Changning stood on tiptoes to see the figures in the painting. Her grape-like eyes filled with delight as her chubby little finger pointed at her image in the picture. “There’s Ning! Ning likes this!”
Before Fan Changyu could speak, Xie Zheng asked the scholar, “How much are you selling your paintings for?”
The scholar was taken aback for a moment before realizing that this formidable-looking, handsome man was inquiring about the price of his painting. He hurriedly replied, “No charge, no charge. Consider it a gift from this humble scholar to you and your wife.”
Fan Changyu was still embarrassed by the scholar’s earlier words, but she did find the painting quite appealing. Seeing that the scholar refused to name a price, she thought for a moment and chose a smaller piece from the two cured meat strips she had intended to give to Constable Wang. She handed it to the scholar, saying, “This cured meat is a gift for you, consider it a New Year’s present.”
Then, with a stern face, she pointed at Changning and said, “This is my younger sister.”
The scholar, delighted by the unexpected gift of cured meat, was more than willing to offer pleasant words: “It was my mistake for not recognizing her. I wish you and your husband a pair of dragon and phoenix twins in the coming year, with a house full of joy and children always at your knees.”
Fan Changyu: “…”
She wanted to say something more to the scholar, but telling an unrelated person that she and Yan Zheng were fake spouses seemed unnecessary.
Even after leaving the scholar’s stall with the rolled-up painting, Fan Changyu still felt uneasy, occasionally glancing at Xie Zheng walking beside her.
Noticing his usual composure, she felt a little less uncomfortable.
They returned to their previous stall position, packed up their things, and prepared to go to the bookstore to buy paper and ink. The owner of a nearby New Year’s goods shop, who had noticed that Fan Changyu had sold over twenty strips of cured meat in less than an hour, envied the business. He dragged his corpulent body over, calling out, “Young lady, please wait.”
Fan Changyu turned at the sound and saw the chubby shopkeeper from the New Year’s goods store approaching with a smile plastered on his face. He asked, “Young lady, will you be selling cured meat here again tomorrow?”
Tomorrow would be the second day of the New Year. Fan Changyu not only had to open her pork shop but also supply marinated meat to the Yixiang Restaurant. She feared she wouldn’t have time to come here to sell cured meat again, so she shook her head and said, “I probably won’t have time to come back in the next few days.”
The chubby shopkeeper smiled and said, “Well then, this old fellow would like to do business with you, young lady. However much-cured meat you have at home, just bring it all here. We’ll sell it in my New Year’s goods shop. For the cured meat sold, we’ll split it 60-40, with you taking 60 and me 40. What do you think, young lady?”
Fan Changyu pondered, realizing this was what Manager Yu had called “reaping without sowing.” He wanted her to bring the cured meat without investing a penny, yet he’d still get half the profit when it sold.
Cured meat, unlike fresh meat, could be stored in a cool, well-ventilated place at home for a year or more without issue, naturally making it more expensive than fresh meat.
During these New Year days, Fan Changyu was asking for 65 wen per jin. If bargaining occurred, it could go down to just above 60 wen, but below 65 wen.
According to the chubby shopkeeper’s proposal of a 60-40 split, even if all the meat sold at 65 wen per jin, she would only earn 39 wen per jin, which was less than if she sold it in her shop.
Fan Changyu said, “I don’t want a split. If you want to buy, we can settle the accounts directly, selling by weight.”
The chubby shopkeeper chuckled, “Young lady, one look at you and I can tell you’re not experienced in business.”
As Fan Changyu was about to speak, Xie Zheng suddenly interjected, “Selling on commission is fine.”
Both Fan Changyu and the chubby shopkeeper turned to look at him. Fan Changyu wore a puzzled expression, while the shopkeeper’s eyes narrowed into slits as he smiled, “This young man seems to know the business, with a long-term vision…”
Before he could finish his sentence, Xie Zheng gave him a cool glance and said, “Twenty-eighty split.”
The smile froze on the chubby shopkeeper’s face. “Young man, you’re asking for too much.”
Fan Changyu mentally calculated how much money she would get from the cured meat sales with an 80-20 split.
At 65 wens per jin, she would get 52 wens. At 60 wens per jin, she would still get 48 wens.
But Fan Changyu truly had no intention of doing this business. She said, “Why split at all? Let’s just sell by weight and make it a one-time deal. The market price for cured meat is around 50 wens per jin. I’m not comfortable sending the meat over without getting any money upfront. Let’s go, we need to go to the bookstore to buy you paper and ink, and then we still have to rush to Constable Wang’s house to pay our New Year respects.”
She was about to leave with Changning when the chubby shopkeeper, seeing this, hurriedly said, “Alright, twenty-eighty it is.”
He smiled somewhat ruefully. “You and the young man play good cop, bad cop well. I just thought the cured meat you sold today looked well-smoked and of good quality, that’s why I wanted to do business with you.”
He then invited the three of them into his New Year’s goods shop. “Let’s draft a contract, and then you can send the meat over later.”
When Fan Changyu met Xie Zheng’s eyes, she still looked a bit dazed, as if she hadn’t expected this deal to be concluded so quickly.
Xie Zheng’s expression remained calm as he said to her, “Let’s go sign the contract.”
The chubby shopkeeper was not new to this kind of business. He quickly drafted a contract and handed it to Fan Changyu to review. Fan Changyu, still cautious about such matters, read it word by word and then passed it to Xie Zheng. “Does this look alright to you?”
After Xie Zheng nodded, she signed her name with a flourish.
The chubby shopkeeper gave her one tael of silver as a deposit and saw them out with a broad smile.
As they walked down the street, Fan Changyu muttered to Xie Zheng, “I’ll have to open the meat shop in the morning and deliver the marinated meat to Yixiang Restaurant. I’m afraid I won’t be able to deliver the cured meat until the afternoon.”
Xie Zheng said, “If you’re too busy to get away, I can hire a cart and help you deliver it.”
Fan Changyu felt a bit embarrassed and said, “Should I pay you wages then?”
Xie Zheng glanced at her, and Fan Changyu was sure she hadn’t imagined it—he seemed displeased again.
Changning, carefree as always, skipped ahead of them. When she saw something she liked but didn’t dare ask Fan Changyu to buy, she would look at Xie Zheng with pleading eyes.
Xie Zheng bought her various small items, and Changning’s arms were soon full, her chubby hands barely able to hold everything.
Fan Changyu scolded her, “Ning if you keep wanting to buy everything you see, I won’t bring you to the county town for the market next time.”
Changning lowered her head, looking at her toes as she was reprimanded.
From beside them came the man’s cool, clear voice: “I wanted to buy these for her.”
Fan Changyu felt like he was trying to compete with her somehow. She pressed her lips together and said, “Children don’t understand these things. We can’t always indulge them. She likes everything she sees on the street—we can’t buy it all, can we? We need to teach her some principles so she understands.”
Xie Zheng said no more. As the three continued walking, even Changning could sense the strange atmosphere between Fan Changyu and Xie Zheng.
She looked at both of them, then at the pile of things in her arms. Suddenly, she stopped, turned around, and stuffed all the small items into Xie Zheng’s arms. Her chubby little hands clutched at her clothes as she said, “Ning doesn’t want them anymore. Brother-in-law, please return them.”
Fan Changyu saw that her grape-like eyes were already brimming with tears. She sighed, crouched down, and patted her head. “We’ve already bought them this time, but you can’t do this again in the future, understand?”
Changning nodded, tears in her eyes, and reached out her chubby hands for Fan Changyu to pick her up.
Fan Changyu hugged the child and gently patted her back, her tone half indulgent, half exasperated. “Why are you crying? I didn’t even scold you.”
Changning, with a nasal tone, said, “Sister, don’t be angry with Brother-in-law. Ning knows she was wrong.”
Fan Changyu looked at Xie Zheng standing to the side, holding a pile of small toys, her tone even more helpless. “I’m not angry with him.”
Changning said, “You’re not talking to Brother-in-law.”
Fan Changyu asked amusedly, “How am I not talking to him?”
Changning’s tears were about to spill over. “You’re not speaking to Brother-in-law anymore.”
Fan Changyu thought to herself that she didn’t usually talk much with Yan Zheng anyway, but seeing her little sister on the verge of crying, she coaxed, “Weren’t we just talking a moment ago? We just haven’t spoken for a little while.”
Finally, a large teardrop fell from Changning’s grape-like eyes, landing on the ground with a “plop.” “Sister is angry.”
Fan Changyu surrendered and asked, “What would make you think I’m not angry?”
Changning thought for a moment and said, “Hold hands! Holding hands means you’ve made up!”
Fan Changyu paused for a moment and said, “How about if I talk to him from now on?”
Changning insisted on the children’s way: “Only holding hands means making up.”
Fan Changyu exchanged a glance with Xie Zheng. His face showed no emotion, but she felt quite uncomfortable.
She coaxed the child, “Look, your brother-in-law is carrying so many things, and I’m also holding bags. If we both use one hand, won’t that be too heavy?”
Changning finally gave in, but as she walked ahead, she kept looking back at them.
Fearing that Changning might come up with more strange requests, Fan Changyu started talking to Xie Zheng. “Children can be so troublesome. Don’t take it to heart.”
Xie Zheng said, “I don’t find her troublesome. I’ll probably be leaving after the New Year, so I just wanted to buy her more little gifts.”
Fan Changyu hadn’t expected this to be the reason he bought so many things for Changning.
Hearing that he was going to leave, she felt a strange emotion rise in her chest. She said, “I’m sorry, I misunderstood you earlier.”
Xie Zheng turned to look at her. “Why are you apologizing?”
Fan Changyu said, “I misunderstood you and spoke harshly to you. Of course, I should apologize.”
She pressed her lips together and asked, “Are you leaving so soon? Wouldn’t it be better to wait until your injury has healed completely before setting out?”
Xie Zheng was about to answer when a group of mounted officials came charging towards them from the front, knocking down many pedestrians and merchant stalls along the street.
As the war horses approached, Fan Changyu instinctively crouched down to protect Changning, while Xie Zheng raised his cloak to shield them from the mud splashed up by the horses’ hooves.
After the officials had galloped away, many of the pedestrians who had been knocked down or splattered with mud were cursing angrily.
Fan Changyu looked up to see half of Xie Zheng’s cloak covered in mud. She frowned and asked, “Are you hurt?”
Xie Zheng shook his head, but his gaze still followed the distant group of officials, his eyes hiding a dark, cold anger.
A peddler whose stall had been overturned spat viciously in that direction and cursed, “These dog officials, they can’t even let us have peace during the New Year!”
Fan Changyu asked, “Why are there officials in Qingping County again? Are they here to suppress bandits?”
The peddler said, “Suppress bandits? These are debt-collecting King Yamas, here to rob grain! Haven’t you heard about what happened in Taizhou? The frontline troops are short on grain, and since the army can’t levy enough, they’re forcibly taking it from the common people. If you don’t give it up, they’ll beat you to death.”
A middle-aged man nearby added, “By the looks of things, it won’t be long before they start conscripting soldiers too.”