Explore Chapter 95 of 'The Story of the Golden Powder Family' with the original Chinese text, English translation, detailed Chinese vocabulary explanations, and audio of the Chinese original. Listen and improve your reading skills.
Since her quarrel with Jin Yanxi that day, Leng Qingqiu had been brooding over her resentment, crying all day long. She watched as Yanxi’s behavior grew increasingly dissolute and his spending ever more reckless. His close associations with social butterflies like Bai Xiuzhu made her realize that their marriage existed in name only.
One day, Yanxi again failed to return home all night. Sitting alone in her empty room, Leng Qingqiu thought of their past affection. It now felt like a lifetime ago. Stroking her young child in her arms, she resolved to leave this gilded cage and find her own way in life.
The next morning, Leng Qingqiu quietly gathered her valuables and carefully wrapped some jewelry trinkets, intending to sell them for travel expenses. Unexpectedly, Yanxi’s mother, Mrs. Jin, discovered the plan and sent people to stop her. They snatched away her jewels and rebuked her for having no regard for the Jin Family’s dignity.
Grief and indignation overwhelmed Leng Qingqiu. Knowing she could no longer stay, she took her child and fled through the back gate under cover of night. Dressed in thin clothes, she stumbled along unsteadily until she reached the foot of the Western Hills. There, she found a secluded Buddhist nunnery to take temporary refuge.
When Yanxi returned home and found the rooms deserted, he finally realized Leng Qingqiu was gone. At first, he thought little of it, assuming she was merely acting out of temper and would return in a few days.
However, days passed with no word from her. Only after making inquiries everywhere did Yanxi learn that Leng Qingqiu had gone into seclusion at the Western Hills, shutting her door to all visitors. He drove there at once, but found the nunnery gate firmly shut. No matter how he called out, Leng Qingqiu refused to see him.
Yanxi returned in dejection. From then on, the nuptial bed in his home was forever empty. The splendor of former days had vanished like a fleeting cloud. Sitting alone in the vacant chamber, he recalled Leng Qingqiu’s simple attire, her light makeup, and her gentle demeanor. Regret and remorse welled up within him, but it was already too late for repentance.
Within the nunnery, Leng Qingqiu led a hermit-like life before the ancient Buddha statue, passing her days teaching her child to read. Though she lived in poverty, her heart gradually found peace. She cast all past affairs to the mists and clouds, wishing only for a tranquil life free from further disturbance.