Allure of a Country Maiden
Chapter 901 - 899_1

Chapter 901: Chapter 899_1

Fang Wanping disembarked from the ship, scornfully casting a glance towards Xiao’er standing by the side. Then, she was taken aback: How could somebody in this world be so beautiful? Just standing there, a faint smile adorning her face, naturally emanating an elegant demeanor and an air of nobility that she tried, yet failed, to conceal.

What was going on?

The look in Fang Wanping’s eyes shifted from contempt to astonishment and finally to intense envy.

Could such a demeanor really belong to a woman of merchant origin?

But this thought merely flashed through her mind. If she wasn’t a merchant’s daughter, how could she be friends with the merchant girl on the ship?

She couldn’t help but take another look at Xiao’er, and her envy deepened: God was indeed unfair, granting such beauty and temperament to the daughter of a lowly merchant, effectively overshadowing her, the daughter of an official!

Ha! But what did it matter? However beautiful she might be, when a merchant’s daughter marries into a wealthy family, she can only become a concubine. Becoming a matron was beyond her station!

She was different. Her father happened to be a sub-prefect, a high-ranking official of the fifth grade, second only to the Magistrate across the entire prefecture.

Her father had mentioned that the Magistrate was young and promising, and had a robust lineage. Moreover, he was also the brother-in-law of Prince Rui, and it was definite that he would be promoted to an official in the capital after four years.

Being a sub-prefect made her father the deputy of the Magistrate; thus, there was a high probability of him occupying the Magistrate’s position when the latter gets promoted, turning her into the daughter of the Magistrate.

At this thought, she lifted her chin slightly, ostentatiously strutting past Xiao’er with elegance.

Yang Mei returned at that moment, carrying a basket of stinky tofu and eagerly said, "Mistress, I bought the stinky tofu! The last four portions, I bought them all!"

Lately, Yang Mei and Yang Liu were heavily influenced by Xiao’er’s penchant for stinky tofu and had grown fond of its distinctive smell.

Stinky tofu? A crack appeared in Fang Wanping’s haughty demeanor.

Yang Mei swiftly breezed past her, bringing with her the distinctive scent of stinky tofu.

The smell invaded Fang Wanping’s nostrils, and she instantly covered her nose with her fan, and glared at Xiao’er and her company: They were indeed vulgar merchant girls! They even ate things that were so improper for public view.

Seeing this, Yang Liu couldn’t help but mutter under her breath, "Lunatic!"

"Pfft!" Zhu Yan, who had just arrived by Xiao’er, couldn’t help but laugh, "She’s indeed a lunatic, always glaring at people with those eyes on her forehead! If she doesn’t treat this, she’ll become a freak!"

Xiao’er nodded earnestly and said, "This disease is an eye ailment, known as ’disregard for others’. She is incurable, as it is written in the Book of Life, there is nothing we can do!"

"Hahaha..." Yang Liu and Yang Mei burst out laughing.

"Hehe..." Zhu Yan couldn’t help but laugh, giving Xiao’er an approving thumbs-up.

Master Zhu’s round belly also quivered with laughter.

Fang Wanping heard the laughter from behind and visibly bristled.

She had faintly heard the words ’disregard for others’ just now. Her intuition told her that they were mocking her. Thus, she halted and said to her maid, "Go and ask them what they are laughing at! What’s so funny! In such a public place, for girls to laugh so brazenly. Aren’t they afraid of becoming a laughingstock themselves, besmirching the rules of decorum!"

Fang Wanping’s voice was quite loud, and Xiao’er and her company heard her.

The four ladies glanced at each other. Yang Liu muttered under her breath: She’s truly a lunatic.

Then they started laughing again.

Fang Wanping’s maid started reprimanding them, "Hey, what are you laughing at!"

Xiao’er and Zhu Yan shared a look, gave a slight smile and paid her no mind.

Why should they care about her? Not even the Emperor could dictate what people could laugh at.

Ignoring the maid’s question, Xiao’er turned and said to Master Zhu and Zhu Yan, "Master Zhu, Sister Yan, let’s go; it’s almost mealtime. We should go eat. My elder brother had some business this morning, so he couldn’t come to receive you. Please forgive us."

Master Zhu promptly shook his head. Even Princess Rui had personally come to welcome them; how could they fault her?

Fang Wanping’s maid, seeing them ignore her, raised her voice. She pointed at them and yelled, "Hey! I’m talking to you! What were you laughing at just now?!"

Xiao’er retracted her smiling countenance, cast the maid a disinterested glance and stayed silent.

Yang Mei stepped in front of Xiao’er, her face stern, and said coldly, "Put down your hand!"

Yang Mei was swift; in the blink of an eye, she shielded Xiao’er from the maid.

The only vision that Fang Wanping’s maid could register was a shadow, and suddenly someone stood right before her.

With such speed, this maid was undoubtedly skilled in martial arts, her agility even surpassing that of the highest skilled servant in their residence.

Discretion being the better part of valor, Fang Wanping’s maid quickly lowered her hand and, forcing composure, said, "My mistress asked what you were laughing at? My mistress’s father is a sub-prefect."

It was rare to find a maid skilled in martial arts among large households.

Not even a rich household like the Fang family could afford a martial arts-trained maid or matron.

Thinking about this, the maid felt a bit unsure and had no choice but to declare her master’s social status to muster up some courage.

"We were laughing at the cats, dogs, and pigs. Can’t we laugh at these things? Does your mistress control that too? Why does she care? Because your master is a sub-prefect? But I’ve never heard that a sub-prefect’s daughter can control what other people laugh at! Isn’t she overstepping a bit?"

Master Fang’s face darkened upon hearing this. Was this woman mocking his daughter as a cat or a dog?

The maid had already announced his official position, yet these people blatantly showed no respect? They had to be of noble lineage!

Fang Wanping’s maid, stumped by Yang Mei’s probative response, could only answer after a few seconds, "It was obvious that you were mocking my mistress just now!"

"What is there to mock about your mistress? What proof do you have that we were laughing at your mistress?"

"You were laughing that my mistress is arrogant and looking down on others! You said she’s sick!"

"So, is your mistress arrogant, and does she look down on others? Is she sick?"

"Of course not!"

"Did we personally name your mistress when laughing at her?"

"No!"

"Well, there you have it. We were mocking the arrogant ones who look down on others. Since your mistress isn’t one, we weren’t mocking her. Your urgency to accuse us suggests that you regard these general characters as your mistress. Are you implying that she’s arrogant and looks down on others?"

Yang Mei’s words were loud enough to reach Fang Wanping and Master Fang, and others around the pier as well. These people began pointing their fingers towards Fang Wanping.

Master Fang’s expression fluctuated. This maid’s argument was really something! She could even bring someone back from the dead with her words!