Volume 6: Dream Record Chapter 379: First Meeting with Song Yinzhang
On the other side, on the river in Qiantang County, Gu Qianfan was sitting at the bow of the boat, looking forward, with no emotion on his face. Old Jia was rowing the boat, still muttering:
"This damn woman is so bold. Commander, do you think I should..."
"You are so beautiful, you country girl, you are a bitch, you are good at adapting to circumstances, let's just leave it at that!"
Gu Qianfan glanced at Lao Jia, who immediately shut up. Recalling the complete difference in Zhao Pan'er's attitude before and after, he continued:
"Her attitude towards us is completely different now. She probably hates us, the Imperial City Division. But there are tens of millions of people in this world who hate us, and she is not the only one. The most important thing right now is the Night Banquet. Now you go to Yang's house again and tell him clearly that you want the painting. If he refuses, I will go meet him in person!"
"Yes, sir!"
…
Zhao's Teahouse, after coming up from the river, Zhao Pan'er went back to the house and changed her clothes. She wore a pink dress, her hair reached her waist, and a silver hairpin with pink peach blossoms as tassels on her head. She had a pretty face, white teeth, bright eyes, and red lips. When Yuan Xudong returned to the teahouse, what he saw was Zhao Pan'er who had just washed and dressed up. He was stunned for a moment. It would be a pity not to take such a beauty into his own room!
"There is a beauty in the north, peerless and independent. One look from her could make a city fall in love with her, and another look could make a country fall in love with her. I'd rather not know that she could make a city fall in love with her, because it's hard to find a beauty like her again!"
Chanting an ancient poem praising the beauty, Yuan Xudong stepped into the teahouse, looked at Zhao Pan'er, who looked like a lotus emerging from the water, and smiled slightly:
"Pan'er, you are so beautiful!"
"Don't talk nonsense!"
Hearing Yuan Xudong's praise, Zhao Pan'er was happy in her heart, but she was slightly annoyed when she said:
"I am just a country woman, at most I am a little pretty, how can I be called the most beautiful woman in the world?"
"Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, and I think you're pretty!"
Looking at the modest Zhao Pan'er, Yuan Xudong knew very well that no matter how a woman looked, pretty or ugly, it was always right to praise her for her beauty. Moreover, Yuan Xudong did not lie, he really thought that Zhao Pan'er was beautiful, stunningly beautiful, and had an angelic appearance.
"You're talking nonsense again!"
Rolling her eyes at Yuan Xudong, Zhao Paner hesitated and said:
"Mr. Yuan, I lost your Polaroid camera. Can I compensate you?"
"Lost it?"
In the blink of an eye, the camera was lost. Yuan Xudong said stupidly:
"Where did you lose it?"
"It fell into the river and I can't find it!"
Looking up at Yuan Xudong, Zhao Paner knew that such a magical object as a camera must be priceless, and said anxiously:
"Mr. Yuan, how much do you think I should compensate you?"
"How much is the compensation?"
Looking at the somewhat uneasy Zhao Pan'er, Yuan Xudong raised a wicked smile and said seriously:
"This Polaroid camera is a relic left to me by my mother. No matter how much it is worth, I will not sell it. But I have given it to you. Although I feel very sad that you lost it, let's forget about the compensation. This is not about money. I clearly said that it was a token of our love, but you still lost it so easily. I am really sad and disappointed in you!"
"Mr. Yuan, I'm sorry, I'm really sorry!"
I didn't expect that the Polaroid camera might be a relic left by Yuan Xudong's mother. As her family was broken up when she was young, Zhao Pan'er understood very well how important and valuable this kind of item was to the person involved. She didn't expect that Yuan Xudong would give it to her, but she didn't keep it well. Thinking of this, she walked out of the teahouse and said:
"I'll go look in the river again, maybe I can still find it!"
"No need, things are dead, but people are alive!"
Seeing Zhao Pan'er was going to the river to look for the camera, Yuan Xudong was startled and quickly pulled her back and said:
"I've said before, no matter how valuable the treasure is, it's not as important as a strand of your hair. The river is so deep and fast, what if you're in danger?"
"It's okay, I've been..."
"Listen to me, I won't let you take risks!"
Before Zhao Pan'er could finish, Yuan Xudong interrupted her and said:
"If you really feel sorry for me, how about you promise me one thing?"
"What's up?"
Looking into Yuan Xudong's eyes, Zhao Paner spoke first:
"I won't do anything to let Ouyang down. Everything else is up to you!"
"good!"
After receiving Zhao Pan'er's affirmation, Yuan Xudong said with a smile on his face:
"Keep your word. What I want you to promise me is that if Ouyang Xu really changes his mind and wants to marry the daughter of a wealthy family, then you can't be his concubine. You have to marry me, Yuan Xudong, and be my wife. Is that okay?"
"I, Zhao Pan'er, will never be anyone's concubine!"
After taking a deep look at Yuan Xudong, Zhao Paner nodded and agreed:
"I believe in Ouyang. If he really changes his mind and wants to marry someone else, if you don't despise my background and are willing to marry me with three matchmakers and six betrothals, I will agree to marry you!"
"good!"
Looking at Zhao Pan'er who was full of confidence, Yuan Xudong smiled and said:
"A gentleman's word is as good as his bond!"
Looking at Yuan Xudong, Zhao Paner also smiled and said:
"A gentleman's word is as good as his bond!"
After they made vows to each other, Yuan Xudong took out a diamond ring of the right size from the dimensional space and put it on Zhao Paner's right ring finger, smiling and saying:
"Pan'er, if you wear this diamond ring, I will definitely marry you!"
"A diamond ring?"
Raising her right hand, Zhao Paner looked at the crystal clear diamond ring on her ring finger and asked with a little curiosity:
“Is this diamond?”
"Yes, diamond is the hardest substance in the world, which means our love is stronger than gold!"
"I can't have this!"
Taking off the diamond ring and returning it to Yuan Xudong, Zhao Paner said directly:
"Let's talk about it later. I believe in my own judgment. Ouyang will not betray me!"
"Okay then, I'll keep it for you first!"
As he spoke, Yuan Xudong put the diamond ring back into the dimensional space. Looking at the diamond ring that suddenly appeared and disappeared, as well as the ten taels of gold and the camera that Yuan Xudong had taken out before, Zhao Paner couldn't help but ask curiously:
"How do you make something appear and then suddenly disappear?"
"Want to know?"
"think!"
"Come here!"
Inviting Zhao Pan'er to come closer, Yuan Xudong whispered in her ear mysteriously:
"Actually, I am a deity from heaven who has come down to earth. This move is called Sleeves of the Universe. I can also fly. Well, I can't do it for now. When I came down to earth, my magic power ran out. When I recover my magic power, I will take you to heaven to have a look, okay?"
"Really?"
Looking into Yuan Xudong's eyes, Zhao Pan'er was very suspicious.
"Then when will you be able to recover your magic power?"
"When you really decide to marry me!"
"You just talk nonsense!"
After glaring at Yuan Xudong, Zhao Pan'er blushed and ran out directly. She sat down under a tree in the front yard to rest. After a while, a thin and weak female voice came from outside the yard:
"Sister Pan'er!"
Zhao Pan'er turned around and saw her good sister Song Yinzhang and her personal maid Yinping getting off a carriage not far away. When she first entered the Jiaofangsi, Zhao Pan'er could not accept the gap between being a daughter of an official family and a musician in the Jiaofangsi, and refused to accept the relevant training as a musician. Thanks to the help of her sister Song Yinzhang, she got through the most difficult days at the beginning.
But on the night before Zhao Pan'er was about to be released from prison and return to society, the judge of the Ninghai Army chose her to serve the emperor in the imperial court. Song Yinzhang's sister took the initiative to go in her place, and never came back. It was said that the people of the Ninghai Army drank too much and played too recklessly, so Song Yinzhang's sister lost her life in vain. From then on, Zhao Pan'er vowed to take good care of her sister instead of Song Yinzhang's sister. Since she owed Song Yinzhang a sister, she had to give her a good sister in return!
Zhao Pan'er didn't expect Song Yinzhang to come to the teahouse at this time, so she quickly stood up to greet him and said with a smile:
"Quote chapter!"
Hearing the noise outside, Yuan Xudong walked out of the teahouse and saw sisters Zhao Pan'er and Song Yinzhang meeting each other. Song Yinzhang was indeed the best pipa player in Jiangnan and a famous courtesan in Qiantang County. Her white silk dress made her black hair look like clouds and her cheeks look whiter than snow, especially her plump breasts. The white bodice made Yuan Xudong dazzled and he really wanted to tear it off and enjoy it. The master was beautiful, and Yinping, who was Song Yinzhang's personal maid, was not bad either. She had delicate eyebrows and eyes, giving people the feeling of a beautiful girl from a small family. Yuan Xudong liked such high-quality masters and servants, so he could kill two birds with one stone!
Song Yinzhang hurriedly walked up to Zhao Pan'er, pulled Zhao Pan'er to look around, and said worriedly:
"I heard that there were bad guys in the tea shop, so I rushed over here. Sister Pan'er, are you okay?"
"fine!"
Zhao Pan'er smiled and was about to introduce Yuan Xudong to Song Yinzhang, but she saw a young man in gorgeous clothes getting off Song Yinzhang's carriage. She looked at the young man and said with some caution:
"Yin Zhang, this is..."
Song Yinzhang glanced at the young man shyly and replied:
"Zhou Lang, he was afraid that I would be anxious, so he sent me here!"
"Zhou Lang?"
Looking at the rather shy Song Yinzhang, Zhao Pan'er had already guessed a little about the relationship between the two. Although her sister was the best pipa player in Jiangnan and was proficient in music, especially in playing the pipa to perfection, she was always lacking in the ways of the world and was easily deceived by dandy boys!
At this time, the young man whom Song Yinzhang called Zhou Lang stepped forward, bowed, and said to Zhao Pan'er in a flattering manner:
"My dear Zhou She, I have met Miss Zhao. Yin Zhang mentions Miss Zhao to me at least ten times a day. When I saw her today, she was indeed full of energy and extraordinary!"
"Sit inside!"
Zhao Pan'er gave a fake smile and led Song Yinzhang and Zhou She to the teahouse. She walked quickly in front, and Song Yinzhang's personal maid Yinping followed quickly. Song Yinzhang and Zhou She walked slowly behind. Yuan Xudong and Zhou She looked at each other. Probably because Yuan Xudong was wearing servants' clothes, neither Song Yinzhang, Zhou She nor Yinping paid attention to him, which made Yuan Xudong very depressed. It was true that clothes make people look like horses. Wearing tattered clothes, even the son of a prime minister looked worse than the son of a small businessman. Depressed, Yuan Xudong ran to Zhao Pan'er's side, only to see Zhao Pan'er quietly asking Yinping:
"Yin Ping, what's going on with this Zhou She?"
"We just met fifteen days ago. He came to the Jiaofangsi every day to support the young lady. After a while, the young lady was bewitched by him!"
"He must be a big liar, the kind who wants to cheat people out of their money and sex!"
Yuan Xudong couldn't wait to interrupt. Hearing this, Yinping looked up at him. What a handsome boy, with red lips and white teeth. He didn't know where Sister Pan'er recruited him from. Seeing Yinping peeking at him, Yuan Xudong smiled at her, showing his eight white teeth. Unexpectedly, Yinping's pretty face turned red, and she spat and cursed in a low voice:
"You shameless scoundrel!"
"It was you who was peeking at me, and I just smiled at you, so how did I become a shameless pervert?"
Looking at Yin Ping's blushing face, Yuan Xudong pretended to be wronged and said:
"Is there any justice in the world? I was wrongly accused and died!"
"you……"
"Okay, stop making trouble!"
After giving the unreasonable Yuan Xudong a cold look and telling him to shut up, Zhao Pan'er went to the teahouse to prepare tea for Song Yinzhang and Zhou She. Yinping glared at Yuan Xudong and then went to help. Zhao Pan'er briefly asked about how Song Yinzhang and Zhou She met. By the time the tea was ready, she already had a plan in mind.
Soon, Yinping helped Zhao Paner bring out tea from the teahouse. Zhou She and Song Yinzhang walked into the teahouse and saw the broken porcelain pieces all over the floor. They said:
"Look at the tea sets in this room. Many of them have been broken by the bad guys. What a pity. Madam Zhao, I know a famous porcelain merchant in Qiantang. If you need any..."
"No need, I just have a small business, no need to bother Mr. , just sit here!"
Leading Song Yinzhang and Zhou She to sit in a corner of the teahouse, Zhao Pan'er and Yinping brewed tea and served them fruit. After that, Zhao Pan'er sat down, but Yinping retreated to behind Song Yinzhang and stood quietly. Everyone was used to it. It seemed that a maid was always a maid. No matter how good the master was to his own maid, he still thought that the other party was a servant of lower status than himself and could never be on equal footing with himself.
Thinking about this, Yuan Xudong sat down and drank tea carelessly. Seeing him like this, Song Yinzhang and Zhou She frowned slightly. Seeing that Zhao Pan'er didn't care, they didn't say much. Song Yinzhang glanced at Zhou She, then looked at Zhao Pan'er and said:
"Sister Pan'er, we came to see you today, but we actually have something else to tell you..."
"What's up?"
Song Yinzhang started the conversation, and Zhou She continued:
"Yin Zhang said that you are like her own sister. Zhou fell in love with Yin Zhang at first sight and has deep feelings for her, so I came to propose marriage. Zhou's family has been merchants in Huaiyang for generations. Our family runs a fur business, with dozens of shops, nearly a hundred servants, and several houses. If Madam Zhao agrees, I will definitely treat Yin Zhang like a treasure for the rest of my life!"
After saying that, Zhou She looked at Song Yinzhang affectionately. Song Yinzhang lowered her head, her face full of shyness and sweetness, which made Yuan Xudong feel sick. This stupid woman, after being cheated, still helped others count money. And this dog Zhou She, who kept saying that my family is very rich, didn't even need to draft his bragging, and Zhao Paner didn't even need to speak. Yuan Xudong directly expressed his strong opposition:
"No, you can't marry him!"
"What?"
Song Yinzhang and Zhou She both opened their eyes slightly and looked at Yuan Xudong. Zhao Paner also glared at him, telling him to shut up, then looked at Song Yinzhang and advised:
"Yin Zhang, you are still young and you are devoted to the pipa. I have told you about some social etiquette before, but you may never have taken it to heart. Yin Ping said that you and this official Zhou have only known each other for less than fifteen days. You don't think about it. How can a businessman who has traveled all over the country and has seen all kinds of beauties fall in love with you at first sight?"
Looking at Song Yinzhang who looked hesitant, Zhou She quickly explained:
"As the saying goes, love is born from a thread, and Yin Zhang and I fell in love because of the song!"
“That’s right!”
Hearing Zhou She say this, Song Yinzhang hurriedly explained to Zhao Paner:
"That day I was feeling depressed, so I played a piece of Ming Fei's song by the lake. He heard it from far away on the lake and played his flute to accompany me. That's how we got to know each other. Sister, Zhou Lang is really my soulmate!"
After listening to Song Yinzhang's words, Zhao Pan'er smiled. She looked at Zhou She and asked directly:
"What's the next sentence of Once I Go to Zitai Lianshuomo?"
Zhou She was choked for a moment. Under Song Yinzhang's gaze, his face, which had been quite elegant, instantly turned the color of liver. Seeing his appearance of a straw bag with glittering appearance but rotten inside, Zhao Pan'er could not help but sneer and said to Song Yinzhang:
"He can't even recite Du Zimei's Ming Fei Qu, how can he be a soulmate of yours? These common tricks in the romantic world can only fool a girl like you!"
"Sister, Zhou Lang is really not that kind of person!"
Seeing that Song Yinzhang was still defending Zhou She, Zhao Paner looked at Zhou She who was drinking tea awkwardly and continued in a cold voice:
"Look at the way he holds the tea, with his middle finger and thumb, it's the way a gambler picks up dice. He smells like the perfume of changing clothes, which only the most expensive brothels can afford. You say he's proficient in the flute, but which big business owner has the leisure to do this? He's nothing more than a drunkard who frequents pleasure places!"
"Madam Zhao, please listen to my explanation !"
"You don't need to explain, and don't make up stories anymore. In short, I don't agree with this marriage!"
"elder sister!"
After taking a look at Song Yinzhang, Zhou She stood up, bowed to Zhao Paner and said:
"In that case, Zhou will take his leave!"
"Goodbye, I won't see you off!"
Zhao Pan'er said coldly. Yuan Xudong looked at Song Yinzhang who looked anxious, and Zhou She who was pretending to be so. He knew that Zhou She was trying to retreat in order to advance. Since Zhao Pan'er was not easy to fool, he would continue to fool Song Yinzhang. He would bypass Zhao Pan'er first and make the matter a done deal. What could Zhao Pan'er do to him? Thinking of this, Yuan Xudong looked at Zhou She who was about to turn around and leave, and Song Yinzhang who was following him, and said:
"Wait, let's settle everything before we go!"
Zhou She was humiliated by Zhao Pan'er's insult, but he couldn't vent his anger because she was Song Yinzhang's sister. When he heard that Yuan Xudong, a servant, dared to be rude to him, he immediately took advantage of the situation and said angrily:
"Who are you? Is there any place for you to speak here?"
