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Chapter 23: Cloud and Mud
Auspicious Medicine Shop is located on Dongning Street. The two of them crossed the market lane and turned onto Dongning Street.
There was a music workshop on this lane. At this time, a man who looked like a scholar came out, his expression a little excited.
Outside the door, a seventeen-year-old woman saw him come out and greeted him happily: "Brother, is the music sold?"
The man said excitedly: "Sold it, sold ten..." When he said that, he glanced around and noticed that Wen Nuan had looked over, and immediately shut up: "Let's go home and talk about it."
"Okay." The two hurried away.
Hearing the conversation between the two, Wen Nuan turned her head and glanced over the words on red paper beside the door of Jiao Band, and her heart moved.
~~
At the same time, on the other side of town, in an alley next to a courtyard with two entrances, a dozen people stood.
These people were attracted by the sound of a qin playing from the yard and stopped to listen.
It was so pleasant to hear, everyone looked intoxicated.
Wen Yu covered her face, avoiding people, and hurriedly ran into the yard from the back door, her eyes red with tears: "Woo, mother, I don't want to live!"
The sound of the qin stopped abruptly.
The people outside the courtyard wall jerked like they had woken from a dream.
"Hey, why did they suddenly stop?" someone said with astonishment.
Someone said regretfully: "Why only play half of it, it’s so nice! This song should only exist in the heavens!”
Someone else still wants to say: "It's so heartbreaking! There is only one person with this class of skills when it comes to playing the qin! If that girl Wen Wan claims to be second, I am afraid no one in the world dares claim to be first!"
...
More than a dozen people rushed to praise. They waited for a while and found that they did not hear the sound of the qin again. It seems that it is gone for today, and they left with regret.
In the yard, Wen Wan, who had stopped in the middle of playing the qin, raised her beautiful and delicate face, her brows furrowed and voice gentle: "Didn't you say that you don't want to be so frizzy in the future? You have to talk and walk gracefully..."
Her words stopped when she saw her messy-haired sister looking flushed and embarrassed, and her face changed: "What's the matter with you? What happened?"
Could she have gone out to meet Da Huangsun like this...thinking of this, her heart beat fast!
Xiao Zhu ran out of the house at this time: "Oh, my little one, how did you get like this? Who is bullying you?"
"Woo, it's all caused by Wen Nuan that plague star..." Wen Yu cried and told them what happened.
As Wen Wan listened, her head hurt. The look she gave was calm with a touch of anger, but her voice remained gentle and graceful: "How can you compare with Wen Nuan? She has no status and no face. Are you shameless? Don't you know the difference between cloud and mud? We are the clouds in the sky, which make people look up. She is the mud under your feet, which can be trampled on. Your venting of anger like this will only ruin your reputation and pull you down from the clouds."
'And even hurt me', Wen Wan added silently in her heart.
Xiao Zhu took a veil and wiped her daughter's crying face with heartache: "Your sister is right, how can you do such a thing of killing a thousand enemies and losing eight hundred allies? People like them are shameless. They have no status, so they don't feel embarrassed to make trouble in the streets! But you are different. When your elder brother gets top place in the imperial examinations and becomes an official, you will be the daughter of an official family. In the future, you will be married to a noble family and be mistress of the house. All this is in vain!"
Wen Yu stopped crying, and said with red eyes: "I was so angry that they cheated Grandma for two teals of silver. I wanted to teach them a lesson."
For two taels of silver?! Wen Wan's head hurts even more! At this time, she felt a wave of humiliation and sorrow.
This sister speaks and does things too impulsively.
Those people on the street shouldn’t have recognized her as her sister, right?
Xiao Zhu gave her a look like she hates iron for not becoming making steel: "You! You just don't care! Those two taels, Mother has a way to get them back, why should you go to her to be unlucky? Look, this time you've been shamed! You will learn from your sister in the future. Don't lower your status to deal with those kind of people, you are only bringing yourself down to their level, you know?"
"Then what should I do?" Wen Yu also regretted that she was impulsive.
Wen Wan shook her head, how can she expect her impulsive sister to do what she said: "Just ignore them. If you concentrate on your paintings, you will be honored in the future, and the stars will be with you. Those people will only be able to look up at you! Don't you think it’s good to step on those mediocre and inferior people and see them look up to yourself? Seeing them shamed in front of you and trying their best to please, won't that feel good? Besides, with that plague star's ill fate, won't she take care of herself in the end? One day the mud will be washed away in the rain.”
"Your sister is right. You just need to study hard and be a famous and talented girl. There are certain things that Mother can do to deal with them. One day you will even have people following you to take care of things like this. Confronting mud legs yourself, it will dirty your body and affect your reputation. It will be difficult for you to marry a wealthy person in the future..."
Wen Yu considered thoughtfully.
After a while, she said softly: "I will listen to my mother and sister."
――
On Dongning Street, Wen Nuan and Wen Chun walked for more than a quarter of an hour, and finally arrived at Auspicious Medicine Shop.
The two walked in and greeted the middle-aged man who was sitting at the counter, immersed in calculations: "Second Uncle."
Wen Jiagui raised his head to see the two coming, then glanced outside the door and said in surprise: "Brother Chun, Sister Nuan, is there only the two of you? Did you come to get medicine because Sister Nuan is unwell?"
Wen Jiagui took a close look at Wen Nuan, and saw that she looked good. She had never been better before. Her body should be fine!
And this is the first time that Sister Nuan walked in by herself. Before, his fourth brother came in with her on his back every time.
"No, Second Uncle, we are here to sell fried snails in town today. Dad went to go buy something. He let us send you some snails by the way. Second Uncle, here you are, these are fried snails, they're delicious. Try it with Second Aunt and my two sisters." Wen Nuan handed him the two big bags of fried snails that had been packed up long ago.
Although this second uncle is the son of Madam Zhu, he is honest and kind, unlike Madam Zhu.
He is very good to his family and all his brothers. He will definitely help if there is anything.
Before, every time they came to buy medicine, it would be much cheaper. They all knew that he was secretly helping their family.
Madam Zhu did not like him, because he became a brought in son-in-law for the sake of love, and lived in his father-in-law's house all day long. Moreover, his wife Madam Tan only gave birth to two daughters, causing her to have three sons, but only one grandson, not as many as Madam Wang's one son and three grandsons.
However, because her family is rich, Madam Tang has always lived with her natal family and rarely returns to the village.
Madam Zhu only complained in front of Old Man Wen.
A medicine boy saw the two coming, and quickly walked into the inner room. He gave Wen Nuan an indifferent glance as he left.
"You kid, just eat it by yourself. Second Uncle doesn't lack food here." Fourth Brother's family doesn't even have enough food to eat themselves, he would be ashamed to take their food!
"There is much more at home! Second Uncle, you must take it! Otherwise, we will stay here and not leave!"
Wen Chun also said at this time: "There is indeed more at home that we gathered from the river, we didn't spend money at all. These snails can be served with rice. Second Uncle, give it to Second Aunt, Second Cousin, and Fourth Cousin to try."
Wen Jiagui smiled and took it after hearing this. It was the heart of Fourth Brother's family anyway. He could buy them some pastries when they go back. When he thought of this, he calmed down and said with a smile: "You're not here to sell He Shou Wu, are you? Recently, the shops in town happen to be short of He Shou Wu. If your He Shou Wu has grown well, Second Uncle will be able to give you a good price!"
Wen Chun put down the sack on his back and opened it.
At this time, a bitter voice called out: "Are all the pharmacies in town lacking He Shou Wu? Why don't I know about this? What is this good price for? Brother-in-law, do you think this pharmacy is named Wen? If you want to give a good price privately, you can just give it to whoever you want?"
qin: ancient zither with seven strings
hate iron for not becoming steel: failing to live up to expectations, failing to improve or be stronger
He Shou Wu: root of Polygonum multiflorum, multi-purposeful herb in Chinese medicine, said to nourish blood, strengthen muscles, promote vitality, treat various ailments, etc.
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