Liu Erlang wiped the water from his mouth, finding Yunling's words increasingly absurd. How could he possibly be interested in that brat? Although he admired men, he also had his own standards. Not just any Tom, Dick, or Harry could catch his eye.
"It's nothing, it's nothing. Actually, I can't always keep my mouth shut. Before I invited you guys to play polo, I talked to a few of my brothers about you and that refined guy..."
This surprised Yunling. She finished the remaining half of the pastry, patted her hands which were covered in crumbs, and asked:
"Oh? What are they discussing?"
Liu Erlang lowered his voice and said in an extremely gossipy tone:
"Well... you were riding the same horse, in that position, it was a bit ambiguous, so I was wondering if you two... were in that kind of relationship?"
Yunling's eyes flickered. She quickly brought the teacup to her lips, trying not to let Liu Erlang notice the strangeness on her face, and forced a smile:
"What kind of relationship?"
"It's...it's that catchphrase you just asked me about..."
Yunling trembled at the question, and the water in her teacup spilled onto the floor. She mimicked the man's earlier words, simply saying:
What do you mean?
Seeing that Yunling's flustered appearance was similar to his earlier one, Liu Erlang guessed that she had no interest in that refined man. In that case, wouldn't that mean he had a chance?
Liu Erlang was overjoyed, as if he had a little bird in his arms, hopping and skipping around, unable to stop for a while. He told the singer below to quickly change to a cheerful song so that he could have some fun.
Yunling didn't know what was wrong with this person's brain, but she didn't care. She just told Gangzi and Tangling behind her to eat quickly, take advantage of the situation, and leave.
"I don't know what tomorrow will bring."
"Our boss won't be free tomorrow, he's very busy."
"The day after tomorrow,"
"Young master has a big business deal to discuss the day after tomorrow and can't get away."
"That,"
"Liu Erlang, there's no need to be so polite..." Yun Lingzi slid a piece of braised tripe into her mouth, then waved her hand at Liu Erlang and said, "Just treat us to a meal."
"No, where do you live?"
“We have no fixed abode, wandering from inn to inn in Bianjing. As you know, our boss has offended quite a few people. If we stay in one place, we might be in trouble.”
Gangzi quickly stuffed steamed pork ribs into his mouth after he finished speaking. The ribs were so tender and smooth. If it weren't for the fact that Yunling and Tangling were eating, he really wouldn't have wanted to respond to this person.
"Then what if something happens?"
Yunling swiftly placed the crescent-shaped sword she had just snatched from the stall onto the table, saying only:
"If Liu Erlang has something to ask of you, you can just say so. Since we've had this meal, we'll naturally treat you as one of our own. You can talk back to as many people as you want."
"I...I...that's not what I meant."
"Oh, if that's not what you mean, then we'll take our leave. Liu Erlang, there's no need to see us off. We'll meet again someday."
Yunling sheathed her sword, Gangzi picked up two baskets, and Tangling packed up everything on the table that could be taken away. The three of them worked together in perfect harmony, their hands and feet moving so fast that Liu Erlang couldn't keep up.
It wasn't until they went downstairs that Liu Erlang realized what was happening and hurriedly chased after them, but the three of them had already disappeared. He could only slap his thigh and sigh deeply, but thinking that he had also learned that Yunling disliked that refined man, he was secretly happy and looked forward to seeing her again.
**
Having narrowly escaped disaster, Yunling, Gangzi, and Tangling burst into laughter at the corner. They couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of their hasty departure, as if they were afraid of being entangled by Liu Erlang.
"Boss, I almost thought this guy had a crush on you."
"Who says it isn't? I was so scared that I didn't dare to eat this or ask for that. Luckily it wasn't. But since we've taken such a good deal from him, we shouldn't go out for the next few days to avoid being seen by him. If he shamelessly moves into our house, wouldn't that be like inviting a wolf into the house?"
Gangzi and Tangling thought Yunling's words made sense. Besides, they had already bought two baskets of trinkets in just the time it took to buy them, which was quite satisfying. They would stay inside and play instead of going out, which would be fun.
After the three reached a consensus, they went to the meat and vegetable stalls, bought enough food to last for several days, and happily returned to their house.
**
On the second day of the Lunar New Year, Yunling moved her recliner under the eaves of the corridor, where she warmed herself by the charcoal fire while enjoying the snow scene in the courtyard. A small round table was set up beside her, with an incense burner and warm teacups on it, making her extremely comfortable.
Meanwhile, Yun Chu, who was in Pingcheng, went back to her parents' home with Zhang Shi. There was no charcoal brazier to warm her, but she didn't feel cold at all. This was because her eldest and second aunts kept circling around her, smiling and asking her this and that. Their caring greetings were like a warm fire that enveloped and burned her.
"I always knew our Chu-jie was capable. She had beautiful handwriting back then, and she even became Master Zhong's apprentice at Ren'an Hall. She's destined to be a female doctor. I told Jing-jie to learn from you, but she wouldn't listen. Now she'll regret it."
Yun Chu blushed and lowered her voice.
"Jingniang has excellent embroidery skills, which I can only envy."
The eldest aunt naturally thought her children were all wonderful. Although they were not as capable as Yun Chu in becoming female doctors, they were quiet, filial, and skilled in needlework, making them the object of admiration for the young men in the village.
It was only the beginning of the new year, and the matchmaker had already come two or three times. She was naturally pleased with herself and believed that this woman didn't need to be very ambitious. She only needed to be a good wife and mother, manage her family well, have a harmonious marriage, and have filial children. Everything else was just icing on the cake.
But she had her own selfish reasons for trying to please Yun Chu. She thought that Yun Chu had a medical skill, and if Xiao Ge'er's wife or Jing Jie'er needed help with childbirth in the future, Yun Chu could lend a hand.
Besides, these flattering words don't cost any money; they can be easily done with just a few words, so she can do them with peace of mind.
"Hey, isn't Chu-jie of marriageable age? Third Sister, do you have a good husband in mind for her?"
The second aunt quickly chimed in, saying that she had previously wanted to use Yun Chu to arrange a marriage between Yun Shenghua and Zhang Shi, and now that Yun Chu had achieved such success, her plans had become even more ambitious.
Zhang smiled slightly and said softly:
"There's no rush. There are still two of my aunts who haven't been engaged yet."
"Oh dear, they are them, and you are you. You are two families after all. Does that mean that if they don't get married, Chu-jie and Ling-jie will never get married?"
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