Chapter 10, On the Black Awning Boat

Tsk tsk... The neighbors exclaimed in astonishment, truly strange occurrences happen every year, but this year seems particularly abundant. Could it be that this is what is known as, "Men are no good, and women do not love?"

Wang Xianfei exerted great effort to sit up, glancing at the sorrowful Miss Lin, unsure of how to offer comfort. He then took out a book from his pouch and began to read, becoming so engrossed that he emitted sounds of "uh" and "ah".

"Second brother, didn't you say that you would turn over a new leaf in the future?" Seeing the two of them dawdling, Yinling anxiously and angrily said, "Do not associate with these dubious individuals any longer!"

Wang Xian took a bite of the sesame cake; it was both flaky and crispy, leaving a lingering fragrance in his mouth. He couldn't help but exclaim, 'So there are delicacies in this era as well'

They nearly killed me; I swear I will not live as a human if I do not avenge this grudge!" Wang Xian said with hatred, "You go to Zhao Family Village and keep a close watch. If you see them, hurry back to report!"

Tian Qi thought that the two of them had already done that, so he focused solely on venting his anger and threw Wang Xian in without a second thought. Unexpectedly, Lin Qing'er, hearing the commotion and about to lift the curtain to greet him, saw a dark figure tumble in.

At that moment, she focused her gaze on the book in his hand and was momentarily taken aback. She had expected it to be some sort of romantic tale, but to her surprise, it was actually a copy of "Hongwu Zhengyun".

After being looked down upon by my family for two days, I finally made it to the third day. Early in the morning, someone knocked on the door and asked, "Is this Wang Xiaoge's home?"

"Just you wait and see." Shuaihui wiped his mouth and, without further ado, dashed out like a gust of wind

Brother, look at what you said, we still have feelings for each other

Do you still remember what the people who hit me looked like

Wang Xian seemed to be studying pronunciation very seriously, his mouth opening and closing like a fish, yet it appeared quite comical. Lin Qing'er held back for a long time but still couldn't help but burst into laughter.

The two siblings turned around and saw a young man with a chestnut-colored silk scarf on his head, dressed in a green pleated garment, with a charming and cunning appearance, leaning in and smiling at Wang Xian, saying: "Brother, are you better now?"

"If I were more agile, I would have beaten you up long ago!" Wang Xian snorted coldly and said, "You still have the face to come see me!" This Shuai Hui was originally a good-for-nothing friend of Wang Er. On the day they came out of the gambling den together, after Wang Xian was bagged, this guy fled without a trace, showing not an ounce of loyalty.

"Let him die sooner, don't delay my remarriage!" As she mentioned her father, she said angrily. The two bearers were so frightened that they hurriedly carried Wang Xian and dashed out of the alley.

Hmph! Yin Ling shot a fierce glare at Wang Xian and angrily returned to her room

Get out of my house! Silver Bell exclaimed, her eyes wide with anger.

The more he behaves this way, the more I facilitate matters between him and Miss Lin, wishing they would get married tomorrow, so that I can pass this unrepentant scoundrel onto his wife to deal with the headache!

Miss Lin could not wait for his apology, which naturally made her even more upset. However, upon reflection, how could she expect a scoundrel to apologize? So she wiped her tears and sat up, feeling wronged. She felt too embarrassed to go out and face the uncle, so she could only sit with her knees hugged to her chest, facing Wang Xian.

Mother, do you have anything to say to Father?" Wang Xian asked

Wang Xian raised his head in confusion and asked, "What, is my pronunciation incorrect?"

Of course not. Lin Qing'er has been constantly taught a lesson by this guy lately, making her feel like an idiot. Now that she has the opportunity, she puts on a stern face to give him a lesson. There are too many authors of "Hongwu Zhengyun," resulting in a chaotic mishmash that resembles nothing in particular. One cannot learn Mandarin from this book; it only teaches a mouthful of strange phrases. You must read "Yunhui Dingzheng" instead of "Hongwu Zhengyun"

Remember. Shuaihui thought to himself: "There are a total of six, each one robust and strong, with unfamiliar faces. In any case, they are not from our county town; otherwise, my younger brother wouldn't fail to recognize any of them." As he spoke, he looked at Wang Xian and said: "Brother, you don't intend to seek revenge on them, do you?"

Wang Xian had not yet spoken when Yin Ling's expression suddenly changed. She picked up the broom standing in the corner of the room and shouted at the young man: "Handsome grasshopper, do you dare to come again!" After saying this, she swung the broom to strike.

The air inside the cabin was extremely awkward, Miss Lin crossed her arms, turned towards the cabin wall, and began to cry with her shoulders shaking.

For the next two days, Yin Ling remained sulky and ignored Wang Xian, and the family's gaze towards him reverted to its previous state. Wang Xian was aware that his illness had not yet healed, and his interactions with dubious friends, along with his extravagant spending, had completely disappointed his family. However, he did not wish to explain anything; firstly, it would only cause his family more worry, and secondly, he feared that his mother would not allow him to go out. He decided to let time reveal everything.

Seventh Uncle paid the money, dismissed the sedan chair bearers, and then carried Wang Xian towards a black canopy boat

After sending Lin Qing'er away, Yin Ling took out two baked buns and half a roasted chicken from the bamboo basket to serve as lunch for Wang Xian

When I opened the door, I saw two bearers carrying an empty sedan chair, saying they were here to take Wang Xiaoge to the dock. The so-called sedan chair is the simplest version of a palanquin, consisting of two bamboo poles with a seat tied in between.

The bearers, lacking in sensitivity, quickly delivered him to the dock, where they found Uncle Seven already waiting there

Wang Xian's home does not have many books; apart from a few legal texts, there is this book, "Hongwu Zhengyun," which his father uses as a dictionary. He reads this book both to learn some traditional characters and to study Mandarin. In the future, regardless of what he does, it is essential to be able to speak Mandarin.

"There are countless delicacies in the world, one could eat a lifetime without repeating a single dish." Yinling laughed and said, "But you need money to afford it." As she spoke, she rested her chin on her hands, dreaming with her mouth watering, "I really want to try them all..."

Wang Xian was unwilling to waste words with him and raised his hand to stop him, saying: "After the matter is accomplished, I will give you two guan of cash"

You are thinking of getting something for nothing, aren't you? Wang Xian said with a cold laugh

This was the first time he went out after waking up. Although the shops and stalls in the market resembled those from his memories, it was only by seeing with his own eyes the awnings on both sides of the street, the signs and banners of those shops, the bustling crowds walking along the street, and the various goods from the north and south being sold by vendors carrying burdens that he could truly have a vivid and lively perception of his life in the Ming Dynasty.

"Sister, you go in first; I will talk to him for a few moments," Wang Xian said with a smile. "Just for a little while."

With a delicate cry, she was knocked to the ground by Wang Xian, and with another muffled groan, she was firmly pinned beneath him

Please help me a bit. Although Wang Xian felt that her body was as soft as if it had no bones and pressing against him was comfortable, he did not want to be thrown into the river by Tian Qi to feed the turtles, so he had to get up quickly

Wang Xianxin said, "What does this even mean?" But how can such a matter be explained? I estimate that if I simply say, 'You misunderstood,' I would be directly thrown into the river by him

Wang Xian did not waste words; he took out a stack of brand new banknotes from his pocket, counted out five hundred wen, and handed it to him, saying: "This is your advance payment for food and labor." Before leaving today, Miss Lin had given Wang Xian five guan as funding for the surveillance. In this line of work, Wang and his friends were far more skilled than the long-term workers of the Lin family.

Brother, you speak. Shuaihui noticed that Wang Xian seemed genuinely angry, so he quickly became more serious.

... ...

At that moment, Tian Qi lifted the curtain and said, "Miss..." only to see two people lying side by side in the cabin, prompting him to quickly cover his eyes and retreat outside

Ah? Wang Xian was taken aback, feeling that he had wasted his time.

"Brother, you know me." Shuaihui said with an embarrassed smile, "There were five or six of them, all burly men. With my thin arms and legs, even if I stayed, I would just be there to take a beating alongside you. In the spirit of minimizing losses, I made a quick decision to go call for help..."

As he walked, he quietly warned, "Kid, if you dare to let down my daughter, I, Tian Qi, will take you down!"

Before the words had left his lips, a voice from the gate of the courtyard exclaimed, "What a delightful aroma..."

"Hmm, it was a waste of time to watch." Lin Qing'er nodded, expressing her satisfaction.

The nickname "Handsome Grasshopper" is indeed a moniker. This young man, surnamed Shuai and named Hui, moves with great agility, dodging the broom of Silver Bell like a grasshopper, and swiftly sidling up to Wang Xian. With a shameless grin, he says: "A guest is a guest; sister, you don't serve tea but instead invite me to eat a broom. Isn't that inappropriate?"

Silently boarding the boat, he threw Wang Xian into the cabin, and Tian Qi transformed into a boatman, rowing away from the dock

The neighbors all leaned out to watch Wang Xian leave on the sliding pole, and Aunt Zhang exclaimed loudly: "This is the Lin family's daughter taking Xiao Er out for a boat ride; it is said that they will only return tomorrow"

Wang Xian did not hear those idle rumors; he was already seated on the sedan chair, situated in the streets of Fuyang County

However, the strength of his hands was insufficient to support his body; Wang Xian's body rose three inches before it fell back down heavily.

Lin Qing'er was instantly stunned; having such intimate contact with a man was something her pure and innocent self had never experienced before

Lin Qing'er, with her jade-like face and rosy clouds, wept profusely, biting her crimson lower lip as she sobbed, while pushing him away with all her might. Wang Xian, exerting himself, finally turned over and fell beside her

Wang Xian was indeed awake, and with Miss Lin's soft body serving as a cushion, he did not fall at all. He also realized that their current position was quite disrespectful to the young lady, and he wanted to quickly sit up straight.

This is two hundred wen in copper coins, and Shuaihui is drooling. He hurriedly snatched it up, looked at it again and again, then carefully tucked it into his bosom, swallowing his saliva as he asked, "Is the other one, five hundred wen, of the same quality?"

"No wonder she is Wang Danniang's daughter, so spirited!" As Yinling left, Shuaihui sat down beside Wang Xian and said, "Brother, I heard you are better now, so I hurried over to take a look. I have missed you so much these past six months!"

Brother, you need to keep an eye on your sister," Shuaihui said with a playful smile to Wang Xian

Wang Xian nodded

"Come here less often." Wang Xian raised his hand and said, "I have a matter for you; please take care of it for me."

What is the condition of the new ones? Shuai Hui immediately ceased his persuasion, but he was not in a hurry either. This is because the value of the Ming Dynasty banknotes has severely depreciated; the value of old notes is even less than ten percent of their face value. However, the newer the banknotes, the more valuable they are, with a completely new banknote traditionally worth four hundred copper coins.

Without saying a word, I teamed up with Wang Gui and carried Wang Xian out.

"Well, no problem, this is our strong suit," Shuaihui said while scratching his chin and smiling, "However, in accordance with the principle of acting within our means, let's just treat them as insignificant and let them go..."

Oh... Lin Qing'er had just breathed a sigh of relief when she was pressed down firmly again, and tears immediately streamed down her face, not knowing whether it was from shame and anger or from being pressed down.