“Master Shi, that young man from your village is here looking for you. He’s carrying a basket—seems like something urgent.”
A server who had seen Yuan Zhao before hurried up to pass along the message, then quickly ran off to continue attending to customers.
Shi Wuxiang had already arranged this with Yuan Zhao, so he immediately knew they had arrived with their purchases. After informing Zhang Xiang and Wen Hao, he went downstairs.
“Ah Xiang!” Yuan Zhao had been watching the entrance and waved as soon as he saw him.
Shi Wuxiang walked over quickly, picking up the basket at his feet. “Next time, just come inside and wait for me. Standing out here isn’t good.”
He meant that Yuan Zhao looked pitiful waiting at the door—but Yuan Zhao misunderstood.
“Oh, I see,” Yuan Zhao said easily, smiling. “Next time I’ll tell the server and wait by the back entrance. The basket’s a bit heavy—should I carry it in for you?”
Shi Wuxiang chuckled. “No need. I’ll have a waiter put it behind the counter—it’ll be easier to retrieve later.”
“Then we’ll head off first—”
“Master Shi, what brings you here? And this person is…?” Someone entering the restaurant greeted Shi Wuxiang and naturally noticed Yuan Zhao beside him. Though thin and dark, the red mark on his forehead was unmistakable.
Yuan Zhao immediately denied it, “No, no! I’m just from the same village as Master Shi. We ran into each other and exchanged a few words—I’m leaving now!”
“We’re off!” Yuan Zhao waved with a smile, pulling along the still-confused Yuan Yuan.
Shi Wuxiang watched them leave, frowning slightly. Perhaps some things needed to be clarified sooner rather than later.
Only after they had walked quite a distance did Yuan Yuan ask, puzzled, “Brother, can’t we tell others that you’re married to Ah Xiang?”
At his age, he did not understand “marriage for luck,” but he did understand that his brother had married Ah Xiang. What he could not understand was why they both told others they were merely from the same village.
Yuan Zhao fell silent. A faint, unfamiliar sense of melancholy rose in his chest.
What else could it be?
Because Shi Wuxiang did not like him.
They had the title of marriage, but none of the feelings. At best, they were just partners living together. He truly felt too embarrassed to claim the identity of Shi Wuxiang’s husband.
“Adult matters are complicated. You’ll understand when you’re my age,” Yuan Zhao said, brushing it off.
His overly mature tone made Yuan Yuan giggle. “Ah Xiang said you’re a child!”
“I’m the adult when it comes to you,” Yuan Zhao shot back.
Yuan Yuan pouted into silence.
With the rice and flour taken care of, Yuan Zhao felt much lighter. He led Yuan Yuan around the market, buying two jin of pork at fifteen copper coins per jin. If eaten sparingly, it could last a month.
Next came cloth, as Madam Shi had mentioned.
Yuan Zhao’s clothes were all thin—even his winter garments were only slightly thicker underneath. His own could wait, but the others needed new ones, especially Ah Xiang.
Now that Ah Xiang worked as an accountant and would take the exams next year, he could not dress too poorly, or others would look down on him.
Taking a deep breath, Yuan Zhao led Yuan Yuan into a fabric shop.
The shop assistant, sharp-eyed, immediately approached. “Looking for fabric for summer clothes? Come take a look!”
He was good at reading people—those who looked poor rarely entered such shops, but when they did, they were serious about buying.
“Thank you. What kind of fabric do scholars usually wear?” Yuan Zhao asked, scanning the selection.
“Oh! You’ve got a scholar at home? That’s impressive!” the assistant said eagerly. “Then you’ll want this—smooth and glossy. All the scholars in town like it. It’s soft and cool to the touch!”
He even encouraged Yuan Zhao to feel it for himself.
Yuan Zhao pretended to stay calm as he reached out and felt the fabric. It really was fine material—far smoother than the coarse, worn linen they were used to. It felt almost like scooping up a handful of water.
“Then cut me enough for two outfits!”
“And add some coarse cloth too—I need to make clothes for several people. Give me a better price, will you?”
Just like before, Yuan Zhao bargained. Seeing he was buying quite a lot, the shop assistant did lower the price, though not by much. Counting the two taels Shi Wuxiang had given him, he had four taels in total—and just these odds and ends had already cost him over one tael.
The assistant even threw in some scrap cloth as a bonus. Yuan Zhao carefully wrapped the bolts and tucked them into his basket to keep them clean. After thanking him, he left, thoroughly satisfied.
On the way, he stopped by a pastry shop to buy some sweets. He even got Yuan Yuan some fried dough treats and sugar cakes he could eat right away. The little boy had never eaten so well before—he only dared to take small bites, chewing each mouthful for a long time.
When he looked up again, he realized his brother had brought him to a bookstore.
“Brother, are we buying books for Brother A-Xiang?”
“I don’t know what kind of books he reads. Let’s just go in and take a look. If we find something suitable, we’ll buy it. If not, forget it.” Yuan Zhao said this as much to comfort himself as to explain.
Yuan Yuan nodded, half-understanding. He carefully tucked everything away so no grease would stain the books—they would have to pay for any damage.
The bookstore was quiet. It was market day and also a day off for the academy, so there were many scholars inside. Most were reading quietly, while a few gathered in small groups to talk in low voices.
The moment Yuan Zhao stepped in, he drew some attention. After all, it was rare to see someone dressed like a mud-legged peasant in a place like this.
Even the shop assistant’s smile faded slightly. “Sir, did you come to the wrong place? This is a bookstore, not the market.”
Yuan Zhao blinked innocently. “I didn’t come to the wrong place. What books should I read if I’m taking the exam next year?”
The assistant’s smile faltered, replaced with a hint of disdain. “Sir… surely you’re not the one taking the exam next year?”
“You talk funny,” Yuan Zhao replied, mimicking his tone perfectly, his sarcasm cutting deep. “You’re open for business. Even if I’m not taking the exam, I can’t come in and look? You must not have any scholars in your family—how pitiful. Otherwise, you’d understand that someone might come to buy books on behalf of a xiucai at home.”
The assistant’s expression changed immediately, his fake smile gone.
A nearby scholar who had been listening couldn’t stand it anymore. A young man in green stepped forward. “If you’re looking for books for next year’s exam, I’m afraid they’re already sold out—they’re in high demand. But if you need brushes, ink, or paper, these are very good. Our academy uses this kind for practice.”
“Thank you.” Yuan Zhao followed his gesture. “Is this the best?”
The young man smiled. “If we’re talking about the finest paper, that would be xuan paper. But for everyday writing and practice, this is more than enough.”
“Then I’ll take this. Thank you—you’re a really good person.” Yuan Zhao praised him without hesitation.
He reached out carefully—but before his fingers could touch the stack, another hand shot out from the side and snatched it away.
Yuan Zhao frowned. “I saw that first—”
“So what?”
The one who took it was Li Qingwei, followed by a few hangers-on and Cui Xiuxiu.
Yuan Zhao truly didn’t understand why this girl kept sticking with that scholar.
Li Qingwei waved the paper smugly in front of him. “So what if you saw it first? It’s in my hands now, so it’s mine.”
“Oh.” Yuan Zhao responded casually. “Then you can buy it.”
The young man in green frowned slightly. “Brother Li, that’s a bit unfair. This young man was clearly about to buy it. Why snatch it?”
Li Qingwei sneered. “Hu Lu, what does it have to do with you? I know you’re close to Shi Wuxiang, but I didn’t realize you’d even defend someone from his village. What are you—his dog?”
“Watch your words!” Hu Lu rebuked him quietly. “With conduct like yours, no wonder you have to curry favor with the teacher just to get extra tutoring. Otherwise, with your grades, you’d have been expelled long ago. And yet you still dare compete with Brother Wuxiang!”
Yuan Zhao blinked. So A-Xiang was that impressive?
“Scholar Hu, no need to argue with someone unreasonable,” Yuan Zhao said, then turned to Li Qingwei. “You’re jealous that Shi Wuxiang is smarter than you. No need to disturb others because of it.”
“What nonsense are you spouting!” Li Qingwei snapped, clearly hitting a sore spot. “You mud-legged peasant think you can compare with me? This isn’t a place for people like you! Shop assistant, what kind of business are you running, letting anyone in here?”
The assistant looked embarrassed but stayed silent. He might look down on Yuan Zhao, but he didn’t dare drive away a customer.
Cui Xiuxiu, however, looked at Yuan Zhao with probing eyes. “What exactly is your relationship with Wuxiang?”
“You like him?” Yuan Zhao asked suspiciously.
“Don’t talk nonsense!” Cui Xiuxiu glanced at Li Qingwei before turning back with disdain. “You’re shameless—talking about liking someone in broad daylight!”
Yuan Zhao nodded seriously. “And you spend your days hanging around men. Do you know what shame is?”
Someone in the crowd burst out laughing, and soon others followed.
Cui Xiuxiu flushed with humiliation. Her pride only made her ruder. She pointed at Yuan Zhao and snapped, “Who do you think you are, comparing yourself to me? Don’t you know Shi Wuxiang fought with others because he pursued me and failed?”
“Xiuxiu, stop talking…” Li Qingwei hurried to stop her.
“Suit yourself,” Yuan Zhao said lightly. “Are you buying the paper or not? If not, I will.”
Li Qingwei wanted to end things quickly. He shoved the paper back at Yuan Zhao and dragged Cui Xiuxiu away.
Yuan Zhao smoothed the slightly wrinkled sheets and carefully carried them to pay.