Zhan Chun - Chapter 18
Upon hearing that there were clothes for sale, Yichun quickly pulled Yang Shen along to take a look. Her bundle had been snatched away by Shu Jun, and the only women's clothing she could wear was the one Yang Shen had bought for her. She certainly couldn't wear this kind of clothing while riding a horse.
Just as I approached the stall, I heard the stall owner's clear voice say, "Young lady, as the saying goes, you can't judge a book by its cover, and you can't judge a book by its cover either. You can't judge a garment by its appearance alone. Look at this fabric, it looks like coarse cloth, right? Wrong! It's actually made of genuine silkworm silk. Look at the stitches, look at the workmanship! Have you ever seen such finely crafted coarse cloth clothing? To tell you the truth, I used to be a page in a high-ranking official's household in the capital. As I got older, the lady of the house was afraid I would corrupt the young master, so she found a pretext to send me away. I stole these clothes under the cover of night. Do you think the clothes the high-ranking official wears are made of coarse cloth?"
The girl hesitated after hearing his words, holding onto the clothes tightly, reluctant to let go.
The more Yichun listened to the voice, the more familiar it sounded. She quickly pushed through the crowd and peeked out, then shouted, "Little Pumpkin!"
Looking down at the clothes on the stall, she realized they were all hers! Shu Jun had snatched her bundle and then had his men sell them. And to make matters worse, he resorted to fraud and extortion, claiming the coarse cloth was made of silk and charging outrageous prices.
Upon seeing her, Little Pumpkin immediately slapped his forehead and sighed, "It's over, the business is ruined."
Yichun snatched the clothes from the stall, exclaiming urgently, "This is my coat! This is my skirt! Ah! You're even selling my old boots!"
Little Pumpkin chuckled dryly, "Sister, don't be angry. It wasn't my idea. My master forced me to do it. I didn't want to either."
She simply picked up all the clothes and angrily said, "Don't sell them! Give them all back to me! Your master has gone too far!"
Little Pumpkin could only keep laughing, looking around, trying to slip away when Yichun grabbed him from behind.
He had studied martial arts with Shu Jun for a year or two and was confident that he was a first-rate escape artist. However, he couldn't use his skills at all in front of her and could only continue to turn around and smile foolishly.
"Sister, please don't blame me, it's my master's fault!"
He had a fawning smile on his face.
Yichun said, "Where is your master? Take us to see him."
His eyes darted around, and he quickly replied, "He's not in Tanzhou right now; he's out on business and I don't know when he'll be back! How about I pass on a message for my sister? Where is she staying now?"
Yichun obediently insisted on staying at an inn, but Yang Shen pulled her aside, gently pinched her cheek, and said with a half-smile, "Your master isn't here, so we can find you anyway. Come with us now."
Little Pumpkin immediately changed his tune: "Alright, alright, I admit defeat. Come with me, I'll take you to see the master!"
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Minor chapter revisions.
Chapter Eleven
Shu Jun and Yi Chun were actually staying at the same inn, only two rooms apart.
She knocked on the door for a long time before a lazy footstep came from inside, and the door creaked open. Behind the door was that handsome and kind face, his hair loose, his clothes open, and his face full of sleepiness.
He no longer recognized Yichun, and rubbing his eyes impatiently, asked, "What is it?"
Yichun said, "Yes. Although you stole our horse, took my clothes and sold them, and you're also responsible for my junior brother's accident, you still saved us both. So I want to thank you in person. Thank you for saving us."
Everyone was stunned for a moment. Shu Jun stared blankly for a while, then widened his eyes and looked Yi Chun up and down carefully. Then he suddenly realized, "Oh, it's you... You look prettier today. I didn't recognize you."
Yichun chuckled and clasped her hands in a fist salute to him, saying, "It's nothing, goodbye."
He had just turned around and taken two steps when he suddenly heard Shu Jun say lazily from behind, "If you're going to thank me, you should at least show some sincerity and treat me to a meal."
Inviting someone to dinner?! Yang Shen was deeply moved by this person's shamelessness; there really were people in the world who took pride in being a scoundrel!
Shu Jun smoothed his long hair that hung over his shoulders and slowly said, "Actually, I exposed my identity that day to save you, which is equivalent to making an enemy of the Xiaoyao Sect. It's not too much to ask you to treat me to a meal."
Yichun thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "You're right, I should treat you to a meal. Thank you for saving my life."
Shu Jun gave a knowing smile, then closed the door: "Please wait a moment."
Little Pumpkin looked Yichun up and down and whispered, "Sister, are you really going to treat us to a meal?"
Yichun laughed and said, "Of course it's true. Would I lie about treating someone to a meal? Don't worry, I have money."
The little pumpkin looked at her again and then fell silent.
Yang Shen's expression was somewhat unpleasant. He tugged at her sleeve and said, "Senior sister, come here for a moment."
The two walked to the side, and he said softly, "Why are you inviting people over for no reason? Aren't you planning to cause them trouble?"
Yi Chun asked curiously, "Why would I cause trouble? He really did save us, so it's only right that we treat him to a meal. My master also said that it's always good to make friends when you're traveling the world."
Yang Shen frowned deeply: "Even if you're making friends, what are you befriending him for? Don't you think he has a strange temper? Besides, he was the one who caused this trouble in the first place. After rescuing people, he also took our horses, so it's like we're even."
Yichun smiled and said, "I can't figure out these kinds of calculations. Anyway, he saved us. He's so calculating in his dealings with people, and he's unwilling to suffer any loss. Isn't that exhausting?"
Seeing that she was all bright and cheerful, without a trace of gloom, Yang Shen couldn't say anything, so he had to use his trump card: "I won't pay for the meal."
Yichun wasn't annoyed at all, and patted her purse with a smile: "Don't worry, it's on me! Why would I let my junior brother pay?"
He was truly speechless.
When Shu Jun came out, he had changed into a light blue spring outfit. His features were clear and gentle, like fine jade. He seemed to often wear brightly colored and flamboyant clothes, but they suited him perfectly, without the slightest hint of frivolity.
"Let's go." He smiled, his dark, glassy eyes brimming with intelligence. "Where would you like to have dinner, young lady?"
Yichun thought for a moment and said, "I'm not familiar with Tanzhou yet. I see there's food downstairs at this inn. I can just order a few stir-fries."
Shu Jun smiled slightly: "Oh no, the food at this inn is completely inedible. I know a better place though."
“Okay, go ahead and say it.” Yichun had no objections whatsoever.
As a result, they were taken to the largest and most expensive restaurant in Tanzhou, called Haozhuang.
Seeing the magnificent buildings and the colorful lanterns swaying in the wind in front of the doors, Yang Shen's legs trembled involuntarily. He glanced worriedly at Yi Chun's empty purse. Couldn't she see that Shu Jun was just playing her? This meal would probably cost her more than she could afford, even if she sold herself.
The four people entered the manor with different expressions and were led directly to a private room. Two fragrant young girls came to offer them handkerchiefs, and they both blushed a little when they looked at Shu Jun and Yang Shen's handsome faces.