Period drama: Old Cao's carefree life

Chapter 59 You'll be scared to death when you grow up
Cao Wei Da's 'well-intentioned reminder' is clearly somewhat superfluous, at least for now.

"Woo."

Xinghong held the cup that had been burned to ashes and cried for more than twenty minutes before she finally stopped sobbing. It was unclear whether she was exhausted from crying or had run out of tears.

"Master, rest assured, in this life, Xinghong will be yours in life and in death." She said it very seriously. At Xiaguangyuan, she had seen too much hypocrisy, but Cao Weida's sincerity made her believe in this man from the bottom of her heart.

At this point, not all, but at least the vast majority of women, once they've decided on a person, would gladly jump into an abyss if it were the most difficult path.

Cao Weida's actions clearly touched the deepest part of her tender heart.

After boiling some water and quickly washing up, Xinghong pushed open the door, walked straight to the bedside, her face flushed, and said in a trembling voice, "Master, it's late, you should rest."

Cao Weida couldn't help but swallow hard, his eyes fixed on the apricot blossoms before him, unwilling to look away for even a moment.

To be chosen as the next courtesan, there's no doubt about her looks and figure.

You may not believe many things about our ancestors, but you absolutely cannot question their vision!

The aesthetics of later generations, influenced by Western culture, are undoubtedly a serious desecration of the vision of our ancestors!

Think about the stars of the 1980s, and then look at the stars of later years—what a bunch of monsters!

At this moment, Xinghong was only wearing a silk bodice, which was stretched to be incredibly round, arousing a desire to explore further.

Below was a pair of underpants, and two tiny bound feet were rubbing each other restlessly. The girl's scent was intoxicating, making Cao Weida's heart itch as if being scratched by cat claws.

Already at the age where I'd want to punch a hole in my bed, I couldn't resist such temptation, and my breathing immediately became rapid.

With a swift movement, he scooped up the soft, innocent body and held it in his arms.

"Ah~~" Xinghong exclaimed in surprise.

Cao Weida chuckled mischievously, breathing warm air into her ear: "It's so cold, don't catch a cold. I'm afraid of getting cold at night, let's warm the bed together."

"Master~~~"

"Hahaha"

The moon was high in the sky outside, and there wasn't a single cloud in sight.

Moonlight shines down on the earth, and the lake surface glistens.

Divider line, oh divider line

The next morning, Cao Wei Da got up feeling refreshed.

Last night, Xinghong gave him a big surprise. He never expected that Xinghong was not only beautiful and delicate, but also had a seductive nature!

Luckily, he has top-notch physical abilities; an ordinary person really couldn't subdue her.

"Master, are you up?" Although it was only the first time, Xinghong still endured some discomfort and served Cao Weida with exceptional virtuousness as he got up and dressed.

"Ah."

He didn't refuse Xinghong's service, and secretly sighed, "This is the life a human should live. If it weren't for the system and if I hadn't transmigrated, in which lifetime would I have been able to live such a heavenly life?"

He got out of bed, pretended to open the cabinet, took out a packet of silver coins wrapped in red paper, and placed it on the bedside table.

“I can’t come back today. Here’s one hundred silver dollars. If you’re bored, go out for a stroll. I’ll tell Xiangzi to go with you. If you need anything, just tell him to do it.”

Today is the day for him to marry Du Shiniang. Anyone else can be absent, but he can't be.

I definitely can't come over tonight. I can't just take a concubine and leave her alone in an empty room. That doesn't make sense.

"Yes, Master, don't worry, I will take good care of myself." Having tasted the forbidden fruit for the first time, Xinghong, whose body and soul are now attached to Cao Weida, is definitely reluctant to part with him and wishes she could stay by his side day and night.

However, being well-behaved and sensible, she naturally wouldn't do anything unreasonable. She hugged Cao Weida's back from behind, took a deep breath of the fragrance emanating from him, and reluctantly let go.

"Master, Xing'er is waiting for you inside."

Who wouldn't like a well-behaved and sensible woman?

Cao Weida wrapped his arms around her and gave her a French kiss until Xinghong was almost out of breath before he finally let go.

"Living alone is indeed a bit boring. Just wait, I'll marry you a few sisters to keep you company, so you won't be lonely."

If you said this to a woman in modern times, you'd probably get a lot of flak. Those feminists might even want to come over and yell at you to death.

Xinghong showed no resistance whatsoever. Although she still felt a little bitter, what did it matter to her, who had been sold into the Han family since childhood? Besides, which man with ability and power didn't have a bunch of concubines?
A man who insists on living with just one woman is unlikely to amount to much.

After leaving Xinghong, Cao Weida did not go straight back, but instead went to No. 97 Nanluoguxiang.

"Brother Cao, what brings you here?" Upon seeing Cao Weida, Tian Zao's eyes lit up, and she rushed over in a few steps.

"Brother Cao, Brother Cao." Several little ones followed behind Tian Zao, calling out. Although they were young, they had already learned about the fickleness of human relationships due to the hardships of life. They were sincerely grateful to Cao Weida and their faces were filled with respect.

Children from poor families learn to be independent early, let alone orphans.
No one wants to help someone who is ungrateful, and Cao Weida was no exception.

Seeing how well-behaved, sensible, and grateful these boys were, he felt that his good intentions had not been in vain.

The younger members, along with Tian Zao, have changed considerably since we first met.

She was wearing clean and tidy clothes, although they weren't made of good material, but it was a world of difference from her initial state as a little beggar.

Their complexions have improved a lot. At first, they all looked pale and their lips were dry and white, but now they are much rosier.

Clearly, Tian Zao took good care of them.

He patted their heads and said cheerfully to Tian Zao, "Today, your brother Cao is taking a concubine. There's something delicious to eat. Pack your bags and come with me. I'll treat you to a big meal!"

This era was nothing new to Aunt Na and Tian Zao; what Tian Zao was curious about was something else entirely.
"Brother Cao, we've known each other for so long, but we've never met your wife. When will you introduce us to her?"

Tian Zao was naturally grateful to Brother Cao for helping them, but they couldn't forget Cao Weida's wife either. They had to kowtow to her in person and offer her tea and water to express their gratitude.

Cao Wei Da grinned, "Your brother Cao doesn't have a wife yet. I'm still a pure and innocent young man."

Tian Zao was speechless. He hadn't even married his wife yet, and he was already taking a concubine?
She looked at her face in the water vat, then stared warily at Cao Weida, stammering, "Brother Cao, let me tell you, I'm still young, and, and I definitely won't become a concubine."

Oh no, oh no, could it be that Brother Cao has taken a liking to me?
But I really don't want to be a concubine!
Unless, unless, I grow up and become his wife, that would be more appropriate.
But what if Brother Cao wants me to be his concubine?
He's helped me and my younger siblings so much, how can I refuse?
"..." This time, Cao Weida was speechless. He chuckled and ruffled her hair, feigning a mischievous grin, "Only realizing this now? Too late! Once you're inside my door, there's no escaping you, hehehe~~~"

“Hey~~ Brother Cao, your laugh sounds awful~~” Tian Zao is a shrewd person, and he could tell at a glance that Cao Weida was faking it.

Although I felt relieved, I also felt a strange sense of loss.
"Is it really that fake? It shouldn't be like this. Looks like I'll have to do some more retouching next time." Cao Weida touched his face, then chuckled and playfully tapped her forehead.
"You're always thinking about something, and you still want to be my wife? Do you think your brother Cao has such low standards?"

After looking her up and down, she curled her lip in disdain. "She has nothing to offer, and her child will suffer because of her. She has little to offer, but she's got quite a high opinion of herself."

Tian Zao clutched her chest, her face flushed, whether from embarrassment or anger, she retorted indignantly, "I'm still young, I'll grow taller! Let me tell you, you'll be terrified when I grow up!"

"Yes, yes, you're amazing, you're the best, okay?" Cao Weida rolled his eyes. This little guy was quite competitive.

"Hurry up, I'm packing up and leaving. I'm really busy today, so you guys can lend a hand over there."

Just as she was about to leave, she suddenly turned back and asked, "By the way, Tian Zao, can you read?"

Tian Zao nodded, then shook his head, leaving Cao Weida completely confused.

"I know dates, and I can even write them!" Tian Zao proudly raised her head. In those days, educational resources were extremely scarce, and most people who could read were from scholarly families or wealthy households.

Ordinary families not only don't have the money to pay tuition, but even if they did, they don't have the connections to get in.

Anyone who attends school must come from a family with at least a middle-class standard of living.

As a result, China's illiteracy rate is over 90%, and that's the minimum standard; it could easily reach over 95%!

Being able to recognize and write a single character is something to be proud of.

She was proud, but Cao Weida only felt sorry for her.

Consider the widespread adoption of nine-year compulsory education in later generations, and then look at the present.
Cao Wei Da felt a strange sense of sadness.

He touched the slightly itchy shoulder and forced a smile, saying, "It's good, it's good, Zao'er. Do you want to learn more characters?"

"Of course I want to, but the school doesn't want us." Tian Zao's eyes lit up, but then she became somewhat dejected. In the early days, Beiping had a relatively complete primary education system, but since the Japanese invaded, the education system has been severely damaged.

Nowadays, there are government-run public primary schools in Beiping (Beijing), but the educational resources are far behind what they used to be.

Educational resources are limited. Orphans like Tian Zao and others not only don't have the money to pay tuition, but even if they did, no one would accept them. Educational resources are basically filled by people with connections.

There are also private primary schools founded by churches, associations, or individuals, but these are even more competitive, and ordinary people simply cannot get in.

Cao Weida felt even more aggrieved, but he smiled and comforted him, "It's alright, Brother Cao will invite a teacher to our house to give you lessons."

(End of this chapter)