The most foolish in the world

Chapter 70

She was disheveled, covered in dirt, and her clothes were in disarray; there were faint traces of blood on her lips and at the corners of her mouth, as if she had just survived a life-or-death struggle. The crowd was shocked, their anger dissipating somewhat. A woman in the crowd, her heart softening, rushed forward to support her, asking anxiously, "Manager Fan, what happened? Are you alright? Should we call a doctor?"

The capital city has recently become a chaotic place, with frequent brawls that have caught in the crossfire, and injuries to ordinary citizens have become commonplace. Women are in even worse shape, as it is rumored that several womanizers have infiltrated the martial arts tournament, intending to take advantage of the chaos. Although the righteous martial arts factions and the government are doing their utmost to restrain their members and maintain order, the women in the city still live in constant fear.

Fan Qingbo's current state inevitably evokes some extremely disturbing images.

Seeing the crowd gathering around, Fan Qingbo quickly wiped the "blood" from the corner of her mouth, forced a smile, and said, "I'm fine. I just got caught in a brawl on the way here and was accidentally hit by a palm strike or sword energy. I was unconscious for a while, and when I woke up I didn't know the time, so I had to rush here at all costs." She paused, then suddenly pressed her chest and coughed, taking a while to calm down. "Thank you all for your concern, and I'm very sorry to have kept you all waiting. I..."

"It's alright, it's alright, don't talk about being sorry or not, it's good that you're alright! Look at your body..."

Everyone had seen Fan Qingbo unleash her fury and ruthlessness, witnessed her sarcastic remarks, and seen her fiery and capable demeanor. This was the first time they had seen her so vulnerable and pitiful, and they were all stunned. If they had any anger left, it had completely vanished, and they even offered words of comfort. They wanted her to go home and rest, but they couldn't wait to see the full story of Gongye Taifu's scandalous affairs, so they hesitated for a moment.

Seeing this, Fan Qingbo quickly shook his head and said firmly, "My injury is nothing. I'm already very sorry for being so late. How can I let everyone come all this way for nothing? Huanxitian will be open for business as usual!"

"Excellent! Manager Fan is truly a remarkable woman!" "Women are just as capable as men!" "Women should be like this!"

And so, surrounded by admirers and adoring fans, Fan Qingbo gracefully entered the Joyful Heaven, successfully completing her magnificent transformation from an unscrupulous latecomer to a compassionate, righteous, and responsible heroine.

The two people who had caught up and witnessed everything remained silent for a while.

"Where did the blood on her lips come from?" The scholar's eyes held a complex expression.

"This morning's breakfast was spicy chicken buns." Fan Bing's eyes also held a complex expression.

"It seems I need to have a serious talk with my wife," the scholar muttered to himself.

"Yes, we really need to have a serious talk." Fan Bing rarely agreed with the scholar's words.

The scholar, as if finding a kindred spirit, looked at Fan Bing with emotion, "Shouheng, you think so too, don't you? Clever words and flattery rarely reveal true virtue. Deceiving others is wrong, and such attempts to cover up one's mistakes are truly unacceptable. What's most inappropriate is that she actually went out with her hair down! A woman's demeanor is of utmost importance! A disheveled appearance and delicate figure are only suitable for the boudoir; how could she be seen by others!"

—Scholar, how obsessed are you with your hairstyle?

After gritting his teeth and venting his righteous indignation, he finally remembered that there was someone beside him. "Shouheng, don't you think?"

"Huh?" Fan Bing didn't realize that he had slowly gotten used to the term "conservation." At this moment, he was lost in endless reverie. When he heard someone ask him, he looked at him with starry eyes and said with admiration, "Calm in the face of danger, unfazed, resourceful, able to call a deer a horse, and turn black into white, Master is so amazing! Master is so mighty! I want to learn, I want to learn!"

"..."

At this moment, the scholar didn't know whether to praise him for using all the idioms correctly or to lecture him against going astray. The only certainty was that the family's traditions had to be reformed. After realizing this, he tragically realized that reforming the family's traditions wasn't something he could do at will.

To establish a good family tradition, one must first uphold the husband's authority.

"The husband's authority..." Thinking about the details of his life in the first month of his marriage, the scholar's expression became blank. To him, this was such a fantastical and sci-fi term.

Aside from his unusual thought process, the scholar was quite pragmatic and reliable. So, the phrase "the husband's authority is paramount" only flashed through his mind once before disappearing without a trace. With his bewildered expression gone, he puffed out his cheeks, focused his gaze, and began to investigate the serious question: "What exactly was my wife angry about last night?"

Therefore, he went home and dug out the books he had bought but never had time to read, focusing on studying several novels that were supposedly written by his wife.

This one look was enough to set the scholar speechless for a moment, his eyes constantly shifting between confusion, fear, doubt, distress, sudden realization, and renewed doubt, in a never-ending cycle. Finally, after what seemed like the umpteenth cycle, he couldn't take it anymore. He grabbed the book and ran out, heading straight for the Land of Joy.

It was already evening, and a sign had long been hung above the main gate of Huanxitian that read, "New books sold out, closed for three days."

The scholar thought Fan Qingbo had finished work and gone home. Just as he was about to head back, he suddenly heard two loud roars coming from the Joyful Heaven.

"You damn Fan!!! You've screwed me over!!!" "Fan Qingbo!!! I'll strangle you!!!"

Author's Note: "The Cunning Boy" from the "Airs of Zheng" section of the Book of Songs

That cunning boy, he won't speak to me. Because of him, I can't eat.

That cunning boy, he won't give me food. Because of him, I can't rest.

Although the scholar wouldn't casually mention love and affection, the poem he recited was still quite cheesy...