Xi Hongrui mustered her emotions, forcing out a few tears before lifting her head with misty eyes.
To her surprise, however, the newcomers weren’t the three people she expected at all…
Widow Song hurried over with her two children, her face lighting up with pleasant surprise at the sight of Xi Hongrui on the ground.
But she quickly noticed the tears glistening in the young woman’s eyes and froze momentarily before anxiously stepping forward to help her up. “Miss Hong, what’s happened to you?”
Squatting in place, Xi Hongrui stared at her in mild bewilderment, never imagining she would be the first to arrive.
For a moment, she didn’t know how to react, bracing herself against the large willow tree as she tried to stand. “Why is it you?”
Seeing Xi Hongrui safe and sound, Widow Song immediately felt relieved. She extended her rough, work-worn hands to help the young woman up, then began brushing the dirt from her skirt alongside her.
As she dusted off the garment, she explained, “Didn’t we talk about renting a place the other day? Well, I finally got it sorted yesterday and wanted to share the good news with you. But when I went to your place, I didn’t find you—instead, there were some strangers there. I didn’t dare approach them, so I thought I’d try again today to see you in person.”
“When I went today, I happened to run into Lord Pei returning home. I thought you were in the carriage and went to greet you, but it wasn’t you. Lord Pei didn’t look too pleased when he saw me either, which made me uneasy. I figured you two must have had a quarrel.”
“With how unsafe it is out here at night, I was worried something might happen to a young lady like you all alone. So I came looking, and surprisingly, I actually found you.”
“Miss, when two people live together, disagreements are bound to happen. I don’t know why you and Lord Pei argued, but this isn’t the way to handle it. Sometimes you just have to bear with things—it’s not like you’ll lose a piece of flesh. After all, in a household, the man is the pillar. With your delicate frame, how can you win against stronger forces? There are times when you simply have to endure…”
Xi Hongrui had little patience for this kind of talk. Leaning on the older woman’s arm to stand, she retorted, “What does a foolish country woman like you know? How dare you lecture me!”
Widow Song was left speechless by the rebuke. Though Miss Hong was clever, when it came to managing daily life, she might not fare as well. With such a fiery temper, she was bound to face hardship in her husband’s family. Being so impatient would only lead to more suffering.
But the trouble with clever people was that they were set in their ways and unwilling to listen to advice. Seeing the indignation on Xi Hongrui’s face, Widow Song knew she couldn’t persuade her. She could only sigh again and change the subject. “Have you eaten? Are you hungry?”
Xi Hongrui pushed her away irritably and stood on her own. “I’m not hungry!”
Yet, to make her act convincing and pitiful enough, Xi Hongrui naturally hadn’t stopped to eat along the way.
Throughout the day, aside from the bowl of wontons she had in the morning, she hadn’t consumed a single bite or sip. While her pride sustained her, she hadn’t felt hungry at all, but once that drive faded, her stomach began rumbling almost instantly.
Xi Hongrui: “…”
Widow Song: “…”
“If you don’t mind, Miss Hong, why don’t you come to my place for now? I’ll fix you something warm to eat.”
Xi Hongrui pressed her lips together, studying the older woman for a long moment before finally replying listlessly and indifferently, “Fine, let’s go then…”
…Widow Song rented a cheap tenement with a tiny courtyard. The room only had space for a stove and a dirt bed. The surrounding rows housed city laborers, with occasional exam candidates living there with their families.
To entertain Xi Hongrui, Widow Song specially bought a small bag of flour and a piece of pork. She asked Xi Hongrui to sit in the courtyard first, promising to cook her a bowl of noodles later.
Upon their mother’s instructions, Da Mao and Xiao Ya scurried over to set up the table and placed a small stool for Xi Hongrui.
After finishing, they ran into the house and leaned against the stove.
Widow Song kneaded the dough and set it aside to rest. She then picked up the decent piece of pork belly, pressed it onto the cutting board, and diced it into fine pieces with both fat and lean meat.
Seizing the opportunity, Da Mao and Xiao Ya gathered firewood and lit the stove. Once the pan was hot, Widow Song greased it with lard, took a small pinch of Sichuan peppercorns she usually hesitated to use, and stir-fried them until they released their pungent aroma. As soon as the fragrance emerged, she added the diced pork and began stir-frying it carefully.
The sizzling aroma of oil wafted from the doorway into the courtyard, making not only Da Mao and Xiao Ya but even Xi Hongrui swallow her saliva.
After preparing the sauce, Widow Song boiled a pot of hot water. She picked up the cutting board and swiftly shaved the noodles into the pot with a small knife. Soon, the water was boiling.
She took a strainer from the wall, scooped out the noodles, rinsed them in a basin of cold water beside her, placed them in a bowl, and poured the fragrant, oily sauce over them.
A bowl of diced pork noodles, neither too hot nor too cold—perfect for summer—was ready.
Widow Song washed the chopsticks, wiped the table, and placed the large bowl of noodles in front of Xi Hongrui. She eagerly wiped her hands and said, “Miss Hong, we don’t have anything fancy here. Please don’t mind it!”
Xi Hongrui: …
Indeed, it wasn’t anything special. As the personal maid of a prime minister’s daughter, even the kitchen maids trying to curry favor with her wouldn’t serve such a humble bowl of pork noodles.
But as she inhaled the moist, fragrant aroma of the noodles, two tears unexpectedly fell from her eyes.
She didn’t feel there was anything worth crying about, but perhaps she had opened the floodgates of tears recently, making her eyes unreliable.
Widow Song, being somewhat oblivious, didn’t notice. Xi Hongrui blinked away her tears on her own, picked up her chopsticks, and took a bite of the noodles. Mumbling, she said, “I will repay you for this bowl of noodles sooner or later.”
Widow Song rubbed the hem of her clothes and couldn’t help but smile. “Miss, please don’t say such distant words. Our mother and children were able to settle in Daliang City all thanks to you. You saved our lives! For such kindness, we would repay you even as oxen or horses, let alone with just a bowl of noodles!”
Xi Hongrui snorted.
What could such a family repay, even as oxen or horses?
She didn’t pin her hopes on that.
From the alley where the city laborers lived, the incongruous sound of a carriage rumbled in. That was the reliance she truly deserved.
Her eyes softened, and tears rolled down again.
Widow Song was startled and leaned down to look. “Miss Hong, what’s wrong?”
Before she could reach out, three people rushed into the courtyard, interrupting her. “Miss Hong, what’s wrong?”
Xi Hongrui turned her head and saw Chongwen Emperor, supported by De Ren and Qin Xingchao, entering the courtyard. Her lips quivered, and she buried her face in her knees, sobbing loudly.
Chongwen Emperor looked at Xi Hongrui sitting on a small stool. The corners of her eyes were red and damp, her hair slightly disheveled from a day of hardship, and there was a smudge of dust on her cheek. She seemed on the verge of tears but held them back.As soon as she saw him, it was as if she had found her anchor. She immediately tilted her head back and burst into loud sobs, resembling a bullied little rabbit who couldn’t find its owner and now poured out its grievances recklessly upon the owner’s return. The Chongwen Emperor felt his heart shatter.
He strode over quickly, bending down to look at her: “What’s wrong this time? Who upset you?”
“Hmph, hmph, hmph~”
Xi Hongrui hummed and turned away, ignoring him. The Chongwen Emperor wasn’t annoyed. He took small, quick steps to her other side, patiently lowering his head and stroking her back as he coaxed: “Come now, tell Master Huang all about it. Don’t keep him waiting anxiously!”
Only then did Xi Hongrui stop crying. Lifting her tear-streaked face, pitiful like a drenched pear blossom, she poured out all the grievances of the day in one breath.
“It’s not like I’m monopolizing the customers—they’re the ones who come looking for me! I wear my lips out every day trying to drum up business for the shop, yet I don’t get an extra copper for it. Why do they still talk about me like that? The others I can tolerate, but even Pei San says such things—does he even care about me at all? Waaah!”
Ever since returning, the Chongwen Emperor had been keeping people watching Linglong Pavilion. He knew everything that happened there. Today’s incident was truly a case of the young girl being wronged. No one understood her enthusiasm for attracting customers better than he did—in the entire pavilion, who could surpass her in pestering people to buy things?
The girl was simple-minded, unaware of the intricate schemes, but the Chongwen Emperor, being an emperor, saw through it at a glance. It was all because that Ning Meng, like a new official burning with ambition, felt threatened by this capable “general” of a girl and had incited the older staff to gang up on her, making her life difficult to drive her out of the pavilion.
This girl was also hot-tempered and couldn’t stand being provoked. A few jabs at her weak spots were enough to make her storm off in anger first.
Looking at her disheveled, aggrieved, and furious appearance—like a complete mess—the Chongwen Emperor couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same time. He patted her little head and comforted her as if coaxing a child: “Don’t be angry, don’t be angry. It’s all their fault. They can’t recognize true talent even when it’s right in front of them. Let’s pay them no mind!”
Hearing this, Xi Hongrui seemed to finally vent all the pent-up frustration in her heart. She threw her head back and wailed loudly.
After letting it all out, she opened her red, swollen eyes wide, sniffled, and looked at them: “You… you all… why are you here?”
Seeing that she had cried herself out, the group exchanged glances. De Ren stepped forward obsequiously: “We were just heading to Linglong Pavilion to see you today, but we couldn’t find you. We were so worried! After asking around, we heard you’d come here, so we followed. This really is an out-of-the-way place—quite hard to find!”
Hearing this, Xi Hongrui didn’t suspect anything. She lifted her handkerchief to wipe her face, trying to maintain composure while still sniffling: “Th-thank you… Widow Song brought me back… Have you eaten? Would you like to have some noodles with us?”
Only then did the group notice Widow Song standing nearby and the bowls of noodles on the table.
The Chongwen Emperor had rushed out immediately after receiving the report and dealing with the matter, not even thinking about food. Seeing the large bowl of white noodles topped with minced meat in front of Xi Hongrui—a common street food he had never encountered before—he suddenly felt intrigued and nodded: “Very well.”
Xi Hongrui then looked up at Widow Song and said: “Auntie, please bring a bowl of noodles for the honored guest.”As soon as the three entered, Widow Song could tell from their attire and demeanor that they were no ordinary folk.
Hearing this, she quickly agreed in a flurry of words, holding her two children as she retreated to the kitchen. Soon after, she brought out a bowl of noodles.
Qin Xingchao laid out a cushion for the Chongwen Emperor to sit on, then produced a pair of silver chopsticks he had brought along, placing them before the emperor.
The Chongwen Emperor picked up the chopsticks and took a small taste. The flavor was somewhat novel—he had never encountered such a dish in the palace—and he couldn’t help but exclaim, “Excellent!”
Looking up, he noticed Da Mao and Xiao Ya staring eagerly at his bowl, swallowing hard. He found this curious and asked, “Do they want some too?”
Widow Song hurriedly gathered the children into her arms, fawning as she replied, “Honorable sir, please, you eat!”
The Chongwen Emperor chuckled. “No need to be so formal. Since I… happen to be here today, let’s all relax and eat as we please.”
Xi Hongrui also smiled at Widow Song. “Auntie, bring out the noodles. The honorable sir is very kind.”
Widow Song was at a loss, but since Xi Hongrui had spoken, she trusted it was the right thing to do. She brought out two more bowls.
De Ren and Qin Xingchao declined. Widow Song glanced at Xi Hongrui for guidance and, after receiving her approval, gave the two bowls to the children.
Such a generous serving of noodles with meat sauce—it felt like New Year’s! Da Mao and Xiao Ya had been craving this for a long time. As soon as they got their bowls, they began slurping noisily.
In the palace, meals were always taken with proper decorum, never with abandon. Seeing such unrestrained, enthusiastic eating was a novelty, and for some reason, it stirred the emperor’s appetite. In the end, he even finished a bowl himself.
Afterward, looking at the empty bowl, he felt immensely satisfied and exclaimed once more, “Excellent!”
Raising his eyes to the cramped little courtyard, he no longer frowned as he had earlier. Instead, he found a certain rustic charm in it.
In high spirits, he turned to Xi Hongrui. “Since the people at the shop have been mistreating you, why not stay away for a few days? Come stay at my residence for a while. If anyone from the Prince’s Residence comes looking for you, I’ll handle them.”
Xi Hongrui glanced at him, then lowered her head stubbornly. “No! I’m staying right here!”
The Chongwen Emperor straightened up slightly, puzzled. “And why is that?”
Xi Hongrui lifted her head, linking arms with Widow Song as her fighting spirit returned. “I can’t just slink away after being driven out like that! They threw me out today, but one day, I’ll make them regret it!”
The Chongwen Emperor took a good look at her—such a stubborn girl—and couldn’t help but laugh. “And how will you make them regret it?”
Xi Hongrui snorted, lifting her chin proudly. “I’m going to open a noodle shop with Auntie Song and make a fortune! Once we’re rich, I’ll show those blind fools exactly who can’t do without whom!”
“Well said! Such ambition!” The Chongwen Emperor laughed heartily.
He found this feisty little girl more and more endearing the longer he looked at her.
Stroking his beard, he regarded her cheerfully. “But if you want to open a shop, where will you get the money? How about I lend you some?”
“No need!”
Xi Hongrui had already wiped away her tears completely. Tilting her small face upward, she looked just like a proud little red fox.She pulled a white jade hairpin with swaying tassels from her bosom and said triumphantly, “Look, this is the reward I got from saving my cousin who fell into the water the other day. It must be worth a fortune! I’ll pawn it, and then we’ll have money. We can start with a small noodle shop, rely on no one, and make big money. No one can help us—not even you, Huang Daguanren!”
“Alright, alright, whatever you say. Not even me~”
The Chongwen Emperor narrowed his eyes, looking at the white jade hairpin with great interest as he leaned closer. “Shall we go pawn it now?”
“Great!”
Action followed words immediately. Xi Hongrui prepared to set off at once, while Widow Song, who hadn’t had a chance to interject, said anxiously, “Wait, isn’t this too rushed?”
But Xi Hongrui grabbed her, linked arms, and pulled her along. “Rushed? How can we get anything done if we’re not quick? Let’s go!”
The Chongwen Emperor glanced at the two beside him, waved a hand, and chuckled. “Let’s go too~”
When they arrived at the pawnshop, Xi Hongrui eagerly held up the hairpin and handed it over the high counter.
The pawnbroker glanced at her, leisurely took out a pair of crystal lenses, examined it for a long time, then raised his eyes and prepared to lowball the price: “This hairpin… it’s only worth about five…”
Mid-sentence, a clerk suddenly whispered something in his ear. The pawnbroker’s eyes widened, and he immediately changed his tune: “Hundred taels!”
Widow Song, who had been dragged along all the way, was trembling nervously below the high counter. Upon hearing this, she jerked her head up: Huh? How many taels? Tael what?
The Chongwen Emperor stood cheerfully behind her, hands clasped behind his back, his role in this hidden and uncredited.
The young girl has ambition, but she’s still childish, acting on whims. When it really comes down to it, doesn’t she still need me to step in?
Oh well, oh well. Five hundred taels of silver to make her happy—I wonder how the little lass will react?
Xi Hongrui covered her mouth, her big eyes wide with shock, rooted to the spot in disbelief.
She had said it before: that bowl of noodles’ kindness would be repaid sooner or later.
Well, someone else repaid it for her.