This is my first translation. I chose this web novel because it seems interesting. I came across to this title when I searched some novel titles in certain website. I thought, it was a pity that after a year. there were no group who want to translate this novel.
This novel has, in total, 92 chapter and each chapter is a long essay!!! I, myself, is unsure if I can do it till the end. I hope I can (laugh nervously).
Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading my first ever translation from Chinese to English.
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Man Man Qing Luo
Chapter 01
A moment after she opened her eyes, Cheng Qing immediately close and open her eyes in disbelief. After repeating this twice, Cheng Qing thought why she was not lying on her bed at home, but was in a strange place.
She moved her hands and feet, and thinking that her limbs were at least intact. She sat up and glad that it had no problem. Cheng Qing thought, who would have moved her from home to this place in the middle of the night without even wake her up?
Cheng Qing has always been light sleeper, especially when her parents were on a business trip. When she sleep alone, her hearing was amazing. She can hear the mouse climbed into the kitchen and turned to the trash can. The mouse’s claws were just placed onto the trash can, and Cheng Qing immediatly woke up. From the bedroom, she ran to the kitchen and picked up a tennis racket to flung it past to the kitchen. The mouse in kitchen was startled. He ran away and stopped by to drill the exhaust fan hole, then twisted his body to show his adzuki bean-like eyes that looking at her with full contempt as if those eyes were to say why do I want to eat trash!? I just can't open the refrigerator door!
Cheng Qing hurriedly got rid the mouse and went to bed to continue her sleep. Afterwards, there was no sound that disturbed her sleep quality to the extent she didn't even dream. After she woke up, she opened her eyes and went to this strange place.
The house was small, the white walls were installed with a landscape picture, the ceiling was made of wood, and there was a flower-carved table near the window with a pot of blue-grass on top of it. The layout was simple and elegant.
Suddenly, she felt a little sore on her body. When she touched the hard bed, she realize that, after all, her body was used to sleep on a soft bed and naturally she will feel sore on hard bed. The bed was antique, it’s like a imitation from the Ming-Qing Dynasty’s furniture. The bed has cover and curtain around the bed, and it was made with Ruyi pattern and there was plus-cross mortise and tenon, the workmanship was meticulous. Around the bed, hanged a high quality light yellow gauze bottom. Cheng Qing thought, this bed was very beautiful, the imitation was exquisite, the value will be very expensive. The pillow was long and had flowers on it. She touched it and smiled when she pinched the tiny particles inside. There was a bag inside the embroidered pillow, which felt real.
The surrounding area was very quiet. Cheng Qing was already awake and did not plan to lie down again. She wanted to see where she was and who had brought her here.
Cheng Qing asked to the God, she never did anything bad, and she was a very good student in her school, she was popular and always befriend her senior and junior in her school. Second, she did not owe any debts, including borrowing rice and owing money. Third, her parents, when she thought of her parents, Cheng Qing’s heart stunned, would not her parents calling high ranking official (police) to search her?* (三是父母，想到父母，程箐心里咯噔一愣，不会是做父母官的爹妈惹上了什么人吧？) Thinking of this, Cheng Qing was anxious.
She stretched out her feet and went out from her bed to wear shoes, but her foot stilled at the moment. And then she took out her to look at her hand, she was stiffened once again. With urgency, she looked at her body and hurriedly touched it. Cheng Qing felt a small heart-attack, and her head was blank, only her heartbeat was audible to her ears. She felt like crying, this body was not her! The clothes that she wore were not modern clothes.
Cheng Qing’s mouth was gasping, subconsciously opened his mouth and shouted: “Mom!...”
Only to hear the door was pushed open, a woman in her twenties rushed in: "San er, Mother is here. What happened?"
Cheng Qing was once again scared: "Mother?"
The woman came over and gently hugged Cheng Qing: "San er, be good, it is your mother. Don't be afraid. Did you have a nightmare? You are sweating!" She said as her hand gently wipe Cheng Qing’s sweat with handkerchief. A faint aroma came up her nose. Cheng Qing was so scared and trembled, this was really not a dream! The woman seemed to feel it, so she gently hugged Cheng Qing and sat her on her lap. She pat at her back and said: "Mother is here, San er don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid!"
At this time, Cheng Qing was in a state of really frightened, and she was so stiff that she could not even speak. The woman discovered that the behaviour seems amiss and began to shake her: "San er, what’s wrong? San er? Someone, please come here!"
Two people came in from outside the door, a girl dressed in a maid dress asked with anxious voice: "Seventh lady, what’s wrong?"
There was an anger in the Madam's voice: "Miss has always been afraid of sleeping alone. So, when your madam was not here do you neglect miss? Why do you not understand this?” (你们也看我们娘俩不入眼?这般怠慢？”)
Those two servant kneeled down and their face were white. The older girl had bigger courage and opened her mouth: "Seventh Madam, this old servant looked at the sky and thinking it is bright, the time is not early, so I went to take the clothes before attending miss, I did not expect that the young lady had a nightmare again!" The little girl has been crying: "Today. miss has slept late. Xiao Yu called two times and thought that miss responded, so this servant rushed to prepare hot water. I thought miss was awake. Madam, please spare Xiao Yu, this servant did not dare to leave now!"
Seventh Madam sighed and said: “Hurry and prepare, don’t be sloppy today"
Mother Zhang and Xiao Yu listened and looked gratefully at Seventh Madam, they bowed their head and went out.
Seventh Madam spoke softly to Cheng Qing: "San er, Zhang Ma and Xiao Yu are all people who have been chosen for a long time, and they sincerely will treat you daily."
Cheng Qing’s teeth were still clamoring. She hasn’t figured out what’s going on and nodded involuntarily. A small mosquito-like voice come out from her mouth: "Allright."
Seventh Madam cupped Cheng Qing’s face, and her voice held gentleness: “San er, mother knows that you are afraid of the exam today, but mother only has you as a daughter. If you lose your temper again, you will lose your face (dignity). Our days in Li family will not good enough.” After she said that she frowned.
At this time, Mother Zhang held a stack of clothes, and Xiao Yu came in with a copper basin.
Seventh Madam put down Cheng Qing from her embrace, holding her little hand and said: "Come, today, my mother will comb your hair."
Mother Zhang shook off a cyan skirt and attached it to Cheng Qing's waist. She then put on Cheng Qing’s purple-red jacket, right and left’s belt were tied down. At this time, Cheng Qing completely became a puppet by her.
After dully dressed in clothes, Seventh Madam lead Cheng Qing to the dressing table and sat down. She suddenly saw a strange face in the bronze mirror, her hands cupped her face and uttered a cry: "Ah!"
Seventh Madam looked at the sky and her face showed an anxious face: "San er, the time is not early. If we don’t quickly dress up, it will be too late. And if we were late, your father will... oh!! what do we do?"
Trial test? My father? Cheng Qing slowly put down her hand and opened her eyes, there was a layer of water mist in her eyes. Who was this? How did I get so small? How did it become like this? She couldn't believe it, staring at the red-eyed eyes in the mirror, pale and thin, at most six years old child.
Seeing Cheng Qing obediently sitting in front of the mirror, Seventh Madam, Mother Zhang and Xiao Yu stepped up to dress her up. After a while, a big eye appeared in the mirror, a little beauty with a delicate peach-shape face, straight bang, twin bun hair. Seventh Madam was satisfied as she placed a Hosta flower on the of Cheng Qing’s buns. There was a smile on Seventh Madam’s face.
Mother Zhang Ma was happily said: "Miss looks exactly like Madam. She will be a beautiful woman when she grows up."
Seventh Madam held onto Cheng Qing’s hand and went outside. Once Cheng Qing walked out of the door, she saw a courtyard with a patio in the middle. Two large stone fish tanks were placed and in the middle was a Begonia tree that just bloomed in the morning, it seemed that it had rained in the morning by seeing how wet the courtyard was. Begonia flower was bloomed in gorgeous red, but now was not the time for her to enjoy the scenery. Seventh Madam's footsteps were a little anxious, hurrying for fear of being too late.
Cheng Qing suddenly thought that she was going to take her own trial test, it seemed very important. Didn’t She just said that this was related to ttheir life in the Li family. Mother and daughter? Cheng Qing felt her heart palpitate again. Seventh Madam seemed to be at most fifty-three or four years old, to call her a mother?
Cheng Qing tried to calm herself. She wanted to know what kind the trial was right now, and then she thought this strange change. Cheng Qing pulled Seventh Madam’s hand, then she raised her face and asked her: "What should I pay attention to when I during the test?"
This was the first time Seventh Madam heard Cheng Qing’s question about the trial test. She couldn't help but stop her pace and affectionally stroking her head: "San er, mother knows that you have tried your best to learn four arts, to learn zither, chess, calligraphy, paintings, and do the poetry, but you, who don't like those who is talented, were not good enough, but, San er, you have promised to mother thaht no matter how good or bad you were, don't cry and don't lose your face!" Speaking from here, Seventh Madam’s eyes have a hint of hatred: "No matter what they do, we will never drop a tear! Do you remember this, San er?"
Cheng Qing looked at the eagerness in Madam Seventh’s eyes and nodded. As long as I didn’t cry, fine then! She sigh, what kind of environment was this? What kind of temper did this body’s have? A father that had married with at least seven wives, what did he look like?
Seventh Madam took Cheng Qing’s hand as they entered a main hall, the main hall was immediately quiet down. In the hall, there are five women with head filled with pearl and jade in the right and left rows of chairs. In the middle, there were two empty chairs, it seems those were Father and main wife’s position. Seventh Madam smiled slightly, facing to the left she bowed and called out: "This sister is late. Sisters, please forgive me." And then Seventh Madam did the same to the right side. The few people who sat down gave a few nocommital nod, and Seventh Madam was accustomed to the cold attitude, so she did not wait for the return courtesy. So, she lead Cheng Qing to them empty seat on the right end and sat. Cheng Qing stood beside her, it was Madam Seventh which let go of Cheng Qing’s hand.
Cheng Qing looked to the left, there were three women that seemed to be her father’s other wives. Standing beside them were two girls, the big ones were ten years old, the smaller ones were seven or eight years old. Cheng Qing recalled back that she was called as san er by Seventh Madam, so it seems that those two children were her sister. The right side also sat two people with no children.
Cheng Qing secretly compared the other Madams with Seventh Madam. She felt that either she was chubby or thin, they have their own charm. M adam Seventh also have peach-shape face, pointed chin, a pair of crystal eyes, and petite body which became more and more delicate. Cheng Qing thought, after she grew up in the future, she was afraid that she will have the same appearance with Seventh Madam.
While Cheng Qing’s eyes were looking around, she saw the two girls across her curled her lips, and then they turned away with disdain. They seems arrogant to the extreme. In her heart she found it really funny. Little fart kids! Suddenly remembered that she has become smaller (younger) than she was. She felt uncomfortable, and couldn’t help but lowered her head.
At this moment, she heard a tinkling of hairpins, all the madams stood up from their seats, delicate and sweet voice was sounded “Pay respect to the Master and Sister”
And then she heard a man's voice: "Sit down, today’s test, Ah Lei, Ah Fei, Ah Luo, are you ready for the test? This time, in once every three months test, do not know whether there is an improvement or not!"