Chapter 7
Chapter 7
Qiao Ying had no idea that someone had called her an idiot while she was asleep. After staying at the inn for three days, the injuries on her body had more or less healed, but now she had a new worry.
She laid out the silver she had gotten from trading her jewelry on the table and counted it again and again. In the end, she sprawled over the tabletop, sinking into a state of utter helplessness.
Outside the open window came the lively sounds of the street, mingling with the breeze. It felt wonderfully full of everyday life.
Shen Qingyu listened to the commotion outside as he sipped the tea in his cup, looking completely at ease and unhurried. Hearing the girl sigh, he asked with a smile, “What are you worrying about?”
“If I keep spending money like this, I’ll run out very soon. Shen Qingyu, we can’t afford to stay at this inn anymore.”
Before, she had still properly addressed him as Young Master Shen. But ever since they had left Phoenix Town, “Shen Qingyu” had rolled off her tongue more and more smoothly.
Shen Qingyu did not mind. “We could always find a place to sleep outdoors.”
“You can. I can’t.” Qiao Ying refused decisively. She swept all the silver back into her purse, weighed its featherlight heft in her hand, and her eyes seemed to have the words “deeply worried” written all over them.
Qiao Ying’s eyes darted as an idea occurred to her. “Let’s go take a walk outside. I want to see if there are any proper ways to make money.”
Shen Qingyu smiled. “All right.”
This was a city between Phoenix Town and Yunling Prefecture, named Fangcun. Because it sat at the intersection of several trade routes, it was quite prosperous.
Pedestrians came and went along the streets, and the cries of vendors rose one after another without end.
The sunlight was excellent today as well. Qiao Ying held up an umbrella, shielding the pale-skinned youth from the brilliant sun.
Shen Qingyu’s appearance was unusual and drew many stares. Quite a few people wondered if he might be a demon, but his aura was peaceful, and his smile was warm and approachable. He truly did not look like a bad person.
Qiao Ying observed the vendors around them, muttering under her breath, “Candied hawthorn, malt candy, steamed buns and mantou… I don’t know how to make food. Hairpins and bracelets… I know even less about making jewelry. And there are demon-expelling talismans for sale too. Completely beyond me…”
Listening to her mumble the whole way, Shen Qingyu once again felt a kind of curiosity rise in him.
Where on earth did she get all this energy? The words never stopped coming out of her mouth, and she did not seem tired at all.
Something warm was stuffed into his hand again, carrying a faint, delicate fragrance.
“Freshly baked osmanthus cakes. Try one.”
Shen Qingyu tilted his head toward her. “Didn’t you say we were running out of money?”
“I did say that, but good food must never be betrayed. When it comes to filling your stomach, you still can’t wrong yourself.”
Shen Qingyu chuckled softly. “So that’s how it is.”
He held his Blind Staff in one hand and the cakes in the other, which was rather inconvenient.
Qiao Ying took out a warm cake and brought it to his lips.
Shen Qingyu took a bite. It was still that overly sweet flavor, lingering for a long time without fading. Somewhat unpleasant, yet somehow strange as well.
Still, he always faced others with a smile, so no one could guess his likes or dislikes.
Ahead, someone was beating gongs and drums, drawing a crowd of onlookers.
Qiao Ying pulled Shen Qingyu with her to the edge of the crowd to join in the excitement.
In front of the vermilion gates of Zhao Manor, the steward announced, “The Young Master of Zhao Manor will soon be taking a bride. The household needs more hands to help with the work, and the wages are negotiable. Anyone interested in working at Zhao Manor, come register your name with me.”
Qiao Ying’s eyes lit up. She lifted her face and said to Shen Qingyu, “Stand here and wait for me.”
Shen Qingyu nodded and obediently answered, “All right.”
Qiao Ying settled Shen Qingyu in an empty corner and handed him the oiled-paper umbrella to block the sun. Then she turned and plunged into the crowd. After great effort, she squeezed her way to the front and immediately said, “I want to sign up!”
The Manager of Zhao Manor saw that she was a beautiful young lady and looked rather doubtful. “Can you handle it?”
This girl had delicate skin and tender hands. At a glance, anyone could tell she had been pampered since childhood. She really did not look like some poor soul forced to go out and earn a living.
Qiao Ying also knew she looked completely out of place among the others. An idea came to her, and she pointed toward someone at the edge of the crowd. “That is my elder brother. To treat his strange illness, our family has spent every last coin. I have no choice but to come out and earn money. Otherwise, our family won’t even have money for food tomorrow.”
The Youth in Blue stood alone in the corner, as if all the bustle around him had nothing to do with him. His temperament was gentle, and he seemed easy to get along with. But it was truly a pity-his eyes could not see, and that snow-white hair of his was even more unusual. Looking at him really made one’s heart feel unsettled.
As if he sensed that his “younger sister” had mentioned him, he tilted his head slightly, and the corners of his lips curved upward again.
How rare. Though his body was imperfect, there was not the slightest trace of resentment toward heaven or others about him. He could actually be so clear-minded and open-hearted.
The manager was moved to sympathy. “All right. Register your name with me, and you can come start work this afternoon.”
Shen Qingyu’s appearance was far too eye-catching, but he had long since grown used to the gazes around him, whether kind or malicious. Aside from boredom, all he felt was more boredom.
Fortunately, very soon, those interesting, brisk footsteps came closer and closer.
“All set. I can start working and earning money this afternoon.” Qiao Ying waved the waist token she had just received in front of him. The steward had said that with the waist token, she could enter and leave Zhao Manor as she pleased.
In a perfectly pleasant tone, he said, “So, you plan to be apart from me while you work?”
For some reason, Qiao Ying thought again of what had happened in Phoenix Town.
Deep down, she had always suspected that he had deliberately let her step into the Chang Ghost’s trap, then appeared to save her right before she met a grisly end, all so she would understand firsthand how terrifying it was for a weak little ant like her to lose his protection.
There was something rather wrong with him. He would never say it outright, but back when her mention of going their separate ways had displeased him, he had used that sort of method to make “fear” take root in her heart.
Qiao Ying tugged up the corners of her lips and gave a dry laugh. “I pleaded with the steward. I said my elder brother isn’t in good health, and when I go to work, I’d like to bring him with me.”
He gave an “oh,” his tone quite amused. “Elder brother.”
Qiao Ying continued, “I also told him that my elder brother is a very quiet person. As long as he’s given somewhere to stay, that’s enough. He won’t get in the way of my work. After all, he has such a gentle and refined temperament, is benevolent and modest, and is most kind to others.”
Shen Qingyu smiled. “Mm. A gentle and refined temperament, benevolent and modest, and most kind to others.”
He seemed to be in a fairly good mood.
Qiao Ying quietly let out a breath of relief.
The Zhao family was a prominent household in Fangcun City. With the Zhao family’s only young master getting married, the affair was naturally extraordinary. Putting aside the three-day, three-night open banquet, in just these past two days, the Zhao family had sent wedding cakes to every household.
“The display may be first-rate, but I heard the master and madam don’t actually like this daughter-in-law who’s about to enter the family.”
“How so?”
“I’ll tell you, but don’t go spreading it. The Zhao family’s master and madam have only one son, so of course they wanted him to marry a girl of equal standing. But the young master wasn’t the least bit interested in any of the noble young ladies they had their eye on. Some time ago, on his way back from visiting his grandfather in Yunling Prefecture, he saved a young woman who was being chased by bandits.”
“What sort of person was that girl?”
“That girl? Supposedly, she’s the daughter of a schoolteacher. She ran into bandits while searching for relatives, and her parents were brutally killed. She was the only one who escaped disaster. I heard she’s extremely beautiful. Maybe it was that face of hers that brought a fatal disaster down on her parents. If you ask me, there’s some truth to the saying that women who are too beautiful are calamities.”
The burly woman was talking with great enthusiasm when someone beside her nudged her and shot her a look.
The woman realized what had happened, and a bit of embarrassment appeared on her face. “Er, Young Mistress Qiao, I didn’t mean anything by that. Don’t misunderstand.”
Qiao Ying put the vegetables she had finished sorting into the basket. She picked up the basket and stood, smiling as she said, “I was focused on my work just now. I didn’t notice what Aunt Wu said.”
Aunt Wu gave an awkward laugh. After watching Qiao Ying leave, she complained to her companion, “Why didn’t you remind me?”
Her companion glanced at her. “How many looks did I give you? You were the one who didn’t notice. You insisted on saying that line about beautiful women being calamities. I couldn’t stop you even if I wanted to. Don’t worry. That Young Mistress Qiao looks like she has a good temper. Since she said she didn’t hear you, it means she won’t hold it against you.”
Aunt Wu muttered again, “Such a pretty young girl, and she comes here to work with the likes of us? Wouldn’t it be better to find a rich man to marry and enjoy life? It must be that strange-looking elder brother of hers dragging her down.”
Her companion shook her head, too lazy to respond.
Qiao Ying delivered the things to the kitchen. When she came back out, she walked over to the shade of a tree and stuffed a piece of food into the hand of the young man sitting there quietly, listening to the wind and the rustling shadows of the leaves.
Shen Qingyu sat on the steps, still holding that ebony blind cane in one hand. He did not ask what she had placed in his hand. As usual, he put it straight into his mouth and took a bite. It was crisp, and as always, far too sweet.
Qiao Ying crouched in front of him and asked curiously, “It’s peanut cake. Is it good?”
Shen Qingyu said, “Passable.”
He often smiled, but emotionally, he was actually indifferent to everything.
Qiao Ying sat down beside him, pounded her slightly aching legs, and muttered, “You really are hard to please.”
Shen Qingyu turned his face toward her. “Am I hard to please?”
As if, should she give an affirmative answer, he would pursue the matter to the end.
Qiao Ying propped her chin in both hands and looked at him. The words in her mouth took a turn. “But it’s perfectly normal for good-looking people to be a little harder to please.”
Shen Qingyu let out a low laugh. “There is some sense in what you say.”
Just as he was about to take another bite of the peanut cake in his hand, it was snatched away.
“That’s enough. When you run into something you don’t like eating, you can choose not to eat it.”
The smile at the corner of Shen Qingyu’s lips froze slightly.
Listening to the noisy sound of Qiao Ying munching away, after a moment, he lowered the hand that had been suspended in midair. His fingertips, dusted with cake crumbs, rubbed lightly together. For the time being, he could not figure out exactly where that strange little discomfort had suddenly come from.