Wife, Don't Be Like This!

Chapter 27 - A Scumbag with Principles

"Trade your old mother!"

Song Lu was stunned. He suspected he had misheard: "What did you say..."

Before his words were finished, Song Yan suddenly reached out and pressed down on Song Lu's head, and at the same time, his right knee slammed upwards.

A sneak attack!

The knee slammed heavily into Song Lu's face.

Nosebleed gushed out, staining a large patch of his robe's hem red.

He had inadvertently mobilized his internal force. Song Lu's nasal bone should be broken, and a few teeth were probably also loose.

After a few breaths of silence, the surroundings burst into an uproar.

The eyes of some women sparkled. Even those girls from the Jade Gathering Garden had stars in their eyes. Although this young master looked young and tender, he firmly protected his own woman behind him. He was much better than those scholars who waved folding fans, looked all prim and proper, yet traded their own concubines and maids like objects.

The requirements of ordinary women in this world were really not high. As long as they had a pair of strong arms to rely on, it was enough.

Up in the pavilion, Luo Tianyi couldn't suppress the curve of her lips. She was very satisfied with her brother-in-law's performance.

Song Lu seemed to have been dazed by the blow and still hadn't come back to his senses.

Gu Banxia's face was bright red. She hurriedly held up the umbrella to shield her Young Master-in-law from the fine, misty rain.

Song Yan could feel a warm shoulder quietly pressing against his arm. He looked down and saw Gu Banxia holding the umbrella to shield him from the rain, and couldn't help but think of a line he had seen online in his previous life.

"From now on, the misty rain falls on Ningcheng; one person holds the umbrella, and two walk together!"

[N: In this poem, "Ningcheng(宁城)" is a symbolic name, not a real place. It literally means "Peaceful City" (宁 = peaceful, 城 = city). The misty rain falling on "Ningcheng" creates a picture of a tranquil and serene world, a calm space that the two people share together.]

Was the original 'Jinling' or 'Jingcheng'? A slight modification doesn't hurt.

When it comes to composing poetry, modern people naturally have an insurmountable gap compared to the ancients. However, modern society has a large population and even more educated people. It's normal for a few outstanding ones to occasionally produce one or two good lines.

In Song Yan's view, for poetry, ornate language and even rhythm and meter were secondary; anything that could move people's hearts was good.

It's just that although the scholars of this world revered poetry, they ultimately lacked the brightest stars like Li, Du, Su, and Xin, making it somewhat dim.

Seemingly unintentionally, he recited it out loud.

Gu Banxia stopped in her tracks, her snow-white, shell-like teeth gently biting her lower lip. A layer of mist seemed to cover her dark black eyes. A visible blush spread from her neck to the base of her ears. Her small ears twitched slightly, looking a little cute.

The surroundings also slowly quieted down. Pairs of slightly astonished eyes looked at Song Yan, especially the women's. It couldn't be considered a poem, since it was only one line, and the wording was straightforward. Yet it made people's hearts tremble slightly.

Isn't this exactly what the two of them look like right now?

Misty rain, one person holding an umbrella, two walking side by side...

One sentence, one painting.

There was no sorrow or resentment, no earth-shattering passion. It was very plain, but wasn't this plainness something to yearn for?

The corner of his eye quietly fell upon Song Yun. Although he was still calm, Song Yan caught a hint of unwillingness deep in his eyes. The corners of his mouth curled up slightly.

Song Yun was a very formidable person. Intelligent from a young age, cunning, mature, and patient.

However, as long as one is human, one has flaws.

Song Yun was not greedy for wealth or lustful. Perhaps because he had an older brother who was called the 'Qilin Son of the Song family,' just like in modern society, those students who have an outstanding older sister or brother always hear 'your brother is like this, your brother is like that,' 'your sister is like this, your sister is like that'... Invisibly, it's a form of repression.

Therefore, he was greedy for fame and also wanted others to call him a 'Qilin's Talented Scholar.' Unfortunately, although he had written many poems, none had achieved great fame.

"Brother-in-law knows how to compose poetry too?" Luo Tianyang's eyes widened.

His booming voice tore through the surrounding tranquility. Many women shot reproachful glances at Luo Tianyang. This fellow was truly a killjoy.

Luo Tianyang, however, didn't care about all that. To him, anyone who could write poetry was a top-tier character.

"Do you have more? Give us another line!"

Gu Banxia was a little helpless. Writing poetry relies on inspiration; how can it just come on demand? Those who knew Luo Tianyang's personality would understand that he had no ill intentions. Those who didn't would probably think Luo Tianyang was deliberately picking a fight.

Song Yan searched his mind for something about 'misty rain' and 'in pairs,' and then said:

"A lonely person stands alone, in the light rain, a pair of swallows fly!"

Wrong, wrong, it's the opposite, the opposite. Thinking this, Song Yan shook his head.

"A lonely person stands alone, in the light rain, a pair of swallows fly." This line of poetry first came from the poem "Spring's End" by the late Tang and Five Dynasties poet Weng Hong, but it is better known from Yan Jidao's "Linjiang Xian."

Of course, whether it's "Spring's End" or "Linjiang Xian," the mood they express is the complete opposite of Song Yan's current situation.

The surroundings fell silent.

If the original line just made people feel it was 'alright,' then this line had clearly reached a master's level, possessing the style of a great master. I daren't say it will be passed down through the millennia, but for the ten years before and after, I'm afraid no one can surpass it.

Even though the Jade Gathering Garden had its grand opening today and countless good poems and verses had appeared, all of them added up could not compare to this one line. Many prostitutes, at the doors and windows, were watching quietly, it was unknown what they were thinking.

Many young maidens with hearts full of love were also gently pondering it.

Song Yan didn't pay much attention. His gaze swept past Song Yun, and the smile on his lips deepened. Then, it fell on Song Zhen. His line of sight slowly lowered, finally landing on Song Zhen's waist.

There, a verdant jade pendant hung.

The jade pendant was smooth and round, with a plum blossom pattern carved on it. It was the only memento his mother had left him. After his mother died, it was snatched away by Song Zhen.

His gaze only lingered for a brief instant before Song Yan retracted it. He flicked a finger gently on Gu Banxia's forehead: "Let's go."

Watching Song Yan's departing back, in the crowd, the young woman Meng Lingling, who had almost become Song Yan's sister-in-law, had a bright light shining in her eyes. As the number one talented woman of Song Prefecture, she had to admit that the many poems she had written all seemed pretentious in front of this line.

"Brother..."

"Don't even think about it!"

Up in the pavilion, Commandery Princess Gaoyang also sighed softly: "An umbrella is easy to find, but a person is hard to seek. The swallows fly as a pair, yet the person stands alone. I feel it's even more pitiful."

Her beautiful eyes looked towards Song Yan, shining with an indescribable light.

"Something's not right. This is Song Prefecture, not Ningping. And Ningping County is a county, not a city!"

"Why are you so stubborn? It's a metaphor, a metaphor, do you understand? The 'Ningcheng' here isn't Ningping County; it's a metaphor for the entire Ning Kingdom."

"Right, right. Actually, the 'misty rain' isn't just misty rain either. It's a metaphor for all hardships. Even through a thousand difficulties and ten thousand dangers, even through war and famine, they will walk shoulder to shoulder…”

Such voices came from behind him.

Huh? Is that what I was thinking?

Well, since they all say so, then I guess it is. This is probably what it feels like to have others do reading comprehension on you.

Behind him, the voices continued.

"But this line, 'A lonely person stands alone, in the light rain, a pair of swallows fly,' what does it mean then? The mood doesn't match."

"Stupid! Look at Song Yun, he just lost his fiancée. It's obviously mocking him for being worse than even a bird."

A rather sharp voice drilled into his ears. Song Yun's body trembled slightly. Even though he was mature for his age, a faint flush still crept up his face. The muscles on his lips and cheeks trembled involuntarily.

Song Yan, a mere good-for-nothing imprisoned for ten years, a concubine's son who hasn't even had elementary schooling, how could he write such a fine line?

A thought involuntarily surfaced in the bottom of his heart: Why wasn't it him who wrote it? Why couldn't it have been him who wrote it?

Taking a deep breath, Song Yun suppressed the agitation in his heart and looked at Fang Jun.

"Brother Fang, if you are interested in that Gu Banxia, I can send someone..."

Fang Jun immediately shook his head: "No need. Is this young master that kind of person?"

What's the point of kidnapping her? What kind of person do you take me, Young Master Fang Jun, for?

He was a scumbag, but he was a scumbag with principles.

Fang Jun sighed with some disappointment.

Truly a pity.

He suspected that Song Yan might have some special predilections, for example, a preference for older women... Looking at the four pale-faced young women behind him, Fang Jun wondered in his heart, should I find a few older servant women? Maybe then he'd make the trade?

Waving his folding fan, Fang Jun said: "This matter, do not mention it again."

Having spoken, he walked towards Song Lu: "Brother Song, what did you say to that Song Yan to actually provoke him into suddenly attacking?"

Song Lu was also a bit dazed. He covered his nose with one hand, the pain from his broken nasal bone constantly stimulating his nerves. Hearing Fang Jun's question, he couldn't help but roar:

"Damn it, I didn't say anything..."

"It was that bastard Song Yan! He actually dared to insult my mother! I definitely won't let him get away with it."

As soon as these words were spoken, a burst of hisses came from the surroundings.

Who the hell would believe that?

These Song family people are truly shameless.

Isn't this just bullying an honest man?

Forced to be a live-in son-in-law, forced to accept a swapped-out dowry, and losing all face at the Luo family on his wedding day. But even so, Song Yan didn't say a single bad word about the Song family. He also kept his mouth shut about what happened that day. For such an honest and loyal person to be pushed to the point of hitting someone, one can imagine how infuriating the words Song Lu whispered before must have been.

And now he even makes a false counter-accusation. I'm afraid the only thing left in the Song family's clan school is the three words 'shameless'.

Song Lu opened his mouth wide and desperately tried to explain, but no one was willing to listen. His face flushed red. Compared to the physical pain, the grievance of being mentally wronged was even more unbearable.

What he said this time was the truth! That Song Yan really did insult his mother! Why was no one willing to believe it?

Silently staring at Fang Jun's back, Song Yun felt that Fang Jun was just too embarrassed to say it directly. It seemed he would have to find a group of skilled hands later.

Unfortunately, Song Yun also forgot one thing. Many times, doing nothing is not a mistake.

Some things, once done, will leave an opening.