Chapter 1767 – Who Are You Calling a Bean Sprout?
The plump Huang Song hadn’t actually gained much weight; he just let his figure slip, sporting a double chin, a rounder face, and a small belly. This new look softened the sharpness of the Young Man, adding some gentleness—but Jiang Pengji couldn’t quite describe her feelings about it at that moment.
Years ago, Huang Song was dashing and charming, gallivanting around in complete youthful flair.
Now, he had dulled down, losing his edge, and while he looked kinder, it was a bittersweet sight for those who remembered his former self.
Jiang Pengji wouldn’t wallow in nostalgia; her momentary sentiment faded in just a second.
Huang Song continued, “This is the trend that the scholars are chasing now. What would you know about being as skinny as a bean sprout?”
Jiang Pengji was taken aback. Did Huang Song just roast her?
“Sure, those scholars do nothing all day and seem bored out of their minds, but their eyes aren’t blind. How could they possibly admire plumpness?”
Jiang Pengji was surprised. She had left Wanzhou to fight a few years ago, and in that time, the crowd of leisurely artsy folk had seemingly switched their preferences. Huang Song’s looks had dropped by at least twenty percent compared to before, and he was now considered trendy? Yes, in modern times, fashion trends are dictated by the glamorous circles, while in this era, they stem from the elite scholars’ domain.
What those fancy folks pursued dictated the direction of fashion.
Back when Cold Food Powder was all the rage, the elite were keen on not bathing and itching with lice, preferring fair skin, beauty, and long legs.
Let’s not go too far back; when Jiang Pengji was out waging war, she remembered how the elite liked slim waists and ample chests… regardless of gender!
And now, plumpness was all the rage?
From Huang Song’s reaction, it seemed he had become a paradigm of this said trend among the scholarly elite.
But that wasn’t the focus; the real question was—
“Who are you calling a bean sprout?”
Huang Song chuckled, everything unsaid but clearly understood.
At that moment, Feng Jue, who usually couldn’t be bothered with Jiang Pengji, stepped in to mediate, easing the tension with just a few words.
With a roll of her eyes, Jiang Pengji agreed to Feng Jue’s suggestion of sneaking in for a meal since it wasn’t on her tab; she was ready to make Huang Song foot the bill!
After the three settled down, Feng Jue remarked, “Speaking of trends, it’s all thanks to Lord Lan Ting.”
Jiang Pengji said, “What does that have to do with me?”
Standing at 175 cm, with an enviably slender figure, she didn’t even know what being overweight was—how dare they slander her like that?
Feng Jue replied, “Remember the public toilets Lord Lan Ting ordered to be built?”
Jiang Pengji frowned; yes, there were a number of public toilets, and many cities were gradually improving, but they were still dry toilets. Even with dedicated management, they still stunk terribly. To sum it up, mentioning public toilets conjured not-so-pleasant images.
“What’s the connection here?”
Feng Jue explained, “The public toilets established by Lord Lan Ting had multiple purposes. Waste was used to fertilize fields, which indirectly increased crop yields. The livestock farms established outside the city are also thriving. Even the average Common People can enjoy two or three meat meals a month, let alone those in better circumstances. With better food, life became easier, and of course, people gained a bit of weight. Scholars now prefer plumpness over skinniness because of this connection.”
Years ago, Feng Jue had introduced Dou Xi, his classmates from the family, who was becoming a rural magnate. With Dou Xi’s knowledge and Jiang Pengji’s progressive farming management ideas, they turned barren lands into productive fields, and thanks to favorable weather over the recent years, harvests had been plenty. The grain collected not only supported the soldiers at the front but also left plenty for the Common People.
With improved living conditions and better food, wasn’t gaining weight bound to happen?
For the Common People, being plump wasn’t ugly; in fact, it symbolized richness and abundance, proving a household’s good fortune.
Those elite chasing after sickly slimness were clearly just bored nobility finding unnecessary troubles for themselves.
The influence of Wanzhou’s atmosphere had led these idle scholars to change their long-standing preferences, igniting a wave of plumpness.
Jiang Pengji smiled, “So, if that’s the case, I’ll gladly take the credit.”
However—
This meal with Huang Song was as flavorful as chewing on cardboard, and he finally asked Jiang Pengji,
“Am I really that unattractive?”
Jiang Pengji replied, “Gaining weight can bring about riches but also diseases, and you’ll waste a ton of fabric.”
Huang Song: “…”
That pierced him straight through!
Jiang Pengji added, “I remember Huai Jian is also a scholar; haven’t you noticed he hasn’t changed much from before?”
Don’t listen to whatever trends the scholars proclaim; their words are just hot air.
Huang Song: “…”
He turned his attention to his elegantly handsome buddy, then glanced down at his own little belly, feeling glum.
Feng Jue secretly eyed Jiang Pengji but didn’t say anything.
This meal was covered by Feng Jue, who was neither poor nor stingy. Despite Jiang Pengji consuming seven to eight times the cost of what he and Huang Song had, he didn’t even flinch, allowing Jiang Pengji to feel at ease. On her way back, she began pondering the oddities of the situation…
“Feng Jue seems to be trying to win me over… but judging by his demeanor, he doesn’t seem interested in an official career…”
If he were genuinely enchanted by Jiang Pengji, his pride would prevent him from casually swaying to charm her for a favorable start. Most likely, he’d follow Feng Jin’s path, starting from the “grassroots” instead of being parachuted in, so Feng Jue’s friendliness felt a bit off.
Jiang Pengji turned to probe Feng Jin, asking if his troublemaking younger brother had been overly stimulated or browbeaten by their family.
Feng Jin was silent for a long time, his expression peculiar, “Perhaps… Huai Jian just wants to be friends with the Lord.”
Jiang Pengji: “…”
Friends, you say?
Feng Jin awkwardly replied, “Huai Jian is usually rather clever and somewhat naive, please don’t mind his eccentricity.”
No matter what, first, lower the bar for his own brother to avoid Jiang Pengji getting angry and seeking retribution.
Jiang Pengji smiled, “This ‘friend’ sounds intriguing; it’s worth exploring.”
Without the entanglement of interests and politics, just a pure friendship might be just fine.
That night, Jiang Pengji did inquire with Wei Ci about Feng Jue.
All she knew was that Feng Jue was her first advisor in Wei Ci’s lifetime, but in this life, he was following Huang Song; Jiang Pengji didn’t expect him to betray his friends, so she hadn’t delved into the matter deeply. Now feeling excited, she wanted to learn more about Feng Jue.
Wei Ci sighed and briefly explained.
Jiang Pengji tapped her chin, “Why does it sound like I was a tragic figure in my past life?”
Wei Ci smiled charmingly, “Isn’t the leader of our family the Lord?”
Feeling flattered, Jiang Pengji swallowed him whole once again.
