Chapter 24: Ten Thousand Taels

South City Street.

Sun Yan'er, Huang Zhaodi, and a few other young women were chatting while strolling down the street.

Sun Yan'er was not in a good mood.

That was why Huang Zhaodi and the others had specifically asked her out to have fun tonight.

"Yan'er, you aren't still worrying about that person, are you?"

"Anyway, you've already rejected him, and Zhaodi has gone to warn him too; he shouldn't come pestering you again."

A young woman named Zhang Liyan, seeing that she seemed somewhat absent-minded, advised her.

Huang Zhaodi, who was to the side, immediately said, "Yan'er, if that guy dares to pester you again, just tell me, and I'll go settle the score with him! Hmph, how can someone be so shameless? It's clear that she doesn't like him, yet he still insists on pestering her! Is having a marriage contract such a big deal? Is passing the exam to become a budding talent such a big deal? We don't even recognize it without a marriage certificate, let's see what he can do!"

Sun Yan'er gave a faint smile and said, "It's not because of him; I haven't taken him to heart at all."

"Then why do you look unhappy?"

Zhang Liyan asked.

Sun Yan'er was silent for a moment, and before she could answer, Huang Zhaodi suddenly pointed at the stone bridge ahead and said, "Hey, isn't that Liu Songjin? What is he doing standing there?"

Hearing this, the group looked up.

On the stone bridge ahead, a young man stood with disheveled hair and tattered clothes, looking bruised and swollen, seemingly staring blankly at the river water below.

It looked like... he was going to jump off the bridge.

"Let's go, hurry over and take a look! It seems like he was beaten by someone!"

The expressions of the group changed, and they hurried over.

When they got close, they heard him staring blankly at the river water below, muttering to himself, "I'll screw your mothers... I'll screw your mothers..."

Sun Yan'er and the others: "..."

"Liu Songjin! What are you doing?"

Huang Zhaodi walked straight over and slapped his shoulder hard.

Liu Songjin trembled in fright, turned around with a panicked face, and instinctively covered his head with both hands, trembling as he said, "Don't, don't hit me, I was wrong..."

Huang Zhaodi was stunned and quickly reached out to wave her hand in front of his eyes: "Liu Songjin, it's us! No one is hitting you, what's wrong with you? Do you need to see a doctor?"

Liu Songjin opened his eyes, stared blankly at her for a while, then looked at Sun Yan'er and the others behind her, stunned for a long time before gradually coming to his senses.

"I... I'm fine, I'm fine..."

He was filled with shame and prepared to leave.

Huang Zhaodi quickly stopped him and said, "What on earth happened to you? Who hit you? Tell me, and I'll find someone to help you get back at them!"

Liu Songjin shook his head quickly: "No need, no need..."

There were so many people in the Brothel, so many fists, he couldn't tell who was who at all. Besides, talking about this was shameful and would only invite ridicule.

He absolutely dared not say it.

At this moment, Sun Yan'er walked over and said, "Young Master Liu, you can tell us what happened, and we can all think of a way to solve it together."

She naturally knew that this Liu Songjin liked her, which was why she came over to persuade him.

Liu Songjin glanced at her, feeling both guilty and another kind of emotion.

Huang Zhaodi suddenly put on a stern face and said, "Even if you don't tell me, I can go find out tomorrow! Were you with Yang Qian and those people tonight?"

Liu Songjin's expression changed instantly.

After struggling in his heart for a long time, he finally raised his head, looked at Sun Yan'er in front of him, and said, "Miss Yan'er, that person called... called Luo Zijun, is he really just... just an apprentice at a Pharmacy, with nothing to his name at home?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the group was stunned, their faces full of confusion.

How did it suddenly get back to that guy?

Sun Yan'er was puzzled in her heart, paused, and then said, "Yes, my family has known his ancestors, his parents are both deceased, and he now lives with his sister and brother-in-law. His brother-in-law is just an ordinary Constable at the yamen, and he was sent by his sister to the Pharmacy to be an apprentice. Young Master Liu, why did you suddenly bring him up again? Could it be that he hit you again tonight?"

Liu Songjin looked at her in a daze: "I think... Miss Yan'er, you might have made a mistake..."

"What mistake?"

Sun Yan'er was even more confused.

Liu Songjin was silent for a moment, lowered his head, and said, "Today, I went to the Tianxian Pavilion to drink with Yang Qian and the others. Yang Qian took out one thousand taels of silver, wanting to meet that Miss Chujian, but was rejected. There were many people there, all of whom were rejected, and then... then that Miss Chujian actually took the initiative to invite Luo Zijun... to go upstairs to meet..." Sun Yan'er was stunned for a moment: "Miss Chujian? Is that the young lady from last night's Literary Gathering who recited 'Life is like first sight'?"

Liu Songjin lowered his head and said, "Yes, it's her."

Zhang Liyan, who was to the side, said, "If it's that young lady, one thousand taels of silver really isn't enough. That poem from last night has now spread throughout the entire Academy, and everyone wants to go to the Tianxian Pavilion to catch a glimpse of Miss Chujian's beauty. Even Teacher Yuan and Teacher He are preparing to dress as men and go for a visit."

Sun Yan'er seemed to have just realized: "Young Master Liu, are you saying that Miss Chujian didn't see anyone, and then took the initiative to invite Luo Zijun upstairs to meet?"

Liu Songjin looked at her: "Yes."

Sun Yan'er frowned, a trace of confusion appearing on her face.

"Why?"

Zhang Liyan asked curiously.

Huang Zhaodi was also very puzzled: "That guy is indeed quite good-looking, but that Miss Chujian is now the most popular headliner at the Tianxian Pavilion; how could she take the initiative to invite someone upstairs to meet on the first day? Didn't the madam of the Brothel stop it?"

Liu Songjin said bitterly, "It was the madam herself who held his hand and brought him up."

!

The group: "..."

Liu Songjin raised his head, looked at Sun Yan'er, and added, "I heard from the maid in the pavilion that Luo Zijun had already come to make a reservation last night, and he even gave the Tianxian Pavilion ten thousand taels of silver."

"What! Ten... ten thousand taels of silver?"

Huang Zhaodi's mouth fell open in shock.

Zhang Liyan and the others were also startled, their faces full of disbelief.

"Ten thousand taels? How is that possible!"

"Ten thousand taels, just to meet someone once?"

"Impossible! Where would that guy get so much money?"

Sun Yan'er was also shocked, stunned for a few seconds, and asked, "Is it true?"

Liu Songjin gave a bitter smile and said, "There were many people in the hall at the time; Yang Qian, Wang Bao, and Su Bie were all there. If you don't believe me, you can go ask them. That maidservant truly said, ten thousand taels."

Sun Yan'er's mind suddenly buzzed, and her face was filled with a dazed expression.

"So, Miss Yan'er, are you sure, you... you really understand his family's situation?"

Liu Songjin looked at her with some suspicion.

Last night on the Flower Boat, it was this young girl who had sworn that the man was just a Pharmacy apprentice and not a scholar at all, but as it turned out...

"I... I don't know..."

Sun Yan'er was dumbfounded and began to doubt herself as well.

"If he could just casually take out ten thousand taels of silver upon meeting someone, that person is no simple character. Could he be a Young Master from some hidden noble family?"

Zhang Liyan said with flickering eyes.

Huang Zhaodi snorted and said, "Who cares who he is! Who cares how much money he has! Anyway, our Yan'er has already rejected him. If he dares to pester her again, hmph! We won't be polite to him!"

Sun Yan'er looked dazed, as if she hadn't heard her words.

"I'm leaving."

Knowing that he was currently bruised and swollen and in an extremely sorry state, Liu Songjin didn't dare to stay long; after saying this, he lowered his head and left.

The scene fell into silence.

Huang Zhaodi continued to be boisterous, saying, "No matter how rich that person is, what does it have to do with us? We don't eat his food or drink his drink! Let's go, let's continue shopping."

"Yan'er, what's wrong with you?"

Zhang Liyan asked.

Sun Yan'er came back to her senses, shook her head, and said, "It's nothing."

She suddenly stole a subconscious glance at the feet under the skirts of the few girls again, hesitated for a moment, and finally couldn't help but ask, "Liyan, Zhaodi, what size shoes do you all wear?"

Zhang Liyan and the others: "???"

(End of this chapter)