Lulai County was small, not much larger than Fangu City. If you stood on the main east-west street when the streets were empty, you could see from west to east at a glance. However, it was undeniable that every city within the Gyeonggi Province, regardless of size, was so bustling it was almost unsettling.
Although Fang Jie had seen many cities on his journey from the northwest, even many famous large cities didn't seem as vibrant as some of the smaller towns within the Gyeonggi Province. Fang Jie only witnessed such scenes on market days in Fangu. Although still quite a distance from the capital, this small county town already boasted many valuable goods from the capital. Pedestrians thronged the streets, and the goods were dazzling.
Many things that one would never see in Fangu City were quietly displayed in the shop counters, waiting for customers to buy them. Of course, all these goods from the capital were quite expensive. For example, the rouge and face powder from Huijinzhuang cost three taels of silver for a small box, and that wasn't even the real fine stuff from Huijinzhuang. Then there's the Four Treasures of the Study from Songmozhai; it's said that a single inkstone from Huangzhou could be exchanged for a large mansion.
Even on roadside stalls, you could see gold, silver, and jade ornaments from Fenghuangtai, though Fang Jie certainly wouldn't believe these were genuine.
Because there were no delays on the road, their journey was slightly faster than expected, so Fang Jie and his three companions decided to rest for a day in Lulai County to recover their strength and buy some necessities for the road ahead. Mr. Zhuo's mount, Piglet Flower, had been behaving quite well lately, not straying again along the way. This confirmed that Mr. Zhuo wasn't lying; Piglet Flower wasn't a promiscuous pig, and it was quite picky.
This suggests that the domestic pig they encountered in that small village might truly be considered a stunningly beautiful pig, possessing a face that could shame the moon and shame the flowers. I wonder if that beautiful piglet feels lonely in the quiet nights while Piggy is gone. Leaning on the railing, gazing at the Big Dipper, I think of Piggy.
Mr. Zhuo is a very lazy person. Although he enjoys scenery and being close to nature, he doesn't like to stroll on crowded streets. Plus, his mount is rather extraordinary, so he always keeps a low profile. However, there are many cultivators within the Great Sui Dynasty, so it's not too hard to accept that mounts come in all shapes and sizes.
For example, when Fang Jie and his companions were in Hedong County, they encountered a Taoist priest with an otherworldly air riding a seven-colored sika deer. One rainy day, they all sought shelter in a dilapidated temple.
Fang Jie and his group arrived first, followed by the Taoist priest riding the seven-colored sika deer. Upon entering, the priest smugly adopted a superior air, but after seeing Piggy, he nearly wet his pants in fright. The seven-colored sika deer, practically a lucky charm that could be reported to the Emperor of the Sui Dynasty, was utterly useless. A few grunts from Piglet scared it away, and it turned tail and ran. Then, a downpour washed it all away—the seven colors were gone, the sika was gone, the antlers were gone… even the deer was gone, leaving only a bald donkey running in the rain.
Mr. Zhuo stayed at the inn to rest, while Fang Jie, Mu Xiaoyao, and Daquan went to town to buy some things they'd need for the journey. For example, Daquan needed braised meat, and Mu Xiaoyao couldn't live without her old wine.
After entering Gyeonggi Province, the most common wines they saw were the shao daozi and lao baigan brewed at Shenquan Mountain Villa, seventy miles south of the capital, and of course, the cheapest Northwest shao. Although the wines in Gyeonggi Province sounded impressive, in terms of strength, they were far inferior to the pear blossom wine from Fangu Dog Meat Shop.
Pear blossom wine has a gentle name, but its potency is formidable.
Gyeonggi Province wines have impressive names, but their potency is mild.
So Mu Xiaoyao had been in a bad mood for the past few days. Not being able to buy a satisfactory wine was, in her view, the same as Daquan not getting meat… well, that's a pointless statement.
After wandering around the streets of Lulai County for a while without finding a decent tavern, Mu Xiaoyao was so frustrated she almost wanted to go back to the inn and collapse into bed. Daquan, on the other hand, was quite interested, as it was easy to buy fragrant braised meat on the street.
When Fang Jie's eyes were drawn to a phoenix hairpin at a stall, he suddenly realized that even if he bought it, he probably wouldn't have anyone to give it to. Mu Xiaoyao had never been a woman who considered herself a woman; no matter how exquisite the craftsmanship or how fine the materials, she probably wouldn't even glance at it.
But Fang Jie didn't leave, because he felt he had indeed reached the age where he should give a gift to a woman. Although he had no other choice, buying it would only be for Mu Xiaoyao.
"Young man, you have a good eye."
A roadside vendor, seeing Fang Jie pausing to admire the phoenix hairpin at his stall, quickly picked it up and introduced it: "This is a masterpiece from Phoenix Terrace. Judging by your discerning eye, you naturally know that every piece from Phoenix Terrace is in the shape of a phoenix. Even among the ornaments made by Phoenix Terrace in the past ten years, this is considered a fine work. You seem like a friendly young man, so… I'll give you a discount, how about ten taels of silver?"
"Five hundred coins,"
Fang Jie said.
"Young man, are you kidding me? Five hundred coins? You want to buy Phoenix Terrace gold, silver, and jade ornaments for five hundred coins? You're really joking… Nine taels of silver, that's the lowest price."
"Five hundred coins,"
Fang Jie said calmly. The vendor gritted his teeth and said, "Eight taels, not a single copper coin less!"
"Five hundred coins."
The vendor, slightly annoyed, couldn't help but put the phoenix hairpin back in its box, saying, "If you're willing to buy, give me a fair price; if not, I won't keep you any longer."
Fang Jie turned to leave, and the vendor hurriedly called out, "Five taels, five taels of silver, how about that?"
Fang Jie turned back and smiled, "One tael."
The vendor shook his head painfully, saying, "Young man, you've come here specifically to sabotage my business, haven't you... One tael it is, we're destined to meet, I'll let you have it!"
Just then, a woman's clear voice suddenly said from the side, "Five taels, I'll take it."
...
...
Fang Jie looked in the direction of the voice and saw a woman in a dark green dress standing not far away. She had a graceful figure, especially her beautifully cinched waist; her waist was almost as large as Mu Xiaoyao's. She was slightly taller and broader-shouldered than Mu Xiaoyao. Mu Xiaoyao possessed a more feminine charm, while she exuded a more spirited air.
Her long hair hung down her back, adorned with a striking pure gold butterfly hairpin.
Her complexion was fair, her eyes large, and her features delicate. What drew the eye most were her red lips. They were sensual lips that stirred desire; gazing at them for even a moment could ignite a burning desire in any man.
Undoubtedly, those two red lips alone were enough to captivate many. Her lips weren't painted vibrant; they were naturally beautiful.
It was precisely because of this that Fang Jie recognized the woman the moment he saw those red lips. Then his gaze lingered on the sheathless longsword she held in her arms, and he couldn't help but shake his head slightly.
The woman in the dark green dress took five taels of silver from her purse and handed it to the vendor, saying, "Five taels, not a single copper coin less. I'll take this phoenix hairpin."
But the vendor slowly shook his head, looking earnestly at the beautiful woman, and said, "Sister, I'm so sorry… Although I really want the five taels of silver you have, this young man saw it first. If I hadn't agreed to his price, I could have given you the phoenix hairpin. The one tael he offered is a bit low, but I've already agreed, so the deal is done. Since it's done, there's no reason to sell it to someone else at a higher price."
The vendor said apologetically, "I'm sorry, but if you see anything else you like, I'll give you a discount."
This was the pride of the people of the Sui Dynasty.
He could ask for a higher price, but once a deal was made, he would never go back on his word. Even though he was just a lowly merchant, he still had his bottom line and dignity.
"Thank you!"
Fang Jie took out five taels of silver from his pocket and handed it to the vendor, saying, "One tael is for this phoenix hairpin; the rest is for your child to buy some candy."
He pointed to a little girl squatting on the ground behind the vendor, playing in the mud. Her clothes were dirty, but she had a pair of beautiful, large eyes and looked very cute. "Thank you."
The vendor didn't refuse, wrapping up the phoenix hairpin and handing it to Fang Jie, saying, "This is a replica, not a genuine Phoenix Terrace item."
Fang Jie nodded, saying, "I know, I knew it the moment you spoke..."
He pointed to the golden butterfly in the woman's dark green dress, saying, "Phoenix Terrace's gold, silver, and jade ornaments aren't limited to phoenix designs. This butterfly hairpin in her hair is also a genuine Phoenix Terrace item."
The vendor was immediately filled with admiration and couldn't help but ask, "You recognized it at a glance?"
Fang Jie shook his head earnestly, saying, "Four years and three months ago in Dali City, Southern Yan, I saw her buy it."
After saying this, he turned to look at Mu Xiaoyao.
Mu Xiaoyao, who owned many clothes but only this one style of red dress, stared expressionlessly at the woman in the dark green dress. Her eyes held no hostility, no hatred, a surprising calmness. Fang Jie knew that Mu Xiaoyao had definitely noticed the woman with the sword long ago, and he also knew that Mu Xiaoyao's heart was certainly not as calm as it appeared. A woman with a butterfly hairpin on her head and a sheathless sword in her arms looked at Fang Jie. Her slightly furrowed brows slowly relaxed, and she suddenly smiled, saying, "Looks like those two aren't really useless after all. Three and a half years have actually made you a bit fatter."
Fang Jie shook his head with a wry smile: "Shen Qingshan, can't you be a little less harsh?"
...
...
Teahouse.
Fang Jie and Shen Qingshan sat facing each other, while Da Quan pulled Mu Xiaoyao to a roadside stall to look at goldfish. Mu Xiaoyao didn't want to leave, but when she saw Fang Jie quietly wave to her to reassure her, she turned and went out. She didn't doubt that this woman would harm Fang Jie, but she worried that Fang Jie, whom she and Da Quan had painstakingly protected for three years, would be taken away by this woman.
Perhaps at this moment, Fang Jie was just a beloved toy in her eyes, but undeniably, this toy could only be played with by herself.
"I know that although Senior Sister and Big Dog aren't as skilled, they can definitely protect you, but I really didn't expect them to raise you so diligently, Little Fang Jie… You've developed so well in three years."
"Developed…"
Fang Jie repeated the word, then glanced at Shen Qingshan's full, high breasts and said, "You're very good too."
Shen Qingshan suddenly smiled charmingly and said, "Indeed, very good. Want to touch them? I know you've always liked touching Senior Sister's breasts while sleeping since you were little, but don't you think mine are more beautiful and better than hers?"
Fang Jie lowered his head, looking at his slightly embarrassed face reflected in the teacup, and said softly, "My dear aunt, it's been three years. Can you let me adjust first?"
Shen Qingshan sat up straight, puffed out her chest, and said gently, "Sure, you can adjust tonight."
Fang Jie didn't speak, lowering his head in a slightly shy manner.
Shen Qingshan looked at him and couldn't help but purse her lips, saying, "Don't pretend in front of me. I probably know you better than your senior sister. You dared to peep at me while I bathed when you were five. Do you really think you'd be shy or embarrassed just because I said a few words? If I wanted to, you'd probably reach out your hand immediately, right?"
Fang Jie looked up at her seriously and said, "I'm not shy because of you. I'm shy because you're going to take my virginity tonight, and I should ask you for a big red envelope."
Shen Qingshan was taken aback, then glared fiercely at Fang Jie.
On the street, Da Quan squatted by the roadside, watching the goldfish swimming back and forth in the fish tank, and sighed, "How come this witch is here? This woman… if she unleashed that seductive charm, little Fang Jie might not be able to resist."
Mu Xiaoyao smiled, "Don't underestimate Fang Jie."
Then she puffed out her chest confidently and said, "And don't underestimate me either."