reside inside a garden like them, surely there’s no need to be greedy?

At this, she smiled and said, “Elegant Mansion? I fear it is too heavy an honour. I am but a mere vulgar person, how could I dare associate myself with the word ‘elegant’?”

Jin Fengju smiled, “Is that all? If you do not like the name, you may rename it Night Breeze Mansion. It is merely a change of nameplate. So long as I can see you smile, my heart will be at ease. I am truly in the palm of your hands, ah. I have never been this cautious with my words even when speaking with my brother-in-law.”

“Cautious with your words?” Fu Qiuning [8] sneered, “How odd, you are the Young Marquis, no, the Marquis while I am but a mere wife in name. What need do you have to treat me with courtesy let alone be cautious with your words around me? How dare I? Unless someone has been guilty of something and is now burdened by guilt to act pitiful, I cannot think of a reason for a nobleman to treat me, an illegitimate daughter, with anything but the barest minimum of courtesy.”

[9a] “… …” as he struggled to think of something to say that did not make him seem even more at fault or dig him into deeper trouble, Jin Fengju noticed a young boy servant running up. He quickly turned away, glad for the distraction. The young servant ran up to say, “Second Master, the Old Master requested your presence. People from the Department of Justice have arrived. Looks like they are here to congratulate our Second Old Master’s promotion.”

Jin Fengju [9a] hastily stood up. “Is that so? Didn’t they say the promotion would only happen in two more months’ time? Why so soon? Is he being promoted to be the Justice of Peace?” he was about to walk away when he stopped and hesitated. Finally, he turned around to smile at Fu Qiuning, “Don’t stay outside too long. It’s a little gloomy today, it may rain soon. Your clothes are so thin, take care not to catch a cold. I shall go to the front courtyard and speak to the guests.” With that, he began to step down the steps and made for the front gate.

“Lord Husband,”

Jin Fengju turned at Fu Qiuning’s call. [10] There was an odd smile on her face as she said, “Will you be here again tonight? If not, I will not prepare your share of the meal.”

Jin Fengju [7] stared at the woman who was standing at the top of the steps. [7d] She exuded a quiet and calm aura, like the blooming flower of a [11] Queen of the Night Cactus. This flower had flourished quietly on her own, away from the brilliant sun on very little resource. The sight of her standing on the top steps was indescribably moving. Even her voice was as clear as pearls falling on a jade plate and he could not help the palpitations in his heart. He smiled and said, “I suppose you really do not wish to spare this meal. Therefore, I insist on coming. I shall come tonight. Have Feng’er and Jiao’er prepare their homework for inspection. I shall look at them later.”

“Yes, of course,” Fu Qiuning’s smile was sharp and brilliant as Jin Fengju’s back disappeared out the gate against the hollowness in her chest. [6c] She will have to make a very difficult decision soon.

“Madam…” Yu Jie and Aunt Yu looked at their mistress warily. They had accidentally caught a glimpse of the sharp [6c] coldness in her eyes and were nearly frightened out of their wits. However, the look quickly disappeared, and she even called out to the master as he was leaving. This had never happened before.

[Gumihou: Let’s set the mood for the next chapter]

[1] Adjust the tone of this chapter to fit the previous chapter:

[1a] ‘FQN smiled and said’ as though nothing major had happened in the past two days, three days ago. Like her trauma never happened. Haha

Nope.

[2] Shedding Light on:

[2a] To Jin Fengju’s scumminess

[2b] Reveal FQN’s real thoughts and feelings now and then

[3] Legs on a snake.

Monitor lizards are sometimes called ‘four-legged snake’ in Chinese 四脚蛇. I think she’s making a pun of some sort? The joke transfers but is not very inspiring. Instead, reference the idiom ‘drawing legs on a snake’.

https://www.tutormandarin.net/en/drawing-a-snake-and-adding-legs-to-it/

To give the meaning of ‘when god drew legs on a snake, this frightening creature suddenly became harmless’

Not that monitor lizards are completely harmless, please do not feed them.

[4] A ‘wait, wut?’ moment. Deleted this complete non sequitur.

Jin Fengju frowned again. He turned to Jin Ming and asked, “Are geckos useful at all? In medicine or some other ways?”

Its only function was to have JFJ show his face so that he could take credit for Jin Ming’s explanation.

Replace it with an awkward remark from FQN, resulting in a sudden babble of over information from Jin Ming.

[4a] Put JFJ back to remark on the Gecko Sand

[5] Gecko Sand = Chastity Proving Dust

Since Gecko Sand or Gecko Dust sounds weird, Pill Bug and Gumi devised a more beautiful name for it. Unfortunately, we did not anticipate this gecko-related chapter…

So, adjust the text to imply that Gecko Sand and Chastity Proving Dust are the same thing without having to redo the earlier chapters.

[6] Deleted AR Qiuning and her panic as well as her stuttering question about how Gecko Sand is made. It all served to let JFJ go ‘Aww, why you scared? No worries ~~ I protecc~~‘

It’s all very disgusting.

Replaced it with a ‘wow, they test virginity with this’ scene per chapter 121, Note j, where FQN showed an inordinate interest in ancient virginity testing techniques

[6a] Reaction per [6] no more tender yet condescending ‘oh noes, I helps you~‘ from JFJ

[6b] Deleted AR Qiuning’s ‘muu, this man so bad, grr, I so angy, angy, kyaa~‘ moments.

Have F Qiuning sneer at JFJ rather than twist her waist around like AR Qiuning going nyaaa~~~

[6c] Deleted AR Qiuning ‘kyaa~~ thinking that JFJ will be here tonight, I just… uwu~~~’

Replaced it with, ‘I must make a decision soon’.

[7] Added ‘in JFJ’s eyes’ to explain the FQN’s absurdly vulnerable behaviour

[7a] FQN’s more plausible reaction in place of ‘oh noes, oh noes, uwaahh~~~’

[7b] Replace ‘oh woe is me~~’ with ‘ugh’

[7c] Replace ‘knew he must have thought wrongly‘ with ‘heh, he’s suffering now’

[7d] Give Fu Qiuning’s descriptions in JFJ’s eyes an alternate (reader’s view) interpretation that obviously showed that he’s deluding himself.

[8] Daiyu – one of the most beautiful women in Dreams of Red Chamber

https://dream-of-the-red-chamber.fandom.com/wiki/Twelve_Beauties_of_Jinling

[9] Change the feelings behind Fu Qiuning’s thoughts from ‘teasing’ to ‘cool indifference’

[9a] The author glossed over FQN calling JFJ out on breaking his promise multiple times via his show of ‘relief to see her no longer in a panic’ and then variations of ‘she so pwetty~~’ thoughts.

Since she did not panic thanks to [6], show his delusions against her calm.

[10] Foreshadow Fu Qiuning’s actions and feelings here. It IS possible to hate someone and have sex with them out of necessity. Let Gumi show you how it’s done.

[11] Queen of the Night Cactus grows in the shadier parts of the jungle. The implication here is FQN had been growing in the shade, instead of direct sunlight.