As the saying goes: Widows attract gossip.
Why is that? Of course, it’s because many want to stir up trouble with widows.
Most men in this world who preach etiquette and morality daily treat women with the disgust and disdain reserved for floods and wild beasts. Yet when it comes to matters involving women, they can’t help but buzz over like flies drawn to a scent.
While they consider widows unlucky, they also easily harbor improper thoughts about other men’s widows.
In this bustling marketplace where all walks of life converge, running a noodle soup business that relies on heavy foot traffic means few regular customers among the coming and going patrons, and the restaurant’s aroma might not even reach the diners’ noses.
As the first eye-catching sign, what should be written to stand out among the countless noodle soup shops like schools of fish crossing a river, instantly capturing the attention of passing customers?
Haha, of course, it’s “widow”! Tell me, what man can resist having his thoughts churn when he spots those two characters?
Those constantly coming and going at the docks are mostly men from all social strata. With this initial attention, half the battle is won~
Though she thought this way, she couldn’t possibly say it aloud, lest it ruin her image of being pure, spirited, and charming. She couldn’t guarantee that today’s conversation in the carriage wouldn’t reach others’ ears.
So Xi Hongrui lifted her chin, looking at them proudly: “Most of those coming and going at the docks are wanderers far from home. With unsettled hearts in unfamiliar places, what they miss most is the taste of home.”
“Widow Song Noodle Soup Restaurant – such a reliable and commonplace name immediately reminds people of their hometowns, of their mothers making noodles for them at home. How could it not feel friendly?”
Widow Song and Mei’er suddenly understood: “So that’s it! Miss Hong is so thoughtful!”
Xi Hongrui raised her head proudly – indeed, she was that thoughtful~
So when the Chongwen Emperor arrived and saw Xi Hongrui waiting for him with papers in hand, he was slightly taken aback: “Widow Song Noodle Soup Restaurant?”
Xi Hongrui nodded repeatedly: “Yes! This is the name we all came up with for the noodle shop. Since we’re opening a shop, we need a signboard. Huang Daguanren, since you can paint gardens, your calligraphy must be excellent too, right? Could you… hehe…”
The Chongwen Emperor couldn’t help but laugh at her expectant and ingratiating expression.
Not to boast, but when it came to calligraphy and painting in this world, if he claimed second place, no one would dare claim first.
Countless nobles and officials had begged endlessly for a single piece of his calligraphy – and what did this little girl want it for?
Oh, to serve as a signboard for some place called “Widow Song Noodle Soup Restaurant.”
The Chongwen Emperor stroked his beard and glanced at her. The girl blinked back at him. He shook his head – never mind, never mind, he’d just indulge her!
Looking at her sideways: “Then hurry up and grind the ink for me!”
“Alright, coming right away!”
Xi Hongrui skillfully pulled out a chair, served tea, brought snacks, lit incense, and ground ink – providing full service.
The Chongwen Emperor sat down, watching Xi Hongrui busy herself beside him.
When the girl focused on tasks, her usual restlessness disappeared. Her ink-black, translucent eyes stared unblinkingly at the inkstone, with a few wispy strands of hair falling beside her temples.
Her pale fingers ground against the black inkstone, stroke after stroke, like white magnolias blooming upon the inkstone. Her gaze was utterly focused – the so-called “red sleeves adding fragrance” was precisely this scene.Emperor Chongwen took a sip of tea, feeling the tranquility within the room as the sun set beyond the curtains. He smiled warmly at her. “You seem quite dedicated to this shop.”
“Of course.”
Xi Hongrui lifted her head with bright eyes, as if having let down some of her guard during their time together, and whispered her true thoughts: “I want to earn lots and lots of money, so I can buy my freedom from servitude.”
Emperor Chongwen sensed the deeper intimacy and reliance in her words, immediately growing intrigued. He asked curiously, “Then how much would it cost to buy your freedom? Isn’t the five hundred taels from selling hairpins enough?”
Xi Hongrui replied despondently, “It’s not about the money. I’m a hereditary servant of the Prime Minister’s household. The Prime Minister’s estate doesn’t lack such petty sums—whether I’m freed depends entirely on the master’s grace. If the master refuses, what use is more money?”
“That’s exactly why I wanted so badly to help the Crown Princess Consort run the shop well. I hoped that one day I could please my master and, in recognition of my contributions, be granted my freedom. Then I could live with dignity, marry an honorable man openly, and never be a servant again. But now things have turned out like this.”
“If others don’t understand my intentions, so be it, but why doesn’t Pei San understand? When he and Ning Meng return, they’ll surely complain about me. If the Crown Princess Consort gets angry, she might even sell me off.”
“I have no other hopes now. Fortunately, Auntie Song is kind—she won’t embezzle my money or mistreat me. So I’ll help her earn more. If that day ever comes, I’ll ask her to buy me. That way, at least I won’t end up in some filthy, wretched place. Otherwise, this servant might as well die clean.”
“Don’t talk about death when things are fine!” Emperor Chongwen quickly patted her shoulder.
Xi Hongrui looked up, tears welling in her eyes.
Usually, when she cried, she did so with full force, dramatically, as if ensuring everyone noticed and grew distressed.
But now, she bit her red lips tightly, only a hint of redness at the corners of her eyes, refusing to let a single tear fall.
“Huang Daguanren, do you also think this servant is delusional? A lowly maid by birth should just be a good servant to others—how dare she entertain such restless ideas…”
Seeing her stubborn, tearful expression, Emperor Chongwen felt his heart melt. He immediately cupped her face and said earnestly, “How could you be lowly by birth? You’re a fairy from the heavens, destined to soar high one day!”
Xi Hongrui didn’t believe him, sniffling softly, “Really…?”
Emperor Chongwen gazed at her seriously. “Of course it’s true!”
This was a fateful bond bestowed upon him by heaven. How could his destined one be inherently lowly? She had merely mistaken her mortal vessel during rebirth.
Yet even as she fell to the lowest station of a servant girl, she remained pure, unwilling to degrade herself, clever and bright like a lotus rising unstained from mud.
Ordinary people, blind and ignorant, slandered his little fairy—like sparrows mocking swans, only to miss their chance.
Only the arrival of him, the True Dragon and Son of Heaven, could restore this radiant pearl to its brilliance.
Seeing that Emperor Chongwen seemed sincere, Xi Hongrui let out a soft “pfft” of laughter, gave a coy hum, and turned away.
Such is the way of the world—good and bad are always intertwined, each containing the other.
“Widow” isn’t a pleasant term, yet using it to attract customers can fill one’s coffers to the brim.”Restless” isn’t a compliment, but rephrase it, and it instantly becomes a lotus blooming unstained from mud.
This shows how much empty talk exists in the world—just you fooling me, and me fooling you.
Listen to what you need to hear, say what others need to hear, and that’s enough. As for what’s truly in one’s heart, that’s hard to say~
Xi Hongrui gazed at the Chongwen Emperor with immense joy, her demeanor clearly that of meeting the most kindred spirit in her life, her eyes filled with admiration and reverence.
The Chongwen Emperor felt quite comfortable under this worshipful gaze. He rolled up his sleeves, picked up a brush, and with a few swift strokes, several bold and flowing characters appeared on the fine rice paper.
Xi Hongrui covered her mouth in shock: “Heavens, my lord, are these characters? I feel as if a thunderclap just struck me…”
The Chongwen Emperor set down his brush and looked at her in surprise: “You understand calligraphy?”
Xi Hongrui quickly shook her head: “How would a humble maid understand such things.”
She merely knew that the Chongwen Emperor had named his calligraphy style the “Thunderclap Style.”
But aloud she said: “This humble maid only feels that when my eyes see these characters, thunder seems to roar in my ears, and a dragon flies out from them.”
“Hahaha!”
The Chongwen Emperor laughed heartily, his gaze burning as he looked at Xi Hongrui. This young girl was truly a treasure sent to him by heaven!
Could it be that the Jade Pool Fairy, moved by his loneliness, had descended to the mortal world to accompany him? Hahaha!
Xi Hongrui, however, seemed oblivious to his gaze. She treasuredly held up the large characters, then turned her head and gave him a playful smile: “With these characters from my lord, this humble maid’s business prospects are secured. I don’t know why, but ever since meeting you, my luck has been getting better and better!”
The Chongwen Emperor was in high spirits and completely indulgent: “Then shall I visit more often in the future, to lend you some of my luck?”
Xi Hongrui clapped her hands, beaming with joy: “That would truly be this humble maid’s great fortune!”
Yet after laughing for a while, her smile faded as she gazed out the window in a daze, as if remembering someone.
Her unconscious melancholy seemed even more genuine than her laughter, tugging at one’s heartstrings.
But when facing the “kind lord,” she would only smile happily. It was only when facing that “lover” named Pei San that she would alternate between joy and sorrow, worry and anger, often laughing one moment and sinking into sadness the next.
This sudden shift from joy to sorrow must mean she was thinking of him again. The Chongwen Emperor felt a twinge of jealousy and casually remarked: “Who are you thinking of? Why are you unhappy again?”
Xi Hongrui looked up, not forcing her usual cheerful expression, her demeanor somewhat listless: “This humble maid was just thinking of my younger sister at home. Her older sister is living such an immortal’s life outside, yet she left her behind at home, suffering that… Ah, never mind, never mind. I must make something of myself and pull my family out of the mire.”
“You have a younger sister?”
Hearing that she wasn’t thinking of Pei San, the Chongwen Emperor felt a surge of joy and paid closer attention to her words.
Xi Hongrui turned her head, her sorrow instantly gone, replaced by her usual lively energy. She lifted her chin proudly and said: “Of course! Who doesn’t have siblings? My sister is wonderful. I’ll have to let you meet her sometime.”
The Chongwen Emperor was amused by her boasting about her sister but couldn’t help being indulgent: “Why wait for another day? If you wish, bring your sister here now. This residence can certainly accommodate one more person.”Xi Hongrui spun around, her face lighting up with joy. But after taking only a few steps forward, hesitation crept in, and she shrank back timidly.
Lowering her head, she said dejectedly, “But my whole family are hereditary servants of the Prime Minister’s household. Without our master’s permission, we cannot leave the estate. Not to mention my sister, even I, as a servant…”
The Chongwen Emperor cut her off without hesitation. “So what? If anything happens, Huang Daguanren will back you up. What are you afraid of?”
Xi Hongrui suddenly looked up, her eyes shining with immense delight.
Yet moments later, she hastily turned and dashed out, leaving behind a trail of cheerful words: “Thank you, Daguanren! This servant will go prepare right away!”
The Chongwen Emperor stared in astonishment as she vanished in an instant, leaving only a fluttering silhouette in her wake.
He couldn’t help but laugh and curse while pounding his fist lightly. What a girl! So fickle and ungrateful—all smiles when she needs you, cold as ice when she doesn’t!
Are all young women in the world like this?
Though he had no daughter, he felt as if he had experienced the hardships of raising one. Ha ha ha.
…
After Pei San returned home, he couldn’t help but chuckle every time he recalled the little maid’s frustrated expression.
Let her stew for the night—that would teach her some humility!
The next day, he eagerly hurried to Linglong Pavilion, anticipating her reaction, only to find her absent.
Frowning, he asked, “Where is she?”
The shop assistants remained silent. They hadn’t expected the girl to be so stubborn, refusing to yield even a little.
One of them timidly replied, “She left with an old woman yesterday—the one who often comes here to sell sour plum drink.”
“What?”
Pei San was furious. This was not how he had imagined things would go!
The others in the shop grew anxious as well. While they had been ostracizing Xi Hongrui, she was, after all, the Crown Princess Consort’s personal maid. If she became angry and went to her mistress to complain or falsely accuse them, what would they do?
Just as everyone was consumed with worry, Ning Meng stepped forward, frowning. “No matter how vast the world is, our mistress’s affairs come first. How could that girl abandon the shop and go off to enjoy herself? I will definitely report this to the Crown Princess Consort!”
Upon hearing this, the others immediately felt reassured and gathered around Ning Meng, eagerly listing Xi Hongrui’s faults.
Pei San quickly interjected, “Miss Ning Meng, she’s just throwing a small tantrum. There’s no need to bring this to our mistress.”
Ning Meng glanced at him coolly. “I’m only doing my duty. If she targeted me, I wouldn’t hold it against her no matter what. But if she neglects our mistress’s affairs…”
Pei San hurriedly added, “I know she’s in the wrong, but Miss Ning Meng, for my sake, please let her off this time!”
Ning Meng stared at him for a long while before sighing, her eyes filled with indescribable emotion. “Do you think she knows how much you’re enduring for her?”
Pei San was taken aback. Of course, she didn’t know—otherwise, how could she be so inconsiderate and oblivious to his feelings?
But what could he do? He was fond of her and willing to do anything for her.
When he looked up at Ning Meng, the familiar light in her eyes made him realize something.
Ning Meng must have secretly liked him all along.
Unfortunately, matters of the heart are unreasonable. He was destined to disappoint a good girl like Ning Meng for the sake of that unreasonable little maid.
…
Xi Hongrui lifted the curtain of the carriage just in time to see Ning Meng escorting a customer out.Burdened by guilt for being unable to reciprocate their feelings, Pei San attentively attended to matters nearby, yet his gaze frequently drifted into the distance as if awaiting someone’s return.
Each time Ning Meng observed his expression, a trace of hurt quietly surfaced in her eyes.
When Pei San withdrew his gaze and caught this despondency, his heart instantly clenched into a tight knot.
Summer lotuses bloom with dazzling beauty, but how could autumn chrysanthemums fail to stir one’s heart?
What virtue did he, Pei San, possess to deserve the devotion of two women, each with her own unique charm, simultaneously?
Xi Hongrui let the curtain fall.
Wow, such profound affection—enough to move heaven and earth, and move your bullshit.
Let that damn fool continue performing his sentimental act here; she had real business to attend to!