Chapter 31: Misunderstandings and Miscommunications

  Xiao Jiading narrowed his eyes and thought for a moment, saying: "I was thinking of you living with me, but I'm currently living alone in the duty room at the yamen, it's not convenient. And I don't have money to buy a house."

  "I'll buy it!" Chi Mei said immediately, "Shall we live together?"

  Xiao Jia Ding's eyes narrowed into a slit as he stared at her.

  Chī Méi Fěn Quán lightly hit him again and scolded: "What's wrong? Aren't you happy?"

  "Yes." Xiao Jiading nodded, "I'm not very capable, but I'm not so incompetent that I have to rely on others for food."

  Chi Mei immediately sensed Xiao Jia Ding's displeasure, and quickly twisted her slender body, throwing herself into his arms, coquettishly saying: "Sorry, I was wrong, Xiao Lang, don't blame me, okay...?"

  Xiao Jiading smiled: "It's okay, how about this? After you find a place to live and settle down, tell me, I'll make time to visit you often."

  "Uh-huh! I'll let you know as soon as I've taken care of it." Chi Mei left his arms, lingering and saying: "Xiao Lang, hurry to Ya Niang's place, she must be anxious by now."

  Xiao Jiading had already dressed and was about to go out when Chi Mei called him back: "Wait! Let me light a lamp and take a look!" She lit a lantern, held it up, carefully examined Xiao Jianding from head to toe, picked off the few strands of her own long hair that were stuck to his body, and then took out a handkerchief to wipe away the lipstick on his face. Just like a loving wife erasing evidence for her beloved, so as not to be found out when he got home.

  "Go!" she said softly when she thought there was no trace left.

  Xiao Jia Ding leaned in to kiss her, but she blocked him and said with a pout: "No! I just finished getting ready, wait till next time, I'll let you kiss me as much as you want. Alright?"

  Xiao Jiading nodded and stepped out of the door.

  As he walked down the stairs, he knew that Mei was watching him from behind, but he didn't turn around. He kept walking until he reached the backyard and was out of her sight before stopping.

  He didn't rush to Ya Niang's courtyard, but stopped under a pagoda tree in the backyard, thinking about what had just happened. He was a bit dazed and wanted to take advantage of the cool night breeze to think things over carefully.

  He firmly believed that there was no such thing as unconditional love in this world. He didn't believe that Mei had gone to bed with him simply because she loved him. They had only known each other for a day, and it was too quick to say they were love at first sight. Moreover, she was an experienced songstress, not some naive young girl who had never been in love before. Hadn't she seen plenty of talented and charming men? It was impossible that she would be so helpless against him.

  And she repeatedly emphasized that she would not marry herself, and the purpose was just to keep a widow for that book boy. She hadn't even married that book boy yet, did she need to keep a widow for him? Even if it's really like what she said, with one heart filled with this book boy, can't fit anyone else, then her sleeping with a man who had only met once, this physical betrayal, could her loving heart accept it?

  She first said that she had already found comfort, gone to bed with herself, and would leave Yizhou after redemption to live a quiet life alone. However, after she casually invited her to stay, she immediately agreed, and even suggested buying a house to live together. Why is this?

  Xiao Jiading couldn't understand it, but he had a feeling that the background of this matter was not so simple, and her story with Chi Mei would not end like this.

  If Chi Mei had any other purpose besides love when she went to bed with him, this purpose would soon become apparent. The reason she didn't say it immediately was that she didn't want to associate this purpose with her going to bed with him.

  Is she trying to cast a long line to catch a big fish?

  Logically speaking, a songstress wouldn't be too concerned about an attendant beside the county magistrate of Ye Men. There are many high-ranking officials they can fawn over to gain benefits, and there are plenty of people more suitable than themselves to use their bodies for profit.

  It seems that behind her back, there is likely another person!

  Who could this person be?

  Xiao Jia Ding currently has too little information about Yizhou, so he can't figure it out. He simply stopped thinking about it, and if his guess was correct, this person would eventually let him know anyway.

  The maid at the gate of Yanni's courtyard had already recognized him and received Yanni's summons. Seeing that he had arrived, she hastily paid her respects, one of them leading him in, all the way to the main hall.

  Under the veranda of the main hall, Ya Niang's personal maid, Qiao Fan, was standing. She was the one who had supported Xiao Jia Ding when he was drunk last time. Seeing him come in, she smiled and curtsied, saying: "Young Master Xiao!"

  "Uh, where is your girlfriend?"

  "Waiting for Master Xiao inside, please come in quickly." With that, she lifted the exquisite large red woolen door curtain with her slender hand.

  Xiao Jiading stepped inside and saw Ya Niang sitting alone by the window, playing the guqin. The sound of the guqin was melodious, and it was clear that she was in a good mood at this moment. Xiao Jiading's previously anxious heart calmed down, and he called out: "Ya Niang!"

  Ya Niang was entranced by the sound of the guqin, when she heard a voice, slightly startled, looked up to see it was him, and stood up excitedly, saying: "You're here?"

  "Hmm!" Xiao Jia Ding walked up to her, looking at her. He was hesitant about whether to hug her and give her a kiss, but he was also worried that she might feel something was off.

  Before he made a decision, Ya Niang had already made the decision for him. She raised her slender arm and wrapped it around his neck, gazing at him.

  Xiao Jiading wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her red lips. Being tightly hugged and kissed by Xiao Jiading, she couldn't help but feel confused and infatuated, her breathing also becoming urgent. Just as Ya Niang was getting emotional, Xiao Jiading had already let go of her and said softly: "Little treasure, I have something to find you about."

  "Oh? —— In the future, if you have something to ask me, don't come here, it's too expensive. Just send a letter of introduction and I'll know. I'll go see you as soon as possible."

  "Can you go out?"

  "I'm not a prisoner, why can't I go out?" Yan Niang smiled sweetly, "But only during the day."

  "Alright, I'll tell you once I've found a place to stay. - By the way, the chief clerk told me today that someone has recommended me to be an attendant by the side of the county magistrate, do you know who recommended me?"

  Yan's wife was overjoyed: "Really? Who recommended it?"

  Xiao Jiading found it somewhat strange and said: "You don't know? I thought you had someone help me say that."

  "I was going to ask someone to recommend you, but I haven't met them yet and didn't have a chance to say so. Who actually recommended you?"

  He is Tang Sima of the prefectural government.

  "Ah?" Ya Niang smiled lightly and said, "Hehe, that's right."

  "How is it possible? He doesn't know me and you didn't recommend me to him, so why did he recommend me?"

  "It's because he appreciates you."

  Xiao Jiading was even more puzzled: "Appreciate me? I've never met him, I just took one of his paintings from you. How could he appreciate me?"

  "You've seen him before, right here."

  "What? The one from last night... Tang Dalang, is it Tang Lin or Tang Sima?"

  "Hmm! Who else could it be?"

  "Ah! How stupid I am! I didn't think of this at all!" Xiao Jiading slapped his forehead, "Yesterday when I saw him being so arrogant, I should have guessed it! If he wasn't a high-ranking official, how could he be so arrogant? This is the power of an official, and I thought it was just some bookworm's bad temper. Good grief."

  "Ah, yes, he's always been like that towards people, aloof and indifferent. Even when facing the county magistrate, he's still the same. And you're just a scholar, after all. However, the poem you wrote yesterday really struck a chord with him, and he was extremely fond of it. That's why he has such a good impression of you. Perhaps that's why he recommended you to the county magistrate."

  "Isn't it what you asked for?"

  "No, he left first yesterday. You stayed behind and we've been together all along..."

  Mentioning yesterday's events, Ya Niang couldn't help but blush again.

  Xiao Jia Ding's mind was no longer on this, he looked at the poem written by Tang Lin on the powder wall and said: "How could he be so interested in that poem? He must have touched his heart."

  "That's for sure!" Ya Niang also looked at the poem, "He was demoted from a third-grade official in the Ministry of Justice to a fifth-grade official, it's hard to bear, feeling lonely and alone here, and doesn't know if he can return to the capital."

  Xiao Niang's reminder suddenly made Xiao Jia Ding remember the poem he had plagiarized from Su Shi, "The Lonely Sandbank" was written by Su Shi during his exile in Huangzhou. He used the image of a solitary wild goose on a moonlit night to express not only the loneliness of being exiled but also Su Shi's noble and proud character that refused to follow the crowd. Tang Lin's experience was very similar to Su Shi's, and both men had a similar proud and aloof personality, so it was natural for Xiao Jia Ding to resonate with him.

  This is indeed a case of "yin yang" error, originally dissatisfied with his arrogant attitude, seeing his miserable appearance, intentionally reciting a similarly miserable poem to make him more uncomfortable, unexpectedly chose Su Shi's poem written after being demoted, which happened to touch the deepest emotions in his heart, immediately gaining his great favor, so afterwards he no longer had an attitude, and the conversation became harmonious. He even asked about criminal law last night, could it be that he had already thought it through last night and planned to recommend himself as county magistrate today as a return for that poem? This is reasonable.

  Xiao Jiading said: "Will Tang Sima come today?"

  "He won't come. He rarely comes here and always sends a visiting card beforehand, never showing up unexpectedly. Since he doesn't have his visiting card now, he won't come."