Beneath the government office's memorial arch.
Chen Dui spoke of all manner of strange people, curious tales, and amusing anecdotes from every corner of the world. The little girl from Zhengyang Mountain listened with relish and clicked her tongue in admiration. "Big Sister, you know so much."
Chen Dui smiled. "When you grow up, you'll know many things too."
Song Jixin said, half in jest and half in earnest, "Usually, you seem like a pretty normal person too."
The woman raised her long brows slightly. "You mean that in front of your Great Li Prince Song Changjing, I should lower my brows, bow and scrape?"
Song Jixin burst into laughter and pointed at Chen Dui. "Miss, if Mr. Qi from our town school heard the way you talk, he'd definitely frown. You know what this is called? Either this or that. It's utterly unreasonable. At first glance, it sounds quite convincing, but it simply can't stand up to scrutiny. What I really mean is, of course you don't need to fawn over Song Changjing, and you shouldn't. But Song Changjing is, after all, the biggest local tyrant in Great Li, and the foremost Grandmaster of Martial Arts, isn't he? As an outsider, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. Shouldn't you be a little polite to the owner of a house? Why insist on putting on a sour face and acting like some grand old master? Fine, you put on an act—but after Song Changjing beat you half to death, you still dared to make threats to his face. I truly don't know what to say about you."
At the end, Song Jixin pointed at himself and mocked himself. "Even someone as foul-mouthed and black-hearted as me knows to assess the situation and serve dishes according to the plates."