Chapter 55: The Yellow Millet Dream

  Liu Junwen got out of bed, and there was a pretty maid waiting outside the room who heard the sound and came in to serve him washing his face, dressing and wearing his hat. Liu Junwen asked about Xia Hou's daughter, and the maid said that she was drunk and had not woken up yet.

  Liu Junwen deeply understood the principle of "capturing by releasing", at this time, although the two had privately agreed to be together for life, they had not yet truly become husband and wife. To maintain his freshness in Xiaohou's heart, he couldn't just stick around, so he left a message and temporarily returned home.

  Liu Junwen and Mrs. Yao had been together for a long time, knowing her temperament, guessing that she would not let things go easily. After Liu Junwen quietly returned to Yongkang Square, he first secretly observed from the street corner, and indeed there were Yao's house guards waiting in front of his door. He then went around to the back alley, climbed over the wall, and entered, only to see that his own home had been smashed like a war zone.

  Liu Junwan thought of going to Dunhuang as the son-in-law of that aristocratic family, but he didn't feel heartbroken. Fortunately, his important items were all hidden in secret places, and after quietly searching, he found that the house deed was still there. Liu Junwan put away the deed and climbed out over the wall again, then rushed to the pawnshop like a wisp of smoke.

  Yaren took over Liu Junwen's business and visited his house, only to see that it was in shambles. He couldn't help but frown, but since Liu had promised him a generous "抽利" (profit), he spent some money hiring a few idle laborers to clear out all the broken items from the house, planning to sell just the empty building and courtyard.

  In just a couple of days, the middleman found a buyer for him and sold his house, getting 200,000 yuan.

  Liu Junwan thought that his own mansion was only worth 200,000 yuan, but it was just the cost of Xiahou's daughter's wine party, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of melancholy. After feeling melancholic, he was even more delighted to have climbed up high.

  He tactfully told Xiahou's daughter about his family situation, and the young lady was understanding and reasonable. After a few words of comfort, she let him stay in her mansion from then on. From then on, Liu Junwen came and went freely in the Shangshu Mansion, and all the maids and servants addressed him as "Langjun". Every day, he indulged in feasts and wine, dancing and singing, living a life of joy and revelry, just like an immortal.

  That Xiahou girl, although a Western Regions woman, was straightforward and dared to love and hate, but in the bedroom she did not indulge in licentiousness. Although she had made vows with him, they were like husband and wife, yet it only went as far as a nominal relationship, and she refused to go further into chaos. Liu Junmo could only pretend to be a gentleman, deliberately putting on an appearance of being upright even in secret, in order to win the girl's favor.

  One day, Xiahou's daughter received a letter and happily told him that her father and brother would be returning from Yangzhou soon and were already on their way. As soon as they arrived, she would inform her father and marry him. However, the Liu family had no direct relatives left, and it was difficult to live in Luoyang, so she subtly expressed her desire for him to go with her to Dunhuang.

  Becoming a live-in son-in-law was quite humiliating, no wonder the girl had some reservations about him. But for Liu Junhuan, it was exactly what he wanted. He readily agreed. Only after his joy did Liu Junhuan realize that his marriage with the Jiang family had not been terminated yet. Once he formally married Xia Hou's daughter and registered at the government office, wouldn't he be exposed and ruin his future prospects?

  Liu Junwen secretly felt fortunate that he had thought of it early and left the Shangshu Mansion on a pretext the next morning, hurrying to the Jiang family to break off the engagement.

  Jiang Xuning had been instructed by Yang Fan to wait patiently, saying that there would be a way to make Liu Junhun take the initiative to divorce. Jiang Xuning was half-believing and half-doubting in her heart, but since Yang Fan was so confident, and he wasn't someone like Ma Qiao who didn't know what was going on, she suppressed her emotions and waited patiently at home.

  These days, Yang Fan has been busy coming and going early and late, Jiang Xuning asked a few times, Yang Fan all said that there is already a plan, let her rest assured to wait, Jiang Xuning can't ask again, had to patiently wait at home, did not expect this day in the afternoon, Liu Junhuan actually came to break off the engagement.

  Liu Junwen was even more anxious than Jiang Xuning, and hastily went to fetch Sun Baozhen, also dragging Su Fang over as a witness. He immediately annulled the engagement with her. Jiang Xuning had just finished signing his name, holding that "divorce paper" tightly against his chest, still dazed as if in a dream.

  Liu Junwen obtained the divorce papers and, accompanied by the matchmaker and witness, rushed to the county government office in Jing to cancel the registration. With a light heart, he happily left. Liu Junwen hurried back to the Shangshu Mansion, where Xiahou's daughter was about to go out. Seeing him return, she happily told him that his father and brother had returned to Luoyang and would arrive today. She wanted to go outside the city to welcome them, but since they hadn't yet informed their parents about the two of them, it wouldn't be good for him to show up, so she asked him to wait at the mansion first.

  Liu Junwen repeatedly agreed, and when Xia Hou's daughter led Chu Da, Yang Er, and other powerful slaves out of the city on horseback, he hastily called upon the maid Yinger to help him dress up, apply powder and pin flowers in his hair, and tidy himself up according to the usual fashion of the elegant young men in the capital. Then he waited at the middle gate, ready to rush out and welcome his father-in-law.

  Liu Junwen waited from noon till sunset, standing until her waist ached and legs numbed, almost turning into a "waiting-for-husband stone", still without seeing Xia Hou's daughter and her father and brother return, and couldn't help but start to worry...

  ※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※

  Early morning, Zhuque Avenue.

  Yang Fan and Tian Ai Nu walked side by side in the crowd, Tian Ai Nu holding a horse's reins. Today she was still dressed as a man. She wore a hood on her head, a narrow-sleeved robe with a small lapel, and a pair of soft, ventilated shoes that revealed a hint of striped socks, looking neat and tidy.

  Tian Ai Nu stopped in her tracks, turned around and said to Yang Fan: "Sending you a thousand miles, we must eventually part ways, let's say goodbye here."

  Yang Fan stood up straight, waved away the faint melancholy in his heart, and said softly: "Take care on your journey!"

  Tian Ai Nu gazed at Yang Fan, wanting to speak but hesitating. The time they spent together wasn't long, but their shared experiences were indeed rich, and she had always thought of Yang Fan as just a fleeting passerby in her life, until the moment of parting, when she suddenly felt a hint of reluctance.

  She thought for a moment and said: "This farewell may be forever, at this moment of departure, I have one word to tell you."

  Yang Fan was slightly surprised and said, "Go on."

  Tian Ai Nu said softly, "From now on, when encountering things, think thrice before acting. Some matters can't be solved with just a sword, use your brain more often, and perhaps the problem will be easily resolved. Absolutely don't act like this time, where you impulsively risked your life."

  Yang Fan smiled and nodded, saying: "I will remember your words. As I am about to leave, I also have something to tell you."

  Tian Ai Nu said: "You say."

  Yang Fan said, "Don't get bogged down in the past, and don't treat it as a burden. If you spend every day as if it's your last, you won't see the road to the future. Do you know, you look great when you smile? But apart from when you're pretending to be Xia Hou Xiang, I rarely see you smile."

  Tian Ai Nu gazed at Yang Fan with her clear and bright eyes for a long time, then suddenly smiled radiantly, like fireworks bursting into bloom.

  "I've got it!"

  Tian Ai Nu finished speaking, mounted his horse, pulled the reins three times, kicked the stirrup, and galloped away, never looking back again.

  Yang Fan watched her figure disappear into the distance, only to see her shadow vanish at the end of the long street. However, he didn't notice that after turning two corners, she suddenly mounted a horse and darted into an alleyway.

  A commotion on the street caught Yang Fan's attention, and he looked over to see several men in hemp clothing dragging a young man in a green robe, cursing and pushing him along. To his surprise, it was none other than Liu Junhuan.

  Liu Junwen had several scratches on his left cheek, a bruise on his right cheek, his clothes were rumpled and messy, his hat was pulled off, his hair was disheveled, and he looked utterly wretched.

  "Master, master, I'm innocent! I'm really innocent!"

  "Go to your mother's! How dare you cry injustice!"

  A bailiff swung his whip and scolded loudly: "You dare to cheat even Wu Shangshu, huh? Have you eaten the heart of a bear and the gallbladder of a leopard? You rented Wu Shangshu's mansion, hired a group of slaves and servants to show off, and owed Wu Shangshu 400,000 taels of silver. You little brat are really asking for trouble..."

  Liu Junwen wailed: "Master, I've already returned 2 million yuan!"

  "Bang!"

  Another whip, Liu Junhuan trembled with fear. The official shouted loudly: "Don't you want the remaining 200,000 yuan to make a profit? You dare to defy me, you scoundrel!"

  Bang, bang, bang......

  "Oh no, spare my life! I don't dare anymore...I'll never dare again..."

  Liu Junwen fell to the ground, holding his head and wailing.

  Passersby stopped and gathered around, discussing it in hushed tones:

  "Which Wu Shangshu?"

  "Hey, who else is still around from the Wu regime? It must be Wu Sansi, the Minister of Rites."

  "Tsk, tsk, tsk! This guy really has a bold and daring nature, to even dare cheat Wu Sansi? He's truly a good fellow!"

  "What a joke! This time I've entered the officialdom, even if I'm not beaten to death, I'll be exiled three thousand miles away, guarding the border wall. With this guy's thin and weak body, heh heh..."

  Listening to this group of people discussing, Yang Fan smiled faintly and walked past Liu Junwen who was rolling on the ground...

  Liu Junbin waved his arm and shouted loudly: "Recommendation votes! Cast recommendation votes! Before the distribution, my last wish that I couldn't forget, satisfy me!"