Drunken Flower Melody

Blurb:

The Xie family was a distinguished clan of officials, and their eldest son, Xie Weiqing, was a once-in-a-generation talent, destined to top the imperial examinations. Yet, to everyone's surprise, he married the daughter of a low-ranking seventh-grade official.

That alone would have been surprising enough. But when the girl was three, she was kidnapped and sold to Suzhou, where she learned to sing low-class tunes for twelve years. By the time she finally made it back to the capital, she could barely speak the official dialect.

Whenever she followed Xie Weiqing, she would lower her head, awkward and tongue-tied.

People pitied her past, but said her provincial manners, awkwardness, and rustic ways made her a poor match for Xie Weiqing.

Lin Yingyu was timid and tongue-tied. Whenever she spoke, her words came out in the soft, lilting Wu dialect, completely unlike the capital's official speech. This only made her more self-conscious and insecure, and she went about everything with extreme caution.

She had heard the gossip around town and thought it over. It seemed right: of course Xie Weiqing wouldn't like her.

But he was always teasing her. At night, he seemed like a different person, making her cry out and call his name again and again, refusing to stop even when her voice went hoarse.

*

Xie Weiqing was a nineteen-year-old top scholar, mature beyond his years, a handsome and upright gentleman with a striking bearing.

To outsiders, he was disciplined and courteous, solemn, honorable, and scrupulous in his conduct. He seemed the most proper man imaginable.

No one knew he had done something despicable: while his younger brother was away on a scholarly journey, he stole his brother's betrothal agreement with Lin Yingyu.

That day, Xie Weiqing personally went to the Lin residence to deliver the betrothal card. Lin Yingyu sat before him, obediently lowering her head. After a long while, she gave a soft little hum.

Her voice was gentle and sweet.

Xie Weiqing's gaze darkened, and a rare sense of joy rose in his heart. But then he caught a flicker of disappointment on her face.

His heart suddenly plunged into an abyss. Hidden beneath his wide sleeve, his hand clenched tight, crushing and crumpling the betrothal card that should have been exchanged with Lin Yingyu, the one belonging to his younger brother.

Only he knew that he was the one unworthy of her.

#A timid, awkward little songbird

Theme: Live well.