Chapter 119: Chuzhou · Wei Wei Yuyi Misunderstood the Meaning 2 [Many thanks for everyone's support

That servant woman said, "Young Master, my Wu Da Da Niangzi invites Da Da Niangzi to play pitch-pot at the entrance of this restaurant; there will be hot water to drink, hot rice to eat, and the ladies upstairs who enjoy watching may do so."

"Excellent, excellent! Go! Reserve a spot upstairs for the young ladies."

"Yes, Young Master."

"Go to the boat and inform the young ladies to come to the restaurant to watch me and Wei Wei Yuyi play pitch-pot!"

"Yes, Young Master."

Gu Gu Tingyi and the Miss from the Yan family rode in a carriage, traveling just a few steps to arrive on the second floor of the restaurant.

A Yamen Runner set up the pitch-pot equipment in a suitable location.

The Shopkeeper inside the restaurant hurriedly served everyone the finest platters of dried fruits and preserved sweets.

Servants were vigorously sweeping the snow from the open ground at the restaurant's entrance.

Gradually, the bored female relatives on the boat received the news one after another and, escorted by servant women, made their way to the restaurant.

The restaurant had ceased normal business to devote itself entirely to attending to the noble guests inside.

Xu Xu Zaijing came down from the second floor, yielding the entire ground level to the newly arrived ladies, while he sat at the first-floor entrance with Brother Qingyun and Seeing Seeing Qingcao, cracking melon seeds and watching the competition.

When some astute commoners saw the scene and tried to join the fun, just as the Yamen Runners and soldiers were about to drive them away, Gu Gu Tingyi hurriedly said, "Do not drive them off; let the common people watch how I defeat Wei Wei Yuyi!"

The common people then exclaimed one after another:

"The Young Master has great spirit!"

"Good!"

"Thank you, Young Master."

That Young Master in blue also said, "You just keep watch; do not block their view of this Young Master playing pitch-pot."

Seeing these two noble young masters, the Yamen Runners hurriedly nodded.

Soon, the Yamen Runners stood spaced apart outside the restaurant but no longer drove away the common people.

Yuan Wen purely scoffed with a single word: "Bad luck."

Quickly, several people who enjoyed pitch-pot waited to one side of the crowd, and Gu Gu Tingyi said very enthusiastically, "Wei Wei Yuyi, I wonder with whom we should begin?"

Wei Wei Yuyi performed a crouching salute and said, "Let us begin with this noble person."

Yuan Wen pointed at himself, smiling as he said, "Very well, then I shall compete another round with Wei Wei Yuyi."

Amidst the cheers and sighs of the crowd,

Yuan Wen soon shook his head and admitted defeat.

The Young Master in blue tied with Wei Wei Yuyi but, showing great grace, said, "Since we used my family's pitch-pot set, which I am accustomed to, count it as my loss."

The surrounding common people praised him repeatedly: "The Young Master shows great grace!"

The Young Master in blue cupped his hands toward the crowd, clearly very pleased with himself, while Wei Wei Yuyi also crouched to express her thanks.

At this moment, Gu Gu Tingyi took the field.

The common people who had arrived early said one after another, "It was this Young Master who allowed us to come and watch the fun; everyone, cheer louder!"

"Yes, yes, it is this Young Master."

"Young Master, wonderful!"

"Young Master, may you win victory from the very start!"

Gu Gu Tingyi had not even begun yet, but he was already cupping his hands, clearly pleased, making the surrounding common people even more lively.

Upstairs, Gu Gu Tingyi said, "Pei Erge just loves to show off."

The Miss from the Yan family looked at Gu Gu Tingyi and asked, "Is your Pei Erge very skilled at pitch-pot?"

"Mm, even if he gave me a five-arrow handicap, I have never beaten him."

At this moment, the snow stopped and the sky cleared, allowing one to see the white breath exhaled by the surrounding common people.

Gu Gu Tingyi used the pitch-pot set his family had moved from the boat; after Wei Wei Yuyi tested the weight of the arrows, Gu Gu Tingyi took the field, directly grabbed two arrows, and turned his back to the pitch-pot vessel.

"The Young Master intends to throw from behind his back!"

"Wonderful!"

"Amazing!"

Wei Wei Yuyi was also full of surprise, her eyes showing a hint of eagerness to try.

When Gu Gu Tingyi threw from behind his back and hit both ears, eliciting a wave of cheers, Wei Wei Yuyi responded in kind by also hitting both ears with a backward throw.

This slightly surprised Gu Gu Tingyi, who had unleashed his ultimate move right from the start.

Just now, when Gu Gu Tingyi hit both ears, the watching commoners had erupted in applause.

After Wei Wei Yuyi succeeded, the cheers rose to an even higher level.

Subsequently, the two each displayed their unique skills, with Wei Wei Yuyi even achieving two 'leaning-on-the-staff' shots.

Some of those watching the pitch-pot game had shouted until their throats were hoarse; it was truly magnificent.

Even the young ladies upstairs were extremely excited, clapping enthusiastically for Wei Wei Yuyi.

They had just been thinking of taking the field themselves, but after watching the duel between these two masters, they all abandoned the idea.

The Young Master in blue, who had voluntarily admitted defeat earlier, now shook his head in self-mockery; it had not been a tie just now, but clearly a master letting him win.

He laughed self-deprecatingly and cupped his hands to salute Wei Wei Yuyi.

As for Yuan Wen, forced by such an embarrassing situation and by Xu Xu Zaijing's gaze, which felt as tangible as a physical object, he had left the place early.

Xu Xu Zaijing did not participate; Gu Gu Tingyi's pitch-pot skills were even superior to his own.

Once the excitement of the pitch-pot game concluded, the Yamen Runners drove the common people to disperse, and the young ladies waited for the crowd to scatter before heading downstairs to return to the boat.

After cupping his hands to salute Wei Wei Yuyi, Gu Gu Tingyi also returned to the boat.

Xu Xu Zaijing, however, took Brother Qingyun over to where Wei Wei Yuyi was resting, cupped his hands, and said, "Greetings to Wei Wei Yuyi; I wonder if you know Assistant Prefect Sheng of Yang Zhou."

Hearing Xu Xu Zaijing's words, Wei Wei Yuyi looked at him with surprise; many people knew that her older sister served as a concubine in the Sheng household, a connection that had protected both her and her husband, allowing them to establish themselves in Chuzhou without being bullied.

Wei Wei Yuyi asked, her eyes full of wariness and worry: "Of course I know her; my older sister became a concubine in the Sheng family."

After speaking, she glanced at Xu Xu Zaijing again.

Xu Xu Zaijing smiled slightly and said: "Miss Wei, do not worry or overthink it; my family is the Xu family of Marquis Marquis Yongyi's Hou Fu in Bianjing."

Wei Wei Yuyi still looked at Xu Xu Zaijing with doubt, and upon hearing his identity, she spoke even more cautiously: "So it is a noble Young Master of the Hou Fu standing before me; I have been rude, but may I ask what business brings you, Young Master?"

Xu Xu Zaijing said: "Just now, I heard someone who knows you, Da Da Niangzi, say that you have an older sister at home who serves as a concubine in the household of the Assistant Prefect of Yang Zhou, which is why I boldly asked. The legitimate mother of the master of the Sheng family, Old Lady Sheng, comes from a natal family that is my own."

Realization dawned in Wei Wei Yuyi's eyes, and she hurriedly squatted to offer a bow, saying: "Young Master, forgive my rudeness; so it is, so it is..."

She had intended to say that such a kinship relation existed, but with her own older sister being a concubine, she truly lacked the standing to claim relatives.

The Wei family's connections in Yang Zhou were only enough to shelter them here in Chuzhou; in the eyes of the noble families in the capital, a concubine claiming kinship with others was considered an insult.

After speaking, Wei Wei Yuyi looked at Xu Xu Zaijing with complete confusion, then her heart jolted as she seemed to understand the reason Xu Xu Zaijing had pointed out this relationship, so she said somewhat panic-stricken: "I truly did not know that the two families had such a connection; in the future, I will certainly be extremely cautious and will no longer put on this little trick of pitch-pot, lest I tarnish the reputation of the Sheng household. I beg you, Young Master, do not tell the Sheng family, lest you cause my older sister humiliation. I thank you, Young Master."

As she spoke, Wei Wei Yuyi was about to kneel and bow.

Xu Xu Zaijing was somewhat bewildered; seeing Wei Wei Yuyi about to kneel on the ground, he hurriedly reached out a hand to support her in the air, saying: "This will not do, this will not do."

Seeing Seeing Qingcao was very perceptive; the little maid instantly ran to Wei Wei Yuyi's side and held her up with force.

Feeling the little maid beneath her, Wei Wei Yuyi tried to push her away and continue kneeling.

Xu Xu Zaijing hurriedly said: "Miss Wei, if you kneel down, I will definitely tell the Sheng family!" Hearing these words, Wei Wei Yuyi hurriedly stopped and looked at Xu Xu Zaijing in surprise.

Seeing Seeing Qingcao was still pushing up with force at this moment, so Wei Wei Yuyi hurriedly stood up and said: "Miss, do not use so much strength; I am not..."

Only upon hearing these words did Seeing Seeing Qingcao relax her strength, coming to Xu Xu Zaijing's side somewhat out of breath.

Xu Xu Zaijing clasped his hands and said: "Miss Wei, I did not explain clearly, causing you to misunderstand. Why don't we walk and talk?"

As he spoke, Xu Xu Zaijing made a gesture of invitation.

Wei Wei Yuyi showed a difficult expression, glancing at her own husband outside the wine tower.

Xu Xu Zaijing looked over, saw that sturdy man, understood Wei Wei Yuyi's dilemma, and said: "Then please invite your husband to come along as well; is it acceptable for him to follow behind?"

Wei Wei Shuyi said: "Thank you, Young Master, for your understanding."

After speaking, she waved to her own husband; waiting until he approached, she said: "Husband, this is a Young Master from the Hou Fu in Bianjing."

Hearing these words, surprise flashed in the man's eyes, his heart gave a shudder, and he bowed low with his head and clasped his hands, saying: "I pay my respects to the young master; this humble one offers his greetings."

And there is more.

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(End of Chapter)