Mo Zi turned to look but only saw the young woman’s back—cloth skirt and silver hairpin, very ordinary, quite different from the person she had in mind.
“What is it?” Xiao Yi asked.
“Nothing, I mistook her for someone I know.” Mo Zi smiled. “Zan Jin is keeping watch outside. Don’t get nervous over nothing.”
After Xiao Yi returned to her martial brothers, not only did her skills advance, but her vigilance toward the environment also strengthened. Although Mo Zi said this, she still looked at that woman several times, only stopping after confirming the other party wasn’t a dangerous person.
“Pawnshop owners don’t recognize quality, but you’re in the jewelry trade—you can’t not know this is a good item. Look at it. This pendant of mine is worth more than all the goods in your shop combined.” The woman presented the jade pendant.
With one glance, the shopkeeper knew it was indeed a rare treasure, but he was a principled merchant. “Miss, your pendant is good, but my small shop cannot accommodate such a grand Buddha. If I buy it, who would I sell it to?”
“Your shop may be small, but your items aren’t cheap. A wooden hairpin can sell for twenty taels of silver, and a copper arm ring costs a hundred taels. Customers who come to your place certainly aren’t poor either. Those who recognize quality will naturally like this pendant. I’ll sell it to you for two hundred taels—that’s quite cheap.”
Listening, Mo Zi only felt this young woman was clever in excess but lacking in experience.
The shopkeeper scoffed. “Miss, the one who doesn’t recognize quality is you yourself. My wooden hairpin is a Fozhen Studio product. Though the wood is ordinary, the carving skill is unparalleled. The copper ring is the Golden Snake and Crane—turn it around and it’s a complete folk tale. The casting mold was destroyed after use—there’s only this one in the world. As for your pendant, the jade is top-grade quality, but northern craftsmanship always falls a bit short of the south. This hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix pattern is also old-fashioned, and it’s been used for some years. Forget two hundred taels—I wouldn’t want it for even twenty taels. My customers don’t fancy this sort of thing.”
“How is northern craftsmanship inferior to the south?” The young woman flared up. “This jade pendant is the proud work of a palace master craftsman. The value of this piece of jade alone is considerable.”
“Shopkeeper, that arm ring you just mentioned—take it out and let me look at it.” Luo Ying was focused on her husband, picking out words that caught her ear.
The shopkeeper hastily left the young woman aside to attend to those who genuinely came to do business with him.
The young woman huffed and walked away without looking back.
The shopkeeper chatted idly about this matter. “Looks like she’s been starving for several days, yet unexpectedly has such a valuable item in hand. Most likely her family encountered disaster and hardship. They say a phoenix in distress is worse than a chicken. What a pity for that young woman—pretty but attracting bad people’s eyes. It’s only a matter of time before her money runs out. That piece of jade will still have to go to a pawnshop in the end. She’d be lucky to get twenty taels for it.”
Mo Zi listened without speaking. Such were the ways of the world—one couldn’t help everyone encountered.
Luo Ying used all the silver on her person to buy the Golden Snake ring, so the flower drum hairpin she fancied couldn’t be purchased. Mo Zi wanted to help her cover it, but she firmly refused. Thunder Quake Gate disciples obtained wealth properly. Reportedly, they were originally a group of martial fanatics pursuing the highest realm of kung fu with no concept of money, living in deep mountains with simple food and clothing. Later, when surrounded and attacked by so-called righteous sects using various expensive custom-made hidden weapons and sharp implements, they discovered money had this use. Then a God of Wealth named Yuan fell from heaven, and from then on they swore lifelong loyalty. The Thunder Quake Gate leader said that without the worry of poverty, one could truly devote body and mind to martial arts practice. However, although Yuan Cheng managed Thunder Quake Gate’s account books, the disciples still maintained the excellent virtue of diligence and frugality—or rather, they truly had little need for silver.
Coming out of the shop, they couldn’t find Zan Jin for a moment.
“Brother Zan couldn’t have gone off to slack, could he?” Luo Ying had spent all her silver but was in an excellent mood.
“Zan Jin isn’t that kind of person.” Mo Zi looked around and saw Zan Jin’s head popping out from a side alley, signaling her to come over. “He’s over there.”
The three turned into the alley and saw Zan Jin had someone pressed against the wall. Looking at the clothing, it was surprisingly the young woman who had tried to sell the jade pendant earlier.
“Brother Zan, truly couldn’t tell!” Luo Ying blinked her left eye then her right eye.
The young woman’s mouth was covered by Zan Jin’s large palm, making muffled sounds, her gaze furious.
“Brother Mo, she’s Prince Li’s daughter, that commandery princess. I recognized her and called out to her, but she inexplicably attacked me. There were many people on the main street and I had no choice, so I could only—” Zan Jin revealed the truth.
Prince Li’s daughter? Mo Zi was startled. “Wu Youyan?” She really did know her, and completely hadn’t expected this.
Wu Youyan had been betrothed shortly after Mo Zi set off for Daqiu. The other party was the legitimate eldest son of Marquis Ningyuan’s mansion in Qing Zhou. Apart from being far from her natal family, this marriage was very well-matched in status. Moreover, she could be considered to have married at an opportune time. The wedding procession had left the capital only a few days when Prince Li was found to have treasonous intentions. If she had been any slower, forget marrying—even leaving the family gate wouldn’t have been easy.
“Didn’t you go to Qing Zhou?” Qing Zhou was in the north, Luo Zhou in the south—at opposite ends of the river.
“Mmph mmph—mnn mnn—” Whatever Wu Youyan said was blocked back by Zan Jin’s hand.
“Zan Jin, let the commandery princess go.” The treason case verdict wasn’t yet finalized. Prince Li’s title remained, and the commandery princess was still a commandery princess.
Zan Jin withdrew his hand and was just about to step back when Wu Youyan grabbed him and viciously bit down.
Luo Ying flattened her lips, wrinkled her face and raised her eyebrows, about to step forward. “You let… go!”
Zan Jin’s left arm blocked Luo Ying, his expression unchanged. “It’s nothing.”
Hearing this, Wu Youyan immediately raised her eyes to glare at him, lightning and thunder flashing in her beautiful phoenix eyes.
Mo Zi saw a trace of fresh blood at the corner of her mouth and was somewhat angry. “Commandery Princess, please know when to stop. You were the one who struck first. My brother merely defended himself. Now you bite him again—is this the family teaching of Prince Li’s mansion?”
Wu Youyan finally released her mouth. Seeing the deep, bloody tooth marks on Zan Jin’s arm, she couldn’t help being stunned, but soon her expression became stubborn again. “Don’t think that because I’ve fallen to such circumstances now, you can humiliate me at will.”
“Who humiliated you? You can hit people but people can’t hit you?” Even Xiao Yi couldn’t help retorting.
Wu Youyan looked coldly at the four of them. “You’re all together. I can’t out-argue you.” She turned and started to leave.
“Commandery Princess… please wait.” Mo Zi couldn’t help saying.
Wu Youyan thought she still wanted to make things difficult for her. Turning back, she said nothing. She had pride, but she also had conscience. In this matter, she was at fault first and didn’t blame the other party for possibly pressing the advantage. The coldness of human relationships—after her father’s fall from power, she had instantly tasted every hardship and pain. She was no longer a naive noble young lady. She told herself in her heart to endure.
“The several of us are just about to eat. Since fate brings us together across a thousand li, would the commandery princess like to join us?” Good food could improve one’s mood.
“…I won’t go.” Wu Youyan’s refusal was somewhat difficult.
“Is that so? Then I won’t force it. Although I originally wanted to look at your jade pendant—if it’s good, I could also make an offer.” Mo Zi smiled and told Zan Jin and the others to leave.
“Wait!” Wu Youyan also knew persisting further would be foolish. “I’ll go with you.”
Since they hadn’t browsed for long, when they reached the agreed-upon tavern, Yuan Cheng and his group hadn’t arrived yet. Mo Zi requested a private room upstairs, ordered several appetizer dishes, planning to sit and wait leisurely. She just forgot that someone was already so hungry their eyes were dim. As appetizer dishes came up, they were eliminated one by one—not even leaving behind a single peanut.
“Waiter, bring another serving of the appetizers we just ordered, also slice a jin of soy-braised beef, stir-fry a plate of green leafy vegetables, and bring a small bucket of white rice.” She immediately adjusted.
The waiter called out his acknowledgment, cleared the dishes, and left.
Wu Youyan had eaten too urgently. Only then did she remember to catch her breath. Raising her head to see everyone staring at her, her pretty face reddened. Stammering, she said, “I… was hungry.”
“We can see that.” Xiao Yi raised her wine cup to her lips. Her lips moved twice—the cup was empty.
“Drink some water.” Mo Zi lifted the pot to pour tea for Wu Youyan.
“No one’s competing with you.” After Luo Ying finished speaking, she took out the Golden Snake ring to look at again and again, then suddenly cried out in dismay.
“What’s with the alarm? What’s wrong?” Mo Zi leaned over to look.
“I spent all my silver. What if next time I see something even better?” Luo Ying lamented. “I knew it—learning kung fu also learns Master and Grand-Master’s bad habits of not wanting to think about silver matters.”
Mo Zi couldn’t help laughing. “That’s why you need to find someone who will think about it.”
“Didn’t she find one already?” Xiao Yi’s lips moved and another cup of wine disappeared.
“A’Shui? Is he good at it?” The two were still newlyweds and mostly on the boat, not yet having the opportunity for comprehensive understanding.
“Very good at it.” As a brother, Zan Jin knew more than they did. “Water Snake has been saving money all along to marry a wife.”
“Back when the three brothers ran boats with me, they all traded goods themselves and should have earned quite a bit.” Mo Zi also revealed inside information. She also didn’t震 people into complete submission from the start. Without benefits, how could she make Old Guan and the others willingly risk their lives?
Luo Ying was reassured. “My judgment really is quite good. Brother Zan, tell me—how much silver has your Brother Water Snake saved to marry a wife? I’m not being greedy for his money, just want to have an idea in my heart.”
Zan Jin refused to answer. “He married a wife who can’t manage a household. If I tell you, you’ll be able to spend all his money too.”
Luo Ying wouldn’t give up and insisted on asking until she got an answer.
Mo Zi watched the two with amusement—no, later Xiao Yi was also pulled into the war of words. Turning her face to the side, she discovered Wu Youyan staring at Luo Ying with a distracted expression, treating the dishes brought up as if they didn’t exist.
“Commandery Princess, please eat.” She reminded her.
Wu Youyan slowly withdrew her gaze and lowered her head. As her chopsticks descended into the steaming rice bowl, two teardrops fell.
Mo Zi saw this but didn’t ask, only saying to be careful of burning.
Wu Youyan instantly raised her reddened eyes to look at Mo Zi. Tears flowed into rivulets on her pear-blossom-like delicate face. She cried soundlessly without even sobbing—only tears flowing, her expression sorrowful. But the temperament of a noble young lady remained undiminished—delicately pitiable, stunningly beautiful.
The private room immediately quieted. Everyone looked at her.
“The same day I arrived in Qing Zhou, I received news that Father had met with trouble.” Both were new brides, yet the husband her parents meticulously selected was inferior to a man who ran boats. “Marquis Ningyuan’s mansion not only secretly canceled the wedding ceremony and sent the escort guards back to the capital, but also confined me and my dowry maids to the most remote courtyard. That man I never even met married in a concubine within days and allowed that concubine to come humiliate me without paying any attention. I thought Father’s matter must be groundless rumor—as long as His Majesty investigated clearly, everything would be fine. Who knew the servants at Marquis Ningyuan’s mansion treated me more cheaply day by day. One day a maid secretly left the courtyard and overheard the head steward speaking with someone—the marquis wanted to send me back to the capital as a co-conspirator in treason to demonstrate Marquis Ningyuan mansion’s innocence. So the maids helped me escape.”