RMACAUH Chapter 26
by VolareSeeing his sincere apology, Wei Xiaofeng actually felt somewhat harsh, “There’s really no need to apologize…”
Feng Yue couldn’t help but chuckle; clearly, he was unhappy in his heart, yet so kind as to not want to be hard on him.
“Then you go to sleep, I’m leaving.” Feng Yue stood up and, before leaving, even patted his head.
“Wait!”
“Hmm?”
“This, help me return it to your Prince.” Wei Xiaofeng poked half of his hand out from the tightly wrapped quilt, his slender, fair fingertips pinching the mutton-fat jade.
Feng Yue looked at the mutton-fat jade and couldn’t help but chuckle, “Just keep it. My Prince is giving it to you; he never takes back what he gives away.”
“This is too precious.”
“A little trinket, he has plenty of them.”
“Then… then okay, thank him for his reward for me.”
“Mm.”
Feng Yue glanced at him reluctantly, then turned and strode out of the bedroom, gently closing the door behind him.
Wei Xiaofeng felt conflicted, gazing at the silent night, inexplicably feeling a sense of melancholy.
This person was truly strange, on such a cold night, in the dead of night, climbing over the wall to come in, sitting for a while to say a few words to him, and then just leaving like that.
*
The next day at noon, Feng Yue came out of the Wenyuan Pavilion as usual to have lunch at the Fenghua Palace.
Empress Chen, while serving him dishes, mentioned casually, “The male cadet school had several students withdraw yesterday, leaving quite a few vacancies.”
Feng Yue was taken aback, subtly mentioning, “Then just recruit more to fill the empty spots.”
“That’s what I said, but the ones recruited later might not be able to keep up with the studies.”
Feng Yue: “Your original intention for establishing the male cadet school wasn’t really to have them pass some official examinations; it’s good enough as long as they can learn something. Whether they can keep up is secondary.”
Empress Chen nodded thoughtfully, “You’re right. Male cadets have always been in a difficult situation. If this palace can help them, it’ll be a blessing.”
“You’re the kindest, you’re sure to have lasting fortune and longevity.”
*
Wei Xiaofeng had been cooped up in his room these past few days due to his foot injury, how could he bear to stay inside any longer?
Taking advantage of the old nanny keeping watch in the courtyard being away for a while, he dragged Sang Cai to put up a ladder and climbed over the wall.
Wei Xiaofeng didn’t walk fast, afraid of straining Sang Cai’s injuries. He took out his purse and counted the money, enough to buy some small trinkets.
“Just tell me what you want to buy. I have enough money.”
Sang Cai felt a warmth in his heart, “No need, young master, there’s everything in the mansion. Why waste money on these things?”
Wei Xiaofeng put his arm around his shoulders, “Don’t be so polite with me. Good friends share blessings and hardships!”
Sang Cai smiled knowingly, “Yes, share blessings and hardships!”
Wei Xiaofeng’s handsome face had a bright smile, warm enough to melt the frost and snow of this cold winter.
The New Year’s Festival was approaching, with big red lanterns hanging high, the whole street filled with festive cheer. Today there were no more officials catching people all over the streets, and people and carriages became even more crowded.
Everyone was out doing New Year’s shopping with their families, hoping to have a peaceful and happy holiday.
“It’s so nice! Being able to spend the holiday together as a family is really good…” Sang Cai looked at the happy smiles on the faces in the crowd, filled with unspeakable envy. Some people were born with things that he might never get in his life.
Wei Xiaofeng held his hand tightly, “This year, we can spend the holiday together. It makes me happy just thinking about it. I used to think holidays weren’t fun at all. This year I have you to play with me. We’ll buy lots of fireworks and set them off in the courtyard, it’ll be so much fun!”
Sang Cai was immediately excited by what he said, and as he watched him speak so vibrantly, he couldn’t help but start looking forward to it. He had never set off fireworks in his life.
Passing by the gold and silver shop, Wei Xiaofeng happily pulled Sang Cai along, “Let’s go, let’s go take a look!”
“But…”
“Oh, no buts, I’ll buy you a beaded hairpin to wear.”
It was Sang Cai’s first time in such a shop; the dazzling array of sparkling jewelry was overwhelming.
Most of the customers were male and female cadets; occasionally, there were two or three young men, all accompanying their wives and *fu lang* to buy things.
Wei Xiaofeng was so excited he could barely contain himself, his eyes almost glued to the beaded hairpins, “Heavens, these are so beautiful!”
The hairpin maker in the shop, wanting to sell the beaded hairpins and hairpins she made, greeted them with a smile that was like a spring breeze and began enthusiastically promoting her wares.
“Do either of you young masters see anything you like? If so, I can help you try them on.”
“A’Cai, which one do you like?”
Sang Cai looked blank; they were all pretty, but they all looked so expensive. After a long time of picking, he chose a simpler one, thinking it should be relatively cheaper, “This jade-green one.”
The hairpin maker said, “Ah, young master has such a good eye. This jade hairpin is made from the finest jadeite. The openwork silver carving around the hairpin head is extremely rare. Young master’s skin is fair, it will suit you very well.”
Sang Cai’s eyes widened, but before he could refuse, he heard Wei Xiaofeng say excitedly, “How much money? I want it!”
The hairpin maker was overjoyed, “100 taels of silver.”
Wei Xiaofeng was momentarily breathless, “Uh, let’s take another look, haha…”
“We’ll just look around ourselves,” Sang Cai quickly pulled Wei Xiaofeng away, only letting out a sigh of relief when the hairpin maker didn’t follow.
In the end, they each bought a pair of earrings and came out of the shop. Wei Xiaofeng bought silver-plated long tassels, and Sang Cai bought a pair of green beads with red tassel fringes. One looked gentle and noble, and the other added a bit of allure.
With the remaining money, they could just buy two servings of candied fruit at the dessert shop. By coincidence, they had just reached the entrance of the shop when they ran head-on into Zhu Yi, who had brought a servant boy out to do New Year’s shopping.
Wei Xiaofeng looked surprised, not expecting to run into him here. Looking at him, he was even thinner, with dark circles under his eyes, looking very haggard.
“Yi Yi… what a coincidence, haha…”
Zhu Yi gave him a cold stare, raised his chin, and prepared to leave with the servant boy, but Sang Cai stopped him, “Hey, my young master is calling you, why don’t you say hello?”
Wei Xiaofeng pulled Sang Cai back, whispering, “Let’s not provoke him, let’s go!”
Zhu Yi was already in a bad mood; his family had fallen on hard times, and his husband’s family was becoming increasingly harsh towards him. Now, even the servant by Wei Xiaofeng’s side, whom he usually looked down on, dared to speak to him like this; he couldn’t swallow this insult.
He turned around, full of resentment, glaring at the two of them, still maintaining an aloof expression.
“Wei Xiaofeng, do you think that now that my family has fallen on hard times, I’m even worse off than you, and that even you dare to step on me?”
“I, I didn’t!”
“I’m telling you, you’re not worthy!”
Wei Xiaofeng knew the bitterness in his heart and didn’t get angry at his deliberately arrogant attitude, “I never thought that way. Zhu Yi, what does it matter to me whether you’re doing well or not? We just happened to know each other. It’s out of courtesy that I greeted you on the street. If you don’t like it, then let’s pretend we don’t know each other in the future.”
Saying that, he pulled Sang Cai and was about to leave when Zhu Yi, unwilling to let it go, grabbed Wei Xiaofeng’s collar from behind, “You stop right there! You explain yourself clearly, what do you mean by that?”
“Let go!” Sang Cai pushed him away, his eyes dark and menacing, “Don’t come looking for trouble!”
Wei Xiaofeng remembered the past and couldn’t understand why Zhu Yi looked down on him so much. Why did he always order him around?
He turned around to face Zhu Yi’s aggressive approach, protecting Sang Cai behind him, and said with righteous indignation for the first time, “I also want to ask what you mean! From childhood to adulthood, where have I wronged you? I’ve always treated you as a friend…”
“What friend? You’re worthy of being my friend? You think too highly of yourself!”
“Where do you think you’re nobler than me?” Wei Xiaofeng was so angry that he laughed, “Tell me, I’m also curious. It’s always ‘not worthy’ this, ‘not worthy’ that. You think you’re a treasure just because you’re rotten wood brushed with gold, is that it?”
Zhu Yi staggered back, his eyes red with anger, unable to speak. He had never known that Wei Xiaofeng could also curse people!
“I don’t pay attention to you, I don’t bother with you, because I have a good temper, I have a broad mind, I think you’re pitiful!”
“I’m pitiful? Ha, ahahaha… I don’t know how many times better I’m doing than you! You, the son of a lowly merchant woman, you say I’m pitiful? Which of the young male cadets in the capital doesn’t laugh at you behind your back? Which young man with a good family would want you? After a profiteer, full of the stench of money, disgusting!”
“Right, right, right! I’m full of the stench of money, I’m disgusting. How come you didn’t think it stank when I gave you so many expensive hairpins and jewelry before? You still accepted them even though you looked down on them? If you still have any face, give them all back to me!!”
“You, you…” Zhu Yi didn’t expect him to be so tough and even ask him to return things. He was clearly a useless person who used to be bullied and didn’t know how to talk back.
“I, I, what about me? Return the things!” He had been driven crazy by poverty lately. Since Zhu Yi looked down on him so much, he would take back whatever he could.
Zhu Yi’s tears welled up, looking very aggrieved.
Wei Xiaofeng’s heart tightened, “You, why are you crying? Don’t cry… I won’t make you return them, I was just saying it in anger, Zhu Yi?”
“Return them, I’ll definitely return them all in full later!” After saying that, Zhu Yi ran away crying with the servant boy.
Sang Cai’s face was full of disgust, “Why does young master give such people a good face?”
Wei Xiaofeng said helplessly, “He’s just too proud, he’s not a bad person really. If he was really a bad person, I wouldn’t have played with him.”
This sentence pierced Sang Cai’s heart. If one day he knew that he wasn’t actually a good person, would he also ignore him?
The two bought candied fruit, and it was getting dark. They sneaked in through the small back door. All the way, there was no one around. Wei Xiaofeng was still rejoicing that he was lucky today, and happily pushed the door open, only to be greeted by his old father’s frosty face, his legs trembling.
Wan Lingxiu, standing on the side, looked away with heartache and guilt.
“Father…”
“Kneel down for me!!”
Wei Xiaofeng knelt down with a hearty ‘thump’, drooping his head, mainly adopting an attitude of being able to bend and stretch, and daring to do it again next time.
Sang Cai silently followed and knelt behind him, his expression completely different from Wei Xiaofeng’s obedient look, his eyes full of ferocity and gloom.
“What did I tell you yesterday? There are many things happening in the capital recently, I told you to stay at home and not run around! You’re so good! As soon as I left, you slipped out the door for me! Are you treating my words like farts?!”
Wei Xiaofeng swallowed, “Father, you didn’t fart, don’t say that about yourself.”
“I’ll beat you to death…” Wei Xinhe raised his hand, but then thought about it and held back, “You unfilial son! Useless thing!!”
“Father, don’t be angry, it’s not good to damage your health. Anyway, I’m like this every day or two. I’ve always been like this. You should be used to it by now.”
“Shut up!” Wei Xinhe clutched his chest, his face flushed red, he could be angered to death by this scourge!
Wei Xiaofeng hurriedly covered his mouth with his hands, not daring to say another word.
Wei Xinhe gasped roughly for a while, then took out a notice from his sleeve and threw it in front of Wei Xiaofeng, “This is an enrollment notice from the palace, starting tomorrow, you’re going to the male cadet school in the palace to study!”
“Study? Me??” Wei Xiaofeng wore a bitter face as he picked up the enrollment notice as if it weighed a thousand pounds. He was not someone who could study!