Chapter 23 Explanation
Zhao Yan took a few steps forward and Yu Huatang followed.
"I just realized today that I was wrong to you before."
Yu Huatang was stunned, thinking that he must have heard everything he had just said, so he explained, "Please forgive me, Master Ji and my junior brother did not understand the situation at the time, so we said things we shouldn't have said."
Zhao Yan shook his head, "Some of what they said is indeed true..."
It seemed as if someone had mentioned it to him, but it also seemed as if they hadn't. He couldn't remember what it was specifically about... because at the time, he didn't take her seriously...
Even resisted this sudden marriage.
Now he knew that she had gone there because she had no other choice.
In fact, if you think about it carefully, you will know that if she wanted wealth and glory, she would have come at the beginning, and would not have waited until he was twenty years old to appear with the token.
He had blamed her and ignored her at the time. Thinking about it now, the guilt in his heart was reborn, but now they had already divorced and each had their own life...
At this time, Yu Huatang said, "Your Excellency's words are too kind. I am living a good life now, and you don't have to regard me as a pitiful person."
"It was my choice to like you, and it was also my choice to divorce you. There's nothing to regret. Now I've let it go, and I hope you can let it go and find a happy marriage."
After hearing this, Zhao Yan was speechless for a moment. He really felt that he should take full responsibility for Yu Huatang's current situation.
But now she told him that she had let go of the past, all the love, hatred, and grudges, and asked him to let go as well and find a good marriage. Bitterness suddenly rose in her heart.
"No matter what you think, I am now a local official. It is my duty to do something for you."
He explained again, "If that person comes to you, don't worry, just come to me."
Yu Huatang nodded and expressed sincere gratitude, "Thank you, Zhao Yan."
This was the first time she called his name, and his heart trembled for no reason.
"This is what I should do, even though you say the past is over. But what I do is my own business. You don't want compensation or pity, and I respect you. But after all, I owe you something. Just treat me as the debtor and use me as your servant. Others will know you know high-ranking officials and won't give you any trouble."
"Don't refuse. Life is tough, and you're a woman. If you get into trouble, you'll regret it for the rest of your life."
Yu Huatang looked up at him and saw that his eyes were as clear as usual. He said, "Thank you for your concern, sir. It's getting late, sir, you should go back and rest early."
Zhao Yan knew that she now only regarded him as an ordinary person, an ordinary official.
I didn't want to have anything else to do with him, so I was silent for a while, not knowing what to say.
"Okay, you should go to bed early too." He swallowed the melancholy and bitterness in his heart, respected her choice, and did not regard her as his abandoned wife, nor did he regard her as someone who needed pity and compensation.
"...I understand your choice. Please take care of yourself..."
Yu Huatang nodded, turned around and pushed open the gate of the courtyard. The lights in the house came on one by one, and the elegant fragrance of osmanthus in the evening became even more pleasant.
He had never looked at her calm and elegant face carefully before, but now he was immersed in it, and only when the door closed did he let go of his expectations.
It has been a month since he came here. At first, he was depressed and kept using official duties to escape. The loneliness brought by the unfamiliar place made him often wake up alone in the middle of the night.
During those times, his heart was hopeless and gloomy.
Now, looking at the brilliant lanterns all over the house, his heart also brightened up, and the depression that had been choking him finally dissipated...
He turned his gaze, got on the carriage, and said to Anfu as if making a decision, "Let's buy this small courtyard next door."
Anfu nodded, not quite understanding.
Several days had passed since Anfu bought the courtyard, and the lamp master's shop was busier than ever. The shop assistants and craftsmen coming and going were all preparing lamps for the next merchant ship's voyage.
No one noticed that in the distance there was a person wearing a royal blue brocade robe with gold thread, a jade crown on his head, and waving a jade fan.
He has a dignified appearance and sparkling eyes.
At this moment, his eyes were fixed on the woman carving with a knife.
He moved lightly, his posture elegant and indescribably handsome. When he reached where the woman was sitting, he spoke in a loud and affectionate voice, "Huatang, it's been a long time since we last met. Did you miss me?"
All the guys in the Dengshitang turned to look at the person who was speaking, but when they saw his appearance, they turned back as if they were not surprised anymore, as if they were not very interested in what the man said.
Yu Huatang looked up helplessly, "You keep saying the same thing every time you come. Aren't you tired?"
Baili Yunzhou fanned himself a few times, feeling that this gesture was most appealing to women. He said earnestly, "How could I be tired? Seeing you fills me with energy. How about you agree to travel with me today? If not, how about having dinner with me? I, Baili, have come back at great pains. My heart is known to all, and I wonder if this fairy could agree to my small request?"
After saying that, he fanned her diligently and said, "Look at you, why are you so tired? Can't these carvings be done by men with stronger hands? I see that the calluses on your hands have become much thicker, and it hurts me."
Yu Huatang glanced at him and said helplessly, "Speak nicely, or else go back to your own home..."
Baili Yunzhou folded his fan, waved his hand to let the waiting servant go back, and leaned over. "Okay, okay, you continue. I'll watch here. I love the lamp you gave me last time. I light it day and night. I glance at it from time to time, as if you are right next to me. You don't know how hard my life has been these days on the ship. If I hadn't thought about coming back to see you, I would have almost died at sea. God has mercy on me, and the day of return has finally come. I'm counting the minutes every day."
Then she pretended to cry, "In my dreams, I only think of your figure. It's true that the prince has dreams, but the goddess has no heart."
Xu Fu had been watching him since he entered. Seeing him start his smooth talk again, he couldn't help but sneer, "You just say weird things. You are the son of the chief of the Quanzhou merchant ship. What kind of hardship can you endure? You are thinking of deceiving my senior sister."
Seeing that he looked a little down, Yu Huatang asked with concern, "Did your family reach an agreement with Fuzhou Port for this departure?"
After all, this concerns the livelihoods of coastal fishermen. If the two regions cooperate, the people will have wider access to the sea and better profits. Perhaps, there will also be more ways to sell the lanterns.
"It's settled, otherwise I wouldn't be able to come back. Let's not talk about that for now. Do you have time off today? The owner of Tianxianglou said they've got a lot of fresh food. Come with me. It just so happens that I've brought you a lot of Fuzhou specialties, including the paper-cutting crafts you requested, as well as some other materials, fabrics, and folk paintings. I'm sure you'll like them."
Yu Huatang took a sip of water and said calmly, "You can give it to me now, why bother spending money on a meal."
Baili Yunzhou originally wanted to borrow something, and when they were alone together, he saw that she was unmoved, so he had to give up and had someone deliver the thing.
At this moment, he remembered what his servant had reported and asked, "I heard that old Wuxun has set his sights on you again. Don't try to stop me this time. I'll get a few people to beat him half to death. With my family's reputation, he won't dare to do anything to me."
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