The Daily Life Of Mei Furen Doting On Her Husband - Chapter 61

Young Master Huang waved his hands, flashing a cheerful smile with white teeth, and said, “No, my team is just curious about Minister Mei. They said he’s so strong, maybe he’s also good at fighting. So they asked me to invite him to our camp to hang out when he’s free.”

Without thinking, Wu Zhen kicked him and said, “Get lost, you old rogue! You’re shameless. My husband is a civilian official. It’d be a loss if he fought with you. If he gets hurt, I’ll destroy your entire camp.”

Young Master Huang laughed, “Why are you guarding him so closely? We’re just going out to have fun. It’s not like we’ll definitely fight.”

Wu Zhen knew him well. When he found a good opponent, he always itched for a match. His promises were empty and couldn’t be trusted. So she waved him away, “Hurry up and leave. There’s no room for negotiation.”

Young Master Huang snorted, still unwilling to give up, and shouted to Mei Zhuyu, “Minister Mei, come to our camp when you have time. The brothers all admire your strength!”

Mei Zhuyu had been listening to their conversation with keen ears. Having heard Wu Zhen’s response, he turned around and said, “Thank you for the invitation, but I won’t be going.”

Wu Zhen was afraid her husband would be bullied by the group of shameless men, while Mei Zhuyu declined simply because she didn’t want him to go. In reality, he led a quiet life and didn’t enjoy participating in such activities. If Wu Zhen didn’t ask, he wouldn’t take the initiative.

Young Young Master Huang, having failed to convince them, left disappointed. 

Wu Zhen pulled Mei Zhuyu out of the crowd by his robe and said to Mei Si and the others, who were still excited and not yet satisfied, “You guys go have fun. The Young Master and I are leaving.”

Mei Si protested, “Why leave so early again? Where are you going? Why not stay and play with us? We always played together in previous years. This year will be even more fun with my eldest cousin.”

Just as he finished, Cui Jiu beside him knocked him silent, then waved his hand and smiled, “Sister Zhen, you two go ahead.”

After Wu Zhen and Mei Zhuyu walked away, Cui Jiu released Mei Si and said with a puzzled expression, “Sister Zhen is newly married. They love being alone together. Why are you trying to tag along?”

Mei Si sighed, finally realizing the situation. He seemed deflated, “Sister Zhen is married, but she’s still our Sister Zhen. Why can’t we play together?”

Zhao Songyan also had a complex expression. He patted his brother on the shoulder and said, “I know how you feel. You feel abandoned. These days, Sister Zhen has been hanging out with us less.”

“However, look on the bright side. In the past, Sister Zhen kept an eye on us, but now she’s focused on the Second Young Master Mei and won’t care about us anymore!” Zhao Songyan suddenly changed his tone, becoming excited.

Mei Si was startled for a moment, then he also brightened up, “Yes, we can try something new!”

The group of people who had suddenly lost their leader quickly felt the joy of freedom. They threw away the melancholy of being abandoned and ran off, screaming and shouting, eager to play to their heart’s content.

Not long after they set out, the young men encountered their natural enemy—a group of noble ladies led by Liu Taizhen. In fact, many of the young men in the group would likely choose their future spouses from among these ladies, as the concept of marrying someone of equal status was highly respected at that time. Unfortunately, the feud between the two groups had lasted for several years and was not easy to resolve.

The gentlemen deliberately wandered over as usual. One of them broke off a willow branch and tossed it, hitting a young lady in pink. The young lady, already in a bad mood, turned around and, upon seeing them, immediately began to curse angrily. Ironically, the gentleman who threw the willow branch and the young lady in pink were actually planning to marry, yet they were the ones arguing most fiercely.

Mei Si was usually the main instigator in such situations. Although he was friendly and harmless with Wu Zhen and his friends, he was arrogant and proud when facing others. But this time, something strange happened—he noticed that Lady Liu glanced at him twice.

Lady Liu usually ignored their quarrels, sitting motionless, not even blinking. But this time, she was staring at him. What was even stranger was that Mei Si felt uneasy under her gaze. His legs weakened, he felt short of breath, and his head slowly drooped. Finally, he moved behind Cui Jiu and only then did he feel a bit safer.

Mei Si thought to himself, “I don’t know why, but I suddenly feel so panicked, like I’m drowning.”

While the energetic young men were bickering with the young ladies, Wu Zhen and Mei Zhuyu were watching a show under the flower stage.

After the dragon boat race, the excitement at Qujiang Lake had just begun. Crowds flowed like water, gathering at various fun and interesting spots, such as the stage for variety shows. There were two ladies in long skirts dancing with swords, their movements graceful and elegant. Opposite this stage was another set up by a music hall in the city, where two Hu Ji were dancing Hu Xuan. Crowds gathered on both sides of the two stages. Some people stood in the middle, glancing left and right, their eyes too busy to take everything in. The liveliness even blocked the road.

Wu Zhen watched for a while, then pulled Mei Zhuyu out of the crowd. On the river, someone had stretched a rope as thick as a finger from a large tree on one side of the river to the branches of a big tree on the opposite side, forming an arc. Performers, holding long poles, walked lightly on the rope, performing the daring river crossing on such a thin line. The tension of the act made the onlookers on both sides hold their breath. When the performers reached the middle, the rope nearly touched the water’s surface, and a gust of wind blew, causing the rope—and the performers standing on it—to sway, making everyone feel nervous.

In addition, there was a swing under a big tree where women competed to see who could swing the highest. Red silk flowers were hung on the top of the tree, and if they could swing to the highest point, they could pick the silk flowers with their hands. All the participating women were proud to get the red silk flowers, but only the brave dared to go up. The less courageous women could only stand below and watch. When they saw the swing reaching the highest point, many women covered their eyes, not daring to look.

Wu Zhen was a little interested in the activity, so she decided to try it out. She was always very courageous. The most capable lady before her had only managed to pick the silk flower on the third branch, but Wu Zhen got on the swing and swung higher and higher, almost reaching the same height as the tree. This caused screams from the people below. Mei Zhuyu watched nervously from under the tree, his hands instinctively stretching forward slightly, ready to catch her if she fell, hoping to prevent any injury.

But Wu Zhen ignored the screams and panic from the crowd below. When her swing was about to soar over the treetops, she let go with one hand and, with a light pull, grabbed the top silk flower from the treetop amid even more excited screams.

When she got off the swing, the ladies around her all gazed at her with admiration. Of course, they had to take a few more glances at such a brave and powerful lady. Wu Zhen tied the red silk flower in her hand to Mei Zhuyu’s wrist, laughed loudly, and pulled him to the next spot.