Di Ming

Chapter 96 Ning Dajiao

"Humph."

The baby girl let out a soft, cute hum, her little face full of pride.

Although Ning Qingchen was reborn as an infant, she still retained her memories, so she would naturally speak and walk earlier than ordinary babies.

Of course, her consciousness was influenced by the baby's body, and her mentality was still very childlike.

At this moment, she tilted her little head, put her little hands in her pockets, and looked at Zhu Yin like a little bird looking at someone.

In a childish voice, it said, "Am I an air duck? Why don't you praise me?"

Zhu Yin paused for a moment, then laughed:

"You're capable! Qingchen can speak and stand up now. Are you still trying to hide it from us?"

"Giggle..." The baby laughed happily, pointing at Zhu Yin's gaping tooth, "The dog hole is wide open, your dog tooth fell out."

This brother-in-law with the dog-like head hasn't grown all his teeth yet.

Overjoyed, she opened her small, lotus-bud-like arms and exclaimed, "You naughty brother-in-law, aren't you going to hug me?"

Zhu Yin had no choice but to step forward, pick her up again, and shake her. "Hey, Chairman Ning, you've gotten heavier again. I mean..."

"Weren't you very mean to me before? You forced me to quit my job and warned me not to be a kept man. Why are you calling me brother-in-law now?"

Ning Qingchen gave a cute snort, clenching her little fists in a fierce yet adorable way, "You're too young to understand things when you're grown up, but you understand things when you're little, is that not allowed?"

When she learned that Zhu Yin was a state secret police officer and that he wasn't infiltrating her sister's side to live off her, she realized she had underestimated Zhu Yin.

Since returning to ancient times, Zhu Yin has often acted as both father and mother, taking care of her every need, and she has become accustomed to being in his arms.

In this world, she only has two relatives: her older sister and Zhu Yin.

As for her past rudeness towards Zhu Yin... sorry, she was too young and seems to have forgotten.

The reason for calling Zhu Yin "brother-in-law" is to help Sister Guitou keep Brother-in-law Goutou in check and prevent him from being poached by other women.

The title of "child bride" is just a formality; the real purpose is to help Sister Guitou make it official.

She really is my younger sister.

"Haha!" Zhu Yin was amused.

Do we only become sensible when we grow up? Or do we become immature when we grow up?
Looking at the adorable baby girl in his arms, who smelled so sweet and soft, like a little pink dumpling, he found it hard to connect her with the aloof and arrogant Miss Ning.

Zhu Yin patted his "sister-in-law" on the back, "Yes, you've become sensible. Your sister and I haven't thanked you yet. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have been able to save Young Master Qi and Old Man Hai."

Ning Caiwei reached out and smiled, "Little sister, let me hug you. Look, you can talk and walk now, why do you still need your brother-in-law to carry you?"

"I don't want you." Ning Qingchen actually hugged Zhu Yin's neck, turned her head and glared at her sister, "You're no good either."

She still remembers when she was in elementary school, this older sister was like a bully, always finding ways to "bully" and "harm" her, and she was even stricter than the teacher.

Not gentle at all.

It was this tyrant, this big devil, who killed his pet spider 'Gorgeous Rainforest', which he had raised for two years.

Enough! I don't want the Great Demon King to interfere with my childhood anymore.

The solution is to use Brother-in-law Dog Head to keep Sister Ghost Head in check, so that she can be free and no one will control her.

Seeing Zhu Yin clinging to her like a baby koala, Ning Caiwei was both amused and exasperated. "How am I not a good person again? Isn't it all for your sake?"

"Didn't we find you a wet nurse? Were you starving? Back when we were outside the Great Wall, I was afraid you'd get eaten by rats, so I'd get up several times a night to check on you."

She gently pulled the baby from Zhu Yin's arms, held her younger sister close, and continued speaking with a mixture of pity and grievance:

"Is it because I'm too strict with you? Don't you think about it? In the third generation of our Ning family, there are a lot of brothers and sisters. Apart from us sisters, are there any other capable people? They either indulge in debauchery and extravagance, or they are mediocre and incompetent, ambitious but lacking in talent."

"If I didn't take care of you, you'd just be so-so. How could you possibly get into a top medical school and become a useful person?"

"Mom only knows how to gamble, and Dad has a bunch of women. If I don't take care of you, who will?"

“I know that the Ning family is actually the one you care about the most. There are rumors that Zhu Yin is up to no good and wants to live off a woman, but no one wants to fire Zhu Yin. They are all waiting for me to make a mistake.”

"Although you misunderstood Zhu Yin, you were the first to force him to resign."

"Waaaaah..." Ning Qingchen couldn't control her emotions and burst into tears, hugging her sister's neck tightly, tears streaming down her face.

Sister Ghost Head, you're so mean.

They actually tried to appeal to my emotions.

But do you think this will be useful?
Woo woo woo...

"Alright, alright." Ning Caiwei patted Ning Qingchen on the back.

"Don't cry. The three of us relied on each other for survival in ancient times, huddled together for warmth, wasn't that good enough? You're not lonely, your sister isn't lonely, and the little tiger isn't lonely either."

"Now that you can talk, the family of three is even more lively."

Ning Qingchen cried so hard she could barely breathe, grabbing her sister's ears and twisting them with all her might.

What the hell is this family of three ducks?

The main problem is... if we don't tighten it now, we won't be able to tighten it later, and we won't dare to tighten it anymore.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch... My goodness!" Ning Caiwei hissed as if she had a toothache. "You heartless little devil doctor, you're trying to murder your own sister! You've ripped my ear off!"

"Little Demon Doctor..." Ning Qingchen suddenly burst into laughter through her tears upon hearing this long-lost nickname.

She wanted to be a doctor from a very young age because she wanted to cure the spider her older sister had killed. She loved reading medical books from elementary school on this theme.

So much so that by the time she entered medical school, her medical theory had reached the level of a professor.

My sister thinks it's absurd and bizarre that she only developed the idea of ​​studying medicine in order to cure her pet spider.

So they gave her the nickname "Little Demon Doctor".

Hearing that annoying nickname again, Ning Qingchen actually felt a little warm towards it.

But her little hands were still clutching Ning Caiwei's ears, crying and laughing at the same time.

"Damn it..." Ning Caiwei looked at Zhu Yin and pleaded, "Little Tiger! Quickly take her away, your sister-in-law has gone crazy!"

Zhu Yin knew how to handle children. He reached out and tickled the baby, who giggled and finally let go of his two annoying little paws.

Zhu Yin took the opportunity to pick her up and then placed her on the bed before her hands could grab his ears.

Ning Caiwei rubbed her ears, which looked like gold ingots, and said coquettishly:

"My sister's only ten years old, and she already has to raise a child. What a fate! You little devil doctor..."

Ning Qingchen plopped down on the bed and shouted at the two of them in a cute but fierce way, "I want milk! I'm hungry! I want Aunt Zhao!"

"You've used up all my medicine, and now I'm going to grow up to be a quack doctor! I want milk!"

Ning Caiwei rolled her eyes. It hadn't been long, less than two hours since she finished eating, and she wanted to nurse again.

How annoying.

She could only leave the small building, find Ding Hongying, and ask Ding Hongying to invite Zhao Chan, the wife of the Gu family.

Before long, Zhao Chan arrived at the courtyard. The scholar's wife, her bound feet swaying, entered the small building, her laughter like the tinkling of silver bells:
"It's only been an hour since I last saw my eldest sister, and I already miss her."

He then offered a blessing.

Zhu Yin and Ning Caiwei quickly greeted her and invited the scholar's wife to sit down.

Ning Qingchen stopped talking and simply smiled as she stretched out her arms.

Zhao Chan picked up the baby, sat down on the drum stool, untied her fine silk skirt to reveal a patch of snow-white skin, put the pacifier into the baby's mouth, and gently sang while rocking her body:

"Wild geese fly north, people gaze north, leaving behind the memory of Mingfei and the Han emperor. The young Chanyu raises his cup and sings. By the green grass grows dairy cows, by the Black River grows fan-tailed sheep, she only longs for her homeland..."

She was the wife of a scholar, a literate and cultured woman. Even when she sang lullabies, the lyrics were very elegant.

Looking at Zhao Chan's sweet smile and gentle gaze, Ning Qingchen couldn't help but think of Jilan's mother in the harsh and cold land beyond the Great Wall.

Then I thought of my mother.

Seeing the baby looking at her with such tenderness, Zhao Chan's heart melted. She couldn't help but lower her head and kiss the baby's little face, smiling as she said:

"When the eldest sister grows up, she will definitely be a stunning beauty."

"I have never seen such an adorable baby as my eldest daughter."

Ning Qingchen is only one year old, but she is called "Big Sister".

Soon, Ning Qingchen, having eaten and drunk her fill, fell asleep.

Zhao Chan placed the baby on the bed, covered him with a small quilt, and lowered the brocade curtain.

The three of them went out of the small building together and sat down in the front hall.

Ning Caiwei personally brewed a cup of newly bought Xuancheng grass wine for the scholar's wife, and said with a smile:
"Thank you for your help, Sister-in-law Gu. She's just craving it and wants to eat it several times a day."

Although she was given two taels of silver every month and given nutritional supplements to help her recover, she was indeed very devoted and kind.

With her around, Ning Caiwei and Zhu Yin were spared a lot of worry.

"Young lady, you're too kind. It's all my duty. There's no need to trouble yourself," Zhao Chan said with a smile, clearly fond of the young and sensible Ning Caiwei.
"I must take the liberty of informing you today that I will be hosting a banquet at my humble abode the day after tomorrow. I would be honored if you, young master and young lady, would grace me with your presence and join me for a few drinks. Please do not blame me for trying to curry favor with you."

"Oh?" Zhu Yin asked, "Is there some good news in your family, sister-in-law? What is it?"

Zhao Chan said with a radiant smile, "I want to let the young master know that my husband, Gu Qiyuan, was originally a scholar studying at the county school. This time, he has been selected as a tribute student and will be entering the Imperial Academy next month."

It turns out that Scholar Gu has been selected as a tribute student; that's indeed a good thing.

No wonder they're having a banquet.

Originally, every two or three years, the dynasty would select a group of outstanding scholars from county, prefectural, and county schools to advance to the Imperial Academy for further studies.

This type of scholar was called a tribute student, who was even more outstanding than a student receiving a stipend. Gu Qiyuan already had the title of scholar and had entered the ranks of scholars. Now that he had been selected as a tribute student, his future was even more secure.

Although a tribute student is still a scholar, the probability of passing the provincial examination and becoming a scholar is much higher than that of an ordinary scholar.

Whether in the city or the countryside, this event is worth celebrating with a banquet and welcoming guests.

Zhu Yin smiled and said, "Congratulations, Sister-in-law Gu! Brother Gu has been admitted to the Imperial Academy. After a year of advanced study, he will have a better chance of passing the imperial examination next autumn..."

At this point, Zhu Yin suddenly paused, taken aback.

Hmm? Gu Qiyuan?
This name sounds familiar. It seems to be the name of a third-ranking scholar during the Wanli era. His official rank must have been quite high, and he was quite famous in history.

Could it be this Scholar Gu?
That Gu Qiyuan was a master of epigraphy. If this scholar Gu also enjoyed studying epigraphy, then he certainly was.

"Sister-in-law," Zhu Yin addressed her, omitting the "Gu family" part, making it sound more intimate. "Does Brother Gu usually have a fondness for metal and stone?"

"You know?" Zhao Chan wasn't surprised. "Yes, he has loved studying epigraphy and textual research since he was a child. If it weren't for the fact that he devoted so much energy to it, he probably would have already obtained the title of Juren."

At this point, her expression turned somewhat bitter.

"Next year is the triennial provincial examination, which is only a year away. But he is still obsessed with epigraphy and not focusing on the imperial examination. He probably has no chance of passing next year's autumn examination."

"Well, I've read a few books, but I'm still just a woman, all talk and no action. Let him be."

"Anyway, he receives seven or eight taels of silver every year, and his family has five acres of poor land. In addition, I weave cloth and spin yarn, so we can still make ends meet. Even if we don't pass the imperial examination for ten years, we can still get by."

Zhu Yin immediately knew that her husband must be Gu Qiyuan. "I also want to take the imperial examination and meet Brother Gu. I also want to learn from him," Zhu Yin said. "He is a senior, he will surely be able to teach me."

The scholar's wife smiled gently, "Young master is naturally precocious, much better than your husband. If he were to teach you, I'm afraid you would also become obsessed with calligraphy and painting, neglecting your studies."

The group chatted for a while longer when suddenly Jin Yunniang came to report:

"My lord, my lady, there is an old woman named Song outside who wants to see Madam Gu. I don't know why."

Zhao Chan shook her head and said, "I know what it is about. It's about asking me to participate in a foot race. Please tell her that I won't participate and that she should find someone else."

Jin Yunniang agreed and went out to refuse Granny Song.

Ning Caiwei asked curiously, "What kind of foot race?"

Zhao Chan explained, "This is a beauty pageant that came from the north a few years ago, and now it's also held in Southern Zhili."

"It is said that women with bound feet (three inches long) will go on stage with their faces covered, take off their shoes and socks to show to the crowd, and be judged on their merits. The top three will receive a prize of silver."

"The local foot-fighting competition is held the day before the autumn festival, and the winning woman will receive a prize of thirty taels of silver."

"Grandma Song praised me, saying that I have a pair of beautiful bound feet and invited me to participate in the competition. She said that even if I only came in third place, I would still receive ten taels of silver. But I don't want to earn that silver. Even though my face is covered, it would be too embarrassing to show my feet to others."

Zhao Chan suddenly remembered that Ning Caiwei had unbound feet. Realizing she had spoken out of turn and thought she had touched on a sensitive topic, she was worried that Ning Caiwei would be upset, so she immediately stopped, looking embarrassed.

Ning Caiwei smiled nonchalantly, "Sister-in-law, you don't need to worry. I didn't bind my feet, and I'm not afraid of what people say. Although big feet are unsightly, they don't have to cause suffering."

She never imagined that there were such events as football tournaments.

This is simply unbelievable and unheard of!

It's not surprising that Zhu Yin, who had studied the history of customs, knew about the foot-racing competition.

Datong in Shanxi is known as "the best place in China for bound feet," and an annual "foot-bound foot competition" was held, which began during the Zhengde period and was always a grand event.

There are also football competitions in other places, not limited to Shanxi. However, the names vary from place to place; some call them Lotus Foot Competitions, while others call them Bright Foot Competitions.

In some places, foot competitions are divided into summer and autumn competitions to select the "most beautiful" feet and rank them.

It's not surprising that if the North has it, the South will follow suit.

Zhao Chan said, "That Granny Song is a famous foot-binding woman in this village. She is very skilled at binding feet, so people call her Golden Lotus Song."

"These feet of mine are the work of Granny Song. Granny Song came to ask me to participate, and there's something for everyone."

If it weren't for her beautiful hands, she wouldn't have been able to marry Scholar Gu. A scholar like him could freely choose any woman in the village. Otherwise, how could she have gotten a chance?

It is said that a woman's beauty is determined by her feet. A woman with beautiful bound feet has an extra guarantee of food, clothing, and a life of luxury.

However, possessing a pair of exquisite golden lotuses is by no means easy.

Not only must the person being entangled be skilled at it, but the person being entangled must also be able to endure hardship, pain, and self-discipline.

As the saying goes: "A pair of bound feet, two vats of tears."

This gave rise to the profession of professional foot binding, the foot binding artisans.

Foot-binding craftsmen were highly skilled at foot binding and had to be hired for a fee.

Those who are unwilling to spend money have to do it themselves.

Ning Caiwei was somewhat frustrated. She hadn't expected that she, who had always been extremely confident in her appearance, would lose her strong advantage in terms of looks in this era.

If it weren't for Zhu Yin, her modern companion, she probably would have had a hard time getting married, right?
Haha.

She was initially worried that if she came to ancient times, her stunning beauty would lead to her being abducted by tyrants.

Who would have thought that all my worries were for nothing!
Zhao Chan was a kind-hearted person. Seeing that Ning Caiwei was poised and showed no sign of being offended, she simply spoke frankly:

“Sister, since you call me sister-in-law, I’ll take the liberty of reminding you of some trivial matters that are the gossip of the neighbors.”

No woman is immune to gossip, including gossip about herself. Ning Caiwei was no exception, and asked:
"Please speak, sister-in-law, I don't mind."

Zhao Chan smiled wryly, "They've already given you a nickname... Ning Big Feet. You've only been here a few days, and the nickname has already spread."

What? Ning Dajiao?
Ning Caiwei and Zhu Yin looked at each other, both utterly bewildered.

You are such warm and kind neighbors! In just a few days, you have already given her the nickname "Big Feet Ning".

Ning Caiwei felt a tightness in her chest; she wanted to curse, but in the end, she managed to put on a sweet smile.

"Hehe, so be it, let them say what they want."

Zhao Chan said, "I've told some people not to judge young girls, it's not kind of them. But they won't listen."

"In my opinion, you are the young master's childhood sweetheart. He doesn't even mind, so what's the big deal? Foot binding is too painful. I don't know how many tears I shed back then. As long as you have a good future, it's fine if you don't bind your feet."

Ning Caiwei couldn't help but ask, "They call me Ning Big Foot, but there must be other people in the village who didn't bind their feet. We can't all be given that nickname, can we?"

Zhao Chan explained, "Most women in this village have had their feet bound to some extent, but not many have three-inch golden lotuses. Most have four-inch silver lotuses. Even if a few exceed four inches, they are not too big, and they have still been bound."

“Those who did not bind their feet at all were orphans, the disabled, nuns, Taoist nuns, beggar girls, sedan chair girls, actors, female doctors, female musicians, female slaves, boat girls, and the like.”

“But you, little sister, are clearly not one of these categories. As an outsider, you attract extra attention, and that’s why you’ve been labeled as Ning Dajiao.”

“Our village is a large village with many people and a lot of gossip. Most of the villagers are kind and honest, but there are also quite a few mean-spirited and filthy scoundrels who are good at humiliating others, belittling others, and stirring up trouble, as if they want to make the world a better place.”

"It wouldn't be surprising if these kinds of people called you 'Big Foot Ning' to your face. Don't take it personally, or they'll just get more worked up."

"Truly, like a scallion leaning against a south wall—his shrewdness and experience are already established."

Ning Caiwei nodded her thanks and said, "Thanks for the reminder, sister-in-law. I understand now. If they call me that, I'll just ignore them."

Zhao Chan was good at comforting people, and smiled:

"I see that you, my sister, seem to love martial arts. You look like a heroine, with your natural feet and valiant spirit. What's wrong with that?"

"If all the daughters in the world were like my sister, those savage Tartars wouldn't dare to go south to herd horses."

“If we were all like us with bound feet, we wouldn’t be able to escape far when the Tartars come.”

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yin couldn't help but think of a man named Qu Sijiu.

Qu Sijiu submitted a memorial to Emperor Wanli, stating that the Mongols repeatedly invaded the border southward because there were no women with bound feet in the northern regions.

If we send a large number of women with bound feet to the Tartars, with their slender waists and delicate steps, they will surely make the northern barbarians indulge in them and diminish their fierce nature.

Qu Sijiu's suggestion was actually discussed seriously.

Ming Dynasty scholars said that "bound feet must be three inches." Even if they weren't three-inch golden lotuses, they should at least be four-inch silver lotuses.

Empresses and concubines in the late Ming Dynasty were all beauties with small feet. For example, Consort Tian's feet were described as "three inches long, delicate and lovely."

Qu Sijiu's startling remarks are therefore not surprising.

Zhao Chan continued, "The day after the foot race is the Autumn Festival Opera. In a few more days, the autumn harvest will be finished. Once the rice is in the granary, it will be time for the festival and the opera."

"Since you're new here, you must come and see the Autumn Festival Opera. Today is a good year, the millet harvest is plentiful, everyone is happy, and the opera will be performed for two days."

"If you're willing to spend money, you should first go to the village head and buy a bench near the front so you can really enjoy the village opera."

When Zhu Yin and Ning Caiwei heard that a village opera was going to be held, they both thought of Lu Xun's novel "The Village Opera".

The two couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation.

The Autumn Festival opera in the Ming Dynasty must have been very lively, right?
Zhao Chan sat for a while longer, telling Zhu Yin and Ning Caiwei some news and stories from the village, which helped them become familiar with the local customs.

She mentioned three prominent families in the village.

The first family is the Zhang family of Dongli, the only family in the village with a Jinshi degree. The head of the family is a fourth-rank prefect in Henan, and his son is also a Juren (successful candidate in the provincial examination).

Even when Master Zhang returns to his hometown to sweep the tombs, he is still someone who can speak directly with the county magistrate.

The Zhang family owns tens of thousands of acres of fertile land, several large estates nearby, and their household is filled with herds of cattle and horses, and numerous servants.

There were also ships that went out to sea and made a fortune.

This is the one person you absolutely cannot afford to offend.

The second family was the Wang family of Xili. The Wang family were a family of scholars who had passed the imperial examinations, and the head of the family was an official in Nanjing, serving as an eighth-rank registrar in this county!

Even when Master Zhang returned to his hometown, he had to treat Master Wang with the same courtesy, because Master Wang was the current magistrate of the county.

Although the Wang family only owned a little over 3,000 mu of land, they had many shops in Nanjing, employing several hundred people. Their business was indeed vast.

This King of Xili cannot be offended.

Then there's the Liu family of Nanli. The Liu family once produced a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) who served as a prefect. Although that Jinshi lord died more than ten years ago, the Liu family still owned five thousand mu of fertile land and had a street of businesses in the town.

These three families, the most prominent in the county, were described in a local folk song as follows: "The Zhang family of the East Village has a granary full of gold. The Wang family of the West Village has a granary full of silver. The Liu family of the South Village has a vat full of jade."

Of the more than 1,000 households in the village, nearly half are tenants of these three wealthy families.

Offending any one of these three powerful families would be a terrible disaster.

Zhu Yin asked, "What about the Fang family? The family that produced an empress?"

"The Fang family?" Zhao Chan shook her head. "They've long since fallen into decline. I heard that the current emperor doesn't like the Fang family, and officials are finding all sorts of ways to humiliate them."

"Back then, the Fang family was indeed the most prestigious family in the area. They were the Empress's maternal family, and they even held noble titles."

"But Empress Fang has been dead for decades, and the Fang family has fallen into ruin. Compared to my family, they are even worse off."

"What?" Zhu Yin couldn't believe it; the Fang family had actually fallen behind even the poor families.

Zhao Chan sat for a while longer before taking her leave.

Once she left, Ning Caiwei finally lost her temper and cursed:
"If I find out who gave me that nickname first, I'll make them pay!"

Zhu Yin opened his mouth, then suddenly said, "I was observing Zhao Chan's expression just now, and I noticed that she seemed hesitant to speak, as if... not only are people making fun of you, but they are also making fun of me."

"She just said some really mean things about me, but she was too embarrassed to say them."

Ning Caiwei frowned and asked, "What are you talking about?"

Zhu Yin laughed and said, "Let's go for a walk around. Maybe we'll hear some veiled criticisms."

The two of them went out together and walked around the neighborhood.

As we passed a threshing ground, we indeed heard someone laughing and cursing in a sarcastic and suspicious tone:
"Where did this thieving bastard come from! A little thing who's always eating female food!"

Zhu Yin looked around and saw a group of idle men gambling in the mill, but their eyes kept glancing at him intentionally or unintentionally.

It's obvious that he's indirectly criticizing himself.

These people are clearly the kind of thugs who like to cause trouble and are used to picking fights.

Ning Caiwei asked in a low voice, "I understand the concept of 'thief's root,' but what is 'female rice'?"

“Female rice…” Zhu Yin’s expression was strange. “Uh, it means living off a woman.”

Just as Ning Caiwei was about to speak, a sneer came from inside the mill:

"Ning Dajiao is here, haha!"

P.S.: The reason for combining the two chapters is to boost average daily subscriptions. A long chapter of six or seven thousand words is hardly enough? Sigh…

Thank you, goodnight. This chapter is a slice-of-life story, which some of you may not like.

(End of this chapter)