Chapter 690: January 27th: The woman who plucked flowers in the moonlight

January 27th: The woman who plucked flowers in the moonlight

January 27th: The woman who plucked flowers in the moonlight

Speaking of Yucun, who went to the capital to take the exams, his fortune was smooth, all the way spring Wind; he was very pleased, the imperial list gave him a high rank, and he became County Magistrate. On the day he took office on horseback, sitting in the sedan, Yucun, in the middle of the street, saw the woman who had once looked dumbfounded at him when he was down on his luck.

Yucun thought: Back then I had no money, no influence, no status; I was a scholar looked down upon by others, not to mention marrying a woman, I couldn't even afford a meal, how could I dare have such thoughts? Now isn't it different: I have office, I have fame, I have profit, I have influence. As a County Magistrate for a year, I earn a hundred thousand flower silver. Having office means having everything; even keeping three or five concubines is no problem.

Yucun, upon thinking this, felt extremely pleased. He ordered his men: 'Go inquire about the woman who was buying money just now in the middle of the street, the one who looked at me. You must spare no expense to bring her here.'

Yucun's subordinates, who were worried about having nowhere to curry favor with the newly appointed County Magistrate, upon hearing his words, quickly found out the whereabouts of the woman who had glanced back at Yucun in the middle of the street: she was a maid in the household of a local small landlord's daughter. Her master's parents had bought a house in the city. Her master, having suffered a fire, brought her here to live under others' roofs. Her master's husband bears the surname Zhen, called Zhen Yinshi. Having seen through the mortal world, he left home to become a monk, wandering the four seas. This maid lives with her master in the master's parents' house, suffering the cangue punishment all day.

Yucun, hearing this, was overjoyed: 'It's a family with no money, no influence, no background—this matter can be easily settled.' 'Then let's bring that woman who looked at me over to be a concubine.'

Yucun casually gave the order.

Once a person gains office, influence, pride, and wealth, his tone of speech changes.

Thinking back, when Yucun was down on his luck, while browsing books in the back garden of the Zhen household to relieve boredom, he suddenly saw outside the window, in the moonlight, a beautiful maiden, indeed arranging flower stems in the moonlight. That flower-plucking maiden had a dignified appearance, clear eyebrows and lovely eyes, her looks were captivating. As Yucun was lost in thought, coincidentally, the woman plucking flowers in the moonlight, intentionally or not, glanced at Yucun once more. Seeing her glance, Yucun assumed she had feelings for him; he was overjoyed, thinking a celestial maiden had fallen from heaven, and he deemed this woman a kindred spirit amidst the dust and wind.

But back then, although Yucun had taken a liking to the lovely lady, he was a poor scholar and dared not utter the words 'bring her over to be a concubine'; even to be a wife, Yucun lacked the ability.

Why?

Because at that time Yucun was merely a small, talking creature on the ground that people overlooked; who would care about his thoughts?

Now Yucun Africa is not the same as before: having become County Magistrate, who dares to say no to whatever he does?

The father of the woman who once plucked flowers in the moonlight and occasionally glanced at Yucun, Feng Su, upon hearing that the newly appointed County Magistrate had taken a liking to his daughter's maid and wanted to take her as a concubine, was delighted, his brows unfurling and eyes smiling, eager to curry favor.

Where could one find such a good thing? This is literally a meat-filled pie falling from the sky. So that night, using a small sedan, they sent the maid who constantly suffered the cangue punishment into the yamen.

Oh people, oh people, how worldly you have become! Life truly is a riddle, an unsolvable riddle: today the east river, tomorrow the west river....