Chapter 174: The Grand Show
Su Yaoguang pricked up her ears to listen, feeling more and more delighted at others’ misfortune the more she heard.
Seeing her curious look, Zhou Wangshu said, “Want me to call them over to tell you?”
“No need. I don’t want others to see this delighted-at-others’-misfortune look of mine; that would damage my image.” Su Yaoguang waved her hand. “After all, I’m somewhat famous now.”
Zhou Wangshu chuckled helplessly.
Those people said Jiang Yihuan had been groped. Su Yaoguang wasn’t surprised to hear it. After all, there were so many people at the time. Not to mention that Jiang Yihuan was pretty; any fully grown person in such a situation surrounded by wolves would end up the same. One could imagine how hateful Jiang Yihuan’s attempt to push her into the water had been.
“That young man in the back looks quite handsome. He was carried up by that old maid from the Li Family who can’t get married.”
“Li Shengnan?”
“Right, that Li Shengnan who’s twenty-five and still can’t get married. Li Shengnan weighs one hundred and eighty pounds and looked like a fat pig sprawled there. Even the seventy-year-old bachelor in the village wouldn’t take her. This time, she fished one right out of the water. They say after rescuing him, she directly carried him back to her own home.”
Su Yaoguang tugged at Zhou Wangshu’s sleeve. “Did you hear that?”
Zhou Wangshu had downed several cups in a row, his eyes full of drunken haze. “Hm?”
At this moment, he looked a bit dazed and foolish.
Seeing this, Su Yaoguang hurriedly stopped him. “My goodness, you’ve finished a whole pot. Who are you trying to kill by drinking so much?”
She pulled Zhou Wangshu up, not allowing him to drink anymore.
Zhou Wangshu hugged the wine pot and followed Su Yaoguang away from the night market stall.
The next day. Zhang Zhaodi excitedly pushed open Su Yaoguang’s door, lifted the bed curtain, and said to Su Yaoguang who was still asleep, “Daughter, get up quickly and watch the show…”
The laughter and chatter came to an abrupt stop.
Su Yaoguang looked at Zhang Zhaodi in a daze. “What’s wrong, Mom?”
Zhang Zhaodi stared wide-eyed, her face full of anger.
She looked around the room, found the feather duster, picked it up, and swung it at Su Yaoguang.
“I’ll beat you to death, you wretched child. Wangshu is still so young, and you dared to pester him into doing such a foolish thing…”
Su Yaoguang had just woken up, her head hurting badly, and she was in a completely dazed state. By the time Zhang Zhaodi’s feather duster was swinging down, she finally realized something was wrong. She looked at Zhou Wangshu beside her, and they stared wide-eyed at each other. Then both hurriedly got up and wrapped themselves in the quilt.
“Mom, we just drank too much and didn’t do anything.” Su Yaoguang nudged Zhou Wangshu.
Zhang Zhaodi was just putting on a show; how could she really hit Su Yaoguang? Hearing this, she looked at Zhou Wangshu.
Zhou Wangshu pulled Su Yaoguang into his arms and said to Zhang Zhaodi, “Mom, it’s true. We just drank too much.”
Seeing how intimate the two were, a glint of amusement flashed in Zhang Zhaodi’s eyes. But only for an instant. She quickly put on a stern face and said gravely, “Hurry up and put your clothes on. What does this look like?”
After taking a few steps, she turned back and said to the two, “You’re still young; you can’t rush things. Got it?”
Su Yaoguang and Zhou Wangshu: “…”
After Zhang Zhaodi left, Su Yaoguang nudged Zhou Wangshu. “Let go.”
Only then did Zhou Wangshu release Su Yaoguang.
The two looked at the clothes on their bodies. Good, they were still intact.
“Do you still dare to drink in the future?” Su Yaoguang glared fiercely at Zhou Wangshu. “I told you long ago your alcohol tolerance is terrible. If it’s no good, it’s no good. You had to show off, and now I’ve been misunderstood because of it.”
“My alcohol tolerance is poor, but is yours any good? If your tolerance was good, why didn’t you send me back to my room? See, you drank too much last night yourself and remember nothing.”
Su Yaoguang felt guilty.
He wasn’t wrong.
After dragging Zhou Wangshu home, she finished the rest of the wine on the way. Her mind grew more and more muddled afterward. By the time they got home, she couldn’t tell directions at all and had no idea how they even found the bed.
The two quickly tidied themselves up.
“Yaoguang, come here quick.” Zhang Pandi beckoned to Su Yaoguang. “There’s another joke across the way.”
“Second aunt, what happened?” Su Yaoguang asked.
“That Jiang Yihuan across the way fell into the water yesterday. They say over a dozen men jumped in to save her. The news spread, what a humiliation. And that Xiao Ci—she was taken back by that Shengnan from the Li Family, who is forcing a wedding with him!”
“Have you seen Xiao Ci?”
Although she had seen the scene with her own eyes yesterday, upon hearing this gossip, Su Yaoguang couldn’t help but be curious.
“I just heard about it. The Li Family won’t let him go, so of course we couldn’t see him.”
Su Yaoguang pointed outside. “Look, there he is now.”
Xiao Yanci returned to Fenghua Pavilion surrounded by the Li Family people. Li Shengnan had three older brothers above her, and now these three brothers were like her protectors. Ordinary people didn’t dare provoke them.
“Xiao Ci is one of ours from Fenghua Pavilion. You should take a good look at yourself. With your appearance, you still want to marry Xiao Ci.” Zhong Lanhua was already annoyed about Jiang Yihuan’s matter, and the Li Family had to come knocking at this time, adding to her irritation. She wished she could drive them out.
But the three Li brothers were all tall and burly men, each looking fierce and menacing. No matter how bold Zhong Lanhua usually was, she didn’t dare go too far in this situation.
Jiang Yihuan ran out crying and threw herself at Xiao Yanci. “Xiao Gege, you can’t marry someone else. You said you would marry me.”
Xiao Yanci hugged Jiang Yihuan. “Huan’er, I won’t marry anyone else.”
“Let go, let go!” Li Shengnan bellowed in a rough voice.
She forcefully separated the two and raised her hand to slap Jiang Yihuan, but was stopped by Xiao Yanci.
“What are you doing?” Xiao Yanci said angrily.
“You’re my man. She dared to seduce you, so she deserves to be hit. Mr. Xiao, don’t forget why you came back. You’re here to pack your luggage. Go pack it for me right now, and once it’s done, come with me.”
“I’m not going with you.” Xiao Yanci said coldly. “I was lying to you. I came back just to see how Huan’er was doing. Yesterday Huan’er and I fell into the water at the same time, and I was worried about her safety.”
“Fine, Mr. Xiao, you dared to deceive me.” Li Shengnan said angrily. “Big Brother, Second Brother, Third Brother, drag him away. Today I’m going to marry him and enter the bridal chamber.”
“No way.” Jiang Yihuan hugged Xiao Yanci.
“You’re going too far. My daughter and Xiao Ci have had a marriage contract for a long time. The reason they fell into the water yesterday was because the two were meeting by the riverside. You want to break up the loving couple— is there no justice?”
Zhong Lanhua had been vexed about this matter since early morning.
Jiang Yihuan had been groped and hugged by over a dozen men, and now the whole city knew about it. Her reputation was ruined; she could no longer pick and choose whom to marry. She had to be married off quickly.
Earlier, Manager Qian had sent someone to relay a message that with such a scandal, the Qian Family would never take Jiang Yihuan. Even if his son liked her, it wouldn’t work, because they couldn’t afford the disgrace.
Zhong Lanhua and her daughter had been hesitating between Manager Qian’s son and Xiao Yanci—one had money, the other had potential. They wanted to maximize their benefit. Now, they had no choice.
