何为贤妻 To Be A Virtuous Wife Chapter Seven “Qu Qing Ju: He He”

Qu Qing Ju reading in her red dress.
Qu Qing Ju reading in her red dress. This is probably one of the pictures that fit her description the most. Girdled red dress, forehead jewel, bangles.

Qu Qing Ju is laughing is what the title means, in case someone didn’t understand. Well, things happen this chapter. I’ve never translated a real sex thing before (though this is still not explicit). Remember to grab your winnings ! ;P It’s the ending of an arc and the beginning of Qu Qing Ju entering this world. I updated the glossary again with a list of numbers and what siblings are called. Please mix and match accordingly for future chapters. 😀

Chapter Seven Qu Qing Ju: He He

The news that wang ye was coming to zhengyuan was enough to make the servants cheerful. Everybody started the preparations needed, wanting to renovate the entire yard if possible.

Qu Qing Ju actually became one of the calmest in the houyuan. Her hair hanging wet and loose, she allowed Jin Zhan to gently dry her hair, Yin Liu to manage her hands, Yu Zan her feet and Mu Jin to pick her clothes and accessories.

Wang fei’s feet are very beautiful,” Yu Zan sighed in admiration. Wang fei’s feet were pale, the toes round and tender to the touch. Half a beat later, she sighed again, “The last time Ban Xia was performing an exotic dance, wang ye had praised her feet too. Nubi thinks that she can’t compare to wang fei at all.”

“What thing is she, that you compare her to wang fei?” Mu Jin picked a red jade hairpin from a box. Hearing what Yu Zan said, she snorted: “She’s just a lowly person, she doesn’t deserve to be mentioned.”

Yu Zan finally remembered that Ban Xia had originally been one of wang fei’s servants. She had seduced wang ye to become a tongfang and quickly added: “Mu Jin jiejie,[1] don’t be angry. I was just struck by how beautiful wang fei’s feet were and my mind just didn’t work.”

Hearing the protectiveness of the two yahuan from their words, Qu Qing Ju couldn’t resist laughing: “From what you have said, if others could hear, they’ll think your wang fei is a goddess. You can keep hearing it, I can’t bear it. Finish and help me up, I can’t hear any more.”

When this came out, all the servant girls laughed and felt relief inside. Evidently wang fei hadn’t kept what happened with Ban Xia on her mind.

Qu Qing Ju had a preference for wide-sleeved dresses and in the end, still picked a red wide-sleeve dress. The color of fire contrasted with the snowiness of her skin. Casually allowing Mu Jin to style her hair and use the red jade hairpin to secure it, she leaned back against her chair and flipped open a story about a scholar and a beauty.

It wasn’t that she had much interest in this type of story, it was just there wasn’t many amusements in this time. After two pages, she couldn’t muster the interest to read how the poor men in this time fantasized about rich ladies. Seeing the sky darkening, she let them present dinner.

Wang fei, wang ye hasn’t arrived. If wang ye hadn’t eaten when he arrives and you have … …” Mu Jin opened worriedly, “If you are hungry, why don’t I let the kitchen send over some porridge.”

“It’s already this late, wang ye wouldn’t come here to eat dinner,” Qu Qing Ju waved her hand, “Just send my orders, that’s all.” There was nothing exciting about that tasteless porridge. She didn’t like waters and soups.

When He Heng entered the zhengyuan, he saw a stream of yahuan come out with empty meal boxes. Waving away their greetings, He Heng felt a bit complicated, a feeling of disappointment similar to “wang fei didn’t wait for me to eat, my status doesn’t seem to be very high”.

Entering the room, at first glance He Heng saw wang fei sitting at the round table washing her hands in preparation of eating. It was that the red of the wide-sleeved dress that was too eye catching, that he had to pay his attention immediately. He couldn’t move his eyes away after a glance, this crimson-clad beautiful woman lazily wiping jade-like hands was his wang fei?

Wang ye’s arrived?” Qu Qing Ju set down the silk she had been wiping with and stood with a smile, “Have you eaten? if not, let’s eat together.”

Even though he had eaten, but feeling like he could still eat more, He Heng complied and sat. His gaze landed on the swaying strands beside Qu Qing Ju’s face. It was only when Qu Qing Ju personally place a bowl of pearl chicken soup in front of him that he spoke: “Why is wang fei eating at this time?”

Qu Qing Ju jerked the corners of her lips: “Wasn’t hungry earlier so this is a bit late.”

He Heng nodded and felt his heart heal. Even though wang fei was explaining it this way, but he still felt that wang fei was waiting for him to eat together. Feeling his ego was satisfied, wang ye took a drink of the soup, suddenly feeling that he was a bit too thirsty.

After the meal, Qu Qing Ju proceeded as normal to wash her hands and drink tea to rinse. She found that the taste of tea today was much stronger than usual. Looking at He Heng who was sitting opposite her, she realized the work of Jin Zan who was crouched in front of her.

After the table was clean, Hen Heng and Qu Qing Ju moved to the more comfortable armchairs and let somebody light the lamps.

“Other than the wedding night, I had never seen wang fei wear a red dress,” He Heng smiled as he looked at Qu Qing Ju from head to toe, “but this color suits wang fei.”

Qu Qing Ju smiled and saw Mu Jin and the others light the candles in the room. She used one hand to smooth the hair beside her face, “They say that women use their appearance to please others, it must be that qie is trying to please wang ye.”

He Heng’s brow moved slightly. Standing and moving in front of Qu Qing Ju, he gently took that lock of hair: “Wang fei has definitely pleased me. Wang fei has given me a great surprise these past two days.”

Qu Qing Ju raised her chin and smiled widely at He Heng: “He he.”

The servants in the surrounding saw the situation. Ming He and Mu Jin exchanged looks and the two waved their hands. Everybody else in the room quickly retreated.

Ming He personally shut the door. Seeing wang fei’s personal yahuan was still standing to one side, he walked a few steps and she followed. He then lowered his voice to say: “Later we’ll have to pay attention to see if the zhuzi still have anything they need.” This wang fei named her useful yahuan using flowers. He remembered the most able of them was Mu Jin.

Mu Jin nodded and replied in a low voice: “Ming He gonggong, don’t worry.” Who wasn’t important in front of their zhuzi. How to serve, Ming He wasn’t the only one that understood.

Ming He saw that she wasn’t one for words and didn’t speak further. Thinking back to how wang fei acted today, he wondered, this wang fei might not be anything when she doesn’t move, but when she moves, it’s a shock. Clearly, it was just a simple red dress and dark hair, but why did it have some inexplicable attraction?

Rubbing strongly at his chin, Ming He stood quietly in the corner, paying attention to the movement inside the room, afraid that if he didn’t catch his master’s orders, somebody would steal his present position.

Inside the room, He Heng and Qu Qing Ju’s struggle had moved to the bed. Both were untidily attired now. One with strong vigor, one with bewitching eyes. There was only the last step.

Wang fei is so delicious,” He Heng exhaled gently by Qu Qing Ju’s ear, his voice becoming rougher. The tip of his tongue slid across the fine neck and was well satisfied to find the person below lightly shudder.

Qu Qing Ju responded by winding around He Heng’s neck with an arm, her foot lightly sliding over the top of He Heng’s foot: “Wang ye is a feast for the eyes.” Oh god, this man was very skilled at flirting.

Ben wang does want to let wang fei know who really is a feast.” He Heng, whose appetite had been wheted by wang fei to a gaping hunger pulled away the only covering over Qu Qing Ju’s chest. Seeing that slightly moving chest, he felt that fire burning inside had never been as bright. He wanted to bite at this woman’s chest, to leave behind on that pale skin a mark that belonged to him.

At the moment, it was impossible to know who lit who’s fire but two mouths touched and that fire couldn’t be suppressed any longer. It was a wildfire on the prairies, a sea of red waves, whipped higher by the spring winds to a peak.

He Heng felt a never-experienced sense of rejuvenation. After the last tremors, he enclosed the soft woman in his embrace and laughed roughly: “Wang fei is my treasure.”

Even though it was said you couldn’t believe anything a man said after, but this didn’t affect Qu Qing Ju’s good mood after being satisfied. She allowed this somewhat-best-quality man to hold her and yawned.

Seeing that the woman was drowsy, He Heng raised his voice: “Come, prepare water.”

Ming He, who had been waiting outside, waved his hand to others who had prepared a bathtub full of hot water to carry it in. He calculated the time. It had almost been two hours. He could see that wang ye and wang fei were full of emotions for each other.

Lazily finishing her bath, Qu Qing Ju didn’t care to dress and only wrapped a thin layer of silk around before walking to the bed.

He Heng looked at that bare jade-like feet, and that snowy legs and arms and his eyes changed. He bent down to lift the person up and threw onto the bed. Then he covered her with a blanket and growled: “Wang fei is trying to tempt ben wang.”

Qu Qing Ju laughed and one hand came out of the blanket. She curled her index finger: “This is tempting wang ye.”

Seeing her move like she was motioning for a pet, He Heng couldn’t resist. He pulled the blankets down and covered the other with his body again.

Outside the door, Ming He heard the sounds inside the room and stopped the servants that had been going in to carry out the bathtub. He couldn’t help gazing at the moon. Didn’t spring already pass?

On the morning of the second day, wang ye left the door full of energy. The servants that served wang fei were still standing in their original spots. Hearing wang ye order the servants not to disturb wang fei’s rest, Ming He, who was following behind wang ye, wang ye was worthy of his position.

Inside the room, Qu Qing Ju slept for another hour before calling for servants. Mu Jin and Yin Liu, who had been waiting with a cadre of little yahuan, silently moved in.

Wang fei,” Mu Jin saw the marks that had appeared on wang fei’s collarbone and moved her eyes away slightly. She quickly helped put on the under robe and picked a trailing bird and flowers dress for Qu Qing Ju to wear.

After Qu Qing Ju washed and sat in front of the mirror, Mu Jin finally spoke: “Wang fei, today, wang ye had a good expression when he left this morning.”

Qu Qing Ju handed her a pair of tassels she picked and tried to let her face reveal an embarrassed blush: “You are talking nonsense. Go look to see the kitchen has delivered the meal.”

Mu Jin, seeing wang fei was embarrassed, smiled and said: “Alright, alright. Nubi will go look. Jin Zhan, Yu Zan, serve carefully, Yin Liu and I will go.” Yu Zan was the best hairdresser so she usually did wang fei’s hair.

Coming of the room, Mu Jin and Yin Liu exchanged happy looks. Now wang fei finally managed to establish herself in this wang fu.

Yin Liu smiled and said: “Next month is the Duke of Chang De’s birthday, when wang fei goes, let’s see who dare overstep.”

Mu Jin, thinking about the unhappy mess of events and people in Chang De Gong Fu, lost some of the cheerfulness on her face and sighed: “As long as wang ye will always treat wang fei like he did in these last two days, nobody in Chang De Gong Fu will dare not respect wang fei.”

As noble as Chang De Gong Fu was, could it be as noble as the wang fu? Hopefully at that time, wang fei wouldn’t go back to her dull personally and let the people in the fu disrespect her.

[1] 姐姐: older sister

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46 thoughts on “何为贤妻 To Be A Virtuous Wife Chapter Seven “Qu Qing Ju: He He””

  1. *blushing* Thanks so much for this chapter. I hope all goes well for her at her father’s home. Those ppl deserve to be stepped on for treating her so badly. Sigh, even her name is an insult to her poor mother.

  2. Honestly, this story is very different than what I thought it would be. It’s surprisingly ordinary yet mature. Is the there an overall plot to this story other the romance aspects?

    Anyways, thanks for this chapter.

    1. Yes. There is an overall plot. If you look at the first seven chapters from a story perspective, it’s an introduction. Qu Qing Ju hasn’t even stepped outside her home. We’re starting to get into Qu Qing Ju’s paternal family and what happened with Qu Qing Ju’s maternal and paternal families. Romance is a major aspect, since it is a romance story. But politics and revenge are going to creep in soon in the next three chapters. It’s a long story (>300,000 words) so it may seem a bit slow. But the plot does progress each chapter. 😀

      If I had to put out a more cliche name, it would be “The Legend of Qu Qing Ju”.

      What did you think the story would be like? One of the reasons I liked this story was the “ordinary”. A person can have exiting things happen everyday. Life goes on. You eat, interact, go to sleep (and other things).

      1. I found the story so far to be more serious. Both main leads seem to have a slightly sinister streak to them. Based on the synopsis, I thought it would be more humorous. It’s not that I dislike the story, it’s just different.

      2. There was an editor’s summary which made this seem even more humorous. Which I didn’t translate since I hated it. I think of the verse in the summary as Qu Qing Ju screaming out loud in her head.

        The tone does seem more serious. I like to think of this story as slightly leaning into the slice-of-life kind of story (disregarding the time-travel and whatnot).

  3. Thank you…”on the morning of the second day…..”..did he stay for two days…?

  4. Thanks for the translation. I used google translate for this chapter and was thoroughly confused. Enjoyed how she flowed along. Can’t wait to read how she will act when she goes back to her father’s birth day celebration. Well done .

    1. She doesn’t have any other solution except adapt. She’s very clear about what her duties are. Also, if you noticed, she actually let the kitchen servants off very easily. They were only beaten and demoted (easy off in terms of medieval standards, that is)

  5. Ohhhh I lost my 5 taels *sobs* On the other hand, I’m surprised that the male lead is quite easy to lead by his…uhmm…second brother. I would’ve thought that he’d be more….I don’t know, investigative? I mean, his wife changed overnight and he’s just satisfied with the overall change. And QQJ, will she also get her revenge on the hubby? After all, the hubby DID left the original QQJ to die (she was sick right? That’s why the new QQJ took over her body). That said, I hope she will get her revenge on her father’s family and the second wife! And the rest of concubines and mistresses *very blood-thirsty*

    And the intimate scene is quite tasteful ^^ It’s not overtly explicit at all.

    1. From his perspective, it is his “right” to ask for marital relations. Also, he only spent three days with the original Qu Qing Ju (I think one of the chapters said that) in which time she was pretty much silent. So he doesn’t detect that she’s a whole new person, but rather she is freely expressing herself.

      Qu Qing Ju will get her revenge on the rightful people. It will happen.

    2. He mentioned that he thought she was hiding her “true self” to survive to this age. So he isn’t all that suspicious.

  6. Xie xie. Thanks for your hard work. Much appreciated. As I was reading the first few chapters, I was trying to find what it is that makes this novel different. Now it dawned on me as you mentioned it in your reply to one of the posters. It is indeed a slice of life and that what makes this story pleasant and unique.

  7. Thanks a lot!
    first, proofreading—!
    ‘had to pay his attention’ ->had to pay attention/had to give his attention
    ‘personally place a bowl’ place->placed
    ‘table was clean, hen heng’ hen heng-> he heng
    ‘had been wheted’ wheted->whetted
    ‘behind wang ye, wang ye was worthy’ between the two ‘wang ye’, there should be some word, i think. possibly ‘he thought that/said’…i don’t know, depends on the raws.
    ‘who dare overstep’ dare->dares

    lol, that feeling of disappointment of wang ye…hehehe..he’s already rather interested in wang fei indeed! him feeling like he could still eat, when he sees wang fei thinking of him…hm, it’s like that previous chapter where wang fei ate more after lookeing at wang ye, just reversed. -chuckles- woah, woah—! -flails-

  8. Did not expect this cause if she came from modern time I would expect that she would be a little reluctant to have sex with someone she just met. Well this is her life now, might as well enjoy it. The prince seems like a okay person. Nothing outstanding about him, maybe I would like him later.

    1. I see it rather differently. Exactly because she come from modern era and especially considering her old profession as a successful manager in entertainment industry, well yeah…. it’s more probable that she’s not that conservative regarding sex.
      There are quite plenty women who even don’t mind with a one night stand nowadays. I could imagine that this fact is rather beneficial for her position now as a woman who have to compete with so many women for her husband’s favor.
      Her sex appeal is her additional assets as this would probably be found only from a courtesan like Yun Qing in ancient times but not among women from noble families.
      Noble women, especially in her age would be too restrained and shy in matter of sex, but she obviously isn’t actually a real “noble woman” and not that young anymore.
      So it is somehow like a jack pot for He Heng to have a wife with the quality of a woman with proper upbringing, noble and virtuous, but at the same time could be a perfect partner in bed… knows anyhow the art of seduction ^_^.
      This way He Heng no longer need any concubine or tongfang at all. He got everything in one package already, 2 in 1 😀 😀 :-D.
      Additionally she is having a great psychological analytic potential as it is a major skill of a good manager so that she knows how to use the emotion of others for her benefit.
      This is something really useful for her new role.

  9. I think the Qu Qing Ju from the future is older than the “original” Qu Qing Ju (who hasn’t turned 20 yet, right?). She did mention from previous chapter that she was a good manager, thus she knows how to handle (or more like manipulate) people well.

    It also explains how open she is to lovemaking, which is advantageous for her because she is already married in this life, and with a no-nonsense, I-get-what-I-deserved prince no less.

    Thankies for the update~

  10. He pouted that she hadn’t waited for him to eat when he’d already eaten? Hmph! 😛 hehe His explanation to himself was funny too. I hope he soon realizes he doesn’t need all those other women for that kind of activity. I liked how the intimate scene was written/translated. Playful, not TMI, but not ambiguous either hehe

    Thanks for the chapter!

  11. Wow….I want more “eating” time!!!
    But so far this novel has been very interesting to read. I’ve read a lot of books about political struggles in a imperial harem but so far this has been the one I enjoyed the most!!!

  12. Bruise the ego then heal the ego.
    Seems like a good strategy hahaha~

    ReReading this novel. It’s so good!
    I have to praise you, the translator, wyhcwe, heavily . As I have read other novels and started trying to translate a chapter (jap though), I realize it takes skill to communicate the author’s words. Sigh I want to say a lot of things tbh, but in summary, I admire you and your work.

    Thank you for the translation 😀

  13. Qu Qing Ju handed her a pair of tassels she picked and tried to let her face reveal an embarrassed blush

    Poor Qu Qing Ju,,, i wouldnt want to be forced either….
    I skipped the part, but i saw at final only at collarbones bites…

  14. Hello! This novel was recommended by the translator of other novel (i became my ex husband’s step mother), and they are so right: this novel’s FL is SO REFRESHING! Aaaah this chapter is so satisfying! And i truuly love your translation style, thanks so so sooo much for translating and all those footnotes and even image references!

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