After Chen Si got punched, he indeed stopped pestering Xu He for information about Xu Shaochun. He rubbed his chest where he’d been struck and sucked in a breath of cold air, groaning softly. Half of it was genuine pain, while the other half was exaggerated.
The two women on the ox cart glanced back and forth at Xu He, their eyes openly filled with curiosity and speculation. Zhang Fangyuan ignored Chen Si and instead knitted his brows, glaring fiercely at the two women. The hand resting between his knees suddenly clenched into a fist again, his knuckles cracking audibly.
The women felt their hearts jump. They immediately withdrew their scrutinizing gazes, not daring to make a sound, and cautiously turned their heads to look elsewhere.
Xu He looked at Zhang Fangyuan. Their eyes met briefly, but neither said anything. The vest lay quietly on his lap, blocking most of the cold wind.
His hands were covered by the furry vest, and its soft, smooth texture was unmistakable against the backs of his hands.
The rabbit fur was of excellent quality and very warm. His second older sister had a white rabbit-fur scarf of her own. Even a small piece like that had cost forty coins. It was indeed warm and beautiful when wrapped around the neck, making his sister’s rosy cheeks look even more delicate and lovely, like snow-covered jade. Usually, she was reluctant to wear it.
Unless someone knew how to hunt, what ordinary family could afford such an expensive fur vest?
Xu He felt an indescribable emotion in his heart. The concern and protection that his own family and relatives had never given him were something he had unexpectedly experienced from a man in the village with a terrible reputation.
How could that possibly feel good?
The ox cart followed the main road for almost an hour before finally reaching the city. Zhang Fangyuan took out his money to pay the driver. The driver, being kind and knowing how to do business, gave them a discount of two coins and charged only ten coins.
Chen Si was still thinking about asking Xu He to bring pastries back for Xu Shaochun. But remembering Zhang Fangyuan’s heavy punch, he swallowed his words. He stood some distance away by himself, waiting for Zhang Fangyuan so they could enter the city together.
“Thank you.”
After getting off the ox cart, Xu He returned the vest to its owner and thanked him for paying the fare as well.
Zhang Fangyuan took the vest, which still retained a little of its warmth. He casually tucked it under his arm and asked, “Have you caught a chill?”
“It’s nothing serious.”
“Did you catch it from getting soaked in the rain last time?”
Xu He replied, “I’ve had a bit of a chill for a while. The recent cold weather has just made it seem worse.”
Before Zhang Fangyuan could say anything more, Xu He cut their conversation short. “I’ll head into the city first.”
Zhang Fangyuan didn’t try to hold him back. He watched the young man carrying his basket on his back hurry away, his expression thoughtful.
“When did you become so familiar with Brother He?”
Chen Si had seen the two of them talking from a distance. When Xu He left, he came over and looked at Zhang Fangyuan suspiciously.
“He’s already walked so far away, and you’re still staring at him? First, you give him your vest so he won’t catch a chill, then you pay for his ox cart fare. Could it be that you—”
Zhang Fangyuan grabbed Chen Si’s suddenly enlightened, raised index finger.
“Don’t talk nonsense.”
“Who’s talking nonsense? You’re looking after Brother He just to get closer to him so you can approach Shaochun, aren’t you? We’re all brothers here. Just say it openly. Besides, there are plenty of men in the village keeping an eye on Shaochun. You don’t have to hide it. We can compete fairly!”
Zhang Fangyuan shot Chen Si a sidelong glance, speechless, then strode into the city.
“But you’ve already arranged to meet a girl from another family. If you’re still thinking about Shaochun, doesn’t that mean you have even less of a chance?”
Chen Si couldn’t make heads or tails of the situation and hurried after him.
Following the instructions from his fourth aunt, Madam He, Zhang Fangyuan first went to buy a box of honey-scented crisp pastries. Then he bought two bolts of cloth. To show his sincerity, after purchasing the basic gifts that an ordinary village family would bring when arranging a marriage meeting, he also added a box of silk flowers of the sort young women wore.
He found the whole process terribly troublesome. He had to visit one shop after another, and there were so many different styles to choose from. It would have been much easier to simply bring two large cuts of meat to the Guang family. That would save him trouble, and the Guang family would probably prefer it too.
His fourth aunt laughed and scolded him, saying that this would violate village customs. A family that cared about proper etiquette would lower their opinion of a prospective suitor if he showed up with such gifts for the meeting.
Since his aunt had specifically instructed him to buy these things, he could only grit his teeth and enter a jewelry shop he had never set foot in before. When he asked the shop assistant about the items, the man immediately brought out box after box, both large and small.
When the boxes were opened, they revealed a dazzling array of colorful silk flowers in all sorts of varieties. Their prices weren’t determined by size but by how delicately they were made. The more closely they resembled real flowers, the more expensive they were.
Zhang Fangyuan looked at the pile of silk flowers and frowned as he fiddled with them. “Wouldn’t it be better to just wear real flowers? Wouldn’t those look even more realistic?”
The shop assistant said, “Now, sir, that’s not quite right. Silk flowers can stay in bloom much longer than fresh flowers.”
Zhang Fangyuan knew absolutely nothing about these things, nor did he have any interest in learning. He simply got down to business. “Give me two pairs.”
“What kind of flowers would you like, sir?”
“Just pick two festive-looking ones for me. They’re for a marriage meeting.”
The shop assistant was more than happy to oblige. “Certainly! I’ll pick out two beautiful, auspicious flowers for you. I’m sure the young lady will be delighted when she sees them, and everything will go smoothly!”
Chen Si was also broadening his horizons. His eyes were dazzled by the selection. “Fangyuan, why don’t I pick one for Shaochun too? I think she’d like it.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the shop assistant, who had packed the silk flowers into boxes, smiled at Zhang Fangyuan and said, “The silk flowers are fifteen coins per pair. Two pairs come to thirty coins, plus twelve coins for a gift box. That’ll be forty-two coins in total, sir. Please pay over here.”
Chen Si immediately shut his mouth. He carefully put the silk flower he had been examining back in its place.
These fake flowers were ridiculously expensive! Four flowers and one box cost forty-two coins. That was enough to buy two catties of pork. Jewelry shops really weren’t places ordinary families could afford to visit.
No wonder everyone said getting married was a major financial hurdle. It cost far too much money.
Zhang Fangyuan, however, didn’t think it was expensive. He was simply accustomed to spending money freely. Although he had resolved to become more frugal, he considered this money to be spent on something important, so it didn’t count as wasteful spending. In the past, when he had squandered money without a second thought, he had even frequented Fenglou Restaurant, where a single meal in the city could cost over a thousand coins. Even though he had spent nearly three hundred coins on these things today, he only found the process troublesome. His heart didn’t ache over the expense.
The two men left the shop.
“My mother asked me to bring back some candles and salt. How about we meet at the tea stall outside the city after we’ve finished buying everything?”
Zhang Fangyuan agreed. “All right.”
He also needed to buy a few things that were running low at home. It would be faster if they split up, bought what they needed, and met again afterward.
Zhang Fangyuan planned to visit a dried-fruit shop to buy some snacks for Xiaomao. On his way there, he passed a small medical clinic.
“Our clinic doesn’t sell medicine on credit or keep tabs. You pay whatever the price is.”
“Three doses of ordinary cold medicine only cost thirty coins elsewhere. Why are two doses here forty coins?”
“Food, clothes, and fabric can all go up in price. Why shouldn’t the medicine we use to treat and save lives go up too?” The young apprentice preparing the medicine said impatiently, “If you can’t afford it, just say so. It’s only thirty coins. Surely even you can come up with that much?”
Xu He opened his mouth slightly. “I don’t want it anymore.”
Hearing this, the apprentice rolled up both his sleeves. “I’ve already prepared the medicine, and now you say you don’t want it? You’re quite something, young man. You can refuse to take the medicine, but you’ll have to compensate us!”
This was the first time Xu He had encountered such blatant strong-arming. His brows knitted together. He didn’t bother answering the apprentice and turned to leave, but two men suddenly appeared at the entrance and blocked the doorway.
“Want to leave? Not so easy unless you pay up.”
The apprentice put down his abacus and came out from behind the counter. With his hands behind his back, he approached Xu He with a cold sneer.
“Well? Are you going to pay or not?”
Xu He’s heart began beating faster. He instinctively stepped backward. How could he not be frightened when several men surrounded him with such hostile expressions?
“How much money do you want?”
“The medicine was specially prepared for you. We can’t give it to anyone else now. Once we calculate the labor and materials, you’ll have to pay double!”
Xu He’s eyes widened. He wanted to pay the money just to put an end to the trouble, but he didn’t even have enough money for the medicine itself. Where was he supposed to get that much?
Just as he was at a loss about what to do, two muffled groans suddenly sounded behind him.
“Quite a crowd you’ve gathered here. What’s all the commotion about? What money are you demanding? Let me have a look.”
The apprentice watched as the two men guarding the entrance were kicked aside. A tall, burly man appeared in the doorway, backlit by the sunlight. The apprentice swallowed nervously and took a step backward.
“N-no, there’s nothing like that.”
Zhang Fangyuan threw the medicine packet at the apprentice’s face, grabbed Xu He by the wrist, and led him out of the clinic.
“Either way, seeing a doctor and buying medicine costs money. In the future, if you see a shabby little shop like this with hardly any customers, don’t go inside alone. You’re a young man, after all. The city may look peaceful with so many people around, but it’s much more chaotic than the village, with all sorts of people mixed together. There are plenty of crooked establishments that specifically prey on people who are alone and easy to bully.”
Zhang Fangyuan had spent quite some time making his way around the city, so he knew these things all too well. If he hadn’t happened to come across Xu He just now, being extorted for money would have been the least of his worries. There was no telling whether those unscrupulous people might have resorted to violence.
Thinking of this, he couldn’t help scolding Xu He.
He spoke for quite a while, but the person behind him didn’t respond with a single word. His head was hanging even lower than it had been on the ox cart, and his steps were unsteady.
Zhang Fangyuan stopped.
Xu He hadn’t realized that the person in front of him had suddenly stopped. It was true that the earlier incident had left him shaken, but once Zhang Fangyuan had appeared, he had felt relieved.
His mind was somewhat hazy and unfocused. He simply followed the big man without worrying about losing his way. However, with a sudden thud, he walked straight into Zhang Fangyuan’s back and nearly bounced backward onto the ground.
Zhang Fangyuan frowned. “Were you even listening to what I said?”
“I was. I’ll remember.”
Zhang Fangyuan was exasperated. But seeing that Xu He didn’t seem quite himself today, he softened his tone.
“Have you sold everything?”
“I sold one chicken coop and a few carrying straps.”
His throat had become so painful that he could no longer call out to attract customers. His head was also spinning, and his entire body felt unusually heavy and sluggish. He had no choice but to find a medical clinic and get some medicine. He had originally thought that a small clinic would charge less, never expecting to stumble into a crooked establishment instead.
“Are you feeling unwell?”
Xu He raised his eyes and glanced at him. His face was already terribly red, as though the heat radiating from his skin could be felt even through the air.
Without another word, Zhang Fangyuan grabbed the wrist of the man who was swaying unsteadily and strode forward.
Xu He was somewhat alarmed, but he didn’t have the strength to pull free. He didn’t even have enough energy to open his mouth and ask where Zhang Fangyuan was taking him or what he intended to do.
He was simply dragged along into a large medical clinic on the main street.
The medical clinic was a two-story building with a courtyard layout. Patients were constantly coming and going, and both the physicians and apprentices were rather busy.
Xu He felt somewhat uneasy. He had never been to such a large medical clinic before. He didn’t even know where to go to get medicine. Just as he was feeling flustered, the person beside him said, “Wait here for a moment. I’ll go find a physician.”
Zhang Fangyuan settled him in the waiting area where patients sat before their consultations. Xu He watched the familiar-looking figure walk up to the counter and speak with the medical apprentice, handling everything just as a family member would.
Perhaps being seriously ill made a person more vulnerable. In an unguarded moment, his nose suddenly stung, and tears blurred his vision.