Chapter 153 – The Correct Posture for Gaining Favor (Part Eleven)
Xu Ke raised an eyebrow at his words, “So you’re saying that Qi Guanrang has also suffered greatly?”
Qi Guanrang chose an eerie silence; he was indeed a “victim,” yet he still couldn’t comprehend how the other knew so much upon their first encounter. However, having witnessed this person outsmart the captain, Qi Guanrang now had an inkling of what was going on.
That man’s eyes were truly sharp, capable of seeing through anything.
Xu Ke chuckled and remarked, “If Young Master has such abilities, it’s a good thing; at least he won’t be deceived by scoundrels and can catch them in the act. However, benefits can also lead to drawbacks; it may make his temperament stubborn and hard to persuade.”
Being overly confident in one’s own eyes and judgments borders on arrogance. If others’ opinions contradict him, it can lead to amusing results. It’s said that such a self-assured person is not a good choice because those under him will find it quite troublesome.
If two people disagree and neither can convince the other, who ends up conceding?
Listening attentively, Qi Guanrang asked softly, “In that case, doesn’t Xiaoyu worry for himself?”
Xu Ke replied, “Even so, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. Although the Young Master is arrogant, he knows where to draw the line. If opinions diverge, he will still listen to reason. Besides, in areas he isn’t skilled at, the Young Master prefers not to interfere, which is far better than those useless fools who want to meddle for no reason.”
After saying this, Xu Ke added, “Moreover, even if he weren’t like this, my deed of servitude is still in his hands; there’s no escaping it. Accepting fate early means cutting off unnecessary worries and avoiding causing oneself discomfort.”
Upon hearing the words “deed of servitude,” Qi Guanrang looked momentarily stunned, seemingly not expecting Xu Ke to become a servant in Liu Residence.
It made sense, though; Xu Ke’s previous demeanor and aura were not something an ordinary servant could possess.
“I was young and reckless, made a few mistakes, and ended up in the wolf’s den…” Xu Ke’s words sounded like complaints, yet the expressions on his face and the relaxed tone conveyed no bitterness. “I was so scared for a while that I couldn’t sleep at night.”
Qi Guanrang frowned, “Lan Ting is odd-tempered, but his methods are rather proper. How could he frighten you?”
“Ke never said it was the Young Master who scared me.”
Xu Ke muttered, recalling Liu Zhi’s venomous gaze that day, which still haunted him in nightmares.
The two engaged in a low-key conversation, their voices so soft that they could barely be heard a few steps away.
Even though Jiang Pengji had exceptional hearing, her mind and attention were not on the two fishermen.
The Black-Faced Man, or rather the disguised officer—Meng Hunyun—was trying to steer the conversation toward Meng Liang. However, Jiang Pengji seemed blissfully unaware, chatting casually about trivial matters and asking about the folk customs encountered along the way.
The conversation circled around several times, with Jiang Pengji always guiding it.
Finally, she suddenly issued an invitation to Meng Hunyun, her gaze sincere and earnest.
“Life is short, and being able to cover so much land on foot isn’t easy. I find myself somewhat envious. Growing up in mere Hejian County, I’ve never seen other places. The Central Plains are vast, and I truly wish to explore everywhere.”
Seeing Jiang Pengji’s naive expression of longing, Meng Hunyun unexpectedly saw a reflection of his daughter, who once complained about being confined within the household and unable to ride horses like him, unable to fight for the family, let alone achieve great feats…
He forced a smile, saying bitterly, “Young Master hasn’t experienced hardship; outside is filled with treacherous mountains and rivers. Staying at home can bring calamities from above. Leaving home and homeland makes it even tougher, with daily struggles and hardships…”
“Everything has its first time, doesn’t it? One shouldn’t extinguish the desire to venture out just because of that,” Jiang Pengji replied nonchalantly. “Moreover, if I go out, I’ll definitely have carefree servants and house servants for protection. What hardship can I face?”
Here, she abruptly shifted the topic, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Meng Hunyun. “You’ve traveled to many places and met many people; you’ve surely accumulated plenty of experience. You seem strong and tall, not any worse than those servants at my home. By the way, didn’t you mention you have no family, that your homeland is ravaged by war and you’re forced to wander? Why not stay at Liu Residence? At least it’s a place to settle down. If I go out one day, taking you along would save time and trouble.”
Meng Hunyun’s lips moved, opening and closing for a long time before he finally managed to spit out a sentence.
“Young Master is a living Bodhisattva, but… but I’m just a lowly commoner, unworthy to dirty your esteemed place; I must decline.”
Had he been an ordinary commoner, he would have expressed immense gratitude, but Meng Hunyun was not an ordinary man, nor could he agree.
Not for any other reason; he simply didn’t want his identity to implicate Liu Residence.
Though he didn’t understand the inner workings between noble families, Meng Hunyun was aware that Liu Zhi and Meng Zhan had already severed ties.
Meng Liang, that little imp, must have used a different identity to deceive Liu Residence.
If Meng Liang were to die in Liu Residence, and the Meng Clan learned of it, they would definitely retaliate against Liu Residence, demanding answers.
No, they would likely drag the entire Liu Clan into trouble.
Although he felt that Liu Xi was somewhat peculiar, through their interactions, she truly seemed down-to-earth and cared deeply about commoners’ welfare. Unlike some noble offspring he had previously encountered who wallowed in sorrows and fretted over baseless things—disturbing others with their ailments or bullying common folk and playing with innocent women.
Just based on these traits, Meng Hunyun held a very good impression of Jiang Pengji.
Yet, he could not accept her invitation.
As expected, the gentle-faced Jiang Pengji showed no signs of anger or annoyance at his refusal. Instead, she sighed with genuine regret.
Jiang Pengji said, “Everyone has their aspirations; since you’ve made your decision, I won’t insist.”
As dusk approached, Qi Guanrang and the two had both caught enough fish. Meng Hunyun also chose to excuse himself.
When leaving, Meng Hunyun took a wrapped bundle.
Two warm clothes, a few pairs of larger straw sandals, cotton socks for feet, several days’ worth of dry rations, and some medicinal herbs for injuries.
Jiang Pengji explained, “I noticed there are blisters on your feet, so I had someone prepare a little medicine for you. Otherwise, if the wounds are bitten by mosquitoes and get infected, it’ll be troublesome later.”
Meng Hunyun felt a warmth in his heart and, after some hesitation, accepted this small yet considerate gift.
Watching the entire scene unfold, Qi Guanrang and Xu Ke smirked.
A gift from Liu Xi, no matter how small, was not easy to come by.
