Xianggong, Please Divorce Me!

Ch.3: Old Water Finally Spills Out

Notes:

[1] Formerly a woman showing her face in public was considered to be flaunting themselves and therefore seen as unbecoming. This was how prostitutes and entertainers were viewed.

[2] Yatou is a maid or servant girl. It can be a term of endearment as it is in this context though is generally used deprecatingly.

[3] Ai ya is a Chinese interjection of wonder, shock or amazement. It can also be used to express a complaint or impatience which is not the case in this context.

[4] Literally borrow an east wind.

[5] 10 catties is about 10 to 13 pounds (4.5 to almost 6 KG).

[6] This is a photo, found on the internet, of a larger version of the box though without any carvings.

[7] "Hua Kai Fu Gui" are opulent flowers which are open, versus say in bud. Here are some examples of carved flowers.  These are also photos found on the internet:

[8] According to physiognomy, a full forehead is considered auspicious.

[9] Gossip item

[10] Another gossip item

Chapter 3: Old Water Finally Spills Out

The third miss Su is about to get married! This news was passed around. The entire city was startled, the great streets, small alleys, tea rooms, pubs, lady's chambers, and deep inside courtyards, all were talking about this topic with high spirits, humor, and playful chats. The unhappy love history of Su Tang's was again unearthed and then afterwards repeatedly stir-fried.  Her joys and sorrows of life were sautéed and speculated about until these smelt, looked, and tasted great, which provided that crowd of bored people something to chew over and sample—excessively thinking about this, Su Tang felt that she in this way was worthy of great admiration, one person painfully giving merriment to countless families. Alas all was lost.

But Xi Que wasn't that magnanimous.  Looking at her own young miss still unoccupied (with the wedding) working the abacus for this month's cash flow, she couldn't help but pout with that fat mouth. "Miss, why aren't you speaking. Those people just now are really unreasonable."

Su Tang temporarily raised her eyebrows, her fingers still flying as before, "A few dissolute slackers, that's all, why bother."

Su Tang in operating the Su Ji pastry shop has been appearing in public for 3-4 years [1]. Not at the outset though already at an earlier time, the yatou [2] flushed with anger due to a few backbiting phrases.  Don't take to heart what you've heard as there is not enough time to disperse these few frivolous phrases like the wind. Now, still the most important thing is to make money.

A thread of cunning appeared in the corners of Su Tang's smile as she thought about striving to earn money.  These (past) few days she again put aside the negative public opinion about herself which flowed like billowous waves, though with a biting point. That gang by human effort stifled the character in this folktale. Each one would run over to the Su Ji shop and stealthily snoop about. Yet Su Tang was not annoyed and generously greeted (them). The result was that when these people left, each and every one was hand carrying a small something. Ai ya [3], (she's) not unable to see clearly. Even more she used the situation and created a few types of new pastries, urgently needed to popularize (those)!

"Miss, you're going to the capital to get married to become the general's wife. Why are you daily still going to the pastry shop." Here Xi Que again switched out a tangled question. And indeed, the wedding day was already set, the beginning of next month on the 6th, and only one month left to attend to matters. But the party still had inclinations to not get married. She still was whole hearted devoting herself to the store.  Xi Que truly felt this was incomprehensible.