“No, I don’t plan to go anywhere.” Dou Akou shook her head.
"I heard that Miss Dou only recently arrived in Longfeng Town. Why don't I take her on a tour of Longfeng Town?"
Dou Akou said "Oh," she didn't really care where she went.
So Huang Xiucai took Dou Akou with him as they walked through Longfeng Town. Along the way, they passed many stalls selling groceries or cosmetics, but Dou Akou didn't stop or even glance at them. Huang Xiucai was pleased, thinking to himself that she knew how to save money.
Dou Akou's mind wasn't on the market at all. She didn't pay attention to which stalls she browsed; all she could hear was Huang Xiucai's incessant chatter, as he boasted about his vast knowledge and extraordinary talent, and how he had fought his way up in the provincial, metropolitan, and imperial examinations. His occasional descriptions of the local customs and culture of Longfeng Town were also exaggerated and embellished.
Dou Akou couldn't help but think that her teacher's talent far surpassed that of this scholar. His lectures were truly captivating; not only were the lessons engaging and interesting, but the teacher himself was also incredibly handsome…
She was somewhat mesmerized by the memory of her husband's lectures when the bustling market suddenly pulled her back to reality. Thinking of her and her husband now, she felt both lost and sad.
After walking for half a day, Dou Akou felt a little thirsty.
She stopped in front of the plum juice stall and said softly, "Young Master Huang, I'm a little thirsty."
Huang Xiucai's long-winded talk was interrupted, and he was quite impatient. He looked at the stall, then suddenly pulled Dou Akou aside and whispered in her ear, "Miss Dou, the plum juice here is expensive and doesn't quench your thirst. How about this, there's a temple up ahead, I'll go inside and get you a bowl of water."
Having recently experienced so many changes, Dou Akou had learned some ways of the world. She carefully took out her personal purse—which her husband had given her last year during the Lunar New Year, along with her lucky money—containing the copper coins she had saved up over the years.
She handed it to the shopkeeper: "Mr. Huang, this is on you."
Huang Xiucai was somewhat embarrassed and retorted, "What do you mean by that? I'm not being stingy..."
Dou Akou was surprised again; she didn't understand what she had done wrong.
The two were staring at each other when a clear, calm voice suddenly rang out beside them: "Boss, a bowl of plum juice, please."
That voice... Dou Akou was struck dumb. She turned around stiffly and saw that it was indeed the person she had been fantasizing about in her mind.
She had a strange feeling in her heart, both happy and sad. She watched as Fu Jiuxin paid for the soup and handed it to her, then put the purse back for her: "Akou, whatever you want to eat or drink in the future, I will buy it for you."
Scholar Huang glared at him: "Who are you?"
He felt resentful. The man in front of him was very handsome, with a bright and refined look in his eyes, and an air of nobility. He was clearly outshone.
Fu Jiuxin ignored him and said without turning her head, "Don't even think about it, she's already taken."
"Owned? Who?"
"I."
Author's Note: Going to the bathroom after finishing the new chapter, la la la la la la, yay yay yay yay yay~~~
0. Long street...
"Owned? Who?"
"I."
Dou Akou didn't react at first, but gradually understood the meaning of Fu Jiuxin's "I", and her face turned bright red.
Huang Xiucai was somewhat unwilling. Just as stealing is not as good as robbing, and robbing is not as good as being unable to rob, Dou Akou was originally just an average girl in his mind. Now that Fu Jiuxin suddenly appeared and "stole her away", he suddenly felt that Dou Akou was actually not bad.
He cleared his throat with feigned arrogance and glanced sideways at Fu Jiuxin: "Does it mean whatever you say? We also have to see if Miss Dou is willing."
Dou Akou was introduced to Dou Jincai through a matchmaker, and he was the first scholar in Longfeng Town. Dou Jincai must have taken a liking to him, so there was nothing to be afraid of about this man of unknown origin.
Thinking this way, Huang Xiucai suddenly felt a surge of confidence. He couldn't swallow the humiliation of being outdone by Fu Jiuxin, and he wanted to embarrass Fu Jiuxin. So he pretended to be affectionate and took Dou Akou's hand: "Miss Dou, don't mind him, let's go to the town again."
The instant he touched Dou Akou's hand, Dou Akou also drew her knife without hesitation, and with a swish, separated their hands with the scabbard.
"Ah!" Huang Xiucai exclaimed in surprise, instantly enraged and raising his fist as he took a step towards Dou Akou with a fierce expression.
"Ah Xin!" Dou Akou was frightened by his ferocious expression and shrank back, subconsciously calling out the name of the person she relied on.
Huang Xiucai's fist was still in the air, having moved only an inch, when it was suddenly seized tightly.
His wrist was gripped tightly in Fu Jiuxin's hand. With a sudden tightening of his wrist, Fu Jiuxin's five fingers drooped down, causing him to cry out in pain.
When dealing with such a weak and unarmed scholar, Fu Jiuxin was very careful. With just a gentle push, he sent him several feet away without hurting him.
Fu Jiuxin turned back to look at Dou Akou, only to find her huddled in the corner, her face, which had been flushed red just moments before, now turning deathly pale.
Just now, the man's eyes... just now, the man's expression... Dou Akou superimposed Fu Jiuxin's angry face with that unbearable night. When she was dragged off the bed, when he told her she didn't respect herself, he had that distant expression with a hint of disgust.
Fu Jiuxin was taken aback, but quickly understood what Dou Akou was thinking. He moved his lips but didn't say anything, only calmly saying, "Let's go back."
Dou Akou nodded stiffly, like a panicked little animal, and disappeared from Fu Jiuxin's sight in an instant.
The street stretched on and the setting sun cast its last rays; he stood alone at the street corner.
Dou Akou suffered another defeat, which made Dou Jincai very depressed.
He privately inquired about the reasons why Dou Akou was repeatedly rejected, and the men, whether reliable or not, all came up with a consistent, reliable explanation: Dou Akou is good in every way, except that she is too dull and doesn't talk to people.
Dou Jincai was even more surprised. In his memory, Dou Akou had always been a lively person. How could she be ignoring people?
Dou Jincai made a mistake; he didn't realize that Dou Akou's liveliness was only directed at Fu Jiuxin.
Yesterday, after Dou Akou and Huang Xiucai went out and returned, she was quite distraught. After Fu Jiuxin uttered that calm yet powerful "I," she fled in panic and stayed in her room, not daring to go out. Although Fu Jiuxin did not come to find her again, she still didn't sleep well all night.
His words, whether sincere or not, stirred up a storm in her heart, which she had tried so hard to keep calm. Dou Akou felt sorry for herself.
Dou Jincai noticed her absent-minded and dejected appearance, but he assumed that Dou Akou had been provoked by those men and had even grown a few more white hairs. The next day, he set out again, this time planning to look for men around Longfeng Town.