Married Thrice to Salted Fish

Chapter 19

Chang Yang became a frequent visitor of Nan’an Hou Mansion. Every three days, he would go to Qingdai Pavilion to examine Lu Qiaosong’s pulse. Afterwards, he would go to the Blue Wind Pavilion to stay for a bit, occasionally bringing some small gifts for Lin Qingyu.

It was a joy to be able to see his Shixiong so often. It was just that every time they met, Shixiong would have Young Master Hou beside him. Young Master Hou looked as though he had really hit it off with him; looking more thrilled to see him that his Shixiong was, as though he were his Shixiong. To say nothing of telling Lin Qingyu his plan, he couldn’t even get the opportunity to speak with Lin Qingyu alone.

On this day, before Chang Yang came to the Nan’an Hou Mansion, he first went to the most popular pastry shop in the capital, queued up for half an hour and bought two boxes of plum cakes that his Shixiong loved. He had just stepped through the door of the Blue Wind Pavilion, food box in hand, when he heard the clucking of chickens mixed with Lu Wancheng’s hearty laughter. “Little Shidi is here again. You could just bring yourself, there’s no need to bring gifts. Come in, come in.”

Before Chang Yang could see the scene in the courtyard clearly, a figure covered in a riot of color flew in front of his face. When he came back to his senses, a feather floated down from the air and landed on his head. With the chicken feather in his hair, he was the spitting image of the filial son by the roadside, selling himself as a slave to bury his father.

Chang Yang once again froze. “Young Master Hou, this is…”

There was a smile at the corner of Lu Wancheng’s lips. “Cockfighting.”

It was only then that Chang Yang saw clearly that what had flown past his eyes just now was a rooster that had lost a half its feathers, looking ragged and exhausted. That flight should have been its last stubborn struggle. After that flight, it fell to the ground, gasping its final breaths. And the other rooster, the culprit, stood proudly at Lu Wancheng’s feet, confidently shaking its little rooster head.

Looking at the chicken feathers littering the ground, Chang Yang couldn’t help but feel distressed. Heaven has no eyes; how could they allow his Shixiong, this immortal like existence, to marry this spoiled fop whose actions were a disgrace to his good looks?

Lu Wancheng’s excessive impropriety strengthened his determination to rescue his Shixiong from this abject misery. “Greetings to Young Master Hou. Where is my Shixiong?”

“He found me too noisy, so he went out to relax. He should be back any time now.” Lu Wancheng looked at the door and smiled, “Oh? Speak of Cao Cao and he will be here.”

Lin Qingyu had taken Huan Tong to the garden to bury a few pots of medicinal materials under a tree. When he came back to see the lively scene at the Blue Wind Pavilion, a vein on his forehead twitched.

He blamed the medicine he formulated for Lu Wancheng for being too effective. With the weather becoming warmer every day, it gave Lu Wancheng the energy to “seek out a life of dissipation” at home, throwing the entire Blue Wind Pavilion into turmoil, with chickens flying and dogs jumping.

Lu Wancheng welcomed Lin Qingyu. Meeting his icy gaze, he said with a smile, “Qingyu came back at just the right time. Your little Shidi is here.”

Chang Yang: “…Shixiong.”

Lin Qingyu looked up at Chang Yang’s head. “What are you doing with that chicken feather in your hair?”

Lu Wancheng turned his face away and gave an impolite “Pft.”

Chang Yang was extremely embarrassed. He quickly took off the chicken feather from his head and said, shamefaced, “Shixiong, I bought you two boxes of plum cakes. Try them later.”