The people were caught off guard and became somewhat embarrassed. Initially, they had recognized the Qu family master’s distinguished status. Observing the couple’s low-key eating and minimal conversation, yet somehow captivating, their dining manner was far more elegant than their own.
“Are you the Qu family master and his wife?”
After a moment of silence, a young, beautiful woman in green clothing was the first to approach with a smile.
Recognized, Qu Xiaojue adopted her usual serious demeanor, slightly lowering her eyes: “And you are?”
“I’m Li Xianlan, a subordinate of the Qu family in Huancheng. I came to Yiling specifically to pay respects to the Qu family master. I didn’t expect to encounter you here first.” She curtsied elegantly, her young face breaking into a lively smile.
“From the Li family?”
“Yes.”
Glancing at her husband, who was silently eating fish, Qu Xiaojue said, “Since you’ve traveled far, rest well. Come to the Qu family tomorrow.”
Clearly dismissed, Li Xianlan didn’t say more. She bowed slightly, saying, “Please enjoy your meal. Farewell.” Then she turned gracefully and walked through the crowd.
The interruption caused everyone to return their attention to their bowls.
Xu Wanzhi put down his chopsticks: “I’m done. Take your time.” It was a purely habitual polite phrase, sounding like a prelude to leaving. Qu Xiaojue looked up, but he had already taken out the silk handkerchief given by Qier and naturally wiped his mouth, making no move to leave.
“Full?”
“Mm.”
She suddenly let out a sigh of relief, put down her chopsticks, and casually added a piece of silver. Qu Shan and Qu Yao sat at another table, and when they saw the two rise, they followed out at the same time.
Well-fed and satisfied, the miscellaneous thoughts in his heart were filled out. When Xu Wanzhi narrowed his eyes, he asked, “I have nothing to do, are you going back?”
Indeed, just eating and going home!
Qu Xiaojue said, “That’s fine.” He was originally going to meet some merchants, but since he had brought him out, there was no reason to leave him behind. After a slight pause, he went along with his wish.
“Qu Yao, tell Miss Lin and the others that I won’t disturb them today. Go to Xing Li Zhai, buy two boxes of apricot pear cakes, and send them to Han Zhang Yuan.” Qu Yao responded and turned to leave.
She really doted on her son. Xu Wanzhi heard this, slightly turned his head, and asked, “What, not preparing a share for your father?”
In fact, he wasn’t trying to be sarcastic; it was just a casual thought that came to mind. He walked slowly, dispersing his food, and casually said something.
Qu Xiaojue glanced at him and stepped closer: “Father doesn’t like sweet, rich food.”
“Oh.”
The conversation ended there, and they fell silent again. Xu Wanzhi’s initial curiosity about going out diminished. He looked around; their clothing and behavior seemed normal. He continued walking without stopping. As he passed a small stall selling accessories, Qu Xiaojue suddenly blocked his arm.
“What?”
Qu Xiaojue gently pulled him aside, somewhat amused: “You stepped on someone’s silver note.”
“Hm? Stepping on a silver note in the street?”
Xu Wanzhi moved his foot, and indeed, a white paper emerged, with black characters and a red seal. Even in the Qu household, he had never seen such a legendary item. He was about to bend down and pick it up, but Qu Xiaojue reached out first and pressed down slightly. The silver note fell into his hand. As he was about to look closely, a clear and bright voice, slightly urgent, entered his ear: “Young master, that’s my silver note!”
The newcomer was a man around twenty, wearing a blue robe and carrying a gray bundle.
He was tall, with thick eyebrows and large eyes, and a hint of naivety at the corners of his mouth. In the middle of the street, he shouted, clearly anxious.
“Yours?”
Raising the silver note he hadn’t yet examined, Xu Wanzhi’s tone rose. The man’s appearance seemed relatively normal to him. Thus, he playfully teased, “How can you prove this is yours?”
The man had originally rushed forward but stopped at these words, his face growing more anxious. He simply said, “It is mine! My master gave it to me when I left the village!”
However, Xu Wanzhi was amused, and he spoke a modern, unreasonable phrase: “Yours? Can you call out to it?”
“I—” The man stepped forward, staring directly at him. Xu Wanzhi unexpectedly felt mischievous, maintaining an indifferent expression. The man stared at him for a while before frustratedly saying, “No, I can’t.”
“Then how can I give you the silver note? If it’s not yours, wouldn’t I be wronging its original owner?”
These words sounded quite reasonable. The man clenched his fist, unable to refute, and after a long while, squeezed out: “Young master, are you the kind of bad person my master warned me about who finds money and doesn’t return it?”
Just as Xu Wanzhi was about to speak, he was choked by this statement. Qu Xiaojue turned to look, surprised to see him seemingly unable to respond.
He stepped forward, tugging at his sleeve, and seriously said, “Husband, if it’s his, just give it to him.”
Though there weren’t many people around, there were some cunning opportunists. However, this particular man standing out seemed unlikely to be lying.
“Do I look like a bad person?”
Straightening himself, he raised an eyebrow and smiled at the man, stepping away from Qu Xiaojue’s serious inquiry. The man was quite honest and carefully looked him over, then bit his lip somewhat aggrievedly and honestly said, “My master says that outside, beautiful women absolutely cannot be trusted easily. Handsome men often have evil intentions. You, specifically, my master says this kind of smile is bad…”
“Your master truly has unique insights!”
Xu Wanzhi’s face darkened, then lightened again, bringing the silver note close to the man’s eyes. The man immediately reached out, but Xu Wanzhi deftly pulled it back.
“Just tell me how you can prove it’s yours, and I’ll give it to you.”
The man immediately glared angrily: “Young master, my master said that when I was young, I cut my finger. My seal is different from others. If you don’t believe me, I’ll, I’ll—”
He wanted to say something fierce, but lacking experience, he choked on his own words. Xu Wanzhi watched his reddening face with wonder, thinking this person was quite entertaining.
His eyes held a smile, his brows relaxed. Qu Xiaojue narrowed his eyes, took the silver note from his hand, glanced at it, and had Qu Shan hand it to the man a few steps away.
“What are you doing?” Xu Wanzhi glared at her. She reassuringly took his hand and smiled, “Husband, joking too much in a busy street is not good.”
These words cleared any misunderstandings from onlookers. She turned to the man and bowed slightly, “Sir, my husband was just joking. Please don’t take offense. The silver note is indeed as you said, with a broken seal. It seems you have urgent matters, shall you be on your way?”
“Yes!”
Taking the silver note, the man sighed in relief. Seeing the elegant and beautiful lady, he blushed and quickly returned the bow: “I’m Shen Kuang. Thank you, madam and sir. May the green mountains remain unchanged, and the waters continue to flow. I’ll properly thank you next time!” He bowed and quickly ran off.
Seeing the main character had left, the crowd that had gathered dispersed uninterestedly.
“Husband?”
Lifting her head, Qu Xiaojue grabbed his arm but didn’t move, meeting his inexplicable smile, which made her feel frustrated. Xu Wanzhi looked at her, widened his smile, and shook his head as he walked forward.
This infuriated her! What was that expression?
“Please don’t fuss. Let him enjoy his time with me,” Xu Wanzhi interjected with a warm smile, pulling An’er closer.
