The Beauty Within the Gates
Chapter 38
Fengcheng had two grand restaurants, Drunken Fragrance Pavilion and White Pavilion. Both thrived not only at night but during the day as well. Drunken Fragrance Pavilion attracted more visitors from out of town, whereas White Pavilion was frequented primarily by locals.
As for the dishes, each establishment had its strengths, but the wine at Drunken Fragrance Pavilion was unquestionably superior. Thus, most patrons there were young gentlemen fond of fine drink. White Pavilion, however, was different. Its clientele was a mix of all sorts: elderly women in their seventies, toddlers only a few years old, and among them, no shortage of young ladies.
Like today, when he looked up, on the upper floor behind a row of straight-lattice windows, two young ladies were seated.
The partially open window frame concealed their faces, so only the outline of a shoulder could be seen. The young lady on the right wore a narrow-sleeved lotus-pink gauze top over an apricot-yellow half-coat. A snow-white shawl draped over her arm seemed to be in her way. She lifted her hand to loop it aside, then reached up to adjust the hair at her temple, every movement graceful and refined.
From inside to outside the building, the distance was far too great to smell any food. Not looking was fine, but the more he looked, the more uncomfortable and the more tempted he felt. Zhou Kuang sighed, “Forget it. Staring at plums won’t quench thirst. Brother Xie, let’s go.”
He turned his head, only to find the man beside him gone. Looking around, he saw him already striding toward White Pavilion’s entrance.
Zhou Kuang froze for a beat, then hurried after him. “Brother Xie, let me be clear first. I don’t have a single coin on me.”
The man ahead said nothing, his footsteps steady as he continued forward.
It was the peak lunch hour, and the restaurant was packed. A line of carriages stood outside White Pavilion, with coachmen waiting beside them, sharp-eyed. One of them spotted something, turned, and slipped quickly into the building.
Seeing him still pushing forward, seemingly determined to enter the restaurant, Zhou Kuang wondered if the man had lost his mind. He chased after him, urging, “Brother Xie, calm down. It’s not that I look down on you, but with your current salary, you really shouldn’t be splurging like this. Sister-in-law is still waiting for you to provide at home…”
But the man in front acted as though he hadn’t heard a single word.
Several groups of exiting guests blocked their path, and the two squeezed through the gaps one after another. As Xie Shao reached out to lift the curtain, a waiter immediately stepped forward to greet them. “Well, well, Young Master Xie, Shizi Zhou, long time no see!” Bowing apologetically, he added, “I’m truly sorry, but we’re completely packed right now. Would you mind waiting a moment? I’ll find a spot for you right away…”
“No need, I’m looking for someone,” Xie Shao cut him off and headed straight upstairs.
Zhou Kuang, utterly confused, could only follow behind him. On the first floor, private rooms and the main hall were already full, buzzing with noisy chatter that deafened the ears and blurred the eyes.
Xie Shao walked straight toward the row of seats by the window. With one sweeping glance, he saw several young ladies, but none were the ones he had just glimpsed outside.
Pressing his lips together, he frowned. Had his eyes deceived him?
Zhou Kuang, having heard him say earlier that he was “looking for someone,” asked in confusion, “Brother Xie, who are you looking for?”
Xie Shao didn’t answer. He rubbed the corner of his eye and scanned the room again. After confirming that the young lady was nowhere to be seen, he couldn’t help but mock himself.
Perhaps hunger had truly clouded his vision.
The jewelry and hairpins she wore had long been pawned clean; how could she possibly afford to come here?
He had simply been overthinking it.
“Let’s go. I must have mistaken someone.” Xie Shao turned to head downstairs. Zhou Kuang, still completely in the dark, followed him down. His curiosity was overflowing, and he was just about to ask who exactly Xie Shao thought he’d seen when someone suddenly walked toward them from the opposite direction and called out in surprise, “Third Young Master?”
Xie Shao raised his head and recognized him. It was the Xie family’s coachman. His brows tightened, and the uncertainty he had just pushed down surged up again. “What are you doing here?”
The coachman lifted the food box in his hand. “Old Madam hasn’t had much appetite these past few days and has barely eaten. Third Young Madam was worried, so after returning from the Wen family today, she happened to pass by White Pavilion and asked me to come in and buy a few pieces of tofu to help whet Old Madam’s appetite.”
A few pieces of tofu cost only a few dozen coins, not much silver at all.
Xie Shao asked, “Where is she now?”
The coachman replied, “Third Young Madam just went downstairs. She’s gone to the pharmacy to pick out some gastrodia for Old Madam.”
So, he hadn’t imagined it after all—she really had been here.
Leaving White Pavilion with the coachman, and having nothing else pressing to do, Xie Shao asked which pharmacy she had gone to. The coachman raised his hand and pointed toward a row of shops diagonally across the street. “Third Young Madam didn’t say exactly which one; she should be over there.”
Zhou Kuang finally understood whom he’d been searching for earlier. Remembering the bruise on his backside, he felt a faint dread and chose not to follow. “Brother Xie, you take your time strolling with Sister-in-law. I’ll head back first.”
There were only two pharmacies across the street, not difficult to find.
As soon as Xie Shao stepped through the doorway, he heard the young lady’s voice, “I don’t think this batch is as good as you claim. The shop next door is ten coins cheaper…”
The shopkeeper protested, “Now, young lady, that’s just speaking nonsense with your eyes open. I have lower-quality stock too, but you didn’t like those.”
“Can you make it cheaper? I’m not buying for just a day or two. This is something I’ll need year-round. If the price is good, I’ll come to you from now on.”
The shopkeeper looked troubled. “I’ve already given you the lowest price. You must at least leave us a way to make a living…”
Noticing someone enter, he looked up and froze. “Senior Deputy Xie.”
Wen Shuse turned her head at the sound. Only then did she lift the white veil of her hat. Seeing the gentleman walking in, she too looked surprised. “Husband, why are you here?”
“Just passing by.”
The shopkeeper glanced at the two of them, suddenly enlightened. “So it’s Third Young Madam, having a bit of fun teasing me, I see.”
Everyone in Fengcheng knew the Xie family had gone bankrupt. But even a starved camel is larger than a horse. Who truly knew how much they still had left? In other words, who would be foolish enough to truly donate away every family’s wealth?
Wen Shuse turned back and said, “I genuinely intend to buy, I’m not joking.”
The shopkeeper stole another glance at Xie Shao behind her and looked embarrassed. “Well… Third Young Madam, this really is the lowest price.”
“Alright then, I’ll go check the other shop.” With that, she turned to leave, and Xie Shao’s footsteps automatically followed after her.
Knowing the Xie family had once been a major household in Fengcheng, and now with Xie Shao serving as an official, the shopkeeper felt obliged to show some courtesy. “Let’s do this. I’ll take another ten coins off. If Third Young Madam still finds it expensive after that, then I truly have no way.”
That price was fair enough. Wen Shuse didn’t press the matter further and told Xiangyun to take out the money.
Standing to the side, Xie Shao watched her pull copper coins from her small purse, counting them out one by one. Focused and earnest like that, she looked every bit the virtuous, frugal young wife who knew how to manage a household.
After losing the family fortune, he himself had been able to change. For the young lady to taste the hardships of ordinary life and learn how to get by, it was a good thing.
Money paid, goods handed over. The shopkeeper wrapped up the gastrodia, and Xie Shao stepped forward to take them. He turned to leave first, but just as he reached the doorway, he suddenly heard a loud “Burp…” from behind him.
Xie Shao paused and turned around.
The young lady behind him looked dazed for a moment before slowly turning to the shopkeeper and asking, “Shopkeeper… could you perhaps check my pulse? Lately, I’ve been feeling rather bloated.”
The shopkeeper was merely a medicine seller, how would he know how to check a pulse? He replied vaguely, “Could it be indigestion, Third Young Madam?”
Wen Shuse lowered her head in thought. “I did have a few buckwheat buns today.”
Xie Shao: ……
The shopkeeper smiled. “Coarse grains are good, but you can’t eat too many. When Third Young Madam returns home, take more walks and drink some warm water. You’ll feel better soon.”
“Thank you, Shopkeeper.” After expressing her gratitude, she stepped outside, only to find herself hiccupping one after another, unable to stop anytime soon.
Xie Shao turned his head several times, watching the young lady beside him twitch with every hiccup. She looked truly pitiful. Though he had already taken office, his salary had not yet been issued, and the only things to eat at home were plain porridge and steamed buns.
He didn’t mind for himself, but this delicate young lady surely couldn’t. He turned and handed her the medicine packet. “Go wait for me in the carriage.”
Once he walked away, Wen Shuse pressed a hand to her chest and drew several long breaths. Heaven knew how panicked she’d been just now. She had already overeaten, then hurried down the stairs, how could she not start hiccupping?
“Miss, this maidservant will buy you a drink,” Xiangyun said, distressed just watching her hiccup.
Wen Shuse shook her head. “No… hic~… best not act rashly.”
Xiangyun, full of worry, supported her. “There’s water in the carriage. Let’s get you seated first.”
Wen Shuse nodded. Hiccupping all the way, she hurried toward the carriage. Once inside, she clutched the water pouch and drank nearly half of it before the hiccups finally slowed a little.
She had simply experienced too many frights, leaving her spirit unsteady and her eyes unfocused, her spirit not yet returned to her body.
Xiangyun, also shaken, leaned against the carriage window. “Miss, that was far too dangerous.” Then she added, “Isn’t the young master supposed to be on duty at the Prince Mansion? How did he end up on the main street? It seems you must be more careful whenever you go out.”
With a sigh, she remarked, “All this trouble just for a bite of food… Miss really has it hard.”
Indeed, it was not easy.
For half a month now, she hadn’t bought a single piece of new clothing. She could no longer wear jewelry or hairpins. Even to eat, she had to sneak around like a thief. It really was too difficult.
There was still one more older senior deputy to win over. The road ahead was long. She could not let all previous efforts go to waste.
Her hiccups finally stopped, but Xie Shao still had not returned. Wen Shuse lifted the carriage curtain, intending to ask where he had gone. At a single glance, she saw the handsome young man stepping out of White Pavilion.
Wen Shuse froze for a moment, then asked Xiangyun outside the carriage, “Did your young master suddenly come into some wealth?”
Xiangyun had seen him as well and shook her head. “I don’t think so. Miss at least managed to eat a few buckwheat buns this morning, but the young master only had a bowl of plain porridge.”
Wen Shuse: ……
This maid’s way of speaking was becoming more and more cryptic with her words.
The man quickly approached, and both mistress and maid immediately fell silent.
Xie Shao entered the carriage and glanced at the young lady sitting inside, who seemed to have finally calmed down. “Better now?”
Wen Shuse nodded, her gaze fixed on the food box in his hand. “What did you buy, Husband?”
Xie Shao didn’t answer. After settling beside her, he first asked, “Did the Wen family not offer you a meal?”
Wen Shuse pouted. “Don’t even mention it. A daughter married off is like water poured out —that saying is absolutely true. Senior Deputy Wen said he couldn’t afford to feed me and told me to come home and live off your salary.” She glanced again at the food box beside him. “Have you not eaten either?”
Xie Shao could understand. With her particular tastes, she truly was difficult to keep satisfied, especially for Wen Huai, who was struggling himself these days. He handed her the food box beside him. “Eat.”
Wen Shuse was stunned.
Xie Shao explained, “A few days ago, I made a little over a tael of silver from copying books. I can’t afford anything fancy, so bear with it for now. Once the salary is paid at the end of the month, things will get easier.”
Wen Shuse opened the food box to find a plate of sweet and sour pork, fragrant, flavorful, and still steaming with heat.
In the cramped carriage, the aroma quickly filled the air. Though she was already so full she felt greasy enough to vomit, she still thought this single dish was far more precious than the entire table of lavish foods she had eaten earlier.
Because it wasn’t just a plate of pork, it carried the sentiment of the man beside her. He drank plain porridge, yet bought meat for her. How could such kindness not move her?
It was enough to move heaven and earth. What more could she possibly be dissatisfied with? Touched to the core, she couldn’t help uttering something heartfelt, “Husband, suddenly I feel… I don’t regret marrying you at all.”
Adversity revealed true character. With a husband like this, how bad could life ever be? She even felt that following him for a lifetime… might not be such a bad thing.
But the man beside her had no idea he had just risen so dramatically in her heart. He only felt that her words were completely unnecessary.
If she regretted it, was it still too late?
He scoffed lightly, glancing over casually. “What else could I do? We’ve already bowed before the ancestral hall. It’s not like I can divorce you. Since I can’t divorce you, I certainly can’t let you starve or fall ill.” Then he added one more sentence, “Though a wasteful wife like you would easily be grounds for divorce.”
This man truly had a talent for extra words. Instead of accepting kindness gracefully, he insisted on making it hard for others to feel grateful.
She couldn’t eat anymore and asked him, “Have you eaten yet, Husband?”
Xie Shao turned his head away. “I’m not hungry.” Yet his throat betrayed him with an audible swallow.
Wen Shuse: ……
Forget it. It was just a mouth, she would pretend she hadn’t heard. To truly understand a person, one should rely on the heart. So, she asked instead, “Husband, do you know how to play the hand-gesture drinking game?”
Any young man who could drink knew how to play hand-gesture games.
Xie Shao looked at her suspiciously. Was she really thinking of playing with him?
And of course, he guessed right. The young lady looked entirely enthusiastic. “It’s lunchtime now, Husband shouldn’t be busy. Let’s play a round. Whoever wins gets to eat the meat.”
So childish.
To think that a plate of meat had to be won through a hand-gesture game… how destitute did that make him look? He had no desire to worsen his own wretched state, so he refused outright, “I’ve already eaten.”
But the young lady wasn’t giving up. “I heard Young Master Ming say once that in all of Fengcheng, when it comes to hand-gesture games, no one is as skilled as Husband, never having lost a single round. I’ve always admired that, but never had a chance to witness it. Now that you’re right here before me, and we’re family, I won’t stand on ceremony. Let me witness it, will you?”
Young Master Ming?
He only heard half the sentence. “Do you mean that Young Master Ming, who starved himself for a day because of you?”
Wen Shuse: ……
Suddenly, digging up old accounts, especially gossip overheard from others, felt utterly pointless. “That’s all in the past. Haven’t I already married you, Husband? There’s no need to act coy after gaining the advantage.”
Xie Shao was taken aback.
What advantage had he gained, exactly? Was it letting her ruin his family fortune?
Seeing this approach wouldn’t work, the young lady simply resorted to provocation. “Husband, is it that you don’t want to play, or that you can’t afford to lose?”
Playing such a game with a group of brothers over drinks at a tavern could be amusing, but what was the point of playing with a young lady like this here? Yet, seeing her determined and unwilling to give up, he could only agree. “Best of three rounds.”
“Deal.”
“Three, five…”
As expected, the young lady lost, but she showed no sign of disappointment. Instead, she offered the sweet and sour pork to her husband. “Here, eat.”
Xie Shao: “……”
Watching as half the plate of sweet and sour pork ended up in his stomach, he couldn’t help but look up, his eyes tinged with disdain. “How can you be so stupid?”
Wen Shuse drew in a sharp breath and glared at him. If he couldn’t appreciate her efforts, then she wouldn’t hold back. “Let’s play again.”
A person may die for honor, but they cannot be humiliated. The young lady started scrutinizing his gestures closely. “Husband, you were too slow.”
“What do you mean, too slow?”
Suddenly, the young lady became unreasonable and launched a personal attack. “I get it now. So, the reputation you’ve gained for winning was built on such petty tricks all along.”
Xie Shao did not care to hear that. He lifted the curtain and called to Minzhang outside, “Come over here and keep an eye on this.”
Wen Shuse refused to back down either. She pushed open the other window and summoned Xiangyun as well. “You keep an eye on the young master, too.”
Winning or losing wasn’t the main issue, it was about not allowing being looked down upon. The two of them started over.
Their respective servant and maid each leaned against a window, eagerly calling out support. “Miss, five!”
“Young Master, throw a one…”
Before they knew it, they had long strayed from their original purpose. With a single pair of chopsticks between them, they no longer bothered with formalities. Whoever won would simply pick up a piece of meat and pop it into their mouth.
By the time the plate was empty, they both suddenly realized what had happened, but it was too late.
The hunger in their stomachs was gone. Just moments ago, the young master had been as proud as a victorious rooster. Now, however, he began to sense something in this childish game that seemed to undermine his intellect.
He stole a glance at the young lady, only to find her staring blankly at the empty plate.
Look at what he had done. Xie Shao pinched the bridge of his nose, filled with regret. Competing with a young lady for food was truly beneath his dignity. He stood up and stepped out of the carriage. “I should head back to my duties. I’ll buy you more next time.”
Wen Shuse never expected things to turn out this way. She had no idea how many greasy pieces she had eaten, and now her stomach felt uncomfortably full.
What mattered most was that the plate of meat he had earned through the hard work of copying books had been wasted by her. Guilt and self-blame washed over her. The young lady leaned out of the window and called after the retreating figure hurrying away, “Husband, don’t rush off tomorrow morning. I’ll make some rice cakes for you.”
She sounded every bit the virtuous wife and caring mother.
Xie Shao turned back, offering the demeanor expected of a husband. “Come home early.”
—
The next morning, Xie Shao sat in his room, waiting for her rice cakes. After waiting for an incense stick’s worth of time, what he received instead was a request from the young lady, “Husband, I’m heading to the Ming family. I’ll be back a bit later.”
Seeing her empty hands, he could already guess that whatever she’d said yesterday had been fed to the dogs.
In a rather sour mood and feeling displeased, he remarked, “You certainly keep yourself busy every day, busier than I am with my duties.”
No sooner had the words left his mouth than the young lady suddenly stepped forward, grabbed his arm, and pulled him toward the room. Xie Shao’s expression changed. What was she trying to do? Could it be that she intended to seduce him in broad daylight?
Just as thunder exploded in his heart, she leaned close to his ear and dropped another thunderbolt, “Shizi Zhou has a hidden ailment. Miss Ming wants to break off the engagement.”
Xie Shao froze. “What?”
“Husband, didn’t you know? Yesterday afternoon, Shizi Zhou met with Miss Ming. He personally told her he suffers from an unspeakable condition at night. If Miss Ming minds, she may break the engagement.”
Xie Shao frowned, looking even more bewildered.
“You have to wonder about Madam Zhou. Since the Shizi has a hidden ailment, why did she still arrange a marriage proposal? Isn’t that harming the young lady?”
She sighed with real pity. “Poor A’Yuan cried all night last night. The wedding is just two months away, and it’s still uncertain whether the engagement can be called off. If it can’t be canceled, then won’t A’Yuan be condemned to a lifetime of living as a widow in all but name?”
Xie Shao stared at the young lady’s distressed expression, thinking to himself that she truly didn’t treat him like an outsider. There was nothing she wouldn’t say.
Then the young lady suddenly looked straight at him.
That kind of gaze… it was nearly impossible not to misunderstand.
Xie Shao stiffened. What did she mean by that? He was perfectly fine!
Just as he was about to clarify, he heard her continue, “Everyone knows how close you and Shizi Zhou are, as close as if you shared the same pair of pants. You must have known about this all along. Why didn’t you tell me earlier? Don’t you know that this kind of behavior amounts to deceit and goes against all propriety and laws?”
He and Zhou Kuang were indeed close, but not to the point of sharing pants. Some things were better left unsaid. He cleared his throat and replied tactfully, “As far as I know, there’s no such issue. Could it be a misunderstanding on Miss Ming’s part?”
But Wen Shuse disagreed. “He said it himself. How could it be a misunderstanding?” Seeing that he seemed unaware, she decided not to waste any more time. “I’ll go to the Ming Mansion and ask A’Yuan myself.”
And so, his rice cakes were completely forgotten.
“Ah, right.” The young lady suddenly turned back. Thinking she had finally remembered, he was instead met with her saying, “Husband, could you also help me find out more about Shizi Zhou’s… situation?”
Xie Shao didn’t want to look at her and turned his head away. “That’s personal. It’s not appropriate to ask.”
Wen Shuse leaned in closer. “Aren’t you curious, Husband? Don’t you want to know?”
What was there to be curious about? There was nothing to be curious about.
“I don’t want to know.”
She persisted, “Husband, do you remember last time when he was bitten by a dog? Shizi Zhou injured his buttocks…”
Xie Shao’s expression tightened.
“I’m only suspicious, that’s all. If it really was because of that incident that Shizi Zhou… Well, forget A’Yuan, even I would carry the guilt for a lifetime. Husband, please just help me this once. Find out the exact details. We can’t let him pin this on your wife!”