Chapter 49 Having exhausted all other options, she tearfully asked the Flower Guest, "Why won't she reward me?"...
Feng Chen and Shi Yunyu rode side by side, already nearing Feng's residence, when their horses involuntarily turned, heading towards the more distant Jiming Temple. Occasionally, pedestrians hurriedly made way for them on the stone-paved road, but he remained oblivious, urging his horse forward relentlessly.
"Hey, Siyuan!" Seeing his gloomy face and chilling aura, Shi Yunyu finally couldn't hold back and gently kicked his horse's belly. "What's wrong with you? If we go any further, we'll be outside the city."
Feng Chen reined in his horse, wrapped the reins twice in his palm, and said in a hoarse voice, "It's nothing."
Shi Yunyu was incredibly perceptive and had already noticed his unease. She probed with a half-smile, "Who was it that said a few days ago that they wouldn't acknowledge me as their distant cousin, afraid that I would benefit from your fame? Why were you calling me 'elder sister' so affectionately just now?"
Feng Chen's gaze drifted into the distance, his tone dismissive: "A cousin is a cousin, blood ties are there, what's the point of acknowledging or denying it?"
"Oh, what are you saying?" Shi Yunyu laughed. "Do you think I'm blind? Just now on the Imperial Street, your eyes were practically glued to that lady. I'm not trying to be mean, but even though that woman is pretty, you can't just steal a colleague's wife like that."
"She is not his wife!"
"Oh? Not Madam." Shi Yunyu drawled, a sly glint in her eyes. "That makes things easier! We'll go back now, snatch her onto our horse, and save you from getting upset here and giving me attitude."
Before she finished speaking, she turned her horse around and galloped off towards the Imperial Street.
"Shi Yunyu! Come back!" Feng Chen was shocked and quickly spurred his horse to chase after her.
However, Shi Yunyu had been riding and shooting since childhood, and her horsemanship was even more superb than his. In just a moment, her figure turned into a blur and ran away in a flash.
He gazed in the direction Shi Yunyu had gone, and recalled the image of the two standing side by side. His heart was filled with anxiety and confusion, so he had no choice but to spur his whip and follow closely behind.
At first, Fengchen was only worried that Shi Yunyu's reckless actions would frighten his Qiaoqiao, so he hurriedly spurred his horse to chase after her.
As he galloped along, the wind whistling past his ears, his anxiety and anger gradually subsided, only to be replaced by an even more fervent thought.
When they met again, he immediately put her on a horse, locked her in the Feng Mansion, and forbade her from ever seeing those dead men again.
Why should he suffer so much in the Feng family mansion, while she can laugh and chat freely with other men outside?
However, when the two rushed back to the Imperial Street, only the endless stream of people remained; the two had long since disappeared.
At that moment, Su Jinxiu and Yi Ruxu were in Bowei Lane, arguing with Granny Tian about two adjacent houses.
"Grandma Tian, this Pillow Book Garden set costs five hundred taels, and the Listening Pine Courtyard set next door is also five hundred taels." Su Jinxiu's smile was gentle, but her tone left no room for argument. "I'll buy both sets together for six hundred taels, how about that?"
Granny Tian stared wide-eyed, as if she had heard a fairy tale.
When I first met this young woman, I was struck by her gentle demeanor and graceful manners, and assumed she was a kind-hearted person who was easily embarrassed and not good at arguing. I had already planned to raise the price of these two courtyards to earn more money for my retirement. But to my surprise, she offered such a shockingly low price, catching me completely off guard.
"Young lady, this isn't bargaining, it's practically tearing this old man apart and cooking him to eat! The land alone for these two courtyards is worth more than six hundred taels of silver. At this price, the original customer wouldn't even be able to break even!"
Su Jinxiu, however, remained calm and pulled Granny Tian to the courtyard wall. Pointing to the moss at the corner of the wall and the old locust tree in the yard, she analyzed in a serious tone: "Granny Tian, look, the base of this wall is covered in moss, which means the drainage is poor. It will definitely flood when it rains, and we'll have to repair it again, which will cost a lot of money. And this old locust tree, its branches are almost reaching the roof. If a strong wind breaks it and damages the house, the loss will be huge. I'll have to find someone to prune it."
She paused, then leaned closer and lowered her voice, saying, "Besides, I'm buying two sets at once, so I should get a group purchase price, right? Think about it, these two courtyards are just sitting empty anyway. If I buy them, you'll immediately get six hundred taels of silver. Isn't that convenient? If you keep waiting, who knows when you'll find a buyer as straightforward as me."
Granny Tian was stunned by what she said. She was completely confused by the "group purchase price" concept, but she felt that everything the woman said made sense, and she didn't know how to refute it for a moment. She scratched her head and said with a bitter face, "Six hundred taels is too little. It has to be at least nine hundred taels, not a penny less!"
"Seven hundred taels." Su Jinxiu refused to budge an inch. "I can also introduce you to business. I know many friends like me who want to buy property in the capital. I'll introduce them to you, and I guarantee you'll have a steady stream of customers."
Yi Ruxu watched from the side, unable to suppress her laughter.
Granny Tian hesitated for a long time before finally gritting her teeth and saying, "Eight hundred taels! That's the lowest I can go! This is my bottom line!"
Su Jinxiu pretended to hesitate for a moment, then held out her hand: "Deal!"
Grandma Tian held her hand, still lamenting, "I've really lost out. Meeting a scheming girl like you is just my bad luck."
The two readily signed the papers, and after all the formalities were completed, they finally received the two precious land deeds. Standing together in front of the adjacent houses, looking at the bustling scene on Bowei Lane, which was far more prosperous than Xiu Lane, they both smiled from the bottom of their hearts.
"Qiao Niang, I never expected you to have such bargaining skills!" Yi Ruxu exclaimed in admiration. "You saved two hundred taels with just one word. This amount of money is enough to support our livelihood for a long time."
Su Jinxiu smiled, then frowned again: "By the way, Brother Ruxu, we need cash to pay the tax at the Shuntian Prefecture Tax Office later. If you're short on cash, I can..."
"Don't worry, it's enough." Yi Ruxu smiled gently. "Qiaoniang, I'm not as destitute as you think. My uncle is an inspector of the Censorate, and although my parents unfortunately passed away early, they left me a vast fortune."
Su Jinxiu was startled by his words, as he had never mentioned his family background before. She then asked, "Then... how did you end up living in Xiu Lane?"
Yi Ruxu lowered her eyelids and said softly, "Because I have been expelled from the clan by my uncle."
"Ah? This...you..." Su Jinxiu was speechless for a moment. Thinking that Yi Ruxu was of upright character, it must be that his uncle was wicked. Worry instantly appeared between her brows.
Seeing her like this, Yi Ruxu quickly waved her hand: "It's not my uncle's fault. He is an upright man, but he is too black and white. He believes that all men of our clan should strive for fame and fortune, and if they are mediocre, they are not worthy of being descendants of the Yi family. But I only yearn for the life of Tao Yuanming, who 'picked chrysanthemums by the eastern fence and leisurely looked at the southern mountains.' Moreover, my parents were implicated in the controversy over fame and fortune and died young. So I thought that I would not enter the officialdom and would just live a simple and plain life."
Su Jinxiu nodded, then suddenly recited: "How can I bow and scrape before the powerful and wealthy, making me unable to be happy?"
Yi Ruxu's eyes lit up: "That's right! Indeed, you are the only one in this world who understands me the most!"
Su Jinxiu smiled and asked in return, "If that's the case, then how come you've now entered the Hanlin Academy?"
Upon hearing this, Yi Ruxu's smile froze instantly, and she remained silent for a long time.
Why?
Yi Ruxu's thoughts drifted back to a few days ago. When he appeared before his uncle in his brand-new official robes, the usually stern-faced inspector was so shocked that his eyes widened as if he had seen a ghost.
In truth, his uncle's resolute decision back then wasn't out of genuine heartlessness, but rather out of disappointment and frustration. He had been the most outstanding and talented member of the clan, carrying all of his uncle's earnest expectations. Yet, at the crucial moment of taking the imperial examination, he chose to retreat into seclusion, infuriating his uncle so much that he immediately removed him from the family genealogy and severed all ties.
He had witnessed the spoiled and arrogant daughters of noble families in his clan, and had also encountered many mercenary women who sought to climb the social ladder. The many women in his father's harem further exposed him to the complexities of human nature at a young age, leading him to believe that marriage was nothing more than an exchange of interests. At that time, all he wanted was to escape, and he even secretly resolved never to marry, but only to wander the world and live out his days in obscurity.
But don't make promises you can't keep, because things will turn out the opposite when they reach their extreme.
While temporarily residing in the embroidery alley, he happened to meet the girl who stirred his heart. She lived a simple life, yet was loyal and devoted. She always smiled at everyone, so kind and pure.
Moreover, when they discussed the imperial examinations in the past, although he had been modest, she quoted the poem by Tao Yuanming, whom he admired most, praising his refined and otherworldly nature. She also mistakenly believed that he was struggling financially, and even though she herself was also having difficulty making a living, she still insisted on taking care of him.
At the same time, his uncle's teachings from his childhood echoed in his ears: "If you do not strive for fame and success, even if someone admires you in the future, it will be difficult to provide her with a stable life, and you may not even be qualified to ask for her hand in marriage."
A single glance from a beautiful woman is worth a hundred thousand words of advice.
Therefore, fame and fortune are no longer shackles binding his mind and body, but a solemn promise he can make to her.
Seeing that he remained silent for a long time, Su Jinxiu assumed that he was thinking of sad things from the past, so she stopped talking and simply patted his shoulder to comfort him, saying, "It seems that our Xiuxiang is a place where dragons and tigers are hidden. We may seem lonely and miserable, but in fact we each have our own destiny."
After saying that, she couldn't help but fall silent for a moment.
Hidden dragons and crouching tigers? Yes, there is a real dragon in Embroidery Alley, who has long since soared into the sky and will never look back.
Seeing his expression, Yi Ruxu quickly changed the subject: "Let's go in and take a look, and note down the parts that need repair so we can estimate the cost."
Su Jinxiu also knew when to stop, composed herself and followed him into the courtyard. Looking at the courtyard that would soon become her new home, she was filled with joy.
People aspire to higher places, while water flows downhill!
At this moment, in the private room of Zuichunfang, the fine wine was spilled by Feng Chen, leaving a mess all over the floor, flowing down the slope, just as the saying goes, "water flows downhill."
Outside the private room, dancers were gracefully performing on the stage in the center of the first floor. Shi Yunyu lifted the beaded curtain and glanced at them, then turned to look at Feng Chen, who was clearly drunk.
He only took two sips before becoming quite drunk. His hand loosened, and the wine jar fell to the ground and shattered.
Shi Yunyu's capacity for alcohol was unfathomable, and seeing his unruly behavior, she couldn't help but sneer and mock him.
"You're laughing at me? You're laughing at me too, aren't you?" Feng Chen accused vaguely. "Shi Yunyu, do you also think I'm stupid? She..."
After saying this, he suddenly stood up, his voice rising abruptly, causing the curtains to sway slightly.
"How dare she...!"
The servants outside and the entertainers nestled beside the guests all turned their curious gazes toward the private room upon hearing the noise.
Shi Yunyu, finding his behavior undignified, quickly grabbed his sleeve: "Keep your voice down! People outside are watching you, is that respectable?"
"Glory?" Feng Chen hugged a new wine jar, throwing in a fit of despair: "I'm just not glorious!"
He then even yelled, "Look at me! Look how pathetic I am! Look at how I've been treated like dirt!"
Shi Yunyu was both shocked and furious, feeling a surge of embarrassment rising to her head. He was so pathetic; she didn't want to lose face with him. So she abruptly covered Feng Chen's mouth, shoved him down, and hissed through gritted teeth in his ear, "Behave yourself! Stop yelling! Tell me what happened, and I'll take you to her!"
Upon hearing the words "find her," Feng Chen paused abruptly, then slumped into a seat, his tone softening somewhat.
"You have no idea how outrageous she is... She had three or four men..."
Shi Yunyu had already sat back down opposite him, her hand holding the wine cup paused slightly, and she raised an eyebrow and said, "Is that so? That young lady looks gentle and graceful, but I didn't expect her to be so bold and daring."
"...Let me guess," she changed the subject, looking at Feng Chen teasingly, "So you're not even her fifth lover? Is this jealousy and anger?"
These words struck a nerve with Feng Chen. His eyes widened as he glared fiercely at Shi Yunyu: "Go ahead and try if you dare! Her heart is harder than a rock. I really don't know what she likes, or what's so good about those men!"
Then his voice trailed off, filled with frustration: "I can't learn it, I really can't learn it..."
While drinking, Shi Yunyu questioned, "Just because you haven't learned it doesn't mean you can't learn it."
“I’ve talked to Cui Cheng,” Feng Chen said in a muffled voice, “He’s a womanizer all the time, he knows all about these things. I asked him to teach me how to please women, how to win their hearts, I’ve tried everything, but she just won’t listen. I’m really at my wit’s end, I’m really at my wit’s end…”
"Alright, alright, you good-for-nothing." Shi Yunyu waved her hand. "When it comes to understanding women's minds, you might not be as good as me. If you meet her again, I'll teach you a few tricks to win her heart. She's beautiful and talented. With that, even five, let alone four, would be too much for her! It's perfectly normal for you men to have three wives and four concubines. She's just following suit. What's wrong with that? I advise you to be more open-minded and focus on improving yourself!"
Feng Chen was speechless after being rebuked by her words. He could no longer hold back his pent-up emotions and burst into tears like a child, covering his eyes.
Author's Note: Qiaoqiao: Breathing
Siyuan: You've been trying to seduce me.
Male supporting characters: Breathe
Siyuan: You've been provoking me all along.
Note:
"How can I bow and scrape before the powerful and wealthy, thus losing my joy?" (Quoted from Li Bai's "Dreaming of Visiting Mount Tianmu")
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