Chapter 207: Local Imperial Examination
After Su Yaoguang and Zhou Wangshu left, Chen Buyu called over the restaurant’s shop assistants, spent a large sum of silver on hardship fees for them, and found some people to take those drunk scholars back.
The two had drunk some wine, but not much, so it was perfect for sobering up on horseback. With a gust of wind, their drunkenness cleared up.
“Wangshu was too blunt today, and I’m afraid he thoroughly offended Brother Zhang and his sister,” Chen Buyu said. “No matter whether one becomes an official in the future or not, the most basic principle is not to make enemies casually.”
“That boy seems indifferent to everything, but he actually values his young wife and her mother more than anything. If you provoke him, he might not take the other party seriously and let it go, but provoking his young wife and mother-in-law is not acceptable. He appears cold on the outside but is extremely passionate inside,” Zhong Chushan said. “Besides, Brother Zhang’s sister is indeed a bit unreasonable. If Brother Zhang is sensible, he should properly discipline his sister; otherwise, she will sooner or later bring him greater trouble.”
In the following days, Su Yaoguang had Zhou Wangshu carry sobriety pills to various gatherings. However, those pills never came in handy.
Ever since that day when Su Yaoguang took on seven alone and drank them all under the table, no one dared to ask Zhou Wangshu to drink anymore. At the same time, Su Yaoguang became famous overnight. Everyone knew Zhou Wangshu had a beautiful wife, and this beautiful wife was particularly protective of her husband. Whoever got Zhou Wangshu drunk should prepare to be drunk until vomiting.
Some people, out of curiosity, came to visit specifically. Su Yaoguang entertained them warmly. Afterward, the things Su Yaoguang had done in the county town were also spread around. People’s gazes toward her shifted from admiration to respect, and even around Zhou Wangshu, there were many more aloof scholars who took the initiative to befriend him.
As for Xiao Yanci, at first he felt too ashamed to show his face. Later, he saw Zhou Wangshu befriending those from his previous life who had been close to him, several of whom even achieved good rankings in the exams. For the sake of future development, he could only grit his teeth and attend various gatherings, trying to repair his image. Unfortunately, his reputation had already spread, and no one was willing to associate with him.
Xiao Yanci felt nervous for the first time.
So many things had happened before, but he had never felt nervous. But this time, watching Zhou Wangshu steal his previous life’s connections, he sensed that things were getting out of control.
“Where did you go?” Xiao Yanci stood in the doorway, watching Jiang Yihuan return from outside with a basket in hand, containing all sorts of vegetables and meat.
Jiang Yihuan patted her chest, looking startled.
“I went to buy vegetables!”
Xiao Yanci’s gaze lingered on Jiang Yihuan’s ear: “Did you buy new earrings?”
Jiang Yihuan touched her earlobe, her eyes flickering: “Yeah, I happened to see them on sale cheap, and thinking it was a rare opportunity, I gritted my teeth and bought them.”
Xiao Yanci’s face showed displeasure.
“Su Yaoguang changes jewelry every day, and everyone praises how good she looks. I thought Xiao Gege was much more gentle and considerate than that Zhou Wangshu, and I wanted to see myself dressed up prettily too.”
The displeasure in Xiao Yanci’s eyes disappeared.
He sized up Jiang Yihuan and saw that her makeup was exquisite today, her attire elegant and refined, just like the most charming Jiang Yihuan from his previous life.
Jiang Yihuan’s looks were of course exceptional; with just a little dressing up, she could be fresh and lovely.
“Make dinner. I’m hungry.”
“Okay.”
When Xiao Yanci wasn’t looking, Jiang Yihuan pursed her lips, a flash of disgust in her eyes.
Xiao Yanci sat at the desk, unable to focus on the book in front of him. Hearing sounds outside, he peeked out and saw Su Yaoguang and Zhou Wangshu returning playfully.
Jiang Yihuan wasn’t wrong. Su Yaoguang wore trendy jewelry, had a stylish hairstyle, exquisite makeup, and exuded a bright and vibrant aura—she was indeed a lively beauty.
Jiang Yihuan had better natural looks than her; there was no reason for her to be overshadowed. It could only be said that to save money, it had been a long time since Jiang Yihuan had been dressed up, so some effort should be put into her. After all, one’s wife was a man’s second face. If Jiang Yihuan looked shabby, others would think Xiao Yanci was powerless and incompetent too.
“Huan’er, in a bit we’ll go buy a few outfits and some jewelry,” Xiao Yanci said.
Jiang Yihuan, busy in the kitchen, nearly cut her finger.
She looked up in surprise, and upon seeing the seriousness in Xiao Yanci’s eyes, a thought emerged in her mind: this cheap man actually has money.
He had money but hadn’t thought to spend it on her before. Now, hearing that the Su Yaoguang next door was wearing jewelry and dressing nicely, he wanted to outdo her.
No, he wanted to outdo Zhou Wangshu.
He wanted to prove that marrying him, Xiao Yanci, brought more happiness than marrying Zhou Wangshu. He wanted Su Yaoguang to regret not choosing him back then.
This cheap man had his eye on Su Yaoguang, coveting another man’s woman.
A flash of humiliated anger appeared in Jiang Yihuan’s eyes.
But soon, she thought that an opportunity delivered to her door shouldn’t be wasted.
She had realized long ago that men were unreliable; only gold and silver were dependable.
To dress up Jiang Yihuan, Xiao Yanci used up all his savings. But it had an effect. Taking Jiang Yihuan around to befriend scholars actually worked, and he did make some connections. Though these new faces were different from those in his previous life, for Xiao Yanci, it was a good start. As long as he took the first step, his original connections would come back.
Amid the busyness, the time to enter the examination hall arrived.
Su Yaoguang saw Zhou Wangshu off outside the examination hall.
She had nothing particular to say to Zhou Wangshu; he understood everything. After watching him enter the examination hall, as she turned to leave, she spotted Jiang Yihuan and Xiao Yanci.
This time, Jiang Yihuan didn’t do anything stupid like last time. The food she prepared for Xiao Yanci didn’t violate any taboos and wouldn’t cause stomach trouble again.
Su Yaoguang was simply curious if Jiang Yihuan would stumble over the same thing twice. Seeing those standard foods, she was actually a bit disappointed.
Since there was no good show to watch, she went to prepare business matters.
As she just turned, Jiang Yihuan approached, fiddling with her new earrings by her ear and saying: “I said I didn’t want them, but Xiao Gege insisted on buying them for me. Such big pearls must have cost a lot of silver! Xiao Gege really doesn’t know how to save.”
Su Yaoguang made two circles with her fingers, forming eye shapes around her eyes, and gestured as if magnifying them to look closely: “Where? Where’s the pearl? Pearls this small—aren’t they still baby pearls? To cruelly extract them like this.”
“Su Yaoguang, you do have money, but the food you eat, the things you use, the clothes you wear, and this jewelry are all bought with your own money, and your man still relies on you to support him! I’m different. Xiao Gege buys me lots of nice things. That’s a man who truly knows how to cherish a woman. Most importantly, he’s a real man who can be true husband and wife with me.”
“It’s the first time I’ve heard that someone who earns their own money to spend is somehow inferior to others. You leech off a man like a parasite and take pride in it—are you out without your brain?” Su Yaoguang increasingly couldn’t understand what was in Jiang Yihuan’s brain. What exactly was she trying to prove? That she lived glamorously and was happier than her?
