Chapter 326 – Youth in Thin Spring Clothes (Part Nine)
“I’ve never heard outsiders say that before. Many of Father’s students believe that Brother Ci brings bad luck, treating him as an omen of misfortune, holding their noses as if he were a plague. Though they don’t say anything openly, they keep their distance from him behind his back.”
Wu Niang was quite dissatisfied with the injustice faced by Wei Ci, but being so young and insignificant, not many paid attention to her words. Now that she had found someone who shared her sentiments, she couldn’t be happier.
“It’s just the ignorance of the masses.” Jiang Pengji curled her lip and said, “How many children are born on the same day and hour? Do they all have the same fate? Just because a child was born on the twenty-second day of the eighth month in the year of the Kui You, does that mean they’re the reincarnation of that Prime Minister Huangfu? It’s only because he stands out too much that others are envious of him. Those people can’t measure up to him, so they can only tarnish his name.”
“Exactly! Those people don’t understand Brother Ci at all. They just follow the crowd, without a thought in their heads, always going with the flow!”
Wu Niang was fired up, nodding her fist, looking overjoyed.
Seeing this, Jiang Pengji couldn’t help but smile.
The audience in the livestream expressed their delight at the adorable girl, feeling that she was nothing like the flashy and cheap ones outside.
【Old Driver Alliance】: Hahaha, this young girl must have a crush on the beautiful Brother Ci, right?
【Noodle Shop Guesthouse】: That little girl is still so young, how could she know what love is? I think she’s more like a star-chasing girl, and Brother Ci is her idol, so she can’t allow others to malign him and is determined to defend his reputation!
【Remote Control You Dropped】: Come on, there are plenty of girls in ancient times married at twelve or thirteen; how is that too young?
【Bottled Spring Water Suspicious】: Tsk, girls who marry at twelve or thirteen usually come from poor families. Those slightly better off will definitely let their daughters stay home a few more years, at least until they come of age. How could Mr. Yuanjing’s daughter be in a poor household?
Jiang Pengji agreed with the audience’s perspective; Wu Niang truly had a romantic affection for Wei Ci.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
Like a lecher!
Wu Niang felt a bit uncomfortable under Jiang Pengji’s gaze and instinctively took a step back, her small face showing a hint of unnatural color.
Jiang Pengji chuckled and exposed, “You have feelings for Zixiao?”
Wu Niang’s face turned red, then she decided to go all in, “You’ve been up in that tree for so long; you must have heard things you shouldn’t have. I really do like Brother Ci! Father said he’s perfect for family, so if he were a husband, he definitely wouldn’t mistreat us.”
Wu Niang liked Wei Ci, and her desire to marry him was definitely not based on just his looks; she wasn’t that shallow.
Many of her friends were already betrothed, but what kind of families did their future husbands come from?
Thanks to her identity as “Mr. Yuanjing’s daughter,” she occasionally visited the academy to bring food to her father, and she always got to hear some juicy gossip.
There were many men who had entangled relationships with maidservants even before marriage, sometimes leading to awkward situations with concubines undermining the legitimate wife’s dignity.
Some went even further, directly favoring a concubine over a wife, which wasn’t impossible either.
Due to Mr. Yuanjing’s open-mindedness, Wu Niang was bound to choose someone who suited her heart’s desire. She wanted someone who would not only cherish her but also understand and care for her.
During difficult childbirth, servants often wanted to dispose of the baby to avoid bad luck in the household.
She couldn’t just randomly seek Wei Ci for help; when she did, he didn’t treat the lives of the mother and child as trifling matters. Instead, he rolled up his sleeves and, not minding the blood or the pain, seriously helped with the delivery.
After that incident, Wu Niang really began to like Wei Ci.
Perfect for family?
Jiang Pengji twitched her mouth; it was the first time she heard such an evaluation. The audience in the livestream nearly exploded, with a flurry of “666” filling the screen.
【Bright Wang Situ】: The literature teacher passed away early; can a big shot explain what “perfect for family” means?
【Musician Zhuge Qinmo】: The peach blossoms are bright and beautiful, perfect for marriage… you can figure it out yourself.
Felt like she read a fake “Book of Songs.”
Jiang Pengji held back her laughter and said, “If you like him, you should just tell him directly. Given Zixiao’s character, whether he accepts or not, he wouldn’t spread it around to ruin your reputation.”
Wu Niang sighed, “But Brother Ci has someone in his heart already, he’s such a serious guy—I wouldn’t stoop to compete with others.”
“So what?” Jiang Pengji asked.
“So, I hope he can be with his beloved soon. He’s already twenty-one this year; if he drags it out any longer, it’ll be really hard!” Wu Niang puffed her cheeks, feeling a bit sad and awkward, “Anyway, I’m just thirteen this year; surely there will be more good husband candidates.”
“That does make sense.”
Jiang Pengji quite liked Wu Niang’s open-minded personality.
Mr. Yuanjing certainly knows how to raise his daughter.
The audience in the livestream also expressed that they were charmed by Wu Niang.
Just look at how many women from household struggles adhere to the principle of “the one I like must like me back and reciprocate my feelings, otherwise, he’s a heartless man.” Countless grudges and love triangles have evolved from such unreasonable chaos!
It was precisely because of Wu Niang’s openness and adorableness that she stood out as particularly special.
“Hey, after all this talking, I still don’t know which of Father’s students you are.”
Jiang Pengji smiled gently, “I’m Liu Xi. If you don’t mind, you can call me Lan Ting.”
Wu Niang’s eyes widened in surprise, and after a moment, she said, slightly annoyed, “So the rumors really can’t be trusted.”
“What rumors?”
“Others say Liu Xi is just a wayward and flashy playboy, gallivanting around for fun, and just another one of those ‘like father like son’ cases.” Wu Niang tilted her head, secretly sizing up Jiang Pengji, but was caught by her gaze and blushed slightly, shyly saying, “I can’t say much else, but at least you see clearer than those people. If all playboys were like you, they wouldn’t be playboys!”
Just as Jiang Pengji wanted to laugh, her eyes caught a certain bullet comment, almost freezing in place.
【Uncle Little Soldier】: Host, this is dangerous! That girl is trying to flirt with you!
“Little girl has a discerning eye!” She naturally praised Wu Niang, and along with it, praised herself as well.
Wu Niang was taken aback, then realized that this person was shamelessly complimenting herself, and burst into laughter.
Jiang Pengji urged, “It’s getting late; you should head back and pay respects to the Flower Goddess.”
“Okay.”
Wu Niang nodded, finding a less crowded direction and trotting away.
Jiang Pengji crossed her arms and stood still for a while, before walking directly to a nearby pear tree.
“After being openly confessed to by a little girl, you’re not even the slightest bit moved?”
Behind the tree, Wei Ci felt like his heart was about to stop. He was so startled that he took a step back, hitting the back of his head against the trunk.
“It seems you really do have someone in your heart; that’s why you can’t bear to accept that little girl’s feelings?”
Wei Ci’s expression was graver than ever, his thin lips pressed tightly together, eyes sharp as he looked at Jiang Pengji.
“Regarding Wu Niang’s reputation, let’s not bring this up again.”
