Xiao Man laughed and said, "Why am I unhappy? Isn't everything the same as before?"
Lianyi shook her head. "I can't quite put my finger on it, but your smile... is different from the one you had a few days ago."
Xiao Man took off her coat, got into bed, wrapped herself in the quilt, and said, "I was very silly and naive a few days ago. From now on, I will be very strong and violent."
Princess Lianyi chuckled a few times, "Master always likes to say these funny things."
They fell silent for a moment and then drifted off to sleep.
*****
The next day, Xiaoman kept her promise and went to the street with Lianyi to buy her some nice clothes.
Shangjing was the capital of the Liao Dynasty. Although it was prosperous and bustling, it was still an uncivilized place and could not be compared with the capital of the Song Dynasty. Most of the clothes in the shops were crudely made. In addition, the place was bitterly cold, so most of them were made of fur. Even a beautiful woman wearing a dress would look like a bear and would lose all her beauty.
Xiaoman dragged her around almost the entire capital city before finally finding a silk shop.
"Lianfangzhai." Xiaoman looked up and read the nameplate hanging above the shop word by word, her brows slowly furrowing.
Lianyi noticed that the shop was spacious and bright, with a street paved with uniform stone slabs, unlike any other dirt road. Two lifelike marble lions, each as tall as two people, stood in front of the shop. Inside, colorful vases were filled with dazzling peacock tails, and the vases were spotless. Belts of colorful satin and silk hung high, like countless magnificent curtains, clearly indicating an extraordinary atmosphere.
Having been poor all her life, she was easily intimidated by this kind of aura. She quietly tugged at Xiaoman's sleeve and whispered, "Master, things here must be extremely expensive. Let's go buy furs at that shop we just visited..."
Xiao Man didn't say a word, but pulled her into the store, saying urgently, "Master! It's very expensive!"
Xiao Man laughed and said, "Don't worry, your master has plenty of money. Besides, this is called 'meeting a fellow villager in a foreign land,' it's my maternal grandfather's shop, I never expected it to open in Liaodong."
Lianyi was shocked: "Is the master of Lianfang City the master's maternal grandfather?!"
Anyone who frequents the outside world knows Lianfang City. It's not a real city, but rather a respectful title for a wealthy and powerful merchant family. Lianfang City belongs to Guo Yusheng, a royal merchant from Suzhou in Jiangnan. He practically monopolizes the silk and money exchange business. Furthermore, he lacks the typical petty and calculating airs of merchants; instead, he is generous and hospitable, enjoying associating with chivalrous figures from the martial arts world. Therefore, everyone respects him and calls him the Master of Lianfang City. His silk shops are all under the unified name Lianfangzhai.
Xiao Man nodded. Her biological mother was Guo Yusheng's third daughter. When her mother was alive, she would often tell Xiao Man about her life as a wealthy young lady when she was in a good mood. That kind of extravagance and luxury was something Xiao Man could never have imagined. Perhaps it was from that time that the seeds of her vain personality were sown.
“But I don’t know him, and he doesn’t know me.” She smiled. “My mother and I are both poor children who were abandoned.”
Lianyi bit her finger, looking at her hesitantly.
Without a word, Xiaoman dragged her into the shop, where two pale-faced young men dressed in fine silks and satins immediately came to greet them. There's a saying that big shops bully their customers, but this was practically unheard of at Lianfangzhai. Even if you dressed like a beggar, as long as you could produce some silver, the shopkeeper would treat you like royalty.
"What kind of fabric would you two ladies like?"
Xiaoman pushed the dress forward and said, "Please, both of you, choose a few suitable fabrics for this young lady."
Upon seeing Lian Yi's stunning beauty, the two boys lowered their heads and bowed, saying, "Yes, yes, please wait a moment!"
After speaking, she invited the two inside to take their seats. After a while, an old woman who looked to be about fifty years old served tea. As soon as she saw Lianyi, she couldn't take her eyes off her and said with a careful smile, "Whose young lady is this? She is so beautiful!"
Lianyi blushed with embarrassment at the praise and lowered her head in silence. The old nanny looked at Xiaoman again and praised, "You must be a member of the royal family in Tokyo or Yingtian Prefecture, right? Even your little maid is so pretty."
Xiao Man coughed but didn't speak. Lian Yi stood up abruptly, saying urgently, "She...she's my mistress! Not some maid! You, you can't talk nonsense!"
The old nanny was startled. She stared at the two of them for a while, then awkwardly apologized as she retreated, muttering, "How can a maid be prettier than her mistress! This is the first time I've ever seen anything like it..."
"Master, don't be angry! We won't buy clothes here!" Lianyi turned to leave.
Xiao Man chuckled and pulled her aside. "Don't rush, why bother arguing with an old woman? You're so pretty, you're a real asset to me. Sit down, sit down. When we buy the fabric later, I'll tailor a dress for you. My skills are quite good."
Lianyi's eyes welled up with tears again, her nose was red, and she choked out, "Master, you are so good to me..."
Xiao Man patted her head and was about to speak when they suddenly heard a commotion in the shop. The two of them peeked out and saw many people in the shop smilingly welcoming an old man in a brocade robe. They were all very respectful and clearly had great awe for the old man.
Treasure Scroll Chapter Eleven: If You Are Lowly (Part Two)
Updated: 2008-10-04 15:09:11 Word Count: 3345
I'm so touched, thank you everyone. This is the third update tonight, as a gift.
This is the third update.
*******************
"Is it the boss?" Lianyi squinted for a long time before asking uncertainly.
Xiao Man didn't speak, but then she heard someone inside call out, "Mr. Guo." Startled, she stared intently at the old man, noticing that he had white hair and beard, but was remarkably vigorous. His face didn't resemble her or her mother's at all.
Could it be his maternal grandfather?
Someone else said, "The year-end has just passed, and it's rare for Elder Guo to personally come to inspect such a harsh and cold place. Actually, Elder Guo didn't need to come in person; it would have been just as good to have the eldest or second young master inspect it on his behalf. These two young masters are quite capable these days."
The old man was very amiable. He stroked his beard and laughed, "Old bones should go out and travel more, otherwise they'll really rot at home. Besides, I've long wanted to come and experience the vast scenery beyond the Great Wall, so this trip will not be in vain."
As the group approached, Xiaoman hurriedly pulled Lianyi to her feet to avoid them, but she was too late and bumped right into the old man. Xiaoman quickly took several steps back, bowed her head, and said, "I'm sorry for the intrusion, sir."
The old man shook his head and smiled, "It's alright, but I feel bad for disturbing you two young ladies. Are you here to buy fabric?"
Xiao Man answered yes, and looked at Lian Yi: "I want to make some beautiful clothes for one of my sisters."
When Xiaoman looked up, the old man seemed a little stunned. He stared at her for a while, looking uncertain, before smiling and saying, "Liao is bitterly cold, and silk may not be enough to keep warm. Why not buy a few bolts of satin? They can be used to make overcoats, or worn over fur coats, or even lined jackets. The shop just received some new, high-quality satin... Go and show it to the two young ladies."
After saying this, he nodded slightly to the two of them, then walked into the inner room with his hands behind his back.
Immediately, someone brought up a lot of satin fabric for Lianyi to choose from. She had no idea what these things were, and her eyes were dazzled. She tugged at Xiaoman's sleeve as if asking for help, but saw her staring blankly at the slightly swaying curtain in the inner room, lost in thought.
"Master, is that... your maternal grandfather? Mr. Guo Yusheng?" After buying the fabric, he carried several bolts of satin in his arms and went out to ask her quietly.
Xiao Man paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Actually, I don't know either, maybe not."
Alas, her maternal grandfather, the one who abandoned her own mother. To describe his life as one of luxury would be an understatement. While he was drinking fine tea costing thousands of taels of silver per ounce and wearing silk garments worth tens of taels of gold per foot, she and her mother were worrying about having no food for the next meal.
Did he know that his daughter had already died of hunger and cold, and of despair?
The world is so unfair. As Old Sha said, you are destined to be lowly. Even if you were once living in luxury, you will eventually become worse than a pig or a dog.
Lowly lives are meant to be trampled upon.
The crisp, rapid sound of horses' hooves grew louder as they approached, but Xiaoman, still lost in her memories, didn't notice at all. Lianyi threw down the fabric, grabbed her waist, and leaped to the side of the street. As soon as she landed, several fine horses galloped past, brushing against her clothes, as if they were in an empty place. Pedestrians on both sides scrambled to get out of the way, screaming in surprise.
Lianyi put Xiaoman down, picked up a few stones, threw them, and shouted angrily, "How can you ride a horse like that in the market! What if you hit someone!"
The stone hit the horses' rumps, causing them to neigh in pain. Several people were thrown off, all wearing fox fur hats. They were the same Khitan warriors they had met at the Helin and Ji Inn that day.
The man riding the lead black horse heard the noise and quickly pulled on the reins, turning around to look at them. He shouted sternly, "How dare you! Who dares to stop me!"
He spoke in Khitan, which Lianyi couldn't understand a word of. Xiaoman tugged at her clothes and whispered, "It's the same person from last time. Let's go quickly."
Lianyi couldn't see the man's face clearly, but she could recognize his voice, and a wave of guilt washed over her—she still owed him three hundred taels of silver for a beaded hairpin. She bent down to pick up the fabric, grabbed Xiaoman, and started to run.
Unexpectedly, the man slowly rode up. He was taken aback when he saw Xiaoman, and then when he saw Lianyi, he suddenly smiled, took out a flowered handkerchief from his bosom to wipe his mouth, and said softly, "So it's you two young ladies. What brings you to the capital? Since you're in the capital, why didn't you come to find me?"
Lianyi kept her head down and didn't speak. Xiaoman laughed and said, "We don't know who you are, what your name is, or what you do. Why should we look for you?"
The man said, "Didn't I tell you my name? My name is Shulu. As for what I do... why don't you come to my house as guests and you'll find out?"
Xiao Man looked him up and down. Today he was wearing a royal blue long gown with large peony flowers embroidered on the sleeves, long boots and a fine horse, and a luxurious fox fur hat. He was wearing some kind of fragrance, which made him look even more handsome and his eyes were like autumn water. He was indeed a fine young nobleman.
“You look like a rich person, maybe even a prince or nobleman. We are commoners, how dare we presume to be your equal?”
She deliberately spoke very politely, because this kind of person loves flattery and isn't afraid of anything too cheesy. She played to his tastes and sure enough, she made him laugh. He jumped off his horse and walked up to her. When he saw the fine satin fabric in her dress, he said, "You're not poor either. I still remember the luminous pearl from last time."
Xiao Man said softly, "I won't take advantage of you for nothing. If you can find the money, the luminous pearl will immediately belong to you."
Shulu initially intended to laugh it off; he was a wealthy and powerful man, how could he possibly care about a mere three hundred taels? But upon seeing Lianyi's slightly lowered face, so radiant and beautiful, he suddenly recalled that upright, icy-snow-like face in white and couldn't help but ask, "Where is that young master in white? Weren't you with him?"
Xiao Man figured the white-robed young man he was referring to probably wasn't Tianji. He'd been sitting next to Tianquan at the inn that day, so it must be him. Strange, why was he asking about Tianquan?
"He's at the inn, do you know him?"
Shulu smiled without answering, wiped her mouth with a flowered handkerchief, and said softly, "Very well, you can come with me to the manor to get the change. Tonight, please invite that young man in white... all of you come to the manor, I will host a banquet."
Hearing this, the guard beside him hurriedly whispered, "Your Highness, the situation in the capital is not good right now. Yelü Chage is making trouble. At this time, it is better to be more cautious. These people may be spies. How can we easily invite them to Your Highness's residence?"
Shulu smiled but did not answer, not taking it to heart at all.
Xiao Man shook her head and said, "We're not even that close. What would I do at your place? You won't tell me what you do, so who would want to go with you?"
Shulu found her words charming and delightful, quite different from ordinary women, and couldn't help but find it amusing. He whispered, "If I were to tell you, I'm afraid you would be shocked."
Xiao Man's eyes darted around, and she laughed, "Why would I be startled? Are you perhaps a bandit?"
Shulu laughed heartily, about to tease her a couple more times, when suddenly he heard the sound of copper bells from behind. A man in black rode up on horseback without any politeness, stopped in front of Xiaoman, and looked down at her.
Xiao Man stared wide-eyed. The man was wearing a black cloak, and this time he had shaved his beard clean. His thick, long braid hung down in front of his shoulders. He lowered his head, and his peach blossom eyes shone brightly. Who else could it be but Ze Xiu?
Zexiu glared at her for a while, then suddenly raised her hand and threw something into her arms: "Here you go. Aren't you in a hurry to lose something?"
Xiao Man picked it up and saw that it was indeed the lost horn of the young dragon. She was both surprised and delighted, and hurriedly stood up, saying, "You... how did you get it?"
Zexiu said, "I left in a hurry that night and didn't realize this thing was on me until much later. I figured you were heading towards the capital, so I caught up with you. Alright, back to its rightful owner, I'm leaving now. Farewell."
Xiao Man noticed something was wrong with his left hand, which was wrapped across his chest and secured with a bandage. She grabbed his cloak and asked, "What happened to your arm?"
Zexiu snatched the cloak back and patted it with disgust: "I told you not to touch it! Who was the burden that night! Otherwise, how could my hand have been broken!"
For some reason, Xiaoman couldn't be polite in front of him, and immediately laughed and said, "You're really useless. You can break a hand bone with one slap. Don't brag about how great you are next time."
Zexiu turned around and glared at her. The cloak covering her head drooped down, revealing her entire face. Her peach blossom eyes seemed to be dripping with spring water. Shulu had only glanced at her casually, but suddenly she was struck dumb, staring blankly at Zexiu's face as if she had gone mad.
Ze Xiu suddenly noticed the flamboyant young man beside him staring intently at him, his gaze extremely unpleasant. He frowned, rolling up his sleeves as if to punch him, but then noticed the jade pendant hanging from the young man's waist, and a thought struck him. This belonged to the Khitan royal family; this freakish kid might be a member of the royal family. It was best not to mess with him.
Thinking this, he had no choice but to put his hand back, gave a cold laugh, and was about to leave when he suddenly heard Shulu say in a trembling voice, "Wait...wait. Don't go! Don't go!"
Zexiu pretended not to hear and spurred his horse to gallop even faster. Unexpectedly, Shulu caught up with him and grabbed his clothes. Zexiu turned around sharply, but Shulu, as if afraid of offending him, quickly let go and whispered, "Don't go... You... what's your name? Aren't you a mortal? Are you an immortal from the mountain...?"
Xiao Man coughed inwardly. So this guy likes men. No wonder his eyes were so strange, and he even asked about Tian Quan. Suddenly, she remembered him flirting with Lian Yi. It seemed he was bisexual, a complete pervert.
Zexiu was extremely annoyed by his tugging and wanted nothing more than to punch him in the head and smash it open. After struggling for a while, Shulu suddenly knelt down and hugged his leg, trembling as he said, "Good brother, don't go! I... I have never seen such a heavenly beauty as you! Please have pity on me, don't go!"
The scene was so disgraceful that even Xiaoman felt ashamed and didn't want to watch anymore.
Ze Xiu was furious to the extreme, but he actually smiled and said, "What do you intend to do?"