The Daily Life Of Mei Furen Doting On Her Husband - Chapter 60

Wu Zhen hadn’t mentioned it before, but as Mei Zhuyu looked at the purple robe with a notch he was wearing and then at the purple clothes of the young men, he realized she had planned this all along.

“I’ll compensate you, okay?” Wu Zhen said in a coaxing tone. Hearing this, the young men almost took a few steps back. Their Sister Zhen, coaxing people?! No way! Could she really become so gentle after getting married? They couldn’t believe it!

Since Wu Zhen had mentioned it, Mei Zhuyu had no objection, but…

“I’ve never participated in such an event. I can only try my best, but I might not do well.”

Wu Zhen lifted the hair from his cheek and whispered, “It’s okay. I don’t want you to try hard. I just thought you were too bored, so I asked you to come out and play with these rascals.”

The gentlemen: …But Sister Zhen, we’re not playing around, we really want to win!

There may be no way to avenge the previous shame. Except for Zhao Songyan, all the men, including Mei Si, thought bitterly.

The annual dragon boat race was very grand, with over 60 participating boats and 36 people on each boat. Cui Jiu’s group didn’t have enough people, so he specially called his brothers and sisters to join, making sure they had 36 people. However, among these 36 people, there were strong men who could bend bows and shoot eagles, and there were weaklings like Mei Si who lacked strength. How could such uneven levels compare with those dragon boats that had been carefully prepared and selected?

Many famous shops in the city bought a dragon boat and hired strong men to race, just to gain fame and attention. Besides these shops, students in government-run schools also prepared dragon boats to race, showcasing their abilities. Additionally, the palaces of royal relatives had their guards and soldiers participate for fun. In short, all kinds of professions were involved.

These dragon boats were similar in style and size, but the decorations differed. Some were as gorgeous as flower boats, some had flying dragons painted on the sides, and others were tied with red silk; the colors varied widely.

These dragon boats started from the middle of Qujiang Lake and raced downstream towards a tower across the water. The Emperor, Empress, Prince, Princess, and ministers watched from the tower. The first dragon boat to pass through the tower’s bridge hole would be the winner. Since the Emperor was watching, participants fought fiercely from the start to win the honor and reward.

Wu Zhen rode her horse, hearing the sound of drums one after another. People on the shore were shouting loudly and waving things enthusiastically. Some women were so excited that they threw their handkerchiefs into the river. Others even fell into the river and were pulled out by people on the shore.

The dragon boats rowed very fast. Every time they reached a section of the river, the crowds on both sides grew more excited. Some people stood on trees to get a better view, while others ran alongside the boats, chasing them.

Wu Zhen was also chasing the dragon boats, but she was riding a horse on the road alongside the river, rather than by the riverbank. Through the willow trees and the sea of heads, she could vaguely make out the dragon boats darting like arrows on the water.

Although her view was obscured, she could hear the drums. All the drums were passionate, but one stood out as the loudest and most steady, as if the drummer was unaffected by the surrounding excitement, calmly maintaining his own rhythm.

In fact, the front drummer in a dragon boat race was crucial. They set the pace for the entire boat. Some dragon boats exerted too much effort early on, exhausting their energy in the first half, only to fall behind in the end. Boats that were easily influenced by others’ speeds would slow down, one by one, as they neared the finish.

Wu Zhen felt pleased as she listened to the steady, powerful drum beats. Finally, everyone could vaguely see the tower at the finish line. The drummers, having beaten their drums the entire way, began to tire, and their drumbeats softened. At that moment, the loudest drumbeat suddenly quickened, exploding like thunder, growing more urgent by the second.

Through gaps in the crowd, Wu Zhen spotted a familiar dragon boat slowly pulling ahead of the others.

“Ah! We won!”

“Oh!”

When the result was announced on the city wall, cheers erupted. Wu Zhen waited nearby with her horse. After a while, a large group of young men came running over, laughing. Their faces were flushed with excitement. Mei Zhuyu, who had walked alone when they left, was now surrounded by the group of young men. They were clearly much friendlier now.

“I didn’t expect the Second Brother to be so strong! Hey, did you see that drummer on the dragon boat to our left? What good is all that muscle? He’s no match for the Second Brother. He barely had any strength left. I noticed his face turning red, yet his drum still wasn’t as loud as ours!”

“Finally, we won. I don’t have to be laughed at anymore.”

“Cousin, I’m impressed, really impressed. How do you play the drums so well? You outshone everyone else. Just listening to you gave me energy… Ouch, my hand hurts now—I went too hard earlier.”

Mei Zhuyu looked up and spotted Wu Zhen leading her horse under a tree. She smiled at him, as if she had expected this all along.

In fact, they didn’t win first place in the dragon boat race, but only second place. However, that was enough to make Mei Si and his team proud. After all, the first-place team consisted of the Imperial Guards, the Emperor’s men. If they were defeated, it would be unacceptable. Of course, they had the loudest drum, and coincidentally, the drummer of the first-place team was Young Master Huang, who was acquainted with Wu Zhen, the one who guarded the palace.

While Mei Si and the others were talking, Young Master Huang, dressed in black, approached. He was naturally mighty and brave, and now he had untied his coat and tied it around his waist, looking particularly manly. He came over and patted Wu Zhen on the shoulder, saying casually, “I thought I’d see you as the drummer this year, but I didn’t expect you wouldn’t show up.”

Young Master Huang suddenly felt a cold gaze. This familiar, somewhat hostile look sent a chill down his spine. Seeing Mei Zhuyu being pulled aside by Mei Si and the others to talk, he suddenly recalled what Wu Zhen had said to him before. Scratching the back of his head, he laughed dryly, pointed at Mei Zhuyu, and said to Wu Zhen, “I really didn’t expect Minister Mei to be so strong. His drumming hurt my ears. It’s true, you can’t judge a person by their appearance.”

Though they were chatting, Young Master Huang was cautious and didn’t dare act too familiar. Wu Zhen noticed his nervousness and couldn’t help but glance at Mei Zhuyu. Her husband looked away, a little embarrassed, and seemed somewhat guilty.

Wu Zhen found it amusing. It was okay for Young Master Huang to feel guilty, but what was Mei Zhuyu guilty about?

“Congratulations on first place. Are you here to show off?” Wu Zhen asked Young Master Huang with a smile.