In the following days, Shi Fengju went out early and came back late. As expected, he was very busy. Fortunately, the scenery there was quiet and secluded. During the day, Sang Wan, Liu Ya, and the others loitered around to enjoy the scenery. They would occasionally take a stroll in the city as well with the company of the head servants. There were no quiet days for them.
Hangzhou was prosperous and populous, which Qingzhou could not compare to. Sang Wan and Liu Ya were full of praise after seeing it for themselves and found it hard to believe.
On the evening of this day, Sang Wan, Liu Ya, the Head maidservant of the villa, Qin Shi, and two other servants went out to appreciate the lotus flowers and jade-green leaves. The huge pink-white lotus flowers swayed a little from time to time with the wind to rest in countless postures, causing one to feel warm at heart.
While Sang Wan, who wore a hat, together with Liu Ya, Qin Shi, and others wandered around the lake on the bluestone pavement where weeping willows and peach blossoms grew by the side, they enjoyed the beautiful scenery of the lake and inhaled the fragrance brought about by the wind.
“Young Mistress, you must have been tired after walking for some distance. Take a seat and have some tea!” When Qin Shi saw a clean stone table and stool at the side, she went forward and said with a smile.
The view there was spacious and quiet. Hence, Sang Wan didn’t mind stopping to rest for a while. She nodded her head with a smile and agreed.
The two servants quickly moved forward to open the bundle that they had been carrying and took out a yellow embroidered willow cloth to put on the table. One of them took out the tea and three to four plates of delicate pastries from the food basket before carefully placing them on the stone table. Liu Ya held the ivory handle of a moon-shaped fan and lightly fanned Sang Wan from behind.
Sang Wan said with a smile, “You guys should be tired too. Have a seat and rest!” Then, she told Liu Ya with a smile, “The shade under the trees here is refreshing, and the wind blows over from the lake. Save some energy! I know you love to play. If you want to take a stroll, you can do so nearby, but don’t go too far!”
Liu Ya agreed with a grin and replied, “I’ll see if I can reach any lotus flower and pick two for you!” She put the fan away.
After the two servants acknowledged, they sat on the grass beside the tree while Qin Shi stood beside Sang Wan and talked to her.
Sang Wan didn’t want her hat to get in the way, so she lifted the front a little and her view immediately widened.
Suddenly, a woman’s clear laughter was heard on the path. It sounded arrogant and unrestrained. Sang Wan couldn’t help but look over.
She saw a young lady with a slender waistline in a cherry-red embroidered coat, beige embroidered long skirt, and a twin-looped hairstyle. A man with a white round neck robe was chatting happily with her, and there was a servant in a lilac vest and white silk long skirt. That servant carried a food box in her hand.
The two of them were chatting happily with brisk steps and they looked very happy and intimate.
When Qin Shi saw that woman’s frivolous movements, she quickly looked elsewhere. She knew from a glance that they must be from the brothel, so she knitted her brows.
Sang Wan also sensed that the woman was not a decent one. After casting a glance, she turned her gaze away and held her teacup to taste the tea.
There was another stone table not far away. That woman in red said in a tender voice, “I’m exhausted after walking for so long. Let’s take a break!” Then, she pulled that man to take a seat not far from Sang Wan.
That man agreed with a smile and sat down.
The woman asked a servant to pour her tea. The servant quickly put down the box she was carrying and took out the tea before serving it. “Miss!”
The woman in red received the tea and took a sip before frowning. She poured the tea onto the ground and took out her handkerchief to wipe her mouth before she stared at the servant, feeling dissatisfied, “The tea is cold. How am I going to drink it?”
The servant didn’t dare to utter a word, while the man said with a smile, “There is a tea house up ahead. Just bear with it until we get there!”
The woman in red was displeased and turned her body towards the man before saying in a tender voice, “But I’m thirsty, and I can’t walk anymore!” She turned to look at Sang Wan. When she saw Sang Wan’s behavior, she switched her gaze to look at the meticulous Qin Shi, who was behind Sang Wan. She curled her lips disdainfully and chuckled. Soon after, she leaned towards the man and whispered something to him.
That man started frowning and unwillingly said in a low voice, “Qing’er, stop making a scene!”
The woman in red snorted tenderly and her face sank slightly. She pouted her rosy lips and said, “How am I making a scene? Who doesn’t have an inconvenient moment when they go out? It isn’t a big deal to borrow. Go! Quickly go!”
“Nonsense!’ The man turned somewhat impatient and refused to do so.
The woman in red got angry immediately and turned her body away before saying, “You don’t care about me or dote on me anymore! You said you would treat me well. I gave up everything and followed you. It hasn’t been two years, and you don’t dote on me anymore! You don’t even want to do something small for me, yet you still say that you have me in your heart and want to spend a lifetime with me! I don’t believe you at all! In the future, don’t think about pacifying me with all those sweet words! I won’t believe you anymore!”
The woman in red acted like a spoiled child and pulled the man’s sleeve as she made a fuss. Nobody knew what she asked the man to do, which he had refused.
The man clearly liked her. Upon seeing this situation, he quickly pacified her and spoke good words to her. The woman in red was unwilling to forgive him and asserted that his sweet words were just deceiving her.
Qin Shi unconsciously frowned and leaned towards Sang Wan before saying, “Young Mistress, we should leave!”
Qin Shi found them to be bad luck. She did not look at the calendar before coming out and ended up encountering such a brazen couple. What luck Young Mistress had!
Sang Wan couldn’t bear to see that anymore. She agreed to the suggestion and stood up.
Qin Shi quickly called the two servants nearby. She told one of them to pack up their things and told the other one to call Liu Ya back.
While the servant was packing up, the man walked over. The woman in red sized Sang Wan up in interest and contained her smile.
“Mister, what brings you here?” Qin Shi said as she blocked him.
The man felt he was put in a difficult situation and his face turned red when he was glared at by Qin Shi with hostility and vigilance.
Just when he was stuttering and wondering how to open his mouth, the woman in red also came over. However, she ignored Qin Shi and went directly towards Sang Wan. She greeted her gracefully and stood properly before she said with a smile, “Miss, I hope you’re reasonable! I’m thirsty, but my tea has gone cold. Is it convenient for me to ask for tea from you instead?”
Qin Shi replied coldly, “There is a tea house up ahead. Miss, you should go there. How can our Young Mistress’ tea be easily given to someone else?”
Upon hearing that, the woman in red did not get angry after being refused impolitely. Her eyes flickered but she still ignored Qin Shi. She said with a smile to Sang Wan, “Your attire is impressive, but your servant is so crude. Before the master speaks, the servant speaks first! I wonder how you can tolerate this presumptuous servant! I really feel that she is unworthy to speak on your behalf!”
“What…What are you saying!” Qin Shi hadn’t expected this woman in red to be so thick-skinned, so she couldn’t help but respond, “Based on your status, how can our Young Mistress speak with you? If I’m younger, I wouldn’t have bothered answering you! Young Mistress, let’s go!” Qin Shi said when she saw that Liu Ya had returned.
However, the woman in red seemed to hold a grudge against them. How could she simply let them off? This time, she no longer ignored Qin Shi. Instead, she moved forward and grabbed her sleeve. Then, tears welled up in her eyes, blinding her sight as she said pitifully, “What do you mean by that? I’ve never offended you and only met you by chance. I saw that this young lady here seemed kind, so I asked for tea. However, you kept mocking me! What do you mean by saying that you won’t bother answering me if you were a few years younger? How can such a nice person like me be insulted by you? Second Young Master, everyone is looking down on me. Even a servant whom I met by chance dares to point at me and insult me! Am… Am I that undesirable!”
The more the woman spoke, the sadder she got. Nobody knew whether she was sobbing for real or not.
“Qing’er, don’t cry! Don’t cry!” The man became flustered at once and quickly pacified her. “Don’t be sad. You’re the best in my heart! Nobody can be compared to you!”
“But everyone is looking down on me. Why should I stay by your side when others belittle me? Second Young Master, in what way am I not good? Why does everyone treat me like this? I only want to spend my days with you happily, serve you as a good wife, and be filial to your parents. However, who has ever given me the chance?” The woman in red leaned against the man and cried loudly.
“My wife has never offended you, so why do you say such hurtful words? If you don’t apologize now, then don’t dream of leaving this place!” When the man saw the beautiful woman crying terribly, he pacified her with sweet words and instructed the servant to lend her an arm before saying to Qin Shi with a cold expression.
Qin Shi’s husband was in charge of many of the Shi Family’s business in Hangzhou. Since she was quick in handling matters, meticulous, and easy to approach, Shi Fengju had specially instructed her to take care of the villa, and serve and accompany Sang Wan. She always presented herself well at home, and was a lady in charge of her household whom people praised and served. When she saw this woman in red behaving like that, she was disgusted and was at a loss for words. Right now, they wanted her to apologize? That was a complete insult to her!
“Wife?” Qin Shi stared at the man with a sharp gaze and smiled coldly. She pointed at the woman in red and said, “She’s your officially-wed wife? In that case, your upbringing must have been poor! If you want me to apologize to this lady, I’d love to ask you what you mean!”
That man was suddenly left speechless because the woman in red was indeed not his wife. However, he liked her and was infatuated with her. He could only play along when she acted like a spoiled child and regarded him as her husband. However, what was fake would always remain fake. There was no marriage certificate, witness, or wedding ceremony. The woman in red also had no qualifications to enter his family. She was not even qualified to become his concubine, let alone becoming his wife.
Upon hearing what Qin Shi had said, the woman in red couldn’t help but have a guilty conscience and continued crying at the man.
Qin Shi snorted and personally helped Sang Wan. “Young Mistress, let’s go! If we spend any longer with such a person, your reputation would be tarnished!”
Sang Wan didn’t utter a word. She nodded her head and they left. The woman in red did not continue pestering them. However, she kept making a fuss towards the man.
