I started out with seven husbands, and I worked hard to support my family while crying.

Chapter 189: The Shy Heroine

Long Jinyan clapped his hands, his face showing great appreciation, and kept praising him.

"Good, that's great!"

However, he didn't actually understand it at all; he simply thought it was comparable to the poem his wife had written before.

Everyone was stunned when they heard his words.

Everyone looked at each other, their eyes filled with doubt and confusion.

What the hell? Is this guy illiterate?

Murong Changqing couldn't help but mentally rant and rave.

You should know that he was the last disciple of the Confucian sage, so his requirements for poetry were extremely high.

Even the Confucian sage himself, if his poems were not very good, would stand up without hesitation and bluntly point out the shortcomings.

It was precisely because of this straightforward personality that the Confucian sage expelled him from his school in a fit of anger.

Even so, this did not deter him at all; on the contrary, it made him even more sarcastic when commenting on poetry.

"Old Zhang, this isn't poetry, it's complete rubbish! Hurry up and eat, don't waste your breath and make everyone want to vomit." Murong Changqing's merciless words were like a sharp sword, piercing straight at Old Zhang.

Upon hearing this, Old Zhang, who had been in high spirits and looking forward to receiving everyone's praise, suddenly turned as pale as a sheet.

His weathered face was now etched with embarrassment and disappointment.

Old Zhang is already quite old; how could he tolerate such merciless belittling and criticism?

His heart felt as if a huge rock was pressing down on it, making it so painful that he could hardly breathe.

He pursed his lips, lowered his head, and the light in his eyes dimmed instantly.

Fang Xiaoxiao, the shopkeeper, felt a pang of sympathy for Old Zhang when she saw her servants being bullied by her husband.

She stood up, gently patted Old Zhang's shoulder to comfort him, and then said.

"You can't say that. Old Zhang was just indulging in a bit of fun, and actually, he wrote quite well."

When Old Zhang heard the shopkeeper speak up for him, his extremely depressed mood instantly improved.

He looked up at Fang Xiaoxiao with gratitude, his eyes glistening with tears.

However, he kept his head down and dared not say another word.

After all, he was just a shop assistant, and no matter how outrageous the shopkeeper's husband's words were, he dared not refute them.

Looking at Old Zhang's aggrieved appearance, Fang Xiaoxiao felt even more pity for him.

She turned to look at Murong Changqing and said with a hint of reproach.

"Changqing, you've gone too far with your words. Old Zhang works diligently every day, and it's rare for him to have this kind of interest in writing poetry. Even if it's not perfect, we should encourage him instead of criticizing him like this."

Murong Changqing looked slightly embarrassed after Fang Xiaoxiao said that, and muttered something.

"I'm just telling the truth, his poem really isn't very good."

Fang Xiao glared at him.

"Even if it's the truth, you have to be careful about how you do it. You're hurting Old Zhang's feelings by doing this."

The others nearby echoed this sentiment.

"That's right, that's right. Old Zhang has had a tough time, we should give him some face."

Seeing that everyone was saying this, Murong Changqing realized that he might have really gone too far, so he reluctantly said...

"Okay, okay, I admit I was wrong, Old Zhang, I'm sorry."

Old Zhang quickly waved his hand.

"No, no, it was my fault for not doing well, please forgive me, young master."

Fang Xiaoxiao shook her head helplessly.

"Old Zhang, don't say that. Your poems have your own feelings in them, which is very commendable. Keep up the good work, and you might even write better and better."

Old Zhang nodded repeatedly.

"Thank you for your encouragement, shopkeeper. I will definitely work hard."

The minor incident subsided for the time being, and everyone continued eating and chatting, but a shadow remained in Old Zhang's heart.

After a meal.

Everyone left in high spirits.

Fang Xiao's steps were slightly unsteady as she led the female knight Xiaoman slowly toward her room.

Xiaoman looked somewhat anxious; her heart was pounding like a deer.

This was the first time she had ever met someone who cared for her so much.

Previously, even the Crown Prince only visited her once, out of concern among subordinates, after she was injured on the face.

Fang Xiaoxiao reached out and pushed open the door. The room was filled with a faint scent of incense. She was slightly drunk, and her face was flushed.

"Xiaoman, come in quickly, we'll sleep here tonight," she said sweetly, pointing to the cozy room in front of her.

Although the room was not large, it was fully furnished. The eight-immortal table stood steadily in the center of the room, and on the desk were neatly arranged writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. The wooden bed frame with its exquisite carvings looked particularly elegant, and the wooden wardrobe exuded a faint fragrance of wood.

Xiaoman stepped into the room, her eyes looking around curiously, filled with envy.

She had never stayed in such a refined place before. In the past, she almost always slept on the ground. Even if she could stay in a simple inn room once in a while, she spent most of her time in caves in the mountains.

Thinking of this, a strange warmth welled up in her heart.

Okay, I wish I could stay in such a warm place forever. Xiaoman thought to herself, and before she knew it, she was lost in thought.

When Fang Xiaoxiao saw her standing blankly at the door, she thought she had drunk too much and couldn't even walk.

He immediately reached out and grabbed her slender wrist, teasingly saying, "Hurry up and come in. Your alcohol tolerance is worse than mine. You should drink less next time."

"It's too cold today, come inside and warm up." With that, Fang Xiaoxiao gently pulled Xiaoman inside.

After the two entered the house, Fang Xiaoxiao disregarded any consequences. Perhaps it was because she was drunk, or perhaps it was because she had lost her composure in front of familiar people, she immediately began to take off her long dress.

Her bold move instantly made Xiaoman blush and feel shy.

Keep in mind, this was the first time she had ever slept in a room with a girl.

Previously, I was almost always alone, going to sleep by myself.

Xiaoman stood there, clutching the hem of her clothes tightly with both hands, not knowing what to do.

After taking off her long dress, Fang Xiaoxiao looked at Xiaoman's shy appearance and couldn't help but giggle: "Xiaoman, you little rascal, are you shy? We're both girls, what's there to be afraid of?"

Xiaoman bit her lip and whispered, "Sister, I...I'm not used to it yet."

Fang Xiaoxiao walked to her side and gently patted her shoulder: "You'll get used to it slowly. Come on, let's go to sleep."

As he spoke, he pulled Xiaoman toward the bedside.