Молодой господин бесстыден - Глава 67
After learning about this, Tao Jinjin joined their search for the Silver Scholar. Along the way, she complained that the people of the Central Plains were slow, that the food wasn't flavorful enough, and that the men were too serious. She would also sing love songs on a whim, regardless of the occasion. If it weren't for their fear of the Seven Treasures Sect's poisonous arts, they would have wanted to kill her long ago.
"Excuse me, just as Tao Jinjin finished singing one song and was about to start her second, someone finally spoke up."
The scholar, holding a book, stood at the doorway, his brows slightly furrowed. "Madam, you've disturbed my students."
Tao Jinjin's Chinese wasn't very good, and she was displeased upon hearing this. "Who's your wife?" She had always looked down on men from the Central Plains, and among them, she especially disliked the pretentious, pedantic type. Clearly, the scholar had inadvertently stepped on a landmine.
"What do you want with my wife?" The scholar, accustomed to interpreting words literally, frowned even more deeply, his face filled with undisguised wariness. This suspicious foreign woman had been trying to get close to his wife these past few days, repeatedly trying to recruit her into the sect; he wondered what her intentions were. His wife was honest and kind, unaware of the dangers of the world; he had to be careful.
As for how he came to see that his wife was upright and kind, we can only say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
"What do I need your wife for?" Tao Jinjin didn't react for a moment and repeated his words blankly.
"If you yourself don't know, how could I possibly know?"
The scholar stared incredulously, finding the person before him utterly difficult to talk to. Not just this person, but everyone in the courtyard was difficult to reason with; no matter what he said, they wouldn't listen. Indeed, there was only one wife in the world. He didn't realize how easy and comfortable it was to talk to his wife until he compared them. Although she often spoke without thinking, after listening for a while, even her nonsensical ramblings became quite endearing.
Clearly, he didn't know that Fan Qingbo was simply too lazy to pay attention to him, giving up on getting to the bottom of his off-topic remarks and jumping straight to his own story. This didn't stop him from being immersed in the sweet feeling of "what more could a husband ask for than a wife like this," and then, in broad daylight and under the watchful eyes of everyone, he strangely revealed a dazed expression, his cheeks flushed, his eyes sparkling, and after a while, he covered his face with his book.
"I didn't expect his symptoms to worsen after not seeing him for several months," said the expert who had met the scholar several times.
"This guy is second to none... This guy is second to none..." The newbies haven't stopped saying this since the second moment they saw him.
At first, he emerged from his room, his anger palpable after being disturbed by Fan Qingbo, his imposing presence and the aura of a martial arts master seemingly etched on his forehead, inspiring awe. But the next moment, he abruptly turned to Fan Bing, who was carrying a wooden basin to gather clothes for washing, his face flushed, and said, "Shouheng, leave the sheets for me to wash." At that moment, all illusions were shattered.
The veteran patted the newbie on the shoulder, "We've been there too."
At this moment, Tao Jinjin finally realized what was happening. Her eyes darted around, and she burst out laughing. "So that's why this perfectly normal person was talking incoherently. Turns out he was thinking about his wife. I guess the girl's skills are top-notch."
Fan Qingbo might be a bit cheeky in private, enjoying making lewd jokes to tease scholars, but she never flirted or got close to strange men or male customers in bookstores. Even so, it was considered frivolous. Although there were fewer constraints in the martial arts world, people were still influenced by centuries of etiquette, and how could they tolerate a woman having such a way of speaking? In today's terms, that would be considered vulgar.
Several people were present, their faces either turning pale or red. The younger ones were embarrassed and ashamed, while the older ones looked at them with disdain and disgust, all turning their heads away.
"If you want to kill or torture someone, go after the man surnamed Shu. Don't drag my master into this. My master doesn't know any martial arts." Fan Bing appeared out of nowhere when he heard someone mention his master. He looked at Tao Jinjin with displeasure and also shouted to the other martial arts figures.
"Hehe, little brother, you're wrong. Whether your mistress has kung fu or not is up to her husband to decide," Tao Jinjin said with a suggestive smile.
Fan Bing was even more annoyed. "Bullshit! I've been with my master for five years, and this guy surnamed Shu has only been here for a month or so. How could he know things I don't? Are you questioning my professionalism so that my master will abandon me, you bastard?! Also, who's your little brother? Even if I were born ten years earlier, I still wouldn't be your brother! Humph, old woman, just like that guy surnamed Shu, you love to act young!"
Any hint or explicit statement that he understands his master's actions less than others is utterly despicable!
Tao Jinjin still smiled, her still charming face becoming even more beautiful. She said with a mix of anger and reproach, "Young man, you are too heartless."
Seeing her expression, everyone knew something was wrong. This enchantress also had a nickname, "Die Under the Peony," meaning the more beautiful she was, the heavier and more ruthless her attacks would be. This young man was going to suffer. In the blink of an eye, before they could see if she had made a move or not, and before they could warn her, the scholar who had been lost in thought suddenly moved casually, naturally and precisely placing himself between the two of them.
With his back to Tao Jinjin, the scholar turned to Fan Bingdao and asked, "Shouheng, is dinner ready? Why does it smell strange to me?"
"Ah!" Fan Bing screamed, turning and running towards the kitchen. "My soup!!!"
A smile flickered across the scholar's eyes, then turned cold. He glanced at Tao Jinjin, said nothing, and walked back into the hall. Facing the group of children who were looking out nervously and curiously, he was once again gentle and kind, "Today's lesson is over. Things are not peaceful in the city lately, so don't linger outside or play around. Go home early."
"Yes, Master! See you tomorrow, Master!" the students answered in unison.
Tao Jinjin's ever-smiling face finally stiffened. "Impossible! You, how come you're alright?"
The scholar didn't even glance at her, and instead escorted his students out, whose faces clearly showed they wanted to stay and watch the show.
Firstly, her poison technique, which had never failed her, was ineffective against him, leaving her utterly humiliated. Secondly, she had never been so ignored in her life, leaving her humiliated twice. Finally, Tao Jinjin became furious and embarrassed. "Hey! Silver Scholar! Why aren't you talking to me? Aren't you Central Plains people supposed to be the most concerned about propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame!"
The scholar saw the student off before turning back to look at her. He politely averted his gaze a few inches and then gave a slight bow. Several people present were shocked by his action, but Tao Jinjin's bright eyes remained fixed on him, waiting for an explanation.
"The four cardinal virtues of a nation are propriety, righteousness, integrity, and a sense of shame..."
He had barely begun to speak when several martial arts practitioners, who had suffered greatly at his hands, seized the opportunity during his pause and said in unison, "You all chat, I'm leaving first." As soon as they finished speaking, these people used their maximum potential to leave the crime scene at the fastest speed they had ever seen in their lives, their last few words almost coming from the air.