Ein Bericht über Vergnügen

Kapitel 19

"Serve some tea. Now is the perfect time to enjoy Longjing tea. A life without tasting pre-rain Longjing tea cannot be considered complete."

Shu Jun smiled at Yi Chun, seemingly asking a question.

She readily nodded: "Okay, let's have the pre-rain Longjing tea. Shu Jun, pumpkin, lamb kidney, whatever you like to eat, please don't be shy."

As it turned out, the master and servant opposite had no intention of being polite at all. They ordered a table full of fresh river delicacies and seasonal dishes, which even three more people couldn't finish.

With each dish served, Shu Jun would elegantly explain: "This is steamed shad. This fish also has another name, the scale-cherishing fish. As long as you touch its scales, it will obediently stay still and let people catch it. Ordinary fish are eaten by scraping off their scales, but the flavor of this fish lies in its scales."

"This is ○○○, and its story is..."

"This is ×××, also known as..."

Yang Shen frowned deeper and deeper, and looked up at Yi Chun with great patience. Surprisingly, she showed no impatience at all and listened with great interest and enjoyment.

This person's nerves are indeed thicker than an old bamboo shoot.

Two fragrant young girls, their faces flushed, came to deliver the wine. The jar was opened, and the rich aroma of the wine spread out.

Shu Jun picked up his wine glass and said, "This is Fenjiu. Although it's a bit strong, the taste is excellent. Come, let me toast you and the young hero."

Yichun quickly waved her hand: "No, I don't drink alcohol. Sorry, can I have tea instead?"

He narrowed his eyes slightly and chuckled, "Please, miss, do as you please."

Yichun laughed along, "No need for 'Miss, Miss.' My name is Ge Yichun, and this is my junior brother, Yang Shen. We're from Jianlan Manor. And you?"

Shu Jun rested his chin on his hand and thought for a long time: "Well, I can't really say for sure. I have many masters, and I can't remember who is who."

This is utterly perfunctory! Yang Shen frowned. He really wanted to drag Yi Chun away immediately, letting the shameless master and servant pay for the meal. There was no need to associate with such people; they treated others' sincerity like dog shit. The martial arts world was full of such scum.

Presumably fearing that Yichun wouldn't pay, or that they would discover their sinister intentions, Shu Jun's words were like honey, completely different from before. The way she addressed her changed from "Miss" to "Miss Ge," and now to "Little Ge."

"Young Ge is so young, yet she is exceptionally skilled. She must be your master's prized disciple. In the future, she will surely become a legendary heroine in the martial world."

The flattery was so nauseating that Yang Shen felt goosebumps rising all over his body, and he felt utterly powerless, clutching his forehead.

Yi Chun's face flushed slightly as she held her cup and said softly, "I never thought of it, heroine. Actually, I've been training down the mountain for almost a month now, and I find the martial world chaotic. Everyone seems to be extremely wary of each other, or they're just thinking about how to gain something from others. I don't know where that chivalrous spirit and heroic attitude of the past have gone. Everyone is fighting for their own interests, just like in the imperial court. To be honest, I don't like this martial world."

Shu Chang smiled perfunctorily: "I see. Xiao Ge is indeed a woman who is not inferior to men. She has great ambitions in her heart. I admire her."

"Admire my foot!" Yang Shen felt he couldn't take it anymore. He moved his lips, about to speak, when he suddenly heard a woman crying in the next private room. The sound was mournful and pitiful.

Everyone craned their necks to look, and saw that the door to the private room next door was open. The young man in blue robes, whom they had seen at Xiaoyao Gate, sat expressionlessly in the center, surrounded by about three or four people, some sitting and some standing. Two others were kneeling at the young man's feet, weeping mournfully.

"It's him again." Yi Chun frowned slightly. How come I keep seeing this person everywhere?

Shu Jun glanced at them once and then looked away, diligently serving them tea and food.

Yang Shen asked in a low voice, "Senior sister, do you know them?"

Yichun shook her head: "I don't know him, but I saw him once at Xiaoyao Sect. He suddenly stopped me, which was very annoying."

Young Master Yan didn't even glance at the two people who had collapsed in tears at his feet, as if he hadn't heard them at all, and slowly turned the white porcelain teacup in his hand. He stared intently at the vast expanse of the river outside the window, as if he were simply admiring the beautiful scenery.

The man in the straw hat beside him couldn't help but advise, "Your servant is so troublesome. We already kicked you out and gave you severance pay, so why are you still clinging to Young Master Yan?"

The woman, dressed in mourning clothes, her eyes red from crying, said in a trembling voice, "Back then, when you were purging the servants in the manor, I was inexplicably driven out. I begged Steward Yin for half a day before he finally told me that you had offended an enemy and suspected there was a traitor in the manor. I grew up here and consider it my own home. If you want to get rid of me because I'm lazy, I won't complain. But I absolutely cannot tolerate this injustice! My mother has already passed away, leaving only my father. I'm penniless and can't even afford a coffin. I dare not say I served you wholeheartedly, but I did at least grind ink and add incense for you, and I dared not be disrespectful in the slightest. How could you bear to do this to me!"

She spoke with great sorrow, and the man beside her, with his white hair, must have been her elderly father. His face was covered in tears, and he could only kowtow. His plight was truly pitiful.

The people from Yichun next door had already stopped eating and drinking, and were all staring wide-eyed at this direction.

Young Master Yan put down his teacup, glanced down at her, and said calmly, "Uncle Yin, give her twenty taels of silver."

The man in the straw hat agreed and immediately took out a small package from his pocket, handing it to the woman: "Take this money and buy two plots of land. Wouldn't that be better than being a slave? This is a favor from the young master; don't let it go to waste."

The woman smiled bitterly, but did not accept the money. She said softly, "I have come to beg you today, young master, not for money. You suspect someone betrayed you and have driven away many people. I never imagined I was among them. Nothing in life is more important than a good reputation. I would rather die than bear the infamy of betraying my master! I beg you, young master, to be kind enough to take me back to your household to continue working. I would never dare to covet the money; I only ask to clear my name!"

It turns out she wanted to ask Young Master Yan to take her back.

Young Master Yan remained silent for a long time before suddenly saying, "I've heard rumors in the martial arts world that my head is worth a hundred taels of gold, and even my hand can fetch two hundred taels of silver. I never imagined I was so valuable, attracting so many people. And you? How much did they pay you to put on this show?"

The woman's face turned deathly pale, and she cried out in a pitiful voice, "Young master, why do you say such a thing!"

Young Master Yan smiled slightly: "I'm not trying to scare you, nor am I making this up. Firstly, although I have many maids around me, I've never seen anyone like you. Your hands are rough, so you must work in the kitchen or laundry room. I doubt you'd be grinding ink and adding incense. Secondly, I've only been in Tanzhou for three days, and my father at home hasn't even found out yet. How did you find out my whereabouts?"

Chapter Twelve

The poor woman turned ashen-faced and could only cry.

Young Master Yan leaned back in his chair, looking somewhat tired. He let out a breath and said in a low voice, "Go now, but don't let it happen again."

The woman helped her father up and led him toward the door. Suddenly she paused and said, "It doesn't matter if you don't believe me, young master. In any case, my life is ultimately lost at your hands."

Seeing the two people go downstairs and slowly walk away along the riverbank, Yichun suddenly stood up and said softly, "Sorry... I have something to do, I'll be right back."

Without waiting for anyone's reply, she pushed open the window and jumped.

Yang Shen leaned against the window and watched her hunch over, pretending to be a passerby, as she brushed past the father and daughter. Though the movement was swift, it couldn't escape the discerning eye of an expert. She had slipped a small amount of loose silver from her purse into the woman's arms.

Such foolish behavior! They were about to be sold out by Shu Jun and his group, yet they remained naive.

However, this is the way Ge Yichun should do it.

Taking the opportunity, Shu Jun pulled Little Pumpkin aside and whispered in his ear, "Who told you to sell other people's clothes? How dare you! You even dared to use your master's name! You brat, you're getting more and more out of line!"

Little Pumpkin pouted: "Who told you to be so stingy, Master? You hoarded so much money, but you wouldn't even give me pocket money to buy candy."