Zhu Yu – Chapter 38

As the waiter waiting to collect payment and other diners in the restaurant stood dumbfounded, clearly not expecting such a turn of events, even the men who had been mocking the An family’s son-in-law moments ago were caught off guard.

Fan Changyu was stunned at first, then asked in confusion, “Did someone steal your money pouch on the way here?”

She then called out to the waiter, “I’ll pay.”

During festivals, the streets were crowded, making it easier for pickpockets to strike.

With Fan Changyu’s loud exclamation, the roomful of people who had been staring at them resumed their meals. Some commented, “When we go to see the lantern festival later, the streets will be even more crowded. It’s easier for valuables to be stolen then. We must be vigilant!”

Someone whispered, “I think that man looks even better than the woman. Could he be a kept man?”

Another person refuted, “How is that possible? He was just trying to pay earlier!”

“Anyone can put on an act after seeing the An family’s son-in-law embarrassed. But with a face like that, he could certainly make a living as a kept man…”

Before Xie Zheng could react, Fan Changyu quickly scooped up Chang Ning with one hand and pulled him out of the restaurant with the other.

Once they were on the main street, she caught her breath and asked Xie Zheng, “Was your money pouch stolen?”

Xie Zheng’s cold expression froze for a moment, and he gave a slight nod.

With his skills, it was unlikely that someone could have pickpocketed him without him noticing. As Fan Changyu had mentioned earlier, he had indeed bought too many things for the child and hadn’t realized he was out of money.

After all, in the past, when he went out to buy something, he never had to worry about not having enough money.

Fan Changyu remembered that he had visited the bookstore earlier and thought the items there were too expensive to buy. He should have known how much money he had left. She sighed, “It must have been stolen by a pickpocket when we were in the crowded street earlier.”

She took out her money pouch, counted out two silver pieces and a handful of copper coins, and handed them to Xie Zheng. “Keep this money. It’ll be convenient if you want to buy something at the lantern festival later.”

Chang Ning also generously said, “Sister, give my New Year’s money to Brother-in-law too!”

Her beaming smile made it seem as if they were truly a family.

Xie Zheng felt a strange sensation in his heart and frowned, saying, “No need. I won’t be buying anything.”

“Why are you being so difficult? It’s convenient to have some money on you, just in case,” Fan Changyu thought he was just being shy about taking her money. She grabbed one of his hands and placed the coins in his palm.

Her hands were always warm, and as she grabbed his hand, that warmth seemed to seep through his skin and into something deeper.

After she withdrew her hand, Xie Zheng looked at the copper coins and silver pieces in his palm. His fingertips curled almost imperceptibly before he closed his fist as if to hide something.

Dusk had fallen, and lanterns were lit throughout the streets and alleys.

The warm yellow light carved out the lines of his profile as he looked at Fan Changyu. The expression in his dark phoenix eyes became even more unreadable. “Thank you,” he said.

“What are you thanking me for? You’ve already bought so many things for Chang Ning, and besides, I’m still holding onto those forty taels for you…” Fan Changyu didn’t think much of it.

Xie Zheng listened silently, and only after she finished did he say, “Candy money is candy money. It’s different.”

Fan Changyu was slightly taken aback. Suddenly, a cheer erupted from the crowd in the distance, drawing their attention. They saw a street performer breathing fire.

It was unclear how the performer managed it, but he held a small burning bamboo stick in his hand. When he blew on it forcefully, the flame instantly turned into a large burst of fire, startling the onlookers. As the flames swept near them, they cried out and stepped back, then applauded and cheered.

Chang Ning found this very intriguing and immediately tugged at Fan Changyu’s clothes. “Sister, Ning wants to see the big fire.”

By now it was completely dark, and the streets were crowded. Fan Changyu, worried that Chang Ning might trip or be bumped into, picked her up. She said to Xie Zheng, “The lantern festival seems to have started. Let’s go over there and take a look.”

Xie Zheng glanced at the group performing the fire-breathing trick, the thoughts in his eyes fading away. He said to Fan Changyu, “Let me carry her.”

Fan Changyu, with her great strength, immediately refused, “No need, your injuries haven’t fully healed yet…”

Xie Zheng said, “Carrying a child is no problem.”

He paused, then added, “I’ve noticed that other children on the street are being carried by their fathers or elder brothers.”

Fan Changyu looked around and realized that among families out to see the lanterns if both parents were present, it was indeed usually the father carrying the child.

With her and Yan Zheng accompanying Chang Ning, people might mistake them for a family of three.

Yan Zheng was tall and strong, and with her carrying Chang Ning, they had already attracted glances from passersby.

Those who didn’t know the situation occasionally pointed and whispered about Yan Zheng.

Fan Changyu recalled the incident at the restaurant earlier. After a moment’s hesitation, she handed Chang Ning to Xie Zheng to carry, cautioning, “If your arms get tired, give Ning back to me to carry.”

Xie Zheng nodded slightly in agreement.

He was nearly a head taller than Fan Changyu, so Chang Ning, perched on his shoulder, could see even further. She kept pointing here and there along the way, asking them to look, her excitement uncontainable.

Fan Changyu walked alongside Xie Zheng, still holding the painting the scholar had drawn for them, a rare contented smile on her face.

Many passersby who saw them sincerely praised what a fine couple they made.

A middle-aged couple was out with their young son to see the lanterns. The wife, carrying their little boy, spotted Fan Changyu’s group and immediately handed the child to her husband. She frowned, saying, “Look how considerate that young man is to his wife. You heartless man, can’t you see my arms are about to fall off!”

The husband, now holding the child with both hands, had his ear pulled as his head was forced to one side. He kept apologizing, “Ouch, ouch, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”

Fan Changyu was both amused and slightly uncomfortable with the woman’s words.

She glanced up at Xie Zheng secretly, only to find him turning his head towards her at that moment. Their gazes met in the soft lantern light, and he asked, “What’s wrong?”

Fan Changyu coughed dryly and, spotting a distant tower adorned with colorful lanterns, said, “I think there’s a lantern riddle game over there. Let’s go solve some riddles!”

Chang Ning had also spotted the various lanterns in the distance and excitedly said, “Ning wants to buy a piggy lantern!”

Fan Changyu laughed, “Alright, let’s go take a look first.”

Xie Zheng asked, “Is she born in the Year of the Pig?”

Before Fan Changyu could answer, Chang Ning was already nodding vigorously. She counted on her chubby fingers, “Sister is Tiger, Ning is Pig.”

Xie Zheng gave Fan Changyu a strange look, “You’re only nine years older than your sister?”

Fan Changyu said, “To be precise, it’s ten years. I was born in the first month of the Year of the Tiger, and my sister was born at the end of the twelfth month in the Year of the Pig.”

She looked at Chang Ning, her gaze softening, “Last year, as soon as the twelfth month passed, Ning turned six. According to our town’s customs, to avoid shortening a child’s life, birthdays aren’t openly celebrated during the mourning period for parents. We only made her a bowl of noodles for her birthday.”

She turned to Xie Zheng, “You’ve had it too, it was the intestine noodles I made that time.”

Xie Zheng: “…”

That wasn’t exactly a pleasant memory.

But if her birthday was in the first month, she would be turning sixteen this month?

Xie Zheng’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Fan Changyu suddenly asked him, “What’s your zodiac sign?”

Xie Zheng didn’t answer.

She guessed wildly, “Are you a Dog?”

This sounded a bit like an insult, and a passerby couldn’t help but glance back at them.

Xie Zheng shot a glance at Fan Changyu, who tried very hard to suppress the smile on her face but failed.

She said, “If you were born in the Year of the Dog, it would suit your personality.”

The smile on her face was truly unrestrained and radiant.

Xie Zheng turned his head to look at her and asked, “What do you mean?”

Fan Changyu coughed lightly, “I’ve heard that people born in the Year of the Dog are particularly good at holding grudges and are very sharp-tongued.”

Before she could finish, she received a cold glare.

Fan Changyu felt inexplicably guilty, “Don’t you know how venomous your tongue is?”

Xie Zheng’s lips curled slightly, “I haven’t said much about you in other matters, only that your taste in men is somewhat lacking, with you still pining for someone like Song Yan until now…”

Fan Changyu realized what it meant to reap what one sows. Back then, to prevent him from misunderstanding her intentions towards him, she fabricated a lie about her undying love for Song Yan. Now, he seized every opportunity to mock and despise her for it.

She couldn’t help but say, “When have I ever been pining for him…”

“Pfft—” A snicker came from behind the lantern wall adorned with banners and flower lanterns.

Fan Changyu looked up and saw several young gentlemen pushing aside the banners and emerging from behind the lantern wall. Among them was Song Yan.

“Brother Song is truly a hidden talent. Not only has the magistrate’s daughter been captivated by your scholarship, but even your married ex-fiancée is at odds with her husband because of you!” A man wearing an apricot-yellow robe and a cap pointed his folded fan at Fan Changyu, his face bearing a frivolous smile.

He was also the one who had snickered behind the lantern wall earlier.

Fan Changyu’s expression instantly soured. She never expected Song Yan and his classmates to be behind that lantern wall.

Her lips tightened. Nothing irritated her more than letting that Song fellow misunderstand that she still had feelings for him.

Xie Zheng, who had met Song Yan before and had some impression of him, cast a cold and oppressive gaze towards those flirtatious scholars, lingering a few moments longer on Song Yan.

Song Yan wore an indigo robe and held a folded fan despite the cold weather. Upon meeting Xie Zheng’s gaze, he instinctively avoided it after a brief moment of eye contact.

His classmates, however, were unfazed. They believed that as scholars with academic titles, they didn’t need to kneel even in court, so why should they fear the son-in-law of a butcher’s daughter?

The man in the yellow robe immediately mocked, “Sir, don’t lose your temper. Brother Song is the only one who passed the county-level imperial examination in Qingping County. It’s understandable that your wife still thinks of him.”

Another man beside him, after observing Fan Changyu for a while, suddenly clapped and laughed, “I remember now! One year, this young lady specially came to the county school to deliver winter clothes to Brother Song. I asked Brother Song who she was, and he said she was his younger sister!”

“It seems this young lady is indeed deeply in love with Brother Song. No wonder that sir gets so upset at the mention of Brother Song…”

The lantern festival was in full swing, and the back-and-forth between these men drew the attention of many passersby. Busybodies pointed and whispered at Fan Changyu.

“So this is Song Yan the scholar’s ex-fiancée whose engagement was broken off.”

“She’s quite pretty, but she’s already married. Why is she still pining for Scholar Song? Only a live-in son-in-law would tolerate such behavior…”

“What a coincidence to run into each other here. Could it be that she knew Scholar Song would be at the lantern festival tonight and came specifically to see him?”

Hearing all this, Song Yan glanced at Fan Changyu, then withdrew his gaze and said to his companions, “Let’s go. These lantern riddles are nothing special, not worth solving.”

Fan Changyu, hearing the whispers and catching Song Yan’s glance, felt anger burning from her heart through her blood into her limbs. Her whole body felt sick.

Xie Zheng gave her a look, then turned to the group and said, “Stop.”

His tone was lazy but a command.

With these words, the onlookers’ faces grew even more intrigued.

Song Yan’s group halted, and his classmates turned back with looks of mockery and arrogance on their faces.

The man in the yellow robe teased, “Does this sir intend to use force against us? We all hold academic titles. If you lay a finger on us, you’ll never have a peaceful day for the rest of your life.”

Xie Zheng’s mouth curled into an even more disdainful sneer as he coldly said, “You’ve studied the classics for ten years, and all your propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame have gone to the dogs? Is slandering a woman the conduct of scholars?”

The group suddenly looked sheepish.

His thin lips uttered two cold words: “Apologize.”

Only the man in the yellow robe persisted, “When did we slander anyone? We merely stated the truth.”

Xie Zheng lazily raised an eyebrow, his words biting and cold: “Is your examination paper filled with gossip about women too? You’ve forgotten the etiquette of a gentleman, but you’re quite skilled at wagging your tongue. Did you come from a brothel?”

The crowd burst into laughter.

Someone even shouted, “Well said! A group of scholars acting like gossiping old women, aren’t you ashamed? Even the male prostitutes in brothels don’t gossip as much as you do!”

Hearing the jeers, the man in the yellow robe’s face instantly turned the color of a pig’s liver. He pointed at Xie Zheng, sputtering, “You… you…”

His companion chimed in, “Such shameless and vulgar words! A disgrace to scholars!”

Xie Zheng let out a light snort, “Scholars? Are you worthy of that title? You’ve read a few books and think you’re above everyone else. How would you know that ‘When wild geese fly north, phoenixes find no place to land’?”①

As he said this, his indifferent gaze fell directly on Song Yan, clearly directing these words at him.

The scholars, shocked to realize that Xie Zheng was also educated, instantly looked furious. His last sentence was an insult to them, but they couldn’t think of a retort, leaving their faces extremely unsightly.

After Xie Zheng spoke those words, Song Yan’s expression became inscrutable. Finally, he bowed and said, “Earlier, it was my two friends who spoke out of turn and offended Miss… Mrs. Fan. I apologize on behalf of my friends.”

Seeing Song Yan take a stance, the others, though unwilling, also bowed and said, “We were in the wrong earlier and hereby apologize to both of you.”

Xie Zheng remained silent and looked at Fan Changyu.

Fan Changyu, briefly surprised by Xie Zheng’s ability to outwit these scholars single-handedly, quickly composed herself and said coldly, “I was just joking with my husband. What right do you scholars have to gossip? My husband is handsome and talented. I’m neither stupid nor blind, so why would I be pining for someone else?”

This statement made many onlookers laugh.

Song Yan’s face flushed red and pale, his clasped fingers stiff with tension.

Xie Zheng lazily raised his eyes. Although he knew most of what she said was to save face, he still found it pleasing to hear.

After all… he didn’t think it was a lie.

Having regained her composure, Fan Changyu took Changningg’s hand and snorted lightly, “Let’s go.”

Xie Zheng cast a cool glance at the scholars standing still, then followed at a leisurely pace.

Song Yan and his classmates felt their faces burning with embarrassment.

The onlookers continued to whisper and point: “They say scholars are often heartless. Song Yan broke off the engagement after passing the exam, and now he even mocks the Fan girl in public. How despicable!”

“I think that live-in son-in-law seems more eloquent than these scholars. I wonder if he’ll take the imperial exams. If he passes too, the Fan family’s future will be bright!”

Hearing this, Song Yan’s face, hidden in the shadow of the lanterns, darkened.

His classmates, trying to save face, shouted, “A pretty boy who married into his wife’s family, if he could take the imperial exams, he wouldn’t have become a live-in son-in-law!”

“In my opinion, he probably couldn’t even pass the lowest level of the exams!”

Listening to this, Song Yan’s cold expression didn’t soften at all. He merely said, “Let’s end it here for today. We’ll meet again another time.”

With him speaking up, the others, having lost so much face, didn’t feel like continuing their lantern festival tour. They each headed home.

Xie Zheng walked a few steps behind Fan Changyu, the two moving in silence for a moment before he suddenly said, “About what happened earlier, I spoke out of turn first.”

If he hadn’t mentioned Song Yan first, those people wouldn’t have overheard behind the lantern wall and mocked her.

Fan Changyu paused slightly and said, “It’s nothing. You’ve already helped me, and besides, I lied to you first.”

Xie Zheng looked up, “Lied about what?”

Fan Changyu tugged at her hair, a bit embarrassed, and said, “Earlier, I was afraid you’d misunderstand that I had feelings for you, so I deliberately said I hadn’t gotten over him.”

Hearing this, Xie Zheng’s eyes showed a hint of other emotions.

He said, “I thought… you were upset.”

Fan Changyu gave him a “how could that be possible” look.

The two had already left the street with the lantern exhibition. Suddenly, the surroundings became quiet, with occasional dark, gloomy alleys passing by.

Xie Zheng asked, “Is this the way to Yixiang Lou?”

“No,” Fan Changyu said, then handed Changningg to Xie Zheng to hold. “In a moment, cover Niang’s eyes and take her far away.”

Xie Zheng was silent for a moment, then asked, “What are you going to do?”

Fan Changyu found a dark corner and crouched there with him, pulling out a large burlap sack and a cloth-beating stick she had bought when leaving the market. She bared her small canine teeth and said, “That yellow-robed guy has such a foul mouth. Of course, I need to beat him up to feel better!”

•  This is a Chinese idiom meaning that when lesser talents are in favor, there’s no place for true talent.