Volume 1, Chapter 54: Then What Are You Yapping About Here?

Zhao Yufei picked up a fruit and, with bright eyes and a cheerful expression, happily brought it over to Fan Xiu.

Zhao Defu sat leisurely in his original spot, waiting for Zhao Yufei to bring the remaining fruit over to him, her own father.

As it turned out,

Zhao Yufei stood beside Fan Xiu without moving a muscle, and instead began eating the remaining fruit all by herself.

"Brother Fan Xiu, I picked these fruits after searching for a long time, and I washed them so cleanly. Aren't they delicious?" Zhao Yufei asked with a giggling smile as she ate.

Upon seeing this scene, Zhao Defu almost spat out a mouthful of aged blood.

At this moment,

the anguish he had been feeling over losing money was suddenly reduced by more than half.

Money was, after all, an external possession; when his own daughter was practically about to be lost to another, how could he even care about money?

Although he had previously stated that he would let Fan Xiu marry Zhao Yufei,

they weren't even married yet, and already Zhao Yufei had completely forgotten about having a father like him. Deep inside, the father felt extremely sour and bitter.

"Delicious, the flavor is quite good," Fan Xiu said with a chuckle as he ate.

"Ahem, ahem."

Zhao Defu coughed heavily twice and said, "Yufei, haven't you heard about how Fan Xiu went to the House of Drunken Immortals and even met with the poetry fairy Su Ying'er?"

"I heard about it," Zhao Yufei replied with a giggle.

"I just knew Brother Fan Xiu was amazing, actually being able to write such wonderful poetry. If Brother Fan Xiu could even marry Su Ying'er and take her in as a concubine, that would be even more incredible!"

Fan Xiu was in the midst of eating a piece of fruit when he gave a muffled snort, nearly spitting the whole thing out. He looked at Zhao Yufei with a shocked expression.

This girl, was her heart really this big?

He knew that in a feudal era like this, a man's chastity wasn't worth much. Daughters of wealthy families would even deliberately send their maidservants to test-sleep with a prospective groom prior to an engagement, just to test the young master's capabilities in that regard.

If he couldn't even last three minutes, she would absolutely refuse to marry him!

Yet Zhao Yufei had urged him to take Su Ying'er as a concubine right in front of Zhao Defu—this truly exceeded Fan Xiu's expectations!

Fan Xiu gave a light cough and said, "Stop fooling around. Once Su Ying'er arrives later, you must not speak nonsense like that."

"I know, I know," Zhao Yufei said, sticking out her tongue playfully.

Just at that moment,

Liu Wenyang suddenly strode into the room.

"You people certainly have a lot of nerve!"

Liu Wenyang sneered, "To actually dare to use the poetry fairy Su Ying'er to perpetrate a fraud and swindle people—aren't you afraid the House of Drunken Immortals will come looking for trouble?"

"Scholar Liu? When have we ever perpetrated any fraud?" Zhao Defu asked with a frown.

Liu Wenyang raised a hand and pointed toward the entrance, saying, "That banner announcing that Su Ying'er is coming—you hung that up, didn't you? You're claiming Su Ying'er is going to come to a place like this? Do you think that's even remotely possible?"

Zhao Defu looked startled and doubtful, saying, "Scholar Liu, Fan Xiu said that Su Ying'er would come today."

"Ha! Ha!"

Liu Wenyang laughed loudly. "It's true that Fan Xiu went to see Su Ying'er, but he was thrown right back out the moment he went upstairs! Besides, a person of such exalted status as Su Ying'er—would she ever lower herself to dine in such an utterly ordinary place as yours? You are far too wishful!"

Zhao Defu froze for a moment, then turned his head to look at Fan Xiu.

"You're talking nonsense!"

Zhao Yufei said angrily, "Brother Fan Xiu is not that kind of person! Since he said Su Ying'er will come, she will definitely come."

Liu Wenyang wore a look of utter disdain as he sneered, "Then what if she doesn't come? You've made such a grand and noisy spectacle of this—how do you plan to clean up the mess? When the House of Drunken Immortals holds you accountable, along with the wrath of everyone else, I'm afraid your Zhao family will decline from this day forth. I am merely trying to save you."

Zhao Defu asked Fan Xiu with a mixture of doubt and anxiety, "Fan Xiu, is what he's saying true? Are you certain Su Ying'er will come today?"

"Of course," Fan Xiu replied.

Unless Su Ying'er had deceived him, or some unforeseen accident had occurred.

However, she should have had no reason to do so. Furthermore, Guo Xiulan was acquainted with Su Ying'er; if there were any unexpected changes, Guo Xiulan should have given him advance notice.

"Ha! Ha!"

Liu Wenyang laughed derisively. "Things have reached this point, and you're still persisting in your fraud. Are you truly trying to bring ruin upon the Zhao family?"

With that, he looked over at Zhao Defu.

"Patriarch Zhao, I advise you to think carefully before you act. If you sincerely wish to back out, my Liu family can help you smooth this matter over. The only condition is that you must betroth Zhao Yufei to me as a concubine." Liu Wenyang cast a leering look at Zhao Yufei.

Originally, he had no fondness for Zhao Yufei, especially given her temperament.

However, Zhao Yufei was deeply infatuated with Fan Xiu.

He had noticed this back when they were at the academy, which had caused Liu Wenyang—who already intensely disliked Fan Xiu—to hold a strong aversion toward Zhao Yufei as well.

Yet, if it meant striking a blow against Fan Xiu, he was quite willing to take Zhao Yufei into the Liu household.

"In your dreams!"

Zhao Yufei said angrily, "Liu Wenyang! You really are like a toad crawling on someone's instep—even if you don't bite, you're utterly revolting! A stinking wretch like you still wants to harbor thoughts about me? Why don't you find a puddle of urine to look at your own reflection and see if you're worthy? Even if I, Zhao Yufei, were to die, I wouldn't let you benefit!"

Fan Xiu looked at Zhao Yufei in astonishment.

In front of him, Zhao Yufei had always maintained a well-behaved and adorable demeanor, but he hadn't expected that when it came to hurling insults, she wasn't the least bit weak.

"You..."

Liu Wenyang almost coughed up a mouthful of dark blood. He said furiously, "I am trying to save your Zhao family!"

Then, turning back to Zhao Defu, he said in a deep voice, "Patriarch Zhao, is your Zhao family really planning to walk this dark path to the end alongside Fan Xiu?"

Zhao Defu stroked his chin, his face etched with hesitation.

If Su Ying'er truly came to the Savory Pavilion, it would be an event of monumental fortune for the pavilion and the entire Zhao family.

If Su Ying'er failed to show up, however, his Savory Pavilion and the Zhao family would become the ultimate laughingstock of Zhiyuan County.

Though it might not completely ruin the Zhao family, it would certainly ensure they could never lift their heads again, and might even send them into irreversible decline!

Fan Xiu gave a light chuckle and said, "Scholar Liu, I truly don't understand what on earth I did to offend you, making you oppose me at every turn like this. Very well, shall we make a wager?"

"Ha! What is there to wager? What do you have that's worth my wagering against?" Liu Wenyang said disdainfully.

Fan Xiu straightened up and said with a smile, "Let's wager on my official scholar's status! If Su Ying'er doesn't come today, I will voluntarily renounce my scholar's title and never pick up a writing brush again! But if Su Ying'er does come, you will pay me three hundred liang of silver."

Hearing these words, both Zhao Defu and Zhao Yufei wore expressions of profound shock.

This Fan Xiu—was he really willing to gamble on something so massive?

Liu Wenyang was also startled for a moment.

Causing Fan Xiu to voluntarily strip himself of his scholar's title was certainly an enticing prospect, but five hundred liang of silver was by no means a small sum.

His Liu family wasn't short on five hundred liang, but if he were to lose three hundred liang for no good reason, his father would likely skin him alive.

"What's the matter?"

Fan Xiu smiled. "Just a moment ago, Scholar Liu was speaking with absolute certainty that Su Ying'er wouldn't come, yet when it's time to back it up with a wager, you don't dare? Or were you just talking complete nonsense all along? If so, why are you even yapping here?"

Liu Wenyang said through gritted teeth, "Who says I don't dare to wager! A bet is a bet! Isn't it just three hundred liang of silver? Our Liu family has silver to spare!"

He simply refused to believe that Fan Xiu, having spent a mere ten minutes upstairs, could actually manage to invite Su Ying'er over!