Chapter 23 Misunderstanding
After seeing Zhao Hu off, the two went inside. Mantou leaned against the door and stared at Aman without saying a word.
His face had an expression that said, "You confessed to this yourself."
Aman felt a chill run down her spine from his gaze and couldn't help but ask, "What are you doing, staring at me like that?"
Seeing that she was still pretending to be stupid, Mantou decided to be blunt and asked directly, "Tell me, what's going on between you and that tofu seller?"
"What's going on?" Aman looked completely bewildered. Was this guy just too tired and messed up his brain? Why was he talking incoherently? "Don't you know him too?"
"Still trying to deny it? If you were just acquaintances, why would he come to your door to deliver scallion seedlings, till the soil, and help you plant them? He'd practically do all your work for you. Anyone with eyes could see he's just trying to curry favor." Mantou's tone was extremely harsh. "Aman, let me tell you, you're the young master's person. You can't do anything to betray him."
Although the young master only treated Aman as an ordinary maid, Mantou always remembered that Aman was the young master's concubine. As a concubine, even if the young master didn't need her, she couldn't flirt with others outside.
This is disloyalty to the young master.
"What do you mean by doing something to offend the young master? What did I do? Why are you talking so rudely?" Aman was furious that Mantou thought of her that way, and her eyes even turned red with anger. "He was just trying to help out of kindness. Besides, if it weren't for his help, I don't know what would have happened to me yesterday."
Aman grew increasingly heartbroken and aggrieved. Ever since Zhao Hu came in, she had been worried that he might accidentally let slip what happened yesterday, so she was always careful with her words. Whenever she sensed that he wanted to talk about yesterday, she would try to steer the conversation away from there.
Originally, it was all her hard work, but unexpectedly, it turned into her flirting with someone else and having an affair with another man.
I know he has a big appetite, so I cook for him every day and make extra for him. Even if I don't cook enough, I'd rather he have enough than I don't have enough for myself. I never thought he would eat it all.
Aman was furious. Looking at Mantou's face, which had become noticeably rounder due to the good food he had been eating lately, she wanted nothing more than to scratch him.
Mantou sensed something was wrong from her words. It seemed that Aman had encountered some danger when she went out yesterday.
Mantou is a smart aleck; he never holds his tongue. But he has a good heart. When he heard what Aman said, all the previous misunderstandings vanished instantly. He grabbed Aman's arm, looking anxious, and asked, "What do you mean, 'helping out'? Were you in danger yesterday?"
"What's it to you?" Aman was furious and refused to talk to him properly, especially since she had decided to keep the matter to herself. "You're hurting me, let go."
Aman tossed the steamed bun aside and walked away without looking back.
Mantou watched Aman leave, feeling extremely annoyed.
He knew he had said the wrong thing again.
Having known Aman for so long, he knew her character. Even if Zhao Hu had ulterior motives, it should be Zhao Hu with ulterior motives. How could he suspect Aman and even say such hurtful things?
Moreover, judging from Aman's expression, she must have suffered a great injustice yesterday.
Thinking of the disappointment in Aman's eyes when she left, Mantou regretted it so much she wanted to bang her head against the wall.
"Serves you right for talking nonsense!" Mantou raised his hand and slapped himself twice before calming down a little.
He knew that it would be difficult to come up with a solution on his own. Mantou sighed and could only go to the front yard to find Fu Yunxiu.
As Mantou walked out of the backyard and passed the moon gate that connected to the front yard, he noticed tire tracks on the ground.
He remembered that after having breakfast and sending the young master back to his room, Aman complained that the courtyard was too dirty with fallen leaves, so he asked Aman to sweep the area.
Could it be that the figure he just saw was actually the young master?
The thought flashed through Mantou's mind, but it quickly disappeared. The most urgent thing was to think about how to apologize to Aman.
After crossing the moon gate, Mantou had only taken two steps forward when the door to the east-facing room opened.
Fu Yunxiu pushed his wheelchair out himself, first looking at Aman's tightly closed door with a puzzled expression, before noticing Mantou, who was acting suspiciously and looking guilty.
He only came out to check after he heard Ah Man slam the door shut.
Why did she get so worked up while simply planting vegetables? Didn't I just see her chatting and laughing with that strange man, all smiles on her face?
"What happened?" Fu Yunxiu asked.
Mantou didn't dare to look at Fu Yunxiu, and tiptoed forward before answering, "I think I said something wrong and made Aman angry?"
"Hmm, what did you say this time?" Fu Yunxiu was already used to this kind of thing. Mantou's mouth was only good for eating and getting grabbed by others. Before, no one talked to him, but now that Aman was around, he often made Aman jump up and down in anger.
But usually it's Aman chasing after Mantou and hitting him, so why is he acting so strangely today and hiding back in his room?
Mantou felt extremely guilty, his head was lowered so low he almost wanted to bury it in the ground, and he mumbled, "I saw that she was getting close to that tofu seller, so I told her to be careful and not to do anything to offend you, young master."
"What did you say?" Fu Yunxiu wondered if he had misheard. "Say it again. How could you say something like that?"
Fu Yunxiu frowned deeply, and Mantou was so ashamed that he wanted to kneel down and kowtow to Aman. "I regretted it as soon as I said it, but..."
"What do you mean 'but'? You said the wrong thing and you didn't even apologize. You're just standing here meekly. You were so confident just now!" Fu Yunxiu was speechless. He knew that Mantou had been with him since childhood and had seen too much indifference in people's hearts, so she had a somewhat gloomy personality. But he couldn't say such things to a woman. What a huge humiliation that was.
Luckily, Aman has a good temper; if it were him, he would have scratched Aman's face black and blue.
Mantou naturally knew he should apologize for doing something wrong, but the problem was that Aman was angry and didn't want to see him at all, let alone accept his apology.
Moreover, according to Aman, she must have suffered some injustice outside yesterday.
Perhaps he can salvage the situation.
"Young Master Aman seems to have encountered something when he went out yesterday," Mantou told Fu Yunxiu, sharing her thoughts.
Fu Yunxiu recalled that Aman had been in low spirits since returning yesterday afternoon, and when asked why, she claimed she was too tired and refused to elaborate. Now it seems…
"Then what are you waiting for? Go investigate!"
"Yes, yes." Upon receiving the order, Mantou immediately scrambled off to inquire about the situation.
Fu Yunxiu watched his retreating figure. If he hadn't been unable to use his legs properly, he would have kicked him twice.
To say such things to a woman is a blatant insult.
Mantou didn't know where Aman had gotten into trouble yesterday, so the first thing he did after leaving home was to go find Zhao Hu to find out what happened.
Zhao Hu had barely arrived at his stall when the steamed buns arrived right behind him.
"Mantou, what brings you here? Are you here to buy tofu?" Zhao Hu was extremely surprised, especially when he saw Mantou's hurried expression.
"No, I have something to ask you." Thinking about how he had just maliciously speculated about the person behind their back, Mantou looked a little awkward, but fortunately Zhao Hu was thick-skinned and didn't notice. He asked enthusiastically, "What is it? Ask away?"
Zhao Hu was unaware that Aman had deliberately concealed what happened yesterday, so when Mantou brought it up, he spilled the beans.
When Mantou heard that Aman had been harassed in the street, he was furious. But when he heard that Zhao Hu had come to his rescue, he felt even more guilty.
Whether it's Zhao Hu or Aman.
He's a despicable person, using such vile thoughts to speculate about others.
Aunt Hua added, "That's right, the situation was so critical back then. Ding Li, that kind of person, has taken lives on his hands. Only Zhao Hu, that silly boy, had the guts to step in and save people. That kid is just kind-hearted and can't stand seeing people suffer."
Aunt Hua intended to help Zhao Hu gain favor with Mantou and make Mantou believe in his character. However, she unexpectedly succeeded in dispelling Mantou's suspicion that he had ulterior motives and that he was helping out of kindness.
Now, even the steamed bun wanted to slap itself twice.
Look at what you've done!
No wonder even someone as good-natured as Aman got so angry his eyes turned red. If it were him, he would have cursed Aman's ancestors for eighteen generations.
Seeing the regret on Mantou's face, Zhao Hu felt even more frustrated. "Brother Mantou, what exactly happened?"
"It's nothing." He was too ashamed to tell anyone about the outrageous things he had said and done.
The most important thing right now is to report this matter to the young master.
We can't let those scoundrels continue to live a carefree life.
After thanking Zhao Hu, Mantou returned to Wutong Garden without stopping.
Fu Yunxiu listened quietly to the results of Mantou's investigation. His handsome face remained expressionless. He simply turned a page of his book, parted his thin lips slightly, and said calmly, "Go and find Butler Xu and tell him about this."
Fu Yunxiu didn't need to say anything more; Mantou understood, and Steward Xu would understand as well.
A gentle breeze stirred the silk ribbons on the beams, and in the flickering light, those beautiful phoenix eyes gleamed with a cool, unfathomable depth.
After seeing the steamed bun, Butler Xu did not show any unusual reaction. He simply nodded slightly to indicate that he understood.
Night fell, thick and dark. Suddenly, the side gate of the Cheng'an Marquis's residence opened, and several strong men filed out.
The next day, word spread throughout the streets that Ding Li had offended someone he shouldn't have and was now getting his comeuppance.
I heard that after they got drunk and came out of the tavern, they were beaten half to death by someone who covered their heads with a sack. Then they ran into their nemesis, who beat them up without saying a word and even castrated them.
He could have been saved if he had been taken to the hospital in time, but suddenly the government officials appeared. They said someone had accused him of burglary and wanted to take him back for questioning, not even giving him time for treatment.
I heard that because his treatment was delayed, Ding Li will never be able to be a man again. It is also said that because of this series of blows, Ding Li and his gang of thugs have been terrified and are kowtowing and bowing in court, confessing all the bad things they have done.
Some people say that even if he gets out in the future, he'll probably be ruined.
The news spread like wildfire, and even the neighborhood kids were cheering. But Aman was completely unaware of it.
She's still angry with Mantou and hasn't left the house for the past two days.
After visiting Steward Xu that day, Mantou went to the pastry shop that Aman liked, bought the pastries Aman liked, and went to apologize.
But Aman did not choose to forgive him. She not only kicked him out, but also threw away the snacks he had bought.
"I wouldn't dare eat your snacks, lest you accuse me of being a womanizer again." The words were full of sarcasm, but Mantou didn't dare say a word.
After being turned away several times, Mantou had no choice but to ask his young master for help.
However, Fu Yunxiu had no intention of getting involved in this matter.
We need to teach Mantou a lesson for his thoughtless and reckless speech, curb his arrogance, and let him know that apologizing doesn't guarantee forgiveness for everything.
Hurt is like a needle you stick into someone's heart; it doesn't disappear just because you apologize.
With nowhere to turn for help, Mantou had no choice but to bear the consequences of his actions. Every day, he not only had to face Aman's cold mockery, but also the risk of not being able to get enough to eat.
They eagerly volunteered to do chores every day, often trying to appease Aman's cold shoulder, never daring to be angry or speak out, only hoping that Aman would calm down.
A note from the author:
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"Qiniang Mingzhao" - An inspirational young lady and her loyal magistrate
Ming Zhao, the youngest daughter of the Ming family, in order to fulfill her grandfather's last wish, and her childhood sweetheart and fiancé Zhou Yuanqing searched through ancient books and studied diligently for a year. Finally, they created a set of exquisite ancient lacquerware to use for the World Trade Center.
Zhou Yuanqing said that the two of them would get married when he returned this time.
Mingzhao was waiting to be married, but instead of good news from her fiancé, she received news that he had been robbed on the way, died from his injuries, and that his lacquerware had disappeared.
The newly appointed magistrate, Shen Tingsi, was in charge of investigating the matter and eventually discovered that the murderer was a Japanese.
*
Mingzhao said that at first, he just wanted to fulfill his grandfather's last wish and let him rest in peace. Later, he wanted to find a way out and pass on this skill.
Shen Tingsi: When I first met Mingzhao, I thought she was just a young lady living in the shadow of her parents. Later, I found that she was just like her name, wise and intelligent, and dazzling.
The Substitute Bride: Little White Rabbit and Big Bad Wolf
Xiao Bai Ze Shu Yao transmigrates into the body of a substitute bride who is forced to marry the disabled general Yan Sui Zhi.
Rumor has it that this man has an eccentric personality and is unpredictable; all three of his previous wives died on their wedding night, without exception.
Sure enough, as soon as Shu Yao entered the house, before her veil was even lifted, the man grabbed her neck fiercely and said, "If you don't want to die, get out of here right now."
The veil slipped off, revealing the beautiful woman with a wronged expression and teary eyes. "My husband, I'm hungry."
Yan Suizhi: "..." Is this person out of their mind?
Yan Suizhi spent his life on the battlefield, achieving numerous military exploits, but unexpectedly aroused the emperor's suspicion. At the victory banquet, a cup of poisoned wine crippled him, leaving him crippled in both legs, unable to fight, and with his life hanging by a thread.
The emperor was still not at ease, so he granted her marriage three times in a row, and each time blood stained the bridal chamber on their wedding night.
On this fourth occasion, the other party not only did not make a move, but also said that he was cold late at night and wanted to be held while sleeping.
Yan Suizhi guessed that the emperor had run out of tricks and had changed tactics.
Ha, let's see how long she can keep up this act...
From then on, Yan Suizhi always granted Shu Yao's requests.
Shu Yao complained that the bed at home was too hard, so he sold his possessions to buy her a softer, larger bed.
Shu Yao disliked the food, so he suppressed his subordinates and made them all become chefs.
Shu Yao disliked his family's poverty, so he dragged his disabled body out to earn money.
Shu Yao then lived a life of ease, with everything done for her, but everyone thought that Yan Suizhi was being hypocritical and waiting for an opportunity to make his move.
Until one of his trips away, Shu Yao was summoned to the palace by the emperor, where she was tortured beyond recognition and nearly lost her life.
The usually calm and collected man, who was always so composed and strategic, suddenly flew into a rage. "They've already spoiled her to this extent. Making her the most honored woman in the world isn't too much to ask!"
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