Allure of a Country Maiden
Chapter 995 - 993_1

Chapter 995: Chapter 993_1

After the crowd had dispersed, Mrs. Fang discovered a purse that had fallen on the ground. She picked it up and examined it: it was exquisitely made, with the character "wen" embroidered on it.

Opening the purse, she found a peace amulet inside.

Wait, it seemed like she had seen this purse hanging on Young Master Liu’s waist earlier.

Delighted by the discovery, Mrs. Fang said, "Wanping, Young Master Liu has dropped his purse, and it contains a protective talisman. Let’s take it back to him!"

Wanping paused drinking her milk tea: This couldn’t be any better! It seemed like heaven was on her side. Seeing that she was dozing, it had sent her a pillow!

"We should indeed return it, as such an important item cannot be lost! What if he encounters danger without it! Let’s go and return it right now!"

"Okay!"

The two of them hurriedly headed towards the Marquis Shengping mansion.

Marquis Shengping Mansion

Seeing her son finally arrive, Mrs. Tan was furious: "Where have you been? We’ve all been waiting for you two."

Liu Zhiwen knew his mother did not like the Fang mother and daughter. He had nothing to hide, but before he could gloss over the details, Liu Zhiwu spilled the beans: "Don’t even mention it, we ran into that mother-daughter duo who saved big brother last time."

With that out in the open, Liu Zhiwen could only fall silent to avoid fanning the flames.

He knew all too well how much his mother despised that mother-daughter duo. He wasn’t sure what had happened between them at the Princess Mansion, but after Mrs. Tan came back, she completely disregarded Mrs. Fang and Miss Fang as worthless!

"Fang Wanping?" Xiao’er inquired upon hearing this.

"Exactly, it’s her!" Liu Zhiwu nodded. "We saw Miss Fang faint right in front of us as we were leaving the bookstore."

"She must be trying to cling to your elder brother again! Now that her reputation is tarnished and she knows she won’t find a husband, she must be trying to offer herself to him," enflamed, Mrs. Tan exclaimed.

Not knowing who they were talking about, Brother Ri turned to ask Yun’er, who quietly filled him in on the details.

Hearing this, Liu Zhiwen felt like crying but couldn’t. "Mother, where are your thoughts heading! She simply fainted from hunger and wanted our help. Besides, it’s me who owes them a favor. If anyone was to offer themselves, it would indeed be me!"

"Are you eager to offer yourself?" Upon hearing this, Mrs. Tan put her hands on her hips, adopting a scolding posture.

Feeling dispirited, Liu Zhiwen hastily interjected, "No, I was just pointing out that you used the wrong idiom!"

"Humph!"

Faint from hunger! Although the Ruan family had just moved to the Imperial Capital last year, they were said to be a prominent family on the scene, and such distinguished families would certainly care about maintaining appearances. How could they allow a concubine’s child and stepdaughter to faint from hunger? Mrs. Tan absolutely didn’t believe it and turned to her younger son, "What exactly happened?"

Liu Zhiwu then recounted the whole event.

Praising her son, Mrs. Tan said, "Good boy, decisive in handling matters! They should be treated like beggars! Unlike your elder brother, whose mind seems to be waterlogged!

However, son, milk tea and donuts are too expensive! Next time, just go to a bun shop and buy two steamed buns for one coin and a cup of soy milk for one coin. Understand?"

Liu Zhiwu nodded. "I understand, it’s just that there wasn’t a bun shop on that street. I was afraid that if I went too far, elder brother would fall into a terrible situation!"

Liu Zhiwen: "..."

It seemed like he hadn’t really done anything! How did it turn into him having a waterlogged brain? And how would it lead to a terrible situation? Did they really see him as a fool?

"Well done, consider it a small price to pay to avoid a disaster," Xiao’er nodded in agreement. "If this small sum wasn’t spent, I suspect it might have cost a fortune!" The mother-daughter duo even made up an excuse about fainting from hunger—they probably wanted Liu Zhiwen to invite them to the Four Seasons Restaurant for a sumptuous meal and foster a relationship.

"Absolutely! You’ve thought this through! The extra expense was worth it!" Having heard this, Mrs. Tan nodded in agreement.

Liu Zhiwen: "..."

He honestly never thought about inviting them for a meal and just intended to send a person over there to help. But would anyone believe his explanation? It truly made him feel trapped and unable to argue!

"Xiao’er, you see, everyone can perceive what’s blatantly obvious except Zhiwen. How did I end up with such a foolish son! His brain is like a lump of porridge!"

"Mother, I honestly have no idea! All right, now that we can eat, let’s proceed with our meal!" Liu Zhiwen really did not want to be the butt of their conversation any longer!

What on earth was going on? He literally had done nothing. He hadn’t even agreed to treat them to a meal at the Four Seasons Restaurant!

"That’s right, today is all about welcoming Brother Ri back and celebrating. So, we can’t let shameless people ruin our mood! Furthermore, from now on, if you see those two, you better take a detour, or else don’t think I will show you any mercy!" With those words, Mrs. Tan was finally reminded of mealtime, but still, she couldn’t resist chiding her son.

Liu Zhiwen, who was now terrified of his own mother, hastily pledged, "Mother, enough said, from now on, I will absolutely avoid those two like a mouse dreading a cat, okay?"

"Good to see you know your place! But remember: no empty talk, action!" Mrs. Tan glared at him.

"Why would I dare not keep my word! Am I not afraid you chasing me wildly through the streets with a hoe in hand?" Liu Zhiwen spoke irritably.

Where else do you find a scholar who’s been labeled as a prodigy still beaten by his mother with a hoe or broom as she chases him through the streets?

He had once been disgraced in Shengping County and did not care to experience that again.

The family had just settled down in the dining hall to have their meal.

At this moment, a maid came to report, "Madam, there are people outside the mansion looking for Young Master Liu."

"Who is looking for him?" Mrs. Liu asked.

"It couldn’t be Fang Wanping and Mrs. Fang, could it?" blurted Xiao’er.

"The gatekeeper said their names were Mrs. Ruan and Miss Ruan, not the Fang family."

"Then there’s no mistake. It has to be them! Tell the gatekeeper that Young Master Liu doesn’t know any Mrs. Ruan or Miss Ruan, and he will not see them!" Mrs. Tan flatly commanded.

What sort of people are they to have the audacity to come looking for her son at the Marquis Shengping Mansion? Mrs. Tan was so irate she felt like going out to douse them with a tub of spoiled water!

The maid turned to look at Mrs. Liu, who nodded, "Do as Aunt Tan instructed."

The maid curtsied then left.

After the maid left, Mrs. Tan turned to her son and said, "Look, just look. Didn’t I say that she’s trying to cling to you? Wasn’t I right?"

Liu Zhiwen: "Mother, you’re right!"

Since his mother was the one who ran the household, with his father and grandmother both listening to her, whatever she said usually held.

Soon, the maid returned to report again, "That madam said that Young Master Liu dropped his purse, and they came specifically to return it. This is the purse she left."

Liu Zhiwen glanced at the purse in the maid’s hand then grope his waist—there was nothing there. It was indeed his purse encasing his peace amulet!

"Mother, see, we’ve misunderstood them. They came to return the purse," getting up from his seat, Liu Zhiwen walked over to the maid and took the purse, "Are they still here?"

He wanted to step out and thank them.

There was no misunderstanding. It was clearly a trick! She completely underestimated that mother and daughter pair! This realization filled Mrs. Tan with discontent.