Chapter 0010: The Girl with a Secret Crush

Ever since the time when Miss Xiao Dong fell and he happened to see it, rushing forward to help her up, it seems that this Miss Xiao Dong has developed feelings for him. Whenever she sees him, whether there is something to discuss or not, she enjoys finding topics to engage with him. Although Yang Fan vaguely senses her feelings, since she has not explicitly expressed them, he finds it difficult to clearly refuse her and can only try to avoid her as much as possible

Uncle Chen Er was engrossed in eating noodles. Upon hearing this, he looked up and smiled, just about to speak when a young girl dressed in a green waist-length skirt and a white wide-sleeved top approached them as if she were in her own world.

This young girl not only has a delicate voice but also appears rather slender. Her features are quite lovely, with a few playful freckles on her nose and cheeks, although they are not very prominent

Is Uncle Chen Er there

I apologize, I sincerely apologize! Miss Xiao Dong, I accidentally...

The gates of the neighborhood are locked, and all the streets have become desolate and quiet. When the night completely envelops the earth, the streets are shrouded in darkness, with not even a ghostly shadow in sight. Each household lights up their lamps, resembling the twinkling stars in the sky. The local police patrol the main cross streets from time to time, and if anyone is caught venturing out at night, they are sure to face some hardships.

Oh, Uncle Chen Er, your shirt is ready

The young girl approached, squinting her eyes as she inquired of the crowd. Just five feet in front of her, a rugged man with a scruffy beard was leaning against a tree. This man was none other than Uncle Chen, whom Yang Fan had just called. Uncle Chen stood up, greeted the young lady, and laughed heartily, saying, "Miss Xiao Dong, you have arrived, I am right here."

Yang Fan intended to steer them away from this topic and instead discuss the amusing anecdotes of the officials. He remarked, "In my opinion, that young lady who gifted the handkerchief probably never thought so much herself. As a woman, her act of giving her handkerchief to that man clearly expresses her feelings. However, the man she likes is rather straightforward and does not realize this. The scholar, on the other hand, tends to overthink things, but fortunately, his thoughts are still focused on matters of love, which did not hinder the good fortune of others. Uncle Chen Er, have there been any interesting happenings at the Minister's residence lately?"

Yang Fan picked up his bowl and fled in a panic, behind him came the raucous laughter of several men: "Yang Erhao, this is utterly unreasonable. This sentiment is even clearer and more straightforward than 'Silk is longing'; how can you pretend to be oblivious to it?"

Xiao Dong let out a deep sigh and earnestly advised, "As a man, you must go out and engage in social gatherings; how can you not have a decent set of clothes? This is a matter of a man's dignity. Er Lang, come with me to my home, and I will measure your size and make you a new shirt."

As he spoke, he unexpectedly wanted to offer his outer garment. Yang Fan was taken aback and hurriedly waved his hand, saying: "Ah, it's nothing, it's nothing! Miss Xiao Dong, you need not be so polite. I... I only have this one set of clothes; if I take it off, I will have nothing left to wear."

Miss Xiao Dong's somewhat wandering eyes seemed to have found their focus as she walked towards him. A man sitting nearby on a stone, eating noodles, quickly pulled his legs back, fearing he might trip her.

However, rules are established by people, and where there are rules set by some, there will naturally be others who violate them. In this area, apart from the main thoroughfares such as Cross Street, when residents move about at night, the guards mostly turn a blind eye, being too lazy to intervene.

Uncle Chen Er set down his bowl, wiped his hands on his clothes, took the new shirt, examined the fine stitching and neat workmanship, and said with delight: "Haha, Xiao Dong, you really made this shirt quickly and well"

Yang Fan is a single man living alone, and he doesn't cook at home. He eats here every day, so how could he not be around? Miss Xiao Dong, this is a question you already know the answer to.

A man slapped his thigh and exclaimed: "Of course! How did I not think of this? Isn't it just that a silk handkerchief represents longing?"

Yang Fan said awkwardly: "Thank you, Miss Xiao Dong, for your kind intentions. For the time being... I do not need to prepare new clothes. When I decide to make some, I will definitely ask for your help. Oh dear, the workshop is calling me; it seems there is something they need me to do. Well... Miss Xiao Dong, I must take my leave now. We shall meet again later."

... ...

Brother Qiao

Uncle Chen Er nodded repeatedly and said, "That is only natural, that is only natural"

Xiao Dong smiled and said, "Uncle Er, you are being too polite. If you like, in the future, just come to my family for shirts. We are all neighbors, and the price will definitely be a bit cheaper."

There are indeed places that are brightly lit. Wealthy families host grand banquets to entertain guests, or indulge in drinking and merriment with singing and dancing. In brothels, beautiful women sing and dance, accompanied by the sounds of silk and bamboo instruments, and the chatter of swallows and orioles. No one pays any attention to you; the curfew only restricts going out at night, so how lively you are at home is of no concern to others

As I watched the young lady flee, a louder laughter echoed from beneath the tree

What Xu Xiaojie spoke about today pertains to matters of romantic relationships between men and women, and did not touch upon the affairs of official families. If they are allowed to continue along this topic, the content of this morning's conversation is likely to transform into a special discussion on romantic relationships between men and women

Indeed, indeed, Yang Er, the knitting workshop of Madam Hua is quite profitable. Madam Hua has only this one precious daughter, and she holds deep feelings for you. Why not become a son-in-law? From now on, you can enjoy a life of comfort and indulgence, with a caring and loving wife by your side

Yang Fan awkwardly said: "Uh... Xiao Dong, I am fine. The soup has already been warmed, you don't need to... this... Hahaha..."

Yang Fan chuckled and said, "No need for that, I... I am quite short on funds and cannot afford a new shirt at the moment"

Young Miss Xiao Dong approached Uncle Chen Er with a smile, handing over a set of clothes draped over her arm, and softly said: "Uncle, your clothes are ready"

Xiao Dong said this as he took out a handkerchief from his sleeve to wipe the grease off his hands

Yang Fan turned around and glared at the man, then turned back to apologize to Xiao Dong. The young lady Xiao Dong leaned in closer, saw his appearance clearly, and cheerfully said: "It's alright, Erlang didn't mean it, there's no need to be so polite. Did you get burned?"

Little Sail

Unexpectedly, a man beside him played a trick, taking advantage of his inattention to push him forward. Yang Fan exclaimed "Ouch!" and stumbled. The bowl of rice he was holding, with only a little soup left to drink, splashed out all at once, not only soaking his hand but also splattering onto Miss Xiao Dong's skirt

Miss Xiao Dong said softly: "It doesn't matter, you can give it to me whenever you have the money. Even if you never have the money, it... it doesn't matter..." At this point, Miss Xiao Dong slightly lowered her head, and a hint of blush appeared on her face.

Miss Xiao Dong held his hand in her own, carefully wiping it and speaking softly, "Er Lang, living alone, should be cautious in all matters and not always act recklessly. Is your clothing dirty? If so, why not take it off? I can take it back and wash it for you."

The men slurping the noodle soup spoke up in unison: "How could that scholar figure it out just from a blank silk handkerchief?"

Xiao Dong spoke, then squinted her eyes, looking at the other few people sitting under the tree. She was naturally visually impaired, or in modern terms, she was severely myopic. When she wanted to see someone, her eyes would instinctively narrow.

Xu Xiaojie noticed everyone looking at him, so he smiled and said: "This incident happened just a few days ago, in Guiren Lane. It is said that there lived a family with the surname Xia in Guiren Lane. The daughter of the Xia family had feelings for a young man with the surname Sun from the same lane, but she was too shy to confess her feelings to him. This girl was illiterate, and after much thought, she decided to give him a silk handkerchief as a gift."

Yang Fan's home is located at the end of the seventh curve in the first lane of Xiuwenfang. In the deep night, he quietly slipped out of his courtyard and stood silently in the alley for a moment. Noticing that the road was very quiet, he then stealthily moved forward. At the same time, a shadow also stealthily emerged from the eighth curve of the alley.

Xiao Dong hesitated for a moment, a faint blush appearing on his face, and quietly said, "Just now... it seemed like I heard Er Lang's voice. Is Er Lang... also here?"

At this moment, Yang Fan was holding a bowl of soup, timidly trying to hide behind someone else.

As everyone burst into laughter, a blush akin to that of a peach blossom appeared on Xiao Dong's face. Embarrassed and flustered, she stamped her foot and said, "Oh dear, what nonsense are you all talking about? They won't pay any attention to you anymore." Saying this, she lifted her skirt and swiftly ran away. Although her eyesight was not good, she was quite familiar with the area, and under normal circumstances, there would not be any issues.

Two people huddled together, cautiously looking around. Ma Qiao patted Yang Fan on the shoulder and said, "Let's go, it's time to get to work"

The city of Luoyang enforces a curfew; at night, only officials and those with special permits are allowed on the streets, while others are strictly prohibited from passing through. All citizens reside in individual neighborhoods, which are akin to residential complexes, surrounded by walls nearly two zhang high, and the gates are locked at night

Xu Xiaojie proudly said: "What can I say, a scholar is indeed a scholar, very perceptive. The scholar remarked, 'Look at this blank silk handkerchief, whether viewed horizontally or vertically, no matter how you look at it, it is just silk. Silk represents thought; isn't this what the young lady likes about you?' As a result, the good fortune of the two came to fruition.

The young man took the young lady's handkerchief, yet he did not understand her intentions. He then sought the help of a scholar from the same district. The scholar took the silk handkerchief, examined it back and forth twice, but found not a single word or picture on it, leaving him somewhat perplexed. However, after careful consideration, the scholar said to the young man: "Congratulations, congratulations, the young lady has feelings for you."

The work of the artisan was sporadic, lacking any fixed tasks. Yang Fan busied himself here and there, leisurely completing a day's work. When night fell, he went with Ma Qiao to lock the workshop gate.

The young lady walked lightly, as if she were a cat. Only when a familiar person greeted her would she display a look of surprise, seriously glance over, then suddenly realize, and politely greet the person.