diskusbooks Chapter 221 Crescent Moon Birthmark
Chapter 221 Crescent Moon Birthmark
Qiao Anlan's inferiority complex resurfaced, and he lowered his head, saying...
"I've never read any books, I don't understand these things..."
Qiao Qingshu excitedly held up the paper and said,
"Then how did you manage to write such a good article, brother!"
Qiao Anlan frowned as he looked at the paper, puzzled. It was just an article he had written casually, which he himself thought was rough and crude, far inferior to the Confucian and Mencian treatises in books. That was why he had crumpled it up and thrown it away.
"It's just nonsense, not presentable, and certainly not something you'd embarrass yourself in on a scientific expedition..."
Qiao Qingshu grabbed her brother's shoulder and loudly defended herself.
"Brother! Don't underestimate yourself! You've read through all the books in the library over the years, and you're even more capable than those students who hire famous tutors. If you were to take this essay to the imperial examination, you would definitely be on the list! I'm not lying to you!"
Qiao Anlan was somewhat stunned. Was his writing really that good?
He really hasn't done anything all these years except read books. Because of his physical disability and muteness, apart from Qiu Rui coming to visit him every now and then, no one else comes to see him. Therefore, he has plenty of time and spends almost all his time outside of meals in the library.
He started reading from the first row of bookshelves, and finished reading them in two or three years. Then he started over again, and so on. Later, when he felt that he could read them by heart, he would write and draw on paper. Sometimes he would write for a whole day, which was very enjoyable.
However, he never showed his own articles and paintings to anyone, for fear that others would laugh at him. Therefore, he always thought that these were just his own way of passing the time and having fun. When he returned to the Qiao family home, he felt uncomfortable because he had no books to read. Fortunately, there were plenty of paper and pens, so he would sit down and write articles to himself, appreciate them, and then crumple them up.
He never thought he would write a great article; he simply combined his thoughts with what he had read in the books and wrote down his own shallow opinions.
Unexpectedly, my sister saw it as an extremely good article.
He scratched his head, looking somewhat bewildered.
At this moment, Qiao Qingshu had already made up her mind. With her brother's talent, he would surely pass the imperial examination if he participated in it. Once he entered officialdom, there would be no need to worry about the Qiao family's future decline.
So he immediately instructed Steward Lai to hire a teacher for his brother to teach him past years' imperial examination questions. Although there was still a month left, perhaps he could still make a final push.
Qiu Rui, who had been watching from the sidelines, also smiled and said happily,
"If An'er can pass the high school entrance exam, that would be wonderful!"
Qiao Qingshu immediately split into two groups. She took Qiu Rui back to retrieve the indenture, while she asked Steward Lai to help her brother invite a teacher to come and provide guidance.
When they returned to the Xiao family, it was lunchtime, and Xiao Zhijie was serving Su Yunzhen her meal in her room.
Su Yunzhen lay in bed all day, but would get up at night to move around in the room. After several days, she got used to it and didn't find it difficult to endure.
During the day, she would stay in bed reading or embroidering, and the time passed easily. Her son, Xiao Zhijie, would come to see her every day at noon, ask if she had taken her medicine, if she had slept well, and sit down to talk to her for a while.
Although this son was not her biological child, he was more filial and sensible than her own, which pleased Madam Su greatly.
Qiao Qingshu pushed open the door and entered, only to see Xiao Zhijie sitting on the edge of the bed chatting with Madam Su.
Seeing that there were no outsiders, she walked in and, with a smile, asked Madam Su for the person.
After hearing her words, Madam Su was naturally willing to help her achieve her goal. Qiu Rui was also a well-behaved and obedient child, so why not do something good? Besides, it was Qiao Qingshu who had asked for it.
She hurriedly instructed her maid to fetch Qiu Rui's indenture from the inner room, and Qiao Qingshu happily tucked it into her bosom.
At this moment, Xiao Zhijie was unaware that the little maid behind him had brought up the medicinal soup. He simply stood up, wanting to make room for Qiao Qingshu.
He didn't want to bump into the little girl carrying the medicine behind him, and the scalding hot medicine spilled on his lower back.
The scalding hot medicine immediately burned his skin, and Xiao Zhijie cried out in pain.
"what!"
The young maid was terrified; she dropped the bowl and knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly.
"This servant deserves to die! This servant deserves to die!"
In her haste, Su Yunzhen tried to get out of bed, but Qiao Qingshu grabbed her and pressed her down. Qiao Qingshu hurriedly went over to check on her.
It was clear that Xiao Zhijie's back was completely soaked, perhaps because the skin underneath had been burned.
Remembering that she had excellent burn ointment in her room, which was extremely effective, she pulled Xiao Zhijie back to her room to apply the ointment.
When the two returned to the room, Xiao Zhijie became somewhat awkward. He frowned and said,
"It's alright, I think I can manage on my own."
After saying that, he tried to take the ointment from Qiao Qingshu and apply it himself, but Qiao Qingshu slapped his hand away.
She said with a hint of anger.
"What are you trying to prove now! Can you even reach his back? Can you even see him?"
After saying that, he pulled Xiao Zhijie to sit down on the edge of the bed, and then reached out and tore open Xiao Zhijie's clothes. He was wearing so many clothes, there were actually three layers.
Qiao Qingshu peeled off one layer after another, and then another. When she finally saw the back, she saw that it was covered in red.
She even got blisters from the burns, and she couldn't help but gasp when she saw it.
She took the medicine and gently wiped the burned area, but suddenly her hand froze.
Seeing that she wiped it a couple of times and then stopped, Xiao Zhijie turned to ask,
"What's wrong? Are you too ugly and scared?"
Qiao Qingshu felt a chill run down her spine when she looked at the crescent-shaped birthmark on his lower back. This birthmark...
In his previous life, Xiao Chengyan was able to become a prince smoothly because the emperor brought him into the palace to examine the crescent-shaped birthmark on his lower back. It was this birthmark that helped Xiao Chengyan transform from the legitimate son of the Duke's mansion into a prince.
When Qiao Qingshu first had sex with Xiao Chengyan, he always liked to turn off the lights, so she never saw any birthmark. But after Xiao Chengyan became a prince, Qiao Qingshu became very curious and asked him to show her the same birthmark.
Qiao Qingshu looked at Xiao Zhijie and suddenly her mind exploded. She seemed to have discovered some incredible secret.
But she still forced herself to remain calm and asked as if nothing was wrong.
What happened to this area on my lower back?
When Xiao Zhijie saw that this was the question she was asking, he smiled and said,
"Oh, you mean that crescent-shaped birthmark? You were born with it."
Qiao Qingshu's mind went blank as if struck by lightning. She connected the events of her past life and couldn't help but tremble.
Could it be that Xiao Chengyan usurped Xiao Zhijie's position? Was Xiao Zhijie's death in his previous life also related to Xiao Chengyan?
She suddenly started trembling all over. Could it be that Xiao Chengyan had deceived the whole world in her past life?
They stole the throne that rightfully belonged to Xiao Zhijie!
She stood up urgently, eager to find an answer, and turned to leave.