Chen Ruxia knew Shen Heqing. To be precise, they had a feud.
Shen Heqing was good - looking, highly talented in studies, and obedient and well - behaved. He had always been the "别人家的孩子" (the perfect child that parents compare their own kids to).
Although the Yong'an Marquis Mansion had risen through military exploits, by the generation of Chen Linchun, the old marquis of Yong'an hoped that his grandson would pursue a career in the imperial bureaucracy through study. When he heard that a great Confucian was giving lectures, he specially sent his grandson there.
At that time, Chen Linchun was young and naive. He threw a tantrum, insisting on going home to play. The old marquis felt embarrassed and had no choice but to take his grandson back.
If that was all, it would have been fine. But coincidentally, Shen Heqing also attended the lectures of the great Confucian and was even praised by him.
The two boys were of a similar age, but their performances were completely different. This made the old marquis so angry that he scolded his son, believing that it was because his son had never liked reading that his grandson was the same way.
The marquis of Yong'an, having been scolded by his father, then started to supervise Chen Linchun's studies. But Chen Linchun refused to study no matter what and suffered a great deal.
Chen Linchun blamed Shen Heqing for all this. He thought Shen Heqing was just putting on an act. Filled with anger, he complained to his sister Chen Ruxia.
Chen Ruxia felt sorry for her brother, so she went to take revenge on Shen Heqing. But she herself was not fond of reading either and was refuted by Shen Heqing until she was speechless. All she could do was leave with a threat: "We'll continue this next time!"
But the next time, she would still be left speechless. Angry, she chased after Shen Heqing to beat him.
After several such incidents, the two of them became sworn enemies. Every time they met, they would exchange insults.
Hearing that Chen Miaochun had been punished to kneel, and it was Shen Heqing who had punished her, Chen Ruxia worriedly said, "Miaochun isn't very smart. Will she be bullied by Shen Heqing?"
Shen Baozhu and Qiuqiu were also very surprised. They spoke one after another: "Eldest brother punished her to kneel?"
"Elder sister Miaochun was actually punished to kneel by someone?"
[How could the idiot punish someone to kneel?]
Chen Ruxia grabbed her two younger sisters and rushed towards the garden. She was afraid that Chen Miaochun would be bullied.
At this moment in the garden.
Contrary to what Chen Ruxia had thought, Shen Heqing was pulling Chen Miaochun to talk about dressing.
"Your name is Chen Miaochun?" Shen Heqing was stunned for a moment, then let out a sigh of relief. So she was Chen Ruxia's elder sister.
Upon learning that she was from the Yong'an Marquis Mansion, Shen Heqing relaxed a lot. He even tactfully expressed his opinion: "Baby pink makes you look darker. You'd better choose a more subdued color."
Chen Miaochun wrung her hands together. "My elder brother said that young girls all wear this kind of color. Only old people wear dark colors."
So she was very dissatisfied with Chen Ruxia. Why could she wear bright colors while she herself had to wear dull - colored clothes!
Shen Heqing looked at Chen Miaochun with a speechless expression. That statement was true, but it should be adjusted according to the individual!
Chen Miaochun was a bit short and plump, and her skin was rather dark. The baby - pink dress she was wearing not only made her look darker but also accentuated the excess flesh on her abdomen. It was obviously not suitable.
Shen Heqing tried his best to be tactful. "But this dress makes you look dark and fat. You can change into something more suitable for you."
Chen Miaochun didn't believe it because Chen Linchun had just praised her for looking good in this dress. But she was also very afraid of Shen Heqing.
She felt that Shen Heqing had the air of an important person, so she had to hold back her true feelings and replied in a low voice, "Okay."
Shen Heqing let out another sigh of relief. Fortunately, Chen Miaochun was open to advice. He continued, "This should be Chen Ruxia's dressing style. You don't have to be the same as her."
Normally, upon hearing Chen Ruxia's name, Chen Miaochun should have been angry, making a scene in front of Shen Heqing and hurling insults.
But Chen Miaochun was afraid of Shen Heqing. She lowered her head and replied, "Okay."
Since Chen Miaochun was open to advice, Shen Heqing was in a great mood. He took out a book from his bosom. "How's your study?"
Chen Miaochun had been doing farm work every day in the countryside. Not only had she never studied, but she didn't even have the right to look at a pen and paper.
Looking at the book in front of her, Chen Miaochun was unexpectedly delighted. She felt as if she could smell the fragrance of books!
The people in the Yong'an Marquis Mansion didn't like reading. Shen Heqing, with his preconceived notion, also thought that Chen Miaochun didn't like reading. He flipped open the book on his own. "If it's not good, it doesn't matter. I'm going to review my lessons..."
"I can't read." Chen Miaochun felt that Shen Heqing was a kind - hearted person. She summoned up her courage and asked, "Can you teach me to read?"
Shen Heqing was extremely shocked. "You're willing to learn to read on your own? It's like the ancestral grave of the Yong'an Marquis Mansion is giving off green smoke that there's someone in the family who loves reading."
"Wait, you can't read?"
Chen Miaochun had always felt that her experiences were too embarrassing to talk about. But in front of Shen Heqing, she felt like a wronged person pouring out her grievances to the village head. She told him everything in detail.
Apart from what Qiuqiu had known before, there was one more thing. Chen Miaochun was brought back by Chen Linchun.
Chen Miaochun was picked up by her adoptive parents as a child bride - in - waiting. But her adoptive mother didn't give birth to her precious son, Wang Baogen, until ten years ago.
Before Wang Baogen was born, her adoptive mother didn't like Chen Miaochun. Chen Miaochun had to do all the big and small things in the family.
At the age of five, Chen Miaochun could already cook and do laundry. At ten, she was working in the fields, taking care of all the household chores.
When Chen Miaochun was eight, she ran away secretly and was tricked into a brothel. Then she managed to run back on her own.
The Chen Miaochun, who had previously cared about her image, completely gave up on herself after that and let herself become fat and ugly.
Later, when Wang Baogen was born, Chen Miaochun worked like a beast of burden with the hope of marrying him.
But Wang Baogen disliked Chen Miaochun for being ugly and deliberately scratched her face with something, disfiguring her.
Her adoptive mother also disliked Chen Miaochun. A few days ago, she wanted to sell Chen Miaochun to the old man Wang at the village entrance. And it was at this moment that Chen Linchun showed up and saved Chen Miaochun.
Chen Miaochun's voice trembled a little. "I know I'm not as good as Chen Ruxia. I'm not as smart or good - looking as her. Everyone likes her..."
"Wait a minute. You're being too absolute. I really dislike Chen Ruxia." Shen Heqing interrupted Chen Miaochun.
He really did dislike Chen Ruxia!
Shen Heqing listed Chen Ruxia's misdeeds one by one. "She's overly competitive and good at music. She plays that lousy pipa every day."
All she knew was how to play the pipa and never read a single book! And yet Baozhu loved listening to her!
"She pays too much attention to her appearance. She dresses up elaborately every day and even makes some nice little trinkets from time to time."
The most annoying thing was that she gave those nice trinkets to Baozhu. For a while, Baozhu would only talk about Sister Ruxia!
"She's overly protective and unreasonable."
She would give Qiuqiu whatever she wanted. Qiuqiu had gotten fat because of that! And even Baozhu had put on weight! He had told her many times that children shouldn't eat too many pastries, but she still indulged them!
Chen Miaochun looked up blankly. "Aren't these all her good qualities?"
Shen Heqing sneered. He asked, "I don't believe that Chen Ruxia would let the Wang family off after what they did to you."
Chen Miaochun thought Shen Heqing was being sarcastic. He seemed to be listing Chen Ruxia's misdeeds, but in fact, he was praising her.
If it had been someone else saying this, Chen Miaochun would definitely have gotten angry and cursed.
But since it was Shen Heqing saying this, Chen Miaochun just asked obediently, "What do you mean?"
The next moment, Chen Ruxia's voice came from not far away.
"Shen Heqing! Stay away from Miaochun!"
After eating the fruit, Chen Ruxia strode over quickly and pulled Chen Miaochun behind her to protect her.
She had seen it all. Chen Miaochun had her head down in front of Shen Heqing. She must have been wronged.
In the half - month since she had returned to the Yong'an Marquis Mansion, Chen Miaochun had always held her head up when talking to others. It must be because Shen Heqing had bullied her that she had lowered her head!
When enemies meet, their hatred burns hotter. Shen Heqing and Chen Ruxia didn't have a huge feud, but they were both young and hot - tempered, so it was almost the same.
Shen Heqing stuffed the book in his hand into his bosom and mocked Chen Ruxia. "Your elder sister was bullied by her adoptive parents. Why didn't you help her then? Now you come to take her side. You're so useless."
These words perfectly hit Chen Ruxia's sore spot. Of course, she wanted to deal with those who had bullied Chen Miaochun. But Chen Miaochun never talked about her past, and she herself had been in poor health and preoccupied with her own origin. She just didn't have the energy to take care of it.
But for some reason, Chen Ruxia felt much better now. Her head didn't hurt, her chest didn't feel stuffy, and she was full of energy.
Chen Ruxia gritted her teeth and stared at Shen Heqing. "You don't need to worry, you fool. I have my own plans."
Shen Heqing squinted his eyes and engaged in a stare - off with Chen Ruxia. If looks could kill, these two would have fought hundreds of rounds already.
And behind them, Chen Miaochun stared with wide eyes. Could Chen Ruxia be so fierce? She had thought that Chen Ruxia was a celestial fairy who would never scold.