Chapter 23 Silver Lotus [VIP]

Chapter 23 Silver Lotus [VIP]

Chapter Summary: The lady was originally a guest of honor of Master Ximen.

Three days later.

"...Please trouble you to convey a message to the magistrate!"

"The county magistrate is extremely busy; he has no time to concern himself with a few tea and fruit! Go away! Don't block the way!"

At noon, at the east gate of the county government office.

In order to secure the county magistrate's contract, Pan Yue and Wu Da hurriedly left home at the crack of dawn, carrying the food box they had carefully prepared the night before.

Before they could even see the county magistrate, the two of them were stopped outside the county government office by the gatekeeper.

In the morning, they made excuses about being busy with official business; at noon, they claimed they had guests at a banquet and would come back in the afternoon. The constable yawned and stretched, too lazy to even come up with an excuse. He simply waved his whistle and lazily told the two men not to block the way!

"What should we do?!"

The cicadas chirped incessantly, and the midsummer sun was so intense it made one's eyes dizzy.

Under the poplar trees on the street in front of the county, Wu Da squinted at the sunlight streaming down his head, hurriedly took off his headscarf, wiped the sweat from his neck, then turned to look at Pan Yue, who was frowning, and sighed deeply as he looked across the street.

"Erlang has already gone to Tokyo, and we can't even get through the gates of the county government office..."

"Wu Da! Madam Pan!"

Pan Yue was feeling annoyed when she suddenly heard hurried footsteps coming down the long street. Upon closer inspection, she recognized Lin, the head constable who worked in the county and had been a close confidant of Wu Song.

"Chief Lin?"

Pan Yue quickly stepped forward and curtsied, saying, "Captain, you've come in such a hurry, I wonder why..."

"My lady, there's no need for such formalities!"

Lin, the head constable, waved his hand, not even bothering to wipe his sweat. He glanced sideways in the direction of the county government office, then leaned forward and said to the two men, "I shouldn't be saying much about today's matter, but I've received a lot of help from you and your wife in the past..."

After a few words of guidance from him, Pan Yue suddenly realized that the reason why the two of them were repeatedly turned away was not because of what the clerk said, "tea and fruit are trivial matters," but because she should have realized long ago that Xu San, the manager of Yanzitang, was the son-in-law of Song Ming, the county magistrate!

With this connection, without the county magistrate's approval, who would dare let the two of them in?

"...What should we do?"

The cicadas chirped incessantly, and the sun shone as brightly as ever.

After seeing off Chief Lin, Wu Da wiped the seemingly endless sweat from his forehead and circled around Pan Yue.

Pan Yue was dizzy from his rambling. She looked around and then turned to him, saying, "It's hot now, and those guys are probably suffering terribly. They don't have much patience to listen to our explanation. Why don't we go to the teahouse on the street to rest for a while and try again when it gets cooler at dusk?"

"Alright!"

Wu Da picked up the food box and stepped forward, saying, "My lady, please come with me!"

"Hey! What wind is blowing outside today? How did it manage to bring here the most famous, most renowned pancake beauty in Yanggu County?!"

Pan Yue followed Wu Da into a teahouse on the street, idly watching the passersby outside the window.

Before the stool could even settle in, the curtain separating the inner and outer rooms was lifted, and a slightly sarcastic voice, accompanied by the graceful figure of a woman, came from the inner room with a sigh that lingered for a long time.

What kind of tea would you like?

The space above them suddenly darkened, and the owner of the voice stood before them, gathering his robes, and coldly asked, "Plum soup or broad-leaf tea?"

Why is the shopkeeper so sarcastic on our first meeting?

Pan Yue frowned slightly and raised her head. When she saw the person's face clearly, she was stunned.

Wang Po?!

Her five fingers on the table tightened unconsciously. She looked down at Wu Da, who was sitting in front of her, with a puzzled look in her eyes. There were countless teahouses along the street in front of the county. What a coincidence that she ended up in her house.

If it were just a first meeting, it wouldn't be so bad, but judging from her sarcastic tone and cold words, she probably already knew that Pan Yue was avoiding her and keeping her at a distance.

"You old woman, you talk too much!"

Before Pan Yue could say anything more, Wu Da, who was sitting across from her, suddenly became sullen. He was obsequious in front of the college teachers, timid and hesitant in front of the troublesome villagers, but in front of the woman who was guarding the shop alone, he had a rather domineering "big shot" demeanor.

Wu Da's face twitched, he threw the towel he had used to wipe his sweat on the table, then took the money pouch from his waist, held it in front of her, shook it vigorously, and said in a gruff voice: "Bring two bowls of plum soup, and get some rare fruits for my wife!"

"spit!"

Although it was a small shop on the street, what kind of people, from high-ranking officials to poor and lowly people, hadn't Wang Po seen?

Seeing his haughty, country bumpkin-like manner, Granny Wang glared at him, flung her handkerchief aside, and turned to face inside, muttering, "A lowly pancake seller, what's he doing pretending to be an official!"

"Hey! I'm telling you, you old hag..."

With a "rip," Wu Da kicked the stool backward, about to retaliate, when suddenly a ray of sunlight shone down from under the eaves, and a delicate voice followed.

"Godmother?"

Pan Yue was about to offer some advice when she heard the words "godmother," and she paused abruptly, turning her head away with Wu Da.

She was a beautiful and graceful young woman; her face was like a peach blossom in March, and her waist was as slender as a willow swaying in the breeze. She leaned against the door curtain and peeked in.

Is Aunt Wang here?

Granny Wang returned with tea and fruit, and upon seeing the face of the person in the corridor, her impatient wrinkles vanished instantly, replaced by a beaming smile as she rushed forward, exclaiming, "Oh my! What brings you here today, madam?"

She stuffed the tea and fruit from the dish into the woman's arms, and together they went inside, chatting intimately.

Seemingly mindful of the presence of others below, she took two steps before the woman suddenly grabbed her wrist, glancing shyly towards the window. As she spoke, a suspicious blush rose on her cheeks, and she said softly, "Godmother, please don't tease me! I've been idle at home and remembered your request the other day, and since today is an auspicious day, I thought it would be perfect for me to sew clothes for you!"

An auspicious day? To sew clothes?

The familiar scene and conversation made Pan Yue frown and her eyelids twitch.

On the other side, Granny Wang's eyes darted around. She patted the woman's delicate hand, a glint of something unreadable in her eyes, and said with a mocking smile, "How could I dare trouble you, madam?"

"What are you saying, godmother?"

The woman looked around with her clear eyes, her cheeks flushing even more. She quickly tugged at the woman's sleeve and pretended to scold her, saying, "Since I call you godmother, how can it be a bother for me to sew clothes for you?"

"I feel a connection with you, madam. It would be wrong of me to refuse again!"

Granny Wang took a half step back, looking her up and down, her smile becoming increasingly ambiguous.

As soon as Wang Po caught a glimpse of Pan Yue and her companion's faces out of the corner of her eye, she gave a soft snort, turned around, lifted the water curtain, and said to the woman, "I have guests right now, please sit in the inner room for a while!"

The lady nodded gracefully, and as she took a step, she caught Pan Yue's face in her peripheral vision. Her expression froze for a moment, but she quickly composed herself, covered her face with her sleeve, and shyly walked away...

"Chirp chirp chirp"

The cicadas chirped, and the midsummer sun blazed relentlessly.

Wu Da sat there blankly, completely bewildered. Pan Yue, who was sitting next to him, had her expression change the moment she uttered the words "godmother."

That woman...

She squinted at the gently trembling water curtain, her brows furrowed, her face ashen.

Could it be that because this lotus is not the same as that lotus, another beautiful young woman who recognizes Wang Po as her godmother appears here to complete the play that should have been performed by "Jinlian"?

That……

Her eyes trembled slightly, and she subconsciously looked at Wuhan University directly in front of her.

That woman just now... judging from her hairstyle, she's also a married woman. And her husband... if her lover is also Ximen Qing, will he repeat the fate of Wu Da's "previous life"?

"Here you go!"

Before she could think it over, she heard a loud crash as Wang Po strode forward and threw the nearly empty plate of tea and fruit in front of the two of them.

Glancing down, she saw the strikingly beautiful Madam Pan staring at her own unrefined, short-statured son, Gu Shupi, with a complicated expression. She clicked her tongue, casually picked up a round fan, and muttered something as she walked towards the door.

"It truly proves the old saying: A fine horse often carries a fool, and a beautiful wife often sleeps with a clumsy husband!"

Before Pan Yue could even discern Wu Da's expression, she was already sitting on a stool by the door, seemingly eager to stir up trouble. She glanced at the window every now and then, listlessly fanning herself with a round fan, and exclaimed in a shrill voice, "Golden Lotus, Silver Lotus, both are lotuses. How could one be paired with a three-inch-tall dwarf, a man with missing teeth and a dull tongue, deaf and dazed! The Old Man of the Moon, truly playing tricks on us!"

Pan Yue's expression suddenly darkened.

While the mercenaries of Wuhan University are despicable, Wang Po, who spends her days spreading rumors, gossiping, and engaging in matchmaking to seduce novelists, is even more repulsive.

Fearing that if she stayed any longer, Wang Po would say even more hurtful things, Pan Yue hesitated for a moment, then suddenly stood up.

"Wuhan University, we..."

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly heard a series of hurried footsteps coming from under the corridor.

The three people below the hall all looked up at the same time.

The curtain was flung open, and the person who appeared at the door, steaming with heat, surprised Pan Yue. It was none other than the clerk who had been driving the two away with his whistle not long before.

"Hey! What brings the constable here?"

Before she could think further, the teahouse owner stood up with a beaming smile, his face crinkling with laughter. He lightly patted her slightly hunched shoulder with his fan and said in a fawning tone, "Why has the constable come at this hour?"

The bailiff ignored her beaming face, wiped the sweat from his brow, glanced around, and caught sight of Pan Yue and the other person by the window. His eyes lit up instantly.

"My wife!"

Pan Yue paused, glanced at Wu Da in front of her, and then looked up with a puzzled expression.

Before the two could even get a good look at each other, the constable shoved Wang Po, who was blocking their way, aside and rushed to them. He cupped his hands in greeting, as if they were old friends who hadn't seen each other in a long time, and said with a face full of warmth, "We've finally caught up! Madam, was the tea alright?"

Looking down at the empty tea table between the two of them, the clerk frowned, waved his hand, and turned to Wang Po, whose eyes were darting around, saying, "Wang Po, what are you doing? Hurry up and bring your wife some tea! And get some exotic fruits too!"

With a bag of silver in hand, Wang Po's cheeks trembled with joy. Her eyes, gleaming with shrewdness, swept over the three of them. She adjusted the flower hairpin in her hair and said cheerfully, "Please wait a moment, officers! Please wait a moment, ladies! I'll be right back!"

"Please sit, my lady!"

The constable seemed to be an impatient man. As soon as Wang Po left, he bowed and spoke rapidly, "I hope you will forgive me, madam. I was blind to your talent. If I offended you in any way, I hope you will be magnanimous and not hold it against me!"

"What are you saying, sir?!"

Pan Yue feigned a look of alarm, helping the man to his feet while calmly asking, "Why did you come in such a hurry, sir?"

"I wouldn't dare hide it from you, my wife!"

The constable pulled out a stool, waved his hand to indicate that the two should sit down, and quickly leaned forward, saying, "I have come here to invite you and Wu Da to move to the county seat to discuss tea and fruit matters with the county's purchasing department!"

Pan Yue was startled and suddenly frowned.

"really?!"

Before she could speak, Wu Da's eyes lit up, and he cupped his hands in a fawning tone, saying, "The magistrate is wise!"

"If that's the case..."

Seeing that he agreed, the bailiff immediately beamed with joy and was about to get up when Pan Yue on the right gave a low shout.

"Wait!"

Filled with many questions, she frowned and looked the man up and down. After a moment, she said in a deep voice, "Please forgive me, sir! May I ask, after my wife and I left... what happened? Why did the magistrate suddenly change his mind?"

"It was my poor judgment!"

The constable's evasive eyes held a hint of mockery. He scratched his head and said sheepishly, "I didn't know that you were a guest of Master Ximen. Although Xu San is the county magistrate's son-in-law, Master Ximen and my magistrate have always been close friends..."

Master Ximen?!

The clerk's words vanished into the distance, but the words "Master Ximen" reached Pan Yue's ears. Her heart sank, and she suddenly tightened her grip on the edge of the table.

Aside from that fleeting glance at the summer banquet, she had never met Ximen Qing once or spoken a single word to him... When did she attract his attention and become so clear about their purpose and route?!

Before he could sort out his thoughts, the clerk on the left noticed something, glanced up at Wu Da who was standing there in a daze, couldn't help but click his tongue, then turned to Pan Yue with a smile on his face and said, "Your Highness is very discerning. In the future... I hope you can put in a good word for me with Master Ximen!"

Pan Yue suddenly snapped back to reality, her face hardening as she said, "I don't know anything..."

"That's exactly right!"

Before he could finish speaking, Wu Da interrupted him, his expression as honest as ever. He cupped his hands and smiled broadly at the constable, saying, "We two are in dire need of your help, constable! We hope you will make things easier for us when we come and go from the county in the future!"

"Of course, of course!"

The bailiff immediately beamed, waved his hand, and stood up casually, saying, "In that case, I'll trouble you two to come with me back to the county office. Don't keep the magistrate waiting!"

"That's how it should be! That's how it should be!"

Wu Da stood up, looked down and saw that Pan Yue was still sitting upright. He frowned and said in a deep voice, "Wife?"

Pan Yue slowly stood up, her eyes lowered, her expression unreadable.

"...In that case, I'll trouble you to lead the way, officer!"

Two hours later.

As the sun began to set, Pan Yue and her companion, exhausted, finally stepped out of the county government office.

The streets remained sweltering.

Because he had successfully obtained the county magistrate's contract, Wu Da was overjoyed and chattered incessantly on his way home.

As they approached Zishi Street, the aroma of cooking smoke wafted past their noses. He and Pan Yue discussed going to a restaurant on the street to get a couple of jiao (a unit of currency) of wine.

Pan Yue knew he was happy, so she nodded, indicating that it was fine.

"Hmm...hmm..."

It was getting late, so the two decided to take a shortcut and walk diagonally.

Not long after turning into the side alley, a young woman's soft, coquettish call suddenly came from a nearby blind spot corner, accompanied by swaying willows and the quiet twilight, making it all the more distinct and enchanting.

Pan Yue paused, about to speak to stop him, when Wu Da, who was walking ahead with his head down, accidentally kicked a pile of firewood in the corner.

"Rolling around"

"Ouch!"

"who?!"

A sharp shout came from the shadows, and a nimble figure hurriedly wrapped in an overcoat, frantically emerging from around the corner.

Without waiting to get dressed, the man glared at the alley entrance and shouted angrily, "Who's out there?!"

Wu Da shuddered, momentarily ignoring the pain in his toes and the mess on the ground. He hunched his neck, shakily raised his head to look, and upon seeing the other person's face, his expression froze.

"Master Ximen?!"

Wu Da's wrinkled face instantly smoothed out, and he swayed forward with his short, stout frame, bowing respectfully and saying, "My lord, I, Wu Da, am very grateful for your kind words today, which have allowed us to meet with the county officials..."

"It's you?"

Ximen Qing paused slightly as he gathered his collar, his cold eyes sweeping around, seemingly unconcerned about the marks on his collar and the other person's evasive and unsure-to-do gaze.

Until he bumped into Pan Yue, who was standing calmly to the side with her eyes lowered, his peach blossom eyes suddenly flashed and the corners of his lips suddenly turned up.

"Madam Pan?"

He hastily fastened his belt, ignored Wu Da in the middle of the narrow alley as if he didn't exist, and swaggered straight toward Pan Yue.

"My wife, how have you been?"

Don't come?

Sensing the approach of an unfamiliar presence, Pan Yue lowered her eyes and her expression darkened.

If there has been no prior contact, how can there be any talk of "separation"?

Wu Da, who was directly in front, had spontaneously retreated to the corner of the wall, staring down at the moss-covered corner, as if the scattered firewood on the ground had suddenly given rise to infinite mysteries, which could not be ignored.

"My lord..."

"spit!"

Pan Yue's mind was in turmoil as she clenched her fingers into her palms, trying to suppress the waves of nausea rising within her.

Just as he was about to speak, a spitting sound was heard, and another figure, shrouded in twilight, appeared in the dim corner.

Pan Yue subconsciously looked up, only to see the disheveled young lady Yinlian, who completely disregarded propriety and etiquette. With her disheveled hair and flushed cheeks, she glanced reproachfully at the insatiable Ximen Qing, then glared at Pan Yue hatefully before lifting her hem, swaying her slender waist, and gracefully walking away.

Pan Yue's expression froze.

Before she could even wake up, Ximen Qing had already casually strolled up behind her; taking advantage of her distraction, he suddenly leaned forward, his breath, tinged with alcohol, brushing past her ear, and greedily inhaling the air.

Seeing goosebumps rise on her neck, a strange light flashed in Ximen Qing's narrow eyes, and a malicious smile appeared on his lips. Suddenly, he stretched out two fingers, seemingly touching but not really touching, passing along her neck, around her right shoulder, and slowly down along the hem and sleeve folds of her clothes... until he reached the cuff of Pan Yue's sleeve that was hanging naturally to her side. He pinched the hem of her sleeve with his two fingers, and with his eyes looking around, he leaned forward again.

"My wife..."

As if afraid she wouldn't hear him, Ximen Qing lowered his eyes and leaned closer, his voice growing softer until they were almost touching. His eyes flashed with a sharp light as he said in a low voice, "The long-term contract for tea and fruit at the county government office is worth at least a thousand taels of gold, if not ten thousand... I've done you such a great favor, how will you repay me?"

"repay?"

The pungent smell of meat and wine, mixed with the sticky scent of perfume, slowly brushed past her ears. Pan Yue felt a churning sensation inside her. She took a step forward and said in a deep voice, "Thank you for your help, sir, but..."

She glanced up at Wu Da, who was still huddled to the side, her face darkening. She said coldly, "It was Wu Da who signed the long-term contract with the county government, not this humble woman. If you want any reward, sir, just ask Wu Da!"

Before the two of them could say anything, Pan Yue curtsied, turned around, and left.

"Heh, heh heh!"

Upon hearing her words, Wu Da froze, rubbing his hands, unsure of what to do. He forced a smile, occasionally stealing glances at Ximen Qing, and mumbled softly, "Your great kindness and virtue, Master Ximen, is beyond my humble capacity..."

"Wuhan University!"

Ximen Qing squinted at Pan Yue's departing figure, his face contorted in the slanting sunlight.

Until Wu Da spoke first, his face full of fear, he suddenly turned around, looked down at Wu Da, and said in a low voice, "If you have time, would you like to accompany me to a restaurant under Lion Bridge for a drink?"

Wu Da suddenly raised his head, his eyes wide open, and hesitated to answer.

"...I am humbled and terrified!"

[Author's Note]

A fine horse often carries a fool, a clever wife often sleeps with a clumsy husband! (From Qiu Jun's "The Tale of Lifting the Tripod")