Chapter 54: Walk Your Own Path and Let Others Talk

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Do they know each other? Seeing Zhang Chuwen and his sister return the greeting together, Liu Yitiao set Xiaohui down and joined the lively group, deliberately moving to Zhang Chuchu’s side. With a cupped fist, he greeted Du Zigui: “This must be the renowned Du Wei, the foremost talent of Sanyuan, Young Master Du. It is an honor to meet you.”

“Uh, and this young man is?” Du Zigui noticed Liu Yitiao standing close to Zhang Chuchu, and she did not step away, much less show any displeasure. He found it quite strange, as he didn’t recall seeing this person before. Was he a relative of Zhang Chuchu’s?

“Oh, Young Master Du, allow me to introduce you,” Zhang Chuwen stepped forward at this moment, pointing to Liu Yitiao. “This is Young Master Liu Yitiao, my sister’s betrothed. Just a few days ago, our family accepted his betrothal gifts.”

“Brother!” Zhang Chuchu chided softly, lowering her head and blushing, saying nothing more. Her bashful demeanor, however, made all the men present swallow nervously.

“Oh?” Du Zigui glanced at Liu Yitiao, surprised. For the Zhang family to accept his betrothal, he must have solved Miss Chuchu’s famous riddle. Thinking back to the challenge she had set for him two years prior, Du Zigui shivered inwardly. His gaze toward Liu Yitiao was now tinged with admiration. To win the hand of Zhang Chuchu, a woman gifted in both poetry and mathematics, this Liu Yitiao must be extraordinary. He respectfully saluted Liu Yitiao: “Young Master Liu, it is a pleasure.”

“Young master, the judging is about to begin—shall we?” Du Zigui’s attendant quietly reminded him from the side.

“Very well, I understand.” Du Zigui replied indifferently, then invited the three with a polite gesture: “The Lantern Contest is about to start. If you are interested, why not join us?”

Liu Yitiao knew his own limits. Composing poetry and verse was best left untouched if possible; if he inadvertently composed a subversive poem, it would be a grave offense. He declined with a gentle smile: “I appreciate Young Master Du’s kind invitation, but as it’s getting late, I must escort my sister home to rest. I won’t intrude further.”

“Oh, I see. That’s a shame—I had hoped to witness your literary talent.” Du Zigui signaled subtly to someone beside him, then said, “In that case, I won’t insist. Please do as you wish, Young Master Liu.”

“What? Young Master Liu is leaving? That won’t do. As a renowned talent of Sanyuan, and now favored by Miss Chuchu, your learning must surely surpass the ordinary. How can you leave without leaving behind a single line of verse?” A flamboyant scholar, wielding a folding fan even in the depths of winter, stepped forward from Du Wei’s side, blocking Liu Yitiao’s path.

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“Yes, Brother Yitiao, the Lantern Contest was arranged by Brother Zigui for the scholars of Sanyuan to exchange their talents. If you leave now, isn’t it a bit ungracious? Or is it that you secretly look down on us Sanyuan scholars?” Another scholar stepped forward, his words even sharper than the first.

“Hey, Gongsun, Peng, how can you speak this way? Brother Liu must have his reasons; we cannot force him,” Du Zigui interjected at the appropriate moment, though his tone lacked true sincerity.

Liu Yitiao picked up Liu Xiaohui and nodded at Du Zigui in acknowledgment, then turned to the two scholars blocking his way with an amused smile. “May I ask your names, gentlemen?”

“I am Gongsun Helan,” replied the man with the folding fan, raising his head theatrically.

“And I am Pang Bingchen,” the other scholar announced.

“So it is Brother Gongsun and Brother Pang. A pleasure,” Liu Yitiao nodded politely. “Brother Gongsun, you call me a young talent, but have you truly heard of me before? And Brother Pang, you accuse me of being ungracious and disdainful of Sanyuan scholars, but do you know my true identity?”

Seeing them at a loss for words, Liu Yitiao answered for them: “I am but a farmer, have barely read a few books, and never claimed to be a scholar, let alone a poet. A farmer’s work is to till the land—that is my true skill. As for looking down on scholars, isn’t that a bit far-fetched? It seems everyone here has a higher status than I do.”

“A farmer?” Du Zigui turned to Zhang Chuwen, clearly doubting that Zhang Chuchu’s chosen fiancé could be a farmer.

Seeing the situation, Zhang Chuwen stepped in to help Liu Yitiao out: “Brothers Gongsun, Pang, my brother-in-law’s family circumstances are much like ours—ordinary farming folk. He would never look down on any of you. Please, do not make things difficult for him.”

A farmer. The look in everyone’s eyes changed. Scorn. In their minds, a farmer was scarcely different from mud itself. To have spoken with such a rough, lowly man for so long was truly an insult to their refined sensibilities.

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Du Zigui at least managed a polite if awkward smile for Liu Yitiao. Gongsun Helan and Pang Bingchen, on the other hand, simply turned on their heels and left, noses in the air.

Liu Yitiao smiled indifferently; he had seen this sort of thing many times before. Even in the open-minded and egalitarian twenty-first century, there were city folk who looked down on farmers—how much more so in the Tang Dynasty? What surprised him more was Zhang Chuchu’s reaction. As soon as the scholars began to show their disdain, her brows arched in anger, and she glared furiously at every scholar present, as if it were she herself they scorned, not Liu Yitiao.

This little girl truly saw herself as one of the Liu family. Liu Yitiao suddenly thought that marrying her might not be such a bad idea after all.

Du Zigui also noticed Zhang Chuchu’s expression. Remembering the riddle she had set for her suitors in the past, he immediately dropped his contempt for Liu Yitiao. Even if Liu Yitiao were truly a farmer, he must be a farmer of extraordinary talent.

“Brother Yitiao, the judging is about to begin, so I’ll take my leave now. We shall meet again!” Once everyone else had gone, Du Wei gave Liu Yitiao a final respectful salute and left with his attendants.

“Snobs! A pack of shallow, class-obsessed people—hmph!” Zhang Chuchu fumed as she watched them leave.

Liu Yitiao chuckled and replied, “You see things clearly, Miss Chuchu, but there’s no need to let their snobbery trouble your heart. As the saying goes, ‘Walk your own path and let others talk.’ Hold fast to your own conscience in all things.”

“‘Walk your own path and let others talk.’ Though your words sound unusual, Young Master Liu, the more I ponder them, the freer they seem. I am impressed.”