Chapter 11

The snow had not yet melted.

The garden was filled with lifelike ice sculptures. At one glance, it looked completely white.

Bai Ling led Luo Qingzhou and Xiao Die on a tour around the garden as she introduced the members of the Qin family to them.

She mainly informed them about the rules and taboos.

After speaking for a while, Bai Ling suddenly turned to look at Luo Qingzhou and smiled. “I heard that you’re a scholar, so you must be a man of literary talent. My name is Bai Ling, and I was named after the lark. Can you read me some bird poetry?”

Luo Qingzhou stared at her and thought, “Is she deliberately testing me? Is it a decision made on the spur of the moment, or did the Young Miss instruct her to do so?”

Although Bai Ling claimed that she was a maidservant, she always spoke very daringly. Moreover, the other maidservants appear to be very respectful toward her. From that, one could tell that she had high status in the Qin residence.

He did not dare to treat it lightly.

After a brief hesitation, he said, “In hundreds of ways it sings, all at ease. Over mountain flowers, amidst woods high and low. Chirping in the cage cannot be compared to singing free in the forest.”

Thankfully, he did not completely lose all his memories.

He was a scholar, after all, so basic poetry recitation was nothing to him.

After hearing that, Bai Ling’s eyes flickered and she laughed. “So that poem describes what you feel right now. Do you think that you’re akin to a bird in a cage, now that you’re a matrilocal son-in-law?”

Luo Qingzhou calmly said, “I was merely reciting it, I don’t mean anything by it.”

Bai Ling smiled. She did not ask him any more questions and said, “Two days ago, Second Young Miss went out and got hold of the first half of a poem. After coming back, she racked her brains but still could not think of a way to construct the second half of the poem. Can you help with that, Sir?”

Luo Qingzhou’s gaze flickered and he said, “I’ll give it a try.”

Bai Ling smiled sweetly at him. “The spring rain hastens roadside flowers to grow. They undulate and fill mountains with spring. Deep, deep along the stream, I go, where I hear hundreds of orioles sing.”

Luo Qingzhou thought,

“She’s indeed testing me on purpose. This poem is the first poem from a poetry collection. Earlier, she said that the Second Young Miss likes poetry, so how can she not know this poem?”

He immediately replied, “Flying cloud in my face turns to a dragon or snake, and it swiftly melts in the azure sky. Lying drunk underneath old vines, I can’t make out if it’s north or south by and by.”

Bai Ling clapped her hands and grinned merrily. “You’re indeed impressive!”

Luo Qingzhou tried to sound her out. “Miss Bai Ling, you mentioned the Second Young Miss, Second Young Master, and the others, but you haven’t mentioned the First Young Miss. What does she like?”

Bai Ling tilted her head and thought for a bit. Following that, she shook her head and smiled. “I don’t know.”

It was not that she did not know but rather, she was unwilling to tell him.

Seeing that, Luo Qingzhou did not press her to answer him, but he felt ill at ease.

What was there to hide about this?

Could it be that because Qin Jianjia was a fool, she had no interests and only drooled all day long?

Luo Qingzhou’s heart skipped a beat when he thought about the possibility of his wife drooling continuously and chuckling foolishly at him while they made love.

They arrived at the archway.

There was a plague hanging over the door with the words “Moonlight Rain Court” written on it.

They passed under the arch and entered a majestic huge garden.

Not far away, there was also a lake that was shrouded in mist.

Not only were there red lotuses in the center of the lake, but an elegant pavilion was erected there too.

They did not build a bridge over the lake.

A small boat was located on the side of the lake.

One could only get to the pavilion by boat.

Bai Ling smiled and introduced, “That pavilion is called the Moon Gazing Pavilion. Second Young Miss brings her friends there frequently. That is where they study and moon gaze.”

Luo Qingzhou asked, “Does First Young Miss go there too?”

Bai Ling smiled. “Sometimes.”

She gave a simple answer, not wanting to go into details.

Luo Qingzhou asked again, “Can I go there?”

Bai Ling thought for a bit before shaking her head. “I don’t think so.”

However, she did not give him an explanation.

Luo Qingzhou nodded and did not ask anymore.

He knew his limits.

As a matrilocal son-in-law, there were many places in the residence where he was forbidden to go.

Besides, that was where Second Young Miss received her guests.

After walking by the pond for a while, he suddenly asked, “Miss Bai Ling, you mentioned earlier that the Second Young Master is preparing for the Dragon Academy’s entrance examination. Is the Dragon Academy very prestigious?”

In his memory, there was no information relating to the Dragon Academy at all.

In order to get into the Dragon Academy, Luo Yu cultivated diligently every day. He seemed to have a lot of confidence in entering the school.

Everyone in the Chengguo Residence had high hopes that he would be admitted to the school.

First Madam spent a lot of effort on this matter too.

Luo Qingzhou wanted to understand more about this academy.

Bai Ling replied, “Of course. The Dragon Academy is a place where many martial artists dream of entering. Many martial arts experts from the Great Yan Empire were former pupils of this academy. I heard that even the lowest-level teacher is a Martial Grand Master. Every year, they only reserve three spots for Mo City. It’s highly competitive. Two spots have already been taken, so there’s only one last spot left. A lot of martial artists are breaking their necks just to get that last spot.”

Luo Qingzhou said, “Does Second Young Master have a chance of getting that spot?”

Bai Ling nodded. “Yes. He has a high chance. He is very gifted and hardworking. I heard that he’s already at the bone-refining realm.”

Beginner martial artists were at the first stage of cultivation, where they had to temper their bodies in order to strengthen them.

Body tempering was divided into skin refining, flesh refining, tendon refining, bone refining, and organ refining.

Luo Qingzhou had already read about that knowledge from the Plum Blossoms Manual.

He wondered which realm Luo Yu had reached.

Luo Yu was determined to get the last spot. The Second Young Master of the Qin family, Qin Chuan, was also determined to get it.

There were probably many martial artists in Mo City who were determined to get that spot.

There would probably be an intense battle over it.

There might even be deaths.

Naturally, Luo Qingzhou did not wish for Luo Yu to succeed.

If Luo Yu successfully entered Dragon Academy and went to the capital, Luo Qingzhou would not be able to seek revenge on him.

If possible, Luo Qingzhou wanted to kill him before that.

Or perhaps, during that martial arts tournament, he would make sure that Luo Yu suffered a crushing defeat in front of First Madam.

If that happened, his mother’s spirit would finally be able to rest in peace.

However…

His chances were slim.

He had not even succeeded in refining the skin.

The Chengguo Residence supplied Luo Yu with resources, but what about him?

He was all by himself and could only figure things out by himself.

Although he had the cultivation technique for inner strength and the skin refining technique, he did not have any potions. Cultivation would probably be very slow.

At that thought, he accidentally sighed out loud.

Bai Ling turned around and asked, “Sir, why did you sigh? Is there something troubling you? You can tell me.”

Luo Qingzhou shook his head. “I’m fine.”

Bai Ling smiled and said, “Sir, you should be happy that you’re getting married to my Young Miss today. Why are you pulling a long face? If others see this, they’ll think that you’ve only just arrived, but we’re already bullying you.”

A bitter smile appeared on Luo Qingzhou’s face. “Then can you tell me, Miss Bai Ling, whether your Young Miss is beautiful?”

Bai Ling chuckled. “Is that what you’re fretting about, Sir?”

Luo Qingzhou nodded and said, “Yes, I’m very worried about that.”

Bai Ling’s eyes flickered. She smiled and said, “What will you do if I say that Young Miss is very ugly? Will you call off the engagement or flee?”

Luo Qingzhou shook his head and said, “Neither. I’ll work hard to make myself ugly. That way, I will be worthy of your Young Miss.”

Bai Ling chuckled again. “Sir, do you think you’re very good-looking?”

Luo Qingzhou said seriously, “I don’t think I’m ugly.”

Bai Ling immediately covered her mouth and giggled. Her light, sweet laugh sounded like tinkling bells, startling the birds standing on the branches not far away.

Xiao Die followed behind, feeling surprised.

When did Young Master become so good at amusing girls?

Luo Qingzhou looked up at the sky.

Unknowing, the sun was dipping into the horizon.

It was about time to consummate his marriage.

He was looking forward to it, but he was also still a little nervous.

He did not dare wish for his wife to be as gorgeous as a divine being, nor did he wish that she would be as beautiful as Bai Ling.

He only wished for her to be a normal and healthy woman. It was fine as long as she was not overly ugly.