Chapter 33 Career Crisis (II)
Some people are born stubborn and not easy to change.
Yao Niang discovered that the girl that Fu Chen was protecting had a stubborn bone, with thin and slender hands and feet supported by a spine. She had very little flesh on her body and ran very fast. She was so scared by the piercing of her ear that she disappeared in the blink of an eye.
She was born with a love of beauty and was especially good at dressing up. Even the most disheveled girl could be made to look lovable in her hands. Moreover, this little girl had great potential. As soon as they met, she had already sketched out in her mind how she would look like after dressing up.
Yao Niang did not leave. She turned around and sat in Fu Chen's room. "Since Commander Fu has seconded us sisters, we cannot just sit there and make up the number. From today on, I will move to Fengbu. Lord Fu, please have someone clean out a room for me. There must be a bed and a mirror, and preferably a cabinet. I can't come here without the clothes..."
Even though Chunniang had long been accustomed to her capriciousness, she was still frightened by her sudden move: "It's ok for you to run rampant in the inner prison, but aren't you afraid that coming to stay with Minister Feng will affect their work?"
Anyway, the prisoners in the inner prison have no human rights, and the people under her are somewhat resigned to their fate. They are used to Yao Niang's sudden whims from time to time. It doesn't matter if they pull up seedlings and weed out flowers on their own small piece of land, but they must not harm the young man Fu Chen. Hasn't he seen that this guy is still unmarried at his age?
What if he mistakenly believes that all women are so scary and is afraid to get married?
"You should go back and live there, and just report to work in the morning and evening. You have always been lazy, so you will definitely not be able to adapt to the Feng Department." Chun Niang tried hard to save the unmarried young man Fu Chen's perception of women. As the assistant case handler of the two departments, she had the most contact with Fu Chen. Sometimes she couldn't help but think, if she got married and had a daughter early in her life, would she also choose a son-in-law like Fu Chen?
Yao Niang held the back of the chair tightly and said, "The Boshan furnace should be made of copper, not pottery. The room should be equipped with musical instruments and chess manuals. The embroidered cushions should be made of Shu brocade. It is best to spread a thick long-haired blanket on the floor so that it is not cold when walking barefoot. The long-haired blanket should cover the soles of the feet..."
Fu Chen felt a little dizzy after being hit by her long list of requests. From what Yao Niang said, it didn't sound like a secondment, but more like a move. If you spread out the list, you can write out a long list. The dowry prepared by ordinary families for their daughters' wedding is not as complete as hers.
He originally thought that the Phoenix Department and the Phoenix Department were not far from each other, and they worked in the same government office, so it would only take a few steps to walk there. However, Yao Niang was determined to take root in the Phoenix Department, so it was not easy to chase her away: "Please sit down and relax. I will ask someone to prepare the room." He called the servants to prepare the room according to her instructions. He tidied up the documents on the table : "If there is nothing else, I will leave first."
Yao Niang smiled and waved: "See you tomorrow." When Fu Chen walked to the door, she added: "Bring the little girl here tomorrow to have her ears pierced."
Fu Chen: “…” You are really persistent.
Mr. Fu, who had been single for more than 20 years, could not understand Yao Niang's obsession with beauty. He remembered that Lei Xiao and Tang Ying had made an appointment to pick horses after work. When he met the two at the gate of the office, it seemed as if they had made an appointment long ago. He said nonchalantly, "Let's go."
Lei Xiao was going crazy and wanted to make it clear: Sir, I only made an appointment with Miss Zhang!
But if he spoke, it would seem like he was driving her away. He had just been demoted to Lingnan on a business trip as a retaliation, and if he said something that offended Lord Fu, he might not see his wife for a year or two, delaying the important task of having children. He could only swallow the doubts in silence.
Tang Ying thought that Fu Chen, as her superior, had always been a people-friendly person. He was like her own father, and at an old age he mingled with the soldiers in the barracks , ate from the same pot, and when he was happy he would exchange moves with the young men and teach them archery. Therefore, Fu Chen was in a good mood and would ask a few questions about anything new he saw along the way.
Fu Chen rode side by side with her on horseback. People were coming and going on the street. He usually developed the habit of being cautious in his words and actions, but facing the questions asked by a country bumpkin, he actually answered every question. It was actually a novel experience - whoever is so tactless and dares to talk nonsense in front of Lord Fu's cold face should be prepared to perform a monologue.
Lei Xiao followed behind the two of them, listening to their random chat, and was shocked to find that Lord Fu was actually able to have a good chat with people instead of freezing to death those who wanted to chat with his cold eyes.
——It turns out that changing someone can have such miraculous effects?
He decided to do one good deed every day and told Liu Zhong about this new discovery.
Fortunately, Tang Ying was very skilled in selecting horses and lived up to his reputation as a groom. He found a horse with excellent legs and a docile temperament for Lei Xiao in the horse market. He also dragged the horse to the place where horseshoes were nailed nearby and personally nailed the shoes for his new mount. He did a beautiful and efficient job and his service attitude was first-class. In addition, with the commander staring at him coldly next to him, Lei Xiao felt that the ten taels of silver he paid was not in vain.
Being able to serve Fu Chen is worth several taels of silver.
The three of them parted ways at the horse market. Lei Xiao could still hear Master Fu say from afar: "I made ten taels of silver, so why don't you treat us?"
Lei Xiao: “…” Where is your face, sir?
Are you in this relationship from the beginning to now, just for a meal?
Tang Ying has inherited Tang Yao's true teachings. He would spend all his monthly salary on either supporting the families of martyrs or subsidizing disabled soldiers. When he had a little money in his hand, he felt generous: "I can spend all my money and come back again. What would you like to eat, sir?" He dared to walk into Yan Yue Tower when he passed by.
Fu Chen grabbed her reins, not knowing whether to laugh or cry: "You spent all the ten taels of silver after entering Yanyue Tower." This is too generous.
Tang Ying had no choice but to turn a corner and buy two freshly baked sesame cakes on the roadside and handed them over silently.
Fu Chen: “…” The demotion was too fast and it was a bit hard to adapt.
The two of them rode back to the Fu Mansion while eating sesame cakes. Tang Ying thought of how scary Yao Niang was. "That auntie... the one who forced me to pierce my ears this year, is she also from the Cavalry Prohibition Department?"
Fu Chen was thinking about the wording in his mind, not wanting to say too much, so he could only say vaguely: "That's Aunt Yao, an old employee of the Forbidden Cavalry Division, she's very good at doing things." For example, the most favored concubine around the King of Shu was an intelligence officer trained by her.
He thought about it and still reminded: "Aunt Yao is not like Aunt Chun, you should stay away from her as much as possible." Don't be led astray by her.
Tang Ying smiled her innocent and foolish smile again: "She is so beautiful, I feel that is the pinnacle of women, her every move is full of charm, I can eat a few more bowls of rice every day just for her."
Fu Chen felt an indescribable worry in his heart, just like a worried old father who saw his ignorant little girl was about to go astray. He didn't even realize it but he put on a earnest attitude of admonishing her: "What kind of romance is this? There is absolutely no such thing! You can't learn from Aunt Yao..."
"Sir," Tang Ying interrupted him with a smile, "You think too highly of me!" Why would a rough girl like her learn to imitate Aunt Yao?
All beauty and refinement are inseparable from the accumulation of money and state of mind. It also requires the person to have great understanding and know how to exude feminine charm. This is also a skill. She thinks that her understanding is low, so she should face the reality and be down-to-earth to be her groom.
Not to mention Aunt Yao's outfit, the bead on the tip of her shoe alone would be enough to support the whole family. There were so many orphans and widows struggling on the edge of food and clothing in the border town. She was used to being practical in everything, but she had never seen such a beautiful woman before, so she just sighed.
To be fair, Princess Yuan Shu was of noble status, so naturally she was dressed the best, but when it came to the femininity in her gestures, she was far surpassed by Aunt Yao .
However, Fu Chen turned a blind eye to Yao Niang's beauty. Tang Ying secretly suspected that the commander was either blind or had a weird taste. She didn't dare to ask this question when she arrived at the gate of the mansion, and ran to the stable to see Teng Yun first.
The Emperor's Birthday is just around the corner, and this year is also the Emperor's 50th birthday, which is a major festival. The Imperial Cavalry Division not only has to take care of the Emperor's safety, but also has to keep an eye on the movements in the capital. In addition, princes from all over the country have come to Beijing to celebrate the birthday, and the princes' mansions are all under surveillance. Fu Chen is very busy.
Chun Niang and Yao Niang, whom he borrowed from the Huangzi Department, were both in charge of a number of matters. Only the newcomer Tang Ying was a non-staff member. He borrowed her for personal gain so that she would not have to rely on Princess Yuan Shu for support.
After Lei Xiaolin's fearless secret propaganda before he went to Lingnan, the leaders of the Fengzi Department all knew of Tang Ying's special existence. They have been very polite to her in recent days and enthusiastically told her gossip about Commander Fu.
"...Really? I can't tell." Tang Ying expressed her disbelief: "Master Fu is a very good man, kind-hearted and tolerant. He is a very good boss."
Liu Zhong thought: Is he a kind and tolerant person?
Are we talking about the same person?
"Haha, that's right, young lady." Liu Zhong flattered her with a wry smile.
"What a pity..." The little girl changed the subject, and Liu Zhong, a gossiper who was already familiar with her, pricked up his ears: "What a pity that her aesthetic taste is a bit weird. She didn't think Aunt Yao was pretty." She couldn't help but complain: "No wonder she's still not married at her age."
According to the marriageable age of young men in Beijing, Mr. Fu is already considered an older bachelor.
Liu Zhong: “…”
Liu Zhong felt complicated.
How could he make the innocent little girl understand that for some men, Yao Niang's beauty was poison, a deadly poison that killed instantly upon contact with blood.
"If Aunt Yao hadn't been chasing me and insisting on piercing my ears, I would actually... like her quite a bit." Tang Ying ended this gossip with a regretful remark. She caught a glimpse of Yao Niang's figure from afar and prepared to slip away.
Yao Niang is always persistent in doing what she has decided on. What is completely different from her lazy appearance is her persistence in creating beauties. Since she moved to Fengbu, every time she saw Tang Ying, she wanted to poison her earlobes.
Tang Ying was very resistant to this matter. When she was a child, her nanny couldn't persuade her, and she was even stopped by Marshal Tang. How could she change her mind just because of Yao Niang's beauty?
One insisted on getting the injection, while the other refused. Both were stubborn, and in the end the situation became one that made Commander Fu quite satisfied - Tang Ying ran away as if she was escaping when she saw Yao Niang from afar.
Yao Niang hated herself for being such a hero but having no place to use her talents. When she heard that the little girl was actually the groom of Fu Chen's house, she felt that he was wasting a talent. She vowed to dress her up like a decent person. When she saw her from a distance, she shouted, "Xiaoying, wait for me."
Tang Ying pretended not to hear her voice, walked through the corridor and passed by the houses. She heard footsteps behind her and hurriedly chased after him. She happened to pass by Fu Chen's office and rushed in.
As soon as she entered, she heard Fu Chen's footsteps in the corridor. It seemed that he came out from next door and bumped into Aunt Yao who was chasing after him.
"Have you seen Xiaoying?"
"No, Aunt Yao wants to see her for something?" Lord Fu was very good at playing dumb. "She is not familiar with many things in the department. Aunt Yao may have something to send someone to do. It's better to send someone else."
Yao Niang: “…”
Fu Chen pushed open the door and walked towards the desk against the wall. He lowered his head and bumped into Tang Ying, who was curled up behind the table. The little girl raised her sad little face and clenched her fists to silently plead with him.
Perhaps sensing his strange gaze, Yao Niang followed in excitedly: "No one else can do this, just hand this little girl over to me, and I will make sure you get a reborn beauty!"
