I Am This Type of Woman

6

Notes:
Fǔ – household; official residence; mansion
Hou Shizi – Viscount; Marquis' heir
Xiangjun (Country Lord) – Title given to wives or daughters of high ranking noblemen
Gōng zǐ – title used for sons of officials or nobility (I've translated this as Lord)
Taking others' money makes your hands short – If you take money/favours from others you will have to be friendly to your benefactor and treat your benefactor well
Tanhua – Third ranked candidate in the Imperial examination system

Chapter 6 (Part 1) – Fierce Woman

Ban Hua and Ban Heng moving in unison, turned their heads around and saw a man in a plain brocade robe wearing a silver crown standing a few steps away with two guards. It looked like he had come out of the forest.

Ban Hua calmly put the shovel into Ban Heng's hands and stood up, patting away the soil on the corner of her robe. As a result, because of the dirt on her hands, the robe became more and more dirty. She simply gave it up as a lost cause and walking towards the other person, saluted him, "Greetings Count Cheng An. My brother and I are just playing a game of treasure hunt."

"Treasure hunt?" Rong Xia looked at the two siblings with their faces smeared all over with dirt. If not for the two people's riding clothes embroidered with complicated and gorgeous decoration, they really didn't look like the children of a noble house.

"My younger brother is immature. After reading a few books, he wanted to imitate those predecessors in the book who did good deeds." Ban Hua turned her head back to Ban Heng with a shut-up look. "For example, a man led by fate finds the silver he buried and breaks out of poverty and sickness and so on."

Rong Xia's facial expression was a bit complicated at the moment, but soon he laughed. Taking out a handkerchief, he handed it to Ban Hua:" Your honourable younger brother is sincere and virtuous."

"Thank you, but I don't need it." Ban Hua lifted her sleeves and wiped her face indiscriminately. What could such a small handkerchief clean? However, this Rong Xia is really good-looking and he looks so perfect when one gets closer. Shen Yu who had previously broken the engagement with her didn't have skin as good as his and his nose was not so tall and straight either.

Seeing Ban Hua not using his handkerchief, Rong Xia took it back with a light smile: "Do you need our help?"

"Forget it. This thing can only be done secretly and once someone discovers it, there will be no sense of mystery." Ban Hua kicked the two bags on the ground, and said to Ban Heng, "Go and ask the guard to tidy all this up."

"Oh," Ban Heng who saw his chance to escape this awkward atmosphere, bounced up from the ground, turned around and walked away quickly. If it were discovered that he had been doing such a stupid thing, even though he was shameless, he felt that this kind of situation was embarrassing enough to make him want to bury his face in the pit he had just dug.

"We did not mean to disturb Count Cheng An's scenery appreciation. I will say goodbye," After the guards had come and taken away the two sandbags filled with silver, Ban Hua bowed in goodbye to Rong Xia, "Farewell."

Rong Xia apologized: "I've disturbed the young lady and honourable younger brother while they were playing and I must ask the young lady to forgive me."

"You are too polite, then ... you continue?" If she were dressed in her usual splendid attire, Ban Hua would still be willing to continue the conversation with Rong Xia and appreciate such a beautiful man. But she was now wearing a men's style hair bun and her body was still stained with soil. Showing this kind of appearance to others was an insult to her god given beauty.

"Take care on your way, young lady." Rong Xia saluted Ban Hua which Ban Hua had no choice but to return. She turned around and escaped after kicking some dirt over the pit they had dug.