The Duke House's Ideal Daughter-in-law
Chapter 39
The shopkeeper, upon hearing this, quickly set aside what he was doing and rushed to the second floor.
Xu Nian’an followed suit. When they reached the second floor and took a look, they saw Zhao Huanxi rushing over from the bookshelves.
“Sanlang, what happened?” Xu Nian’an caught him and asked.
Zhao Huanxi stood behind Xu Nian’an, pointing at Qian Ming, and breathlessly complained, “That person, acting crazy, was singing and chasing after me non-stop.”
The shopkeeper stood between Qian Ming and Zhao Huanxi, greeting both sides, “Zhao Gongzi, Qian Gongzi, it’s all a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding.”
Seeing both of them calm down, he introduced them to each other, “Qian Gongzi, this is the eldest legitimate grandson of Jing Guogong Residence, Zhao San Gongzi. Zhao Gongzi, this is the eldest son of Qingshou Junzhu from Marquis Yong’an Residence, Qian Da Gongzi. Zhao Gongzi, you may not know, but Qian Gongzi has a little… habit. Once he is happy, he can’t help but want to sing opera. Singing to you is his way of appreciating you and wanting to make friends with you.”
Zhao Huanxi exclaimed indignantly, “What little habit? It’s clearly a big problem! It scared me to death!”
At this moment, Qian Ming also calmed down from his initial excitement. He walked over and bowed to Zhao Huanxi, who was hiding behind Xu Nian’an, saying, “I’m sorry, Zhao Gongzi, I was out of line earlier, and I was rude. But as Wang Zhanggui said, I really just wanted to make friends with you, nothing more. Please forgive me.”
“I don’t want to be friends with you. Dong Jiejie, let’s go.” Zhao Huanxi pulled Xu Nian’an downstairs, muttering as they walked, “What a strange and scary person.”
“Ai!” Qian Ming wanted to follow but was afraid of further alienating Zhao Huanxi. He forcibly stopped in his tracks and asked Shopkeeper Wang, “Does this Zhao Gongzi often come here to read?”
Shopkeeper Wang replied, “He doesn’t come often, probably about four or five times a year.”
“What a pity! Such a pity!” Qian Ming was no longer in the mood to buy books and sighed as he walked away.
On the carriage, Zhao Huanxi sat upright with a stern face, silent.
Xu Nian’an glanced at him and couldn’t help but chuckle.
“You’re still laughing. You say, isn’t it scary? Where can there be such a person?” Zhao Huanxi complained.
Xu Nian’an nodded repeatedly. “It really is scary. Since we didn’t buy any books, let’s go somewhere else.”
The two went to another bookstore and bought a large stack of books. Then, they strolled around Liuli Street, buying some interesting trinkets. Zhao Huanxi’s mood improved a bit.
At noon, Xu Nian’an took Zhao Huanxi to a restaurant called “Yugengqiao”. As soon as the waiter saw her, he was very enthusiastic. “Xu Guniang, you are here. Let me call the shopkeeper.”
“No need, I’m here to eat, not to find Qiao Zhanggui. Do you have a private room?” Xu Nian’an asked with a smile.
“Since it’s Xu Guniang, even if we don’t have one, we have to make one available. Please follow me upstairs.” The waiter draped a napkin over his shoulder and led Xu Nian’an and Zhao Huanxi upstairs.
While the waiter went to prepare the private room, Xu Nian’an and Zhao Huanxi stood by the window on the second floor, looking down at the street view below.
Zhao Huanxi glanced at Xu Nian’an several times and couldn’t help but ask, “Are you familiar with the shopkeeper here?”
Xu Nian’an, who was distracted, replied, “En, very familiar.”
“Is your relationship very good?”
“Yes.”
“Is she a woman?”
Xu Nian’an was slightly stunned, then turned to look at Zhao Huanxi.
Zhao Huanxi pretended to casually ask, but the tightness of his lips betrayed him.
“Of course he’s a man, twenty-three years old this year. Not only is he good at doing business and making money, but he also looks very handsome.” Xu Nian’an restrained her laughter as she saw Zhao Huanxi’s increasingly ugly expression turn around, “In just over three months, he will be my Si Meifu. Would you like to meet him?”
Zhao Huanxi’s stunned expression was both cute and funny. Xu Nian’an couldn’t help but hold back her laughter, covering her mouth with a handkerchief and leaning against the window frame behind her.
Zhao Huanxi didn’t have time to glare at her. He reached out and pulled her shoulder towards him, saying, “Be careful not to fall…”
In his haste, he didn’t control his strength well and ended up pulling her directly into his arms.
Xu Nian’an: “…..” Staring at the faint lipstick mark she left on his chest, she wiped it with a handkerchief, but it didn’t come off completely.
Zhao Huanxi lowered his head and watched her actions, his face turning red, “It’s fine.”
The private room was ready. The waiter came over to invite them to their seats.
Yugengqiao is most famous for its fish soup, so the “Yugengqiao” (渔耕樵) was actually “Yu Geng Qiao” (鱼羹乔).
Add a little flour to the water and cook until it thickens. Then, add the thinly sliced boneless fish that has been marinated and blanched, followed by egg whites, and garnish with wolfberries and chopped green onions. When served, it is colorful, fragrant, and appealing.
Zhao Huanxi had also eaten fish soup before, but it was not prepared in this way. In the Guogong Residence, the fish soup did not contain whole pieces of fish; instead, it was made using minced fish meat.
He curiously scooped up a spoonful, blew on it to cool it down, and ate it. The fish meat was tender and fresh, leaving a lingering fragrance on his lips and teeth after eating.
“Is it delicious?” Xu Nian’an asked him.
With fish in his mouth, Zhao Huanxi nodded repeatedly, his cheeks bulging, and his thick eyelashes fluttered as he squinted his eyes joyfully, looking very childish.
Xu Nian’an sighed inwardly: I hope he will become more mature after going to academy.
After lunch, Xu Nian’an began to plan the “courage-strengthening” plan. Seeing the two guards sent by Yin Furen Furen still in sight, she instructed the coachman to drive the carriage to a street near Jilong Alley.
“You all wait here. San Yé and I are going for a stroll nearby and will be back soon,” Xu Nian’an instructed the two guards and the coachman who were with them.
Xu Nian’an dragged Zhao Huanxi by the wrist into a nearby alley, looking back at the two guards as they walked. Unable to resist, Zhao Huanxi asked, “Dong Jiejie, where are we going? Why didn’t we bring Zhiyi and Zhi’er?”
He doesn’t feel secure without Zhiyi and Zhi’er by his side while strolling around.
“We’re going to watch a cockfight, let them follow us, then when we go back they’ll surely let Mother know, you sure she wouldn’t scold us?” Xu Nian’an pulled him along as they walked and spoke.
Zhao Huanxi repeated in surprise, “Cockfighting?” Cockfighting and dog-racing is definitely not a good term.
Before they even reached Jilong Alley, a strong smell of chicken droppings wafted over. Zhao Huanxi frowned, waved his hand in front of his nose, and asked, “What’s that smell?”
“For the sake of the silver, endure it a bit!” Xu Nian’an pulled him and cheerfully turned into the alley. Ahead was a crosswise alley lined with chicken coops and people watching cockfights. Shouts, curses, and cheers could be heard one after another.
Before Zhao Huanxi could react, Xu Nian’an had already pulled him into the alley.
Next to each cockfighting area was a betting stand. Xu Nian’an was quite good at judging chickens. As they walked by, she placed several bets and ended up winning dozens of taels of silver.
She took the winnings and, holding Zhao Huanxi’s hand, left the cockfighting alley.
“Dong Jiejie, you’re really amazing. How did you know which of those fighting cocks would win?” Zhao Huanxi, experiencing cockfighting for the first time, wasn’t particularly fond of it, but seeing Xu Nian’an having fun, he naturally became somewhat interested as well.
“Of course there’s a trick to it. Let me tell you…” Xu Nian’an was about to continue, but she saw a hooligan-looking man coming around the corner ahead.
Zhao Huanxi also saw him and subconsciously turned to look back, only to find that their retreat was blocked by two men.
Seeing the three men approaching, Zhao Huanxi pulled Xu Nian’an back against the wall and asked, “What do you want?”
“What do you think we want?” The man who had come from the front crossed his arms and chuckled. “You won quite a bit just now. Hand it over!”
Zhao Huanxi was very nervous. After assessing the situation, he hesitated briefly and then turned to Xu Nian’an, saying, “Should we give it to them? It’s just a few dozen taels of silver.”
“No way. I won that silver fair and square. Why should I let them take it?” Xu Nian’an shook off Zhao Huanxi’s hand, rushed to a corner, grabbed a bamboo pole used for setting up a tent, and fiercely swung it at the man closest to her.
Zhao Huanxi stared in astonishment.
Caught off guard, the man was struck hard by Xu Nian’an. His arm stung with pain, and he became furious, ordering his two companions, “Grab this woman first!”
The three men rushed towards Xu Nian’an.
Zhao Huanxi panicked and didn’t have time to think. He rushed forward, grabbed the hair of the man closest to him, and pulled him back. The man, in pain, stretched out his arm to hit him.
Panicked and afraid, Zhao Huanxi kept pulling the man’s hair as he retreated, making it difficult for the man to reach him. The man, off balance, ended up falling down.
Meanwhile, Xu Nian’an continued to hit another man, causing him to hop in pain. However, another man took the opportunity to grab her arm.
Zhao Huanxi grabbed a broken basket from the corner of the wall, ran over, and swung it at the man, pushing him against the wall. Furious that he had grabbed Xu Nian’an, Zhao Huanxi kicked him before grabbing Xu Nian’an and running away.
“Don’t run!” The three men chased after them in anger.
Heart pounding, Zhao Huanxi ran ahead, pulling Xu Nian’an without looking back. They stopped to catch their breath only after turning two corners.
Zhao Huanxi, still shaken, looked back along the way they came and said to Xu Nian’an, who was leaning against the wall, panting heavily, “It seems they didn’t follow us.”
Xu Nian’an nodded, her hands on her knees, thinking to herself: They should have been taken care of by those two guards.
Zhao Huanxi also leaned against the wall, panting. He looked at Xu Nian’an, whose hair was loose and face flushed, and couldn’t help but laugh as he scolded, “Money addict!”
“Even if I’m not ‘money addict’, I can’t let those robbers be happy. If not, wouldn’t it just embolden their courage?” Xu Nian’an’s words were interrupted, which made Zhao Huanxi laugh again.
“Were you scared during the fight just now?” Xu Nian’an asked Zhao Huanxi.
Zhao Huanxi felt a bit embarrassed and said, “I was a bit scared at first, but when I saw them coming towards you, I didn’t care about anything else.”
“It’s fortunate that you didn’t care, which saved my silver. I’ll give you half of it later.” Xu Nian’an said as she straightened up and raised her hand to tidy up her hair.
“Dong Jiejie, it seems you’ve lost an earring,” Zhao Huanxi said.
Xu Nian’an reached up and felt it. Indeed, her left ear was empty, and the earring was missing.
The two searched the area but couldn’t find it. Zhao Huanxi didn’t dare to lead her back to retrace their steps, so he said, “I’ll buy you a new pair later.”
Xu Nian’an nodded.
After catching their breath and tidying up their clothes, they returned to the carriage.
Zhao Huanxi casually instructed the coachman, “To the Xiangfeng Tower.”
After sitting in the carriage for a while and completely shaking off the impact of what had just happened, Zhao Huanxi began to feel ashamed.
When faced with those three men just now, Xu Nian’an, as a woman, could bravely grab a bamboo pole to resist, while his first thought was to ask her to hand over the silver to settle things.
She must have despised him for that.
Thinking back to the last sentence they said to each other last night, he turned his head sadly to look out the window.
A woman like her wouldn’t like him.
Now he had found the first reason she didn’t like him: she was brave, and he was weak.
If.. if he also became brave, would she, like him a little bit?
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