ARTTEDSBGT Chapter 61
Lady Jianchang Hou, although angered, was not a domineering person. Naturally, she wouldn’t scold her son indiscriminately, especially with Li Zhizhi and Su Tangyu watching.
Lady Jianchang Hou put on a smiling face and stared at Pei Yanchuan. The meaning in her eyes was clear: “We’ll deal with you when we get back.”
She then warmly greeted Li Zhizhi and Su Tangyu, saying, “It’s been a long time, Miss Li. I didn’t expect such a coincidence. Is this Miss Su? I saw your mother a few days ago, and we had tea together.”
Lady Jianchang was as warm as when she first met Li Zhizhi. After a few pleasantries, she learned that Pei Yanchuan had helped them. Her smile became more sincere, and she said happily, “Although Chuan is often unruly, he can be relied upon in crucial times.”
She scolded the unscrupulous shopkeeper and ordered her servants to retrieve Pei Yanchuan’s belongings. Lady Jianchang, looking at the sky, said with a smile, “The sun is a bit strong. We were just going to sit in the teahouse ahead. If you two don’t mind, why not join us?”
Her daughter-in-law, Liu, also smiled and said, “I heard that Sihui Teahouse has recently introduced a famous Luoshen tea, very popular in the capital. You two can try it.”
With such a warm invitation, it was hard to refuse. Li Zhizhi and Su Tangyu exchanged glances and said, “We wouldn’t want to trouble you, Madam.”
The group then headed to Sihui Teahouse. Lady Jianchang reserved a cozy window seat. It was still morning, with bright sunlight streaming through bamboo curtains. A gentle breeze blew, and below the window was the moat, with the distant calls of vendors on the other side.
Soon, the waiter brought tea and various snacks. As they enjoyed their tea, the conversation flowed. Lady Jianchang was very talkative, discussing cosmetics from the east shop, jewelry from the west shop, and the best fabrics from the southern silk workshop. She seemed to know everything.
Hearing this, Li Zhizhi and Su Tangyu were dumbfounded, admiring the situation. Mrs. Liu covered her mouth and chuckled, saying, “I have to visit these shops six or seven times a month. When you buy a lot, you naturally know which ones are good and which ones are not.”
Su Tangyu quickly asked, “Madam, do you know where there is a shop that sells novel and interesting things?”
“Well…” Mrs. Liu thought for a moment and said, “The East Market mostly sells daily necessities, and novel things are rare. You may have to go to the North Market.”
Lady Hou interjected, “Indeed, the North Market has everything, but it’s a bit chaotic with many swindlers and charlatans. If you’re not careful, you might be deceived. It may not be suitable for you two young girls to go there.”
At this, Mrs. Liu chuckled and said, “Isn’t Young Master Di often going to the North Market? He is quite familiar with it; you can ask him to take you.”
Lady Hou agreed, “That’s a good idea. Chuanyou can take you.”
Li Zhizhi hesitated, “Wouldn’t that be too troublesome for Young Master Pei?”
Pei Yanchuan, who was present, immediately became energetic and eagerly responded, “Not at all! I don’t have much to do anyway, and I can take you.”
Lady Hou and Mrs. Liu exchanged glances and saw the understanding in each other’s eyes. Lady Hou smiled and said very amiably to Li Zhizhi and Su Tang, “It’s no trouble at all. The National Academy is on holiday today, and I just asked him to accompany us to buy things. There’s nothing serious, just wandering around. Feel free to ask him to help you; no need to be polite.”
Being grown up, Pei Yanchuan was surprised to see his mother being so generous and willing to let him go. He initially thought he would be scolded when he returned home. He was a bit flattered until Mrs. Liu gave him a meaningful look. Pei Yanchuan then realized and quickly said, “We can go now.”
“He’s acting like she can’t wait any longer,” Lady Hou thought to herself, rolling her eyes inwardly. Despite her annoyance, she smiled and said, “The North Market doesn’t open until evening, no need to rush. We can go somewhere else first. I noticed that Su’s Clothing Store just received a new batch of clothes, the latest styles from Jiangnan, perfect for young ladies like you. I was planning to check it out, why don’t we all go together?”
Li Zhizhi and Su Tangyu readily agreed. The group enjoyed tea and snacks, then explored various shops. At noon, they had a meal at Delightful Tower, chatting and laughing.
Taking him aside, Li’s wife, Liu, smiled and asked Pei Yanchuan, “Younger brother, I can see that both of these girls are pretty. Which one do you prefer?”
Pei Yanchuan’s fair and handsome face gradually turned slightly red as he stammered, “Uh, what does that mean?”
Liu glanced at him and scolded playfully, “Don’t pretend with me. Your sister-in-law has eaten more salt than you have eaten rice. Otherwise, do you think your mother would let you go out and play so easily today? You spilled her snacks and rouge. Consider yourself lucky if she doesn’t beat you with a chicken feather duster.”
Pei Yanchuan was shocked, “What, does Mother know too?!”
Liu looked at his fl.u.s.tered expression with interest and said, “Surprising, usually, your thick-skinned face is eight feet thick, thicker than city walls. Now, you finally know how to feel embarra.s.sed, just like your brother. Truly, brothers from the same mother.”
Pei Yanchuan blushed for a while but quickly returned to his usual playful demeanor, saying, “My brother is darker than me. Can his wife tell when he blushes?”
Liu couldn’t help but laugh, “If you look closely, you can tell. He becomes so dumbstruck, unable to speak when he sees me, stammering.”
Pei Yanchuan confidently declared, “Well, I’m definitely better than him.”
Mrs. Liu cast a sidelong glance at him and said, “That’s not necessarily true.”
Pei Yanchuan asked again, “Speaking of which, how did my brother, with a temperament as dull as three sticks. .h.i.tting nothing, try to win you over in the first place?”
“How did he talk?” Lady Liu couldn’t stand others speaking ill of her husband, so she glared at Pei Yanchuan. After careful thought, she said, “At that time, he didn’t dare to talk to me directly. Instead, he tried to befriend my cousin in every possible way. He would spar with him every day, ask him to deliver messages, and send gifts through him. After doing this for a whole six months, he finally had the courage to talk to me.”
As she spoke, a gentle smile appeared on her face. She then advised Pei Yanchuan, “Your brother is quite foolish. You mustn’t imitate him.”
Pei Yanchuan was quite confident, saying, “Don’t worry, sister-in-law. I’m much better than my brother.”
Not wanting to discourage him, Lady Liu changed the subject and asked in a low voice, “Do you like that Miss Li you mentioned?”
At her words, Pei Yanchuan blushed slightly and replied with an affirmative sound, hastily adding, “Please don’t tell my mother.”
Lady Liu readily agreed and turned to gossip with Madam Hou. Hearing the conversation, Madam Hou said, “As expected, this young rascal has set his eyes on a girl.”
Lady Liu frowned and cautiously inquired, “Mother, is that Miss Li the one they’ve been talking about recently, the young lady from the Li family?”
“Yes, her,” Madam Hou replied. “I saw her once at the Spring Festival banquet. She seemed to be a quiet and well-behaved girl.”
Lady Liu said, “About those rumors… does Ah Di know about them?”
Madam Hou said, “I expected as much. This little troublemaker has indeed taken a liking to that girl from the Li family.”
Madam Hou chuckled and said, “Does he even know what’s important? Don’t I understand my son? He only knows how to curse those who gossip.”
Lady Liu also thought about it. Madam Hou whispered, “Today, I observed her. She is polite, gentle in her manners, a good girl. If Chuan can really be with her, it’s not bad at all. She seems like someone who can control him.”
She sighed again and said, “I just hope this foolish boy can be a bit more sensible and not be unruly all the time, using his cleverness to compete with me in wits.”
Soon, it was afternoon, and Li Zhizhi’s group went to the northern market, quite far away. Even by carriage, it took almost half an hour. As soon as they got off the carriage, a lively market atmosphere hit them.
If the eastern market specialized in business for wealthy families, then the northern market was where common people often went. The surroundings were mostly residential areas, with people from all walks of life. Street vendors were selling various goods at street corners. Men, women, young, and old were all present. Shouts and calls echoed, creating a scene of prosperity.
Su Tangyu was somewhat excited and said, “I’ve been here a few times before, but it was my big brother who brought me. He didn’t allow me to get off the carriage, saying I might be kidnapped.”
Pei Yanchuan said seriously, “Kidnapping may not happen, but there are indeed many kidnappers here. Be careful.”
Li Zhizhi hesitated and said, “We’re all grown-ups. It shouldn’t be possible to be kidnapped, right?”
Pei Yanchuan glanced at Li Zhizhi, then averted his gaze, vaguely saying, “If you’re good-looking, you might be kidnapped too.”
After hearing this, Su Tangyu couldn’t help but laugh and said, “Young Master Pei is really good with words.”
Pei Yanchuan received praise, feeling somewhat pleased with himself. He then turned to look at Li Zhizhi, saying, “Miss Li, shall we go in first? This northern market is quite large, and if we don’t hurry, it’ll be dark soon.”
Indeed, the northern market was bustling, with people filling the streets. Pei Yanchuan stayed close to Li Zhizhi, explaining the situation of the northern market in great detail. Li Zhizhi finally believed Madam Hou’s words and smiled, saying, “Mr. Pei is truly familiar with this place. You know everything. Impressive.”
With just a few words of praise, Pei Yanchuan became instantly delighted and wished to provide even more details. He said, “During the Lantern Festival, this place is the liveliest, especially the lantern market, which is beautiful. However, it gets crowded, and if you’re not careful, you might get lost. When I was a child, someone tried to trick me, but luckily, my elder brother arrived in time, or else…”
Su Tangyu interrupted, asking, “Or else you would have been deceived?”
“How is that possible?” Pei Yanchuan laughed, “Otherwise, I would have bitten off the fingers of the trickster.”
Proud of himself, he continued, advising Li Zhizhi, “Since you’re not strong, stick close to me. That way, I can take care of you in case anything happens.”
Thinking he had said the right thing, Pei Yanchuan suddenly heard Su Tangyu say with interest, “So, you only take care of Zhizhi. Should I go and call the carriage driver?”
Pei Yanchuan paused, and Su Tangyu, looking surprised, said, “You really haven’t thought about it?”
“No!” Pei Yanchuan hurriedly explained, “I didn’t mean that. Of course, you can also stay close to me.”
However, Su Tangyu seemed to sense something unusual. Staring at him for a moment, she was about to say something more when Li Zhizhi pointed in a direction and said, “Let’s go there and take a look.”
Pei Yanchuan glanced over and saw that it was a small stall, seemingly dedicated to selling some peculiar and antique items. Seizing the moment when he wasn’t paying attention, Li Zhizhi whispered to Su Tangyu, “This Master Pei looks a bit simple-minded. Why bother arguing with him? We are currently in need of his help.”
Su Tangyu looked at her friend, feeling a bit conflicted. She wasn’t sure whether she should warn her that this Master Pei seemed to have some interest in her…
She didn’t intentionally want to make things difficult for him just now.
The three of them arrived at the small stall, and indeed, it was filled with various items—some looked valuable, like round gla.s.s beads, golden Buddha figurines, jade-carved mythical beasts, and so on. There were also some seemingly less valuable items, such as inexplicable long sticks, dry walnuts, a piece of cloth covered in ink characters…
The stall owner, upon seeing new customers, greeted them with a friendly smile. “Young ladies and gentlemen, what would you like to buy? Feel free to choose; I have all kinds of interesting things here.”
“Can these walnuts be sold too?”
Li Zhizhi was curious, staring at the dry walnuts. The stall owner chuckled and said, “Don’t underestimate these walnuts.”
Enthusiastically, he continued, “These are no ordinary walnuts.”
As he spoke, he carefully opened one of the walnuts, revealing that it was hollow inside, carved with exquisite patterns. On one side was a lady enjoying flowers, and on the other side was a spring scene with begonias. The details were delicate and lifelike.
Su Tangyu exclaimed, “It’s really beautiful!”
The stall owner, seeing that she liked it, took the initiative to hand over the walnut, smiling, “Take a closer look at the carving. It’s a one-in-a-hundred piece. You won’t find another one like it!”
This time, Su Tangyu was more cautious and refused to take the walnut, afraid of being deceived again. She just leaned her head to look, and the more she looked, the more she liked it. She said to Li Zhizhi, “Little cousin will definitely like this.”
Li Zhizhi looked for a while and didn’t find any problems, so she asked the stall owner, “How much is this walnut?”
The stall owner then extended two fingers. Both Su Tangyu and Li Zhizhi were startled, and they exclaimed in unison, “Twenty taels?!”
“How dare I! How dare I!” The stall owner was startled by their reaction and quickly waved his hands. He said, “I run an honest business and wouldn’t dare to ask for an exorbitant price. It’s only two taels of silver!”
Su Tangyu breathed a sigh of relief and readily took out the silver to buy the walnut. Because the small item was delicate, the stall owner wrapped it carefully in cotton cloth. While waiting, the two of them had nothing to do, so they looked at the items on the stall again. Li Zhizhi’s eyes fell on the peculiar long rod, and she curiously asked, “What is this?”
Su Tangyu hesitated, “Looks strange. Could it be a rolling pin?”
Pei Yanchuan, standing nearby, took a few glances and said, “It seems to be a telescope.”
Both of them looked at him, and Li Zhizhi asked, “What is a telescope?”
Pei Yanchuan picked up the “rolling pin,” examined it up and down, and exclaimed, “It really is a telescope.”
He explained, “A telescope allows people to see things from a great distance, as if they were right in front of you, very clearly.”
After finishing speaking, he handed it to Li Zhizhi and said, “Why don’t you give it a try?”
Li Zhizhi took it over, hesitated for a moment, and looked as Pei Yanchuan had said. Looking into the distance seemed as if it were right in front of her. The distance from here to the city gate was at least two hundred steps, but she could clearly see even a few bricks on the city wall!
Su Tangyu, upon hearing this, quickly said, “Let me have a look.”
The two played with the telescope for a while. Seeing that Li Zhizhi liked it very much, Pei Yanchuan asked the stall owner, saying, “How much is the telescope?”
The stall owner smirked and said, “It seems that young masters and ladies all have an eye for good things. I just got this telescope yesterday; it’s a good treasure! However, it’s not for sale.”
“Not for sale?”
Li Zhizhi was taken aback and asked, “Why not sell it?”
The stall owner hurriedly said, “Well, you see, it’s a special prize. There’s a target-shooting game at this stall, each with its own throwing method. If you hit the target, the telescope will be given to you for free.”
“Is there such a good thing?” Su Tangyu exclaimed, “Isn’t it free?”
The stall owner chuckled and said, “Miss, how can that be? Of course, you have to pay. It’s twenty copper coins for one arrow, just a small business to make a living.”
As he spoke, the stall owner pointed to the pots on the side and said, “Guests, please take a look. There are three pots in total. Hitting the first pot earns one point, the second pot earns two points, and the third pot earns three points. As long as you acc.u.mulate thirty points, you can take the telescope home.”
Li Zhizhi glanced around and noticed that the positions of the first, second, and third pots were different. The first pot was the closest, followed by the second, and the third pot was about seven or eight steps away. Unless someone had exceptional arm strength, it seemed unlikely that they could hit all three pots in one go.
Su Tang said, “Then can’t I just keep throwing at the first pot until I hit it thirty times?”
However, Li Zhizhi shook her head and said, “One arrow costs twenty wen. Even if you only throw at the first pot thirty times and hit every time, it would still cost six hundred wen. But who in the world can hit thirty times in a row?”
The first pot was indeed the closest, just five steps away. With good luck, one could hit three or four arrows. However, as the throwing continued, the arm would inevitably become strained. Some people, unwilling to give up after starting, would keep buying arrows to throw. The later attempts became increasingly difficult, and the stall owner made money from this.
Li Zhizhi felt that getting the telescope was probably out of reach. Although she was a bit disappointed, she didn’t feel too regretful. It was just a small toy, not something she was obsessing over.
Just then, Pei Yanchuan’s voice came from the side, “Give me ten arrows.”
Li Zhizhi looked at him in surprise, “Young Master Pei, are you going to play the arrow-throwing game too?”
Pei Yanchuan smiled, and Li Zhizhi noticed a dimple on his right cheek that looked quite cute. He said, “Let me give it a try. What if I hit it?”
The stall owner brought ten arrows, chuckling, “I’ll first wish Young Master good luck in hitting all ten.”
However, Pei Yanchuan said, “No need to hit all ten, hitting all ten would be enough.”
Saying that, he weighed the arrows in his hand, walked to the position for throwing at the third pot, and casually threw the arrow. Unfortunately, it didn’t hit.
“Three consecutive arrows, and one arrow missed.
The stall owner burst into laughter, watching Pei Yanchuan pacing back and forth, adjusting his position. He even advised, “Young Master, three pots are too far. Why not try throwing one pot? It’s easier to hit with just one.”
Pei Yanchuan ignored him, and just casually shot the arrows. In no time, ten arrows were used up, and still, not a single one hit the target.
Sweat appeared on the young man’s forehead. He shook his sore arm and said to the stall owner, “Give me another ten.”
Li Zhizhi slightly frowned and said, “Why not give up?”
Su Tangyu also advised, “Forget it, Young Master Pei. It’s probably impossible to hit such a distant pot.”
However, Pei Yanchuan seriously said to Li Zhizhi, “Don’t worry, I can win that telescope.”
Li Zhizhi was startled, but she didn’t try to persuade him anymore. Seeing beads of sweat on his forehead, she took out a handkerchief from her sleeve and handed it to him, saying, “Wipe away the sweat.”
Pei Yanchuan took the handkerchief, blushing a bit. It seemed like he wanted to wipe, but he restrained himself. At this moment, the stall owner brought the arrows. Taking the opportunity, he stuffed the handkerchief into his pocket, wiped his sweat with his sleeve, and then took the arrows.
The young man’s heart was pounding, his palms were hot, and the soft touch of the handkerchief lingered. Nevertheless, his hands were steady. He raised the arrow, aimed at the three pots, and threw it. A light clinking sound was heard, and he hit the target.
Li Zhizhi and Su Tangyu both widened their eyes in surprise. Su Tangyu exclaimed, “Hit it, really hit it!”
“The first arrow hit the mark, and so did the second…”
I don’t know when it started, but many pa.s.sersby were drawn over. It was their first time seeing someone throw a pot so far. They whispered among themselves, and there were many arrows scattered on the ground, but there were still arrows firmly hitting the pot’s center.
“Nice!”
Someone couldn’t help but applaud and cheer, and more people crowded around. It became lively for a while. Every time Pei Yanchuan hit the pot, there were cheers from the crowd. The commotion was quite significant and spread around. On the second floor of a nearby small pavilion, someone opened a window and looked down.
“What’s happening?”
A woman’s smiling voice came, and a handsome young man in a dark blue silk robe glanced a few times. He raised an eyebrow slightly and said, “Aunt, someone is playing pitch-pot in the street.”
“Pitch-pot on the street?” The Princess was quite interested, got up, and said, “Oh, isn’t that Zhizhi?”
At these words, Xiao Yan finally spotted a familiar pet.i.te figure in the crowd. It was indeed Li Zhizhi. Surprised, he asked, “Why is she here?”
The Grand Princess, with a playful smile, said, “She told me today that she was going to play with her friends. Oh, and the young man throwing the pot, who is he?”
Xiao Yan:…
He stared fixedly at Pei Yanchuan, who was dressed in gray-blue attire, then glanced at Li Zhizhi beside him. A doubt arose in his mind—did they come together?
Didn’t Pei Yanchuan say he dared not talk to Li Zhizhi? They went out together for a stroll; how could he claim not to dare?
“Xiao Wu?”
The voice of the Grand Princess brought him back to reality. Xiao Yan paused for a moment and said, “That’s Pei Yanchuan, whom I mentioned to you.”
The Grand Princess exclaimed, “Oh, the young master from the Pei family who likes Zhizhi.”
Xiao Yan responded with a sound, and his gaze fell on Li Zhizhi. The young girl seemed a bit nervous, whispered something, Pei Yanchuan nodded, and the two exchanged a few words before smiling at each other.
Even from this far away, Xiao Yan could still see Li Zhizhi’s smile, pure and gentle. He could even see a bright light in her eyes, like sparkling lake water—clear and clean.
Xiao Yan couldn’t express his feelings, only feeling a bit angry and uncomfortable. After thinking it over, he could only blame it on Pei Yanchuan.
Back then, when he said he would help, Xiao Yan did help—delivering letters, sending gifts. He believed he had done his best. But now, Pei Yanchuan was the one who succeeded, and he didn’t even know why.
Xiao Yan felt he had found the reason, sneered, and said, “It’s him.”
Afterward, he looked at the Grand Princess again and said, “Aunt, didn’t you want to meet him before?”
Princess Yongning rested her chin on her hand, staring at Pei Yanchuan for a long time, examining him closely. She nodded slowly, “Hmm… looking quite good. Despite the distance, he managed to hit the pot. It shows exceptional strength; no wonder he’s the son of the Marquis of Jianchang. I just wonder about his martial skills. The Marquis has extraordinary spear techniques; he even gave me some guidance in the past, considering him half my mentor. If Pei Yanchuan has even half of his prowess, that would be quite impressive.”
Xiao Yan: …
Princess Yongning surprisingly appeared satisfied, almost forgetting that his aunt seemed to have an unusual fondness for martial artists.