Chapter 105 Open and Frank

Chapter 105 Open and Frank

She washed the fruit while boiling water; one plate had peaches and plums, and another plate had apricots and cherries, all of which Jiang Yuan bought from the villagers.

"You're living a good life, aren't you?" Xie Wei was amazed by the endless stream of snacks she brought out. "There are four kinds of fruit alone."

Xie Wanniang pushed the plate in front of them, and seeing that they each took one and started eating, she picked up a small pink, sweet and sour cherry and put it in her mouth. "They are all grown by the villagers themselves, and they taste quite good."

Xie Daoheng ate one apricot and then stopped eating. "Can you tell Father what exactly happened back then?"

Xie Wanniang nodded, "I didn't want to acknowledge my ancestors, but Daoist Xie Jingshu tried to force me to do it. I was angry and aggrieved, so I ran out crying."

Xie Daoheng didn't react at all to her calling him by his birth mother's name, but Xie Wei and Xie Bao stared wide-eyed in astonishment.

Xie Wei wanted to say something, but seeing that Xie Daoheng was just listening quietly, he had no choice but to close his mouth again.

Forget it, even his uncle, who is like a father, doesn't care. Why should he, as a cousin, say anything more?

Xie Wanniang was also observing Xie Daoheng's reaction. Seeing that he did not show any displeasure, Xie Wanniang mentally gave herself a small thumbs up.

"I just wanted to go for a walk to clear my head and then come to you for help once I calmed down, but as soon as I got to the riverbank, two unfamiliar faces with daggers rushed at me from behind, one on the left and one on the right."

"I didn't bring any medicine powder with me, so I had no choice but to jump into the river to escape. Fortunately, I've read a lot of books and know a little about some ways to raft that save energy."

“They chased me on the bank while I floated in the river. I finally managed to shake them off by using a section of the riverbank with its complex terrain. But when I thought about why I had suffered this misfortune, I didn’t dare to go ashore and leave immediately.”

"I kept drifting until I was almost exhausted. I figured I could avoid everyone's search area, so I decided to find a suitable place to go ashore."

“At that time, there were many people from Mingfu Village fishing and washing clothes by the river. A man named Wang Sanhu saw that my clothes were valuable and wanted to take me home to be his wife.”

"What?!" Xie Wei was furious. "Where is that scumbag? Your brother will break both his legs for you right now!"

Xie Wanniang smiled and comforted him, "Brother, don't be angry. I'm fine, I just prevented him from succeeding in his scheme."

Xie Daoheng said with certainty, "It was that kid named Jiang Yuan who helped you."

Xie Wanniang nodded, "When he heard Wang Sanhu say that, he pulled me out before Wang Sanhu could."

“He’s such a good person. He not only borrowed a quilt from an aunt in the village to wrap me up, but also called a doctor for me and provided me with food, clothing and shelter. If any bad people tried to take advantage of me, he would be the first to stand up and protect me.”

Xie Daoheng's eyes were filled with mixed emotions. "You and that child..."

"I like him." Xie Wanniang didn't intend to hide it from Xie Daoheng. "I want to marry him."

Xie Wei and Xie Bao remained stunned, their eyes wide and mouths slightly agape.

It took Xie Wei a while to regain his senses after running away. He looked conflicted, his gaze shifting back and forth between Xie Daoheng and Xie Wanniang.

His upbringing taught him that Xie Wanniang's remarks were completely unorthodox. But as the saying goes, if his uncle, who was like a father, didn't care, why should he, as a cousin, say anything?

Seeing that he looked like he had something to say but was trying hard to hold it back, Xie Wanniang solemnly declared, "This is different from the kind of marriage arranged by parents and matchmakers. He is not one of those people who are 'okay, passable, or acceptable' to me."

Xie Daoheng still didn't react, but Xie Wei couldn't hold back any longer. He asked, "Is it because he saved you? Sixth Sister, a life-saving grace can be repaid in other ways. You don't have to..."

“Brother Wei,” Xie Wanniang interrupted him, “I’m not doing this to repay a debt of gratitude.”

"He is good-looking, has a good personality, good character, and is good to me. He does all the housework, and he does everything he can to satisfy my needs, whether I like something, dislike something, lack something, or want to do something."

"Even if he knew what kind of trouble and danger I represented, he would not choose to distance himself from me, but would always stand firmly by my side."

"Moreover, he is not the incompetent person you imagine. Although he is not like you brothers, who are devoted to farming and studying and aiming for the imperial examinations, he has also been educated and can do arithmetic. In addition, he has practiced martial arts since childhood. He is not only skilled in archery and horsemanship, but also very good at fists, feet, swords and spears."

Upon hearing this, Xie Daoheng looked up and asked Xie Wanniang, "So, he plans to enter officialdom through military force?"

Xie Wanniang: ......

Xie Wanniang gave him a thumbs up, "As expected of my father, he's first-rate at grasping the essentials."

Xie Wei didn't know what to say to Xie Wanniang. Was this the time for her to flatter her elders? Didn't she know how easy it was to die on the battlefield?

"Sixth Sister..." He was about to explain the pros and cons to Xie Wanniang when Xie Daoheng waved his hand at him.

"You're not going home, not only because you're angry with your mother, but also because you don't want to bring disaster back to the Xie family, right?"

Xie Wei was taken aback, then turned around and stared at Xie Wanniang.

Xie Wanniang smiled and said, "Since you've already guessed, I won't waste any more words."

Not only does the Prince of Nanyang's mansion have a large number of guards, but her father's current wife's family is also a family of military merit. If anyone wants to deal with her, they can easily bribe the guards of the mansion or ask her father and brothers for her.

The Xie family, a family of scholars, were not powerless even because of the so-called "Six Arts of a Gentleman." In fact, during times of chaos, they had worked together to deal with the refugees and bandits who wanted to take advantage of Xie Family Village. But in the end, they still could not compare with those carefully selected masters.

Killing them wouldn't take much more effort than killing a chicken.

If she were to return to the Xie family alive and well, not to mention whether her Taoist priest mother would continue her madness and force her to acknowledge her ancestors, wouldn't the Nanyang King and his mother, who were almost driven mad by their desire for offspring, bribe or leave a few people to keep an eye on the Xie family's every move without seeing her body?

Xie Wanniang couldn't gamble with her own life and the lives of the Xie clan for that one possible outcome; she couldn't afford to lose.

If it weren't for the fact that a model of a powerful figure like Jiang Yuan is a once-in-a-century find, and if the current social environment weren't so hostile towards young women living alone, Xie Wanniang wouldn't have stayed in Tang County. Instead, she would have made a hasty retreat.

Seeing that Xie Daoheng and the other two looked very serious, Xie Wanniang smiled and tried to lighten the mood, "Oh dear, don't all look like that. Do you think I, Xie Wanniang, am the kind of person who would willingly let myself be bullied all the time?"

She stood up and, on the empty space next to the table, practiced punching and kicking with great flair. "I've been practicing martial arts very hard."