Chapter Eighty-Eight: Refusal

Xuo Ruojin was startled.

She had not expected Liang Xiao to come asking for wine in person.

But hadn’t her wine been taken back by Madam Fang? Had she not given it to him?

After a moment’s thought, Xuo Ruojin still shook her head. “I cannot agree.”

“Why?” Liang Xiao asked at once, his brow faintly furrowed.

Xuo Rujin answered with great seriousness.

“First, brewing wine today was rather rash of me. I was too carried away. In truth, everyone’s body is different, and the medicinal ingredients that must be added to the wine are not the same. Fortunately, everyone drank only a little today, so nothing else went wrong. That is the guilt I feel for having taken the risk.”

“Second, this sort of wine was only something I have just figured out myself. Its advantages and drawbacks are not yet clear, so I do not dare decide on my own to give it to anyone.”

“Third—” Xuo Rujin paused. “I cannot afford it. My house is in such ruin, and I have no money.”

When she said the last reason, Liang Xiao could not help the slight curve of his lips.

He had not expected that a careless remark of his would remain in her memory until now.

Were women all so full of little schemes?

Xuo Rujin coughed twice and frowned. “Is it so funny? I am not a merchant. Where would I find the silver to buy so many medicinal ingredients? If I have no money, then I have no money. What is there to laugh at?”

“I am sorry. If what I said that night hurt you, I apologize.”

Liang Xiao cupped his hands in apology. Xuo Rujin turned sideways to avoid it. “Young Master Liang once saved me, and I ought to thank you. But I have also made my reasons very clear. I hope Young Master Liang will not take offense.”

“Saved you?”

Liang Xiao half-raised a brow, looking surprised.

Xuo Rujin was astonished. “You pulled me out of the lake…”

“You misunderstand. Though I did pull you from the lake, it was not out of some desire to do a good deed, but because I made a bet with Zhang Zhongheng.”

Liang Xiao’s voice remained calm, low and slightly hoarse. “It was because we were all acting on impulse that he shoved you into the lake on a whim, and only then did what followed happen.”

He stepped aside and looked past Xuo Rujin’s shoulder. “Perhaps I should not have told you the truth.”

Xuo Rujin’s eyes widened. Following his gaze, she saw Zhang Zhongheng’s face, dark with fury.

Liang Xiao turned and left, heading with Jiang Biwu toward the main banquet.

Xuo Rujin also intended to leave with her maids. She had not the slightest wish to have any entanglement with Zhang Zhongheng, and not one extra word to say.

“Stop right there!”

Zhang Zhongheng seized her arm. Xuo Rujin quickly shook him off and stepped back. “Please behave yourself.”

“Behave myself?”

Zhang Zhongheng’s face was full of a cold, mocking sneer. “Xuo Rujin, you are a woman already betrothed. To act so shamelessly in public—do you even know what shame is?”

“What an absurd thing to say!”

Xuo Rujin glared at him. “I am a woman already betrothed. Why was I specifically summoned to attend the banquet at the county magistrate’s residence? I am a woman already betrothed, simply sitting in the pavilion drinking tea with the other ladies—who was the one rushing over to stir up trouble? Who was the one who asked for wine? Who, exactly?”

Thinking of the wine that had been tampered with the night before, the chill on her face deepened. “And who was it that colluded with a maid by my side to tamper with my wine? If you do not wish to admit it, fine. But when people act, Heaven is watching. You had best beware of retribution!”

Zhang Zhongheng had not expected that a single sentence from him would draw such fierce rebuttal from Xuo Rujin. “You woman, you truly do not know what is good for you!”

“That is where you are wrong. Even if I do not know what is good for me, I know I should not speak with a man who means to kill me. Farewell!”

With that, Xuo Rujin strode off in another direction.

Spring Grass and Hongxing followed closely behind. Zhang Zhongheng watched her back disappear before him and slammed a fist hard onto the table.

“Xuo Rujin, one day you’ll have to yield to me. Just you wait!”

Xuo Rujin fled as though escaping, racing toward the county magistrate’s wife’s residence.

Unfortunately, with no one beside her now, she did not know this place at all and had no idea which way to go.

Just as Hongxing was about to ask a serving woman for directions, Jiang Mingshuang appeared nearby. “Ruojin.”

“Miss Jiang?” Xuo Rujin hurried over. “It’s fortunate you are here. I have never been here before and truly do not know my way.”

“I knew you would get lost, so I waited here for you.”

Xuo Rujin froze, not expecting Jiang Mingshuang to treat her this way.

“What? Don’t you want to walk with me?”

Jiang Mingshuang teased her with a smile. Xuo Rujin immediately went to take her arm. “Aren’t you afraid Yuan Huiling will trouble you?”

“I am helping her host as the mistress of the place. She ought to be thanking me.”

Jiang Mingshuang’s playful manner made Xuo Rujin laugh aloud. She said no more, and the two of them seemed like old friends, especially close.

When they reached the county magistrate’s residence, the ladies had already gone to the banquet hall.

Xuo Rujin and Jiang Mingshuang ran along quickly, with the maids leading them to the main courtyard.

Madam Yang was grinding her teeth in anger at her seat. Where had that wretched girl run off to?

Just now, when she had met Yuan Huiling and Zhao Cuiling and the others and asked after Xuo Rujin, they had mocked her, saying she had been surrounded by the young masters. The ladies’ expressions had all changed at once, and none of them had said another word.

Madam Yang wished she could burrow into the earth.

No matter how unruly her daughter might be, it was still her fault as the mother for failing to teach her properly.

Those veiled looks of mockery and contempt made Madam Yang’s scalp prickle, and she only wanted to scold Xuo Rujin severely.

The moment Xuo Rujin appeared, Madam Yang spotted her.

Walking over with Jiang Mingshuang, Xuo Rujin hurried forward and apologized at once. “I was playing too long and made Mother worry.”

“You wretched— You girl, you truly have everyone worried. Why were you not with Miss Yuan and the others?”

Madam Yang could not publicly explode in front of outsiders. There were other ladies at the table, and otherwise she would have wanted to land a few slaps.

“Madam Xuo, please do not blame Ruojin. I was unwell a moment ago, so she stayed with me in a small pavilion to rest. Miss Yuan wanted to wash her face, so we parted there. It is all my fault…”

Jiang Mingshuang stepped in to smooth things over, and the ladies all looked over as well.

“You two were together the whole time?”

Madam Yang was half suspicious, because the two of them gave a different account from Yuan Huiling and Mo Rong.

Jiang Mingshuang immediately nodded. “Yes, we never parted. My sister Zhao and Sister Mo Rong said they were going to the water closet, and then they disappeared. We kept waiting in the small pavilion, and we still do not know whether they have returned.”

Hearing Jiang Mingshuang, Madam Yang straightened with renewed confidence.

Turning to the other ladies, she raised her voice a little. “They came back long ago. You two are far too earnest, to actually wait all that time. If not for the maids guiding you here, you might have missed this whole joyous banquet.”

“All right, you little ladies, go find seats at the young ladies’ table. It would not be comfortable for you to stay with us old women, and the maids are all here, so we do not need you waiting on us. Off you go.”

Because her own daughter was present, Madam Jiang had no choice but to say a few words.

Madam Yang shot cold looks at Madam Zhao and Madam Mo. Those two merely pretended not to hear and played dumb on purpose.

“Thank you, Madam Jiang. Thank you, Mother. Then we shall go eat first.”

Xuo Rujin let out a long breath of relief and pulled Jiang Mingshuang along toward Yuan Huiling’s table.

Once the two young ladies had left, they exchanged a glance and both stuck out their tongues with a smile.

Yuan Huiling had long been waiting for them here.

Today’s wrongs, she would repay no matter what.