360 Scolding the Lake (2/2)
...
...
All were silent in the Grand Secretary's Mansion at night. The lady's room had been prepared earlier and was decorated luxuriously. The makeup box was filled with rouge from Chenjinji Cosmetics Store.
Sangsang used to love the rouge from Chenjinji Cosmetics Store, but she did not even glance at it today. She ignored the servants who greeted her with complicated expressions and just gazed into the bronze mirror silently.
The bronze mirror was very smooth, and its sides were engraved with flowers. It was obviously an expensive object.
Sangsang did not look at the bronze mirror, but only at her face reflected in it.
It was a slightly tanned face. Her eyes were flat and bland. Her hair was slightly yellow and limp due to undernourishment. Her willow-shaped eyes which used to be bright had turned dull. The face was not beautiful no matter which angle you looked at it from. It did not even look slightly pretty.
”You're really ugly.”
Sangsang said to her reflection.
She had not cried since she heard what Ning Que had to say last night, or in the morning when she had left the Old Brush Pen Shop, or even when she had met Ning Que again in the afternoon. She had not even allowed sadness to touch her expression because she kept reminding herself not to cry no matter what.
The weak and slender ladies could cry as they touched flowers because they were pretty. Even though she was weak, she was ugly. How would she have the right to cry?
...
...
Sangsang rarely looked into the mirror. Other than not really caring about her appearance other than having pale skin, it was also because Ning Que, as a man, did not know how to dress up young ladies.
When they were in the Min Mountain, the child would look at her face in the reflection of the calm stream. When they got to the City of Wei, the girl would wash her face and comb her hair against the water in a basin. When they got to Chang'an, Ning Que bought her a makeup box, and she finally owned a mirror.
It was just that the mirror in the box was too small, and it was difficult to see her entire face.
That was why Sangsang felt that the little tanned face in the mirror was a stranger to her.
She felt that the person in the mirror was a stranger.
She suddenly despised the person in the mirror.
Sangsang shook her head and said, ”You are really an annoying child.”
The Sangsang in the mirror lowered her head and said, ”Why do you say so?”
”Because you have caused him to worry.”
”I just want to give him space after his marriage.”
”But you know very well that he would not abandon you. You are forcing him to make a choice. He is already very good to you. How could you be so cruel?”
”But he said he wanted to spend his life with me. Would it be the same if there was an additional person? Could we spend our lives together with another person?”
”Why do you have to fight for it?”
The Sangsang in the mirror answered sadly, ”But that belonged to me.”
Sangsang who was looking at the mirror said softly, ”But he would be very sad.”
”I have never fought for anything. But it's different this time. Even though he would be sad, and even though I have become an annoying child, and even though I have become more ugly. I would still fight.”
Looking at the mirror, Sangsang wiped off the tears from her face and said childishly.
...
...
Under the morning light, the lake at the foot of Yanming Mountain reflected a faint luster.
Ning Que stood by the lake with a hand grasping at his waist. He gasped tiredly and muttered something from time to time.
He had not eaten or drank anything for a day and night and had yelled at the lake for an entire night. His throat was extremely sore and his face was haggard.
”Youngest Uncle scolded the heavens and earth heroically. What kind of feeling are you trying to invoke by scolding this little lake? Furthermore, you are just torn about unimportant matters.”
A voice rang in the forest by the lake.
Ning Que turned to look at the annoying fatso and said angrily, ”You have been sexually abused since you were a child, which left a shadow in your heart. You're useless firewood. I would have you know, that the matters between men and women are truly important matters.”
Chen Pipi shrugged and said, ”I know you are feeling awful, I shan't argue with you.”
Ning Que asked, ”Why did you come?”
Chen Pipi said, ”I came for some things. The Academy held a meeting, but there was no conclusion even though there was plenty of argument. In the end, Seventh Sister said we should just bring you back and ask you what you think about it. You didn't come to the Academy yesterday, so I was sent to bring you back.”
Ning Que's thoughts were jumbled and did not understand what he was saying. He thought of the question he had sought an answer for bitterly over the night and asked Chen Pipi seriously, ”There is something I want to ask you, what do you like to eat the most?”
”Crab porridge?” Chen Pipi touched the back of his head and asked, ”Why are you asking this?”
Ning Que said, ”I love eating noodles with fried eggs the most, but if you had to eat crab porridge every day for every meal, would you get sick of it?”
Chen Pipi thought about it for a moment before answering, ”Would you not get sick of it if you ate it all the time?”
Ning Que frowned and suddenly thought of a better analogy. He asked in a hoarse voice, ”What about water? Would you get sick of it?”
Chen Pipi said annoyedly, ”What dumb question is that? You'll die if you don't drink water!”