After sending away Xiao Qin Zi who came to deliver the letter, Zhong Ziqi stood in the same place gloomily, smiling a little before he turned around his body. He was stunned by a pair of deep eyes that looked at him for a moment. From his expressionless face, he could not tell what he was thinking.
“Zheng’an? Zheng’an! You’re awake?” Zhong Ziqi did not notice the difference as he rushed forward to take Zhao Zheng’an’s hand, his eyes red with joy.
“Is there anything else that is uncomfortable? Don’t sit up yet! Lie down quickly!!!”
Zhao Zheng’an, who was sitting on the bed, did not answer, but kept looking at him while his brow slightly frowning.
When Zhong Ziqi saw that he did not react, he realized that something was wrong. In the past, Zhao Zheng’an would have acted like a spoiled child and complained to him tearfully when he was aggrieved since he was afraid of pain, but now he was so silent . He had a look that did not belong to the silly Zheng’an. That’s right! The look in his eyes! At this moment, Zhao Zheng’an’s eyes had a hint of inquiry in them, his eyes were not as clear as before. It was as dark as a cloud of ink.
Zhong Ziqi was startled and thought of a possibility, asking slightly tentatively, “Are you …okay?” (Actually he was asking if Zhao Zheng’an already cured from his fool state)
Zhao Zheng’an did not say anything, but nodded gently, with a hint of unknown dark and gloomy glint in his eyes.
Zhong Ziqi didn’t notice, he was already stunned by that small response.
Zhao Zheng’an had recovered!
Unexpectedly, he had really recovered!!!
He had obviously injured his brain as he had gone stupid. Moreover, the doctor said the chances of him recovering were very slim so he didn’t expect him to recover just like that!!!
After he figured out his feelings, he decided that he wanted to live a good life together with him then suddenly he recovered!
Zhong Ziqi only felt confusion in his heart, unconsciously, he let go of his grip on Zhao Zheng’an’s hand. He did not see the man’s frown tighten even more. Zhong Ziqi stood up somewhat at a loss, didn’t know what to do: “You …… remembered the previous memories?”
“En.” Zhao Zheng’an responded.
Zhong Ziqi was even more awkward:”Then …… I …… will get you the doctor.” After saying that Zhong Ziqi walked out from there at a fast pace . He needed to sober up properly now.
Zhao Zheng’an’s brow was tightly connected, at the same time, he coughed uncomfortably twice. In fact, his mind was even more in a mess than Zhong Ziqi. His memory was not coherent, probably because he had been traumatised for a long time (several months). Some of his memories could be remembered, while the others were sometimes clear and sometimes blurred. But there is one part of his memory which is very clear, what he did during the time he was a fool, including the people and things he met.He remembered them all very clearly. For example, …Zhong Ziqi who went out just now, he knew that it was his wife, the one he officially wed.
[ Tl Notes–明媒正娶 :In ancient times, it refers to a formal marriage in which a matchmaker agrees, parents agree, and they get married in a traditional ceremony.]
He knew the Zhong family, they lived in the same village, but their family rarely interacted with each other.Besides, he was often working outside, so the number of times he saw Zhong Ziqi was very few. Many families in the village wanted to marry the Zhong family for no other reason than they were looking at Zhong Zhen Hang. Zhong Zhen Hang had a good job, someone who can read and write, rumoured to know the county magistrate. Don’t you see his big house? Many people were envious. If you want to get the connection, one way is through the wedding with his children.
At that time, Zhao Zheng’an just smiled, his Amu, Wang Cui Hua also had this idea, but there was no way. Who told him to have a marriage contract? The engagement was made a few years ago to a distant relative of Wang Cui Hua’s mother’s family. He lived in the next village, very close to their village.
His fiancee was an ordinary looking ger from an average family. Although it was by Wang Cui Hua’s decision to marry him, he was satisfied after seeing him and didn’t refute because he found that after some interaction, he was a gentle and understanding ger . He hoped that the family would be harmonious in the future.
If there was no accident, at the time when that ger reaches the age of marriage in two years’ time, they will be able to hold a wedding banquet. That was also one of the reasons why he worked so hard to earn money.
It was simply by one accident that ruined everything. It also made him see things clearly. On the tenth day of the accident, the family of that ger saw that he could not be cured, so they decisively withdrew from the marriage. He was immediately engaged to someone else in no time at all. During that time that ger came to see him but with a face full of disgust. After that, everything his father and his Amu did and acted toward him broke his heart even more. It turned out that all the years they had spent together had been all false (affection) and insincere. Without the benefit of money, he was thrown out in such a hurry.
Not to mention the fact that since he was twelve years old, he had been a understanding kid, selling firewood, grass, part-time jobs, hunting animals on the mountain, and so on. All the money he got back was not just one or two taels. How could they be so cruel as to let them almost leave the house with nothing after separating from the family?
Zhao Zheng’an had seen through it completely. It was true what they said: “If you have a stepmother then you have a stepfather.”
He thought he could ‘move their heart’ by working hard to earn money, but he didn’t expect …
Forget it! Anyway, with the separation of the family, it was as if he had never been a member of the family. He was no longer obliged to give unconditionally. Zhao Zheng’an’s heart was not without pain but this was the most effective way. Long pain was not as good as short pain. Some hope and expectation were not allowed to exist.
It was impossible for Zhao Zheng’an not to remember his wife who had suddenly appeared. He could not help but soften the expression on his face. His wife was a gentle person, good-looking, able to read and write (a cultured person aka literate), ‘able to go to the hall and handle the kitchen’, when he was doing a business, he bring together all kinds of high quality ingredients,and nothing was difficult for him.Who would have thought that ‘the old man who lost his mare, but it all turned out for the best’?
[上得了厅堂, 下得了厨房 / ‘able to go to the hall and going to the kitchen’: This saying means that a perfect person who able to do everything in terms of housework; he can be alone in work and interpersonal communication. Able to handle work in a smooth and sophisticated way. Also able to control the inside and the outside of a household]
[塞翁失马焉知非福/ the old man lost his mare, but it all turned out for the best (idiom); fig. a blessing in disguise / it’s an ill wind that blows nobody any good]
It’s just that ……
Thinking about the fact that the marriage between him and Zhong Ziqi did not seem to be something he was willing for. From the way he acted, after learning of his recovery just now, it could be seen that he seemed to…not very much looking forward to his recovery. Zhao Zheng’an sighed deeply.
Outside, Zhong Ziqi buried his head as he walked out and said to the old doctor who was sitting in the consultation room: “Doctor, he’s awake! Go and take a look!”
The doctor responded, as he got up and went inside.
“Wait!”
The old doctor looked back at him in confusion.
“He’s… he’s… recovered,” Zhong Ziqi said hesitantly.
At first, the doctor didn’t react, but when he carefully thought about his words, he immediately understood what was going on. He looked at Zhong Ziqi incredulously: “Already recovered? Does he remember the old days? He is not stupid anymore?”
Zhong Ziqi nodded in silence.
This time it was the old doctor who was dumbfounded. As a doctor, they like to leave out a line when they speak, they don’t say anything too straightforward. So when he said there was a possibility of recovery regarding to Zhao Zheng’an’s illness, that was only to comfort the family, but he himself was clear, it was almost impossible to recover, the injury on the head is lucky enough for him not to die, although it is normal to be stupid.
He had been a doctor all his life, so how could he not know that there were many examples of people who had recovered from their injuries, but there was no surprise if some had not (recovered).
The old doctor stood dumbfounded for a moment. He then hurried into the inner room, now he was tempted to cut the man inside into eight pieces, to study them properly. What was this all about?! How could it be so amazing?!
Zhong Ziqi did not follow him in, instead he walked out of the medical hall in a daze, weaving through the crowd and walking aimlessly down the street.
He was very confused. He was trying to make sense of it, but there was something in his heart that resisted it. He admitted that he is a little afraid, a little coward. However, what stands between them was a marriage which really was not by mutual consent. Even he was not well ready for it, let alone Zhao Zheng’an. Would he be willing to have a wife like this in such a muddle headed way?
Although, perhaps it seems unlikely to divorce. In ancient times, there were very few divorces.Unless one of them had committed some great sin, there was no possible divorce.It was also difficult for a divorced person to find another half, as they would have a bad reputation.So Zhong Ziqi thinks it is unlikely, but if he (ZZA) is willing to …… Zhong Ziqi ignored the throbbing pain in his heart, then he would also be willing to divorced.
No matter what, Zhong Ziqi was still afraid.He doesn’t know well the recovered Zhao Zheng’an, he also doesn’t know what kind of person he was. He was even more at a loss by the unknown of his future life.