Chapter 38 (Overhaul)
The waiter who was waiting to be paid and other diners in the restaurant were all stunned. They obviously did not expect such a thing to happen.
The men who had just mocked the An family's son-in-law were unable to react for a moment.
Fan Changyu was dumbfounded at first, then he asked in confusion: "Did someone steal your purse on the road just now?"
Then he called the waiter, "I'll pay."
During festivals, there are many people on the streets, making it easy for pickpockets to strike.
With Fan Changyu's roar, everyone in the room who were staring at them went back to eating. Someone even said, "We're going to the Lantern Festival later. The streets will be crowded with people, and it's easier for things to be stolen. We have to be careful!"
Someone also whispered, "I think the man is better looking than the woman. Could he also be a gigolo?"
The people around him retorted: "How is that possible? He was just trying to pay!"
"Seeing that the son-in-law of the An family made a fool of himself, who wouldn't pretend to be nice? But with a face like that, it's enough for him to just live off his wife..."
Before Xie Zheng could lose his temper, Fan Changyu picked up Changning with one hand and dragged him out of the restaurant quickly with the other.
When they got to the street, she took a deep breath and asked Xie Zheng, "Was your purse really stolen?"
Xie Zheng's cold expression froze for a moment, and he nodded slightly.
With his skills, it was not likely that someone would take away his belongings without him noticing. He had indeed bought too many things for the child as Fan Changyu had said before, and did not notice that he did not have enough money.
After all, in the past, when he went out to buy something, he never considered the problem of not having enough money.
Fan Changyu thought about how he had been to a bookstore before and didn't buy anything there because he thought the things there were too expensive. He should have known how much money he had left, so he wouldn't have realized he had no money until he asked for the check. He sighed and said, "It must be because there were so many people on the street that a thief must have stolen my wallet."
She took out her money bag, counted out two silver coins and a handful of copper coins, and handed them to Xie Zheng: "Keep this money. It will be convenient for you to buy anything you like at the lighting fair later."
Chang Ning also said generously: "Give the New Year's gift money from Ning Niang to my brother-in-law as well!"
The smiling look made them look as if they were really a family.
Xie Zheng felt a little strange and frowned, saying, "No, I don't want to buy anything."
"Why are you so slow? It would be convenient if you carry some money with you." Fan Changyu thought that he was embarrassed to take his money, so he directly grabbed one of his hands and put the money in his palm.
Her hands were always warm. When she pulled his hand, the warmth from her hands also came over to him, seeming to penetrate her skin and reach deeper places.
After she withdrew her hand, Xie Zheng looked at the handful of copper plates and silver coins in his palm. His fingertips curled up slightly, and then he clenched his five fingers as if to cover something.
As dusk fell, the lights in the streets and alleys were lit.
The warm yellow light cut out the lines of his profile. He looked at Fan Changyu, and the expression in his dark phoenix eyes became increasingly unclear: "Thank you."
"What are you thanking me for? You've bought so many things for Changning anyway. What's more, you still have forty taels left with me..." Fan Changyu didn't take it seriously.
Xie Zheng just listened quietly. After she finished speaking, he said, "Candy money is candy money, it's different."
Fan Changyu was slightly stunned. Suddenly, there was a burst of cheers from the crowd in the distance. The three of them were attracted and looked in that direction. They saw that it was a magician on the street who was spitting fire.
I don't know how the magician did it, but he held a small burning bamboo stick in his hand and blew hard, and the flame instantly turned into a big fire. The onlookers were so scared that when they were swept by the flame, they screamed and stepped back, and then applauded.
Chang Ning was very curious about these things, and immediately tugged at the corner of Fan Changyu's clothes: "Sister, Ning Niang wants to see a big fire."
It was already dark, and there were many people on the street. Fan Changyu was afraid that Changning would trip or get bumped into, so he picked her up and said to Xie Zheng, "It looks like the lantern festival has already started. Let's go over there and take a look."
Xie Zheng glanced at the group of people performing the fire-breathing trick, and all thoughts faded from his eyes. He said to Fan Changyu: "Let me hold you."
Fan Changyu was full of brute force and immediately refused: "No, your injuries are not completely healed yet..."
Xie Zheng said: "It's okay to hold a child."
After a pause, he continued, "I saw other children on the street, they were also being held by their fathers or brothers."
Fan Changyu glanced around and found that those who brought their children out to see the lanterns, if accompanied by their parents, seemed to be held by their fathers.
She and Yan Zheng brought Chang Ning with them, so it was easy for people to mistake them for a family of three.
Yan Zheng was tall, and as she held Chang Ning in her arms, many passers-by looked at them.
Those who are unaware of the situation would occasionally point fingers at Yan Zheng.
Fan Changyu thought of what happened in the restaurant just now. After a little hesitation, he gave Changning to Xie Zheng to hold, and said, "If your hands become weak, let me hold Ningniang."
Xie Zheng responded calmly.
He was more than half a head taller than Fan Changyu. Changning lay on his shoulder, stretching his neck so that he could see farther. On the way, he pointed here and there for them to look, and he was extremely excited.
Fan Changyu and Xie Zheng walked side by side, holding in their hands the painting that the scholar had drawn for them, and a rare happy smile appeared on their faces.
Many passers-by on the street saw them and sincerely praised them for being a perfect couple.
A middle-aged couple brought their young child out to watch the lantern festival. The woman was holding her son. When she saw Fan Changyu and his group, she immediately handed her son to her husband and said sternly, "Look how considerate the young man is to his wife. You dead man, my hands are almost broken if you don't see me!"
The man held the child in both hands, his head was pulled to one side by the ear, and he kept making oohs and ohs while admitting his mistake.
Fan Changyu couldn't help laughing, but at the same time he felt a little uncomfortable because of the woman's words.
She raised her eyes and secretly looked at Xie Zheng, but he turned his head and their eyes met in the light of Luan Shan. He asked, "What's wrong?"
Fan Changyu coughed dryly and happened to see a lantern tower with colorful lanterns hanging in the distance. He said, "I think there seems to be a lantern riddle guessing game over there. Let's go and guess the lantern riddle!"
Chang Ning also saw the various lanterns from a distance and said excitedly, "Mrs. Ning wants to buy a pig lantern!"
Fan Changyu smiled and said, "Okay, let's go take a look first."
Xie Zheng asked: "Is she born in the year of the pig?"
Before Fan Changyu came back, Changning had already nodded vigorously. She counted on her chubby fingers: "Ajie is a tiger, and Ningniang is a pig."
Xie Zheng glanced at Fan Changyu with a strange look: "You are only nine years older than your sister?"
Fan Changyu said: "To be exact, she is ten years old. I was born in the first month of the Year of the Tiger, and my sister was born in the last month of the Year of the Pig."
She looked at Changning, her eyes softened. "After the last month of Ramadan, Ningniang was already six years old. According to the custom in this town, children cannot celebrate birthdays during the period of mourning to avoid shortening their lifespans. That's why we didn't prepare any birthday gifts for Ningniang. We only cooked a bowl of noodles for her."
She looked at Xie Zheng and said, "You've eaten it before, too. It was the pork intestines noodles that I cooked that time."
Xie Zheng: “…”
That's not a good memory.
But her birthday is in the first month of the year, so she is sixteen this month?
Xie Zheng narrowed his eyes slightly.
Fan Changyu suddenly asked him, "What's your zodiac sign?"
Xie Zheng did not answer.
She randomly guessed, "You were born in the year of the dog, right?"
This sounded a bit like an insult, and passers-by who passed by couldn't help but look back at them.
Xie Zheng glanced at Fan Changyu. Fan Changyu wanted to suppress the smile on his face, but he couldn't help it.
She said, "If you were born in the year of the dog, it would be quite suitable for your personality."
The smile on her face was so wanton and brilliant.
Xie Zheng glanced at her and asked, "What do you mean?"
Fan Changyu coughed lightly and said, "I heard that people born in the Year of the Dog are particularly vindictive and can be very good at scolding people."
Before he could finish his words, he received a cold glare.
Fan Changyu felt inexplicably guilty: "Don't you know how poisonous your mouth is?"
Xie Zheng twitched his lips slightly: "I didn't say anything more about other things. I just said that your taste in choosing men is a little poor. You can't forget a Song Yan until now..."
Fan Changyu finally understood what it meant to reap what one sows. In order to prevent him from misunderstanding that she had any ill intentions towards him, she lied to him that she was deeply in love with Song Yan. Now, this man would despise and ridicule her whenever he got the chance.
She couldn't help but say, "When have I ever been obsessed with him..."
"puff--"
A sneer came from behind the wall of lights hung with banners and lanterns.
Fan Changyu looked up and saw several young men who were guessing lantern riddles lift up the banners and walk out from behind the lantern wall. One of them was Song Yan.
"Brother Song is truly a hidden talent. The county magistrate's daughter is impressed by your talent. Even his ex-fiancée, who is now married, is not compatible with her husband because of Brother Song!" A man in an apricot-yellow long gown and a crown pointed at Fan Changyu with a folding fan, a frivolous smile on his face.
Apparently, he was the one who had sneered behind the light wall just now.
Fan Changyu's face instantly turned ugly. He never expected that behind the wall of lights would be Song Yan and his classmates.
The corners of her lips tightened instantly. Nothing could make her more uncomfortable than letting the man surnamed Song misunderstand that she still liked him.
Xie Zheng had met Song Yan before and had some impression of him. When his cold and oppressive gaze swept over those elegant scholars, it lingered on Song Yan for a few moments.
Song Yan was wearing an indigo robe and holding a folding fan in his hand in the cold weather. When he met Xie Zheng's gaze, he subconsciously looked away after making eye contact.
His classmates did not take it seriously, thinking that they all had achievements to their credit and would not have to kneel in court, so why would they be afraid of the son-in-law of a butcher's daughter?
The man in yellow immediately taunted him, "Brother, don't lose your temper. Brother Song is the only one who passed the Qingping County examination. It's understandable that your wife is thinking about Brother Song."
The other man next to him looked at Fan Changyu for a long time and suddenly clapped his hands and laughed, "I remember that one year this young lady came to the county school to give Brother Song winter clothes. At that time, I asked Brother Song who she was, and Brother Song said she was my sister!"
"It seems that this young lady is really in love with Brother Song. No wonder that brother gets so angry when he mentions Brother Song..."
The lantern festival was very lively at the moment, and the singing of these few people attracted many passers-by to stop and watch the fun. The curious people pointed and talked at Fan Changyu.
"So this is Song Juren's broken-off fiancée."
"She looks good, but now that she's married, why is she still thinking about Song Juren? It's true that only a live-in son-in-law can endure such humiliation..."
"How come we meet here by chance? Did you know that Mr. Song would come to the lantern festival tonight and come here just to see him?"
After hearing this, Song Yan glanced at Fan Changyu, then retracted his gaze and said to his companions, "Let's go. This lantern riddle is just like this. There is nothing to guess."
When Fan Changyu listened to the discussions and then met Song Yan's eyes, he felt a fire burning from his heart along his blood into his limbs, making him feel sick all over.
Xie Zheng glanced at her, then glanced at the others: "Stop."
The tone is lazy but it is commanding.
After he said this, the onlookers looked more interested.
Song Yan and his companions stopped walking, and his classmates looked back with a look of superiority on their faces.
The man in yellow said jokingly, "Brother, do you still want to fight with us? We are all well-known and famous people. If you touch even a hair on our body, you will probably have a hard time in your life."
Xie Zheng's mockery grew even stronger, and he said coldly, "You have studied the books of sages for ten years, but have you lost all sense of propriety, morality, and integrity? Is criticizing a woman the way you scholars behave?"
Several people suddenly felt a little embarrassed.
He uttered two words coldly from his thin lips: "Apologize."
Only the man in yellow said, "When did we criticize you? We were just stating the truth."
Xie Zheng raised his eyelids lazily and said something harsh and cold: "Didn't you write all the words on the test paper that gossip about women? You don't remember the etiquette of a gentleman, but you are good at gossiping. Did you come from Nanfeng Pavilion?"
Everyone burst into laughter.
Someone even said loudly: "Well said! A group of people who have read the books of saints are not ashamed to talk about a woman like gossips! Even the Rabbit Master of Nanfeng Pavilion is not as good at gossiping as them!"
The man in yellow shirt listened to the jeers and his face instantly turned purple with anger. He pointed at Xie Zheng and said, "You...you..."
His companion beside him said, "What shameless and vulgar words! It's disrespectful to society!"
Xie Zheng sneered: "Cultivated? Do you deserve this word? After reading a few books, your eyes have grown on the top of your head. How can you know that the wild geese flying south from the north will find it difficult to find a place for the phoenixes?"①
When he said this, his indifferent gaze fell on Song Yan, and it was obvious that he was talking to Song Yan.
Several scholars were surprised to find out that Xie Zheng was also a scholar, and immediately looked angry. His last sentence was clearly an humiliation to them. They wanted to refute him but couldn't think of a couplet to respond, and their faces looked very ugly for a moment.
After Xie Zheng said that, Song Yan's expression changed unpredictably, and he finally bowed and said, "My two friends just spoke without restraint and offended Aunt Fan... Madam Fan, I apologize to you on behalf of my friends."
Seeing that Song Yan had expressed his opinion, the others bowed as well, no matter how reluctant they were, saying, "We were wrong just now, and we apologize to you two."
Xie Zheng said nothing and looked at Fan Changyu.
Fan Changyu knew that Xie Zheng had good literary talent, but she didn't expect that he could beat these scholars by himself. After a brief shock, he immediately said coldly: "I was joking with my husband. Why do you, who read sage books, have to make irresponsible remarks? My husband has good looks and is talented. I am not stupid or blind, so why should I be obsessed with someone else?"
This made many of the onlookers laugh.
Song Yan's face was blue and red, and the fingertips of his five crossed fingers were stretched straight.
Xie Zheng raised his eyes lazily. Although he knew that most of what she said was just to save face, it still sounded pleasing to his ears.
After all...he didn't think it was a lie.
Fan Changyu regained his position, held Changning's hand and hummed softly: "Let's go."
Xie Zheng glanced at the scholars standing there and followed them as if he was taking a leisurely stroll.
Song Yan and several of his classmates looked extremely anxious.
The onlookers were still pointing and talking: "They say that most people who are unlucky are scholars. Song Yan canceled the marriage after passing the imperial examination. He even brought people to ridicule the daughter of the Fan family when they met her on the street. How despicable!"
"I think the son-in-law of the Fan family is more talented in literature than these people. I wonder if he will take the imperial examination. If he passes, the Fan family will have a better life in the future!"
As Song Yan listened to this, a gloomy look appeared on his face hidden in the darkness of the lamplight.
In order to save face, some of his classmates shouted: "If a rich little white-faced man really had the ability to pass the imperial examination, he wouldn't have become someone's son-in-law!"
"In my opinion, if he goes to take the imperial examination, he might not even pass the exam!"
Song Yan listened to all this, but his expression did not soften at all. He just said, "Let's stop here today and meet again another day."
He had spoken, and the rest of the people felt so embarrassed that they didn't want to continue visiting the lantern festival, so they went back home.
-
Xie Zheng lagged behind Fan Changyu by a few steps. The two walked one in front of the other. After a moment of silence, he suddenly said, "I was the one who made the mistake just now."
If he hadn't mentioned Song Yan first, those people behind the lighted wall wouldn't have laughed at her.
Fan Changyu paused for a moment and said, "It's nothing. You've already helped me. Besides, I was the one who lied to you first."
Xie Zheng raised his eyes and said, "What are you lying to me about?"
Fan Changyu pulled at his hair and said a little embarrassedly, "Before, I was afraid that you would misunderstand that I had feelings for you, so I deliberately said that I had not let him go."
When Xie Zheng heard this, some other emotions appeared in his eyes.
He said, "I thought...you were sad."
Fan Changyu gave him a look that said "How is that possible?"
The two of them had already walked out of the street where the light show was held. The surroundings suddenly became deserted, and the occasional alleys they passed by were also dark and eerie.
Xie Zheng asked: "Is this the way to Yixianglou?"
"No." Fan Changyu said, and then handed Changning to Xie Zheng to hold: "Cover Ningniang's eyes and take her away for a while."
Xie Zheng was silent for a moment, then asked, "What are you going to do?"
Fan Changyu found a dark corner to lie down with him, took out the big sack and the clothes hammer he had bought when he left the market, and bared his little fangs: "That guy in the yellow shirt has such a mean mouth, of course I have to beat him up to vent my anger!"
The author has something to say:
Xie Hou: ...I should have thought of it earlier.
Note: ① "The northern geese fly south, and the ground is so full of phoenixes that there is no place for them to rest." This was written by Song Xiang, a talented scholar in the Qing Dynasty. It means that the northern geese fly south, and the ground is so full of phoenixes that there is no place for them to rest.
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