Chapter 215: Divorce
“Boss, what booklet did that man just write?” Zhou Wangshu asked the bookstore boss.
The bookstore boss sized up Zhou Wangshu, glanced at Su Yaoguang not far away, and said mysteriously, “Young Master will definitely like it.”
After speaking, he sneakily took out a booklet from under the counter.
“What are you buying?” Su Yaoguang happened to come over.
Zhou Wangshu saw that the cover was a peony painting, didn’t think much of it, and opened it right in front of Su Yaoguang. But after just one glance, he immediately closed it.
Su Yaoguang felt a bit awkward, touched her cheek, and pretended to look to the side. “I’ll go check over there.”
“This is painted by Xiao Yanci.” Zhou Wangshu had to clear his name. “I was just curious what booklet he sold, and the boss said he would give him a high price.”
After speaking, he glared at the boss. “This is the booklet you said you’d give him a high price for?”
The boss chuckled. “We’re all men, and men should understand men’s thoughts. This kind of booklet sells the best. Besides, this Young Master Xiao may not be good at other things, but his painting skills are truly excellent. His beauty paintings are lifelike, and lately, these booklets of his have been in short supply!”
Hearing that it was painted by Xiao Yanci, Su Yaoguang was indeed a bit curious. She took the booklet from Zhou Wangshu’s hand and opened it despite his attempts to stop her.
Tsk tsk…
It really was boundless spring scenery, too indecent to look at.
However, why did the female protagonist in the painting look so much like Jiang Yihuan? Could Xiao Yanci have painted his daily life with Jiang Yihuan?
Zhou Wangshu closed the booklet in Su Yaoguang’s hand.
“You don’t mind dirtying your eyes either.” Zhou Wangshu was somewhat displeased.
Although he hadn’t looked closely, just a glance had shown him that the male and female protagonists in the painting resembled Xiao Yanci and Jiang Yihuan extremely closely.
Xiao Yanci really went all out to earn money.
What was he thinking?
Or had he never seen other people’s bodies, had no way to make something up randomly, and could only rely on realism to earn this hard-earned money?
If that was the case, then this money really should be earned by him. After all, he had thrown away all his shame to earn this money—something ordinary people really couldn’t do.
“Let’s go.” Zhou Wangshu pulled Su Yaoguang away.
“Weren’t we going to pick out books?”
“No more picking.”
Such a dirty place—better to leave early to avoid dirtying their eyes.
On the way back, Su Yaoguang brought up what had happened earlier and said, “Mr. Xiao is short on money and actually set aside his dignity to do this.”
“He’s trying to prepare travel expenses for the metropolitan exam sooner,” Zhou Wangshu said. “But in my opinion, if this matter spreads, even if he passes the local imperial examination and the metropolitan exam, it will become gossip fodder for others later.”
“If it weren’t absolutely necessary, he probably wouldn’t earn this hard-earned money,” Su Yaoguang said. “Able to bend and stretch—he really is cut out for great things.”
“He can achieve great things? Where do you see that he can achieve great things?”
Su Yaoguang: “……I was just saying it casually. No need to be so precise.”
The two returned to Peach Blossom Workshop and found quite a few customers, but Zhang Zhaodi and the others were not in the front yard.
At this hour when customers were the most numerous, Zhang Zhaodi and the others shouldn’t be absent.
“Xianglan, where’s my mother?” Su Yaoguang asked the female shop assistant nearby.
The female shop assistant said while writing up an order, “Yingdi Aunt just came back, and as soon as she did, her face looked bad. The shop owner and Pandi Aunt took her inside.”
“Maternal aunt is back,” Su Yaoguang said. “Is maternal uncle back too?”
“Wang Laoye didn’t come back with Yingdi Aunt.”
“If maternal uncle didn’t come back, then maternal aunt’s bad mood must be related to him,” Su Yaoguang muttered to herself. “Forget it. Anyway, Mother and Second Aunt are inside keeping maternal aunt company. If I, a junior, rashly disturb them, it would make it hard for the three sisters to speak freely. We’ll stay and help.”
Peach Blossom Workshop had a good reputation, and more and more out-of-town customers were coming specifically for their shop. Originally, this wasn’t a prosperous city and had no trade routes, so there were few traveling merchants before. But ever since Peach Blossom Workshop’s signboard went up, more and more people detoured here just to enjoy Peach Blossom Workshop’s product services.
As usual, they were busy until dark, then closed up.
At this time, Zhang Zhaodi and the others brought Zhang Yingdi out.
Peach Blossom Workshop provided room and board. Now it was time for dinner, so everyone had to gather to eat.
The three Zhang sisters were managers and had to come out to oversee the shop assistants under their charge.
“Maternal aunt, who bullied you?” Su Yaoguang gave a chicken leg to Zhang Yingdi.
Zhang Yingdi had just gotten her emotions under control, but with this question from Su Yaoguang, her eyes reddened.
“Don’t ask anymore,” Zhang Zhaodi said. “She was angry earlier but didn’t show much sadness. Now you’ve asked, and she’s about to cry.”
“If maternal aunt doesn’t want to say, then don’t. If you do want to say, we’ll definitely stand up for you,” Su Yaoguang said.
“I want a divorce,” Zhang Yingdi said. “Yaoguang, do you support me?”
“I support you,” Su Yaoguang said. “My maternal aunt has such a good temper. These years, with maternal uncle’s health being so poor, you’ve stayed loyal without a single complaint. Now that life is better and maternal uncle’s health has improved, you want a divorce instead—this shows you’re truly heartbroken.”
“Wang Huanzhi is no good. He had a childhood sweetheart he was almost going to marry, but when his health got bad, she despised him and refused to marry him. Logically, such a woman shouldn’t be given another thought, but no—he runs off to play hero saving the beauty as soon as he gets back to the city and sees her struggling everywhere for money. Has he forgotten whose merit it is that he has what he has today? Heartless dog of a man. This kind of dog man doesn’t deserve our little sister.”
“Right, anyway, you’re not truly husband and wife yet, so it’s straightforward—just divorce, and we’ll find a good one again,” Zhang Pandi chimed in from the side.
“Don’t mention him anymore. Eat quickly, or it’ll get cold,” Zhang Yingdi forced a bitter smile.
“Does maternal uncle have any other entanglements with that woman?” Su Yaoguang asked. “If there’s no other entanglement, should we give him one more chance to explain himself?”
“You said it’s explaining yourself—what’s there to say?” Zhang Zhaodi had a fiery temper and couldn’t tolerate sand in her eyes.
No matter what the other party’s reasons were, as long as there was any unclear entanglement with an old flame, to her it was a death sentence.
But Su Yaoguang could tell that Zhang Yingdi had genuine feelings and didn’t want to end this relationship just like that, so she wanted to go along with Zhang Yingdi’s wishes and ease things a bit.
“Maternal uncle has a mild temperament and a kind nature. Even if it wasn’t an old flame needing help, even if it was someone he didn’t know needing help, he might still help. So, maternal uncle helping that woman doesn’t necessarily mean he’s still in love with her—it could just be pure kindness,” Jiang Jing said.
