Chapter 11 Laughing in Anger
But Xiao Yu couldn't say it. If she did, it would sound like she was really looking forward to it. It was Song Luoning who wanted to buy it, and she was just accompanying her.
That's right, that's exactly it.
He stubbornly retorted, "What's so satisfying about this? Aren't all bathtubs the same?"
Upon hearing this, Song Luoning raised an eyebrow and, seeing her insincere expression, felt unusually pleased: "Husband is right, it is Luoning who is ignorant."
Xiao Yu choked.
This sentence sounds strange, yet you can't find fault with it.
"My lord, the bath tub is ready. Let's go buy a carriage next."
carriage?
This young lady is indeed rich. The whole county town is full of oxcarts, and there are hardly any horse-drawn carriages. I didn't expect that the young lady would just wave her hand and want to buy a horse-drawn carriage.
Xiao Yu was overjoyed; her buttocks were still aching from riding that rickety oxcart that morning.
If it's a horse-drawn carriage...
She needed to stay calm, otherwise Song Luoning might secretly laugh at her for being petty.
Xiao Yu glanced at Song Luoning, feigning reluctance: "Why are you making things so complicated? Why do you need to buy a horse-drawn carriage? Wouldn't it be better to take an oxcart? You really are a spoiled young lady."
Upon hearing this, Song Luoning paused for a moment, looked up at her, and saw through her little thoughts. She understood: "In that case, let's listen to my husband."
"..."
No, I'm not buying it?
Song Luoning, you need to have your own opinions! How can you listen to your own nonsense?
After a moment's thought, I wondered if I had spoken too harshly.
Xiao Yu was unsure whether to ask her again at this moment.
I'm a little embarrassed to admit it.
It's all my fault for speaking too quickly; now I'm getting my comeuppance.
To be honest, she was quite envious of the horse-drawn carriage, thinking it was so much better than this hard, bumpy oxcart.
But... she glanced at Miss Song, and her regret was practically written all over her face.
Seeing that the two were still not getting on the oxcart, the old man driving the cart couldn't help but urge them: "Young Master Xiao, if the young lady doesn't leave soon, it will get dark."
Song Luoning nodded and smiled slightly: "Grandpa, could you please help us deliver this to Chenjia Village first? We still have some things to do." As she spoke, she not only paid the fare but also gave him an extra five coins.
Having received the money, the old ox-driving man weighed it in his hand, chuckled, and said, "Alright, I guarantee I'll deliver it to you two young people." With that, he cracked his whip, spurred the oxcart, and drove off without looking back.
A young...couple?
Xiao Yu blushed, turned her face away, and muttered to herself, "Who's this couple? They're more like mistress and servant."
Song Luoning chuckled softly, "Husband, let's go."
Walk?
etc.
Xiao Yu snapped out of her daze. Where were they going? Weren't they going home?
No, the important thing is that she didn't even know the person, yet she let them take the bathtub away so easily?
Even if a young lady has money, she shouldn't go through all this trouble, especially since it's her own bathtub.
Xiao Yu pointed in the direction the oxcart disappeared and said speechlessly, "Do you know him? You let him take the stuff away and even paid him first."
Even if someone is rich and foolish, they shouldn't play like this.
Ultimately, it comes down to a lack of experience; how can one so easily trust others?
Song Luoning wasn't angry. She said softly, "Husband, you're overthinking it. This kind of bath tub isn't practical for ordinary households. Besides, that old man makes a living driving an oxcart. It's not worth ruining his business for something so impractical. I'm sure he lives nearby. It won't be hard to find him."
Xiao Yu choked.
That's true, there's always an unexpected outcome, isn't there?
"Cough cough... Husband, I've thought about it and we should buy a horse-drawn carriage instead. Luo Ning has been frail since childhood and can't stand the bumpy ride of this oxcart. Besides, the oxcart is gone now." Song Luo Ning's voice was very low, her face was slightly red from coughing, and her eyes were veiled with tears.
How pitiful.
Xiao Yu closed her eyes and opened them again, feeling a surge of irritation. She walked ahead with a sullen face. Anyway, it wasn't her money, so she could buy whatever she wanted: "What are you standing there for? Aren't we going to buy a carriage?"
She didn't seem to feel the same excitement she had when buying the bathtub; she felt sullen, and all her attention was on Miss Song behind her.
I've never seen someone in such poor health still able to put on such a fuss.
"Husband, could you slow down a bit? Luo Ning is having trouble keeping up." A clear and melodious voice came from behind, slightly out of breath, and trembling slightly if you listened closely.
Xiao Yu: "..."
She was such a spoiled young lady; she complained inwardly, but her body obeyed, and she gradually slowed down.
Song Luo Ning smiled gently: "Thank you for your understanding, husband."
"......"
What are you trying to understand?
Xiao Yu turned her head to the side, revealing a slightly red ear tip.
You're angry at yourself for being so useless. Why did you blush when someone just praised you?
He muttered to himself: "Xiao Yu, you're such a loser."
She pursed her lips, as if the faint fragrance from the wooden tub from last night still lingered in her nostrils.
It was Song Luoning's scent, like a secluded orchid in a valley, serene and elegant, like a cat's paw scratching at the heart.
That's insane.
Xiao Yu took a deep breath. He must have been incredibly audacious to have such lustful thoughts towards a black-hearted woman like Song Luo Ning.
Aside from her appearance conforming to her own aesthetic standards...
Suddenly, a burst of cheers from ahead interrupted her thoughts.
Looking in the direction of the sound, they found a teahouse with a group of people gathered in front of it.
Xiao Yu asked in confusion, "What are those people doing?"
Song Luo frowned.
She didn't know?
People in Baisheng love drinking tea, and teahouses can be found everywhere. For just ten coins, one can enter a teahouse to listen to storytelling, with the cost of tea extra.
Song Luoning: "Perhaps it's because the storyteller's stories are so captivating."
storytelling?
I've seen this kind of plot in movies and TV shows quite a few times, but this is the first time I've seen it in real life.
If you're tempted, why not go and broaden your horizons?
Xiao Yu: "Wife, why don't we go and join in the fun?" His tone was light and cheerful.
Song Luoning could clearly sense the expectation in the tone of the person in front of her.
I used to occasionally go to teahouses in Beijing to listen to storytelling, but most of the stories were the same and didn't resonate with me much.
Gradually, I stopped going as often as I used to, partly because it was boring, and partly because I was often sick, sometimes for months at a time, so I couldn't go out and have fun like a normal person.
Since this scoundrel wants to go, let's just listen. It'll only cost ten coins anyway.
The first floor was packed with people. Some squatted under the stands, while others stood leaning against the wall. When the waiters served tea, they had to squeeze through the crowd.
Xiao Yu observed that most of the people in the teahouse were scholars in blue robes and long jackets, and there were not many people dressed in short clothes.
There were some women on the second floor, each followed by a maid; they were probably young ladies from wealthy families.
There are still seats available. How could a young lady like Song Luoning squeeze through the crowd?
"Let's go to the second floor," Xiao Yu said.
Song Luoning glanced at the stands, nodded, and followed Xiao Yu up to the second floor. The two found a seat and sat down.
A table was set up in the stands, and a middle-aged man in a gray robe sat in front of it, holding a folding fan. When he got to an exciting part of the story, he snapped the fan shut and slammed it onto the table with a 'snap'.
The audience erupted in cheers.
After listening for a while, Xiao Yu understood the general story. It was about a scholar who studied hard for twenty years, passed the imperial examination with flying colors, and then had women on both sides of him.
It is entirely a product of feudal patriarchy, fabricated to cater to these intellectuals.
"What? People actually listen to this kind of story?" Xiao Yu tugged at the corner of his mouth, listening to the cheers from below the stage, speechless.
Song Luoning raised her eyes, "Oh? My husband doesn't like it?"
As a modern woman who advocates gender equality and monogamy, who can accept this?
It's hard to know what Song Luoning, being from ancient times, was thinking, but she grew angrier the more she listened.
"The idea that men should have multiple wives and concubines is problematic. Why should women be subservient to men? Who says women are inferior to men?" Xiao Yu said indignantly.
Song Luoning paused for a moment, her gaze falling on her. After a long while, she pursed her lips, showing her surprise despite her inner turmoil.
After a moment's hesitation, she said softly, "My husband is right."
Xiao Yu: "I knew it. What normal woman could resist listening to a story like this? Besides, this old man's storytelling is terrible; he's not even as good as me."
Song Luoning chuckled, recalling her earlier remarks, and assumed she was just saying it in anger, so she played along, saying, "Yes, my husband is right."
"......"
Could your expression be any more fake? Is this even a conversation going to work?
Xiao Yu felt a lump in her throat, unable to calm down for a long time.
She said with dissatisfaction, "Song Luoning, do you think I'm lying to you?"
Isn't it just storytelling?
Whom do you look down on?
She has read at least eight hundred, if not a thousand, novels; she can recite stories off the top of her head.
Don't be fooled by this woman's apparent agreement; who knows what she's really thinking?
Therefore, she had to prove her abilities so that the woman wouldn't think she was exaggerating.
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