Chapter 113: You Are No Match For Little Ye
Translator: Flying Lines
The more objectively Ye Xiaoxian spoke, the gloomier Scholar Wong felt. She was being objective because she never thought about him in that way and did not like him romantically at all.
However, Xiao Baozhu encouraged Scholar Wong seriously. âMr. Wong, I think you will get a promising grade. Youâd better not get married for now. When you pa.s.s the examination with a promising grade it wonât be too late to marry by then. Seriously, Iâve read so many novels and all the scholars in them come first in the highest imperial examination!â
Scholar Wong smiled. There were so many students all over the state but only one of them, Zhuangyuan, came first. There were also Bangyan (second place), Tanhua (third place) and Jins.h.i.+ (the highest and final degree) etc. With his talent, he would thank G.o.d for pa.s.sing the provincial exam and being ranked as Juren.
He looked at Xiao Baozhu and said to her, as if speaking to a younger sister, âThank you for your faith.â
Ye Xiaoxian saw that Scholar Wong stopped talking about his problem and felt relieved. She was actually afraid of anyone sharing their personal problems with her because she did not know how to enlighten them.
Scholar Wong took a bite of his rib and then looked at Ye Xiaoxian again. âLittle Ye, I feel that you and meâ¦have an affinity, from the first time you brought Baofeng to find me.â
Ye Xiaoxian, being sensitive, felt what Scholar Wong said was a bit odd, so she then looked up at Scholar Wong.
Luckily Scholar Wong explained in time. âDonât get me wrong. I donât mean that. I know youâve already married and we wonât have anything like that. I just feel maybe we can be friends.â
Ye Xiaoxian did not know how ancient people define friends. She then replied to Scholar Wong, âArenât we friends already?â
Scholar Wong looked at Ye Xiaoxian in surprise and asked her, âAre we reallyâ¦friends?â
âYouâve helped me, helped Baofeng and stepped up for me. If we still arenât friends, how are we going to be friends then?â Ye Xiaoxian asked.
Scholar Wongâs eyes shone with some surprise. âI thought that you did not consider me your friend, so can I come to you for a chat when I have some problems in the future?â
âAs long as Iâm free and itâs convenient, it will be alright.â Ye Xiaoxian told him the condition first.
Scholar Wong said, âLittle Ye, donât worry. Iâm a scholar and know the boundaries. I wonât come and disturb you much. Well, you havenât had dinner, right? Go ahead and have dinner. Iâll go back after eating.â
Ye Xiaoxian also felt it was awkward to sit here all the time and watch Scholar Wong eat, so she pulled Baozhu again. âBaozhu, letâs go.â
Xiao Baozhu was not moving and after Ye Xiaoxian reminded her twice she then left unwillingly.
â¦
Ye Xiaoxian and others were also going to have dinner.
Li Hongmei asked Ye Xiaoxian, âLittle Ye, youâve been chatting with Mr. Wong for a long time. What did you chat about?â
Ye Xiaoxian said, âMr. Wong said that his family have arranged a marriage for him but he wanted to take the examination first. Now heâs not sure how to choose.â
Li Hongmei was also a bit conservative so she said right away, âOf course he should get married first. Getting married is the most important thing but the exam can wait. If he could not get married, he would be committing a big crime â he would have no children!â
Ye Xiaoxian said, âI did not say anything. I just told him to follow his heart.â
Xiao Baozhu only sat and remained silent. She only ate half of her rice and then put down her chopsticks, saying that she was going back to her room to rest.â
Li Hongmei saw this and looked at Ye Xiaoxian in surprise. âWhatâs the problem with Baozhu then?â
Ye Xiaoxian put more rice in her mouth and said, âIâm not sure, ma, just go and ask Baozhu yourself.â
Ye Xiaoxian did not think she could manage so many issues. Especially concerning relations.
Li Hongmei gave it some thought, recalling Baozhuâs behavior when she saw Scholar Wong and she had some rough idea what was going on.
â¦
After dinner Li Hongmei came to the room to find Baozhu. She was reading a novel by candlelight. When Li Hongmei entered she did not greet her mom and was seemingly in a bad mood.
Li Hongmei then sat down and said to Baozhu, âWhen we had dinner just now why did you stop eating so quickly. I tell you what, although weâre better off thanks to Little Ye and we can eat until weâre full of meat, still you should take every meal seriously. If you donât eat now then when youâre up feeling hungry in the late evening donât cry about it, as by then youâll get nothing to eat.â
Xiao Baozhu put down the novel sulkily. âYou are speaking about Little Ye all the time, like she was a Buddha or something, like our whole family have to rely on her for everything. Donât we still have second brother?â
âYou ungrateful thing, of course weâre relying on her, who else are we relying on? When your brother was a handyman, by then Little Ye was already selling cold jelly to make money. She has bought rice, flour and clothes for all of us. Weâve benefited from Little Ye for such a long time, have you forgotten this already?â
âI havenât!â said Xiao Baozhu.
âSo what do you mean? Because of that Mr. Wong?â Li Hongmei touched her raw nerve which made Xiao Baozhu even more upset.
She said angrily, âMr. Wong said he wanted to make friends with sister-in-law and I was beside them. I havenât got married but Scholar Wong was acting like he didnât even see me.â
Li Hongmei sighed. âLittle Ye is more mature than you, so naturally Mr. Wong would talk to her, or do you expect him talk to you, a little girl whoâs still wet behind the ears? What do you know?â
âI donât know anything. Iâm no match for Little Ye. Are you satisfied now?â
ââ¦â
Ye Xiaoxianâs room was just next door. It was a quiet evening and the wooden house was not soundproof at all, so she heard the entire conservation between Li Hongmei and Xiao Baozhu. Still, Ye Xiaoxian did not come over to explain but just sat quietly.
There was something called affinity between one another. For some, they would be grateful for what you did for them, but for others, they would not. Even though you may give them everything, they would not think you had done it right or not given them what they wanted.
Ye Xiaoxian thought again, maybe Baozhu was still young and not sensible. Maybe she would understand when she was older.
Next door, Li Hongmei was still criticizing Xiao Baozhu. âWhy donât you want to compare yourself with Little Ye? Thereâs no comparability between you two. Youâre from different worlds. You should only remember that she has done a great favor for our family. It was her who guided us to what we are now, step by step. Now we donât have to put up with your grandpa or the first and third households. You and Baofeng donât have to go to the mountains to chop firewood or cut gra.s.s for pigs. Baofeng can go to school and youâve learn a lot of characters and can even do the accounts now. We should give Little Ye the credits for all this. If you reproach her again from now on, Iâll be the first one to criticize you!â
Xiao Baozhu suddenly burst into tears. âMa, Iâ¦I actually said that because of Mr. Wong! He only wanted to make friends with sister-in-law and did not even look at me. Iâ¦I canât stomach an insult like this!â
âI knew it! Baozhu, donât blame ma for not reminding you. You and Mr. Wong are so different. The standards of his family are so high that you wonât live up to them!â
âI might as well claw my way in, okay?â Xiao Baozhu said furiously.
âCrawl? How are you going to crawl? Even if you want to be his concubine he may not want you, unless you will be his maid and do all the ch.o.r.es in his family. Baozhu, you finally donât have to do those heavy ch.o.r.es now, why do you even want to stoop so low? Just do your job behind the counter now. Iâll keep an eye out for some nice chap who suits you. Weâre now running a restaurant, itâs not like being in the village before. Back then you could only marry a village chap, but now if we keep looking we probably can find you a town dweller.â