Chapter 76 - 63, The Fox Borrows the Tiger’s
Hearing this, Daohua could no longer heed her older brother’s warning and once again approached Xiao Yeyang, pointing at the Prefectural Governor’s son with rising anger, “He stole my potted plant, smashed it, and also hit my three brothers.”
As she spoke, she turned to pull Yan Wentao over, “Do you remember my third brother?”
Xiao Yeyang nodded at Yan Wentao, “Of course I remember!”
Yan Wentao smiled at Xiao Yeyang, though he appeared somewhat nervous.
He had limited experience and could tell Xiao Yeyang was no ordinary individual, and didn’t dare to be as casual with him as Daohua was.
Xiao Yeyang glanced at the bruise near Yan Wentao’s eye, then at the shattered potted plant on the ground, and after a moment, looked at Daohua and asked, “What do you want to do?”
Daohua touched her chin, her eyes darting around, “I can do whatever I want?”
If it were someone else, she might have let it go, but the Prefectural Governor’s son had gone too far. If they hadn’t run into Xiao Yeyang, their family would definitely have been at a disadvantage.
“Well…”
Before Daohua could say anything, Tutor Xiao hurried over, out of breath, and quickly intervened, “Great lady… young master, this is but a trifle!” After speaking, he shook his head at Daohua.
Seeing this, Daohua frowned, but she didn’t say anything more.
Xiao Yeyang glanced at Tutor Xiao, seemingly displeased with his interruption “Who is he?”
Tutor Xiao seemed nervous, and Daohua quickly tried to reassure him with a look, “He’s my father’s tutor. Oh right, I don’t think I’ve told you, my father is the County Magistrate of Linyi County, have I?”
Xiao Yeyang shook his head, “You haven’t mentioned it.”
“Now you know!” Daohua said with pride, looking at Xiao Yeyang, “lam the daughter of an official.”
Hearing this, the corners of Dong Yuanxuan’s mouth twitched uncontrollably, and Xiao Yeyang also wore a complicated expression.
A County Magistrate… is a seventh-rank official, isn’t that very low on the totem pole!
Daohua, catching sight of the nervous postmaster in the crowd, suddenly looked dejected, and turning to Xiao Yeyang, sighed, “You have no idea, this trip out has been a disaster! The people at this post station look down on my father’s low rank, and gave us a rundown courtyard. I didn’t sleep well at all last night. Can you smell it? I still reek of mildew.”
With that, Daohua lifted her sleeve to let Xiao Yeyang smell it.
Seeing this, Yan Wenxiu was startled and quickly pulled Daohua back, refusing to let her get any closer to Xiao Yeyang, and decided in his heart that once they were home, he must have his mother instruct his eldest sister in decorum.
Daohua was unaware of Yan Wenxiu’s thoughts. In her eyes, she was only 9 years old, and Xiao Yeyang was just a twelve or thirteen-year-old teenager, and the prohibitions between men and women did not yet apply to them.
“Big brother, why are you holding me back?” Didn’t she see that she was just bluffing?
It might be a disadvantage that their father held a low official rank, and although the Prefectural Governor’s son started the altercation, they hadn’t held back either during the scuffle, and their third brother was quite strong. Who knew if they’d left any marks on the Prefectural Governor’s son?
Now, with Xiao Yeyang present, they had to resolve the matter quickly!
Xiao Yeyang found Yan Wenxiu’s repeated interference extremely irksome.
Were it not for knowing this person was Daohua’s brother, he would have lost his temper.
At that moment, a delicately featured young servant with a shrill voice came running over. Upon seeing Xiao Yeyang, he immediately called out, “Young master, why aren’t we leaving? They’re still waiting over there!”
Xiao Yeyang paused, his expression turning grave, “Let them wait!”
The young servant sensed Xiao Yeyang’s foul mood, glanced at the surrounding people, and scolded, “Did these people upset you, my lord? I’ll have them thrown into jail at once!”
Upon hearing this, the Prefectural Governor’s son was so frightened that he fell down onto the ground, as cold sweat dripped down his cheeks like a fine drizzle.
Even Yan Wenxiu and the others felt uneasy in their hearts.
Xiao Yeyang gave the eunuch by his side a cold glance, “Did I ask for your opinion?”
The eunuch, De Fu, immediately offered a flattering smile, “This one was too presumptuous, my lord. Let’s go, we are almost there!”
At this moment, Daohua also refrained from speaking further. Seeing the pale young man’s demeanor, Xiao Yeyang must have had urgent business, so she could only stare straight at him, hoping he would settle the Prefectural Governor’s son’s matter before leaving.
In Xiao Yeyang’s eyes, her expression was full of pity.
Thinking of her previous mention of being bullied, Xiao Yeyang frowned, patted himself down, and finally took a jade pendant off his waist, walked over to Daohua, and tied it onto her waist.
Seeing this, De Fu shivered in fright and quickly intervened, “My lord, you can’t give that jade pendant away!” saying this, he darted in front of Daohua and pleaded with Xiao Yeyang.
“My lord, if you wish to bestow something upon this young master, anything else would be fine, but that jade pendant must not be given away. This servant has silver, wouldn’t silver be good enough?”
Xiao Yeyang had already secured the jade pendant on Daohua and glared at De Fu, “What belongs to me, I give to whomever I wish!” Then, looking at Daohua, he said, “If someone bullies you again in the future, just show them this jade pendant.”
Daohua, holding the jade pendant at her waist, looked hesitant and troubled.
Should she accept it?
The pendant seemed quite valuable!
Noticing Daohua’s indecisive expression, Xiao Yeyang sensed that she was reluctant to return the pendant to him. His lips curled into a smile, but it quickly faded as he said, “I have urgent affairs and must leave now.” “You… don’t just pick fights with anyone. You’re not tall, and you’ll definitely be at a disadvantage fighting. If someone who doesn’t know any better bullies you, just hit them with the jade pendant I gave you!”
Daohua shook her head, declining, “This pendant seems very expensive, what if it breaks?”
De Fu eagerly nodded his agreement, “Indeed, the jade pendant must not be smashed, never smashed!”
Seeing that Daohua was still grappling with whether to return the pendant to him, Xiao Yeyang couldn’t help but laugh, tapped her on the head, and sighed, “I really wish I could take you home with me!”
Daohua recoiled in horror, taking several steps back, “I don’t want to!” She knew well that this fellow wanted to take her home to make her a servant!
Please, she was the daughter of an official family; only if her mind were addled would she go be a servant for someone else.
Xiao Yeyang took another look at Daohua, then turned to Yan Wentao, “Give my regards to the old lady. I can’t go and see her in person now.”
Yan Wentao immediately nodded, “I will.”
Xiao Yeyang said nothing more and turned to walk out of the station.
Dong Yuanxuan and the others hastily followed.
‘Xiao Yeyang, what about Zhao Ergou, is he alright?” Daohua ran a few steps after them.
Xiao Yeyang didn’t even turn his head, waving his hand dismissively “He’s fine!”
Daohua, “Will we see each other again?”
Xiao Yeyang paused for a moment, then turned back with a smile, “If it’s meant to be, we’ll meet again!”