61: A Pretty Face

A Pretty Face

Everyone stared at Xie Pinghuai after they were done talking.2

Xie Pinghuai looked confused. "It's useless no matter how much you stare at me. I don't know anything about my sister! She was raised at a Taoist temple from a young age."

"Taoist temple? All the time in the past?" Everyone was surprised to hear that.

That was not right. How come a person from a Taoist temple knew about Buddhism?

"That's right. Father said that his fate is terrible. My sister is weak, so he would harm her if she was raised at home. Someone took her away as soon as she was born. I'm not sure if she's educated or not. However, the Taoist temple that my sister stayed in was quite remote. I suppose she only knows a few words," Xie Pinghuai said casually.

"That's such a pity… It's wasted that she's so beautiful." 

The crowd could not help but feel stunned.

She must be a pretty face, then.

"Oh yeah, is your father… going to send silvers tomorrow?" asked someone.

"Yes, I think so? Why?" Xie Pinghuai asked in confusion.

Everyone stared at him in a strange way.

They said nothing more.

Xie Pinghuai scoffed and ignored them.

'Something is wrong with these people. They usually ignore me. Not sure what happened to them today that they came to talk to me, interrupting my fun.'

The crowd had no idea what to comment about this Xie family.

They were dumb.

Could they not tell that many teachers were upset about them giving silvers? They were stubborn to change!

Xie Pinghuai held a green foxtail in his hand and proceeded to play with the crickets. Soon, one of the crickets was defeated. He pasted a note on his left cheek and mumbled, "Again, again."

Xie Qiao returned home on the carriage herself.

Xie Niushan came home in the evening and called her over.

He looked happy.

When he saw Xie Qiao, he said, "I heard you passed the entry examination? So we're qualified to send the gift now?"

Xie Qiao's eyelids twitched before she nodded lightly.

"Not bad, not bad. You're my child, alright!" Xie Niushan was over the moon and took out a 50-tael silver note. "I was lucky today to be rewarded by an official! Take this money, spend it however you want!"

"Didn't you say you were going to the gambling den today, Master?" Ms. Lu asked immediately when she heard that.

"I went to the gambling den, but I was just watching and drinking with some colleagues. They were commenting on the imperial meeting the few scholars were arguing about. I was stinky today, so I didn't dare to speak. Never had we thought an official had sneaked out of the imperial palace today and heard everything they said. He rewarded me, saying that I'm stable and mature. He heard that my family's condition is pretty poor, so he rewarded me with the fortune." Xie Niushan was high on cloud nine.

Xie Qiao's eyelids twitched.

Stable and mature?

Why was he proud about something that he was not?

"You didn't share the fortune with your colleagues?" Xie Qiao asked casually.

"Why should I?" Xie Niushan was stunned.

"You guys were together, and everyone was speaking the truth. You were the only one who was being odd and said nothing. What if they think you already knew that someone would come? If I were you, I would give the gift away. It'd be best you explain yourself, or people might not want to hang out with you again," Xie Qiao said in a neutral manner.

The reward from the official should be quite a sum. There was no need for him to give away the entire reward.

A small portion would do.

Moreover, those close with him would naturally celebrate with a gift if they knew he was rewarded. That would be another income for him.

Xie Niushan reacted immediately upon hearing what Xie Qiao said, "It… makes sense."

 Xie Niushan turned his head and saw Ms. Lu frowning. He said to her immediately, "Madam, what are you doing? Aren't you preparing the gifts for me?"

It was Ms. Lu who was in charge of the money now, so who else would he look for if not her?

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