CHAPTER 203: CHAPTER 195: THE DISPUTE OVER MARITAL INFIDELITY

Although Zhang Mingliu had chosen the Goubuli buns, Tian Sisi’s intensive lady’s etiquette course still began day by day. The place of study was at the He Family, where He Xuewen had specially set aside a large room to be used as Tian Sisi’s classroom. He even went to the trouble of laying stone tiles, which made the room look much neater.

The necessary learning materials such as the piano, guzheng, paintbrushes, xuan paper, and so on, were also all prepared by He Xuewen beforehand. The He Mansion already had these items readily available. Tian Mantong just needed to take a trip by car, and it would be done. No matter the era, having a car was convenient.

The first lesson was guzheng, and indeed, the He Mansion only produced fine goods. As soon as Zhang Mingliu saw the antique guzheng set up on its stand, his eyes lit up.

"Such a fine zither, truly a fine zither! I never imagined I would see a genuinely hand-crafted zither again, what a fortune!"

Zhang Mingliu was somewhat frenzied as he caressed the guzheng, its surface gleaming with a dark red luster, as if he were beholding a peerless beauty.

Tian Sisi curled her lips and said, "Grandpa Zhang, is this zither very valuable?"

"How could you ask such a thing?" Zhang Mingliu exclaimed, deeply distressed.

"Then how should I ask?" Tian Sisi eagerly sought his guidance.

"Such a precious guzheng should not be measured with money. It would sully its purity."

Tian Sisi couldn’t be bothered to ask again; Zhang Mingliu, at first glance, seemed like a fool, looking somewhat silly. She had thought that the Old Man mentioned by Old Zhang would be a figure like Mr. Yun! Now it appears, Mr. Yun is more endearing!

In fact, Tian Sisi misunderstood Zhang Mingliu. Of course, Zhang Mingliu was not foolish, but rather quite intelligent; otherwise, the Old Man wouldn’t have praised him so highly. However, scholars always have a hint of obsession. In times of war, everyone’s heads could hang by their belts. Zhang Mingliu would spend his days contemplating how to survive and how to eliminate enemies.

Thus, romantic pleasures were a luxury to him; he didn’t even dare to think about them. Now that his life was stable, free from worries about food and clothing, his hidden scholarly obsession naturally emerged after being suppressed for decades.

Speaking of which, Zhang Mingliu was indeed a well-known playboy in Beijing back in the day. After returning from studying abroad, he was fashionable and generous, tender to women, a frequenter of the Eight Great Alley, and a darling of the girls there.

If it weren’t for Zhang Mingliu embarking on the bright path of revolution, with his erudition and charm, he would have secured a position in the literary world, not inferior to the likes of Lu Zhimo, a very famous modern poet.

Tian Sisi did have a foundation in guzheng. She remembered the basic techniques such as plucking, pressing, flicking, picking, and brushing, and she was quite adept at them, having practiced for a few years in her past life, after all.

But in Zhang Mingliu’s eyes, the fact that Tian Sisi could play the guzheng so skillfully on her first attempt showed that she had a considerable talent for it. Zhang Mingliu was secretly pleased, quietly increasing the difficulty. Seeing that Tian Sisi still played effortlessly, he suppressed the joy in his heart and instructed her to continue practicing.

In the following lessons of Go, calligraphy, sketching, English, and so forth, Zhang Mingliu found himself increasingly impressed by Tian Sisi, looking at her with more and more affection.

"Ah Nan, would you like to become a lady of status like Xu Xiaona?"

"Who is Xu Xiaona?" Tian Sisi of course knew who Xu Xiaona was, but now she had to pretend not to know.

"Xu Xiaona is a talented and ethereal beauty."

Zhang Mingliu seemed to reminisce about something, his face wearing a dreamy expression, transfixed and intoxicated.

"Oh, I get it now, Xu Xiaona is your dream lover, Grandpa Zhang." Tian Sisi purposely teased him.

"Nonsense!" Zhang Mingliu rebuked Tian Sisi in a fit of anger, but the blush on his ear tips betrayed his inward shyness.

Tian Sisi secretly laughed to herself, surprised that Zhang Mingliu could actually fancy someone like Xu Xiaona, the green tea bitch. Alas, it seems men will always be visual creatures, even someone like Zhang Mingliu can’t escape it!

Suddenly, Tian Sisi felt annoyed. She didn’t know what kind of man she would meet in the future. If she had a choice, she genuinely wished to remain single all her life, but she knew that was impossible. The Old Man He Xuewen and the He Family would never allow it.

Forget it, if it really comes to that, she could just let He Xuewen and the Old Man pick her husband for her. Her own taste wasn’t good; surely the Old Man and He Xuewen’s taste should be, right?

Tian Sisi didn’t know that her future husband was already being groomed.

Seeing his disciple unaware of his goddess, Zhang Mingliu patiently recounted Xu Xiaona’s life, emphasizing her versatile talents and stunning beauty, while only briefly touching upon the lady’s romantic escapades.

Tian Sisi watched Zhang Mingliu go on and on until she was sick of it and interjected: "Grandpa Zhang, you don’t need to go on. Let me summarize it for you, this Ms. Xu Xiaona boils down to eight characters."

"Self-centered, flirtatious, add another four, unfaithful to marriage."

"How can you insult Xu Xiaona like that? Xu Xiaona was pursuing love, pursuing freedom, she was rebelling against the feudal arranged marriages, what a great lady she is!"

Zhang Mingliu was so furious that the veins on his forehead were nearly bursting. In the Republic of China era of the 1920s and 30s, Xu Xiaona should be considered a goddess amongst China’s literary circles, and her extramarital affairs were also supported by most literati as a desire for freedom and love, particularly the male literati. Their admiration for Xu Xiaona was no less fervent than today’s star-chasing fans, perhaps even more so, and Zhang Mingliu was no exception. So, Tian Sisi’s insult to his goddess was naturally enraging.

"Can one hurt others in pursuit of freedom? If she wanted love, she could have divorced, right? After the divorce, marry her lover Lu Zhimo, why engage in an affair that’s publicly known, making her own husband wear such big green hat, especially when her husband hasn’t mistreated her, can Xu Xiaona justify her actions to her husband?"

"It’s because love can’t be restrained. Xu Xiaona’s husband was busy with official duties every day, and had a rather rigid personality, while Xu Xiaona liked romance; naturally, they were incompatible." Zhang Mingliu patiently defended his goddess.

"What romance to talk about on an empty stomach? If Xu Xiaona’s husband didn’t work hard to earn money, what would Xu Xiaona eat, drink or wear? Spending her husband’s hard-earned money and then betraying him, if that’s not selfishness then what is? I don’t want to become that kind of woman at all! Humph, I’m not learning this!"

As Tian Sisi spoke, she became angrier, threw down the book, and went out looking for something to eat, her face pouting. The matter of Xu Xiaona reminded her of her ex-husband from her past life, who was the same; spending her money and still finding a mistress. Humph, all cut from the same cloth. What was Zhang Mingliu thinking, even wanting her to become someone like that green tea bitch Xu Xiaona?