Fourteen

In any case, he shortly briefed her through the whole process of how she would meet randomly prepared men. Men whose living standard might or might not be greater than Bai Yang Wei. But, in Cang Mang's words, "you cannot look a gift horse in the mouth. Who knows? One of these could be your Prince Charming?"

"Báimǎ wángzǐ?" Dong Mei asked though not really curious. She added another question, "what about my reputation? What will people think of me going out to see these different men, everyday?"

Cang Mang scratched the back of his head and laughed, "isn't a good reputation something you gave up on once you started chasing Bai Yang Wei like your life is already finished?"

They were still within the area where most people's homesteads were. She wasn't too sure whether someone was not in the garden and would be eavesdropping. So she didn't want to cause too much commotion by shouting or beating Cang Mang.

She narrowed her eyes at him. Then said calmly, "I still don't know why I should do this?"

Yes, she had her own reasons for agreeing but he didn't know them.

"You already accepted, you can't take it back," Cang Mang replied.

Dong Mei shrugged, "I was only trying to get rid of you," she added, "at first I was curious what you're getting out of it but now I want to know what I get."

Cang Mang said as though it were obvious, "a happy marriage with a man that actually values you."

Dong Mei's arms were still crossed against her chest. She took a step closer to Cang Mang and asked, "who says that's what I want?"

Cang Mang took a step back, "then why are you chasing Bai Yang Wei?"

"Because that's what I want," she replied, taking another step closer.

Cang Mang took a step back, "then want something else."

With a step forward, she asked, "then what will I get for it?"

Cang Mang thought for a second, "what do you want?"

Her next two steps put both of them into each other's breathing space, "a favor," she replied randomly.

"What favor?" Cang Mang asked back, refusing to back up anymore.

"Act as a disciple, you'll find out," she directly told him to follow her around.

Cang Mang raised a hand to her shoulder and pushed her away.

He asked as he keenly looked at her face, "what are you up to?"

They stared at each other for a few seconds. Dong Mei had on a knowing smirk while Cang Mang was full of questions.

Because he didn't want to dwell on it, he acquiesced, "as long as it has nothing to do with helping you get Bai Yang Wei or something like that."

Dong Mei nodded and smiled. She wasn't sure what it would be but she sure liked the sound of Cang Mang owing her.

In fact, she was so happy about it that she wanted to directly take out a chunk of meat from Cang Mang in the name of owing a favor.

Soon, Dong Mei found out that finding Cang Mang was not even half as hard as finding Bai Yang Wei.

With Bai Yang Wei, it had taken a lot of work. From finding various means to find out which places he visited to squatting outside the Bai residence just to wait for him to step out to even entering the bai residence and finding out which courtyard was his, she had done a lot.

At that time, it didn't seem like much since she was deeply infatuated. But when she compared it with how easily accessible Cang Mang was, she really felt that she had slaved some years away in search of Bai Yang Wei.

For Cang Mang, all she had to do was meander around the Bai residence. Some days, she would just be walking randomly and she would find him. Other days he came looking for her and on rare days, she would send a young village child to find him and he would arrive promptly.

Among the few reason she had to call him, her biggest was, 'this might be the favor I want to ask you.' yet it was all just to make him do a few chores for her.

Once she asked him to get her water from the pot in their kitchen.

"You called me all the way from the market just to get you water?" Cang Mang was clearly displeased.

"Wasn't it you that said to owe me a favor?"

Cang Mang didn't say anymore and directly got her the water. He handed it to her and watched her drink it happily. She even smacked her lips and asked for another cup.

When he brought the fifth, he said, "I think I'm done owing you any favors for the rest of my lifetimes."

Dong Mei looked up at him with shock. She was seated in the shed of the verandah of the Dong family main house. Cang Mang was standing next tor her so he had a full view of her expression.

"What are you talking about?"she asked, "you still owe me a favor!"

Cang Mang asked back, "what about the water I just got you?"

"Yes you got me water," Dong Mei affirmed.

"Don-," Cang Mang paused, then said, "you clearly talked about the favor just now."

Dong Mei nodded with a happy smile, "yes, it's just something I said."

When did she say it was the favor he owed her?

"What do you mean?"Cang Mang asked, "that this is not the favor you wanted?"

"En!" Dong Mei responded with a malicious smile.

Cang Mang could not refute. He could have counted it off as the favor but he knew that if he forced her to accept, then she probably wouldn't continue with their speed dating plan.

He had no choice but to swallow it and stomp out of the yard.

The next time she called him, Cang Mang was not as enthusiastic to take on the task.

"Who wants to do your chores?" He asked her, "your clearly just using me as free labor."

There were two large buckets of water on the ground next to the river.

Normally, it was the maid who did the task of fetching water but she had a lot of things to do that day so the task fell on Dong Mei. Carrying the empty buckets to the river had been no problem but then, she needed to carry them back.

She wasn't like other village girls that did that kind of work on a regular basis. Carrying one was enough to break her back. She couldn't imagine making a second journey to carry another one.

It was then she recalled the one person that owed her a favor.

When Cang Mang arrived, he immediately wanted to turn back and act like he hadn't seen anything.

Too bad Dong Mei had already spotted him and directly called him out.