Chapter 38

Chapter 38

The waiters expecting payment and the other diners in the restaurant were all stunned, clearly not anticipating such a scene.

The few men who had just mocked the An Family’s son-in-law were momentarily at a loss.

Fan Changyu was dumbfounded at first, then blinked in disbelief. “Did you have your purse stolen on the street just now?”

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

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

After Fan Changyu’s loud shout, the entire room of people who had been staring at them all went back to their own meals. Some even remarked, “The lantern festival’s coming up soon, and the streets will be packed. It’s even easier for things to get stolen—everyone needs to stay alert!”

Someone else whispered, “That man looks even prettier than the woman. Could he be a kept man?”

A bystander retorted, “No way, he was the one trying to pay just now!”

“Seeing the An Family’s son-in-law make a fool of himself, it’s all just for show. But with a face like that, living off a woman’s money is about all he’s good for…”

Before Xie Zheng could lose his temper, Fan Changyu scooped up Changning with one hand and grabbed Xie Zheng’s arm with the other, quickly pulling him out of the restaurant.

Once on the street, she finally caught her breath and asked Xie Zheng, “Was your purse really stolen?”

Xie Zheng’s cold expression stiffened for a moment, and he nodded slightly.

With his skills, it was unlikely someone could have taken something from him without him noticing. As Fan Changyu had guessed, he’d bought too many things for the child and hadn’t realized he was short on money.

After all, he’d never before had to worry about not having enough silver when going out to buy something.

Fan Changyu recalled that he had stopped by a bookstore earlier but didn’t buy anything because the prices were too high. He should have known how much money he had left and wouldn’t have only realized he was out of money when it came time to pay. She sighed, “It must have been too crowded on the street earlier, and a pickpocket got your purse.”

She pulled out her own purse, counted out two silver jiao and a handful of copper coins, and handed them to Xie Zheng. “Keep this money. It’ll be easier if you want to buy anything at the lantern festival later.”

Changning generously added, “Ningniang’s lucky money is for brother-in-law too!”

Their smiling faces made it seem like they really were a family.

Xie Zheng felt a strange sensation rise in his chest and frowned. “No need. I’m not buying anything.”

“Why are you so stubborn? It’s handy to have some money on you for whatever you might need.” Fan Changyu thought he was just embarrassed to take her money, so she grabbed his hand and placed the coins in his palm.

Her hands were always warm, and when she grabbed his hand, that warmth spread through his skin, as if reaching deeper beneath the surface.

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

Dusk had settled, and lanterns lit up the streets and alleys.

The soft yellow light outlined the lines of his profile as he looked at Fan Changyu. In her dark, phoenix-like eyes, his expression grew increasingly unreadable. “Thank you.”

“For what? You’ve already bought so many things for Changning, and besides, you still have forty taels kept with me…” Fan Changyu brushed it off.

Xie Zheng listened quietly. Only after she finished speaking did he say, “Lucky money is lucky money. It’s different.”

Fan Changyu was momentarily taken aback. Suddenly, a cheer rose from the crowd in the distance, drawing the three of them to look that way. They saw a street magician breathing fire.

No one knew how the magician did it, but he held a small burning bamboo stick in his hand, and with a strong blow, the flame instantly burst into a large fire. The crowd gasped and stepped back when the flames swept near them, then applauded and cheered.

Changning was fascinated and tugged on Fan Changyu’s sleeve. “Big sister, Ningniang wants to see the big fire.”

By now, night had fully fallen, and the streets were crowded. Fan Changyu, worried that Changning might trip or be jostled, picked her up and said to Xie Zheng, “The lantern festival seems to have started. Let’s go take a look.”

Xie Zheng glanced at the fire-breathing performers, his eyes clearing of all thoughts, and said to Fan Changyu, “Let me carry her.”

Fan Changyu, strong as she was, immediately refused, “No need. Your injury hasn’t fully healed yet…”

Xie Zheng replied, “Carrying a child is no trouble.”

After a pause, he added, “I see other children on the street being carried by their fathers or older brothers.”

Fan Changyu glanced around and noticed that among the children out to see the lanterns, if they had parents with them, it was usually the father carrying the child.

She and Xie Zheng taking Changning out easily made people mistake them for a family of three.

Xie Zheng was tall and imposing, and with Fan Changyu holding Changning, many passersby gave them a second glance.

Occasionally, those unaware would even point and whisper about Xie Zheng.

Fan Changyu recalled what had happened earlier at the restaurant. After a brief hesitation, she handed Changning over to Xie Zheng to hold and reminded him, “If your hands get tired, just give Ningniang back to me.”

Xie Zheng nodded calmly in response.

He was over half a head taller than Fan Changyu. With Changning resting on his shoulder and stretching her neck, she could see farther ahead. She pointed here and there along the way, clearly excited.

Fan Changyu and Xie Zheng walked side by side, still holding the painting the scholar had drawn for them, their faces unusually relaxed and smiling.

Many passersby noticed and sincerely praised them as a perfect couple.

A middle-aged couple with a young child had come out to see the lantern festival. The woman was holding their little son, but when she saw Fan Changyu and the others, she immediately shoved the boy into her husband’s arms and scolded him with a stern face, “Look at that young man, so considerate of his wife. You’re useless; can’t you see my arms are about to break?”

The man held the child with both hands, his ears being pulled as he was scolded, wincing and repeatedly apologizing.

Fan Changyu couldn’t help but smile but felt a bit uneasy inside because of the woman’s words.

She glanced up to secretly observe Xie Zheng, only to find him turning his head just then. Their eyes met in the soft glow of the lantern light. He asked, “What’s wrong?”

Fan Changyu cleared her throat and spotted a lantern tower decorated with colorful lanterns in the distance. “I see there’s a lantern riddle contest over there. Let’s go try guessing some riddles!”

Changning had also spotted the various lanterns from afar and excitedly said, “Ningniang wants to buy a pig lantern!”

Fan Changyu smiled, “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, Changning vigorously nodded, counting on her chubby fingers, “Big sister is a Tiger, Ningniang is a Pig.”

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

Fan Changyu replied, “More precisely, nine 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 lunar month in the Year of the Pig.”

She looked at Changning, her gaze softening. “After the last lunar month passed last year, Ningniang turned six. According to the town’s custom, during the mourning period for parents, children’s birthdays aren’t openly celebrated to avoid shortening their lifespan. That’s why we didn’t prepare a birthday gift for Ningniang; we only made her a bowl of noodles.”

She looked at Xie Zheng as she spoke, “You ate it too—that time when we made the pork intestine noodles.”

Xie Zheng: “……”

That hardly counted as a pleasant memory.

But her birthday is in the first lunar month, so this month she’ll be sixteen?

Xie Zheng’s eyes darkened slightly.

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

Xie Zheng didn’t answer.

She guessed casually, “You must be a dog, right?”

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

Xie Zheng shot a sharp look at Fan Changyu, who wanted to hide her smile but couldn’t hold it in.

She said, “If you really are a dog, it fits your personality pretty well.”

Her smile was wild and bright.

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

Fan Changyu cleared her throat lightly. “I heard people born under the dog sign hold grudges and are pretty harsh with their words.”

Before she could finish, she caught a cold glare.

Feeling inexplicably guilty, Fan Changyu said, “Don’t you know how sharp your own tongue is?”

A faint smirk tugged at Xie Zheng’s lips. “I don’t talk much about things that don’t concern me, but I will say your taste in men is a bit off. One Song Yan has you hung up on him to this day…”

Fan Changyu finally understood what it meant to reap what you sow. Back then, to avoid him misunderstanding her intentions, she had spun a lie about being deeply in love with Song Yan. Now, he seized every chance to mock and disdain her.

She couldn’t help but say, “When have I ever been hung up on him…”

“Pfft—”

A snicker came from behind a wall of lanterns and banners.

Fan Changyu looked up and saw a few young gentlemen lifting the banners and stepping out from behind the lantern wall. One of them was Song Yan.

“Brother Song truly keeps his talents hidden. The Magistrate’s Daughter is so impressed by his scholarship and even his former fiancée, now married to another, can’t let go of him!” A man in an apricot-yellow robe and official hat pointed at Fan Changyu with a closed folding fan, a leering smile on his face.

He was clearly the one who had laughed behind the lantern wall.

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

She pressed her lips tightly, unwilling to let that Song man think she still liked him—there was nothing more infuriating to her than that.

Xie Zheng, having met Song Yan before and still holding some impression of him, cast a cold, oppressive gaze over the group of dandy scholars, lingering a moment longer on Song Yan.

Song Yan wore a deep indigo robe, and even in the cold weather, he held a folding fan in his hand. When his eyes met Xie Zheng’s gaze, he instinctively looked away.

His classmates, however, were unconcerned. They thought that since each of them had earned official titles, they wouldn’t have to kneel in court, so there was no need to fear a butcher’s son-in-law.

The man in the yellow robe immediately sneered, “Brother, don’t lose your composure. Brother Song is the only one who passed the county-level exam in Qingping County. It’s understandable your wife still thinks highly of him.”

Another man beside him studied Fan Changyu for a long moment before clapping his hands and laughing, “I remember one year this young lady even came to the County Academy to bring Brother Song some winter clothes. I asked Brother Song who she was, and he said she was his younger sister!”

“Looks like this young lady really has deep feelings for Brother Song. No wonder that brother got so worked up when you mentioned him…”

The Lantern Festival was lively at the time, and their back-and-forth drew many passersby to stop and watch. Curious onlookers pointed and whispered about Fan Changyu, making remarks.

“So this is Scholar Song’s former fiancée who broke off the engagement.”

“She’s quite a looker, but they’re already married. Why would she still cling to Scholar Song? Only a son-in-law could put up with such humiliation…”

“What a coincidence to run into her here. Could it be she knew Scholar Song would come to the festival tonight and came just to see him?”

Hearing this, Song Yan glanced at Fan Changyu, then withdrew his gaze and said to his companions, “Let’s go. These lantern riddles aren’t worth the trouble; there’s nothing to guess.”

Listening to the gossip and catching Song Yan’s look, Fan Changyu felt a burning rage surge from her chest, coursing through her veins and limbs, making her feel utterly sick.

Xie Zheng glanced at her, then at the group, and said, “Stop right there.”

His tone was casual but carried the weight of a command.

His words made the crowd’s interest deepen.

Song Yan and his group halted, and his classmates turned back with superior, mocking expressions.

The man in the yellow robe teased, “Brother, do you want to pick a fight with us? We all have official titles. If you so much as touch a hair on our heads, I doubt you’ll have a good day for the rest of your life.”

A sneer curled Xie Zheng’s lips as he coldly retorted, “You’ve studied the classics for ten years, but have you swallowed all the lessons on propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame? Is it really the behavior of scholars to slander a woman?”

The men suddenly grew awkward.

He spat out two cold, sharp words: “Apologize.”

Only the man in the yellow robe said, “When have we ever slandered her? We’re just stating the facts.”

Xie Zheng lazily raised an eyelid, his words cutting and cold: “Isn’t it true that your exam essays for the imperial exams were full of gossip about women’s faults? You don’t remember the manners of a gentleman, but you sure know how to stir up trouble. Did you learn that at Nanfeng Hall?”

Laughter erupted from the crowd.

Someone even shouted loudly, “Well said! A bunch of people who’ve read the sages’ books, gossiping about a woman like a bunch of old hags! Even the Lord Rabbit of Nanfeng Hall isn’t as good at chewing the fat as they are!”

The man in the yellow robe’s face instantly darkened to the color of raw liver as he pointed at Xie Zheng: “You… you…”

His companion chimed in, “All these are shameless and filthy words! An insult to our scholarly dignity!”

Xie Zheng sneered lightly, “Scholarly dignity? Do you deserve that title? You’ve barely studied for a few days and your head’s already swollen. How could you understand the Northern Wild Geese Flying South, when phoenixes are everywhere but none can find a foothold?”*

As he spoke, his indifferent gaze landed squarely on Song Yan, clearly directing the insult at him.

Several scholars were stunned to realize Xie Zheng was also a scholar. Their expressions turned angry and resentful. That last line was clearly an insult aimed at them. They wanted to retort but couldn’t think of a fitting comeback, their faces darkening in frustration.

After Xie Zheng’s words, Song Yan’s expression flickered unpredictably. Eventually, he cupped his hands and said, “My two friends spoke without restraint just now and offended Miss Fan… I apologize on their behalf.”

Seeing Song Yan take responsibility, the others reluctantly followed suit, bowing as well: “We were wrong just now. We apologize to both of you.”

Xie Zheng said nothing and looked at Fan Changyu.

Fan Changyu knew Xie Zheng was talented with words but hadn’t expected him to single-handedly put down these scholars. After a brief moment of surprise, she immediately scowled and said coldly, “I was just joking with my husband. Why should you scholars criticize me? My husband is both handsome and talented. I’m neither foolish nor blind. Why would I cling to someone else?”

Her words made many onlookers laugh.

Song Yan’s face turned pale and flushed, his fingers stiffening as he clasped his hands in apology.

Xie Zheng lazily lifted his eyes. Though he knew most of what she said was to save face, it still sounded agreeable to him.

After all… he didn’t think it was untrue.

Fan Changyu regained her composure and hummed softly while holding Changning’s hand. “Let’s go.”

Xie Zheng glanced coolly at the few scholars still standing there, then followed at a leisurely pace.

Song Yan and his fellow students felt uneasy on the surface.

The onlookers kept whispering and pointing fingers: “They say faithless men are often scholars. After Song Yan passed the juren exam, he backed out of this marriage. Yet when he ran into her on the street, he even brought people to mock the Fan family’s daughter. Truly despicable!”

“I think the Fan family’s live-in son-in-law has better talent than these scholars. I wonder if he’ll take the imperial exams. If he passes, the Fan family’s future will be much brighter!”

Hearing this, Song Yan’s face, hidden in the shadows of the lantern light, darkened with gloom.

His fellow students, eager to save face, shouted, “A pretty face who married in—if he really had the ability to pass the imperial exams, he wouldn’t be a live-in son-in-law!”

“In my opinion, if he tries the exams, he probably wouldn’t even pass the county-level test!”

Song Yan listened to all this, his cold expression showing no sign of softening. “Let’s end it here for today. We’ll meet again another day.”

Since he had spoken, the others, embarrassed by such a public loss of face, felt too ashamed to linger at the lantern fair and each went their separate ways.

Xie Zheng fell back a few steps behind Fan Changyu. Walking one ahead and one behind, they were silent for a moment before he suddenly said, “I was the one who spoke out of turn earlier.”

If I hadn’t brought up Song Yan first, those few wouldn’t have overheard and laughed at you behind the lantern wall.

Fan Changyu paused briefly and said, “It’s nothing. You’ve already helped me, and besides, I was the one who deceived you first.”

Xie Zheng looked up. “Deceived me about what?”

Fan Changyu tugged at her hair, a little embarrassed. “I was afraid you’d misunderstand and think I had feelings for you, so I deliberately said I hadn’t let go of him.”

When Xie Zheng heard this, a different emotion flickered in his eyes.

He said, “I thought… you were sad.”

Fan Changyu gave him a look that said, “No way.”

The two had already left the street where the lantern exhibition was held. The surroundings suddenly grew quiet, and the occasional alley they passed was dark and gloomy.

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

“No.” Fan Changyu said, then handed Changning over to Xie Zheng. “Cover Ningniang’s eyes and take her somewhere far away for a while.”

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

Fan Changyu found a dark corner and crouched down with him, pulling out the coarse linen sack and the wooden mallet she had bought when leaving the market. She bared her small canine tooth and said, “That guy in the yellow shirt talks so much trash that I have to beat him up to feel better!”

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*Xie Zheng is mocking him for being arrogant after barely studying at all. The “Northern Wild Geese Flying South” is a classical image about the hardship and wandering of scholars. The line about phoenixes means that even true talent struggles to find a place in the world. What he’s really saying is that if real brilliance cannot gain recognition, then someone as shallow as this man has no right to call himself a scholar.