Chapter 80.1

Yu Xiang felt inexplicably happy laying on her elder brother’s broad back. Snapping off a willow branch and waving it when they passed by the willow tree, she babbled, “Got scolded without reasoning, I’m sad but can’t talk about it! Got beaten when I met my mother-in-law, hence I am full of bitterness. Though husband knew my feelings, who knew he was so inconsiderate! Husband Yu ah said father and daughter were in cahoots but remembered to send the clothes and shoes to the garden wall. If I want to marry another man, why meet to give silver taels in the garden? If it’s not the significance of husband and wife, why would I be in the court today? Look at me dressed in these mourning clothes, do I want to be another’s bride?”

This was a segment of ballad sung from the Shaoxing/Yue opera ‘Crimson Palm’ (血手印) about the falsely accused Wang family’s daughter during her husband’s injustice hearing at the court of law. Although Yu Xiang was drunk and delirious, she still did not forget to change ‘Husband Lin’ to ‘Husband Yu’ and treated her elder brother as the husband.

Yu Pin Yan chuckled as he walked. When he turned to look at the little girl’s delicate face, he saw eyes brimming with tears as she repeatedly sang ‘Though husband knew my feelings, who knew he was so inconsiderate’ accusingly and totally resembled a little wife who had been treated unjustly by her husband and would cry herself hoarsely in the next moment.

Yu Pin Yan had to endure and resist from keeping the slightly puckered lips of hers in his mouth under the full view of everyone but merely patted her tender buttock and spoke hoarsely, “It’s the husband who has wronged the little wife and will definitely make amends once we are home. Be good, hold tight to your husband and careful of falling off.”

Yu Xiang thought dumbly for a long time before digesting those words, feeling satisfied, she clung around her elder brother’s neck again and sang about the ‘Drunken Beauty’ (贵妃醉酒).

As Old Madam walked very slowly, Shen Yuan Qi who was accompanying her had to walk unhurriedly too, hence the distance became further apart and they could only hear Yu Xiang’s plausible babbling but not Yu Pin Yan’s words.

Once the group of people reached outside the gate, the horse-pulled carriage had long been hitched up. Reluctantly, Shen Yuan Qi saw his younger sister off when Yu Miao Qi suddenly whispered as she walked past him, “Elder Brother, can we find a time to talk? Let’s meet in Zixiang House in three days.”

Mouth twitched slightly, Shen Yuan Qi’s expression was cold, “I’m sorry Miss Yu, you have the wrong person. Your Elder Brother is there.” He pointed towards Yu Pin Yan who was carrying Yu Xiang and boarding the carriage.

Yu Miao Qi looked at him sadly yet seeing his aloofness, she just had to walk towards the carriage in small steps. She’s afraid there will not be any possibility of reconciliation with such an attitude.

Yu Pin Yan and Yu Xiang rode in the same carriage. The little girl seemed to feel a little thirsty after singing the ‘Drunken Beauty’ as she stuck her tongue out to lick her red lips.

Pouring a cup of tea, Yu Pin Yan fed her slowly and said with a profound gaze, “Xiang’er, your coming-out-of-age (jiji)[1] will be in a couple of months then you will be able to get married.”

Cupping her elder brother’s big hand that was holding the teacup, Yu Xiang giggled, “I’m not getting married.”

Yu Pin Yan wiped the water stain off the corner of her mouth with his fingertips and hoarsely said, “You have to get married.”

Rolling her round eyes, Yu Xiang responded in a delicate voice, “Then can I just marry Elder Brother?”

Yu Pin Yan put the teacup down, pulled the little girl into his arms and said with a particularly thick voice as he clutched her slender waist with both his hands, “Yes, let’s do it then. You will marry Elder Brother once you come out of age and Elder Brother will prepare all the betrothal gifts as well as the dowry.”

Pondering for a moment, Yu Xiang reached out her index finger to hook the sexy strong jaw of her elder brother and carefully sized him up then nodded subtly, “Okay, do as you wish. It’s a huge gain for me to marry such a beauty like you.”

As soon as her voice faltered, she babbled and continued to sing again, “Yu Xiang sized up this boudoir lady, only to see how dark her hair and beautiful she dressed, were these fluffy sideburns smoothened with sweet osmanthus oil while the topknot is just right and known as deity knot. Face beautiful like the hibiscus, brows graceful like the distant mountains, apricot-shaped eyes that are acutely piercing, her nose bridge high and set with a ruby-lipped mouth. Her teeth are jade-like and her pearly lips not too thin nor too thick while the eight treasures embellished on her ears are so-called gold hooks …” While she sang, her small hands gently caress over the black hair, narrow eyes, high nose and sexy thin lips of her elder brother … singing further, she could not resist a kiss on those lips then distanced herself slightly to savor that wonderful taste before moving closer for another kiss and licked her lips in satisfaction. After repeatedly taking five to six kisses, she fell limply into her elder brother’s arms while her small hand grabbed and fondled the jade pendant tied on his waist.

Fine, first was the aggrieved little wife, then the bewitching Lady Yang Guifei and now she even turned into the prodigal who seduced respectable ladies. This little girl truly resembled whatever characters she play-acted which not only got Yu Pin Yan to laugh wryly but at the same time felt burningly hot.