Something important.
Yuan Zhao ran to the livestock rental yard and found the manager who had previously sold him his ox and was also a regular customer of his stall.
“I want to buy a horse. Can you give me a discount?”
“Boss Yuan! Your stall is doing so well—at least let me earn some profit!” the manager joked.
“I work from dawn till night just to earn enough for one ox. You should be the one helping me out,” Yuan Zhao replied smoothly. “Besides, if I bring people here in the future, I’ll still come straight to you. Isn’t that more business for you?”
Horses were used by wealthy families. Normally, having an ox was enough, but Yuan Zhao didn’t want to see his family squeezed uncomfortably on the cart.
He couldn’t bear it. It would make him want to cry.
If they had a horse and could turn it into a carriage, Shi Wu Xiang and the others could ride comfortably into town, while he drove the ox cart himself. No more crowding, and everything would be much more convenient.
Fortunately, with the carriage, things became much more convenient. Yuan Zhao’s ox cart was now used only for carrying goods, while Madam Shi Zhang and Yuan Wen sat in the carriage instead, so two people no longer had to suffer the cold.
Yuan Zhao set up his stall as usual. After hearing what the scholars had said the day before, he deliberately prepared more batter. Unexpectedly, even more people came to buy rolled pancakes.
He was a little puzzled, but didn’t dare ask too much—those customers looked even more embarrassed than he did.
“They had it coming! Who told them to pick the cheap, bad ones?” a regular customer couldn’t help but sneer. “I heard several people got diarrhea after eating them! They saved a few coins buying cheap pancakes, then spent it all on medicine instead!”
“Exactly. Same kind of food, but if it’s sold that cheap, how could it be any good?”
“I’ve got relatives whose son studies at the academy. They say the academy is also selling rolled pancakes, and a lot of students got sick from eating them! I said it from the start—the seller must be unhygienic!”
Yuan Zhao couldn’t really respond to this, so he could only smile awkwardly while continuing his work.
Fortunately, he had remembered the scholars and the little beggars, so he had prepared plenty of batter. Otherwise, it would not have been enough.
Business quickly returned to its previous level. Yuan Zhao was extremely pleased. As for the two men who had once blocked him in the alley and claimed they wanted to buy his sauce—they had already been completely forgotten.
Just as business was booming, a group of patrolling constables suddenly ran through the street with serious expressions, as if something major had happened.
“Boss Yuan, I’ll come back for mine later! I’m going to see what’s going on!”
“I’m going too! Yuan Wen, I already paid you—tell your brother to make mine first!”
People’s love for gossip was almost instinctive. Even when constables were on duty, they still couldn’t resist going to watch. After all, it wasn’t their problem, so watching didn’t break any law.
Yuan Zhao could only respond briefly and keep working. He wasn’t worried they wouldn’t come back—he had already collected the money.
The constables ran down the street. It turned out they had received a report that a food stall was selling unclean food. They followed the directions and quickly arrived.
When they got there, they saw the rolled pancake stall owner still calmly selling food as usual.
They knew this stall well. The food was good, portions generous, and they even gave extra ingredients sometimes. Seeing this “imitation stall” accused of being unclean only made them more displeased.
“Someone reported your food is unclean. We need to shut down your stall for inspection. Both of you come with us,” the constable said sternly.
Without any hesitation, they directly detained the two confused men.
The speed of it all was astonishing.
Yuan Zhao was surprised when he heard about it, but not really shocked.
Many people had been saying that the imitation stall’s food was dirty and had caused illness—being caught was only a matter of time.
And with that, his own business became even better.
Business was booming, and the three of them were so busy they barely had time to breathe. When the time came, they packed up and went to set up outside the academy again.
The scholars were already waiting like hungry wolves in front of the gate. Then they saw the academy’s headmaster walk out.
He rarely left his study, so no one expected him to appear here.
Yuan Zhao had never seen him before, but the old man was well dressed and carried a strong presence. It looked like he was also a teacher.
As he walked straight toward Yuan Zhao, Yuan Zhao tensed slightly.
Was he… here to drive him away?
“Excuse me, I’d like to buy a rolled pancake, and please make me a serving of that tofu as well.”
“Alright, alright!” Yuan Zhao responded quickly. While answering, he caught the scholars at the academy gate out of the corner of his eye. They all looked shocked, as if they hadn’t expected a teacher to be eating such street food.
Yuan Zhao was delighted. A teacher from inside the academy openly eating his rolled pancake was basically like directly opposing Cui Qi—clearly standing on his side!
That was a very good thing for him.
He had originally planned to add extra portions for the teacher, but thinking of the hungry crowd of students waiting behind, he abandoned the idea.
The headmaster took his food but didn’t leave immediately. After taking a bite, he asked, “Why is your rolled pancake so delicious, while the academy’s dining hall food is almost impossible to swallow?”
“Every place has its own way of cooking. Maybe it’s just different ingredients,” Yuan Zhao replied without saying too much.
“Then can your rolled pancakes cooperate with the academy?” the headmaster continued. “Food like this should be introduced if it’s truly this good.”
Yuan Zhao only assumed he was an opponent of Cui Qi and didn’t know the internal situation, so he answered directly, “That Cui Qi from your academy doesn’t allow his relatives to do business with me. Even if he allows it now, I wouldn’t do it anymore.”
So there had really been such a thing?
The headmaster was slightly surprised. He was usually busy with other matters and left many internal affairs to Ma Fu. He hadn’t expected Cui Qi to have been able to suppress things this way.
“And why not now?” he asked again.
Yuan Zhao said frankly, “Cui Qi isn’t a good teacher. With him supporting the dining hall manager, I don’t want to cooperate. Otherwise, if I get bullied, I’d only be able to swallow it silently.”
The headmaster nodded slightly while eating. “It seems you dislike Cui Qi a great deal. Not only because of this matter?”
“Of course not only that,” Yuan Zhao smiled. “My husband used to be a student of your academy, but he was driven out by Cui Qi and Li Qingwei.”
“Your husband? Shi Wu Xiang??!” The headmaster’s expression changed instantly. Even the rolled pancake in his hand didn’t seem as tasty anymore.
At that moment, all three people at the stall turned to look at him in unison.
They didn’t expect the academy’s most promising student to already have a partner.
The headmaster was momentarily unsure what expression to wear. He had only recently returned from a trip outside the region and had heard that Shi Wu Xiang had temporarily left due to illness. Since then, he hadn’t found time to visit.
With academy affairs piling up, he had delegated many matters to Cui Qi. He hadn’t expected so much to be hidden from him.
Yuan Zhao immediately brightened. “So you also know my husband? Everyone says he was an excellent student. If not for Cui Qi and the others, he wouldn’t have left the academy!”
“I see,” the headmaster said no more.
If he continued asking, he might not like what he heard.
He had thought Cui Qi merely allowed relatives to take advantage. He hadn’t expected things to be this corrupt. If he did nothing now, he would not deserve to be a teacher.
Yuan Zhao also realized he had said too much and quickly shut his mouth.
He really was careless—he didn’t even know whether this person was friend or foe. What if he caused trouble for himself again?
Later, while serving food, he quietly asked Cheng Du, “Is that teacher a good person? I said a lot of bad things about Cui Qi… what if they’re on the same side?”
“Probably not,” Cheng Du laughed. “Why are you worrying about this? You’ve already offended Cui Qi anyway. How many more people are you afraid of offending?”
“That’s different! Being afraid is just human nature!” Yuan Zhao muttered. They were just ordinary people—how could they compare to academy teachers?
After finishing their stall at the academy gate, Yuan Zhao prepared to leave. He suddenly remembered he still needed to pay the horse carriage manager, so he told Madam Shi Zhang and Yuan Wen to go ahead first and specifically told them not to take the alley.
After paying, he walked toward the alley himself, intending to check cautiously. If those men were still there, he would immediately call the constables.
But this time, he had overthought it.
As soon as he peeked in, he saw constables already there. Instantly relieved, he walked in casually.
“Officer, what happened?”
“Oh, Madam Shi’s husband! Don’t you know? Mr. Shi said there were two criminals who often robbed people here, so we came to investigate—and we really found them! They’ve already been taken away!”
Yuan Zhao’s eyes widened slightly. Shi Wu Xiang hadn’t told him!
“What did they look like?” he asked quickly.
“One tall and thin, one short and fat. One of them was limping.”
That was exactly them.
Shi Wu Xiang really was something… he had already arranged everything with the officials without telling him, and even scared him earlier.
Yuan Zhao quickly confirmed it was the same pair and left happily.
When he arrived at the back courtyard of Fragrant Fragrance Restaurant, Shi Wu Xiang was already waiting.
“Ah Xiang!” Yuan Zhao happily threw himself into his arms.
“You’re soaked in sweat and still running out in the cold?” Shi Wu Xiang frowned slightly.
“I was worried about you…” Yuan Zhao immediately lost his courage.
Shi Wu Xiang let out a soft, exasperated laugh.
“You’re just a fool who runs around without thinking.”
Yuan Zhao didn’t dare argue and was obediently put into the carriage. He even tried to offer to drive, but was immediately silenced.
Back home, everyone quickly warmed them up with ginger soup and heated rooms.
Outside, snow finally began to fall—the first snow of the year.
Shi Wuxiang only smiled without speaking, but he clearly understood what Yuan Zhao meant.
After washing up, he burrowed into the bedding. The kang had been heated until it was wonderfully warm, and the moment Yuan Zhao slipped under the covers, he let out a contented sigh. In winter, nothing was more comfortable than a warm bed.
The cold made it hard for his hands and feet to stay warm, so he pressed them tightly against the heated kang, wriggling around under the blankets like he was rolling about.
Having just soaked his feet, the warmth still lingered on Shi Wuxiang’s face.
He clicked his tongue lightly. “What are you doing? Is there treasure in the bed?”
“I’m warming up.” Yuan Zhao stretched out a hand and patted the space beside him. “A-Xiang, come in too. It’s really warm in here.”
“Mm.”
Shi Wuxiang got under the covers. Before long, Yuan Zhao shoved his still-cold feet over to him. To his surprise, the feet he touched were already warm.
“You’re warm already?” Yuan Zhao exclaimed. “I have to warm up from the inside out. Look, I just soaked my feet and they’re already cold again.”
Feet, feet—just hearing about it gave Shi Wuxiang a headache.
He simply pulled the person into his arms. “Stop chattering. Go to sleep right now…”
“Are you that sleepy? We haven’t even chatted yet. During the day, you told the constables there were bad people in that alley, but you didn’t tell me. You scared me…”
“Mm.”
“That pancake seller got arrested, so my business has been really good these past two days. Serves them right for selling bad food. The academy was working with them, and a lot of students got sick. That’s just awful!”
“Mm.”
“I also met another teacher from the academy. He came to buy pancakes. He seemed easy to talk to, so I told him all sorts of bad things about Cui Qi. Since Chengdu says he’s a good person, he should be one.”
“…”
The only response Yuan Zhao got was slightly heavier breathing.
He puffed his cheeks and stopped talking, snuggling closer into the other man’s arms. They were still sharing one quilt, but with the heated kang, it was warm enough.
Only, Yuan Zhao didn’t expect the warmth to feel different tonight. Normally, it would get cooler as the night went on, but instead he felt hotter and hotter, even starting to feel short of breath and sweaty.
He tried to reach out and touch Shi Wuxiang, only to find himself held tightly. “A-Xiang?”
The man, deep in sleep, didn’t respond.
Yuan Zhao slowly realized something was wrong. The kang beneath him was only gently warm now, no longer as hot as when they first lay down. All the heat was coming from the person behind him.
“A-Xiang?!” Yuan Zhao slid his hand under the covers and into his clothes. The man was burning hot, yet not sweating. “A-Xiang, you seem sick. Let go of me—I’m going to find a doctor!”
Yuan Zhao struggled to pry him loose, then quickly wrapped him tightly in the quilt, got dressed in padded clothes, and rushed out, waking Madam Shi on the way and asking her to keep an eye on him.
The snow outside had stopped, but it must have fallen heavily during the night. A thick layer blanketed the ground—each step sank past the ankles.
Yuan Zhao stumbled and fell several times, scrambling back up each time and continuing on until he finally managed to bring the village doctor.
The doctor rubbed his hands and took Shi Wuxiang’s pulse. Fortunately, it wasn’t serious.
“Just a common cold from wind exposure, plus fatigue, so it seems a bit severe. A few doses of medicine will do.” The doctor had brought common herbs and quickly prepared a prescription on the spot. “Don’t wipe him down yet. Let him sweat first—he needs to expel the toxins.”
“Okay!” Yuan Zhao answered firmly. “I’ll see you out.”
The doctor waved him off. His legs weren’t that bad, and the patient mattered more, so he left on his own.
Madam Shi went to boil the medicine. Yuan Zhao, meanwhile, stoked the kang even warmer and added another quilt over Shi Wuxiang, hoping to make him sweat it out quickly.
By the time the medicine was ready, it was already their usual waking hour. With the snow and a sick person, no one had the mind to set up their stall.
Working together, they fed him a bowl of bitter medicine, followed by a few sips of tea. Only then did they have a moment to rest.
“Mother, go back to sleep. I’ll watch over him,” Yuan Zhao said. “We’re not going out anyway, and we don’t need to rush breakfast. I’ll cook later.”
Even if he tried, he wouldn’t be able to sleep.
Madam Shi understood his state of mind and didn’t argue, only reminding him to call her if anything happened before leaving.
Yuan Zhao lowered his gaze, watching the sleeping man. The handsome scholar’s cheeks were flushed from fever, his breathing uneven and strained. Yuan Zhao quickly propped up his pillow to make it easier for him to breathe.
He was actually very good at taking care of people. When he used to care for Yuan Yuan, all it took was coaxing him to drink medicine and then giving him a bit of sugar to make him happy for a long time.
Yuan Zhao pinched Shi Wuxiang’s cheeks, pried his mouth open, and spooned in a few mouthfuls of warm water, hoping to help him sweat it out.
Though Shi Wuxiang was delirious from illness, his mind was filled with scenes from the laboratory and the academy, flashing back and forth until his head ached and his vision spun.
Even in his haze, he couldn’t understand why the original owner’s memories felt so vivid.
“Hah—”
He suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze sweeping over everything in front of him.
Yuan Zhao lay beside him, apparently having sweated a bit—his body felt slightly sticky. The kang was hot, but as the sweat dried, a faint chill set in.
His mouth tasted bitter—he must have been fed medicine.
“A-Xiang, you’re awake. Do you feel better?” Yuan Zhao, who had woken up at some point, asked softly.
The sick one was Shi Wuxiang, yet it was Yuan Zhao whose voice sounded hoarse.
Shi Wuxiang blinked. “Much better…”
“Your throat is really dry. You need to drink more water.” Yuan Zhao handed him a cup. “It’s already noon. We’ve eaten—are you hungry? I can bring the food. Do you want to eat?”
“Okay,” Shi Wuxiang replied softly.
Yuan Zhao immediately hopped out of bed and went to the small side room, bringing back porridge that had been kept warm over the fire along with some dishes.
“Soft, well-cooked rice porridge, and some pickled vegetables—I’ve cut them up already.” Yuan Zhao knew sick people often lacked appetite, but he still worried. “Do you want anything else? Will porridge be enough?”
“It’s enough.” Shi Wuxiang pushed himself up, his body weak. The white inner robe made him look even more fragile, yet gave him a unique charm.
Yuan Zhao didn’t know how to describe it—he just thought it looked very good, so much so that he couldn’t take his eyes off him.
Shi Wuxiang sighed lightly. “Wipe your drool…”
Yuan Zhao immediately raised his hand to his mouth.
Dry!
“You’re teasing me!” Yuan Zhao pouted, then brightened again. “You look so good in white. It’s just not practical—it gets dirty easily. When you go to the academy, you can wear it all the time. You look really good, A-Xiang!”
Shi Wuxiang glanced at him. Over the past half year, Yuan Zhao’s features had matured. Ignoring his complexion, his features were actually quite striking—not delicate like other young men, but refined.
Especially those eyes—when he looked at someone, it made them want to give him everything good.
“Once we earn a bit more money, next year we should hire someone to watch the stall,” Shi Wuxiang said. “Or rent a shop in town so we don’t have to go back and forth.”
Yuan Zhao blinked. “That would cost a lot! I’m young and strong—I should work hard and earn money! Otherwise, how will you pay your tuition?”
Shi Wuxiang hadn’t expected him to still be thinking about that. His heart warmed—what a sensible child.
“But hiring someone doesn’t cost that much. It would save you all the hardship.”
“We’ll talk about it later. There’s still plenty of time before next year!” Yuan Zhao pouted.
“There’s only a month until the New Year,” Shi Wuxiang said.
Yuan Zhao bared his teeth. “I said we’re not discussing this now! Just focus on recovering! The doctor said you’re weak—you need to take care of yourself. And since it’s snowing these days, we’re not setting up the stall. I’m staying here to look after you!”
“Do as you like…” Shi Wuxiang sighed, handing over the bowl and chopsticks.
Stubborn as ever.
Yuan Zhao suddenly frowned. “Are you secretly insulting me?”
“Hm? You caught that?” Shi Wuxiang’s tone was vague, tinged with a smile. “You’re very clever.”
“Stop talking!”
“…”
“Coming!”
The tiled roof had a slight slope, so rainwater wouldn’t collect. But in winter, when the snow fell heavily, it still piled up—though it was easy enough to clear.
The two of them held long-handled brooms tied together. With a firm push, they could shove whole sheets of snow off the roof.
With a heavy thump, the snow crashed into the pile in the yard below. The two children holding the ladder squealed in alarm, then burst into laughter.
“Keep it down. Big brother is sleeping,” Shi Qingyue said in a low voice to stop them. “If you keep making noise, I’ll toss you into the snow pile.”
Shi Qingran and Yuan Yuan weren’t afraid of him, but after giggling a bit, they quieted down. They knew their big brother was sick—he was the pillar of the family and needed to recover.