Though he did enjoy the taste of being admired by a crowd, listening to their incessant flattering words day in and day out was too much to bear. In comparison, he found the delicious food in Jiangyang Prefecture more appealing. Consequently, he didn't respond to any subsequent invites and threw them into the stove to fuel the fire.
Such an unconventional and lofty behavior naturally led to Feng Qing'an "alienating" himself from the literati in Jiangyang Prefecture. Those scholars who couldn't secure his favor felt they'd lost face. It would practically be a miracle if they spoke well of him after such an ordeal.
However, in Feng Qing'an's ears, those words were as insignificant as the buzz of flies. They might irritate him, but in a short while he wouldn't hear them anymore.
