Chapter 26 Stockings: Do Not Look At Them
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The girl's questioning voice seemed to travel into outer space before returning to Wen Zhixu's ears: "I only said a couple of things."
hate.
No one present understood.
Wen Zhixu gleaned a clue from that arrogant tone. He instantly understood, looking down at Miss Zhao: "What Miss Lin said is at most a sharp rebuttal, far from being an insult."
"..." As if splashed with cold water, Miss Zhao froze on the spot, while the servants and maids beside her were all shocked, it was simply outrageous!
Miss Zhao's rouge had spread all the way down to her neck, making her look like a thick carrot.
Qingwu complained, "Second Young Master, she insulted my young lady first!"
Miss Zhao's people rushed forward to protect their mistress.
Six against one, several sharp gazes shot towards Qingwu.
Qingwu was furious, so she randomly grabbed two unlucky guys to help her.
Unlucky guy number one, Xie Qi: Just passing by!
Lin Pinyan, the second unlucky one: Sister, can I eat a candied hawthorn? Just one.
Lin Xihe was sandwiched between the left and right sides, like the burger burger.
With the two sides locked in a standoff, a major battle was imminent.
“I never expected that the eldest daughter of Hanlin Academy scholar Zhao would have such grace. I have learned a lot.” Wen Zhixu’s voice was completely flat. “If you don’t want to become a laughing stock tomorrow, Miss Zhao, please leave.”
"..."
.
Miss Zhao was nowhere to be seen. The teahouse patrons whispered among themselves, and all fell silent.
Only the ripples on the Fubo River, gently spreading with Lin Xihe's breath, released a hint of sweet and sour flavor.
"Thank you for helping me fight back." Lin Xihe lowered her head and ate her candied hawthorn. The vendor selling candied hawthorn had disappeared. She had three left, so she had to eat them sparingly.
Wen Zhixu stood under the willow tree, its branches casting a dense shade over him. Lin Xihe looked over, and the corner of his eye resembled a willow leaf.
He turned slightly to the side, his gaze catching half of Lin Xihe's silhouette.
With chubby cheeks, chewing like a hamster, is this how delicious the food smells to a child?
"What did you just say to me?" he asked.
"I didn't insult you." Lin Xihe stopped eating, a few sesame seeds stuck to the corner of her mouth.
You cursed him in your heart.
Lin Xihe was shocked by Wen Zhixu's logic; had this guy lost his mind?
She met his handsome face with a blank expression: "This is what I'm thinking right now: strip you naked, tie your hands and feet with iron chains, and whip you mercilessly with a small leather whip soaked in chili water. I'll use my brain to deal with you... Hey, go ahead and call the authorities to arrest me!"
"Lin Xihe!" Wen Zhixu's face turned green.
Xie Qi, who was drawing circles on the side, was so shocked that his jaw dropped. He wanted to say a few good words for Lin Xihe, but seeing Wen Zhixu's dark expression, Xie Qi wisely kept quiet.
This woman is extraordinary; she is truly a heroine among women!
Lin Pin-yan asked, bewildered, "Sister, are you planning to torture your brother-in-law?"
Wen Zhixu mentally prepared several versions of his retorts to her—no, in her new language, this was called "fighting back."
“A young lady like you, so sharp-tongued…” He didn’t finish his sentence.
"Hey, candied hawthorn vendor!" Lin Xihe grabbed Qingwu's sleeve. "Quick, quick, I want another one!"
Her skirt fluttered as she passed by, disturbing the willow catkins scattered on the ground.
"..."
Xie Qi had never seen Wen Zhixu suffer a setback. Was this still the same Wen Er he knew? Back in Zishan Hall, Wen Zhixu dared to debate with the Crown Prince's teacher—the Hanlin Academician—in the court, his words sharp and unyielding.
In a short while, the girl who had arrogantly run away returned dejectedly.
Lin Xihe: "Do you have any copper coins?"
"You have no money?" Wen Zhixu subconsciously clenched the silver ingot in his sleeve.
“I have silver ingots, and the vendors don’t have change,” she said, tilting her head back and grinning at Wen Zhixu with an innocent, naive smile, as if they were the best of friends in all of Shengjing. “Lend me ten coins.”
My hand was practically down to his nose. If I didn't give it to him, it would be impolite.
The preface to the text is not very polite.
Xie Qi took out a string of cash: "Miss Lin, please accept this."
"Thank you, young man, but I'd like to ask him for it." Lin Xihe's gaze shifted from Xie Qi back to Wen Zhixu's face. "Didn't I give you a silver ingot for the fare? Did you spend it all on tea?"
A gentle breeze blew, and a willow catkin landed on Lin Xihe's hair.
"Give it to me now, or it'll be sold out!"
Wen Zhixu reluctantly pinched out a few copper coins.
Lin Xihe left, her head covered in willow catkins, completely satisfied.
Xie Qi was impressed, but also laughed at Wen Zhixu's cowardice, which made the latter frown and say irritably, "She's out of her mind, I won't bother with her. If you dare to spread even a word about what happened today, I'll make you pay."
The farmer leaning against the oxcart exclaimed with delight, "Beautiful, beautiful!"
The candied hawthorn vendor, holding his rake high, chased after them, shouting, "Young master, wait! Miss Lin hasn't spent all the copper coins you gave her; she's treating you gentlemen to candied hawthorns!"
The women washing clothes on the riverbank stopped their washing machines and watched intently as the young master of a noble family ate a candied hawthorn.
Now all the local residents know.
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The Min family, mother and daughter, had to pay a large sum of money for the repairs of Wen Zhixu's house. How could they swallow this insult? Lin Zhirou was determined to marry into the Wen family and thought to herself all day long: since the house was repaired with her money, it should be lived in by her, the mistress of the house.
She pointed directly to the root of all evil: Lin Xihe.
She wanted to tarnish Lin Xihe's reputation and force the Wen family to cancel the engagement.
The money quietly flowed into the hands of laundry women, farmers, waiters in restaurants, and old ladies at breakfast stalls.
"Saying that a young woman has no morals? What a vicious heart!" The breakfast stall lady was surprisingly principled. "I don't make money through dishonest means."
Laundrywoman: "I heard that Miss Lin is actually mentally unstable? Let's not exaggerate, let's just tell the truth."
"become."
The common people accepted the loose silver coins given to them by Granny Wang.
In the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the gossip has spread like wildfire.
Lin Xihe walked onto the third bridge and prayed for blessings while facing the shimmering river.
The rowing boat swayed gently. When the boatman saw a figure on the bridge, he paused with his pole and exclaimed, "The mad young lady from the Lin family is here!"
The bustling streets were eerily quiet, shops were all closed, and the distant sound of a pipa from a brothel abruptly ceased.
Enraged, Qingwu threw the candied hawthorn skewers onto the boat.
As Lin Xihe approached the rouge shop at the bridgehead, her gaze met the shopkeeper's—snap, the two doors suddenly slammed shut in front of her.
Under the bright blue sky, the shop doors were tightly shut. The scene was undeniably eerie.
The boatman's words had barely faded when they triggered a chain reaction. Gold and silver shops, yarn shops, hair and jewelry shops, comb shops... these were all shops frequented by young ladies from wealthy families.
The shopkeepers looked anxious, and with a series of loud bangs, more than half of the once bustling market stalls were shut down in an instant.
Lin Xihe stopped the impulsive maid and said quietly, "The speed at which they're going bankrupt is comparable to dominoes."
The master and servant strolled slowly along the riverbank. A gentle breeze stirred the drooping willow branches, white walls stretched along the roadside, and swallows carrying food flew into the black-tiled roofs... It was a scene straight out of an ancient costume drama.
I'm so worried, I can't spend all the money in my purse today.
Qingwu pointed to the corner and said crisply, "Miss, look, that's an old-established pharmacy! I'll go ask Huaruishi right now!"
Lin Xihe's puppy-dog eyes gleamed with tears: "My precious son is counting on you."
The faint sound of a carriage braking could be heard in my ears.
Lin Xihe turned around and met someone's downcast eyes.
The young master casually rested his elbow on the car window, his demeanor as serene as the moon and breeze, and scrutinized her with a half-smile: "Son?"
"..."
"Sister—" Lin Pinyan's head popped out of the car, only to be shoved back in by Wen Zhixu.
Son? Where did Miss Lin get a son? The newly hired driver Xie Qi didn't dare to breathe: This was too big a juicy piece of gossip for him to digest.
Lin Xihe chuckled through the car window and said, "What an awesome Wind-Following Ear! It's a real loss for the Jade Emperor that you don't work at the South Heavenly Gate."
The carriage curtain was ripped down, concealing the young man's ashen face.
A voice came from inside the car, covering her mouth: "Sister... I wanted to pick you up... so we could go back to the manor together..."
Xie Qi wanted to kowtow to Lin Xihe: "Heroine Lin, let's meet again another day."
"Bye-bye~" Lin Xihe raised her paw and waved it haphazardly, then covered up a big yawn.
The carriage departed, kicking up dust.
The preface to the article is taken by a strange twist of fate, and I look back.
The figure, more sleepy than a dog, more greedy than a pig, and with a mouth sharper than a myna bird, disappeared into the depths of the alley, leaving no trace.
As expected, the pharmacy didn't have any Flower Stamen Stones. After Qingwu gave the waiter two taels of silver, she received a crucial piece of information: a large number of Flower Stamen Stones were hidden in the karst cave behind Shushi Temple.
The information provided by the pharmacy clerk closely matched the information provided by Dr. Qian.
In other words, Shushi Temple has potential.
Lin Xihe clenched her fist: "Tomorrow morning, we'll go to Shushi Nunnery."
"Miss, you can't go to that place!" Qingwu regretted it; if she had known this would happen, she shouldn't have told her mistress.
Shushi Nunnery is a major taboo in the mansion; going there without Lin Zhaoheng's permission is a grave offense.
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The quarrel between the two daughters, Lin and Zhao, at the teahouse was quickly exploited by the vendors.
Two coins for a candied hawthorn stick, accompanied by the freshest and most exciting gossip, the sweet and sour taste wafts through the streets and alleys.
Unfortunately, this coincided with rumors deliberately spread by the Min mother and daughter.
Gossip and rumors combined to create a powerful force that swept through Shengjing in an instant.
Lin Xihe regretted it so much that she felt like her guts were turning green with envy after her new embroidered shoes rubbed against her feet. She should have just hitched a ride on Wen Zhixu's blog.
Passing by a shoe shop, a signboard hangs at the entrance, with the words "height increase" appearing and disappearing intermittently.
The wind made it sway gently, and it also brought to mind the scene of her and Wen Zhixu arguing in front of the shoe shop.
Was he telling her to put on more insoles to mock her for being short and stocky?
Lin Xihe peered into the shop and, sure enough, there were shoe insoles over an inch high displayed inside.
It seems the shoe shop owner stole her idea and used it in business; business people are really clever.
A short man dressed in fine clothes was picking out shoes, and the shopkeeper's silver tongue couldn't persuade him.
The deal fell through.
The shopkeeper's gaze met Lin Xihe's, and his expression changed drastically. It was that plague god from the Lin family! Wasn't this Miss Lin the one his wife was gossiping about just now?
The protagonist of this gossip story appeared suddenly, even faster than Cao Cao.
Lin Xihe: "Are you talking badly about me?"
Shopkeeper: "..." I'm really afraid this lady will go crazy and punch him.
Lin Xihe paused for a moment. Was she being too fierce?
She furrowed her brows, trying hard to control her expression, and pointed to the shop entrance: "Boss, put up a blackboard here and write the advertising slogan like this."
The shopkeeper's wife rushed over upon hearing the news, standing protectively in front of her husband like a mother hen guarding her chicks. People in ancient times weren't very cultured; who wouldn't be afraid if that vengeful female ghost, whom everyone talked about for being dead and then resurrected, stood before them?
The female ghost let out a laugh: "Do you still want to get rich?"
The shopkeeper and his wife were both shocked, their desire to get rich taking over.
Lin Xihe pointed out: "The hidden clogs are no different from ordinary shoes, helping you to stand tall. The advertisement on the blackboard says, 'A dignified seven-foot figure can be achieved in an instant.'"
"A true expert!" The shopkeeper's wife's eyes lit up, and her gaze towards Lin Xihe changed.
"Miss Lin, I apologize for my rudeness earlier," the shopkeeper said, bowing. "May I ask what the blackboard is?"
Oh dear, blackboards hadn't been invented yet. Lin Xihe gestured to indicate the size: "Put up a wooden board this big, decorate the frame, and try to make it eye-catching."
The shopkeeper's wife said respectfully, "Miss Lin, it would be even better if you could name our height-increasing insoles."
"Let's call it 'Step by Step Higher'."
"Brilliant!"
The shoe shop owner's wife immediately noticed that Lin Xihe's feet were sore. She took out a pair of exquisitely embroidered slippers from the inner room: "Your embroidered shoes don't fit, do they? If you don't mind, please wear them for now. Someone, prepare the carriage and take Miss Lin back to her residence."
The shoe shop's carriage was naturally inferior to the Wen family's carriage.
Qingwu acted as a blind masseur, massaging Lin Xihe's feet. The carriage swayed and rocked, making Lin Xihe dizzy.
As Wen Zhixu entered the mansion, a shout came from outside the alley.
The butler had been waiting at the door for a long time: "Second Young Master, the Master has just woken up. He's feeling unwell and is asking to see you."
Wen Zhixu aptly puts it: "When he couldn't see the thorn in his side, his grandfather naturally fell ill."
Everyone in the Wen family knew that Wen Hongyuan's thorn in the side was the man from the neighboring Lin family.
Today was a day off, and without his mortal enemy in the court to confront him, Wen Hongyuan felt uneasy all over.
The servants stared expectantly at the second young master, hoping he could help the master vent his anger.
Unexpectedly, Wen Zhixu heard the sound of a carriage outside the mansion and turned to leave.
"It's a mess, a complete mess!" the steward lamented. The second young master was renowned outside the mansion, but he still prioritized filial piety within the household. How could he possibly disregard the master's wishes?
What trick did he fall into?
The Lin family was a grand and wealthy household, with a simple horse-drawn carriage parked in front of the gate.
Wen Zhixu twirled the candied hawthorn skewer in his hand; such coarse food was something only street children would find delicious.
A maid jumped off the carriage, the wheels jolted, and a voice came from inside: "Oh dear, I'm out of money. I still need to tip the driver."
Wen Zhixu guessed correctly; Lin Xihe had returned home.
Lin Xihe's mutterings, however, made him suspicious. Was the Lin family's property about to be confiscated by the imperial court? The legitimate daughter of the family was riding in such a shabby carriage.
Then the maidservant said crisply, "Miss, I'll ask the gatekeeper."
Even the young lady's personal maid didn't have a single penny. Wen Zhixu concluded that the Lin family was truly broke.
As the plump figure slipped through the Lin family's gates, a slender hand emerged from the back of the carriage, much thinner than the maid's large, round hands. What a joke of the Great Ning Dynasty! What master is two sizes thinner than his maid? This Lin Xihe, so foolish and simple-minded, will she be secretly bullied by the servants?
Seeing her get out of the car, Wen Zhixu stepped aside.
She was slightly curling her ten fingers, examining her neatly filed nails, the nail surfaces dotted with nail polish, which shone brightly in the sunlight streaming through the eaves, the dots of crimson particularly beautiful, and her smug smiling eyes curved into two crescent moons.
"What a pity." Lin Xihe was lost in thought. If this outfit were in modern times, it would be perfect with a blue and white porcelain manicure.
She habitually bit her nails, only to find that the color had faded by more than half. She cried out that she had been cheated: "With such lousy skills, you dare to charge me two taels of silver?"
"..." Wen Zhixu was silent for a while. It wasn't that the Lin family was poor; it was clearly that she had squandered all the money on eating, drinking, and having fun.
Lin Xihe shuffled a few steps in place, but couldn't see any trace of Qingwu. The coachman was waiting anxiously.
As the sun was setting, a screen wall stretched out beneath the high wall outside the mansion, and a person stood in the shadows there.
Lin Xihe exclaimed in surprise, "Are you trying to scare me to death?"
Preface to the text: "Passing by".
"Oh, I get it, you like being a stone lion." Lin Xihe leaped to the solemn stone lion in front of the mansion gate in a few steps, and teased it like a husky, rubbing its cold stone head.
Wen Zhixu secretly regretted his actions, thinking that if he had known this would happen, he would have gone back to the mansion to appease his grandfather.
The old man is easier to get along with than her.
"Um," Lin Xihe said, her hair styled in a lion's head bun, but her eyes darted to the string of red berries in Wen Zhixu's hand, "do you have any money on you?"
"..." He knew it!
"I treated you to your candied hawthorns."
"The copper coins you used to buy candied hawthorns seem to have been lent to you by me." Wen Zhixu emphasized the word "lent".
"I paid your taxi fare first."
"It's reasonable for my carriages to charge passengers a fee, isn't it?"
Lin Xihe remained silent.
The shoe shop driver hadn't expected to make any money anyway, but seeing that Miss Lin and Young Master Wen were arguing over such a trivial matter, he quickly advised, "Young master and young lady, don't let such a small thing ruin your harmony."
Harmony?
Their eyes met silently, neither willing to yield, and after a moment of stalemate, they coldly looked away.
Qingwu brought out some silver and gave it to the coachman in small pieces. The coachman thanked her profusely.
Lin Xihe felt it wasn't enough, so she took out a silver ingot from the purse that Qingwu had brought and gave it to the coachman as an extra reward.
The coachman was so happy he almost fainted.
Someone was so angry they almost fainted.
"Lin Xihe, what do you mean by this?"
According to Lin Xihe, the "taxi fare" he was paid was only one ingot of silver, but the silver reward given to the driver was far more than that.
"Pay for the taxi fare," Lin Xihe thought, sensing that this guy was about to get angry, and quietly took half a step forward. "They drove a long way, so what's wrong with charging more?"
How could my carriage be compared to his?
"Next time I'll pay you the price of a Didi Chuxing ride, okay?"
Didi Chuxing? Wen Zhixu didn't understand, but since it came from Lin Xihe's mouth, it was definitely not a good thing.
Seeing that he was about to lash out, Lin Xihe shrank back and darted away like a nimble fish.
"Close the door! Close the door!"
Just as the gates of the mansion were about to close, Wen Zhixu noticed that she had lost one of her shoes while running. She turned back, wearing her silk stockings, and stuck out her tongue when she picked up the shoe.
Do not look at what is improper.
Wen Zhixu's gaze suddenly sharpened, landing precisely on her light-colored stockings. Lin Xihe then lifted her soiled foot, hopped a couple of times on one foot, and casually brushed the dust off the bottom of her stocking.
She knows how to be shameful? Where is even a trace of the demeanor of a young lady from a noble family?
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After washing her hands, Lin Xihe carefully examined the bird's injury under its wing. The sparrow seemed to be in better spirits and gently pecked at her fingertips.
The old nanny brought over a dish of rice porridge and reported on its daily life: "Young Miss, the young master had rice porridge around 9 a.m., rested at noon, and excreted some waste after waking up."
Lin Xihe asked again, "Is this normal?"
The old nanny looked troubled: "It's a bit watery."
"Are you covered up with a blanket? Remember to cover your stomach."
"It's covered."
Based on my past experience rescuing stray cats and dogs, diarrhea in small animals is not a good thing.
She fed it some millet porridge with a thin bamboo spoon and gently comforted it, "Good boy, you'll feel better if you can eat. I'll go find the Flower Stamen Stone tomorrow."
Lin Zhaoheng, weary from his journey, immediately sought out Tinghe Pavilion upon returning home.
"He'er!"
"Shh!" Lin Xihe quickly put down the small bamboo spoon and put her index finger to her lips.
Lin Zhaoheng immediately fell silent.
The old nanny beside him explained in a low voice, "Master, the young master is having his meal. Don't be alarmed."
Lin Zhaoheng's sharp gaze swept around, but the troublemaker Lin Pinyan was not there. When did a young master appear in Tinghe Pavilion?
"Father," Lin Xihe called out more and more fluently.
Lin Zhaoheng felt a little uneasy that his beloved daughter no longer called him "Dad."
Before going to court, while waiting with a group of civil officials in the waiting room, he asked his colleague, Lord Yan, about the matter. Lord Yan was a poor scholar who had become a top scholar, and had grown up in the marketplace. Lord Yan told him that "ba" was a term of endearment used by children in the marketplace to address their fathers, a usage that had only become popular in the streets and alleys in recent years.
Lin Zhaoheng: "Calling me Dad is fine too."
He followed his daughter's gaze and finally saw the listless little thing.
"You've got birds?"
"I'll temporarily care for it for a few days," Lin Xihe said reluctantly. "I'll return it once it's recovered."
"Just buy it, isn't that enough?" Lin Zhaoheng's voice rose a few decibels. Did someone else's bird deserve his daughter's personal service? What audacity!
He regretted his words as soon as they left his mouth. His daughter had just recovered from a serious illness and should not be disturbed. To cover his embarrassment, Lin Zhaoheng picked up a small spoon and put a mouthful of rice porridge in his mouth.
Ugh, bland and tasteless.
Lin Xihe hesitated, then said, "Dad, this is... Bu Bu's meal."
Unexpectedly, Lin Zhaoheng slammed the small spoon on the table and glared at the servants, saying, "Is this how you serve the young lady? There isn't even a decent side dish. Is the household short of supplies?"
"Sister! Nymphs, earthworms, and butterfly pupae! Bubu's little vegetables are here!"
Lin Zhaoheng turned around at the sound, and his tall, strong but childlike son rushed in. The boy cupped his hands into a bowl shape, and in his palms was a bunch of black worms.
Lin Zhaoheng: "..."
Lin Xihe, who was afraid of insects, fled straight to the backyard.
Lin Pin-yan was scolded by Lin Zhao-heng without explanation, and the child left crying.
The room fell silent.
"Why are you scolding him? Isn't he your son?" Lin Xihe couldn't figure out Lin Zhaoheng's attitude. Weren't people in ancient times all sexist? She didn't see a single sign of favoritism in Lin Pinyan.
“That’s different.” Lin Zhaoheng looked at his daughter, his gaze shifting and complex, before finally settling into a low sigh. “He’er, the day after tomorrow is the first day of the lunar month. The Shushi Nunnery will be distributing porridge. You can get a bowl of thin porridge for your father.”
Upon hearing this, Lin Xihe was thunderstruck. She had only been here a few days, and the Lin family had gone bankrupt? No, it might be even worse—the Lin family was facing the prospect of having their entire clan exterminated?!
Wait... what was that temple again?
Lin Zhaoheng repeated, "Shushi Nunnery." He quickly observed his daughter, trying to catch any hint of anything unusual in her subtle expression.
Will his daughter resent him or blame him?
To everyone's surprise, Lin Xihe's eyes lit up immediately upon hearing this. Wasn't this the place she wanted to go?!
She was worried that Lin Zhaoheng would disagree, so she secretly investigated several times. She asked the shoe shop driver if he could take on some private jobs, and even considered the carriage of her nemesis, Wen Zhixu.
"Is it the nunnery outside the city?"
"Exactly."
Is there a mountain behind the nunnery?
"Hmm." Lin Zhaoheng responded cautiously with each word, as if he had done something to offend the nunnery. "He'er, the porridge will be served at Shenshi (3-5 PM) the day after tomorrow. You can set off at noon."
Lin Xihe was full of energy: "I'll go first thing tomorrow morning!"
Lin Zhaoheng almost doubted he had heard correctly. His daughter was in such a hurry? Did she know all those old stories?
.
"Second Young Master, the medicine has been delivered," said the Wen family steward. "But Madam refuses to accept it."
“It’s alright.” Wen Zhixu’s expression remained unchanged. “I will deliver it myself tomorrow.”
The steward hesitated and said, "It's going to rain tomorrow, and the mountain path to Shushi Nunnery will be difficult to travel. Besides... the anniversary of the eldest young master's death is approaching, and the manor needs to make preparations for related matters."
The sky outside the window looked like an old, starched garment.
Wen Zhixu gave a bitter smile: "Yes, it's been twelve years."
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