The head of Ma Family, person in charge of the second dam, died in an accident, and Ma Family was on the decline since then. The young master of Ma Family, a foppish "boy", reformed "himself" thoroughly and tried to take over the job of protecting and developing the second dam. "He" began to recruit boatmen, stand out in lion dance pageant and guard Ma Family and its fame. "He" fought against illegal salt vendors, and fought for the royal ticket, but became a prisoner due to dirty tricks of the enemies. Imperial censor Wu Zhong spare no effort in rescuing his sweetheart. Was Wu a gay? Did you know that the present head of Ma Family was a girl?
Proofread by Fu Tianying
As the night grew darker, the lanterns were all lit up. The streets along the Datong River were still busy with pedestrians coming and going, for it was the Zhongyuan Festival (the traditional Chinese holiday to pray for ancestors and souls) and it was a convention that people would put lanterns on the river at night of this day.
Besides the cries of roadside vendors and hawkers, what was more attractive was a wide variety of goods such as clay dolls, gilding gourds, lifelike monkeys, and exquisite lanterns which attracted pedestrians to appreciate and purchase.
The woman in white walked towards the Qingfeng Dam. She was tall and elegant with half-piled hair. With a silvery mask covering the lower side of her face, she glanced right and left with her bright eyes which were shining just like stars.
Seeing the woman in white, some pedestrians moved aside for her subconsciously, discussing in a whisper.
"What a beautiful lady! Where did she come from?"
"She is like a fairy in the sky. Is she a fairy descending to the earth?"
Having heard the whispers, the woman in white walked at a brisk pace, with pride on her face. A gust of wind blew, her sleeves were fluttering, setting her figure off to advantage; now she almost looked like a fairy indeed.
Walking to the bridge of Qingfeng Dam, she stopped and looked down. Among those colorful lanterns floating on the river, most of them were eggplant lanterns. The poor had not enough money to buy lanterns, so they just picked big eggplants, cut them in halves to make lanterns with bamboo shade pieces around and a small candle in center. Those eggplant lanterns floated on the river, flat and steady, which formed a sense of beauty while floating with colorful lanterns.
Suddenly, someone fell into the river and the crowd became noisy. After a while, the person disappeared. Those who wanted to go down to rescue were always be deliberately or unintentionally stopped or pushed away. At that time, the woman in white jumped into the river.
For a while, the drowning man was dragged to the riverside and the crowd helped to pull him to the bank. It occurred to the crowd that the drowning man was a young man dressed like a scholar. Then after coming back to the bank, the woman in white expertly pressed the abdomen of the young man and squeezed the water out.
Waking up in confusion, the scholar saw a woman in white watching him. She wore a mask with a pair of eyes shining like stars. He struggled to sit up and asked, "You saved me? May I ask your name for repaying you later?"
In the twinkling of an eye, the woman hatched an idea and answered seriously, "I am a daughter of Dragon King. I just happened to be here to save you and you do not have to take it to your heart." Then she stood up, walked a few steps towards the river, jumped down and disappeared without leaving any trace, just like a dragon flying into the river.
At that time, the crowd on the riverbank began to cheer and screamed out, "She is the daughter of Dragon King! The daughter of Dragon King!"
Wanjin Building was one of the most famous brothels in Shuntian Prefecture. At this point, two young men dressed like the noble were drinking their fill in a private room. One of them raised his wine cup and toasted to a slightly plump scholar in deluxe brocades, "Childe Hu, you would take the first place at in the metropolitan examination as long as Wu Zhong drowned to death. Let me toast to the future Number One Scholar! (the title given to the scholar who achieved the highest score at the highest level of the Chinese imperial examinations).
The guy who was talking was Tian Zhonghua, the eldest son of Tian clan, one of the clans of guarding the first dam of Datong River. It was he who plotted to push Wu Zhong down to the river.
Childe Hu drained his wine cup with one gulp, "God knows how he, a poor guy from the countryside, was praised by the learned scholar, Qian, and recommended to enter the Imperial College! Even worse, Scholar Qian wanted to accept him as a disciple! My uncle asked Scholar Qian to do him a favor by being an instructor of me, but he refused. What if he accepts Wu Zhong as a disciple? Then I would be an object of universal derision!"
Tian Ronghua chimed in and agreed that Scholar Qian was as blind as a bat.
The full name of Childe Hu was Hu Chunqiu. His uncle, an official, took Liu Jin a powerful eunuch in imperial court as the adopted father. Relying on his uncle's power, Hu Chunqiu had always been arrogant and domineering. He once tried to be the disciple of Scholar Qian but was rejected. Wu Zhong, out of nowhere, was allowed by Scholar Qian to attend the lectures in Zhongtian Pavilion and was praised many times, which annoyed Hu Chunqiu extremely. Thus, he invited Wu to enjoy the sight of river lamps and arranged Tian Ronghua to pull Wu Zhong down to the river, taking advantage of the mussy crowd in the Zhongyuan Festival. Having known that Wu Zhong couldn't swim, Hu tried to prevent people from saving him, trying to drown Wu to death.
The door opened when they were celebrating. An attendant rushed in with an anxious face.
"Wu Zhong was not dead!"
"What!" Hu Chunqiu and Tian Ronhua answered in utter astonishment.
"I did push him down to the river, but he was...was saved."
"By who?" Tian Ronghua added, "Who upset my plan?"
The attendant paused for a moment. His face was thick with disbelief, "It was...was the daughter of Dragon King..."
"Nonsense! I would be the Jade Emperor (the Supreme Deity of Taoism) if there is a daughter of Dragon King!" Hu Chunqiu broke out into curses.
"It must be the excuse you figured out to fool me!"
"I dare not. Lots of people saw it. That woman jumped into the river and disappeared. If she were a mortal, how could she stay under the water for such a long time? For almost four hours under the water!"
"An expert swimmer can indeed hold his breath and swim to a place with few people. However, on such a festival, few can hold his breath for such a long time, let alone a woman. Women are not allowed to swim in the area under the control of the five dams, so it is quite odd," Tian Ronghua thought about all the expert swimmers in his mind but could not think of a woman who could do it.
"Cut the crap. What's the next step? Any good ideas?" Hu Chunqiu asked impatiently.
"I have got an idea. Why don't we set fire to the inn where Wu Zhong is lodging?Then we can take the opportunity to steal his baggage. He cannot stay at the Imperial City for having no money. Even though he struggles to stay, making a living will definitely delay his progress of study," Tian Ronghua said with an evil smile.
"That's great! But be careful to make it a low-profile campaign this time. There are so many people in the inn. It would become a big trouble if they were burned to death."
"I know. I will arrange someone to throw some torches and scream out. You can rest assured that no one will be hurt. But the guards of Ma family may disrupt our plan so we have to get out of sight of the guards of Ma family for that inn is right beside the Ma family."
"The Ma family in charge of the second dam, which is against your family all the time? Well, I will deal with Ma family as long as you get this thing done," Hu Chunqiu said casually.
"I will arrange proper people right away and ask them to set on fire when most people fall asleep. Wu Zhong would not recover his strength after being saved from drowning. He certainly won't bring the baggage in panic while trying to escape the fire."
The attendant left in a hurry after being told a few words by Tian Ronghua.
The moon was bright and it was about eleven o'clock at night and the busy streets slowly became quiet. Almost no one was seen on the street. Occasionally, the night watchman passed and shouted while ringing the gong, "Watch for fire in dry days! It is eleven o'clock at night!"
A man sneaked up on a corner of that inn with a bucket of stuff in his hand. He took out the stuff from the bucket, and it turned to be cotton cloth soaked in kerosene. Then he carefully took out the flint. Probably out of nervousness, he hit it several times, but failed to catch on fire.
At this point, a cold voice was heard behind, "Need any help?"
As soon as that man turned back, he saw a woman in white standing behind. She was like a ghost with her face half covered by the long drooping hair which was dripping.
"A ghost!" that man screamed out. Throwing away the flint in his hand, he ran away immediately, just wanting to get rid of the ghost right away.
The woman in white pushed her hair aside, revealing a pretty face. She, with disdain, kicked off the cotton cloth on the ground, laughed in a crisp and arrogant voice, "When I began to play with fire, you were still a baby!"
When they met for the first time, the cute baby crawled into Sheng Yeting’s lap and called him “Daddy”. Unexpectedly, after that, his life changed… One day, the cute baby told him, “Daddy, an uncle revealed his feelings to Mommy just now.” “Help Daddy make the bed. I’ll go bring the woman home and have her unable to get up from the bed by teaching her a lesson for good.” He used to be the merciless and resolute emperor of the business empire, cold and indifferent towards females. However, he was completely defeated by that woman. For the rest of their life, he would love her wholeheartedly and give birth to a bunch of little chubby babies.
Gu Mian was getting married to Song Huaiyan, a cold young CEO she had met only once. Her elegant white gown trailed down the red carpet; Malbec was whirling in the wine glass. She had become Madame Song, the throne of thousands of young girls' dreams. However, she found she was increasingly unable to control herself: from her torso, her limbs, her tongue, her throat, to her heart, which leaned more and more towards her newly-married husband. < Please complete the mission and continue to look for trouble! > The voice of Trouble-Making System rang out in Gu Mian’s mind. < This is the way you can control your body, and the price you have to pay for your reincarnation! > “Hmph! Easy peasy!” Gu Mian shook the hemline of her dress, sat on the gorgeous European style sofa with her leg crossed, and drained the Malbec in one go. “Looking for trouble? That was my professional in my last life.”
When the company of her archenemy went bankrupt, she held a party in the bar to celebrate and took him away! In the hotel, Shu Yin stood on her tiptoes and cooed upon his ear, "Yan Ci, I hear that you're looking for a sugar mama. I can give you what you want." "In that case, why don't you sign the contract right now? How long would you like to keep me? A month or a year?" The next day, she stared at her torn dress in a daze. Recalling what they had done in bed last night, she felt aggrieved. As the sugar mama, however, she couldn't complain. Later, he moved into her place and got her pregnant. Finally, the truth was revealed - Yan Ci was never broke. It was just a scheme to trick her into his arms so that he could dote on her for the rest of her life. A Scheming and Doting Billionaire VS A Smart and Spoiled Lady
Having been married for two years, he only takes her as an enemy. He never touches her, and even insult her in front of other women, "Si Wan, you are the most disgusting woman in the world." Facing his ruthlessness, she decides to leave, "Gong Siming, if you don't love, just let me go." But he replied dominantly, "Si Wan, of course I love you." Si Wan is caught in a trance. And he goes on, "I want to love you tenderly every night."
She, being set up by her husband, became a laughing stock in the city and was forced to leave. Four years later, she came back with a brand-new self. Revenge was a dish better served cold. She swore to take back everything that belonged to her. He, by mistake, got himself involved in her life. He wanted to make up for her, and ended up falling in love… “Wen Shuyue, one son is enough for us. I wish we have some lovely daughters. The more, the better.”
A scheme led to a cute baby for them. Several years later, she met her former lover once again. The iceberg-like president turned into a big wolf full of desire! He stayed together with her all the time, disproving rumors with acts. She only wanted to say that rumors truly hurt.
Rumors said that Lucas married an unattractive woman with no background. In the three years they were together, he remained cold and distant to Belinda, who endured in silence. Her love for him forced her to sacrifice her self-worth and her dreams. When Lucas' true love reappeared, Belinda realized that their marriage was a sham from the start, a ploy to save another woman's life. She signed the divorce papers and left. Three years later, Belinda returned as a surgical prodigy and a maestro of the piano. Lost in regret, Lucas chased her in the rain and held her tightly. "You are mine, Belinda."
Five years ago, Alessia La Rosa's life took a drastic turn when, suffering from memory loss, she wed to Dominic Carter under her grandfather's mysterious arrangement. But their marriage was a facade, bringing her only humiliation and heartache as Dominic showed no love, and she couldn't conceive. Upon discovering Dominic's infidelity, Alessia sought liberation through divorce. Yet, fate had more in store for her. Five years later, spurred by an anonymous email hinting at her lost child's whereabouts, she returns to the city with her twin babies in tow, determined to uncover the truth. As she navigates the tangled web of her past, a surprising twist awaits. Dominic, upon meeting her again, finds himself drawn to the woman she has become, unaware of her true identity as his former wife. Little does he know, the woman he's falling for is not only his ex-wife but also a powerful Doctor and Master Hacker.
After two years of marriage, Sadie was finally pregnant. Filled with hope and joy, she was blindsided when Noah asked for a divorce. During a failed attempt on her life, Sadie found herself lying in a pool of blood, desperately calling Noah to ask him to save her and the baby. But her calls went unanswered. Shattered by his betrayal, she left the country. Time passed, and Sadie was about to be wed for a second time. Noah appeared in a frenzy and fell to his knees. "How dare you marry someone else after bearing my child?"
“You need a bride, I need a groom. Why don’t we get married?” Both abandoned at the altar, Elyse decided to tie the knot with the disabled stranger from the venue next door. Pitying his state, she vowed to spoil him once they were married. Little did she know that he was actually a powerful tycoon. Jayden thought Elyse only married him for his money, and planned to divorce her when she was no longer of use to him. But after becoming her husband, he was faced with a new dilemma. “She keeps asking for a divorce, but I don’t want that! What should I do?”
Darya spent three years loving Micah, worshipping the ground he walked on. Until his neglect and his family's abuse finally woke her up to the ugly truth-he doesn't love her. Never did, never will. To her, he is a hero, her knight in shining armour. To him, she is an opportunist, a gold digger who schemed her way into his life. Darya accepts the harsh reality, gathers the shattered pieces of her dignity, divorces him, takes back her real name, reclaims her title as the country's youngest billionaire heiress. Their paths cross again at a party. Micah watches his ex-wife sing like an angel, tear up the dance floor, then thwart a lecher with a roundhouse kick. He realises, belatedly, that she's exactly the kind of woman he'd want to marry, if only he had taken the trouble to get to know her. Micah acts promptly to win her back, but discovers she's now surrounded by eligible bachelors: high-powered CEO, genius biochemist, award-winning singer, reformed playboy. Worse, she makes it pretty clear that she's done with him. Micah gears up for an uphill battle. He must prove to her he's still worthy of her love before she falls for someone else. And time is running out.
She was a world-renowned divine doctor, the CEO of a publicly traded company, the most formidable female mercenary, and a top-tier tech genius. Marissa, a titan with a plethora of secret identities, had hidden her true stature to marry a seemingly impoverished young man. However, on the eve of their wedding, her fiance, who was actually the lost heir to a wealthy dynasty, called off the engagement and subjected her to degradation and mockery. Upon the revelation of her concealed identities, her ex-fiance was left stunned and desperately pleaded for her forgiveness. Standing protectively before Marissa, an incredibly influential and fearsome magnate declared, "This is my wife. Who would dare try to claim her?"