Many people witnessed the commotion at the Xin residence that day, and naturally, the news of Qi Huaiyu pushing Miss Xin's third daughter off the carriage quickly spread throughout Yingzhou City.
"That's great! All that pretense he put on has ruined his reputation overnight." Wang Qing told Xin Jiuwei about the rumors circulating outside, quite pleased. "Not only did he not protect Miss, but he also tried to harm you! How despicable!"
Xin Jiuwei lay on the recliner, waiting for Mianfeng to open some nuts for her.
"Take a break, you've been talking all morning, aren't you thirsty?"
Wang Qing smiled and said, "I'm so happy! Qi Huaiyu hasn't been able to come to our mansion these past few days. That bastard Xun Mo used to be so arrogant in front of me, but these past two days he's been avoiding us."
“That’s right, Madam Feng hasn’t been hanging around outside our mansion lately either,” Mianfeng added. “Miss, you don’t know, but I heard the gatekeeper say several times that the old woman was trying to talk to him nicely to let her in. She’s dreaming, does she really think our Xin mansion is her home?”
Xin Jiuwei closed her eyes and fanned herself, looking quite content. "What have these two been doing lately?"
Wang Qing thought for a moment and said, "I haven't seen Madam Feng these past two days. As for Qi Huaiyu, I've had someone keep an eye on him as you instructed. He's been to Shan'an Hall in the suburbs several times these past few days and has also set up a stall there a few times."
Xin Jiuwei opened her eyes. "Setting up a stall?"
“Yes, setting up a stall!” Wang Qing said, as if she had thought of something funny. “The first time he went to the city garrison outside the city, saying that the soldiers were working hard and that he could write letters home for them for free. Guess what happened?”
Mianfeng played along, "What's up?"
Wang Qing laughed out loud, "He didn't even stand near the camp gate! The patrolling guards said that they have a tutor in their camp who writes letters for them, so they don't need a commoner like him!"
Mianfeng laughed out loud, "Who does he think he is?"
Xin Jiuwei smiled and shook her head.
“And then there was more,” Wang Qing continued vividly, “The next day he went to the vegetable market in the west of the city again. We who followed him thought he was really desperate and had to lower himself to set up a stall, but then—”
She paused, and seeing that Xin Jiuwei and Mianfeng were listening, she continued, "He went to the vegetable vendors and told them that when children reach school age, they should go to school, and he could answer their questions without asking for payment."
Mianfeng chuckled. "Does he think he's some kind of noble person?"
“But everyone is busy making a living, who would care about him?” Wang Qing shook her head. “Originally, this would have been fine, at least it was a good thing. Maybe some children would want to learn to write? If he really does it, I’ll respect him as a hero.”
Xin Jiuwei waved her fan, "I suppose he didn't insist."
Wang Qing nodded, a look of amusement creeping onto her face as she thought about what she was about to say.
"He asked several vendors in succession, but no one paid any attention to him, so he went back to the alley entrance. There is an old fortune teller at the entrance of the vegetable market all year round, and he has always set up a stall there."
"When Qi Huaiyu arrived that day, he happened to see the old man telling fortunes for some children. Guess what he did?"
Before the two could react, Wang Qing blurted out, "He actually went and accused the old man, saying he was deceiving a child, saying something like 'child...child...'"
"The Master did not speak of strange phenomena, physical prowess, disorder, or spirits," Xin Jiuwei added, "and then?"
Wang Qing said, "Yes, yes, yes, he said that Confucius did not speak of strange phenomena, physical prowess, disorder, or spirits. This old man is here every day telling fortunes, just to swindle people out of their money! Now he's even trying to deceive ignorant children, delaying their studies. It's truly hateful!"
She mimicked Qi Huaiyu's demeanor from the news she'd heard, adopting an expression of righteous indignation.
"He also said that he would not report the case to the authorities because the other party was an old man, and told him to leave quickly and not to lie to people here."
"He's so arrogant!" Mianfeng said. "And then what?"
Xin Jiuwei smiled, already guessing the outcome.
Sure enough, Wang Qing said, "Then a vegetable vendor rushed out from the side and dumped her vegetable basket on his head!"
Wang Qing burst into laughter, and Mian Feng couldn't help but laugh too.
"That auntie and the other vendors scolded Qi Huaiyu for a long time because the old fortune teller was blind. When he was young, he was a proper Taoist priest practicing in a Taoist temple. Later, he went blind and his health was not good, so he set up a stall at the entrance of the vegetable market to make a living. The neighbors all took care of him. When there was no business, they would ask their children to go and talk to him."
Mianfeng sighed, "They're doing just fine there, and he insists on going out and spouting high-sounding principles. Isn't he just asking for a beating?"
Wang Qing also said, "Is that so? They are all the sons of wet nurses, servants just like us. They get some good food and clothes from our household and think they are young masters."
Xin Jiuwei was silent for a while, then shook her head, "Even my brother wouldn't do such a thing."
“Yes, it’s his nature that’s flawed,” Wang Qing said. “The Second Young Master wouldn’t treat us like that, although he’s a bit…”
She spoke too quickly, and was glanced at by Xin Jiuwei, and then slapped by Mianfeng with a laugh.
"They've gotten bolder, daring to gossip about the Second Young Master."
Wang Qing quickly stopped her, and said with a smile, "Although our second young master doesn't like to study, he is very good to us. He is a fine young man! Unlike Qi Huaiyu, who has been hanging out with the young masters of other families in Yingzhou City for two years. He looks down on us with his nose in the air! Miss, you really are something. You even begged the head of the family to release him and his mother from the household registration system. That will only make him look down on us even more."
Xin Jiuwei smiled and said, "Did I make you feel wronged by granting them residency?"
“It’s not that I feel wronged,” Wang Qing said. “I’m willing to serve Miss for the rest of my life.”
Mianfeng said, "It's that Qi Huaiyu and Feng Shi who have always looked down on us. Now they're really arrogant! Humph, just because they've been released from their official residence and become free citizens, they think they can marry our young lady and become our masters."
She paused, as if she had said a bit too much, and glanced at Xin Jiuwei discreetly.
"Miss, I didn't mean anything by it..."
"I know." Xin Jiuwei smiled and patted each of their heads. "Wang Qing, where did you say Qi Huaiyu went these past two days?"
Wang Qing replied, "Shan'an Hall is the place in Yingzhou City where orphans and widows are settled."
Xin Jiuwei smiled and slowly stood up. "Let's go find my sister."
"What do you want with the young lady?" Wang Qing asked curiously. "Miss, what do you want to do this time?"
Xin Jiuwei smiled without saying a word, then got up and went out.
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