I Am This Type of Woman

72

And how was it now? Hadn't the prized Count Rong come to their doorstep to beg, and even asked His Majesty to be his matchmaker. Weren't they angry now, wasn't it infuriating, right?

He felt very happy to think of them angry and infuriated.

It couldn't be helped, when they were unhappy then he would be happy.

"Why would you lower yourself to their level," Ban Hua stood up, "Aren't you too idle yourself."

Ban Heng was drinking, "They didn't feel idle when they gossiped, so I also don't feel idle laughing at them."

Ban Hua couldn't resist laughing. She knew her younger brother had always cried injustice on her behalf, but he never let harsh words outside reach her ears so she wouldn't get upset. Ban Hua stroke his warm head, "Still so young, why do you worry about all these things?"

Ban Heng covered his head, "Sis, told you so many times, don't keep on touching a man's head."

"What man." She stroke his head again several times, "You haven't had the rite of passage yet, what kind of man are you?"

Ban Heng: Out of them four in the family, he was in the lowest position.....

When he got back to his senses, Ban Hua had disappeared. Ban Heng beckoned a maid, "You say...... is my sister going to see Count Rong?"

The maid smiled, "Shizi, how would nubi know?"

Ban Heng dejectedly cupped his cheeks, "It's better if Sister doesn't get married."

"Shizi, how come you think that way?" The maid was cleaning the table, she said in a lowered voice, "If Junzhu can find a good husband, then there is one more person to care for her. Isn't this a good thing?"

Ban Heng feebly said, "That's correct, but......"

But he was still unhappy. He had always been with Sister. When he was small, whenever he was bullied Sister always helped him vent his anger. As long as she was around, he wouldn't suffer any grievances. They were always arguing, but in his heart he knew how much she loved him.

Perhaps...... he couldn't bear to let her go, he was anxious to see her marrying a stranger, because he was afraid that she would suffer, worried that she would have a hard time.

When a beloved person was not with ourselves, it was inevitable that worries and longing would appeared. To think that his sister would marry someone, that she would become Rong-furen, Ban Heng was very unwilling.

By all means, his sister belonged to their family.

—

At Count Cheng'an residence, Du Jiu entered the study, his expression was somewhat ugly. He said to Rong Xia who was reading with his head bowed, "Master Count, there is an unpleasant rumour outside."

"What is it?" Rong Xia closed the book, looked up at Du Jiu.

"They say that you..... you rely on a woman." Du Jiu had toned it down, actually it was Rong Xia 'eating soft rice'.

* 吃软饭 (lit. eating soft rice)  = to live off a woman.

"I knew Shi family would do this." Rong Xia laughed lightly, "Let them. Many people want to eat soft rice but they can't. Let them be jealous."

Du Jiu: "Master, you......"

"Besides, I think they are correct." Rong Xia's laugh turned reckless, "I am eating soft rice."

Du Jiu: .........

"Priceless books and famous paintings that money can't buy, any of these can drive people crazy. Ban family has given me so much." Rong Xia caressed the pages of . "If it's not soft rice, what rice am I eating?"

Du Jiu: Saying it that way, yes, it sounds like soft rice.

He couldn't refute.

"Du Jiu, no need to care of whatever they say. Someone behind the rumour is waiting for us to jump in anger." Rong Xia lowered his eyelids, his laugh rang out in the room, "Let them do what they want. I am not the second Xie Qilin, they can't use this method to steer me."

Du Jiu was silent for a while, "Do you mean, Shi family is behind this?"

"Who else cares whether my backing is growing?" Rong Xia laughed mockingly, "Let them be. They could jump however they want, as long as we don't pay attention, it won't affect us."

"But shuxia is worried that the literary world will view you differently." Du Jiu looked troubled, "It can't be helped that some of them have crowd mentality, and it will affect you in a bad way."

"You think of them too simply." Rong Xia shook his head, "As long as I am still influential, and His Majesty still trusts me, people won't follow the crowd too easily. In this world, not many people are genuinely stupid. Shi family thinks too highly of themselves."

It was ridiculous to expect to the same method that worked with Xie Qilin could be employed against Rong Xia.

People came in different shapes and forms, who would think exactly the same way?

Du Jiu did not really understand, but as his master had said so, he nodded, "Shuxia will prepare it now, will let people know the rumour originated from Shi family."

It was just playing with public opinion, it's not like they had never done it.

"Master Count," The steward came in with a box held up in his hands, he also nodded to Du Jiu, "Ban-shizi sent something over, would you like to see it?"

The steward knew very well that deliveries under the name of Ban-shizi were actually from Ban-junzhu. Master Count would always be in a very good mood every time he received something, so he took it straight to the study.

"Where is the person sending it?" Rong Xia accepted the box.

"That person said there is something else to do, so went away after dropping the box." The steward didn't check the content, he had no idea what Ban family was doing.

"I see." Rong Xia nodded to the steward who then retreated in silence.               

Du Jiu looked at the box curiously. What precious book Ban family sent this time?

Thinking about the soft rice rumour, Du Jiu felt, Master Count's soft rice..... was eaten too easily.

Rong Xia opened the box. After seeing the content, he couldn't help laughing out loud.

Du Jiu raised his eyes, what did Ban-junzhu send that made Master Count so happy? He braved himself to move closer a few steps. When he saw it was just a worthless sugar figurine, Du Jiu was stupefied for a long time.

What was the meaning of this sugar figurine?

The honest and upright Du Jiu who never had any contact with girls, was completely at loss at the interaction between men and women. He only felt that today's soft rice was too cheap.

Rong Xia picked up the sugar figurine, and started to lick it's arm.

Du Jiu rushed to say, "Master, don't!"

Rong Xia waved, signaling him not to speak.

En, the sugar figurine is very sweet.

T/N – Baidu says ancient currencies is a bundle of mess, but also that: 'Here's a non-scientific guide for lay people use on dramas and novels: 1 liang gold = 10 liang silver = 10000 wens = RMB 2000.'

RMB 1 = USD 0.1497 today (20/06/22) so 1 sugarine figure is like USD 0.5988, or say 60 cents.

Ban Hua would have saved USD 0.60 if she didn't buy Ban Heng a figurine.

Emperor Yunqing owed Ban Hua USD 1.20 for his pair of figurines.

And her USD 0.60 had made Rong Xia laughed out loud..... worth it!

T/N – I like Rong Xia and his soft rice. He isn't easily angered, it's hard to bait or provoke him, and that allows him to to see the big picture and stick to his own plans. His level-headedness is the sign of inner strength and confidence. This is a man, while Xie Qilin was a boy.