Chapter 078: The Oddity

Chapter 078: The Oddity

Zheng Jianji thought that once they arrived at the frozen treat shop, he would first show off his wealth, then show off his thoughtfulness.

He was well-versed in this routine and had never failed; the girls would all blush and smile shyly, and this time would surely work the same.

However, he realized he had no chance to execute it at all!

Song Huaian, as the nephew, was being far too considerate. He was practically feeding her by hand. Watching this, Zheng Jianji thought it was weird—it didn’t seem like an aunt and nephew relationship at all, but rather a young couple deeply in love.

Seeing Song Huaian’s gaze, so tender it could drip with affection, Zheng Jianji shuddered, getting goosebumps all over.

Strange, truly strange.

However, at that time he didn't let his mind wander to other ideas. After all, given that they were clearly aunt and nephew, no normal person would think otherwise.

“Brother Song, you’re really devoted to Miss Song.” Zheng Jianji was being a bit cheeky. Seeing Song Huaian show this side of himself was rare, so he couldn’t resist teasing.

Before he first met Song Huaian at the academy, he had often heard the master praise Song Huaian’s sharp intellect and quick learning, his ability to draw inferences from one example was just basic, and his willingness to debate with the master privately, posing questions that made the master lock himself away to think for days.

Yet, strangely, Song Huaian never ranked near the top, nor at the bottom. He always ended up in the middle range, neither too conspicuous to draw attention nor too average to be overlooked, hiding among students of similar level, not drawing attention, very low-key.

The master didn't say this outside the academy. Zheng Jianji’s father was the local county magistrate, who had served here for eight years. Usually, officials had performance reviews every three years, meaning their positions could change every three years. His father wasn't a particularly capable official, but he was a good one.

In theory, he should have been reassigned, but two years had passed without any change; the third year was approaching.

The master was close with his father, often drinking under the moonlight together. That was when he heard the master mention Song Huaian. He was a bit resentful at first, but he wasn't low enough to do anything dirty. Instead, he secretly observed Song Huaian at the academy.

Zheng Jianji noticed something interesting: every exam, Song Huaian’s rank was exactly the same. Others might fluctuate up or down, but he always stayed at one spot—right at the cutoff for rewards.

Once or twice could be coincidence, but repeated instances couldn’t be explained by chance.

When they later interacted, he realized this guy was amazing—he could actually control his ranking!

Zheng Jianji didn’t admire the top scorers; he only admired people like this. After deliberately forging a connection, they grew familiar and became good classmates.

What he said earlier about frequently consulting Song Huaian was no lie.

To pass the imperial examinations at higher levels, the Four Books and Five Classics were only sufficient for the first-level scholar. Beyond that, one had to answer practical questions about national governance and people’s livelihood, proposing policies, as well as topics like astronomy, geography, and mathematics.

Zheng Jianji had lived in comfort since birth, surrounded by wealth, with little practical knowledge. Song Huaian, on the other hand, was different. His hands were rough; he had climbed mountains just to pick a medicinal herb to save money, dived into rivers to clear silt for irrigation. He didn’t read books just for the sake of reading—not just memorizing characters and ancient sayings. He read to solve real-world problems, over and over.

These were the aspects Zheng Jianji lacked, and he learned a lot from Song Huaian.

He genuinely admired him, but seeing Song Huaian, usually calm and composed, reveal this side was novel, and Zheng Jianji couldn’t resist a joke.

Song Huaian didn’t find the word “filial” jarring. Of course he was filial—he would be even more thoroughly filial to his aunt in the future. So it wasn’t a big issue.

“It’s only right and proper for me to take care of my aunt.” He said this as if it were an honor.

Zheng Jianji was taken aback by his straightforwardness. What’s with this proud expression!

“That’s right, Huai’an is very good to me.” Song Pushu raised her chin and waved her fist. “If he dares to treat me badly, I’ll beat him black and blue!”

Catching Zheng Jianji’s dumbfounded look, she realized she might have revealed her true nature. Song Pushu quickly backtracked, offering a shy smile, batting her eyelashes, and speaking softly in a gentle tone, “I’m not sure if that’s right, but I want to encourage Huai’an to study well. Doesn’t it say in books that scholars need appropriate pressure to have motivation to move forward? If they’re too lazy and indifferent, they’ll easily give up.”

Everyone in life needs a spiritual pillar, whether it’s serving the country and people or just wanting to eat and stay warm. If someone goes through life with a “whatever” attitude, they’re no different from a piece of wood, and even wood can be burned for warmth in winter.

Zheng Jianji was a bit confused. Had any book actually said that?

Of course, in front of a stunning lady, he wouldn’t ask. He wanted to show off his knowledge, and Miss Song’s words did make sense.

“Aunt is right. I’m grateful for your years of urging me to study.” Song Huaian smiled. Seeing a bit of white on Song Pushu’s lip from the ice cream, he took out a handkerchief to wipe it, not hiding the gesture from Zheng Jianji. Song Pushu was used to his care and didn’t refuse. After he finished, she continued eating with her head down.

Zheng Jianji looked at them, and that strange feeling resurfaced. Even as aunt and nephew, this behavior was a bit excessive. Men and women should keep their distance. This looked more like a man doting on his sweetheart.

Ah, forget it. His mind must be unclean to have such a terrible thought. Impossible! If Song Huaian knew he had such an idea, he’d probably beat him half to death.

A gentleman learns the Six Arts—he’s not just a bookworm glued to books. That’s only for uncultured people. In the official government-run academy, all students also learned horseback archery and swordplay. Song Huaian was physically strong and quick to learn, and he could really hurt when he hit.

Just then, the shop assistant brought another serving of ice cream, the second portion Song Pushu had ordered. She wanted to try both flavors, and a layer of raisins was sprinkled on top. She ate with satisfaction.

“There’s a Peach Blossom Banquet later. Do you want to go? I heard that today’s banquet will feature the most beautiful Flower Queen, Hu Niang, playing music and dancing in the peach grove. Many people have flocked there.” Zheng Jianji wasn’t interested in these sweet things. He had ordered one serving and didn’t ask for another. Finding it a bit cloying, he had the waiter bring a pot of tea to wash away the sweetness, feeling better afterwards. He didn’t understand why women liked it so much, except that on hot days, the cold treat was refreshing.

The Peach Blossom Banquet he mentioned was held every year during peach blossom season, almost daily, not fixed to a specific date.

This meant that activities were known only to locals, passed on from one person to another, drawing crowds.

Hu Niang was the Flower Queen of the largest brothel in the county. She was beautiful, with a great figure, skilled in playing the zither and dancing gracefully, and her singing voice was captivating. Many went to see her every night, but Hu Niang sold her art, not her body. Many wealthy merchants had tried to spend a fortune to win her over, but failed. Men’s perverse nature—the more unattainable, the more they crave—made Hu Niang a cash cow.

Song Huaian was about to hint for Zheng Jianji to bring it up on his own, but he beat him to it.

And Zheng Jianji regretted it as soon as he said it, but the words were out, and he couldn’t take them back.

Why did his mouth have to mention brothel and Flower Queen in front of Miss Song!

Song Pushu didn’t know who Hu Niang was, but she knew what a brothel and Flower Queen meant. Her interest in Zheng Jianji instantly vanished. She pouted slightly and said flatly with a hint of sarcasm, “Flower Queen Hu Niang? It seems Master Zheng frequents the brothel. You must be quite familiar with this Hu Niang.”

“Miss Song, you misunderstand. I’m not familiar with Hu Niang at all. I’ve only seen her dance a few times. I went with a few friends—it wasn’t just me alone. We were drinking and chatting, and we invited Hu Niang to play music and dance for entertainment. Nothing inappropriate happened.” Zheng Jianji frantically explained.

He appreciated Hu Niang’s music and dancing, but certainly nothing else. Otherwise, his parents would break his legs. Besides, he had maids in his courtyard, arranged by his mother to serve him. If he was tired from studying or felt the urge, he could rest with them, but he must not indulge in excessive carnal pleasures.

Zheng Jianji had only visited the maids’ rooms a few times; at other times, he dared not act recklessly. When he married in the future and had a principal wife, the two maids would be promoted to concubines at her discretion. If they became pregnant, they would become concubines. But before he married and had a legitimate heir, he naturally wouldn’t let them bear children, as that would insult his wife.

At his age, almost every man from a wealthy family had maids arranged for them—it was completely normal. He didn’t see any issue.

If his future wife didn’t like them, she could dismiss them later. Two maids were nothing.

“Mm-hmm. I understand. If I were Master Zheng, I would have made the same arrangement.” Song Pushu nodded perfunctorily. Since she had lost interest, she didn’t care. The sons of wealthy families rarely maintained their integrity. If she were Zheng Jianji, she might also be more fond of pleasure. She turned to Song Huaian, “Did you go too?”

“How could I? My energy is limited. Every day, I’m busy reviewing my studies, and in my free time, I copy books. I feel I earn too little to be filial to my aunt, and I already have guilt in my heart. How could I waste time on such trivial matters?” Song Huaian replied calmly, subtly stepping on Zheng Jianji.

“See, I told you I’ve been urging you to study and improve.” Song Pushu was satisfied. She looked at Zheng Jianji, who seemed a bit dejected, and explained, “Master Zheng, I didn’t mean you don’t study well. It’s okay to combine work and rest. You listening to music is rest, and Huai’an copying books is also a form of rest. As the saying goes, there’s a kind of ‘different methods yielding the same result.’ Right, Huai’an?”

“Very right.” Seeing Zheng Jianji’s deflated look, Song Huaian smiled and nodded. “Aunt, the ice cream is melting.”

Hearing this, Song Pushu stopped talking and focused on eating her ice cream. The raisins were delicious too!

Zheng Jianji: “...”

Something felt off. He felt like he had been subtly criticized.

But one thing was certain: he seemed to have been rejected by Miss Song. Alas, was he, who had just fallen in love, about to lose his beloved?

He quickly recovered his spirits. So what? He was being honest. That showed he was a sincere man, worthy of trust! After finishing the ice cream, because Song Pushu was curious about Hu Niang, she decided to go to the Peach Blossom Banquet. They still had time, so there was no rush.