Chapter 21 Extortion: You stomped my cricket to death! ...
"Minghuai!"
A man dressed in a light blue robe walked over, holding a wine cup.
Shen Minghuai bowed deeply, "Uncle Yang."
"I was truly tied up with official duties and arrived late. I'll punish myself with a drink. How is your father?"
Shen Minghuai then adopted the obedient demeanor that pleased all the elders, saying, "I am very grateful that Uncle Yang could come. Thank you for your concern, Uncle Yang. My father is doing well."
Yang Jiezhou cautiously inquired, "Has that matter been settled?"
Shen Minghuai then changed his tune, saying, "I'm in good health."
A man and a woman followed, and Yang Jiezhou introduced them: "My son Jingzhe and my daughter Qiying. You two should come and greet Minghuai first."
"Young Master Shen." "Brother Shen."
"Young Master Yang, Madam Yang."
Yang Jiezhou sighed again, "I haven't seen your father since I took up my post outside the capital. It's been ten years now, hasn't it? Minghuai has grown into a capable man. He's much more promising than my sons. Dingchen really did a good job teaching him."
Shen Minghuai raised the corners of his mouth again, "Uncle Yang, you flatter me."
“Father, Minghuai is at most five feet seven inches tall. Seven feet would make him a giant.”
"If you're not learned, don't embarrass yourself here. You've only been to school for a few days!" Yang Jiezhou looked at his son with great disdain.
“Ah, let’s not talk about that.” Yang Jingzhe was truly a natural at making friends. “Minghuai is so talented at such a young age. I, Yang Jingzhe, am determined to be your friend. And let’s count my older sister too. As the saying goes, ‘Among three people walking together, there must be one who can teach me.’ From now on, you will be our teacher.”
Yang Jiezhou refrained from making a move due to the large number of people around him. "He's three years older than you, you should call him elder brother. How could my Yang family produce such an unfilial son like you?"
Yang Jingzhe strongly disagreed with this statement, saying, "Father, I am much more successful than my brothers."
Yang Jiezhou said with a forced smile, "Minghuai, please don't take offense. He's always been this unruly since he was a child."
Shen Minghuai expressed his understanding. He had seen many people whose manners were sometimes present and sometimes absent, let alone someone so unruly. He then exchanged pleasantries, saying, "Young Master Yang is a man of strong character; it's not a bad thing."
Yang Jingzhe straightened his back and said imperiously, "Father, listen to this. Brother Minghuai is much more enlightened than you."
“Jingzhe, we are not in the manor now, so we must still abide by the rules.” Yang Qiying said on his behalf, feeling ashamed. “Young Master Shen, please forgive my rudeness.”
Yang Jingzhe clicked his tongue in amazement, "One is being strange, the other is being laughable. We're not in the capital, why are you being so formal? Brother Minghuai, are you the kind of person who's so concerned with trivial matters?"
Yang Jiezhou pulled Yang Jingzhe aside and then asked, "How long do you plan to stay in Yangzhou this time? You are welcome to stay anytime! Don't feel like you are bothering us."
Shen Minghuai replied, "I don't know yet. If I have the opportunity, I will definitely pay you a visit."
Yang Jingzhe reached out and grabbed Shen Minghuai's elbow. "Brother Minghuai, there's no need to be so polite. Wherever you live, my sister and I will come to find you."
Yang Qiying immediately slapped his hand away, "Why are you dragging me into this again?"
Yang Jingzhe then explained to Shen Minghuai, "My sister didn't mean to dislike you."
Yang Qiying twitched her lips and glanced at Yang Jingzhe with a helpless expression.
Shen Minghuai smiled particularly gently today, "I'm staying at the inn in the east of the city. If Young Master Yang wishes to come, I'll gladly welcome you."
"Alright!" Yang Jingzhe was so enthusiastic that he insisted on going. "If you don't go, I will. After Master Shen teaches me for a few days, I will definitely be better than you."
After the banquet ended and all the endless social obligations were over, Shen Minghuai searched the entire garden but could not find that person.
"Young Master Li and Lady Wang—"
Ying Mingxuan said, "Young Master Li has already disappeared. Madam Wang has also just returned and asked me to inform you that the Buddha Bathing Ceremony will be held at Daming Temple the day after tomorrow."
Hua Xin suddenly appeared out of nowhere, "They finally relented. I saw the two of them chatting in that pavilion for a long time. Young Master was also busy socializing. Those merchants were all eloquent. They were so busy drinking water during the peony banquet. Young Master must be hungry. I'll go find some food."
As Hua Xin was about to leave, he bumped into Lin Jiangxian's waiter walking towards him.
"The second master noticed that you haven't touched your food at the banquet, so he asked me to bring some. It's nothing fancy, please bear with me."
Maizi carried two food boxes containing hot farfalle pasta, braised ham with Chinese cabbage, pearl dumplings, and soft, fragrant cakes.
"Thank you for your trouble."
Ying Ming and Hua Xin angrily returned to the inn and ordered a table full of dishes. Shen Minghuai carried the two food boxes back to his room, ate them all, wrote two letters, and then took a bath and went to bed.
Unexpectedly, at the crack of dawn the next day, Shen Minghuai, dressed in a dark blue robe, stepped out of the inn and came face to face with Yang Jingzhe.
"Brother Minghuai, what a coincidence!"
"Young Master Yang, you're up so early."
Shen Minghuai's eyelids twitched involuntarily. Just as he was about to walk forward, Yang Qiying, who had arrived a few steps later, came to greet him and offered her a greeting.
Yang Jingzhe mocked, "Why is my sister so slow? She's kept Brother Minghuai and me waiting."
Shen Minghuai was genuinely surprised that she would come. "You two came all the way to the inn to find me. Thank you for your thoughtfulness."
Fearing that Yang Jingzhe might say something wrong, Yang Qiying quickly replied, "Jingzhe is worried that you, as an outsider, might not be able to find authentic Yangzhou food, so he wants to go to the morning market with you. Jingzhe doesn't know the way, so Qiying has no choice but to lead him out of the mansion."
Shen Minghuai gave a dry laugh, "Young Master Yang."
"Just call me Jingzhe." Yang Jingzhe had already put his arm around his shoulder. "Brother Minghuai, I'll take you to eat the most delicious breakfast in Yangzhou!"
"Aunt Mei, a serving of plum blossom soup dumplings!"
A young woman dressed in a sky-blue dress stood in front of the stall.
Yang Jingzhe left the two behind and strode forward, pointing at Wang Yan and stammering, "You, you, you, it's you!"
Wang Yan felt bewildered and ignored her, sitting down beside her with her soup dumplings in her hands.
"Last time we had a cricket fight, you were the one who stomped my cricket to death!"
Wang Yan looked bewildered. "When did this happen?"
"Just a few months ago, I was about to win, that jade bottle... I had victory in my grasp, but if it weren't for you!" Yang Jingzhe was filled with grief and indignation.
They thought it was some kind of madman who bit anyone he saw. Wang Yan didn't even look up, and simply said, "I'm so sorry."
"I don't care, you have to pay me back."
Wang Yan looked up impatiently, only to find two more people standing behind Yang Jingzhe. It was the woman from yesterday, also a beauty. Her gaze shifted between the two, then she lowered her head to drink her soup.
"Are you so short of money? You think you can extort money from me just because I'm rich?"
Yang Jingzhe was suddenly rebuffed and became even more displeased, "Who are you insulting? You—"
No one knew what he was going to say next, but there was no chance to hear it. Wang Yan was suddenly quiet.
Yang Jingzhe had his mouth covered by Yang Qiying and was pulled to the stall where he ordered three bowls of plum blossom soup dumplings.
"You're already embarrassing enough by going out to fight crickets, what are you doing now?" Yang Qiying scolded in a low voice.
Shen Minghuai, holding a bowl of soup noodles, naturally sat down next to Wang Yan. "Thank you for yesterday."
Wang Yan buried his head in the bowl and gave a vague reply.
Yang Jingzhe, looking as if he'd seen a ghost, sat down opposite Wang Yan. "Brother Minghuai, do you know her?"
"Close friend".
Wang Yan almost lost her grip on the bowl, but fortunately the soup dumplings didn't spill.
Yang Jingzhe was stunned, as if struck by lightning, "A close friend?!"
Wang Yan put down her bowl and looked at Yang Jingzhe with a smile. "What, you don't agree?"
Yang Qiying sat down on the other side of Wang Yan. "I saw Madam Wang at the banquet yesterday. It turns out she's a friend of Young Master Shen. My brother is just so outspoken, please don't take offense, Madam."
Just as Shen Minghuai was about to take out a handkerchief from his pocket, Wang Yan took out the silver silk handkerchief and wiped the corner of his mouth.
"I can only pay you back next time."
Shen Minghuai's smile widened. "It's new, so you can use it without worry."
Yang Jingzhe was about to speak again when Yang Qiying kicked him, so he had no choice but to shut his mouth. Wang Yan finished eating and got up. Shen Minghuai quickly grabbed her with his free hand and looked up to talk to her.
"Young Master Yang and Madam Yang are planning to take me sightseeing in Yangzhou. Shall we go together?"
Those eyes, like fish leaping from a mirror-like lake, shimmered with undisguised anticipation. Wang Yan often felt she understood him, yet sometimes she truly didn't understand what he was thinking.
Upon hearing this, Yang Qiying chimed in, "Madam Wang, you should join us too."
Yang Jingzhe raised his right hand and shouted, "I object!"
Shen Minghuai said calmly, "No."
Wang Yan was initially hesitant, but seeing that this person, whom she had never met, was so hostile towards her, she decided to stay and see what his true purpose was.
Early summer is mild and pleasant, with warbling orioles singing sweetly. Even withered flowers and willows seem to whisper of spring, and pomegranate blossoms fill the courtyards, untouched by the heat or cold. The sun gradually breaks through the clouds, warmly embracing Yangzhou. In the moat, awning boats race to the shore, and vendors carrying loads on shoulder poles and hawking their wares come and go in an endless stream.
"Yang Qiying," Yang Qiying said, walking behind Wang Yan, "I still don't know how to address you, madam."
"Just call me Wenxuan."
"If I may be so bold as to guess, we are the same age, sixteen this year."
Wang Yan smiled and agreed, "That's right."
Yang Qiying said happily, "It really is! What a coincidence. Wenxuan is also from the capital, isn't she? I've heard that the owner of Linjiangxian is surnamed Wang, and that he's from the capital. Is Wenxuan in charge of Linjiangxian now? Your clothes yesterday suited you very well."
After yesterday's banquet, it's likely that everyone in Yangzhou's elite circles knows she's the daughter of Wang Fuzhi from the Ministry of Revenue. Everyone also knows she's the second mistress of the Linjiangxian restaurant; it's probably impossible to hide it any longer.
"In that case, my clothes from yesterday weren't worn in vain. I specially made these new clothes to make myself look like a boss."
"Is that so?" Yang Qiying was amused by her, and then turned to talk about the management of Linjiangxian, "Minister Wang is enlightened. Wenxuan is already gaining experience outside at such a young age."
Wang Yan said politely, "My elder brother is the real owner of this restaurant; I'm just putting on an act. Father thinks I'm too restless, so it's good that I find some proper work to do."
“There is a reason in Father’s teachings. We, as his children, should just listen to them.”
The two people in front stopped by the bridge and happened to overhear a few words.
“Wenxuan, your father is really strict,” Yang Jingzhe said. “It’s true that you’re restless, like stepping on my cricket, but putting you in charge of things at Linjiangxian is a bit too harsh.”
Yang Qiying immediately argued with him, "What's wrong with using this to temper your character? Do you think everyone is like you?"
Yang Jingzhe stood with his hands on his hips and his back bent, determined to fight her to the end. "Sister, you always act so proper. Wouldn't it be better to live a more carefree life like me?"
“Comfortable?” Yang Qiying stopped and stared at him. “This is improper.”
Wang Yan's lips were still curved in a smile, but his eyes had turned cold. "Young Master Yang, we have only just met today, so it would be better if we were more polite to each other."
Just as Yang Jingzhe was about to explode, Shen Minghuai asked loudly, "What bridge is that up ahead?"
"Kaiming Bridge," the two women said in unison.
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