Chapter 571: Chapter 569: The New Neighbor
The journey to the capital began earlier, accompanied by another ship of Xiao Chong at the rear.
Every time they disembarked for supplies, Pang Baoyan stood next to Xiao Chong. Did he not feel out of place?
Lin Wanwan hadnât even decided whether to accept the charming and handsome Xiao Chong. How could Aunt Xiao dare to shove the muddy Pang Baoyan her way!
Lin Wanwan was really overthinking this.
In fact, upon knowing Xiao Chongâs background and current official position, Aunt Xiao never even associated Lin Wanwan with Xiao Chong.
The gap between Lin Wanwan and Xiao Chongâs status was much greater than hers and Pang Baoyanâs.
In an era that valued social status, it was hard for anyone to think along those lines. After all, it was a time of clear hierarchies and distinct social classes.
If Lin Wanwan hadnât been conferred the title of Village Lady, given her appearance and wealth, she might have been able to be a concubine to Xiao Chong.
But now, her awkward social status made the idea of her being connected to Xiao Chong seem laughable to others.
So the ambiguity that Lin Wanwan believed existed between her and Xiao Chong was not a connection that others envisioned.
As for Pang Baoyan standing beside Xiao Chong and feeling ashamed, that wasnât true either.
Would a sparrow envy a swan? Thereâs no reason or opportunity for it.
From aspirations to variety, they were simply not in the same world.
Swans have their vast skies, while sparrows have their comfortable lives. Each has their own beautiful future; why compare and torture themselves?
People only care about those close to them. Once the other is far beyond their reach, they only look up to them and do not envy them.
As for Pang Baoyanâs concubines and maids, although not very respectable, they werenât such a big stain on his reputation; at most, heâd be called too indulgent.
The real reason for Pang Baoyanâs setbacks in the marriage market was not his liaisons but having an illegitimate eldest son before marriage and a previously deceased fiancĂ©e.
If it were just fooling around with maids, it wouldnât have mattered much.
Lin Wanwan, despite researching Tang Dynasty materials, sometimes pondered the hierarchy while analyzing external factors.
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But when it came to herself, she couldnât help but carry the thinking of modern equality.
In daily life, she respected even slaves as if they were workers, naturally not caring about class like the natives of the Great Tang.
She wouldnât automatically place herself below the offspring of prominent families.
Even when facing Li Shimin and Empress Zhangsun, she had an "outsider" attitude towards the Great Tang, unable to adopt the native mindset.
The gap between her and the Great Tang natives spanned nearly 1,400 years. Itâs not just a "generation gap," but a chasm, an insurmountable divide!
Therefore, her views naturally differed entirely from Aunt Xiaoâs.
To Aunt Xiao, Lin Wanwan was a cursed star, bringing misfortune to her parents, tribe, and fiancé. If she could disregard these and let her son marry Lin Wanwan, it would already be a great honor, and Lin Wanwan had no reason to be dissatisfied. On the contrary, she should be grateful and appreciative.
After all, her precious son Pang Baoyan was about to pull some strings to become a Money Catching Official. If he lasted a year, he could officially be selected for office, with a limitless future.
Therefore, when Aunt Xiao heard Lin Wanwanâs seemingly surprised remarks, she was truly furious.
"Marriage is a serious matter; how could Aunt speak carelessly? Every word is true," said Aunt Xiao. "Wanwan, since you have no parents or brothers, if you agree, I, Aunt, will act as your mother and proceed with the six rituals."
Lin Wanwan shook her head and said, "Aunt, I grew up in the mountains with my master, the least familiar with worldly rules, and I am nothing but an ordinary woman. How could I aspire to marry Cousin? I ask Aunt to seek another suitable match."
Having said that, Lin Wanwan supported herself with the tea table to stand up and gave Aunt Xiao a courtesy bow before turning to leave the room without waiting for another word.
Just as she stepped out the door, she heard the sound of breaking porcelain from Aunt Xiaoâs room, clearly a sign of anger.
However, Lin Wanwan couldnât care less about Aunt Xiaoâs mood. After such a conversation tonight, she had to leave the Pang Family by tomorrow.
She was not willing to live under the same roof with those who coveted her.
Back in her room, she locked the door and took a moment to look at Qingyu, who was sound asleep without any sign of waking. She smiled slightly.
After tucking in her blankets again and blowing out the candle, Lin Wanwan opened the Space-Time Gate and returned to the modern era.
At that moment, it had only been close to sixteen hours since her last departure, which equaled four hours in the modern world.
In the modern world, it was already almost five in the afternoon, and the sun was about to set.
Lin Wanwan turned on the air conditioning, changed into a modern white home outfit, and sat on the sofa with her laptop, writing her novel and taking online courses she bought, advancing to eight in the evening in the blink of an eye.
At this time, some noise came from outside the small courtyard, so Lin Wanwan put down her laptop, slipped on slippers, and threw on a down jacket to check outside.
She found that the house next door was moving, which explained the noise.
What interesting neighbors, moving at night, could it be theyâre part of the working class with no time during the day?
Having already made a formal appearance, Lin Wanwan planned to play in Changâan for a few more days, collecting some famous calligraphy and paintings before leaving, not intending to greet this neighbor.
Just as she was about to head back to her courtyard, a familiar figure caught her eye over the low fence.
That tall and unique charismatic figure could only be Lu Shouyue.
Lin Wanwan stared, dumbfounded, as the handsome Lu Shouyue looked back and smiled, "Wanwan, can I come over for dinner? Iâm a bit hungry."
"Ah?" Lin Wanwan snapped back to her senses, "Oh, sure."
Lu Shouyue soon crossed the fence and followed Lin Wanwan into her small courtyard house, naturally taking off his coat and asking, "Wanwan, do you have anything to eat?"
Lin Wanwan went to the fridge, opened it, and looked inside. Turning back, she said, "We only have eggs, noodles, and tomatoes left. How about tomato and egg noodles?"
Those were leftovers from what she bought yesterday.
Lu Shouyue crossed his arms, smiling from the side, "Sure, anything is fine."
Lin Wanwan then washed her hands and cooked the noodles, and before long, a bowl of tomato and egg noodles was ready.
After handing it to Lu Shouyue, she couldnât help but ask, "Mr. Lu, why did you move next door? Arenât you going back to Yongcheng?"
Lu Shouyue lifted his deep eyes towards Lin Wanwan, saying, "Our kind of shop doesnât have business every day. Itâs been quite idle lately, so I thought to experience the history in the Ancient City."
"Oh, I see. What a coincidence, hehe."
Experiencing history, Lin Wanwan didnât believe a word. She wasnât truly naive. The fact that he suddenly moved next door, what it meant wasnât hard to guess.