Chapter 174: He’s Looking at You
Ye Xiaoxian wrapped up the snacks carefully and smiled as she handed them to Fengsheng.
Fengsheng got somewhat nervous. As she smiled, her penetrating eyes narrowed slightly as if she had seen through him. He returned to Li Chengru’s side with the snacks and said, “Young master, I’ve bought the snacks. Look, they’re very delicate, especially the ‘rabbits’.”
As Li Chengru lowered his head, his eyes were drawn to the snacks and he looked somewhat angry.
Understanding Li Chengru the best, Fengsheng immediately noticed his irritation. Nervously, he asked, “Young master, don’t you like rabbits? Why are you angry seeing them?”
Rabbits were Li Chengru’s favorite animals. He raised five white rabbits and five gray ones in his backyard and put various stone carvings of rabbits in his study.
“I like rabbits, but I don’t like eating them. They’re so lovely. How can we hurt them? Xiao Baoshan’s wife looks pure, but she has a ruthless heart!” Li Chengru said in a rage.
So young master just likes watching rabbits rather than eating them. But these are not living things at all. He’s so finicky!
“Do you want me to throw them away?” Fengsheng asked.
“No!”
Li Chengru didn’t have the heart to dump the cute creatures.
Although he was usually irritable, he treasured rabbits very much because they were adorable from all sides. Although he wouldn’t eat the rabbits, he could take them as decorations back to the inn.
Carefully, he held the snacks in his hands and appreciated their endearing looks. Only a cruel woman would make her snacks into lovely animals. Yes, it must be so! This was Li Chengru’s first impression of Ye Xiaoxian after coming here.
“Mom, Sister Ye, I’m back!”
Xiao Baofeng had the following day off, but he rushed home after the last cla.s.s was over. He heard about what had happened recently. Although he didn’t care how other people embellished the story or humiliated his family, he had been worried about his mother and Ye Xiaoxian the whole time. In all honesty, his concern for Ye Xiaoxian was greater than for his mother.
Li Hongmei loved him out of maternal instinct, but Ye Xiaoxian had no blood relations.h.i.+p with him at all. She could have kept him working at home rather than sending him to school.
But she didn’t. She not only paid his tuition fees but also offered him much constructive advice. She asked him to study hard in order to gain status and honor as a scholar, which would enable him to protect himself and other people in the future. Undoubtedly, she cared for him sincerely and selflessly.
When he was back, Li Hongmei and Ye Xiaoxian were preparing dinner in the kitchen. Seeing him, they were rather delighted. Afraid that he was tired after the journey, Li Hongmei asked him to have a rest until dinner was ready.
But Xiao Baofeng felt guilty for not helping them during this difficult time. He couldn’t rea.s.sure himself by waiting idly while they cooked for him. He therefore put down his bag and hurried to help Ye Xiaoxian wash the vegetables. “Sister Ye, let me help you!”
Xiao Baofeng had one day off every month. Every time he was back, Ye Xiaoxian would find him taller than the last month. She said with a smile, “Baofeng, you’ve grown taller. Keep it up. Don’t forget to eat your meals on time and do more sports. You can jog on the gra.s.s outside the school in the morning or evening, and I’m sure you’ll then be taller.”
“Sister Ye, I know. You always tell me that,” Xiao Baofeng said softly.
“Good boy. I don’t know much about poems, so I can’t help you with your studies, but you’re so diligent that I don’t worry about that at all.” she said. She thought that she must have a gift for parenting. She liked to educate kids no matter who they were.
Xiao Baofeng nodded and seemed to think of something. “Oh yes, the county-level examination will soon be held. My teacher wants me to have a try. With any luck, I can pa.s.s it and become a Confucian apprentice.”
“Confucian apprentice?” Ye Xiaoxian knew the term whose value was equal to a middle school diploma. The next level was “cultivated talent”, a rank similar to that of a high school graduate. Although people at this academic level were ubiquitous in modern society, it was something to celebrate in ancient times. After all, many ancient people couldn’t afford to let their children go to school.
The knowledge ancient people learned was difficult, but they just needed to focus on reading and writing. In contrast, in modern times people had to learn many subjects, including physics, chemistry, English and mathematics.
Xiao Baofeng was born as a good learner with proud comprehension. He was hard-working and had a good memory. Although he was late to go to school, Ye Xiaoxian believed that he could catch up with his peers.
Xiao Baofeng was quite likely to become a Confucian apprentice. Once instructed by Xiao Baoshan, he was able to write a good article with a deep understanding of how to administer a country. He was in no way like Xiao Baocheng who had learned at school for years but couldn’t produce any decent work.
Ye Xiaoxian said encouragingly, “Just do it. Don’t let down your teacher. Tell me if you need any help. I can handle your travel expenses and prepare food for you.”
Hearing that, Xiao Baofeng smiled brightly with grat.i.tude. He swore that he would repay her kindness after he became a distinguished scholar. He would protect her as he would his mother. If anyone hurt her, he would be the first to stand up and defend her.
Jun Lai Inn.
Li Chengru had been staring at the two rabbits since getting back. Sometimes he played with the soft creatures in his hands; sometimes he just bent over the table, his eyes fixed on them.
He had finished the other snacks which he felt were unexpectedly delicious. He hadn’t antic.i.p.ated that he would have a satisfying meal in Qinghe county, but the snacks made by Ye Xiaoxian were obviously beyond his expectations. If provided with ingredients of higher quality and greater variety, Ye Xiaoxian might cook even better than the chefs at the imperial palace. After all, only the best ingredients had access to the imperial palace. Even the water for brewing tea was freshly-collected dew. Li Chengru was disgusted at the luxury, which he saw as a waste of money and manpower.
“Young master, you’ve been looking at them for half a day,” Fengsheng warned.
Li Chengru cast a glance at him and said, “I’m thinking! As an old saying goes, the style is the man. I’m pondering over what kind of person she is.”
“Then what do you think of her?” Fengsheng asked.
“She’s cunning!” Li Chengru concluded.
Fengsheng said nothing.
Li Chengru had been observing Ye Xiaoxian that morning. She smiled at everyone, including those who haggled or criticized her food. She just smiled if off, whether or not they bought her food.
No wonder the previous visitors couldn’t coax any information out of her. But what should he do?
In the days that followed, Li Chengru and Fengsheng remained where they were. They still stayed in the county and went to buy snacks every morning.
Fengsheng once warned him carefully, “Young master, we have paid to live and eat in this inn. It’ll be our loss if we keep buying Ye Xiaoxian’s snacks. By the way, why are we supporting Ye’s business?”
Li Chengru glared at Fengsheng and said, “Idiot! I told you we couldn’t act rashly. It’s not too late to take action after I figure out what kind of person she is.”
Fengsheng asked tentatively, “Young master, how much do you know of her? Fifty…seventy percent?”
Li Chengru sneered. “Haste makes waste. Why are you as stupid as those others? When will you be smarter?”
Fengsheng didn’t dare to utter his doubts anymore. He was distressed to recall what his master had endured. Away from the capital now, they could finally lead a real life.
Ye Xiaoxian had been paying attention to Li Chengru and Fengsheng for several days. It was strange that she didn’t see them except at breakfast time.
At the same time, Li Hongmei also noticed the two men. After Xiao Baoshan had left, Li Hongmei became somewhat sensitive to everything about Ye Xiaoxian. Being a sensible sort of person, she knew how deeply her son had hurt Ye Xiaoxian.
Previously, Xiao Baoshan had returned to his family after many years away. When he then stood in front of Li Hongmei, she hardly recognized him as her son at all. It was almost as if she had gained a new son.
Li Hongmei had been watching Ye Xiaoxian grow up since she was little, so the time she had spent with this girl was much more than that with Xiao Baoshan. In her view, Ye Xiaoxian was more her daughter than she was her son’s wife. She really hoped that Ye Xiaoxian could live a happy life.
Now that Xiao Baoshan had left, she would understand if Ye Xiaoxian fell in love with someone else. She knew how hard it was to be a widow, so she didn’t want Ye to suffer what she had suffered. Therefore, Li Hongmei had been keeping an eye on the men around Ye Xiaoxian. If she found someone suitable, perhaps she could make a good match for Ye.
Ye Xiaoxian had suffered too much. Li Hongmei’s eldest son had died before marrying Ye, and her second eldest son soon left again after he had just come back.
“Little Ye, why does that man stand there every day? Is he looking at you?” Li Hongmei asked in a low voice while Ye Xiaoxian was selling her snacks.
Ye Xiaoxian answered, “Yes, I suppose so. I also wonder what he is thinking about.”
“Is he here to inquire about Baoshan? But he just buys the snacks and never talks. Does he like you?” Li Hongmei asked.
“How could that be? We’re not from the same world,” said Ye Xiaoxian.
Hearing that, Li Hongmei sighed with relief. She handed some snacks to a customer as she said, “Well, that’s quite true. His skin is overly tender and look, he’s c.o.c.king his chin like an arrogant peac.o.c.k. Anyone else would be more reliable than him.”
Ye Xiaoxian was amused by her words. “Mom, don’t bother about it. Could you help me get the snacks for the customers?”