Ancient Foodie Survival Guide Chapter 20
Translated by Serena Love
Edited by Azure and unsaltedfish
Chapter 20: Old Debt
It was Jiang Shuyao’s first time leaving the house, so she took special care of her appearance and even had Bai Zhi carry a thick stack of silver banknotes. Her excitement was similar to that of a student setting out on an autumn trip.
Xie Xun waited outside the room for her, but even after a long time, no one came out. It was the first time in his life that he had seen a woman getting ready to go out. He paced the corridor up and down with his hands clasped behind his back. Just as he was getting impatient, Jiang Shuyao finally stepped out.
Xie Xun looked at her. Hmm... her hair was combed a bit more vigorously, and the clothes she wore were a bit prettier. But besides that, it seemed that there was no difference.
"What are you packing up in the house for so long?" He asked with a frown, glancing at the sun that was already climbing high.
Jiang Shuyao looked at him in disbelief, "You didn't notice any difference?"
Xie Xun said blankly, "What's the difference?"
After carefully dressing up yet not receiving a word of praise, Jiang Shuyao brushed past him and continued on her own, whispering in a low voice, "...it must be because I have too few clothes and jewelry. My rouge and lipstick aren’t strong enough, so they brighten my complexion. I’ll have to purchase a new batch."
Xie Xun didn't realize how depressed Jiang Shuyao was. Looking at her departing back, he was utterly confused. With his long legs, he followed Jiang Shuyao in only a few steps.
After the two of them left the house, Xie Xun rode a horse while Jiang Shuyao took a carriage. On the road, there were many high-gate mansions, which were not much to look at, until they reached the market entrance.
Jiang Shuyao jumped out of the carriage and looked at the ancient bustling market in astonishment. The long streets were wide, the tall buildings and short houses were densely packed together, and the scenery was fluttering. Noises from people, tea shops, bookstores, clothing shops, and rouge shops filled her ears...there was a dazzling array of things.
Without greeting Xie Xun, Jiang Shuyao dragged Bai Zhi to the nearest jewelry shop.
Xie Xun had no choice but to get off his horse and walk behind her into the crowd.
By coincidence, a row of wooden carts swayed from the side. Xie Xun was forced to take a step back, stopping in his tracks, and shouted to Jiang Shuyao who was walking away, "Be careful!"
Jiang Shuyao reacted quickly and grabbed Bai Zhi's arm to avoid them. When the two turned around, Bai Zhi accidentally stepped on a scholar next to her and knocked him to the ground.
Jiang Shuyao hurriedly supported Bai Zhi and was about to ask the scholar if he was hurt, but when the scholar looked up and saw Bai Zhi's face, his face went dark, and he shouted in shock and annoyance: "It's you?!"
Bai Zhi opened her mouth to apologize. But hearing the scholar's roar, she was taken aback for a moment, and suddenly remembered something. She withdrew immediately, with an expression of disgust she said, "It's you."
The scholar snorted coldly, patted his robe, and stood up, his eyes suddenly falling to Jiang Shuyao. He frowned and looked at her carefully.
Jiang Shuyao felt uncomfortable from his gaze, so she stepped back and glared at him.
The scholar did not look away, and asked Bai Zhi without daring to confirm, "This is your lady?"
After she got married, Jiang Shuyao's look was very different from the way she previously dressed. In addition, after eating more meat, she became more charming and beautiful. It was very different from the previous appearance of the skinny, powder-coated face.
Bai Zhi folded her arms, glanced at the scholar obliquely, and said to Jiang Shuyao, "Lady, let's go."
Jiang Shuyao was confused and about to turn around, but the scholar ran a few steps ahead to block them. "Stop."
Bai Zhi put her hands on her hips and sternly said: "What do you want?"
The scholar did not answer her question. He looked at Jiang Shuyao's high-groomed married woman's bun with a strange expression, "You’re married?"
Bai Zhi remembered that Xie Xun was still behind them, so she quickly turned around to look for Xie Xun's figure.
She was so busy with a guilty conscience that she ignored the scholar, and Jiang Shuyao became the one who confronted the scholar. She felt inexplicable, "You have something to say?"
"I wonder who Lady Jiang is married to now? Oh, does your husband have power or money, so that he can afford to accommodate a woman like you as his wife?"
This person was handsome, so she didn't expect him to speak so rudely.
Bai Zhi caught sight of Xie Xun who was standing a few steps behind them, and heard the scholar's words at the same time. In a panic, she stomped her foot and cursed, "What nonsense are you talking about?"
"Am I talking nonsense?" The thought only fueled his rage, “Lady Jiang, when you toyed with me using poetry that day, was that not real? When you humiliated me with money, was that false? In the end, it was all because of you that a certain Zhang was driven out of the cultural society and future ruined—”
Bai Zhi had been thinking that since Xie Xun was not far behind, she should’ve dragged the young lady to avoid this person, but when she heard the scholar's words, she impulsively said, “Bah! If you lack talent and ability yourself, how can you pin the blame on my young lady? Have you no shame?”After speaking, she pulled Jiang Shuyao forward.
The scholar refused to let up, forcing his way through the crowd as he pursued them. “Lady Jiang! How can there be a woman in this world as shameless as you? Does that husband of yours know of your past conduct? Or is he simply ignorant or a green-capped, spineless wretch? Taking you as his lawful wife, does he truly feel no shame at all?”
As he said so, passersby gradually stopped, and there was a faint tendency to watch the excitement.
Jiang Shuyao wanted to cry without tears, so this was a romantic debt owed by the original owner?
She looked up at the sky, ‘Sister, original owner, no matter what, you are the daughter of a count. You shouldn't be such an idiot. In the end, you lost your life because of Xie Xun.‘
In the meantime, Bai Zhi was blue and white with anger at the scholar's words. Under normal circumstances, she would have kicked and scolded him thoroughly, but now the master was following right behind them! What would she do if he heard these words!
She didn't know what to do. Dragging the young lady away now would only make them look guilty, but it was not good for the young lady to be entangled with him here either, especially if the master were to see it. Panic beaded sweat across her forehead.
Jiang Shuyao hated being watched. She tried to sidestep him, but the scholar blocked every attempt. Finally, annoyed, she said impatiently, "Young master, from what I see, you’re a scholar who splashes people with dirty water and tarnishes people's reputations. Is this the way of you literati?"
“Heh, so you dare to act, but not to own it? Back then, after you took a fancy to Zhang’s looks, you clung to me relentlessly, even gifting me gold and silver tokens in hopes of striking up an acquaintance with me—”
“Wait.” Jiang Shuyao cut him off, fixing her gaze on the scholar’s face and studying it for a few moments. “I took a fancy to your looks?”
Hearing this, the scholar raised his head as if he were confident of his appearance and wanted passersby to see that he did not lie.
To be honest, this man looked really good. He had clear eyes and a fair face, white and tender skin, and wore a broad robe which gave a sense of frailty unique to scholars. But for Jiang Shuyao, who was used to seeing Xie Xun, this person still had a long way to go. Not to mention his looks, Xie Xun could just dump him out ten streets just with his temperament.
It was impossible for her to carry the black pot left by the original owner, so she frankly said, "I don't know what your purpose is for stopping me with all kinds of humiliation today. I know myself to be honest and innocent. If you insist on entanglement, then I will let you see what it means to have power and money."
She was born graceful, luxurious, and charming, and today she had deliberately dressed up, with gold and silver hairpins, rich and magnificent. Even her words carried overwhelming authority. The passersby who were watching the show were unavoidably frightened, and gradually scattered.
The scholar choked for a while. The former Jiang Shuyao was humble and considerate to him, and she wasted money to give gifts. He scolded her casually. When would she ever put on air because of her identity?
His voice became a little weaker, "I am a successful candidate in the imperial examinations, officially recognized by the government. How dare you act so recklessly!" At this point, the scholar became angry again. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have lost face and been expelled from the poetry society. I would surely have passed the imperial examinations this autumn and entered the Emperor's court—"
Before he had finished his words, he was interrupted again.
"Just you? The imperial court is not so blind." Xie Xun finally passed through the crowd and came to Jiang Shuyao.
[TLN: The Chinese Imperial Court was the emperor-centered seat of supreme power, combining the imperial household with a vast bureaucracy to govern state affairs, oversee the military, and shape court life and culture.]
The scholar failed to rein in his breath and nearly choked. Who was it this time, interrupting him again?! Why was it that every single one of them, one after another, kept cutting him off? Did none of them understand the slightest courtesy, any respect for others?!
Jiang Shuyao couldn't help but shake when she heard his voice. Although she wasn't the one who did the nonsense things in the past, she still had a guilty conscience, not to mention Xie Xun's cold tone... Was he angry?
She froze in place. The ancients were conservative in their thinking and had more masculine pride. Even if she was just a nominal wife, it was estimated that only a few people could tolerate such things.
The scholar was taken aback and looked up at Xie Xun.
Xie Xun's posture was tall and straight, taller than the scholar's head, and he stood next to Jiang Shuyao. His tall body was as beautiful as a crown jade, and his every movement was breathtaking. The scholar had to feel ashamed.
The scholar quickly retracted his gaze, and a bit of jealousy emerged from his self-conscious mind. He looked at the expensive and exquisite workmanship of the robe worn by Xie Xun, and he sneered in his heart.
"Yes, just relying on my ability. I am a disciple of Mr. Qingyun and a jinshi of the current court. Who are you, to stand here spouting such wild nonsense?"
A surge of confidence rose in him. Anyone who kept company with Jiang Shuyao could hardly be of any worth—at most, another idle rich young master, ignorant and empty-headed.
Xie Xun's tone was dull, "Third place in the 27th year of Chengping, Xie Xun."
[T/N: The scholar is gloating because he’s a Jinshi, which is a title for the top 100 in the imperial examination, but Xie Xun’s a Tanhua (third place).]
The scholar was ready to mock him, but when he heard these words, he was suddenly ashamed.
Xie—Xie Xun? The literati, Xie Boyuan, knew of him... He was still reading his article before going to bed last night.
He didn't want to believe it, but seeing Xie Xun's graceful demeanor, he had mostly believed it.
His face was sullen, and his mind was in confusion. After a long while, he only said to Jiang Shuyao, "Whatever," and then hurriedly left.
Jiang Shuyao didn't expect that this farce would be so simple to solve. She took a peek at Xie Xun and saw that his expression was cold and unhappy, and her heart felt guilty.
"That..." She wanted to explain, but Xie Xun stepped away.
"Aren't you going to buy jewelry, let's go." His tone was stiff and cold, and at first she thought he was talking to himself.
Jiang Shuyao saw him walking a few steps away and quickly followed. Xie Xun stepped into the jewelry store. The guests in the store avoided him, he looked like a person who was about to freeze people to death. When he realized that his expression was not good, he frowned to suppress his irritability.
This woman, Jiang-shi, was as absurd as the rumors.
That scholar told their past in a few words. Then, when he looked at Bai Zhi's pale and panicked expression, what else didn't he understand?
Xie Xun was even more angry when he saw Jiang Shuyao follow him with an annoyed look.
That person, who looked a bit older than him, was just a man with a plain appearance and wretched behaviour. Coupled with that horrible and hateful attitude, could that kind of man also catch her fancy?
He looked at Jiang Shuyao's figure, gritted his teeth, and thought, ‘That kind of person is worthy for her to give poems and silvers? She really, really... doesn't have vision!’
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