010 Serve Me by Taking Off My Shoes and Washing My Feet
Having sold Xie Chenyan to the South Wind Pavilion for five taels of silver, Su Niao's mood brightened considerably.
She was simply too clever!
Establishments like that usually had powerful backers behind them. Even if Xie Chenyan could fight, two fists were no match for four hands—the guards the pavilion kept were numerous and vicious, certainly not hired to sit around idle.
Even if he won, he'd likely suffer no small amount of hardship!
And if he couldn't win, then he'd stay and obediently become their star performer. Hahaha…
Lichun was thoroughly shaken: "Miss, Chen Yan hasn't signed himself away. How can you sell him?"
Su Niao grinned: "Who cares about that? Sell him first, we'll sort it out later."
The South Wind Pavilion surely knew the paperwork wasn't in order, but the moment they saw Xie Chenyan's face, they didn't care about such things anymore.
Once dragged through their doors, he'd be their own money tree.
Lichun still didn't understand: "But why sell him for only five taels of silver?"
With Chen Yan's build and looks, he was worth far more than five taels.
Su Niao sneered coldly: "He's only worth that much!"
Remembering how Xie Chenyan—who in her past life had been tormented and humiliated by her until he wished for death yet still wore that aloof expression—was now sold off to the South Wind Pavilion, Su Niao's mood immediately lifted.
When the carriage returned to Peace Lane and she saw that little dark-skinned girl from the Chen family, she was in such a good mood that she even prepared to give the little girl a piece of candy.
Poor little thing, her brother's been sold to the South Wind Pavilion, hee hee…
Oh, Chen Xu is here too. Give him a piece of candy as well!
No more brother now, hee hee…
But just as Su Niao lifted the carriage curtain with a smile, ready to offer the siblings candy, she saw a sturdy little chubby boy shove the dark-skinned girl to the ground and snatch something from around her neck.
Only then did Su Niao remember—that thing was from a few days ago when the little girl had nearly been grabbed by human traffickers. Afterwards, the girl had pestered her so relentlessly that it annoyed her, so she'd given her a small gold lock to play with just to get rid of her.
What the chubby boy had snatched was precisely that little gold lock.
Chen Xu didn't know his sister had acquired a small gold lock around her neck these past two days. He only saw the chubby boy grab something and run, his sister shoved to the ground and wailing loudly. He immediately chased after and seized the little fatty.
"What did you take? Give it back!"
The little chubby boy, grabbed by his collar, turned around and kicked wildly while cursing obscenities. Chen Yan frowned and tossed him to the ground, and the boy immediately burst into loud sobs.
Soon, a plump woman came rushing over at the sound, shouting angrily: "Why are you hitting my son, huh? Chen Xu, a big fellow like you bullying a little child—all those sage books you've read went straight into a dog's stomach, didn't they?"
With that, she lunged forward to scratch and hit Chen Xu.
Chen Xu blocked and dodged while saying: "Your son stole something from my sister."
"What thing? What thing is there?"
"I didn't steal anything! This is mine!" the little chubby boy yelled between sobs, and the gold lock in his hand was revealed. The moment Chen Xu saw it, he froze.
Their family didn't own any gold lock.
The plump woman was startled at first, but when she saw Chen Xu's expression, her eyes rolled and she immediately began cursing louder.
"What do you mean I stole your things? This is clearly ours! Is there no justice in this world? Robbery in broad daylight! I'm reporting this to the authorities—I'll report you to the authorities!"
The moment Chen Xu heard "report to the authorities," his expression shifted slightly.
The Autumn Imperial Examination was about to begin. If he stirred up any trouble that delayed the imperial exams, it would be a catastrophe for him.
He stepped forward, immediately offering apologies and insisting it was all a misunderstanding. But the moment he backed down, the fat woman grew even more certain that the gold lock wasn't the Chen family's either, and became increasingly brazen—lunging forward to grab Chen Xu and start a fight.
Chen Xu's mother, whose eyesight was poor, groped her way over asking what was happening, only to be shoved to the ground by the fat woman.
Chen Xu's expression changed instantly, and he shoved the fat woman away.
But unexpectedly, this was exactly what the fat woman had been waiting for. She collapsed to the ground and immediately began wailing at the top of her lungs.
Some bystanders who relished watching trouble escalate ran off to report the matter to the authorities.
Su Niao watched the spectacle from not far away, thoroughly entertained.
Before long, the constables arrived and directly took both parties to the county magistrate's office.
Chen Xu's mother, with her poor eyesight, was frantic and weeping, sending someone to Su Garden to find her Chen Yan… Su Niao mused from a distance.
Find Chen Yan? Oh, Chen Yan had already been sold to Nanfeng House.
Seeing the constables leading Chen Xu, his younger siblings, and the fat woman's family toward the county office, Su Niao had her guards turn the carriage around and followed along with Lichun.
Chen Xu and the fat woman were brought into the main hall.
On the way there, Chen Xu had already questioned his younger sister and learned that the gold lock had been a gift from Miss Su. His tension immediately eased.
If that was the case, then naturally the fault lay with the other party.
But to his surprise, after the magistrate finished his questioning, he declared that Chen Xu and the fat woman had been fighting and brawling, and ordered both to be taken into custody at the county office for the time being.
This matter was hardly significant, yet the magistrate was detaining both Chen Xu and the fat woman—clearly imposing a heavy punishment.
The problem was that the Autumn Imperial Examination was set to begin in two days, and Chen Xu was supposed to depart for Yunzhou tomorrow morning. If he were detained, he would certainly miss the examination.
He immediately raised his voice to state the situation, explaining that the fat woman had allowed her son to rob him of money and that he had merely acted in self-defense.
However, the fat woman and her son insisted with one voice that the gold lock was theirs. The fat woman even declared loudly: "They rely on Chen Xu's studies and support their blind old mother—the whole family depends on that eldest Chen boy. They can barely scrape together food and clothing on a daily basis—where would they find the spare money to buy such a gold lock?!"
Some people nearby murmured in agreement.
"That's right—I heard the eldest Chen boy even sold himself into servitude at Su Garden for a few months just to get medicine for his aunt. Where would they get the money for a gold lock?"
The magistrate gave a cold snort: "Unless you can produce evidence proving that gold lock belongs to your Chen family, then given such character—wrongfully seizing another's property—this court cannot in good conscience allow you to sit for the imperial examination!"
At those words, Chen Xu's head shot up: "Your Honor—"
The magistrate waved his hand: "Take them away!"
The dark-skinned little girl Chen Ning clung to her second brother and burst into loud sobs.
Su Niao frowned, watching the fat mother and son try to claim something she had given away as their own, then looked at the pitiful siblings. Thinking of how their eldest brother had already been sold by her, she was struck by a rare fit of generosity and had Lichun step down from the carriage.
Lichun pushed through the crowd and spoke up directly: "Your Honor, the gold lock on young Miss Chen belongs to my mistress, who bestowed it upon her. This is the evidence."
The magistrate hadn't expected anyone to step forward. Seeing that the girl dressed as a maidservant carried herself with an air that rivaled many young ladies of noble households, his expression immediately turned more guarded, and he probed: "And who might your mistress be?"
Lichun sneered: "Your Honor need not concern himself with who my mistress is. All you need to know is that this gold lock bears the hallmark of my Su's Jewelry House. Whether it's genuine or not will be clear at a glance."
The young maidservant stood there issuing orders with an imperious air, as if she didn't even consider the county magistrate worth her regard.
The county magistrate paused, then had no choice but to have the golden lock brought forward. Seeing the character "Su" engraved within it, he had to take a deep breath and handle the matter impartially before the eyes of all present.
"The golden lock indeed bears the mark of 'Su.' Li Youfang, do you still dare to claim this is your family's possession?"
The previously aggressive fat woman fell silent, not daring to speak further…
The county magistrate snorted: "Since the truth has been made clear, the two parties may return to their homes. Do not stir up further trouble over this matter."
Lichun was puzzled: "Your Honor, this woman Li allowed her son to rob others of their money and then made false accusations. Is she not to be held accountable?"
The fat woman's face turned pale as she trembled uncontrollably.
On the other side, the county magistrate, seeing that this maidservant was increasingly aggressive yet articulate and well-spoken, grew all the more cautious. He could only order that the woman Li be given ten strokes of the board before being released.
The fat woman wailed and begged for mercy, while the chubby boy cried until tears and snot covered his entire body. Behind the crowd, the woman Li's dull-witted husband slunk away to the very back, not daring to show his face…
In the inner hall of the county office, a man dressed as a scholar gritted his teeth in secret.
This man was none other than the younger brother of Magistrate Liu's wife, named Xue Yuan. Like Chen Xu, he was a scholar at the county academy.
Xue Yuan had always been in competition with Chen Xu, knowing that Chen Xu was his greatest rival in the upcoming competition for the Jieyuan title. Moreover, he was fond of Jin Mingzhu, yet she paid him no heed, pursuing Chen Xu with single-minded devotion. Thus, upon hearing that Chen Xu had run into trouble, he hastily begged his brother-in-law to handle the matter with severity.
His hope was to make Chen Xu miss the Autumn Imperial Examination altogether.
Magistrate Liu also wished to have a Jieyuan as his brother-in-law, and since the Chen family held no power or influence, he readily agreed. Yet he never expected an unexpected obstacle to appear out of nowhere.
Xue Yuan gritted his teeth in frustration but could only let the matter go…
While Chen Xu and the woman Li were facing each other in court at the county office, over at Nanfeng House, Chen Yan had already knocked a crowd of people to the ground.
It was only then that he realized it was Su Niao who had sold him out.
And sold to Nanfeng House of all places!
Raising his eyes to sweep across the painted and powdered young male courtesans watching the commotion from upstairs, even Chen Yan, for all his composure, was enraged by this.
This place could not hold him. Once he returned, he would no longer tolerate that spoiled young lady continuing her reckless behavior.
Just then, Ye Linlang walked in with a group of soldiers. Seeing Chen Yan, she was startled at first, then broke into a smile.
"I heard there was a young male courtesan who had been sold here causing a disturbance, so I came to take a look. And it turns out to be you."
She found it highly amusing: "What's this? Has your young lady been so angry that she sold you to a place like this?"
Chen Yan set down the club he had seized: "Is this establishment yours?"
"No, no, not mine. A colleague asked me to come and check on things here. But from what I can see, this appears to be a misunderstanding."
Ye Linlang called over the madam and asked: "Do you have a deed of sale?"
The madam shook her head sheepishly.
Ye Linlang understood: "If there's no deed, then let the man go. Be more careful in your dealings from now on."
The madam hastily said: "But I paid five taels of silver to his master."
Ye Linlang couldn't help but laugh again: "So your young lady sold you for just five taels of silver? What a waste of talent… Your martial skills are so impressive. Why not consider coming to work under my command? You'd earn more than that in a single month."
Chen Yan tossed aside the club: "I have a three-month agreement with her."
"I see."
Ye Linlang nodded: "In that case, I'll come looking for you after three months. That will give you time to think things through… There are many opportunities in the military, but also great risks. Consider carefully and give me your answer then. How about it?"
Chen Yan nodded: "Very well."
If given the chance, no one would willingly waste their time. These past few years, he had been busy looking after his family, and at times, to handle emergencies, he would anonymously take on risky jobs. But that was hardly a long-term solution. Now that Chen Xu was about to sit for the Autumn Imperial Examination, and barring any mishaps, would then prepare for the Spring Imperial Examination the following year.
He too needed to find a place for himself.
Ye Linlang smiled and nodded at the candidate she had chosen, then waved her hand to let Chen Yan leave.
Leaving Nanfeng Hall, Chen Yan headed toward Peace Lane in the west of town. The chill that had filled his heart gradually began to thaw.
That Su Niao was indeed willful, spoiled, and reckless, but she had given Blood Ginseng to save his aunt and had also rescued his younger sister, Chen Ning… These were great debts of gratitude.
Today, when they were competing for that Caulis Spatholobi, he had refused to heed her words and harm others without cause, which had ultimately angered her. If being sold into Nanfeng Hall could appease her temper, then so be it.
After all, he was a grown man and had suffered no real loss. Why bother quibbling with a spoiled little girl?
It would only waste more breath…
He had assumed that after all this commotion, Su Niao would surely have gone home already. But when he returned to Su Garden and asked, he learned that Su Niao had not yet come back.
Before Chen Yan could decide whether to go into the county seat to look for her, a neighbor suddenly ran over: "Chen Yan, something has happened at your home."
Then Chen Yan learned that Chen Xu and his sister had been taken to the county office.
His expression shifted slightly, and he immediately turned to rush to the county office. Just as he reached the mouth of the alley, he saw Chen Xu helping Chen Ning down from the Su family carriage.
Chen Yan paused briefly, then quickly stepped forward. He heard his younger brother Chen Xu thanking the carriage: "Many thanks to Miss Su for helping my siblings and me out of trouble today. If the Autumn Imperial Examination had been delayed because of this, I truly wouldn't know what to do."
At that moment, Su Niao also spotted Chen Yan across the way. Seeing him standing there unharmed, she knew that Nanfeng Hall hadn't managed to hold him.
Her previously sunny mood instantly turned overcast. She had no mind to deal with the Chen siblings anymore. Coldly letting down the carriage curtain, she ordered her guards to drive back.
Chen Xu naturally couldn't understand why Miss Su, who had been perfectly pleasant moments before, had suddenly turned displeased. But without a doubt, it must be his fault.
If a kind and good-hearted young lady like Miss Su was unhappy, then surely someone else had done wrong.
He would have to be even more careful next time and not provoke her.
While Chen Xu was lost in these thoughts, Chen Ning spotted her eldest brother and immediately called out, "Brother."
Chen Yan stepped forward to take his sister, then learned the full story from Chen Xu.
So it was Su Niao who had helped their family again…
Recalling how the young lady in the carriage had passed by without so much as a glance at him, clearly still angry, Chen Yan said nothing.
And so, when dusk was about to fall, Su Niao saw Chen Yan walk in carrying a foot-washing basin, actually coming to bring her hot water for her feet on his own initiative.
Ha!
He had probably managed to escape Nanfeng Hall today but had still suffered some setback, and now he had learned his lesson.
She still ignored him.
Chen Yan glanced at the young lady's icy expression, then crouched down and set the basin at her feet: "Thank you, miss, for protecting my younger siblings. What happened on the street today was my fault. I apologize to you."
Su Niao sneered coldly: "Bringing a basin of foot-washing water counts as both thanks and an apology? You think you're that precious?"
Chen Yan looked up at her: "Then what would you have me do? Please instruct me, miss."
Su Niao had originally been too lazy to pay him any mind, but seeing this man's hypocritical demeanor now, she couldn't help but recall how he had looked in her previous life—unyielding even unto death.
Back then, even when humiliated and tormented to the point where living was worse than dying, he had never shown the slightest sign of yielding.
Yet now he was putting on this act of gratitude and wanting to repay a kindness…
So she curled her lips maliciously and lifted her foot. "I want you to serve me—remove my shoes and wash my feet."
Not one to yield even unto death, hmph…