After walking a few steps, the boy suddenly asked, "Hey! Why can't women who get venereal disease have children?"
"How could I possibly know the answer to this?" Shi Jing's face flushed red, and he choked out, "I don't know."
The little boy turned to look at him and chuckled, "Hey, are you even a man? You're blushing!"
Shi Jing's face turned even redder.
Suddenly, the little boy stretched out his right hand and reached towards his chest.
Shi Jing was shocked and quickly pushed his hand away, stammering, "What...what are you going to do?"
"Ah, let's see if you're a woman. There are many women in the martial arts world who disguise themselves as men."
Shi Jing puffed out his chest: "Of course I'm a man."
The boy walked forward with his hands behind his back and said casually, "Well, that's good then."
Shi Jing had no temper. Luckily, she wasn't a woman, or she would have been touched like that.
The boy turned around and smiled: "My name is Qiao Mu. What's your name?"
"My name is Shi Jing."
"It really does look like a rock, hehe."
Shi Jing was filled with regret. Qiao Mu would order ten dishes for every meal, have fruit to whet his appetite before eating, rinse his mouth with Longjing tea after eating, and insist on staying in the top-tier guest rooms, which he would only stay in the middle one, leaving the other two empty.
Ever since he got together with Qiao Mu, Shi Jing has been laying out his money on the table every night, calculating whether it would last until he reached Lou Dong Town. He considered sneaking away, but felt that would be too unmanly. Aside from his spending habits, Qiao Mu was incredibly lovable; he spoke without restraint and acted with genuine emotion, which suited his temperament perfectly.
Oh well, money is just an external thing. Let's just consider it as making a friend with a compatible temperament.
On the seventh day, Shi Jing only had sixteen taels of silver left. He had a headache and didn't know how to explain it to his uncle. His uncle had ordered a short sword from Master Mingxiang for twenty-six taels. He had given him fifty taels of silver for the round trip, and now, before even reaching the capital, it was almost gone. How was he going to make up the ten taels shortfall?
On the eighth day, Shi Jing looked worried and only drank a bowl of porridge at breakfast.
Qiao Mu asked curiously, "Shi Jing, why aren't you eating?"
"Ah, I'm not hungry."
Qiao Mu chuckled and cupped her chin: "Are you almost out of money?"
Shi Jing's eyes lit up: "How did you know?"
He desperately hoped that Qiao Mu could be more understanding and save a little money. He was embarrassed to say that he had been putting on a show of wealth the whole way, and it had been tough for him. "Qiao Mu, can't you be a little more considerate?"
Sure enough, Qiao Mu asked understandingly, "How much do you have left?"
"Sixteen taels."
He blinked: "It's okay, we can still use it for a few more days."
Shi Jing blushed and grumbled, "No, Uncle asked me to get some things, and it's already...it's not enough."
Qiao Mu squinted and wrinkled her nose: "Do you listen to your uncle a lot?"
"Yes, I have no parents, so I must listen to my uncle."
Qiao Mu said "Oh," and then asked, "So, if your uncle makes you marry an old sow in the future, would you still marry her?"
Shi Jing blushed and said, "Of course he wouldn't!"
What if he could?
"Hey, Qiaomu, are you calling me stupid as a pig, and saying that only an old sow is worthy of me?"
Qiao Mu chuckled, gave him a meaningful look, and smiled with her thin lips, saying, "I didn't mean that."
After saying that, Qiao Mu leisurely asked for Longjing tea, rinsed her mouth elegantly, and then pointed at Shi Jing and said to the waiter, "This gentleman said that the food here is delicious and wants to reward each of your cooks with one tael of silver. Go and call them over quickly."
Shi Jing nearly jumped off the stool.
The waiter happily summoned more than a dozen cooks. Shi Jing hesitated for a moment before he managed to stay inside and escape through the window.
……..
Shi Jing looked at the last tael of silver in his hand, feeling like crying but having no tears left.
Qiao Mu rested her chin on her hand, sipped her tea, and said innocently, "Oh dear, I forgot you don't have much money left."
"Your memory is really bad."
Qiao Mu smiled and said, "I have a way for you to make money."
Shi Jing's eyes lit up: "What method?"
Qiao Mu smiled and pointed to a small building across the street, saying, "Shi Jing, look over there."
Shi Jing glanced at it excitedly, then blushed instantly—it was a brothel!
"Qiao Mu, you!"
Qiao Mu's eyes curved into crescents as she laughed, but it took her a while to stop. She then said seriously, "I was just joking with you. How about I lend you some money?"
"You have silver?"
Qiao Mu nodded vigorously, smiling adorably.
Shi Jing was speechless... "You have money, yet you spend mine like this, and so recklessly. Do you even consider me your friend?" Thinking this, he felt a pang of sadness, not for the money, but for Qiao Mu's attitude. It's said that when a man and woman are together, if the woman likes the man, she won't be willing to spend his money. Although Qiao Mu was a man, this principle should still apply to friendships. Qiao Mu's actions probably meant he didn't consider him a friend. Shi Jing's heart ached slightly.