Chapter 17: Daydreaming Is Mere Fantasy

Chapter 17: Daydreaming Is Wishful Thinking

Over at the Wen household, upon hearing that Yan Fengan was coming today, Wen Liu got up early to dress up. He changed into new clothes with fabric as soft as water, put on a white jade hairpin and silver bracelets, and even applied some fragrant powder to his face.

Wen Liu usually liked to dress up, but never as elaborately as today.

The villagers were shallow and envious, and there were toads like Zhao Shoutian lurking in the shadows with their eyes on him. Though Wen Liu enjoyed their admiration, he wasn't foolish. It was fine to make these men restless with desire, but he must never deliberately provoke them. He knew these vulgar men all too well—each one cheap and wicked, not even fit to lick Yan Fengan's boots, yet they still dreamed of marrying him.

Wen Liu had a soft spot for Yan Fengan. Not only had the man passed the imperial examination at a young age, but he was also a real looker. During his time studying in town, Wen Liu had rarely seen anyone more handsome and charming than Yan Fengan. Wen Liu wasn't hard to look at himself, so naturally he wanted a handsome husband.

Yan Fengan hadn't been his first choice initially. Though talented and handsome, his family background fell short compared to those rich city boys. But those gentlemen weren't as simple as country folk—they were all scheming and slick, only wanting to take advantage of him, with none genuinely wishing to marry him.

City folks were all about keeping up with social standing. The great families would never take a country boy as a proper wife. With his looks, plenty of men would be happy to take him as a concubine, but the difference between a wife and a concubine was like night and day. Even if he wanted to marry up and become a phoenix, he wouldn't stoop that low.

After thinking it over, Wen Liu still felt Yan Fengan suited him better. Though his family circumstances couldn't compare to those wealthy city gentlemen, they were far better off than ordinary village families.

Skilled workers were always in demand, no matter the era. During autumn and winter, the other three men of the Yan family were hardly ever home, raking in who knows how much money all year round. Yan Fengan had already passed the imperial examination, and passing the provincial exam was only a matter of time. With that qualification came the right to hold office—then wouldn't he be able to hitch his wagon to Yan Fengan's star and live off the government's dime? That thought made him even happier.

Wen Liu was a go-getter. Once he had a goal, he would act decisively without hesitation. Once he'd figured out Yan Fengan's schedule for coming home from school, he staged a few "coincidental" run-ins. Before long, he'd charmed Yan Fengan into being head over heels for him, eager to marry him immediately.

When Yan Fengan had his accident, Wen Liu felt a bit bad, but there was no way he was marrying into that mess. He was marrying to enjoy life, not to suffer. His feelings for Yan Fengan weren't enough to ruin his whole life over.

Who would've thought fate would play him like that? He had already decided to abandon Yan Fengan, yet the man recovered.

The husband he'd picked out so carefully had ended up going to Wen Xi instead. How could he accept that?

His face in the bronze mirror twisted a little. After taking a deep breath, Wen Liu finally regained his composure. He thought that this time, no matter what means he had to employ, he'd win Yan Fengan back.

Wen Shishan and Li Qiaozhen were both shrewd people. Suddenly hearing that Yan Fengan was coming to their house, their hearts started pounding, and they had a bad feeling about it.

Seeing Wen Liu dressed so flamboyantly, Wen Shishan grew even more irritated: "That Yan fellow, no matter how you look at it, is publicly your younger brother's husband. What's with this getup?"

Wen Liu dismissed his concern: "Oh, Dad, what are you scared of? Dressing like this at home, no one will see me. If I look pretty, Anlang will be happy to see me looking pretty."

Wen Shishan frowned: "After all that's happened, you still want to get back with him?"

Wen Liu replied: "Why not? Anlang's clearly got a bright future ahead of him. If I can win him back, wouldn't that benefit our family too? Who else you gonna rely on if not me? Xi Geer? With his boring personality and plain face, Anlang would probably get sick to his stomach just looking at him. You think he could win Anlang's heart? Impossible. Not that I'm looking down on him—even if Anlang's willing to be with him now, once he becomes an official, he'll probably find some excuse to dump him. As they say, 'Don't let good things go to waste on outsiders.' If that's the case, you might as well let me try."

Li Qiaozhen thought he had a point. Yan Fengan had originally been Wen Liu's fiancé. If he could win the man back, that wouldn't be half bad. Then Wen Liu could live the high life as an official's wife, and Wen Xi would be sent back by the Yan family, and they could sell him off for another chunk of change. Either way, they couldn't lose.

"That's not a bad idea, but what if Yan Fengan's still sore about you ditching him and won't take you back?"

Men and their pride. Li Qiaozhen didn't believe Yan Fengan wasn't at least a little bitter about the whole substitute marriage thing. What if that little brat whispered poison in his ear? Wouldn't that make him hate their family even more?

Wen Liu looked back and forth between the two of them: "For this, I'm gonna need Mom and Dad's help."

The three of them finished their talk and got ready to put their plan into action, but they waited and waited, and nobody showed up. Wen Shishan wasn't stupid—it didn't take him long to figure out Yan Fengan was deliberately making them wait to snub them.

So this scholar was holding a grudge after all. Wen Shishan was displeased and took his anger out on Wen Liu at lunch: "Always daydreaming and chasing pipe dreams. I can see that Scholar Yan doesn't seem to have any old feelings for you. Go inside and change your clothes before you embarrass your old man."

Wen Liu's heart hurt, but he forced himself to keep his chin up: "The substitute marriage was my fault. Anlang's got every right to be mad. He said he'd come, so he will."

Wen Shishan was about to blow up again when Li Qiaozhen quickly cut in: "Liu Geer knows what he's doing. Just let him be."

Just then, Yan Fengan showed up with Wen Xi.

The two of them were still wearing the same clothes as yesterday. Wen Liu, already braced for it, didn't give Wen Xi a second glance even though he noticed how different he looked.

Wen Shishan and Li Qiaozhen, though, were caught off guard. In the past, Wen Xi would always hunch his shoulders and keep his head down around them, like an ant that could be squashed at any moment. But today, he stood up straight, head high, looking them right in the eye.

Truth was, Wen Xi's back was already soaked with cold sweat from fear. He still remembered all too well how his parents had beaten him before he got married. Even though the wounds had healed, the memory still made him ache.

But before they left, Yan Fengan had told him that he was now a scholar's husband. Not even his own parents, let alone the city constables, could lay a finger on him without a good reason.

Those few words couldn't fully calm Wen Xi's nerves, but at least he wasn't as scared as before.

Yan Fengan had meant to give Wen Shishan and Li Qiaozhen a polite bow, but his hand was clasped tight with Wen Xi's, so he couldn't free it. He just nodded and said, "Bringing Xiao Xi here today to take care of some business. Sorry to bother you."

Didn't even use a proper form of address. Wen Shishan was annoyed but didn't dare show it. Instead, he forced a smile and said, "Good son-in-law, what are you talking about? This is Xi Geer's home. How could your visit be a bother? Please, come on in and sit."

Yan Fengan didn't stand on ceremony and just led Wen Xi to sit down in the courtyard. There was still a table full of leftover food in the main hall, and Li Qiaozhen was scrambling to clean up. She wanted to give Wen Liu and Yan Fengan a chance to talk, but she also couldn't stand seeing Wen Xi so comfortable and relaxed. Like it was still the old days, she started scolding Wen Xi: "You little brat, always been lazy since you were a kid. Finally home for a visit and you can't even lift a finger to help. You might as well not have those eyes in your head for all the good they do."

Even though he'd known for a long time how Wen Xi was treated at home, seeing Li Qiaozhen be so nasty right in front of him made Yan Fengan's blood boil. He frowned and said, "There's a saying: 'Before you hit the dog, check who its master is.' I wonder what I've done to offend you, that you'd go off on my husband like that for no reason. Xi Geer is gentle, obedient, hardworking, and virtuous in our home. How is it that in your mouth—his own mother's—he turns into such a worthless person?"