“You sure are fast.”
Shu Rui braced one hand on his waist and panted twice, took the tea Lu Ling poured for him, and drained it in one gulp.
Lu Ling asked if he was all right, and the two exchanged a few words.
After resting a bit, Shu Rui went to check the food buckets. There was still some food left, but not much.
All told, they had not been in the market for very long—probably less than half an hour—yet everything had sold extremely well. No wonder the Street Office officers chased so fiercely; there were always people willing to disguise themselves just to get in and do business.
On the way back to the inn, they kept an eye out for the Street Office. Driving the cart and calling out at the same time, they managed to sell a few more portions.
Back at the inn, Lu Ling told Shu Rui that this time they had tested the waters. Next time, when the Street Office chased toward the front, he would turn around and sell again in the area they had already patrolled, making sure nothing that could be sold ended up carried back unsold.
Shu Rui rubbed his aching calves and said Lu Ling really had nerves of steel—today had scared him half to death.
Yet the next day, they still went out early to the market to buy supplies. At noon, Shu Rui changed clothes with Lu Ling and, as usual, headed to Qiugui Street.
They did this for four or five days in a row. Whenever they saw the constables, Lu Ling would grab the food and run, while Shu Rui blended into the crowd, pretending to be a customer buying food. It worked every time.
Selling twice a day, if luck was good and they sold for longer, they could earn more than one string of cash. If luck was bad and the constables came soon after they arrived, the street would be thrown into chaos. Even if they managed to shake off the Street Office, business would not be as good—at most eight or nine hundred coins.
Even so, after several days, they had made a decent amount. When they counted it up, it was nearly four strings of cash.
On the evening of the fourth day of the sixth month, after returning from selling food, Shu Rui told Lu Ling that they would not go to Qiugui Street the next day. He planned to buy more vegetables and meat and prepare some braised foods, so they could head out early on the sixth day of the sixth month—the Lotus Month Festival—to sell.
They would treat the fifth day as a day of rest.
Later that afternoon, Qing-ge’er, whom they had not seen for several days, ran over happily and said he would be off the next day. He wanted to come play with Shu Rui and asked what his plans were.
Shu Rui invited him to go to the market together to buy supplies. Qing-ge’er happily agreed.
Early on the fifth day, Shu Rui set out with a basket on his back. Seeing that Qing-ge’er was going with him, Lu Ling did not follow.
Lu Ling brought out some clothes, saying he was going to wash them, and asked whether Shu Rui wanted to wash his together.
Shu Rui declined, saying he knew how to wash his own, and turned to leave.
Although the festival was not until the next day, many shops were already hanging lanterns and decorations outside. Stepping out of the alley through the morning mist, Shu Rui could clearly feel that things were already starting to grow lively.
He made his way to the main street where he had arranged to meet Qing-ge’er and waited for about a quarter of an hour. The small noodle stall by the street had already sold five or six bowls, yet Qing-ge’er had not appeared.
Shu Rui found it odd. Qing-ge’er was not someone who failed to keep appointments. Had something delayed him? Or had he remembered the time wrong?
He thought about going to the inn where Qing-ge’er worked to take a look. If it was urgent, he did not even know where Qing-ge’er lived.
Just as he was about to head over, he suddenly heard someone call out, “Are you Brother A-Shao?”
Shu Rui turned at the sound and saw a little girl jogging toward him, asking somewhat uncertainly.
“It’s me. Are you Qing-ge’er’s third sister?”
The little girl nodded. “My brother asked me to bring a message to Brother A-Shao. He can’t go out today.”
As soon as she finished speaking, her voice began to choke.
Seeing this, Shu Rui immediately asked, “Did something happen to Qing-ge’er?”
Being shown concern, the little girl’s eyes reddened. “Brother wouldn’t let me say. But seeing him like that, my heart really hurts.”
Shu Rui hurriedly pulled the little girl aside to ask more, and only then heard, through her sobbing, that Qing-ge’er had been injured and was lying at home, barely able to get out of bed.
Hearing this, Shu Rui was shocked. Just yesterday, when Qing-ge’er had come to see him, he had been perfectly fine. How could he have suffered this overnight? He pressed for details, but Shan Sanmei did not know much either.
Feeling uneasy, Shu Rui quickly followed Shan Sanmei to her home to see Qing-ge’er.
The Shan family lived in a small civilian alley in the southern part of the city. They were not well-off—five people crowded into two rooms.
Along the way, Shan Sanmei explained that her father and eldest brother worked as traveling peddlers, buying assorted goods cheaply in the city and reselling them in the towns below to earn the difference.
Most of the year they were away from home, constantly on the road. Sometimes the family could not even gather together during holidays.
At home were mainly her mother, her second brother, and herself. Now that her second brother had met with trouble, there was no way to send word to their father and elder brother outside.
Entering through the narrow alley, they encountered Shan Sanmei’s mother coming out to pour water. Hearing that Shu Rui had come to see Qing-ge’er, she quickly invited him inside.
The room was thick with the smell of medicine. Qing-ge’er lay on a small couch by the window without a bed curtain. Seeing Shu Rui, he tried to sit up, only for Shu Rui to hurry over and press him back down.
“Why did you still come? It must have been Third Sister talking too much.”
Shu Rui looked at Qing-ge’er’s left cheek, swollen into a conspicuous lump. There were red and purple bruises at the corners of his mouth and around his eyes. A once delicate, handsome face now looked so battered it made one’s heart ache.
Frowning deeply, Shu Rui held Qing-ge’er’s hand. “I was the one who asked Third Sister to tell me. Don’t blame her. How did this happen? I clearly saw you just yesterday, and you were fine.”
Qing-ge’er glanced toward Old Madam Shan, who stood in the room quietly wiping away tears, and tipped his chin slightly. She called Shan Sanmei and led her out, leaving the two of them to speak.
“She’s still young. I didn’t want her to know.”
As Qing-ge’er spoke, his eyes reddened. “That jackal couple will never come to a good end. Yesterday, after I left your place, I was working in the back kitchen. The shopkeeper took advantage of the moment when no one was there and his wife was away. He suddenly stuffed a silver hairpin into my hand and told me to spend the Lotus Month Festival with him…”
The shopkeeper coaxed Qing Ge’er, saying he would first give him a small gift, and when the festival came, he would present him with something even more valuable.
“You’re such a fine, young ge’er, yet you grind away at exhausting work day in and day out. Just looking at you makes my heart ache. I keep thinking of how I can’t rescue you from this sea of hardship—so much so that I lie awake at night, unable to sleep.”
“So long as you’re willing, from now on I’ll privately set aside a monthly wage for you that’s more than twice what you earn now. I’ll also rent a large house for you in one of the outside alleys, so you can live in comfort. Whenever I find the time, I’ll come to see you.”
Qing Ge’er was badly frightened. Although the shopkeeper would occasionally flirt with him when no one was around, he had never spoken so bluntly before.
Qing Ge’er had long known what sort of person this man was. How could he dare accept anything from him? And now he was even being tempted into a secret affair, kept outside as someone’s plaything. No matter how foolish he might be, he would never do something so shameless.
He refused him outright.
With the Lotus Month Festival approaching—the time when men and women freely meet—people were stirred with springtime desire. Who knew that once the shopkeeper’s lust flared up, he would forget all restraint? Seeing that Qing Ge’er would not agree, he immediately changed his tone.
“I’ve offered you my wholehearted goodwill, and this is how you repay me, with such ingratitude? Let me make this clear: if you won’t accept what’s good, then don’t blame me for being unable to keep you here. After today, don’t come back to my place.”
Who would have thought that at this moment, the shopkeeper’s wife, hearing the commotion, would rush out? She strode up and slapped Qing Ge’er twice across the face, loudly cursing him as a shameless little wretch who seduced others.
Qing Ge’er cried as he tried to explain, laying out the circumstances, but the vicious woman sided entirely with her husband. She did nothing but berate Qing Ge’er. In her heart, she resented her husband, yet still loved him; all that pent-up fury was vented on Qing Ge’er, who was soft-tempered to begin with.
“She accused me of stealing her silver hairpin, beat me badly, and chased me out. She wouldn’t even settle last month’s wages. She said if I dared cause trouble again, she’d go to the magistrate and accuse me of stealing the shop’s money, have me thrown into jail.”
As Qing Ge’er spoke, his heart brimmed with grievance. He wanted to argue, but he had no strength to contend with such overbearing people.
Now he had not only lost his job and his wages, but had also taken a beating.
After hearing the whole story, Shu Rui was furious.
He was no stranger to that wolfish couple. He had worried about Qing Ge’er before, and never imagined that something would go wrong so soon.
His heart ached for Qing Ge’er—who had always worked diligently and conscientiously, only to suffer such humiliation and abuse from his employers.
He gently wiped Qing Ge’er’s eyes with a handkerchief and spoke words of comfort.
After a pause, he said, “This isn’t your fault, Qing Ge’er. You shouldn’t blame yourself. People like them commit such evils—who knows how long it would take for heaven to punish them. Right now, you must seek justice for yourself. You can’t keep enduring this!”
Qing Ge’er said miserably, “We have no power or influence. My father and brothers are away working. How would I dare go to their door and make trouble? They’re vicious—if anything, I’m afraid I’d end up suffering even more.”
Shu Rui shook his head. “Silly ge’er. That couple is taking advantage of your gentle nature, knowing you don’t dare make a fuss when something happens. That’s why they dared to beat you and scare you. If it were someone with a tougher disposition, do you think they’d dare?”
“No matter how you look at it, you’re in the right. Injuries can’t be faked, and your wages really were overdue. Write a complaint and take them to the magistrate’s office. The more they threaten you not to make trouble, not to go to court, the more it shows they’re afraid you’ll bring this before the authorities.”
“Think about it—if it really goes to the magistrate, who stands to lose more? They’re merchants. If they get embroiled in a lawsuit like this, their reputation will be ruined, and their losses will be far greater. The magistrate handling the case isn’t a fool—how could he be so easily deceived by such unscrupulous merchants? The laws are sound these days, and punishments for vile merchants are severe.”
Shu Rui continued, “You worked hard for them, diligently, and your wages were already low. Not only did they withhold them, they insulted and beat you. If you swallow this grievance now, they might even spread word that you were dishonest, that your character was flawed, and that’s why you were dismissed.”
“What would people who don’t know the truth think if they heard that? When you look for other work in the future, and others learn that you were driven out like this, who would still dare hire you?”
Hearing this, Qing Ge’er clenched Shu Rui’s hand. “I’m afraid of all that too. But I don’t dare go to court. Facing those imposing officials, I’m scared I won’t be able to speak clearly.”
“Officials are people too,” Shu Rui said. “They seem imposing because they’re meant to uphold justice. In private, don’t they eat, drink, and sleep just like you?”
“And if you really haven’t seen officials before, if you’re timid and afraid you won’t handle things well, then hire a litigation master to argue the case for you. They’re eloquent and will explain everything on your behalf—you won’t need to say much at all.”
“Now is a time of peace, and there are many scholars. Quite a few have taken up work as litigation masters. Since there are many of them, their fees aren’t so high. We ordinary folk rarely get involved in disputes and usually mind our own business, so we don’t pay attention to such things. When trouble does come, it’s natural to panic and worry about everything. In truth, once you muster the courage and break through that fear, it’s fine.”
“A Shao, how do you know so much about this?” Qing Ge’er asked.
Shu Rui replied, “My old home was close to the magistrate’s office. When I had nothing to do, I’d go watch cases being heard and liked listening from outside. After hearing enough, I picked up a thing or two.”
Just then, Old Lady Shan came in from outside with a bowl of freshly boiled medicinal soup. She said to Qing Ge’er, “Second son, your friend speaks very reasonably. We don’t understand court matters, so we might as well hire a litigation master to seek justice for us. Spending some money doesn’t matter—we can’t let people bully us for nothing.”
Shu Rui nodded. “Exactly. If you don’t sue that wolfish couple, Qing Ge’er won’t get his wages back, and the cost of treating his injuries will come out of your own pocket. That money would already be enough to hire a litigation master. Once the case is settled, you can demand compensation from them, which would help make up for it.”
“If you’re worried about finding a litigation master, I can go with you.”
Qing Ge’er fell silent for a moment, then nodded.
Once they had made up their minds, Old Lady Shan worried that she might hesitate later and timidly change her decision. She immediately changed into more presentable clothes, tidied herself up, and asked Shu Rui to accompany her to hire a litigation master.
The two of them headed toward the street near the magistrate’s office and found a properly registered litigation firm with a signboard hanging out front.
Old Lady Shan was indeed nervous. In her heart, seeking out a litigation master felt like stirring up trouble—something shameful and embarrassing. She didn’t dare look around and avoided people as much as she could.
But once they entered the firm, someone politely led them into a reception room, poured tea, and spoke gently while asking about the matter. Only then did Old Lady Shan feel a bit more at ease.
She was still very nervous when recounting the story, and Shu Rui helped fill in a few points.
“The prefectural city is large and prosperous, densely populated. With so many people all doing business in one place, disputes are unavoidable. Every day, cases come in from the east and south, west and north—dozens, even hundreds of large and small cases. Madam needn’t be afraid or nervous; this is perfectly ordinary.”
“Your case isn’t big, and from what I hear so far, you aren’t at fault. Please rest easy.”
After briefly asking about the nature of the case and getting a general understanding, the firm asked whether they had a specific litigation master they wished to appoint.
When told they did not, they called over a young litigation master surnamed Meng and asked them to speak with him first. If there were no objections, Master Meng would handle the case going forward.
Old Lady Shan didn’t understand these matters. She tightly gripped Shu Rui’s hand and asked him to help take a look.
Shu Rui asked the litigation master a few practical questions—about the fees, how many cases he had handled, and how many he had won or lost—so Old Lady Shan could hear.
He thought that unless this was a fraudulent litigation master, there was little chance Qing Ge’er’s case would be lost. There was no need to insist on an extremely seasoned expert.
After hearing that although Master Meng was young—just over twenty—he had already handled dozens of cases with many victories, and that his fee was only two strings of cash, Old Lady Shan felt satisfied and nodded in agreement.
“Ge’er, we truly must thank you today. If not for you, my head would still be a muddle. With the men of the house away, when my second son ran into trouble, I was both angry and completely at a loss. I had no idea what to do—couldn’t sleep all night.”
After leaving the litigation firm, Old Lady Shan grasped Shu Rui’s hand and thanked him repeatedly. “We’ve delayed you for quite some time today. Once my second son’s matter is settled, I’ll invite you to our home properly.”
Shu Rui replied, “Qing Ge’er has helped me quite a bit as well. Seeing him like this pains me. If I can help him, my heart will feel easier too.”
“Now that you’ve paid the deposit to the litigation master, he’ll take care of things from here. Since you’re paying him, don’t be afraid to trouble him. If there’s anything you don’t understand, come find me. Qing Ge’er knows where I live. When I have time, I’ll come check on him again.”
Old Lady Shan was deeply grateful. “All right, all right. We’ll follow the litigation master’s instructions.”
After exchanging a few more words, Shu Rui took his leave.
By the time he went to the Shan household and then back to the litigation firm, the morning market had already ended.
Fortunately, the city’s supply never stopped. Though it wasn’t as fresh or plentiful as the morning market, it wasn’t so late that one couldn’t buy anything.
Shu Rui looked up and realized he had wandered onto Wenqiao Street.
“Good!”
Just as he was about to head to the marketplace, he saw a crowd gathered ahead on the street, as if watching some kind of performance, shouting praise.
Since Shu Rui needed to pass that way, he walked over and joined them to take a look.
He heard sharp, whistling sounds cutting through the air, full of force. He could hear it clearly but couldn’t see anything—three layers of people were packed together like a wall. With a basket on his back, he couldn’t squeeze forward at all.
He stood on tiptoe and craned his neck, but still couldn’t see. After all that effort, he ended up overheated. Wiping the sweat from his brow, Shu Rui thought that maybe it wasn’t worth seeing this spectacle after all.
Just as he was about to leave, someone called out to him, “Ge’er, come over here—this spot’s got a good view!”
A young fellow, very warm-hearted, saw that Shu Rui couldn’t see and reached out to pull him forward.
“What kind of performance is it? Why are there so many people watching?” Shu Rui asked.
The young fellow leaned close and whispered in his ear, “Knife dancing. It’s a young lad, and he dances beautifully!”
“Huh?”
Pulled inside, Shu Rui barely had time to voice his doubt when he saw, on the platform ringed by the crowd, a figure wielding a blade in one hand—cutting, drawing, lifting, thrusting. The sequence of movements flowed like drifting clouds and running water, light and agile as the wind, yet fierce and powerful as a leopard.
The surrounding women and ge’er watching burst into repeated rounds of applause, their admiration all but spoken aloud.
Shu Rui stared, then froze for a moment. He wondered if he’d been out in the sun too long and lost his senses—why did that person look so much like Lu Ling? Unable to believe it, he looked again, more carefully.
The man wore a black short jacket with a grayish-white inner layer. His eyes were clear and cool, his expression reserved, his lean face set in a stern line—icy on the surface, yet somehow carrying a hint of sly, foolish charm… If that wasn’t Lu Ling, who else could it be?
Shu Rui was wedged among several tall men and could only catch glimpses of him through the gaps.
He stared in a daze at the figure on the platform, the blade dancing with wind in its wake, and thought: this brat wouldn’t even come out to buy groceries with him—said he was staying home to wash clothes. How did washing clothes turn into washing up here?
So he had time for this. Why had he never shown off his knife work at home? It looked like he enjoyed performing out here far more.
Look how worked up all the ge’er and young women were—faces flushed, eyes bright, smiling ear to ear, clutching their chests as if afraid they might swoon.
“He’s truly handsome. My younger brother trains at a martial hall, and his skills are already quite something, but next to this young fellow, they don’t even compare.”
The young ge’er who had pulled Shu Rui inside said, still holding onto him, “Who knows whose boy he is. If he comes here to dance with the blade again during tomorrow’s festival, I won’t even go see the lotus flowers—I’ll come right back here to watch him.”
“Tomorrow the festival rules are looser too—you can even give him a handkerchief. Today it wouldn’t be appropriate.”
Shu Rui gave a dry laugh. “Judging by the looks of him, he’s probably already married.”
The ge’er tilted his head to look at Shu Rui. “Why would you say that?”
“Look at his clothes. They’re just ordinary coarse cloth, nothing expensive, but the stitching is fine and dense. If you bought ready-made clothing from a fabric shop, garments made of this kind of material wouldn’t be sewn so carefully.”
“Usually, only someone close and attentive would be willing to spend that much effort making clothes for him.”
“Oh! You really are sharp-eyed. I was only paying attention to how well he danced the blade—I didn’t notice any of that.”
The ge’er slapped his thigh in sudden realization. Then he hissed, frowned, and added, “It’s true that ready-made clothes aren’t sewn that well, but it could’ve been his mother or sisters who made them. If he were married, you’d see at least some token from a woman or ge’er on him.”
Shu Rui pressed his lips together and didn’t answer.
The ge’er kept tugging at him. “He definitely isn’t married. Are you coming out tomorrow? Let’s go enjoy the festival together!”
Shu Rui shook his head and said the sun was too strong, that he felt unwell from the heat and needed to leave.
Without drawing any attention, he lowered his head and slipped out of the crowd, heading toward the market in a huff.
By the time he returned to the inn, it was already past noon.
Shu Rui bought sheep’s feet, pork trotters, assorted pork offal, chicken and duck giblets; also octopus from the sea, cuttlefish, shrimp, and other seafood.
As for vegetables, he chose the usual kinds suitable for braising.
“Why did you take so long? It’s already this late.”
Lu Ling was waiting at the door. Seeing Shu Rui trudging over from the far end of the alley with a basket slung over his back, moving as slowly as a little field snail, he hurried out to take the basket from him.
Shu Rui had walked all the way back under the blazing sun, his hair almost hot to the touch.
Seeing Lu Ling, he snapped, “Doing everything by yourself naturally takes more time.”
Lu Ling’s brow twitched. “Wasn’t Shan Qing with you?”
Shu Rui had meant to make a sarcastic jab, but hadn’t expected Qing Ge’er to come up.
“He wasn’t feeling well. I went to his place to check on him, then went to the market alone.”
Lu Ling vaguely felt that Shu Rui wasn’t in a very good mood. He asked, “Did someone upset you?”
Shu Rui lifted his chin and looked at Lu Ling. “Who would go out of their way to provoke me? I’m not that petty, getting angry over nothing.”
Lu Ling blinked, completely at a loss, and didn’t dare argue further—afraid that another word or two would earn him a scolding as well.
“I’ll go pour you some cold tea.”
Watching him dart into the kitchen in a flash, Shu Rui puffed out his cheeks and sat outside, fuming.
That afternoon, as Shu Rui tended the stove and braised the meats and vegetables, he took out his sewing basket and made an exquisitely crafted sachet.
On it, he embroidered a lively little deer in bright, eye-catching colors.
Worn at the waist, it was immediately obvious that it had been embroidered by a ge’er or a young woman—no one would mistake it for something made by a mother or siblings.
Holding the gleaming silver needle, Shu Rui worked with careful attention.
He thought that even if Lu Ling didn’t belong to him, since the man was staying under his roof for now, he had a duty of proper supervision.
If Lu Ling’s head ever went fuzzy and he got entangled with someone outside, that would be hard to account for.