Miss Truth
Chapter 121 - 77: Wife is So Fierce

Chapter 121: Chapter 77: Wife is So Fierce

Sang Chen stuffed the chess score into the old man’s hands, along with the chess pieces and board into the basket. Too hurried to collect money, he slung the basket over his shoulder and said, "Wife, I have packed up."

Ran Yan nodded and turned to walk out of the crowd.

"Young sir." The elder holding the chess score stood up and called out.

Sang Chen stopped in his tracks, looking at him curiously, "What does the elder wish to say to this junior?"

The elder bowed with a sweep of his sleeve, "Young sir is extraordinarily talented, and I admire that greatly. May I inquire the name of...?"

Sang Chen hastily returned the courtesy, "I am Sang Chen, styled Sui Yuan, the new Tutor from Zhou Family Village."

"Sang Sui Yuan?" The elder’s eyes brightened but then he asked with some disbelief, "May I ask who is the young sir’s teacher?"

After a brief consideration, since he had many teachers, including those Doctors from the Imperial Academy and the great scholars of Chang’an City he should call teacher, Sang Chen realized that only one had truly imparted knowledge to him and said, "My benefactor is Master Huai Jing from Xingshan Temple."

The elder’s face lit up with joy and he enthusiastically said, "I have long respected his great name. In a few days, I will certainly pay a visit!"

Sang Chen replied, "I will await the elder’s esteemed visit at home in two days’ time."

After exchanging formalities, they concluded their conversation.

As the chess game came to an end, the crowd gradually dispersed, revealing six or seven carriages that had been trapped in one corner, unable to move. One of them belonged to the Ran residence.

After Ran Yan and Wan Lu got into the carriage, Sang Chen then took his place next to the coachman.

The carriage slowly left the East Market, proceeding smoothly.

Wan Lu, having noticed Sang Chen’s affection for Ran Yan and feeling bored on the trip, leaned against the curtain and inquired, "Master Sang, how is it that your teacher is a monk?"

Sang Chen’s clear voice came from outside, seemingly in good spirits, "I was fostered in Xingshan Temple since I was young. I learned to read and write from Master Huai Jing. Although the master never had me perform the teacher’s ceremony, in my heart, he is both a teacher and a father to me."

Ran Yan had heard about his identity from Ran Yunsheng; he was clearly the legitimate son of the Cui family, yet abandoned to his mother’s maiden family. Presumably, his mother’s family was also reluctant to raise the child, so they sent him straight to the temple, which is no wonder he developed such a temperament.

However, Wan Lu, unaware of his background, asked upon hearing he was fostered in a temple, "Was Master Sang fostered in the temple because of an inauspicious birth chart?"

"That... I do not know, Master Huai Jing never spoke of it. He only told me to marry and have a child before the age of eighteen, but..." Sang Chen sounded somewhat dejected, "My family is poor, and prospects vague, I fear no Noble Lady would wish to marry me."

Ran Yan’s lips twitched slightly; the Cui family of Boling called poor? And him, having topped the imperial examinations for four consecutive years, calling his prospects vague? Ran Yunsheng had even said that the ideal husband in the hearts of Chang’an Noble Ladies was Sang Chen; the moment he appeared, countless ladies would likely clamor to marry him.

By saying so, Sang Chen probably never considered himself a descendant of the Cui family!

"Why did you set up an endgame at the East Market?" Ran Yan suddenly asked.

Sang Chen, hearing Ran Yan’s voice, paused for a moment before a bright smile spread across his face, "Last time I borrowed someone’s kiln, the owner did not charge me. It was only later that I learned it was quite expensive. I am not familiar with the owner, nor could I accept such a heavy favor, so I set up an endgame to earn some money."

"I will send you twenty taels when we get back, after all, the kiln was used by me as well," Ran Yan said indifferently.

"How can that be!" Sang Chen immediately objected, then weakly added, "One day, I will be able to pay it off."

Ran Yan asked, "How much do you charge for a game of endgame?"

"Ten coins," Sang Chen pursed his lips, quickly calculating how many years it would take to pay off the twenty taels.

Ran Yan steadied her emotions and continued to inquire, "Where did you get those endgames from?"

Sang Chen faintly felt that Ran Yan was somewhat unhappy and answered timidly, "When I have nothing to do, I think up endgames for my own amusement. I have been particularly unoccupied these years, so I have thought up quite a few."

Ran Yan was rendered speechless, frustrated to the point of helplessness, and ended up laughing, "All that effort and brainpower, and for playing an endgame, not to mention at least spending an hour on it, you just take ten coins? Do you know what is called value?"

Ran Yan, who had always been cold and indifferent to Sang Chen, suddenly burst out in such a fury, causing Sang Chen outside to feel incredibly uneasy. He cautiously explained, "At first, I charged fifteen coins, but that elder said it was too expensive."

"Fifteen wen, you really have made something of yourself," Ran Yan gritted her teeth.

It was both infuriating and amusing. Ran Yan took a good while to calm herself down, but then she thought, what does it have to do with her! He didn’t want the money, so why didn’t she just throw it at him?

"Wan Lu, when we get off the carriage later, take twenty taels from the consultation fee earlier and give it to Tutor Sang," Ran Yan said coldly.

Sang Chen said in a small and stubborn voice, "I do not want it. I am a..."

Ran Yan cut him off forcefully, "If I have given it to you, you must take it! If you don’t want it, then throw it away!"

Sang Chen shrank his neck and in a very small voice muttered, "Wife is quite fierce. The Women’s History states: ’A woman’s virtue favors gentleness; containing integrity brings auspiciousness.’ The Biographies of Exemplary Women also mentions: ’Living in purity and tranquility, maintaining one’s virtue, acting with decorum, behaving with propriety, possessing a sense of shame in conduct—this is called woman’s virtue.’"

"You, come in," Ran Yan said slowly.

Sang Chen, who was sitting outside the carriage, stiffened and buried his head in the basket, pretending not to hear.

Ran Yan said impatiently, "Is Tutor Sang waiting for me to go out and invite you in?"

Sang Chen shifted his bottom and then slowly pulled aside the curtain, casting a quick glance at Ran Yan’s expression. His handsome face turned red and white, not knowing whether it was from shyness or fear, and gripping the basket tightly, he knelt in front of the carriage door. "What are your commands, Wife?"

"Tutor Sang, explain to me what exactly is a woman’s virtue?" Ran Yan propped her head with one hand, leaning casually by the small table, while lightly raising her eyebrow as she looked at him.

With such a demeanor, displaying a blend of tranquility and a touch of laziness, Sang Chen caught only one glimpse, and his mind went blank. He couldn’t remember anything about a woman’s appearance or virtue. He hastily lowered his gaze, stammering without knowing what to say.

Seeing Sang Chen scared like a little rabbit by her mistress, Wan Lu couldn’t help but snort with laughter.

Sang Chen was even more embarrassed; he felt as if his ears would bleed from shame.

"Tutor Sang, my wife was just jesting with you, there’s no need to be so formal," Wan Lu knew Ran Yan’s personality. Although she had become a bit colder after her illness, she hardly ever got angry, especially since Sang Chen hadn’t done anything unforgivable—it was just that his actions were irritating yet there was nowhere to vent the frustration.

Seeing Sang Chen’s handsome yet awkward appearance, Ran Yan felt a twinge of sympathy. He was supposed to be a child of privilege, born with a silver spoon in mouth, only lowered in status because of his birth mother’s lowly position, raised alongside monks in a temple. At that thought, Ran Yan felt a bit curious to meet this Master Huai Jing. What kind of person could train Sang Chen in such a way?

Wan Lu made a round, yet the atmosphere didn’t improve. The carriage fell into silence, rumbling along the path. The sky turned twilight, the clouds ablaze with bright colors, casting crimson gold over everything, the evening breeze cool.

The carriage jostled across the wooden bridge. Sang Chen’s cool eyes anxiously fixed on the outside through the bamboo curtains. Only after they safely crossed the bridge did he relax with a sigh of relief.

Watching his behavior, Ran Yan couldn’t help but feel a certain exasperation, a sense of ’hating that iron cannot become steel’, and she couldn’t help but ask, "Doesn’t Buddhism preach detachment from life and death? Having grown up in the temple, why can’t you comprehend this?"

"Master Huai Jing said that I have no predestined relationship with Buddha, hence the lack of comprehension," Sang Chen replied, staring innocently at the wooden box beside Ran Yan with eyes as clear as the shallow waters under the blue sky.

Ran Yan found this curious. She knew that monks often spoke of destiny, and those who talked about fate were typically regarded as having it. It was rare to hear someone claim to have ’no predestined relationship with Buddha,’ making her suddenly respect Master Huai Jing as a true sage.

"Stop saying ’I, the lowly one’ all the time. It annoys me," Ran Yan’s tone softened. She realized that they could have a peaceful conversation as long as the matter didn’t touch on any principles.

However, sometimes when Sang Chen acted foolishly, Ran Yan often wanted to dissect him, to study if his brain was different from others. Now...especially after hearing about his past, Ran Yan’s curiosity intensified, each time contemplating a murder to conduct a secret autopsy.

Naturally, Sang Chen was unaware that he was like a frog on Ran Yan’s dissecting table; he was just feeling joyful. Normally, people use humble and respectful terms when they are not well-acquainted, turning to first-person pronouns as they grow more familiar. He thought this was a sign of a growing relationship, and his happiness was evident on his face.

Wan Lu felt it was a pity in her heart. Sang Chen was dignified and even if he seemed to be no match for the peerless gentleman referred to by Mrs. Xing, he was still a gentleman of modesty. If only his family background were better, even if it was just an empty reputation. So, she couldn’t help but ask again, "Where is Tutor Sang’s hometown? Do you still have family at home?"

Sang Chen answered, "Master Huai Jing said that I was born in Yuezhou, which is now Lianzhou. After my parents passed away one after another, I was sent to the Sang Family in Chang’an. The Sang Family couldn’t afford to raise me, so they sent me to Xingshan Temple to be fostered."

Ever since the fall of the Sui and the rise of the Tang, with the Li family honoring the Taoist forefather Li Er, Buddhism gradually gave way to Taoism, which became promoted throughout the Court, and temples fell into neglect, while Taoist temples rose in abundance. Luckily, Buddhism still had many followers among the people, and since the rulers did not want any single doctrine to dominate, they would assist the Buddhists from time to time, allowing it to survive.

Temples struggled to exist, and if the Sang Family hadn’t contributed a significant amount of incense money, how would they have taken in a child for no reason? Especially a child with ’no predestined relationship with Buddha.’

Master Huai Jing’s words, Ran Yan knew Sang Chen wouldn’t believe them, but he insisted on taking them to heart, whether out of a desire to escape or preferring to believe there was still a sliver of warmth for him in this world.

Wan Lu sighed, "I was reckless, please forgive me, Tutor Sang."

Sang Chen hurriedly waved his hand, "It’s fine, it’s fine." (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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